TMNT - Worlds Change

Thirty One

Bellona POV

I awoke with a start, hand clutching at my chest. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kazuo? Where are you?" I stood, my mind adjusting to the human hands again.

"I'm here! And I made you breakfast." Kazuo held up a plate. I smiled at him.

"You silly thing. Shouldn't you be getting dres-" a pounding on the front door. I turned to back to him. "Kazuo remember that place I told you about. You need to go there now. Promise me?"

"But what about you?"" I kissed my sons forehead and guided him towards the back door. I helped him tie his shoes, whispering to him.

"I will be fine, but you have to be safe for Mama, ok? Go there and ask for... for Raphael, ok? He's gonna protect you." The pounding at the front door got louder. "I love you Kazuo, now Go!"

I watched him grab his bag and head out the door, headed right to the manhole cover just outside our door. As I came back to the front door, I picked up my psi and slide them into the back of my jeans, and adjusted the band on my arm to stealth. As it shrank and melded with the skin of my arm, I opened the door to find three large men with dragon tattoos standing at my door.

"It's time, Bel. No more chances." I nodded and pulled the door closed behind me.

"I'll go. Take me to him then."

Raph POV

"Raph, I need to run some tests, you have to give me the space to do it!" Donnie slightly glared at me from his work station. I sat in my chair beside Bellona, who had been laying mostly still for nearly a week since Atlas left. Donnie's fussing was halfhearted, as everyone was feeling down. The girls were solemn after losing their friend and because their sister was like this.

"What am I doing to stop you, Donnie? Sensei says it is a spirit journey."

"Which clinically means coma with hyper brain activity," He sighed and turned to me. "Look Raph, you and I both know that I am doing everything I can to help her along. You have to trust me." I watched her face as he talked, her eyes shifting as her body lay still. A thought occurred to me.

"Donnie, what is she seeing?" He sighed.

"A fluffy unicorn, Raph. How, am I supposed to know?" I stared up at him, all that anger I had pent up right at the surface.

"Cut the crap, Donnie!" I shouted, loud enough I heard footsteps shift directions. As Leo appeared in the doorway, I looked at Donnie.

"If this was Athena, you would be doing enough to start a spaceship if that was what it took to bring her back. I asked because I had an idea that might could bring the woman I love back to me! So stop acting like I'm the one that's being a problem!" I gripped the edges of the bed, knowing I needed to control my anger. She would want me to.

"Raph... I'm sorry. I was being insensitive. But I have no idea what I could do to help her." I glanced up at Leo, who looked at me with part pride, part sadness. As I turned back, the idea came to me.

"What if one of us could get inside her mind? Or at least see what's happening? Isn't there a way to connect to her visual senses?" Donnie's jaw dropped a little when I said that. "What, am I stupid or something?"

"No, Raph. You are most definitely not stupid," He spun back to his lab, looking for pieces in a maze of shelves, "In fact you might be a genius!" As he disappeared, I turned to Leo.

"That was pretty intense there for a second. You ok?" Leo leaned against the door frame. I sighed, slowly sinking back into the chair.

"She's my everything, Leo. It's been nearly a week, and it has me slowly losing my mind. I feel like I need to help, but I can't, and then Donnie got all snippy, and I knew I had to keep my cool because right now he is the only one with any ability to save her."

"Raph, she's in a spirit journey. Maybe she doesn't need saving, she just needs to figure things out."

"No. She would have found her way back by now, she's stronger than this." I leaned down, holding her limp hand in mine.

"Ok, so here's this, and I need these..." Donnie came bustling back with lots of wires and cords, and an old TV that rolled around on a metal cart. Where does he even find these things?

"D, what are you doing?" I watched as he attached wiring to Bellona's forehead in different places and connected them to the monitor.

"This is a little tricky, but with a little help from that Utrom tech we had lying around, I was able to create a connection to-" The screen buzzed to life and grainy images began appearing on the screen. A girl stood in a cage. "her... mind? Hang on, maybe some audio might help." He tried a few more wires and I was starting to get concerned. But before it turned into the Matrix or something, Bellona's voice came through clear as day on the TV.

Bellona POV

"This fight with weapons or without?" I watched as the guy unlocked the cage. I felt like a caged lion, waiting for its next challenger. I raised my fist to allow them to be cuffed for the walk to the arena.

"You were always fought so hard to stay out of these cages for 'Kazuo' and now you are being all calm. What changed?" I looked down, eyes focused on the ground.

"Because he is safe now. And if not, I will personally get out and break every bone in the body of whoever hurt him or kept him from his destination." Fire rose up in my eyes as they unlocked the chains and slid the door shut. 10 Seconds...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...

Raph POV

...2...1. My hands shook with worry watching this human-shaped Bellona fight in this gladiator arena.

"Donnie, can that things get me-"

"No. Absolutely not, no way, it cannot. There isn't enough power, there is barely enough to do this. Maybe two more people like this, but never on that big of a scale." I watched as she fought, and used her strength. Her opponent fell and she raised her hands, looking out at the crowd with no drive. No fire. No life. Maybe that's what kept her in her mind. She needed drive.

"How is she?" The three of us looked up at Iris. Her hands shook softly, her nervousness showing through.

"Donnie's got a way to see what's happening, but so far she seems... lost. Without purpose." I looked down at my hands, feeling useless. Weak.

"Has she said anything, any names?" Iris seemed to be onto something.

"She didn't but the guy said a name. Kazuo." Iris pondered it a moment.

"Ka – Zoo – O. If I remember correctly, it a Japanese name for a boy. It means..." She paused.

"Means what?"

"Peace. It means peace. Maybe that is why she has lost her way. She has lost Kazuo." I sighed.

"If only I could help her find him." Iris shifted and rested beside her sister.

"There... might be a way." I sat up straight at Iris's words. "But it is very dangerous. And I'm not even sure if I am... I know I can. But it could be dangerous for both of you."

"I'll do anything to help her. Iris, please." She hesitated. "Donnie can watch our vitals and find a safe way to whatever it is, just... help me save your sister." I hadn't realized I was standing by her until she stood and hugged me. I lowered my arms around her, feeling her tears. She was scared, and worried like all of us. She leaned back, wiping her eyes.

"Then let's get started."