Tragedy Ever After

Test 84

        ~Donnie's POV~

     I sat before the cyborg, tools scattered around me. "Test one of Project Leonardo," the eyes flickered to life, one blue the other one a purple-ish pink. The white pupils flickered over me, trying to take in who I was. "Introduction."

     "I am Leonar--" his voice broke up and released a high-pitched whine. I winced back at the noise, quickly powering down the husk. Tomorrow was another day. I shut the door behind me, joining my family as Y/n called for dinner.

     Sera had quickly attached herself to Raph. Both of them would sleep either in the living room or in Mikey's room whenever he offered. She wasn't dependent on him, but she definitely spent plenty of time with him.

     In a way, it reminded me of how I stuck to Y/n, only much healthier than I had been. They didn't know the whole story, how much I was manipulating them before I truly fell in love with them. I was okay with them not knowing everything, it was for the better.

   ~~~

     "Test seven of Project Leonardo," I watched the body awaken once more. He scanned me with his white pupils before a twitch of electricity sparked and he lunged at me, barely giving me time to dodge and switch off the machine.

     Why wasn't this working? I was a master of machines, so what the fuck was I doing wrong? I threw the screwdriver I was holding, cringing at the loud clattering sound it made.

     I held my head in my hands, noticing the glowing markings on my thighs as I accidentally activated my mystics.

     "Don?" I tensed at the cold touch on my shoulder. I knew that voice all too well.

     "Leo?" tears filled my eyes at the blue apparition that stood, er, floated before me. "You're. . . how are you?"

     "You can see me?" a smile spread across his face as I nodded. "You can see me!" he was literally jumping with joy.

     "How long have you been here?" I asked and Leo kneeled in front of me.

     "Since you brought my body back, but I think it's because you have my sword," he nodded toward the object. I had found a way to cryo-freeze his body to keep it from decomposing or causing any terrible scent.

     I swung forward to try and hug him only to phase through him, my arms wrapping around my own plastron. That was my breaking point. Tears freely flowed down my cheeks as I held down my sobs.

     "I'm sorry," I choked out and Leo reappeared in front of me.

     "Excuse me?" his voice was confused, his face scrunched up to mimic his tone.

     "I'm sorry. I was a bad brother, I can admit that. I know I fucked up, and I fucked up a lot. I've grown enough to realize that now. And I'm trying so hard to fix this, and it's just not working," my arms violently wiped at the onslaught of tears. "So, I'm sorry. I know you won't forget this, and I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I am so fucking sorry."

     "Hey," I tried to look up at him, seeing that stupid fucking smile on his face. "It's gonna be all right. We'll get through it like we always have. That's why I'm your favorite twin."

     "'Nardo, you're my only twin," I tried to stop the tears.

     "And that's why I'm your favorite. Anyway, the Don I know doesn't give up. So, what's the matter?" I went on for ages about the flaws in the machine while he just listened, even if he didn't know what a single thing meant.

     I wasn't expecting myself to panic when his apparition slowly began to fade away the more tired I got. "Don't go. I'm not ready to be alone in here again," but it was too late, Leo had vanished from my sight leaving me with the husk I was creating.