[He grins at that, ducking from the ice but grabbing for a chunk of it. Focuses and -
A sharp pain erupts in his chest, the glow of his stripes normal with his ninpo usage flickering instead. Like trying to climb through sludge before it ignites properly, glow steadies and he gets another sword constructed in his hand. Once he does, he focuses again, disappearing in a flash of blue and reappearing holding the sword Donnie caught and coming down with an upward swing of both swords now.]
[He releases the grip as Leo begins the port, eyes going to his arms and-]
[Confuse the instruction.]
[He flips the hammer over, letting it draw him down to follow up on Leo, but he cuts out the hammer at the last second, only striking down with the Bo as a follow up for Leo.]
[Or rather a feint as he summons a basic construct to his hand, a mix of the various glyphs Hunter has shown him and really aiming to slap it over one of the glyphs on Hunter's arm.]
[ Swords AND a bo, that's going to hurt. Belos raises an arm to bring up slime to block Leo - partially, anyway. The first sword gets stuck, but the second one cleaves through, sticking him to the ground for a moment. That gives Donnie an opportunity to strike home with --
No, it's a feint. But Belos is distracted, and Donnie gets a chance to slap those glyphs down. Belos howls in rage and pain as a fire starts up there, disrupting whatever he was trying to do next. ]
I hope you realize what this is doing to Hunter's body.
[Donnie leaps away, purple energy dancing around his hand.]
As long as we get you out of him, we can help him recover from the rest. There's no getting better with a parasite like you around.
[He meets Leo's eyes, his own determined. He holds up his hand, more circular disks of the combined glyphs in his hand, ready to disrupt more of them.]
Not that you would understand that what it means to help your brother recover, do you, Belos?
[He feels so seen. That frustration and abject loneliness sparking up with the words. Belos knows exactly what he's talking about. And the core of his center bottoms out, leaving his heart a gaping maw for just a moment.
No. Focus on now. Feelings later. His grip on his swords tighten and he quickly throws one past Belos, blinking himself that direction instead to swing at him.]
[Before the winter clothes had hidden his markings. Now in the torn mess he's been running around in for the games, they're visible, showing off their glow.]
[As well as the crackling scars up his arms, purple light emphasizing the jagged trails.]
[Donnie's grip tightens on his staff and he trusts the Ninpo, trusts the energy that only exists because of a true family connection.]
[He trusts Leo.]
Is that your big complaint? He changed?!
You really want to just be one messed up reflection, don't you? Of course he changed. People change and they always will, no matter how maddening it is. But no matter the changes, he was still your brother.
And instead of learning how to connect again, you chose to murder him. When you save your family, you put yourself on the line, but you weren't willing to sacrifice for him.
[He moves in the opposite direction as Leo, knows how he usually strikes, purple energy crackling over the staff as machine parts form and he sends out clamps rocketing to hit elongated wrists to pin him down.]
[ Belos bellows, whirling, trying to keep both of them in his sights at once - and in doing so, manages to keep control of neither. A wave of slime rises up to burn Leo - right as he teleports away to the opposite side. It’s already fallen by the time Donnie is in that same place, and a hurried attempt to raise it up again is interrupted by Leo’s swing catching him full in the back. He staggers with a howl - and Donnie’s clamps pin him to the ground by his horrible slimy wrists.
He struggles like that, shifting his body, struggling to get loose. Congrats, turtles, you’ve caught him. For now. But move quickly—-]
Having more loved ones isn't a betrayal. And Hunter is not Caleb.
Get the crystal on him and reach out for me and Hunter if you can. I can guide us through it either way. [He keeps his staff in hand, but is already starting the process to reach out for the anchor that is the crystal and to push through to Hunter the moment he's able-]
[ The link sways uncertainly, like a rope bridge being battered by a flooded river. But - as difficult as the traversal looks to be, the bridge IS still intact - and down in the bottom of his mind, Hunter is trapped by Belos’s corruption. The same green—black vines Donnie saw before have completely taken over the quiet forest, and Hunter himself is half-drowned by a slew of vines that are dragging him slowly beneath the ground.
He is there though - the turtles are not too late. ]
[Following suit, taking the crystal and making sure he touches it to skin - wherever's easiest to reach. Focusing is harder. Focusing and not letting that underlying anxiety come through as he pushes through to Donnie, familiar and bright and follows through to the bridge.]
[Blue. There's blue and he can tug him along and it's a relief. This is a wild mystic thing he's decided to do, but with Leo, it feels a lot more doable.]
[They can do this.]
[There's a bridge and it's unstable, but it's there, and further down, Hunter.]
We can get him. Watch out for the vines.
[But he's immediately pushing to go deeper, throwing out mystic energy to try and stabilize the bridge, to reach out for Hunter, focusing on the memories of their connection. How easy it was to talk to him, to understand what he said and be understood. Red birds and dramatic actings and experiencing their first teen party.]
[The trust of admitting to nightmares and take offered help.]
[Of offering his own power to make sure he wasn't trapped alone.]
[ The bridge strengthens as Donnie’s memories take hold. There’s a faint flicker of a response - how quickly Hunter had made friends in turn, how nice it was to just decide to trust someone like a normal person, having an ordinary teenager friendship… the torrent of abuse from Belos doesn’t slow, but the bridge itself burns bright with violet reinforcement.
Meanwhile, the vines are 100% coming after the “intruders” here. One set snakes out for Leo’s sword arm, while the other tries to drag Donnie down by his feet. ]
[It's Leo's first time here so he's taking stock of the surroundings. He doesn't get much chance to, trying to dodge the snakes even if one does get him. He tries to shake it off for now and make his way across the bridge while they can. A few seconds to portal across-]
[He's using his staff to bat away the vines, trying to keep himself free as he leans into the protective feelings-]
[It takes a long while to clue into the fact that Hunter may think his existence is worth less because he's a Grimwalker. What an absurd thought. He thinks, he wants, he decides things for himself, he's existing right in front of him. All the proof necessary to determine he's a person. Just like SHELLDON and PSDD and Frankenfoot. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool and should be dismissed.]
[A vine is on his leg and he yells, reaching out for Leo.]
[ Any time the vines make contact, they hurt. They eat into turtle skin like acid, leaving burns behind.
The longer they're on the bridge, the more it sways in the torrential storm around them. Belos is fighting them - trying to knock them off before they can even make it to Hunter. ]
[The chainsaw forms at the end of his staff, cutting through the vine clinging to his leg.]
[Burns later, Hunter now.]
[He leaps through the portal, staff spinning-]
[It's all theory. Technically no proof against, some things close that might say yes-
He understands what it's like to see those like you, but know there is one major difference, something that makes you vulnerable, he wants to help so his friend isn't left exposed-
The mind meld is mystic energy, and a mindscape, there should be even less limits here than the real world, and he wants Hunter to feel safe.]
[Donnie lands beside Hunter and sweeps the bo staff around them, purple machine parts appearing with streaks of red slotting together into a robotic version of Raph.] Help Leo protect us and the connection!
[The robo Raph moves to the bridge, ripping away at vines to slow the onslaught before getting a hand onto the rope bridge to help stabilize it.]
[Donnie turns to Hunter-]
[It's a nightmare scenario, the sensory issues alone, he's going to be sick, he doesn't want to-
His family needs him to do this, Leo trusted him, Mikey believes in him, and whatever sensory issues or risks involved are secondary.]
[He shoves his arms into the mass of vines and muck, grabbing tight into Hunter and starts to pull.] Hunter, wake up!
[ The vines ... DO stop after a moment? But that's because something else is striding towards him out of the storm. SomeONE else, with a familiar silhouette, but an unfamiliar gold mask on his face. His movements are horribly jerky, like stop motion gone wrong, but he gestures with a gold staff that has a red gem on top.
Sparks race across Robo-Raph, slowing him down; he points the staff at Leo next. ]
It's a shame you two forced yourselves in here. Now I can't let you leave.
[ ... Meanwhile, the vines holding Hunter down reach out for Donnie now that he's close. They squeeze any limb they can get ahold of, trying to pull him down into the muck right down alongside Hunter.
Hunter himself remains limp and cold; the caustic mud is up to his chin. ]
[Robo Raph is slowed, but as long as he can move, he's going to keep trying. Putting both hands on the bridge to stabilize it until there are more vines to rip away.]
[Tendrils crawling, gripping, burning up along his arms digging in, setting his nerves on fire, images flashing through his mind Kraang Leo Raph the city the prison dimension]
[He swallows back the bile burning at the back of his throat.]
[He glances to the side, at the voice.] Guard-
[Then he's yanked down and his head snaps to Hunter. No. Leo has it.]
Come on, Hunter. You need to wake up. Remember, its a lot better if you're able to help take control yourself. But I'm here to help you. You trusted me to help, remember?
[He can feel his legs sinking into the muck, feels the crawling sensation up his arms, but he refuses to let go of Hunter. He won't. He can't. This is his friend, this is his new brother, and he said it. He said he would help, keep him safe, and he was going to protect him.]
[The staff makes it easier. But he knows he doesn't need it. He's done it before and he can do it again.]
[Purple forms at his back, the jetpack forming with streaks of blue, activating to pull against the vines, to keep him from sinking, the cracks along his arms beginning to glow as steel cables extend out from his battle shell with streaks of orange to wrap around his arms and around Hunter.]
[Ninpo thrumming through the constructs as he focuses on protecting Hunter and trying to reach out to him, to connect to him.]
[ Meanwhile, Leo's still stuck fighting vines. They slow, at least, as he cuts them down (and Robo Raph tears some to shreds), but the real danger is that lanky figure. Guard circles Leo at first, considering that sword and Leo's speed. Again his movement seem to stutter - especially when he blinks forward abruptly, aiming a bolt of lighting at Leo's back. ]
Protect them? Who promised that? That doesn't sound like me at all.
[ As he passes, though ... Leo may catch a glimpse of tiny threads of slime clinging to Guard's limbs and joints. Under those threads, Guard is tense, muscles clenched, trying to resist being pulled around like this.
On Donatello's side, the cables arc out and secure themselves. Most importantly, the light of the Hamato ninpo illuminates the dreary forest, despite the storm going on all around them. For a moment it seems like Hunter might slip out of his grip anyway - his face dips below the surface of the mud -
And then the connection locks in. Hunter gasps - chokes on mud - and then begins to struggle again, clinging to the cables and straining to haul himself up by them. ]
[And then he lets out a pained noise at that electric spark; his shell taking most of the hit and feeling it dance across his back before it sputters out. Oh thank god he's a turtle. That would have been way worse. Still painful as hell though but he sees it. For that split second, he can see the threads.
He does a quick look around and gets a running start toward Guard. Just as he gets within melee range, he portals himself through and appears behind Guard, swinging wide to try and catch whatever threads he can.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[He grins at that, ducking from the ice but grabbing for a chunk of it. Focuses and -
A sharp pain erupts in his chest, the glow of his stripes normal with his ninpo usage flickering instead. Like trying to climb through sludge before it ignites properly, glow steadies and he gets another sword constructed in his hand. Once he does, he focuses again, disappearing in a flash of blue and reappearing holding the sword Donnie caught and coming down with an upward swing of both swords now.]
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[He releases the grip as Leo begins the port, eyes going to his arms and-]
[Confuse the instruction.]
[He flips the hammer over, letting it draw him down to follow up on Leo, but he cuts out the hammer at the last second, only striking down with the Bo as a follow up for Leo.]
[Or rather a feint as he summons a basic construct to his hand, a mix of the various glyphs Hunter has shown him and really aiming to slap it over one of the glyphs on Hunter's arm.]
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No, it's a feint. But Belos is distracted, and Donnie gets a chance to slap those glyphs down. Belos howls in rage and pain as a fire starts up there, disrupting whatever he was trying to do next. ]
I hope you realize what this is doing to Hunter's body.
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Doesn't matter. Not here.]
And there are how many magic healers around this place? I'm sure he'll forgive us.
[Soon as the fire starts, Leo jumps half a step back, looking to Donnie to check his status.]
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As long as we get you out of him, we can help him recover from the rest. There's no getting better with a parasite like you around.
[He meets Leo's eyes, his own determined. He holds up his hand, more circular disks of the combined glyphs in his hand, ready to disrupt more of them.]
Not that you would understand that what it means to help your brother recover, do you, Belos?
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[ The ooze crackles with a different color this time; it eats away at their ninpo from a distance, trying to drain all the magic it can.
He looks to Leo specifically now. ]
What it feels like to be cut off from them - to have them separated from you in another world. To have them CHANGE without you.
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No. Focus on now. Feelings later. His grip on his swords tighten and he quickly throws one past Belos, blinking himself that direction instead to swing at him.]
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[As well as the crackling scars up his arms, purple light emphasizing the jagged trails.]
[Donnie's grip tightens on his staff and he trusts the Ninpo, trusts the energy that only exists because of a true family connection.]
[He trusts Leo.]
Is that your big complaint? He changed?!
You really want to just be one messed up reflection, don't you? Of course he changed. People change and they always will, no matter how maddening it is. But no matter the changes, he was still your brother.
And instead of learning how to connect again, you chose to murder him. When you save your family, you put yourself on the line, but you weren't willing to sacrifice for him.
[He moves in the opposite direction as Leo, knows how he usually strikes, purple energy crackling over the staff as machine parts form and he sends out clamps rocketing to hit elongated wrists to pin him down.]
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[ Belos bellows, whirling, trying to keep both of them in his sights at once - and in doing so, manages to keep control of neither. A wave of slime rises up to burn Leo - right as he teleports away to the opposite side. It’s already fallen by the time Donnie is in that same place, and a hurried attempt to raise it up again is interrupted by Leo’s swing catching him full in the back. He staggers with a howl - and Donnie’s clamps pin him to the ground by his horrible slimy wrists.
He struggles like that, shifting his body, struggling to get loose. Congrats, turtles, you’ve caught him. For now. But move quickly—-]
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Whatever you've got, let's go. He's not saying down long.
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Get the crystal on him and reach out for me and Hunter if you can. I can guide us through it either way. [He keeps his staff in hand, but is already starting the process to reach out for the anchor that is the crystal and to push through to Hunter the moment he's able-]
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He is there though - the turtles are not too late. ]
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[Following suit, taking the crystal and making sure he touches it to skin - wherever's easiest to reach. Focusing is harder. Focusing and not letting that underlying anxiety come through as he pushes through to Donnie, familiar and bright and follows through to the bridge.]
Oh jeez.
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[They can do this.]
[There's a bridge and it's unstable, but it's there, and further down, Hunter.]
We can get him. Watch out for the vines.
[But he's immediately pushing to go deeper, throwing out mystic energy to try and stabilize the bridge, to reach out for Hunter, focusing on the memories of their connection. How easy it was to talk to him, to understand what he said and be understood. Red birds and dramatic actings and experiencing their first teen party.]
[The trust of admitting to nightmares and take offered help.]
[Of offering his own power to make sure he wasn't trapped alone.]
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Meanwhile, the vines are 100% coming after the “intruders” here. One set snakes out for Leo’s sword arm, while the other tries to drag Donnie down by his feet. ]
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Dee, let's go!
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[He's using his staff to bat away the vines, trying to keep himself free as he leans into the protective feelings-]
[It takes a long while to clue into the fact that Hunter may think his existence is worth less because he's a Grimwalker. What an absurd thought. He thinks, he wants, he decides things for himself, he's existing right in front of him. All the proof necessary to determine he's a person. Just like SHELLDON and PSDD and Frankenfoot. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool and should be dismissed.]
[A vine is on his leg and he yells, reaching out for Leo.]
Need to get closer-!
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The longer they're on the bridge, the more it sways in the torrential storm around them. Belos is fighting them - trying to knock them off before they can even make it to Hunter. ]
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Go!
[Soon as it's clear Donnie will go, Leo focuses on getting those tendrils and vines out of the way, at least to stop attacking them like this.]
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[Burns later, Hunter now.]
[He leaps through the portal, staff spinning-]
[It's all theory. Technically no proof against, some things close that might say yes-
He understands what it's like to see those like you, but know there is one major difference, something that makes you vulnerable, he wants to help so his friend isn't left exposed-
The mind meld is mystic energy, and a mindscape, there should be even less limits here than the real world, and he wants Hunter to feel safe.]
[Donnie lands beside Hunter and sweeps the bo staff around them, purple machine parts appearing with streaks of red slotting together into a robotic version of Raph.] Help Leo protect us and the connection!
[The robo Raph moves to the bridge, ripping away at vines to slow the onslaught before getting a hand onto the rope bridge to help stabilize it.]
[Donnie turns to Hunter-]
[It's a nightmare scenario, the sensory issues alone, he's going to be sick, he doesn't want to-
His family needs him to do this, Leo trusted him, Mikey believes in him, and whatever sensory issues or risks involved are secondary.]
[He shoves his arms into the mass of vines and muck, grabbing tight into Hunter and starts to pull.] Hunter, wake up!
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Sparks race across Robo-Raph, slowing him down; he points the staff at Leo next. ]
It's a shame you two forced yourselves in here. Now I can't let you leave.
[ ... Meanwhile, the vines holding Hunter down reach out for Donnie now that he's close. They squeeze any limb they can get ahold of, trying to pull him down into the muck right down alongside Hunter.
Hunter himself remains limp and cold; the caustic mud is up to his chin. ]
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[But seeing Robo-Raph appear and start wrecking shop only to be immediately slowed down is not the best feeling right now.]
We're trying to help Hunter! So just let us help.
[He's still fighting off any of the vines that come near, sneaking glances back at Donnie when he can but keeping an eye on Guard here.]
You said you'd protect Mouse, Snail, and Robin's Egg, right? So do that!
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[Tendrils crawling, gripping, burning up along his arms digging in, setting his nerves on fire, images flashing through his mind Kraang Leo Raph the city the prison dimension]
[He swallows back the bile burning at the back of his throat.]
[He glances to the side, at the voice.] Guard-
[Then he's yanked down and his head snaps to Hunter. No. Leo has it.]
Come on, Hunter. You need to wake up. Remember, its a lot better if you're able to help take control yourself. But I'm here to help you. You trusted me to help, remember?
[He can feel his legs sinking into the muck, feels the crawling sensation up his arms, but he refuses to let go of Hunter. He won't. He can't. This is his friend, this is his new brother, and he said it. He said he would help, keep him safe, and he was going to protect him.]
[The staff makes it easier. But he knows he doesn't need it. He's done it before and he can do it again.]
[Purple forms at his back, the jetpack forming with streaks of blue, activating to pull against the vines, to keep him from sinking, the cracks along his arms beginning to glow as steel cables extend out from his battle shell with streaks of orange to wrap around his arms and around Hunter.]
[Ninpo thrumming through the constructs as he focuses on protecting Hunter and trying to reach out to him, to connect to him.]
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Protect them? Who promised that? That doesn't sound like me at all.
[ As he passes, though ... Leo may catch a glimpse of tiny threads of slime clinging to Guard's limbs and joints. Under those threads, Guard is tense, muscles clenched, trying to resist being pulled around like this.
On Donatello's side, the cables arc out and secure themselves. Most importantly, the light of the Hamato ninpo illuminates the dreary forest, despite the storm going on all around them. For a moment it seems like Hunter might slip out of his grip anyway - his face dips below the surface of the mud -
And then the connection locks in. Hunter gasps - chokes on mud - and then begins to struggle again, clinging to the cables and straining to haul himself up by them. ]
-- Donnie!
[ His voice is weak, but it is there. ]
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[And then he lets out a pained noise at that electric spark; his shell taking most of the hit and feeling it dance across his back before it sputters out. Oh thank god he's a turtle. That would have been way worse. Still painful as hell though but he sees it. For that split second, he can see the threads.
He does a quick look around and gets a running start toward Guard. Just as he gets within melee range, he portals himself through and appears behind Guard, swinging wide to try and catch whatever threads he can.]
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