Leonardo sat on the ground of their cell, staring across the room at nothing. The situation they were in was a little overwhelming and he need a moment to decompress.
Rachael was laying on the ground next to him, sleeping. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. Bishop’s doctors assured him that she was well but that didn’t keep him from worrying about her. Bishop knew that she was his mate by examining her oviducts. What else did he do to her while they were unconscious?
The door to their cell was wide open now, allowing them limited access to the compound. There was no doubt that every area was heavily monitored. They were still prisoners, even though their cage had been expanded.
At least Bishop had allowed Leonardo to call Splinter. The pain in his father’s voice as he told him about Raph left a knot in Leo’s stomach. But, it was better than not knowing anything about him at all. At least he was stable.
Donatello was sitting with Raph now. They sat with him in rotation so that at least one of them would be there when he woke up. He had taken Snow in with him when he came in to relieve Leo. She had climbed up on the bed, curled up next to Raph and immediately fell asleep.
Tello had returned with the mutagen and was working on a solution to Bishop’s cloning issues. More time had passed than he had originally thought, leaving him to wonder what Bishop had done to them in that time. The knot in his stomach tightened anytime he thought about it.
Blinking his eyes to bring them back into focus, Leo looked at Mikey and Michelle. If Tello isn’t able to stabilize the clones, they would be forced to mate. Leonardo remembered the effects of Bishop
S methods all too well. The lack of self-control was frightening.
Their world had stopped and all they could do at the moment was wait to see which way it would go. One way or another, Bishop was going to have his soldiers.
This led Leo to think about Venus. Bishop had said she was a clone. So, whose clone was she? If she was created using their DNA, wouldn’t that, in a way, make her their child? The thought of his child being raised by Bishop had Leo clinching his jaw.
“You okay, Leo,” Mikey asked as he got up to move across the room.
“I’m thinking about that child,” Leo admitted, looking towards the door.
Mikey sat next to Leo and leaned back against the wall. “She reminds me of X-23.”
“What’s X-23?” Leo asked.
“Comic book,” Mikey replied. “She’s Wolverine’s clone but they doubled his X chromosome to make her. I wonder if that’s what Bishop did to make Venus. Or, did he use the X chromosomes from two of us? If so, who’d he clone to make her?”
Leo sighed. “I don’t think he’d tell us if we asked.”
“True,” Mikey said. “I guess it will be better not to dwell on it. Do you think Tello will be able to save her?”
“I hope so,” Leo said, looking his brother in the eyes. “Bishop having these clones is preferable to his plan B.”
“Yeah,” Mikey looked across the room to where Michelle was sitting next to Donna, comforting her sister. “I don’t want plan B to happen either. I’m not ready for kids but I sure as hell don’t want Bishop to have them.”
“Leonardo.”
Looking up, Leo saw Stockman standing in the doorway. Of all the people he wished never to see again, Stockman was one near the top of the list.
“The other Donatello has requested you,” Stockman said. “I’ll take you to him.”
“Please, call him Tello,” Leah said. “Calling him the other Donatello is degrading.”
“I don’t care,” Stockman replied tartly.
“Someone’s bitter over losing their job to ‘the other Donatello’ and being demoted to errand boy,” Mikey said with a level of bitterness that was rare for him.
“I would have been able to stabilize the clones if I had the mutagen,” Stockman snapped. “His only advantage is having access to a substance I didn’t even know existed.”
“Sure it is,” Leo said as he got to his feet. “Shal we go?”
“This way,” Stockman grumbled, turning to lead the way.
Stockman was wasting his time. Leo knew the way to the lab, he had already been there to check in on Tello and to let him know about Raph. It must stem from his need to control something or a desire to be included.
The last time Leo saw him, Tello seemed to be doing well but that was all thanks to him being medicated. Leo hoped that whatever they were giving him didn’t have long term side effects. This whole experience was going to be traumatizing enough.
One more thing to fuel his nightmares.
Leo entered the lab to find Venus sitting quietly on an exam table while Tello worked. It was the first time Leo had been able to really look at her since she had been presented to them as incentive to cooperate.
Leo wasn’t sure if it was his imagination running away with him or if he really saw a bit of himself in her.
“Oh, good,” Tello greeted Leo with a stoic expression. “Come in, sit down.”
“Stockman said you needed me,” Leo said as he entered the room.
Stockman moved to stand on the other side of Venus. Leo had to suppress a moan, knowing that Stockman wasn’t going anywhere.
“I need your blood,” Tello stated and gestured for Leo to sit.
“Couldn’t you have just asked Bishop for some from his supply,” Leo snarked as he sat down. “It would save me the trouble of being stuck with a needle.”
“I need a fresh sample,” Tello replied. “One without the preservatives.”
“Why mine,” Leo asked, though he already had an idea why.
“Bishop used your DNA to clone her,” Tello answered, confirming Leo’s suspicions. The coldness in his tone gave Leo pause for concern. Whatever it was that Stockman had given him to help with his nerves appeared to have suppressed all emotions.
Leo looked at Venus to study her face. “Just me?”
“Just you,” Tello said as he tied an elastic ban around Leo’s bicep. “It looks as if he doubled your X chromosome.”
Leo shook his head. “Mikey was right.”
Tello found a vein and began to draw Leo’s blood. “He’s intuitive like that,” he said, not needing further explanation. “Probably similar to something he read in a comic book. My brother was the same way.”
“You are correct,” Leo forced a laugh, unable to take his eyes off of Venus.
“Bishop favored your DNA,” Tello said as a matter of fact as he removed the needle, holding a cotton ball over the puncture. “He used it to create two of the clones. The third is a mix of Donatello and Raph.”
Leo pulled his eyes off of Venus to look up at Tello. “There’s two more?”
“That I know of.” Tello nodded while securing the cotton ball in place with tape. “Both boys. Milo is a mix of you and Mikey. Kuroko is a mix of Don and Raph. He’ll probably make more once I formulate how to keep them stable.”
There was a pit in Leo’s stomach and it took every ounce of control not to let his emotions run away with him. Taking the children from Bishop wasn’t going to do any of them any good. There was no winning in this, just accepting the lesser of two evils.
“Is there anything more you need? I want to go check on Raph.”
“I’ve got what I need,” Tello said and turned to get back to his work.
Before leaving, Leo walked over to Stockman and whispered, “Tell me whatever you gave him will eventually wear off. I will kill you if you’ve destroyed who he is just to get what you want out of him.”
“It will wear off,” Stockman said, unfazed by Leo’s threat. “I’ve already had to administer two more doses to keep him working. Once he’s finished and the drugs wear off, he’ll go back to sobbing in an emotional heap on the floor.”
Biting his tongue, Leo let the issue drop and left the room. He didn’t have to walk far to get to where Raph was being kept. Even if he hadn’t known the way, the sound of Donatello’s voice carried down the hall. He was reciting one of their favorite stories growing up.
Leonardo followed the sound to the room. Raphael was still unconscious with Snow sleeping soundly next to him. Leatherhead sat in the corner, holding the baby.
Leonardo sat next to Donny and grabbed hold of Raph’s hand. He listened as Donny concluded The Marsh King’s Daughter and then moved on to The Steadfast Tin Soldier. The fact that Donny had memorized every one of those stories amazed Leo.
Lured into a trace by the familiar story and the even tone of Don’s voice, Leo began to doze. He barely noticed the movement of Raph’s hand or that Don had stopped talking. When it did register, Leo snapped awake. “Raph.”
Turning his head to the side, Raph moaned.
“You’re okay, Raph,” Donny soothed.
Raph’s eye struggled to open. He processed his surroundings while he scanned the room before looking at Leo and Don. The questioning look on his face, soon fell into one of despair. A tear rolled down his cheek and he looked away, pulling his hand out of Leo’s.
“Raph,” Leo began.
“Don’t,” Raph interrupted, shaking his head. “Please, just, don’t. Leave me alone.” He wiped his cheek with a shaky hand, keeping his eye averted. “I fucked up. It’s what I’m best at.”
“Daddy?” Still a little groggy, Snow sat up. “Don’t cry, daddy.”
“My sweet girl.” Raph caressed Snow’s cheek and gently pulled her toward him to kiss her forehead. “I love you so much. I know, one day, I’m gonna mess this up too.”
“I’m sorry that I failed you,” Leo said. “I put too much pressure on you, restricted you too much….”
Raph shook his head. “It’s all me. I’m making everyone miserable. I’m the screw up. I keep putting the family in danger.”
“We’re gonna help you,” Donny insisted.
“I don’t deserve it,” Raph replied and closed his eye. “Just leave me alone.”
“That was the mistake we made last time,” Leo said though his voice threatened to fail him. “We let ourselves get distracted with other things. This time, you’re not gonna left alone, until we’re sure you’re better. We’re gonna keep our main focus on you.”
“Great,” Raph sighed as he fought back the tears.
