The Cave

It had been a very uneventful day. But that was usual, have training and either continue to train or be lazy bums for the rest of the night. Then, patrol at night. Well, on this uneventful night, the masked turtles were investigating an unfamiliar cave.

"Ok guys, lets stay together, also be careful, we don't know how stable this cave is," Donnie said as he handed out flashlights to his brothers.

"Mr. D don't worry, we'll be perfectly fine," Mikey said with ease. About an hour later, the masked turtles were a good way into the cave. Mikey led the pack while Raph watched the back. Ultimately, the cave wasn't very interesting, and no clues or details in particular lead to shedder and his goons. In reality, it was just a normal cave. That was, until Ralph stepped on some unknown and bulky device on their way back to civilization. The device was deep red and had some strange unknown foreign timer.

"Um Donnie, I stepped on some weird device," Raph said with confusion. He had a horrible feeling about the device. He couldn't explain it.

"Hand on Raph," Donnie replied. Donnie made his way to Raph with the uttermost curiosity. Maybe it was something really fascinating he could take back to his lab. But once he bent down and got a good look at it, his entire face turned white.

"What is it, Donnie?" Mikey asked who strayed off a bit further away from the others.

"Mikey don't stray so far, but yeah what is it, Donnie?" Leo asked. Donnie felt panic rise up inside his chest and words were unusually hard to form. His throat felt dry, his hands shook, his face was scarcely pale.

"Raph stepped on some device that is currently set to initiate a dynamite somewhere in this cave," Donnie said far too quickly and quietly.

But it was obviously loud enough cause everyone's dementor seemed to change with a snap. The tone in the air felt fragile, like it could snap at any moment.

"Well, where?" Leo asked. A sudden fear took over him, the fear for his family, the ultimate fear of losing his family.

"Don't know, lets head out"

"Agreed"

The group went straight and started to make their descent out of the cave. Their movements were increased rather hastily, everyone was feeling the same thing. Get out of the cave and nobody gets hurt. Mikey this time was in the back of the pack while Raph led the way forward. Donnie and Leo were sandwiched in the middle.

"How much further Donnie?" Raph asked nervously. He could see some rocks begin to shake and his palms only became more sweater. He had never been the one to show his emotions but now, he felt something he had pushed away for years. Panic.

"Not much hopefully, the problem is that I don't know when the dynamite is going to go off"

"Well Brainiac, let's hurry then!"

Donnie felt a ping of hurt in his chest, he really was trying his best. But before Donnie could retort to his hot-tempered brothers' remarks, he heard the horrible sound of dynamite going off.

"RUN!" Donnie screamed with all his might. The masked turtles ran with all their might, but they weren't fast enough. Rocks came crashing down around them as the ground trembled. The turtles were scattered, but they weren't fast enough. Even though, they could see the light of day, it was to late. They just weren't fast enough. The last thing Donnie remembered was Leo pushing him out of the way and then…the world went black.

TMNT

When Donnie came around to it, he saw Leo trying to talk to someone through the rocks. The rocks had formed a formation around him and Leo. There were two sets of rocks on Donnie's left and right. The formation left no way for the masked turtles to get out.

Unless they punched their way out. But Raph wasn't currently with them and without Raph, there was no way for them to find their way out. They were stuck. Eith2wer way, Leo was obviously trying to still talk to someone, and Donnie was very curios to who it was. He didn't have to wait long.

"Raph stop punching the rocks unless you know that they are stable!" Leo exclaimed. His hands were shaking, and he was bouncing on his heels.

"Wait…. Leo was bouncing on his heels?! He must be pretty worried then," Donnie thought to himself. Leo was always calm and intent, but if he was the opposite of those, that meant he was extremely worried about something.

"I can do whatever I want Leo," Raph responded from the other side of the wall which was currently the left side. Donnie tried to grasp the whole situation, but his skull was filled with pain, throb after throb.

"Leo, is Raph on the other side?" Donnie asked quietly. It hurt to talk to loud, his voice would ring in his ears.

"Donnie your awake! Yeah, but he's not being careful. Can't you hear him punching the rocks?" Leo asked as he observed Donnie's movements.

Now that Leo mentioned it, he could hear it.

Loudly

"Uh yeah, is Raph hurt? Are you hurt?" Donnie asked in his "doctor" voice. He had always put his family before his needs, and that would never change.

"I'm not hurt, Raph has a few bruises but are you ok?"

"Head hurts," Donnie said but didn't mention the extant of it, "But other than that, I'm fine. Have you heard from Mikey yet?"

Leo stopped bouncing and his face immediately dropped, his face was twisted with despair.

"No, not yet," Leo responded quietly.

Just like that, Donnie started to panic. His brain fogged and the worst-case scenario kept popping in his head. He quickly sat up.

Which he regrated almost immediately.

And stood up on wobbly legs as pain exploded in his head.

"Donnie sit down, you hit your head really," Leo said as he held out his hands to catch Donnie if he fell. Donnie looked far off from healthy, but he had to make sure his brothers were all right.

"Can't Leo, MIKEY! MIKEY!" Donnie yelled.

No response

Panic flared up inside his chest. He had to remain calm. But he allowed himself the littlest amount of feeling on a regular basis, so finding emotion was extremely hard for him to handle.

"Leo…what do we do?" Donnie asked in hopes for a rational answer. But his brother looked hopeless, defeated.

"I don't know Donnie," Leo sighed. He sat down on the floor as he tried to collect himself.

Silence followed the duo. The silence felt so empty, the happiness was sucked out of everyone, only to be replaced with the tiniest bit of hope.

"DONNIE? LEO? RAPH? Where are you guys?!" A loud voice exclaimed from the other side of the wall.

The right side

"Mikey?" Leo shouted as he got up with determination.

"Leo? Leo I'm scared! Where are you guys?" Mikey said on the other side of the wall. Donnie felt bad for Mikey, Mikey hated the dark more than anything. Well... not anything. His fear for losing his family by far took place one.

"It's ok Mikey, we're on the opposite wall, wait there. Raph is gonna punch you out once he gets himself out," Leo said. Donnie scoffed, "That's if he does get himself out."

"Ok Leo, is Donnie with you?

Donnie piped up suddenly when he heard his youngest brother call his name.

"Yes Mikey, I'm here. Are you injured?" Donnie said once again in his "doctor'' voice. A tiny grunt of muffled pain could be heard, little whimpers were added on.

"A little, my ribs feel awful"

"Your ribs are most likely broken, don't move to much because your ribs might puncture your skin"

"Got it, Mr."

Just like before, silence took over the hearts of Leo and Donnie. Except for the occasionally punches for Raph, nothing was heard. Harsh breathing could be heard, but that was implied. But this time, the silence felt nice because Donnie knew that his brothers were safe. Injured...yes. But alive…. also yes.

Other than his poor head killing him, he felt pretty good. A little while later though, the silence was broken.

"Hey Mr. D and Leo, I see a way out, it's small but I think I can fit," Mikeys muffled voice said from behind the large wall of rocks.

"Be careful, be mindful about your ribs," Leo shouted back at him. The tension was still in the air, it brothered Donnie a lot.

A whole lot

And yes, Donnie felt overwhelmed about what was happening. But the sound of Raph punching and Mikey trying to fit in places he shouldn't fit, only made Donnie feel more assured that his brothers were ok. Well…. for the most part.

"Almost done," Raph said with harsh breathing on the other side of Donnie.

"Nice, Mikey can you hear me?" Donnie asked.

"Yes Donnie" Mikey responded.

"Are you almost out?"

"Yeah…. ouch, almost there…. ouch… stupid pointy rocks!"

Leo laughed to himself, everything was going to be ok, well as good as it could get at least. Still that small hope freed a lot of tension holding up inside the blue and purple masked turtles. Pretty soon, Raph had smashed though all the ricks and grinned at Leo.

"Long Time no see, I found our way out," Raph said as he smugly looked at Leo. Leo just shrugged Raph off. Just as soon as Raph entered, Mikey squirmed out of a little hole at the edge of a rock.

"Hey guys," Mikey said, followed by a huge smile.

"Hi little brother," Donnie replied. Donnie got up and reached his hands out to pull Mikey out. It was successful. But nobody could ignore the grimace of pain that Mikey sent out.

"Mikey you were careful with your ribs, right?" Donnie asked with caution.

"Yeah, but they hurt more"

"Well, lets head out before Mikey gets himself injured further," Raph grunted. The group found their way out of the cave, it took a while but eventually, they got out as the sun began to rise. As the turtles got out back to the lair, it was sadly revealed that Donnie had a minor concussion and Mikey had a few broken ribs. Mikey and Donnie were forced to rest for about a week, but they didn't mind. They had each other and that's all that mattered.