[Audio]

[brain_behind_purple]

[Donnie really hated how just as things started to get a little better for him, they come crashing down again. Forst the virus, then his argument with Leatherhead, and now... he was having nightmares. Nightmares of something that happened months ago now, but he had brought it up only to the two people who were with him when it happened. It had been horrific, the vision that he, Marley, and Ed had seen. He had tried to forget it.

But after the invasion, he couldn't. Real or not, the city needed to know.]

I know how a lot of you want to beat me into a bloody pulp right now, and trust me I'd be more than happy to let you. But this sin;t about that, this is about something I should have told people months ago. Ed may have, but I don;t remember. Remember the Dark Zone back in June? I was one of the Divers that went into it. A lot of bad things happened in there... but there was one thing in particular, one I tried to forget. But after the Titamon invasion. now might be a good time to say it.

I don;t know what we saw exactly, the thing was too bright to see. But what I do know is that it was a Digimon and that it was something pure evil. The other Divers and me, we... we saw it kill... pretty much anything living. Humans, other living beings, it... it killed everything. We had to look it in the eyes and... [There was an audible gulp] I-it was... the most horrifying thing I ever saw...

I don;t if it's real or not, but after Titamon attacked I started thinking about if. If it is real, then... then we need to be ready for it. If it's the thing that we're here to stop, we can't let it kill everything. I... I just wanted to warn people, because if it's real, then we'll be in a lot of trouble. That's all I have to say.

[Private to Mikey]

[Actually, he did have one more thing to say, but that was for his brother's ears only. He placed the lock, but he paused before talking. He was still scared of Mikey, after the fight he didn't know what to do. He feared hurting his brother again, he feared upsetting him. He couldn't bare to cause him anymore harm. But that... thing wasn't all he was having nightmares about. He saw something else in the Dark Zone, something he thought that he had moved past. But it looked like he was heading for a relapse, and the fear was coming back along with it

He needed to hear Mikey's voice, know that he was okay.]

Mikey, I...look, I-I know things are... are shaky between us. I'm partly to blame, if not completely, and I'm sorry. How I acted the other day was horrible and I had no right to be like that. But... [His voice started to crack] I-I need you to pick up, even if it's to yell at me. I... I need to know that your okay. That... that your alive... so please... please pick up.

Comments

[Audio]

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Those nightmares are always shell. I can totally understand the panic. I'm alright, I'm here at my apartment with Leader and Leormon... Oh that's right you haven't met Leormon yet, have you?

Leormon, you awake?

I'm up, what is it?

I want you to meet my brother, Donnie.

OH, Hi there Mikey's brother, I'm Leormon, at least for now, Mikey says he's trying to figure out a name for me still. Nice to get to meet you, Mikey and Leader have mentioned you from time to time.

[Audio]

[brain_behind_purple]

[That first statement made Donnie pause. What did that mean? Had... Mikey been having nightmares too? That set off an instant alarm in his head.]

Mikey, are you-

[He was cut off when Mikey introduced him to Leormon. The concern was far from gone, but he'd go with this. For now.]

Umm.. yeah, I'm Mikey's brother... well one of them. It's ugh... nice to meet you Leormon.

[Well the Digimon didn't sound like it wanted to kill him, so maybe Mikey and Leader hadn't mentioned the virus. He hoped not, he really wanted to forget that it ever happened.]

Oh! Speaking of Digimon, Miey I got Paolo back, and he hatched. So that's been... helping me get better. That and therapy...

Re: [Audio]

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Mikey and Leader told me you had been hit hard by a virus, that's why I haven't had the chance to meet you yet. I hope I can meet you in person someday soon.

Oh! Paolo is hatched, I'm so glad to hear that! I'm glad you are working things out!

[He didn't know what to say about the therapy, since he had never imagined his smart brother needing it before, but now he could believe that it was good for him. That made Mikey wonder if he should consider it, but he wasn't too sure about it.]

[Audio]

[brain_behind_purple]

Oh... they told you about that...

[He was silent for a few seconds. He wondered how much Mikey told the Leormon about the virus, but at least he didn't sound like he wanted to kill him. That was good.]

Well... maybe around Christmas you'll be able to see me... that is... if we're still planning to meet on that day...

[Now he was sounding scared again. After the argument, he didn't know how anything was anymore. He hoped that Mikey still wanted to see him on Cbristmas, but what if he didn't? He was that worried that he had screwed everything up despite having again be forgiven.]

[Audio]

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Some, yeah, they didn't explain a lot of it, but they said a there was a virus involved... that's enough for me.

[For what it was worth the Leormon didn't seem to have any interest in finding out more about that.]

Yes... I'd still like to see you then. I'd kinda... been planning on it.

[Audio]

[brain_behind_purple]

[Hearing Leormon say that was a relief. And hearing what Mikey said also relieved him. Actually, it made him feel better than he had in days. Mikey didn't hate him. Even though they still had to be distant,h is brother still cared about him. Even though Donnie still felt like he served no purpose to Mikey still, at least his brother still wanted him involved in his life.

He could live with that.]

Great, so was I. So... I guess we'll meet then... r-right?

[Audio]

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Yeah, we'll meet up then.

[Mikey wished he had more to talk to his brother about right now. Back home he never seemed to lack some subject to bring up, but now that didn't seem to be the case. His mind was too full of the same subjects that hurt.

He shifted a little in place.]

[Audio]

[brain_behind_purple]

[Any relief he had gained died some. The distance was still strong, he could tell. He hated it. It had never been hard to talk to his brothers before, especially not Mikey. But now...]

Anyways... that's all I wanted, to see that you're okay... and that you weren't mad...

[Audio]

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Yeah, I am... and... you can always call me, if you need. Even if I sound more like Raph then myself from being grumpy... I'm not going to be mad.

[He smiled hard, hoping he would sound happy enough to convince Donnie everything was alright, his brother didn't need more weighing on him right now as it was.]

[Audio]

[brain_behind_purple]

I know, and... you too. If anything is wrong, no matter what it is... you can call me if you need me. Even with how I am right now... I'll be here for you. You know that... right?

[Because despite how Mikey sounded happy, eh knew better. But unless his brother told him if anything was bothering him himself, eh couldn't do anything to help.]

[Audio]

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Thanks, I will if I need it.

[He knew he could share his troubles, but he didn't want to burden Donnie, especially since his nightmares centered around what had happened with his brother.]

[Audio]

[brain_behind_purple]

[Donnie geld in a sigh. He knew that Mikey wasn't as great as he was acting, but he couldn't do anything about it if he didn't open up. But... he supposed that after all that happened, his brother probably wasn't comfortable with opening up to him. Besides he had Leatherhead to comfort him, plus several other people who could help him through it.

There really was no reason for Mikey to need him anymore.]

Okay, I'll... see you in a few weeks then.... Bye.

[With that, he hung up. He let out the sigh, resigning to the fact that even after this, things between him and his brother would probably never be the same again.]

[Audio]

[hot_nunchaku_fury]

Okay, bye.

[After the line went dead he was still a quiet for a few moments before tears started welling up in his eyes. He dropped to his side before curling into his pillow, crying into it to keep the sound of his crying muffled.

He had done enough crying like this already, crying because he wanted to reach out for his brother, but not knowing how. Crying because he wanted to go back to just being brothers again. Crying from the terror his dreams still inspired, and crying from the exhaustion that the dreams keeping him up at night was causing. He felt worn out already and it wasn't even close to Christmas yet.

It was going to be another night of no sleep and crying.]