One of my favorites. Thank you!

Poor Michelangelo he just wants to play with a goat that screams

Really freaking good fic. Like, it was kinda fluffy in the beginning but together with your warnings and Donnie's dreams, it didn't take me long to figure out he had accidentally used Saki's blood instead of Yoshi's. But that didn't make the story any less nerve-wracking. Just the anticipation of the revelation had me bloody mad with tension. I was twisting in my chair trying to release some of it. Sadly to no avail cause you just kept on building on it and it made me want to pull my hair out.

The moment Donnie's decent started really kicking in it was such a wild ride, and gosh did I love the wind beating mercilessly down my face. Just, ah! So good! When Donnie told April about Shredder defeating the turtles, THE turtles, I was just, I felt my heart skip a beat because that line was so powerful, the implication so deadly and final. Donnie was gone and a delusional Hisoka remained, dripping with twisted devotion for his sick and evil master. Oh, it was so good! I loved it sooo much because it was like somebody just punched me in the face even tho I thought I'd been anticipating it. So good. This fic was such a intense experience and I love it so much because of it.

I also really liked that you had Leo just freaking losing it at the end. Like BAM! This circle of madness has to end, no more suffering, so he decided to cut of the serpent's head before it even had the change to grow another. He crushed it. Just, gosh, yeah I liked that. It was really freaking heartbreaking and so powerful. Her name was Miwa, that line, just before cutting Shredder's throat. It said so much about him and was possibly the most savage thing he could have said. Simple, clean and deadly. Couldn't have thought of something better.

I kinda wish it had more of a bittersweet ending tho. Even tho Karia died at the end, everything still fell a bit too nicely back into its place in my opinion. I kinda hoped for Donnie to die there after Leo'd cut him down. Just lost and confused at the reality of what had become of his life and what drove him to act the way he did, still mad and spiteful but also vulnerable and small. He had transformed into such a cold and hateful person, for everything to be just kind of wiped clean at the end put a damper on the impact of everything proceeding it. I was so looking forward to a well-rounded tragedy, for it to end on a deflated happily ever after made me feel kind of cheated, like you pulled out at the last second and I never got my release. Sorry if it's kind of a vulgar analogy but it's how I can best describe it.

I also didn't understand Splinter's part at the final battle? Or like in much of the story? I personally wanted for him to play a bigger role into the story and plot, especially because of the parallels between him and Saki, but it was never really anything that was build upon? He was just there for the revelation and to say a few words here and there but I had kind of hoped for there to be a bigger subconscious fight between him and Saki for the soul of his son. And at the end he was just drugged and dragged in there to give the reader the ambiguity of his death? To solidify Leo's lost words to his brother but to later flip it around and suggest Donnie had intentionally spared him? You kind of framed it like you were implying that Donnie was still playing for their side and goading Leo along to finally give in and finish the fight. But later on you never confirm this and April crying for Donnie never being gone doesn't stick all the well. And if this had been the case and Donnie was still playing his role, it takes away so much from the gut wrenching dread of hearing Donnie say all those poisoned words before. Like, the whole story was screaming at me that Donnie would end up lost in the firey battle of his mind, with Hisoka clawing his way to the surface to die at Leo's blade, and then it just never happened. It just, kinda left me disappointed.

I also didn't understand why Saki would want to get rid of Donnie as well? Like, he was literally perfect. Brilliant and deadly and so freaking useful. He was the perfect son, loyal to a fault and unwavering in his duties, willful to serve him until the very end. I would expect him to feel more kinship towards him. Like, he already took Miwa and with Donnie human it's not really all that different, even if it's only as a last big fuck you towards Yoshi. Oh, btw, I wanted to say, that big with Stockman and you kind of leaving ambiguous how it happened? Gosh, I loved that so much. Just, the blatant disregard for the loss of life was just such a powerful move, and you hit the nail right on. The true realization that something is just so wrong with Donnie, where morals abandoned lay so clearly in sight, glaring and blinding and oh so tragic. And him just not caring. And later, that extra slap when you learn exactly how Stockman died. It was so petty and gloating, I was totally floored. It was such a strong image to show exactly how far Donnie had fallen until that point. Like, I was expecting Shredder dragging Stockman up there in his throne room and Donnie unflinchingly witnessing his public execution or something, but again you one upped me, with Donnie fully pulling all the strings and taking real pleasure out of it. Just, Donnie's continues disgust with Stockman for day one alone was chilling enough, especially with how easy it was to wave off. But that, gosh... I loved it!

But yeah, back to Shredder. I kinda just wished a bit more of a father-son bond had grown out of it, to add to the internal struggle of the whole messed uo situation. Idk. It's all just so neatly wrapped up in the end, it just doesn't seem to fit all that well with the tone of the whole second half of this story. But I still intensly love it. It was really well written end built upon. It never felt rushed and there was always enough streamlined progression in Donnie's character that it didn't leave me unsatisfied or overwhelmed. It all just flowed really well. There were enough surprises and foreshadowing that it kept me guessing and a lot of the time I was more than pleasantly surprised. Kinda missed consequences at the end, but the journey was still absolutely worth it, and so thrilling. All in all, really good fic you wrote here, A. I wish I could forget all about it again so I could read it for the first time again.

Wow
I never thought that Leonardo will be so ruthless (or desperate).
But still, Don got away easily compared what he'd done.

I do not think that Stockman would be so stupid, not to make any test before injecting himself.

So, Donatello is finally of the rocker... Interesting.

Nice
Although I think that Don was too strong here. Sure, others were surprised, and he was better prepared, but it shouldn't have been such cakewalk for him.

Donny losing his mind is amazing here.
It is obvious that his problem is exactly the same as Karai's, but still a great chapter.

Leo's wager is a nice touch.
Don instantly hacking Stockman's computer is one of the most cliche plot holes ever.
Dating in the open is a huge and stupid risk for a double agent. But I suppose this scene was created to show Don's mental instability.

Wow, all in this story was just as I wanted. Too bad not all characters in the story have a happy ending. This will be one of the story i will re-read if i crave for suspense/adventure story. You are awesome!

Wow! Just finished reading this for the first time. I had already read Therapy by you, another wowser of an adventure. All I can say is STUNNING! I don't know where you learned to write, but the way you craft the words is like watching a master sculpture mold his own creation. Beauty and beast were in so much of it - especially the fight scenes. I swear I ducked and ran and slashed right along with your characters. The grit of emotions that each character experienced and why gave the entire story the shape of The Grim Reaper closing in. It was like some drunken dance poised on the edge of a knife! If you ever write a book, I sure hope to get my hands on a copy. In the meantime, though, THANK YOU for filling in some of the blank pages in my life. What an adventure starring my all-time favorite heroes in the half shell...! Turtle Power!

Thank you, my soul has been successfully detached from my body from emotional overload this fic has given me. Stellar job!

youre killing me, this whole increadibly genious fic is killing me! this is so damn awesome and so so so sad along with the ending theme song... im crying

You were right - this AU has been done before. BUT I've read quite a few and none so thrilling and gasp-worthy as this one. Most of the others kind of peter out after they trod the same plot-lines over and over, but this story was a thriller to the end. I still can't get over Leo and Karai - that was brutal. I wanted to leave my review on this particular chapter because I will never forget that THIS is the story that gave me the imagery of Master Splinter bursting through a wall like the Kool-Aid Man to hit Donatello with a stick. Well done, bro.

Yikes! I'm only up to chapter 11, but what on EARTH is Donnie thinking!?