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Chapter Text

THIS IS THE SECOND PART OF THE STORY AN ORANGE AMNESIAC, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THAT, GO READ IT, MOST OF THE STORY WON'T MAKE SENSE IF YOU DON'T READ IT!!!

HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE READ IT, HOPE YOU'RE READY >:)

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK~

Chapter Text

POV Mikey:

Looking at the ground, my pace was slow and steady, following the droid close behind, the droid continued to walk with the remote tight in his grip with its thumb hovering over the button. Lifting up my gaze, I stared at the back of the droid's head and scratching the side of my neck, breathing grew more difficult with each step I took, I looked out the window and watched as the sun continued to set, 'It's okay Mikey, Mom's coming, she just outside the building, ready to save you', the droid came to a stop as he stood beside an open cell, I walked towards the entrance, and looked inside the cell, shivering as a rush a cool air flowed past me. "Get in", when I looked back, a droid stood behind me and shoved me into the cell, causing me to fall to my knees, I glared back at the robot.

"Close the door", a Kraang droid walked into the room and stood in front of me, his arms were placed behind his back as he stared down at me, his thumb hovering over the button with his arm rested against his side, "Stand Mutant-", his voice sounded so much more clear and human compared to the rest of the droids, yet his voice held so much authority, he walked forward, waiting for me to stand, but I didn't...I sat there, glaring at the robot that stood above me, "Fine...", he didn't even look at the remote, and pressed the button.

*Beep*

My breath was caught in my throat, and pushed myself slowly up to my feet, I stood there and glared at the droid, "Good, now let's get things clear, mutant. Every prisoner is given a number, that is their name. Yours is 013-202012, remember that. From this point on this is going to be your new home, but do not think for one second that this cell is your safe place, you need to remember that nowhere in this building is a safe place for you-", I glared up at him as I continued to scratched my neck, "-it is your job to remember the position of the cell, if you forget and get lost, you will receive a punishment, if we catch you outside of your cell outside during times when you are ordered to be in said cell or in said duty, you will receive a punishment, do I make myself clear?", I glared at him, the only sound filling the silence was my heavy breathing, he didn't like that answer, stepping back he pressed the button, pressing all the force of his thumb into the button.

*Beep*

I fell to my knees as I gripped my neck, coughing up wetly, and fell to my hands, one held me up, while the other gripped around my neck, tensing as my body started seizing, I reached for the droid only for him to step back, he knelt down and released the trigger letting the sharp shock end instantly, "Do I make myself clear", I nodded and gripped the sides my head as I started feeling dizzy from the sudden motion, whine internally as the inside of my throat felt raw from the shock, 'It hurts...it hurts...', the droid pushed himself up to his feet and looked down at me, "Stand", with all the strength I could muster, I stood to my feet, and stared at him, the droid in turn only laughed and leaned against the wall with the remote still in his fingers.

"Here is your daily schedule, at O'eight hundred, you are to arrive at the south-side laboratory on this floor, you will document the specimens assigned to you, and your partner will go into further detail. At fifteen hundred, you have training until twenty-one hundred, when training ends, you will have twenty minutes to get to your cell, if you don't arrive on time, you will receive a punishment. However, once a week on the seventh day, you will arrive at twelve hundred, you will be assigned to the north-side laboratory, where I will accompany you as the lead scientist, during the testing, and processing of the Transformation Cell since you stole and refused to tell us the location of the crystals. Every Earth day, you will receive two meals, one will be given at O' seven hundred, and the other will arrive at the same time you are expected to arrive at your cell at the end of the day. Do I make myself clear"

Without hesitation, I nodded my head, "Good, now 013-020120!-", turning around I finally noticed a mutant hanging from the ceiling, its eyes flung open and flew down next to the droid, "Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm 013-020120, but you can call me WingNut, cause mutants think I'm a little nutty, and well I have wings-", he continued to talk, he spoke quickly, using his hands to speak as well, I was stunned as the mutant bat continued. I looked at his features and noticed a tube coming out of his nose that was taped to his cheek, it was strange, however I didn't ask, even though he was stuck inside a cell, he seemed so happy and bouncy, "Silence 013-020120...alright, from this point on, this mutant is going to be your cellmate, you don't have to like each other, however, you are mandatory to share this cell with him. In addition, this will be your partner when you do your Laboratory duties, he will catch you up on everything", the droid looked from me, then to the bat, then back to me, sliding the remote into his pocket, he pulled out a needle and some tubes, walking towards me, "Sit", looking around the room, I saw a small bench, almost the same size as a twin size bed, and sat down, staring at him confused as he stepped closer. Placing the needle on the bench, he pulled out some rubber band and wrapped it around my upper arm, picking up the needle and holding it in his palm, "Don't move", that was the only warning I received before he stabbed the bend in my arm, blood shot into the tube and filled the tubes quickly.

I struggled against his hold, as he tightened his grip around my arm, keeping me in place, I flinched as something touched my shoulder and moved away from the touch, it was the bat mutant, he pulled his hand away and sat next to me, "It's best you just sit still and get it over with", I looked back at the droid as he pulled out the needle, and bagged the tubes of blood, into his pocket, dropping a white cloth into my lap. The droid walked toward the door and opened it quietly yet quickly, "Your duties start tomorrow, some Kraang will come by and show you where the duties are located", with that he left the cell, leaving me alone with the bat, and the loud silence. WingNut reached over to my lap and grabbed the cloth, pulling my arm towards him and pressing the cloth into the wound, I flinched as he continued to press the cloth onto the wound, reaching behind his back he pulled out some tape he kept hidden and wrapped my arm.

"013-202012", I looked over at WingNut as he nudged me, a droid walked into the room and shoved me up to my feet using the gun in his arms, pushing me out of the cell, and slamming the door loudly behind me. Even outside the cell, he continued to shove his gun into my shell,  I  followed the droid in front of me, yet he continued. I glared back at the droid behind me and used my shell to shove the gun away, but the droid continued, annoyance grew and I turned around, and ripped the gun out of its grip, shoving the gun against the droid, I stomped towards the droid, and grabbed its arm, 'leave me alone. Leave me alone. Leave me alone!-'

*Beep*

I didn't hear the signal, all I knew was one second I was annoyed at some droid, and now I was on my knees, grabbing my throat as my mouth hung up, drool dripping onto the floor, I fell onto the floor, and face planted on the hard floor, curling up and grabbing my head, 'stop...please", I couldn't breath, the air was shoved out of my lungs as I hit the floor. "Stand", the torture stopped, glaring up at the droid, I tried to push myself up, only to fail on face plant onto the floor, my labored breathing was the only sound that came out of my mouth, "Stand, mutant", I couldn't do it, my legs and arms trembled as I tried to stand up, I looked up at the droid, begging for his help, only for him to show me the remote.

*Beep*

The shock was stronger this time and moved further throughout my body as it reached my lungs and arms, all I could hear was my heartbeat, thumping loudly in my skull, 'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!', I grabbed my throat, and looked around as I tried to crawl away only for the shock to become more painful, looking around mutants looked down at me, but none of them stopped to help, everyone minded their business just like the citizen of New York. The shock stopped, my sweat soaked my head, and my tears blurred my eyes, "Stand", I struggled, but after a few seconds I was standing in a slouched position, holding myself up as I rested my hands on my knees, slowly standing to my full height. The same droid walked over to me and shoved me forward, pushing me in the direction of who knows where.

I walked down the hallway and looked around trying to remember where the route to the labs. Turning the corner, I was pushed into a dark room, inside the room a mutant sat next to a chair, "013-180125, this creature known as a mutant, is here for the tattooing of the ink into its skin, the turtle's number is 013-202012, do it known as the quickly", the droid ordered and left the room, I looked around the room as the mutant walked towards me and shoved me into the chair, "Siéntate quieto y cállate o te haré daño".

I stared at the mutant as he turned towards the table, ' Wha...what did he say...does he know I don't know French?', he grabbed something and moved my neck aggressively, giving himself full access to my neck. "Quédate así niño", the mutant held my chin and kept me in place.

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After some time the mutant pulled the needle gun away from my neck, I took a few deep breaths, thinking he was taking the moment to rest his wrist, but he back away and placed the device on the table, and stood up, stretching his limbs, "Muy bien... ¡Oye! ¡Robot, el niño ha terminado!", Walking into the room, the droid, shoved me out of the dark room, and walked me into the hallway, where I met the same droid that talked to me inside my cell, however, I noticed something weird about him compared to the rest, he acted more human than the rest, his posture was more human, as well as his stance, everything about it acted just like a human, it just seemed so weird so unnatural, 'now thinking about it, his hands seemed too real and soft to be a robot', the rest of the droids left, so I followed close behind him, memorizing the route to the first lab.

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Walking to the window of a lab, the droid stopped in front of the window, "This is the first stop, here is where you'll be responsible for your laboratory duties"

The droid turned around and walked in the opposite direction, and I followed after him, I remembered the directions as we walked the empty halls, turning left down one corner and right the next, walking straight the rest of the way. During the entire trip, I kept my distance as I followed the droid I looked around me, mutants were walking around with no droids following them close behind or leading them to their tasks, they just walked around freely in the hallways, however, I did notice that there were droids position at each corner, while another walked down each hall, cameras aimed at each hallway, there was no way you could hide. "013-202012, testing will be held here in this room, there will be only a few droids, you as well as myself"

I couldn't see through the windows, and cuffed my hands over the glass, looking into the room there was a large table with multiple computers and monitors, droids walked around, moving boxes around the room. "013-202012, come on", turning back to the droid, I followed after the bot as he stopped in front of the door to the lab, typed in a code, and pressed the button, turning towards me, "All of the codes to the rooms you need to enter are the same, remember the code, 111811147, if you were to use the code on a different room, the code will not work", the door opened and he walked inside, "Stay", I waited outside the door, and decided to look through the window, I watched as the droid walked up to another and handed my necklace off to the next droid, 'My crystal!', turning back to the doorway, I ran back and stood next to the door, just in time for him to walk.

"Follow, 013-202012", he didn't look toward me as he walked down the hallway, leading me to the next spot.

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*SLAM*

The bang echoes across the small cell, I covered my ears and flinched, listening to the loud ringing echo inside my head. I walked over to the corner and hugged my knees, 'Momma where are you?', looking around the cell, I looked up at the ceiling, the mutant bat wasn't here, I pushed myself into the corner. I tried to calm myself, but nothing was working, with each breath I took, no air entered my lungs, scratching at my throat, I tried to breathe but as time passed by it grew even more difficult, 'Mom-', I gasped harshly as tears fell down my cheek, 'Mom-, save me!', removing my one arm from my neck, only to continue with the other, 'Mom! April! Where are you!', tears fell down my cheeks, I struggled to make air enter my lungs and the ringing continued, 'cold...why is it so cold...'

"Hey...hey, shhhh it's okay, I need you to breath with me buddy, now do as I do okay?", slowly nodded my head, WingNut placed a blanket over my shoulders, and rested the pillow between my chest and legs, giving me something to focus on, "Now...Breath in-", I watched and copied him as he coached me through the breathing, and followed his instruction, slowly I breathed in, then out. "Alright, close your eyes...", closing my eyes, I flinched as he grabbed my hands, but I held onto them, tightening my grip as he continued the breathing excises, finally after some time, I opened my eyes and stared at the bat in front of me, "You good?". I nodded my head, let go of one of his hands, and hugged the pillow, still using one of my hands to hold his, trying my best to ground myself.

"Do...do you want a hug", my eyes widened as I stared at the mutant in front of me, slowly I nodded, sniffing as some snot ran out of my beak, wiping it off of my face. The bat leaned in and hugged me, it was weird, it felt so calming and not awkward at all, I tightened my grip around him. Leaning away from him, he scooted closer to me and sat right next to me, leaving some space between us, WingNut sat next to me and said nothing, his head tilted up, looking up at the ceiling, "Hey, I understand that this is scary, everything about this place is so freaking messed up, it honestly sickening, but...", I looked towards him as I leaned my head against the wall, continuing the breathing exercises from before, "There's nothing we can do, but if you do as your told and go with the flow, the kraang honestly leave you alone!", he chuckled and looked towards me, "Hey...are you okay? You haven't spoken once the whole time, are you okay?", I looked away from him scratched at my neck, only for him to grab my hand, "Hey, quit that. You're bleeding", he continued to stare at my neck and looked back at me.

"Is this why you can't talk", I didn't answer at that moment, and pulled my hand away, hugging the pillow close to my chest, he only stared at me, waiting for my answer, to which I nodded, he in turn only sighed, "I heard they were making something like this, and that they were planning on using the collar on someone coming in soon, but I never thought it was going to be my cellmate...", he grabbed my head and moved it around, 'maybe he's looking over the design', WingNut let go of my head, smiling as he moved in front of me, "Wait I have an idea!", I flinched as his voice got louder and his hands grabbed mine once again, "When I was younger, me and my brothers always watched movies, my favorite was war movies, I always wanted to work on the airplanes and jets when I was younger, I still do! During those movies, I noticed that they communicated through Morse code, and uh...I kind of wanted to become a technician. Heh heh, but I basically studied Morse code for almost a decade-", he continued on about the Air Force and his life. From what he told me, he was captured and mutated back when the kraang tried overtaking the Earth before I left for the farmhouse, and turns out he went to my school.

"You know what's weird though, you kinda look like a mutant version of my PE classmate", I looked up at him as I placed the pillow off to the side, throwing the blanket on the both of us, keeping both of us warm, "His name was Michaelangelo Shen-", I looked up at him, shock covered my face, 'wait! What?! Who...", I started pointing at myself, which confused him, standing to his feet he walked over to an opposite corner and pulled out some notepad and pencil, placing it in my palm. I ripped it from his hold, I began writing as quickly as possible, and gave it back to WingNut, letting him read the note, "WAIT WHAT?!-", he looked up at me and looked so shocked, "Mikey?!", I nodded my head as I smile, and leaned closer to him, my tail wagged excitedly.

He smiled a second later, and stood to his feet, "Oh my go-, Mikey I can't believe its you!-", he placed the notepad and pencil on the bench and turned towards me, grabbing my shoulders, "Mikey! It's me, Dannie!".

Chapter Text

POV Mikey:

'I can't sleep, I just can't, I need to be ready, Mom's coming to save me...I know she is', hours passed, but I continued to wait for her, scratching my uncut nails against my neck, the metal was starting to irritate my skin, clenching my neck. The collar dug uncomfortably and squeezed the air out of my throat, but there was nothing I could do, the moment I touched the metal and messed with its positioning, the trigger would signal, warning me to quit touching it. I pulled one of my hands away from my neck stared at my nails, disgusted as I stared at the blood that stained my nails, and tucked my hand underneath my arm. I winced and pulled my other hand away from my neck, 'I scratched too deep...', tucking my arms into my armpits, I continued to stare out the window as the pain stung harshly, 'Where are you, Momma...'.

'Alphabet...tap the alphabet', my hands needed to stay busy, no scratching, no harm. My mouth shaped to the letter as I tapped the bench, 'A...B...C...D...E...', I needed to stay awake, so I practiced. My hand went through the motion, tapping the bench until that finger grew sore, which then I would move on to the next, continuing to memorize every single letter, making it almost second nature, I even learned to spell words, my name, others names, even objects that I saw around the room, anything to keep me focused, anything to keep me up from falling asleep.

My eyes hung open as I continued to watch the door, listening...waiting to hear the sound of Momma's footsteps, waiting for her to come to my rescue. Sitting on the cold bench, I hugged my knees close to my chest and continued to stare out the small window, waiting for Mom's face to show up, showing me one of her biggest smiles, ready to take me home. Above the door was a futuristic digital clock, showing the time of the day, right now it was 6:50 in the morning, throughout the night I listened to the sounds on the other side of the door, memorizing the sounds, but all I heard was kraang droids walking by, the metal feet stomped against the porcelain ground. Every twenty minutes a krang droid passed by the cell, but it was different every single time, one moment it would be one droid, then the next would be two, then one the next time, but every single one was a droid, and nothing else.

I listened and heard footsteps walking toward the cell, 'What the-', the footsteps sounded much louder than usual, less metallic, and hundreds of taps echoed outside the cell. The steps walked closer and closer to the cell...then stopped in front of the cell, standing up to my feet, I ran towards the window and peeked outside, but all I could see was...a girl. The girl never looked up to the window and turned out to the side, her hands reaching for something.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

*BUZZZZZZ*

As the door opened so slightly, I scanned around the room and decided to hide behind the door, finally, it opened all the way, revealing an older-looking mutant, their body looked somewhat like a centipede. Peeking around the door, I stared at the mutant and watched them look around the room until their dark soulless eyes landed on me. "Oy! Food's ready!", they turned towards the bench and placed down two objects, a bowl, and a small clear sack, "OY FLAQUITO! *Clap* *Clap* Get up, foods here!".

"*Snort* Huh? Ughhhhhhh already?", Dannie whined and covered his face with his wing, which only angered the mutant even more, "¡¿Qué dije?! ¡Quita tu trasero de esa pared ahora!", Dannie yawned as he climbed down the wall, sitting right on the edge of the bench, rubbing his tired eyes, "Centi, I only learned a little bit of Spanish, if you want me to learn~, You're gonna have to teach me~", he placed the sack on his lap, and looked over at me, "Mikey get over here, your foods here-"

"And yours too", creeping over to the bench, I sat down and continued to look at the centipede, she noticed and glared at me "Hey, got a staring problem kid?", shaking my head, I began eating my gruel. "Hey, Flaquito, is this kid mute or something?", looking over at Dannie, I watched as he pulled out a clear tube, and connected the bag, beginning to pump the food into the tube. "Actually, the Kraang created a collar that makes him unable to speak", he stared at the bag, squeezing it slowly, 'Yeah, don't forget shocks me to death', finishing off the bowl, I handed it to the mutant, giving them the biggest smile, wiping the gruel off my face onto my arm, "Hey, don't-, god you're making such a mess! *Sigh*, well you better finished off your food, can't have you passing out again", grabbing my bowl, she left the cell leaving it completely unlocked.

I looked towards Dannie as he stared at the bag full of slop, I pointed at the bag and the tube, lifting my browbone, "Oh- uhhh...it's my feeding tube, I'm honestly surprised you don't remember me wearing it...oh wait I did wear a mask...". Dannie looked down at the bag of food, then looked at me as I pointed at the door, pointing to where the mutant once was, "Oh yeah! That's Centi, they never really talk about themselves, and get this, no one knows their real name! Isn't that cool?! Well, I mean they have told others their real name, but...they kinda all died..as you can tell Centi is an anthropoid Centipede, they have been here the longest compared to the rest of the prisoners, however, they kind of get special treatment, such as they can leave her cell whenever they want etcetera, but that's just because they're the cook for the prisoners here", Dannie picks up his bag and hung it upside down, giving the tube an easier time to suck of the gruel, Dannie continued to talk.

"Over the years, Kraang uses their more science-driven mutants, or just mutants that have the ability to learn and do tasks, to look over the files, and perform tests inside the laboratory. So as one of my daily duties, I got to look over the files and landed on theirs, so I read it, turns out she was the Kraang's very first human they on testing to see how mutagen reacts to the air and atmosphere on earth, which turned her into that...", walking over to the corner, I grabbed the notepad, and wrote down my question.

When did the Kraang come to earth?

He looked over the paper, "Oh! Well, the kraang arrived on earth in the 1940s, however, they started the mutation process the year, 1941, she may not look like it, but because of the mutagen, Centi ages at a very slow rate, meaning she's actually seventy-two years old...", finishing off his bag, he set it off to the side, "From what I heard the Kraang suspect that at the rate her body's deteriorating, she should die in seven...eight-hundred years or so", Dannie turned around and looked up at the clock, "Crap, it's 7:35! Okay, I going to tell you how your lab duties are going to work, and I need you to listen-", he moved himself in front of me, and crossed his legs, "your duties from this point on are simple, however, you have to be very precise and vigilant, you are going to document the growth and features of the mutant babies growing inside five eggs, they going to look weird but that's just because they're a day old. The Kraang are creating mutant soldiers, to fight against the enemy, so the opponent can't tell who's friend and who's foe. Each specimen is the same animal, they're..."Dannie looked away and scratched the back of his neck, seeming hesitant to continue.

"Mutant Turtles and Tortoises...", he looked at me, but I was frozen, 'what...", looking down at my hands I was shocked, 'The kraang are creating...mutant soldiers, but...why do they have to be turtles', Dannie must have known I would be shocked and continued with his spiel, "But, each one originated from different areas of the world, 001 is a Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle from Mexico, 002 is a Chinese Box Turtle from well China, 003 is a White-lipped mud turtle from Nicaragua, 004 is a Russian Tortoise from Russia, and finally 005 is an African Sideneck Turtle from Nigera, each one is created for the sole purpose of becoming a strong warrior, injected with genes that will make the turtles a force to reckon with...", I was shocked, the kraang have been an enemy known for old using its own kind to fight against enemies, and here they are creating mutants in eggs...

"Each species was chosen for a very particular reason, for instance, 001, it's species is known for its powerful jaw and minuscule size, though small may seem impractical, 001 would be the fasting compared to the rest, especially in the water. 002 was chosen for its vast habitats, and diet, making it very possible for the turtle to adapt faster than the enemy. 003's species can swim and see perfectly through the murky water as well as hide perfectly in the area. 004 for its ability to hold its breath for long periods of time, and strong struction. And 005's neck muscles along with their other muscles are quite flexible, and can stretch to almost a third of its normal length...", Dannie continued to talk about the test tube turtles, almost talking like he's given this speech over a hundred times, his face held so much pride as he spoke. 

I looked up at the clock, and froze, 7:51, 'Crap! We need to be there at eight', I quickly tapped Dannie's knee and pointed at the time, "Oh my god! Come on, Mikey!", grabbing my hand he pulled me out of the cell, and placed me behind him, "Follow five steps behind me, don't look around, and don't make a sound", he whispered as he let go of my hand, his posture now seemed so different from before, I watched as Dannie walked down the hallway, his head turned down and faced in one direction, muttering not one word, it was strange honestly, the first time I met the kid, he seemed so awkward like he always looked around longingly, he looked as if he wanted friends but didn't know how, but now, he was so cheerful, and outgoing, but how..., 'How could he be so happy in this prison...'

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Dannie stopped in front of the door and entered the code, opening the door moments later. The lab was one I had never been in before, the room was really big and held different experiments. Dannie continued walking, but didn't stop, instead, he turned off to the side and climbed up some stairs. Reaching the top of the stairs, he entered another code, different from the last, I was frozen in place, our dim workspace was not as small as I thought it would be, and the testing area was on a balcony that overlooked the entire lab, giving us the vantage point of view through one-way glass, "Mikey, over here", I turned back towards Dannie, and walked towards him.

Dannie stood still as he pulled on some goggles, and stood next to a box, Dannie typed a code into the machine and two large hatches opened up, releasing five large eggs, "Each specimen is held in specific temperatures to achieve the perfect form, for instance, specimen 002, 003 and 005 incubation temperature is turned to thirty degrees celsius, which will lead in those three becoming females-", pointing at the three eggs that sat together in a very warm incubator, "-while specimen 001 and 004's incubation temperature is turned to twenty-six degrees Celsius, which will lead to them becoming males", stepping closer to the eggs, I looked at each one, they're shells decorated differentially based on their own species, speckled with small dots. Dannie pressed a button on each incubator, and turned towards me as a picture of what looked like weird 3D sludge surrounded by a circle appeared above the incubators, "This is how you'll observe them".

Dannie walked over to four tall clear screens, and stood next to them, pulling up each turtles' file, "And this will be where you document the growth and structural changes in each specimen, make sure to be precise, and once every day during this duty, you will be documenting their fetal heart rate, the normal rate is hundred ten to hundred sixty if its significantly lower or higher than it should, alert me, I'll deal with the arrhythmia accordingly, while entering the details, the information will automatically change into the kraang's dialect, if you are unsure if you word things correctly or if the sentence sounds incorrect-", Dannie pressed his finger on the screen and dragged the finger, highlighting the section he chose, without pressing a button, the words change back into english, "Then doing this will show what the sentence truely says, alright?", I nodded my head, Dannie walked off to a computer that was off to the side and began his work, files were pulled up on his screen and as well as photos, 'Were those the turtles' species', it was weird to look at.

I walked over to the eggs and looked over each 3D live photo, it was strange, even though each one was a different species they all looked the same, and each one shared similar features, 'they're kind of cute in a way', standing up I walked over to the first screen and began looking over 001 features, 'Alright let's do this...'

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~Four Hours Later~

Finishing off the last specimen, I looked at the clock that glowed at the top of the screen, it was 11:49, 'Shoot!', I ran over to Dannie, and tapped him on the shoulder, "Oh my-, Jeez you scared me..What's up, Mikey?", I pointed down the stairs, Dannie understood and waved me off. Racing out of our lab room, I made my way to the door, running through the door, I slowed my pace down as I walked down the halls, the lab was on the far side of the floor, I continued to walk, scanning the halls I slowed down and stopped, noticing something, 'Wait...no one's stopping me...what if I just...'

Peaking around the halls, I noticed they were empty, no droids, no mutants, 'I can just escape...hehe nothing's stopping me', I turned away and walked down a different hallway, 'elevator, elevator, where is the elevaaaaa- ahha!', walking down the hall, no droids walked pass me and no one saw me, my pace quickened, until I raced down the hall. I was there, I was so close I could touch the button, slowly down I reached for the button, inches away from it.

*Beep*

That sound, I was frozen as I stood in front of the elevator, inches away from the button, "013-202012, what do you think you are doing?", its deep voice echoed across the halls, slowly I turned around and faced the droid, "You wanted to leave? Well I'm sorry 013-202012, but you can't, you are the key component to perfect the one thing the Kraang can use over take this stupid planet, but first", the droid walked closer to me, tossing the remote into his palm, over and over again. "Seems we need to fix that little brain of yours, we can't have you make decisions for yourself", shaking my head, I stepped toward the droid and lifted my hands, 'Please no, I won't run!'.

*Beep*

'No please, I'm sorry!- Ah!', pain rushed through my throat, down into my chest, 'Mama! Where are you, it hurts! Mama, it hurts!', falling down to my knees I grabbed my chest. Looking up at the droid, he only smiled as he walked closer to me, "You know, if you follow my orders, none of this would be happening to you...just like that night almost two years ago", gripping my neck, I coughed hard, blood and spit running down my chin, 'What..what is he talking-", the droid knelt in front of me, showing me the remote he held in his palm, "You stole from me, my crystal, thanks to that...Shredder, everything is back to where it belongs, we even gain a valuable component to making the Transformation Cell even more powerful, maybe we can make it possible to change the user to whatever seems fit".

'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!', slowly the droid turned up the dial, making the shock feel more intense, reaching for the remote in his hand, but I couldn't reach it, my arm fell limp as my head banged against the ground. My lids grew heavy and my chin got wetter, a mixture of drool and blood pooled down my chin as it made a puddle on the ground, and I fell straight into darkness, and passed out soon after.

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"Project Transformation Cell, Test Two thousand, seven hundred four, in the last test, many Kraang scientists as well as myself, finally were able to perfect three Transformation Cells, however...they were stolen. Thanks to a...friend we were able to retrieve one of the prototypes stolen. This test is more of an assessment of the situation", I was stiff, tied down to a table as multiple droids surrounded me, the lead scientist walked towards me and stood beside the examination table, I couldn't move, 'I want to go home...please', the scientist raised a device, showing it to the camera in front of us, "This mutant has worn the Transformation Cell prototype for long periods of time, so I would prefer to look over how these two work together". The droid turned towards me, and placed the strange device on my chest, changing me fully back into my human form, I continued to sit on the bent table, my arms and legs strapped down, looking around the room, I was waiting for something, anything but nothing happened, no harm, no pain, "013-202012's body seems to quickly adapt to the issues with the cell, learning to coordinate with each other, creating almost like a mutualistic relationship".

The droid walked over to a side table and made his way back to me, holding a needle in the air, 'God why does he need so much blood from me', I winced as he poked the inside of my arm, and pulled out some blood, taking out the needle. The scientist looked at another droid and walked away, only for the droid to come over and bandage me up, "However, as shown on this screen, 013-202012's Integumentary system did change, but nothing is how it should be, it's tail bone still prolongated, its genitalia still identical to its mutant form, as well as all of its other organs, its possible that 013-202012 could still produce the noise of its original species, cause for turtles the noises they create don't come from a voice box, rather it comes from there lungs, however, I am unsure because of the collar we placed on its nape. 013-202012?", lifting my head I looked towards the droid, his face held no anger, no glare, just authority, "Can you create those noises?", I knew it wasn't a question, it was an order, closing my eyes, I tried to make any of my turtle sounds, I mean I was human so how could I, then a small noise flew out of my mouth, it wasn't a chirp, or a churr, it was...hissing.

"Interesting...along with a multitude of problems, the cell is imperfect and requires some modifications. This concludes test two thousand, seven hundred four of Project Transformation Cell", the droid walked over to me and yanked off the device that was strapped to my chest, handing right to another droid, the droid said nothing. He released the straps and let me step off the exam table, looking towards the door, I noticed the time, it was 2:40, 'I still had time to make it to training', and walked towards the door, but the lead scientist spoke out, "013-202012..."

*Beep*

I stopped dead in my tracks, my body tensed up, "Make sure not to repeat your previous actions, and remember...", the scientist's steps grew louder, I flinched as he placed his hand on my shoulder, his nail digging into my skin, "I'm always watching, do you understand mutant", quickly I nodded my head, fear from this droids voice alone created a painful knot in my gut, my eyes stung and my throat burned as his gripped tightened harder, "Good, now go, and don't be late for training", he released his hold, and the moment I was free from his hold, I left the lab, and made my way to my next duty...training.

Chapter Text

~Six Days Later~

POV Tang Shen:

"Yes. Yes. Everything is alright, Michaelangelo just caught a really bad case of the flu. *Sigh* Yes, I can pick it up, alright...thank you, bye-bye", hanging up my phone, I tossed it onto the couch, pacing back and forth behind the couch, dragging my palms against my face, pinching my nose as Spiderman played in the background. 'I can't just leave the girls to get his homework! And I can't bring them with me...Wait!', picking up my phone from the cushions, I opened my contacts and scrolled through the numbers, landing on Mikey's closest friend. Pressing the call, I waited and listened as the ringtone played out, waiting for the voice.

---------------------

April O'Neil: "Hello?"

Me: "Aw good. Hey April Honey, I was wondering, if you were still at Mikey's and your school?"

April O'Neil: "Oh, actually I just out front, if you're wondering about Mikey, he hasn't arrived at school today"

Me: "No sweetheart, I can't leave home, cause I'm with the girls, can you pick up his homework, and bring it over, there is something I would also like to discuss with you, something happened last week involving my son, and I need your help. Plus...*deep sigh* heh I am quite tired from being out all night"

April O'Neil: "Of course! I should be there in like...thirty minutes. Why is Mikey okay? Is he hurt?!"

Me: "Why don't you just come over, this isn't really an appropriate conversation to discuss over the phone, I'll see you in half an hour, hun"

April O'Neil: "...Yeah...see you soon Mrs. Tang..."

---------------------

"Hey, Mama?", looking toward the front of the couch, Jennika was standing there, leaning against the couch, "Yes, Jenny?", she walked around the couch with one hand pressed against the side of the couch, holding herself up, and walking over to the back of the couch. "Where big brotha' go?", her voice trembled as she looked up at me, reaching up, wanting me to pick her up, "Your brother's just away for some time, he'll be home soon-"

"Bu-but Mama said Mikey was sick, but he's not home. D-does Brotha not want u-", she couldn't finish her own mumbled words as she broke into tears, crying for her brother, "*Sigh* Hey Lita Honey?", looking towards the small ivory turtle, who continued to look at the TV, I smiled softly. Walking around the couch, I sat down on the cushion and picked up the remote, pausing the movie, only for Lita look back at me and jut out her button lip, pouting with the angriest face she could muster, "I know, I know, but Lita I need you to listen real quick...", placing Jennika next to Lita, I sat in front of the two, "Okay...so your brother...", I leaned against the edge of my knees, trying to think of a way to tell them, "...is lost somewhere, and...he got stuck, but Momma, doesn't know where your brothers stuck...but Momma will find him-"

"*Sniff* B-But who got Baba stuck?", Jennika's eyes watered as she scooted closer towards me, snot dripping out of her snout, I reached towards the side table, and pulled out a few tissues from the box, wiping away the snot from her nose, "Bad guys, Jenny...but Momma is going to try to find your brother, okay?", Jennika nodded her head as she roughly rubbed her face into the tissue, trying to wipe away all the snot and tears. Leaning over, I pressed my forehead against Jennika, reassuring her that everything will be alright. I looked over at Lita, and noticed Lita's face, she was silent as her lip trembled, and tears fell down her cheeks, and silent hiccups came from her mouth, "Aww baby come here", leaning over I picked up the two and placed each one on my knee, pulling them both into a tight hug, "I want both of you to remember that you brother loves you two so so much, and would never want to leave you girls", I pressed a soft kiss onto the top of their heads, "And remember that I love you two so much as well, but for the time being, I need you two to be strong and brave for your brother...", both nodded their heads and hugged me even tighter than before, not letting me free from their grasp, "Can Momma watch Spiderman with us?".

A soft smile appeared on my face, almost reaching my cheeks as I kissed them once more, "Of course..", laying back on the couch, I laid my legs across the couch with my head against the armrest, Lita sat on the floor, sniffing from the sobs moments before, while Jennika laid across my stomach, placing her head on top of my chest, getting herself quite comfortable, but as the movie played, my mind continued to think, and I stopped watching, only staring at the screen in front of me, 'Mikey...where are you, my son...'.

---------------------

'They're finally asleep...', leaning up from my supine position, I pressed Jennika against my chest, begging that neither one woke up from the movement. Walking toward the twins' room, I placed Jennika inside their crib and placed the blanket over her body, watching as she curled up tightly underneath the warms of the room, grabbing onto the blanket. Quietly I walked back out to the living room, picked up Lita, and turned off the TV, retreating into their dark room. I placed her close to Jennika and watched as Lita adjusted herself, pulling herself closer to Jennika and began cuddling her, nuzzling her snout against the other's shell, '...I promise...I'm going to find your brother...'

I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me, stepping into the kitchen, I began making a pot for tea, deciding to go with a normal one, mostly for April's sake. I placed the kettle on the stove as the silence surrounded me, it felt so weird, before I adopted Mikey and found the girls, living alone with just the fresh memories, the house was always quiet back then, I didn't own a television before them, or even a radio for the local news, so nothing really filled the silence. Yet... after almost two years of constant chaos and noise, the silence felt weak. Sure the girls were napping but, Mikey would always quietly accompany me, talking about his day at school, he'd even talk about his day at home, and I would listen, it was nice...what happened to me...I used to love the silence, it seemed so soothing years ago, I was almost ready to finally heal, but now silence just felt cold. I stared at the time, 'Where's April?'

"Ms. Tang?", I chuckled quietly as the kettle hissed out, letting me know the water was ready, "In here April!", I poured the hot water into two mugs and steeped the bags into the water, turning the warm water into a warm tea. Carrying the cups over to the table, I set both mugs in front of two different chairs, and sat in my chair, sipping the tea slowly as I waited for April to come back from Mikey's room, after setting his homework down, somewhere inside his quiet room. "Alright, I put his homework in his room. Where is he, did his mission two weeks ago finally freak him out?", she pulled out the chair and sat down, swishing her cup back and forth.

"He told you about that?!", she sipped her tea, she looked surprised and continued to drink from the cup, visibly enjoying the tea, "Well, no. His brothers saw him, but no one was able to catch him", I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned but in my chair, "Ayyyy, I told him not to be seen *sigh*, anyways no that's not why I called you over, Mikey...", I took in a deep breath as I held my cup, staring at the liquid inside the mug, "...was kidnapped twice in the same day last week"

"Oh my god! Is he okay?! Who was it?! Where is he?!", she slammed her hands on the table, anger was visible on her face, but only I hushed her and pointed towards the twins' room, she apologized, "The first one was his old family, and the second...is the reason I called you over, let's just get straight to the point, I need your help, April. Mikey was kidnapped, I have been trying day and night to look for any sign of where Mikey has been taken, and I've run into multiple dead ends", her face held so much horror as she looked at me, her eyes widened, "The second kidnapper was some mutant Tiger, he had on this weird jetpack-"

"Wait did he also use, futuristic guns and weapons?!", I nodded my head and finished my cup, setting it off to the side, "That's Tiger Claw, he's a new member of the Foot Clan, he joined over half a year ago, but Ms. Tang you need to understand, unlike the rest of the Shredder's gang, he's an actual bounty hunter, and is not afraid to end a life", anger filled my mind at the sound of the foot clan, 'God, what do the clan want with my son?', looking up to April, I felt a knot grow in my gut when I looked at the poor girl, she looked so worried, I knew I needed to fix this, "So, this shredder, is that his actual name?"

"No, that's his title as the leader of the Foot Clan. From what I remember his name is Oroku Saki? But I could be wrong, I haven't heard the shredder's name in a while, so-"

"What", gripping the edge of the table, I stared at April and pushed myself up, accidentally moving the table and hitting April, I noticed the mistake and apologized, "冗談ですか?! 彼は私の夫と娘との生活を台無しにし、今では私の息子を連れて行こうとしています!!!"

(Are you kidding?! He has ruined my life with my husband and daughter and now he is trying to take my son!!!)

I was seething as I paced back and forth, walking towards April, I slammed myself back into my chair and stared at her, "Where is he?"April looked terrified at that moment, her eyes widened and her brows furrowed, "M-Ms. Tang! It's too dangerous to go against him, the shredders too strong-"

"April...", my voice spoke out, causing the young girl to flinch and curl in on herself, "I will fight that disgusting beast that calls himself a man, whether I come out limping or scratch-free...", interwinding my fingers together, I placed my elbows on the table, I leaned closer to the girl, making my point come across very seriously, "Now would you please tell me...where is Oroku Saki", I waited there patiently, watching as the girl took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, "Fine, I'll tell you but here's the deal, I don't want you going alone, so...maybe I can get some backup to join us", staring at the girl, I thought over my decision. I knew no one that would willingly become an ally for this mission, however, April did, and guessing my how nervous her face looked, I knew who it was, "Fine, when we save him, he's coming home with whoever he wants no questions asked, if he chooses me, they can't say a word, but if he goes with them...", I paused at the thought, growing nervous, 'What if he choose them, would he even want to visit us...', taking a deep breath, I looked at April, "At least let me visit with my daughters, I can't let him leave their lives, they miss him, so much already..."

April smiled and stood up from the table, and without a word, she hugged me, "I can tell you love him so much, and based on what I've heard he loves this family just as much", I chuckled happily as I stood up, hugging her at a more comfortable angle, "Alright, but first we have a problem", April stepped away, and rose her brow, confused by my question, "I can't leave the girls here alone, I need someone to watch them, and I don't want to go on a mission by myself with his old brothers", I needed her to be with me, to help ground me in this mission,  to keep my focused, "I got it! Splinter can watch them!"

I laughed at her idea, her stared at me confused, asking me why I was laughing, "What are these names, and who's Splinter, what a silly name", I chuckled at the name and looked down at April, "Well he's the turtles' father, however, he's not a turtle...he's a rat, and his actual names not Spinter, his real name is Hamato Yoshi-", April covered her mouth and looked up at me, her eyes widened in shock, however, mine were just as big, maybe even bigger, 'I couldn't have heard that right, Mikey's father...no I probably heard it wrong, my husband disappeared, he can't be...can he?'.

"What...did you say...I heard you wrong, didn't I?", April sighed as she looked at the ground, and shook her head, I stumbled back as my stance wavered, 'Yoshi's here...he's alive', I didn't know what to feel, but after sometime, I collected myself, and looked at April, "Alright, I'll bring the girls to their home, I need you to make sure, all the turtle and Yoshi are home, after that, see if you can persuade the boys to help, if not, do you know anyone else that can help?", April nodded her head, and pulled out her phone, messing with the screen, 'Yoshi...where have you been all these years...'

---------------------

'Why am I nervous...', I stood over the manhole, frozen in place, 'Maybe this was a bad idea', I held the twins tightly in the sling, and scratched my arm. Lita giggled loudly and rapidly tapped my face, while Jennika slept with her body pressed against mine. April stood behind me, carrying the bag of the girls' things, ready to jump down into the unknown, and here I was nervous to see Yoshi again, looking down at my hand, they trembled aggressively, April must have noticed as she placed her hand on my shoulder, giving me the most encouraging smile she could muster. Lifting up the cover, I began climbing down the dark hole and until I fell to the bottom, waiting alone as April climbed down, after sometime she pulled the cover over, moved it back into place, and climbed to the bottom. 

It was odd, everything sounded so loud inside the tunnels, drops of sewage colliding with the floor echoed across the walls, the sound of squeaks from the rodents bellowed across the concrete, and my body shook even harder, 'guess I didn't pay attention to it the last time I came down here'. It was funny to think actually, here I stood, a woman in her ninja uniform with her weapon strapped with her holster, ready to do anything to save her son, and her I was trembling at the thought of seeing my husband, then a thought crossed my mind, 'Would he even remember me?', the thought hurt, but it was strange I resent this man for leaving me to search through the flames of my home to find my daughter, and I was...nervous to see him.

Looking up ahead, I could see the entrance I entered from before and started to collect myself, taking deeper breaths, and wiping the breach that reached my lids, when I looked down as Lita grabbed ahold of my suit and smiled the brightest smile, I chuckled and scratched the back of her head, 'Even with my face hidden, my daughter knows that it's me'. I stopped just before the entrance, and placed my hand on April's shoulder, stooping her as well, "Gather the boys and tell them there is something important to discuss, when they're ready, call me out, I'll talk to them, then I'll talk to Yoshi, alright?", she nodded her head and entered the room, peaking around the corner, I stared into the large room, inside I heard a few voices, one was that boy Casey's, and another was a voice coming from the television.

Taking deep breaths, I watched as all the boys walked towards April, each one showing their own expression, however, I noticed that most looked suspicious of her, to which she turned towards me, waving me over. Making myself known, I walked out from around the corner and kept a stoic expression, and looked at each child, 'Such young kids...why is the fate of New York shoved into their hands...', each one pulled out their weapon, I wasn't surprised at this reaction, all I did was kneel down and placed my hands under the sling, holding the weight of the girls, "What are you doing here?! Mikey isn't here-"

"I know...however, Mikey isn't in my possession either...", I looked at each one, only to noticed that Leonardo sheathed his swords and walked towards me, "So what did he run away from you too?", the red one taunted to which I stared at him through the corner of my eye and turned back to Leonardo, giving the child no reaction, "No, he was captured, and for the past week, I have been searching, I haven't seen any possibilities as to where my son-", from the corner of my eye this angered Casey as well as the red turtle, I needed them to help me, "Mikey, was taken, the only clue was the kidnapper, to which April, help me Identify...Tiger Claw, one of the Shredder's henchmen, I need your help-", Casey opened his mouth, but I needed to continue, "I told April, that for helping me save him, I'll step aside and let him choose who he decides to go with, if he goes with me no questions asked, and if he is okay with you boys visiting thats his decision, however if he chooses you boys, then I will let it happen, however, my one and only request is to let his sisters visit-"

"Mama, it turtles!", April chuckled as Lita yelled out, reaching out towards the turtles, causing Leonardo to look towards her, then back at me "Yes hon...Leonardo, would you like to hold her, she seems fond of you", the boy seemed surprised and walked towards me, picking her up really carefully, and carrying her close to his chest, Leonardo looked at the young child, and sighed, "Fine..."

"WHAT?!"

"But you must stand by your word, if he chooses to stay with us, you cannot come and take him away", I nodded my head and stood up, accidentally waking Jennika in the process, "But what are we going to do with the kids?", a knot grew in my gut at the thought of said person, or in actuality rat, "It will be your father, however, I would like to speak with him, is he available?", they all seemed shocked, only Leonardo nodded and led the way, carrying Lita with him. Turning towards the purple one, I handed him Jennika, and slid the sling on his body, placing Jennika back into the sling, "She prefers this, just scratch her back and she'll learn to like you", the boy seemed confused as he looked down at Jennika, "Heh, Dada Donnie~", I chuckled quietly at the red ones tease and followed Leonardo.

Walking pass the covered I was shocked, a well kept dojo was behind the blinds, and at the center was a lovely tree, well groomed and well kepted, "He's in here...", I bowed my head as he knocked on the door, nothing sounded until I heard a voice...his voice, "Come in Leonardo, and who's your two guests", the boy opened the sliding door and behind it was a rat, sitting alone in the darkness, with candles surrounding him, "Hello, Yoshi...", the rat tensed up and slowly turned around, his eyes widened as he stared at me, "Shen?", he pushed himself to his feet, I walked towards me only to stopped a foot away, "Leonardo, would you please join the rest of your-, who's this little one", the rat's eyes softened as he stared down at my daughter, reaching to pick her up, to which Lita reached for him, ready to be carried, "It's my daughter, Lita, my other's out there with your son", Leonardo handed him the turtle and left us alone, leaving the door to Yoshi's room wide open, "*Sigh* It's been so long since I held a baby girl", Yoshi tickled the small turtle, causing her to giggle, he smiled at turned toward the place he came and knelt down, motioning to sitting with him, "I wish I had some tea, but living in the-"

"Why did you leave...", I couldn't take it anymore as I stared at him, and silenced filled the room as I looked at Yoshi, the man I thought I knew, the man that disappeared over a decade ago.

Chapter Text

POV Tang Shen:

"Why did you leave...", silenced filled the room as I looked at Yoshi, the man I thought I knew. I wanted to know so so badly, I couldn't stay calm any longer, the thought of my husband holding my daughter broke me, "Why didn't you come and help me look for Miwa, our daughter, our child", Yoshi's eyes widened as his brows furrowed, but he said nothing, it hurt. I broke into sobs as I wiped my eyes, "You left me there in that house fire searching for our daughter...", Yoshi placed Lita into his lap, letting her play with his long scrawny fingers, "Why...", Yoshi pulled himself forward, pressing his knees into mine, taking ahold of my hands. Tears fell down my cheeks, "Why...couldn't you have been there...*gasp* to help me find her...", looking away from him, I looked down at my hands, switching my gaze between mine and his, chuckling sadly as Lita looked up from between Yoshi's arms, tapping each of our hands as she laughed loudly.  "I tried so hard to find Miwa...*sniff*, but she...she was gone, her room was covered in flames...I-I", I couldn't speak any longer as I broke down, sobbing quietly. "Mama?", Lita's smile dropped and crawled underneath both of our arms, climbing right into my lap, and hugging my belly, nuzzling her forehead against my stomach.

"I am...so sorry, Shen...nothing on earth could help me sincerely apologize for what I did. After speaking with my father, I went straight home, only to find it covered in flames and you gone...I-", Yoshi's grip on my hands tightened for just a second, trembling not long after, looking towards him, he looked away from my face, staring at our hands, "I thought I was too late, Shen...when something told me-, when I felt like something off I ran toward the house, but when I arrived the house was destroy, just rubble, I went in searchin, but everything was gone...you were gone...", Yoshi's face looked so tired, night's of meditation and training his sons, to become stronger really did take a physical toll on the poor man, but he hid it so well, yet now here he was letting himself become fully vulnerable, "I really regret not coming sooner...", he looked up towards me, reaching his hand out, reaching for my face, I flinched for a second then rested into the palm of his hand, "God, I missed you, I wish it was I that carried these burns...not you, you do not deserve this", he rubbed his thumb against my cheek, wiping away the stray tears, "I hope you have the ability in your heart to forgive me of my sins", I didn't answer, I just looked at him and continued to the topic at hand, "I truely know that you meant every single word you said, but for now I need you to listen and do a favor"

"What is it that you are asking of me?", he leaned away and placed his hands inside of his lap, fixing his pose into a proper lotus position, "I need the boys tonight... Oroku Saki captured Mikey, and he's holding him captive, and I am not willing to lose another child by that man once more...my favor is quite simple, please", I picked up one of his hands and held it tight, "Until we come home, protect my daughters with your life and care for them...if I do not come back, please...care and raise them...raise them how I would have raised them myself, please", I looked down at Lita as she crawled out of my lap, running behind Yoshi, and messing with the makeshift glasses that sat on her head as she tossed his rat tailed, tapping it aggressively, "I promise, now you better get going, seems like the boys, have been listening for a while", Yoshi called out to the three, each one walked in with their own face of embarrassment, "And there's the another one-"

"Mama, Spiderman! I want to watch Spiderman!", Jennika smiled and poked her head out of the sling, "Tello, can we watch Spiderman, please!", April chuckled as she picked up Jennika and brought her over, placing her in my lap as well, "Hon, I don't know if they have Spiderman-"

"They-", Lita pointed towards the turtles then tapped her chest, "Kah-kah's and my brothas?", the boys chuckled as Lita talked to me, only for Jennika to pout her lip out, crossing her arms across her chest, "Lita~, Mikey said no! Right Mama?", I was shocked and looked up towards each one of the turtles, smiling softly, "Well Jenny, before your brother moved in with us, this was his old family, so yes these turtles brothers...would you like them to also be your big brothers as well", Lita smiled the biggest smile and ran towards Leonardo, hugging his leg, "Can we?! I want more big brothas, but...Mikey still our big brotha, right?", I smiled softly as I scratched Jennika's shell, listening to the small turtle chur quietly, pressing her body against my stomach, "Oh course, he is...now ummm, do you guys have movies?-"

"NO! I don't want them, Mama!", my eyes widened as Jennika hid away from everyone else, "Jenny, come on..."

"I WANT BIG BROTHA!", tears fell down her cheeks as she nuzzled her face into my clothes, "I know honey, I'm going to go look for your brother okay, I promise", she nodded her head into my clothes and pulled her head away from my stomach, looking over my shoulder, I smiled as the purple turtle carried Lita, fixing her glasses.

"We don't have Spiderman...Oh! But Leo does have Space heroes, Lita liked that one a lot last time I remember! Leo, where are your movies?!"

"What?! I don't want them to scratch those VHSs, they're old!"

"I'll make sure none of the VHSs are messed with Leonardo", reaching toward me, Yoshi picked up the girls' and walked back to what seemed to be their main room, sitting on their couch as April laid out the girls' blanket. "Fine, please don't have them ruin it, Sensei", confused I looked at Yoshi who only nodded, "Alright, now go, save Michaelangelo and Shen!-", I turned back as the rest ran towards the exit, "Let Michaelangelo know, that I love him, and miss him very much", smiled and pulled up my mask, "I will, Yoshi", in the distance, Yoshi shuffled through the movies and pulled out a VHS tape, putting it inside and playing the movie, Lita cuddling up to him, while Jenny sat in front of him, watching the movie intently.

Walking towards the exit, I checked on my kyoketsu shoge, just to make sure the weapon was in nice and tight, "Ms. Tang, you can come with us in the ShellRaiser", nodding my head, I followed after the small purple turtle, walking into what looked like a lab, "I never got you or the red turtle's name?"

"I'm Donatello, the feisty one is Raphael, and you already met Leonardo", each turtle got into position and set me down in a chair that sat in front of a map of New York, some areas marked up. "Alright team, let's head out", Leonardo started up the vehicles and began driving through the sewers, I stared at the map, I was ready to do anything, hoping that he was alright, 'Please be okay, my son'.

----------------------

The door opened from the side of the vehicle, I walked out of the subway car, and turned back to the kids, stopping all of them, "I need all of you to go in through some other entrance, while I go through the front if you noticed that I need help, then jump in and help me out", Donatello and Raphael nodded their heads, and made their way to the side of the building, however, Leonardo seemed to disagree with my plan, "No! The Shredder's too dangerous, what if he hurts you?!",

"Then that is what will happen, I will not change my mind, hurried before the foot soldiers, spot us", I walked away from Leonardo and made my way toward the front of the building. Running towards the door, I hid on the side of the entrance and knocked on the door, hiding out of sight, the door swung open as a fish walked out of the door, 'A walking fish, heh...never see that everyday', hopping over the door, I snuck into the building and hid in the shadows, "Did you find out who knocked?", a mutant walked towards the front, chatting with the fish mutant, "No, there was nothing, maybe it was one of those damn solicitors?"

"Probably...come on", the mutant dog's voice rasped out as he looked around the room, I ran through the room, hiding inside the shadows. Rushing through the halls, I stepped into the main room, and scanned the area for any sign of the Saki, but he wasn't there, the thrown chair was empty, all that stood in that room was that tiger mutant, the same that stole my son. "Tiger Claw, what is the status on looking for orange turtle's gems?", someone walked into the room, his suit covered in spikes and blades, he continued to walk towards the head of the thrown room, but stopped, 'why did he stop! Did he find me location-'

"You know, I know you're there", Saki stared in my direction, he didn't move from his spot, he just continued to stare at the shadows I hid in, 'Well it's now or never', pulling out my weapon, I glared at the man in front of me, "お久しぶりです...小六咲"

(Long time no see...Oroku Saki)

Walking out of the shadows, I walked towards the man, swinging my weapon right by my side, "How do you know my name, are you a friend of the turtles?", his voice spoke out calmly, as he looked up towards the windows, staring off into the distance. Eyes... I felt two sets of eyes on me, turning around, I flung my blade toward the mutants that stood behind me, the blade flew through the air, wrapping itself around the mutant's forearm, "This has nothing to do with either of you!", pulling the rope towards me, pulling the boney creature towards down to my feet, 'it's a different anatomy, but all creatures have the same pressure points, I just need to...', the fish mutant ran towards me with its switchblade ready for action. Pressing the finger into the mutant's neck, causing him to collapse on the spot. "Chris! What did you do with him you bitch!", stepping away, the fish mutant ran towards me as I began swinging my blade, ready to take down this fish.

"Xever...", Saki held his hand up, stopping the fish right in his place, "What business do you have here...girl", walking out from the edge of the room, I walked towards the man that sat comfortably in his thrown, treating me like the same weak women he talked to fawnedly years ago. "息子の居場所を知りたい...ミケランジェロ"

(I want to know the location of my son...Michelangelo)

I stood at the bottom of his thrown and pulled down my mask and hood off my head, giving this Shredder, the full view of my face, showing him what he did to me years ago, his eyes widened far enough to be seen from outside the mask, "Shen...", he voice softened from his raspy voice he spoke with normally. He stood up from his chair and walked down the slope of stairs, making his way down to me, "Shen...I thought you died in that fire all those years ago...I thought you resent me, yet...", he reached for me, only for me to back away from his hand, "You came to me instead of that...dishonorable rat"

"No", pulled his hand away from my face, glaring down at me, "No?", he stepped closer to me, placing his metal glove on my shoulder, squeezing it tight, "Is that the reason as to why you brought those puny turtles with you", I was shocked as fear filled my lungs, knocking the wind right out of me, "What? You didn't think I knew about the little spies you have watching us? Tiger Claw! Retrieve the ones watching us!"

"Yes, Master Shredder"

"No! You will tell me where my son is, you have ruined everything in my life-", I stalked closer to the man that stood in front of me, pointing the blade of my weapon at Saki, "My home, even my own family, you murder my daughter and tried with myself, I am not going to ruin the family I have now", soft taps sounded behind me, I looked behind myself, noticing the turtles and April positioning themselves with their weapons readied. Leonardo walked up beside me, his katanas at the ready. Saki looked at us all, staring at each one, then slouching his form as his body bellowed a deep laugh, echoing across the entire thrown room, "I would have never brought harm to you or your daughter, Karai, if only you would have chosen me, instead of Hamato Yoshi, but you went to that weak rat instead of me", I stood there confused by his words, what on earth made him think I would choose him over Yoshi, but that wasn't what confused me, "What, but didn't Sensei's daughter died years ago, in a house fire?", Donatello questioned, "You are correct, Donatello. But Karai? Heh...Saki clearly lost your mind, if you truely knew me, you would have known my daughter's name was Miwa"

"That it was until you and Hamato Yoshi left her in my care...Karai!!!", anger filled my gut as the man yelled out you a girl named Karai, 'There's no way...', moments later a girl walked in wearing the Foot's uniform, with a blade strapped into her holster, her expression so composed, and in that moment I knew it was her...my daughter, my goodness she looked so much like me her father and me, a perfect blend. "Yes Father, what is it that you need", I was frozen, there a few feet away was my daughter, who I thought died years ago, but instead stood right before my very eyes, calling this murderer her father, "Miwa..."

The girl in front of us positioned herself and pulled out her blade, she looked at each one of us, but what shocked me, was when her eyes landed on me, her guarded stance seemed to tense as her brows furrowed, "Father...how is she..."

"She survived the fire...your mother survived", the girl was shocked as she stepped towards me, through the week of stress of searching for my son, finding no sign of where he could be, seeing my daughter break the dam, tears fell down my cheeks as I looked at the girl in front of me, "Wait daughter?!", Leonardo yelled as he covered his mouth, gagging loudly as he stepped back away from me, "So that means...that she's our step sister?!"

"Step sister?! Hah, I am the daughter of Tang Shen and Oroku Saki, and last time I checked your one and only parent was that disgusting rat, the only turtle that's my stepbrother is Michaelangelo-"

"So, you did I have our brother!-"

"Your brother! Hah, that kid doesn't even consider you turtles his family, I even heard him admit it last week, do you want to know what he said", Miwa smiled harshly as she passed by me, blocking the turtles away from me, "Why did I have to be born a Hamato...you brother doesn't even remember his own family", it was so sad to look at her, watching as she lived in the life I wish I protected her from, "Miwa...please", I walked over to her as I placed my hand on her shoulder, "Don't speak rudely about your brother, as well as your father"

"But...I respect father"

"Oroku Saki is not your father...Hamato Yoshi is your true father", she must have not liked what I said to her, switching her gaze between me and the shredder, "This man was the person who started the fire, that destroyed our family-"

"If he did, then why didn't you save me...", Miwa pushed my hand off her shoulder, and turned towards me, glaring up at me with so much hatred, "You left me in that fire to die!"

"No, I searched through that house, looking everywhere for you, but you were gone!", tears fell down my face, I reached for her, "You're lying!" she shoved me away, and her voice trembled as she yelled at me, "Why...why didn't you look for me, Mom?...", she glared at me, and pulled out her blade, walking towards me, "Why do you care about that turtle more than your own daughter!"

"I never meant to leave you!-", looking around I noticed the foot soldiers surrounded us with a few mutants, "That night, I put you down for bed and went to cook dinner for your father, Hamato Yoshi, and I, Oroku Saki talked to me, asking me to leave your father for him, but I declined his offer, he didn't like that, I thought he left...", Looking away from the group ahead of me, I slouched my head, "Not long after the house burst into flames, Saki locked me inside, he stood in front of the building watching the flames grow, and walked away. I ran towards the room I left you in, I-...", realization hit me, I lifted my head, anger filled every corner of my mind as I stared at Saki, "You...", I clenched my fist as my eyes turned a pure white, "How... dare you!!!", sprinting passed the sea of enemies, I charged towards the man, swinging the blade and chucking it towards him, "Father!", Karai yelled racing towards the Shredder as my weapon flew through the air, wrapping itself around his forearm, he rose his other arm to slice the rope, but quickly I pulled him down, yanking him down to the ground, "YOU STOLE MY DAUGHTER FROM ME!!!", pulling the small blade that hid in my side, "Ms. Tang!".

I could feel it, everyone in the room was looking at me, whether that was from shock or fear, I didn't care, Oroku Saki ruined my life, and no matter what it took, I was going to make this vessel of a man, answered me, no matter what it took, "YOU TOOK MY DAUGHTER!!! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY YOU BASTARD!!!", tears no longer fell down my cheeks as my face grew red from anger.

"Why...", Saki stared at me, his face held no fear, no terror I glared down at the man, "Why did you have to steal my son...and now I learned you stole my daughter too...why do you hate me so much, that you had to take the only things I loved, the only things that I yearned to protect!", the shredder pushed my arm away, but I dug the blade further into the man throat, pressing my foot on his arm, and keeping him tied down, "If Miwa wants to stay with you, I will not say a fucking word, that is her choice-", drool spat out of my mouth as venom filled the words that slipped through my teeth as I spoke to this man, pressing the blade harder against his throat, "But you will tell me, right now... WHERE IS MY SON!!!".

Chapter Text

POV Mikey:

'Where are you guys...', huddled on top of the bench with the blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I sat quietly in the dark all alone, waiting for today's meal, the same food Dannie and I ate for the last week, listening to the silence echo across the walls, I listened but...something was off. For what felt like forever no sounds were heard outside my cell, and no droids walked by my cell, not even Centi. Looking up at the clock, I was confused, it was 6:05, and I had not once heard Centi's approaching steps. 'Wait a second...', looking around the cell, I saw no sign of Dannie, usually, Dannie slept in until Centi woke him up, but he wasn't here.

"Mikey?", I jumped away as Dannie spoke my name, my breathing picked up as I stared at Dannie, his expression seemed so calm as he sat on the bench beside me, looking at me confused. I continued to stare at him as I placed my hand on the bench, lifting one of my fingers before I tapped the hard surface.

D U D E    W H E N    D I D    Y O U    G E T    H E R E

Dannie just stared at me, and pushed himself back further onto the bench, making himself more comfortable, he looked down at his hands as he messed with them, "I've been here the whole time....Hey Mikey?", Dannie turned his head down towards me, "Why are you up...you should be asleep", I looked down at my hands, not giving Dannie answer, and he only sighed, "When was the last time you slept?", I continued looked down away from Dannie and rested my head on my knees, "Mikey, I know I'm the worst person to explain health-", looking towards him as he motioned at his entire body but continued on, "But every single living creature needs sleep, you know that right?", Dannie placed his hand on my shoulder, waiting for my answer, I looked away and sighed quietly.

I    K N O W    I     A M     W A I T I N G    F O R    M Y    M O M

He listened as I tapped my finger against the bench, listening to the taps echo across the cell, "Why do you keep waiting for her... you know it's been a week...right?", I nodded and used my other hand to tap the bench.

I    K N O W    S H E S     C O M I N G

Dannie could only sigh as he pushed himself up from the bench, "Alright Mikey, well I'm heading to the lab, I have some work to do", and with that Dannie left, leaving alone in the cell. 'Where are you Mom?', I didn't tap any more sentences, I just tapped my fingers to a song I remembered, the last one I listened to, and looked up towards the window. Fear filled my belly as I stared at the window, a pair of eyes stared into my cell, never taking its eyes off me. A shadowy figure stood there, looking inside the cell saying nothing, but what made me scared was the fact that I never heard them coming. The figure raised its hand and tapped the glass, I knew it wasn't Morse code, it was just knocking, trying to get my attention, then turning off to the side, "HEY, GUYS! HE'S IN HERE!!!", I knew that voice, pushing the blanket off of my body, I ran towards the door and peeked out the window, 'Leatherhead?', I smiled as he backed away from the door, "Move out of the way!", sprinting off to the side, I pressed my shelled against the wall. Leatherhead's body hit the door over and over again, until finally the door fell off its hinges.

"Leatherhead!", jumping over the door, I leaped into Leatherhead's arms, and hugged him so tightly, rubbing my wet cheeks against his stomach, "My Friend...", Leatherhead wrapped his arms around me, tossing me onto his back, causing me to laugh as I sob, thanking him for rescuing me.

"Michaelangelo!", pushing away from the hug, I looked behind Leatherhead, only to smile even wider, "Mom! April! You actually came!", I pulled both of them into a hug as tears fell down my cheeks, I pressed my face into Mom's shoulder, wiping my tears into her clothes. Letting go of April, I pulled Mom into the biggest hug I could muster, sobbing loudly into her shoulder, Mom hugged me, shushing me as she scratched my shell, silence only filled by the sounds of my sobs and Mom's gentle shushes, but of course we couldn't hugged forever. April grabbed my shoulder and pulled us apart, giving me the most severe expression she could, "Mikey, we need to leave, where's Dannie".

"Wait how do you know- Wait how can I-"

"Mikey! Now's not the time, we need to get both you two out of here, come on!", April tugged me out of my cell and began sprinting down the hallways, I was so confused, my free arm pressed against my neck, grazing my finger along the edge of the metal, 'how am I speaking... did they break the remote?', letting go of April hands, I followed the group down the long hallway, looking around us, I continued to search for Dannie, but I couldn't find him, yet I continued to call out for him, hoping that he was safe, "Dannie!", I looked around but there was nothing. Sprinting towards the front of the group, I recognized this area, 'we're close to the lab!'

"Guys, this way!", turning around the corner, I sprinted toward the entrance, and slowed down, jogging towards the code panel. Tapping in the code, I slammed my index into the pound key and pushed the door open.

The lab was empty, no mutants were working on experiments, no droids were watching over the lab, there was nothing. "Dannie?!", I called out quietly, but nothing called back, I turned towards the small section of the lab that only Dannie and I used, just the two of us, and climbed up the stairs, no one followed me, however, April called out to me, telling me that we needed to hurry up, climbing the final step, I smiled as I saw Dannie working on the computer in the lab, entering data about some mutants in the facility. Slamming my hand on his shoulder, I quickly turned Dannie around and made him face me, "Dannie, come on, we're leaving!", turning towards the stairs, I tugged down the steps, chuckling as he told me to slow down, "Wait Mikey?! Hold up, what do you mean?!"

"My Mom came to rescue us, we're going home Dannie!"

"Wait, but...what if my family kicks me out?...", I was stunned, I didn't know what to say, "Well, how about this hun...", Mom walked past me and placed her hand on Dannie's shoulder, bending down to his height, "You can live with us, if that happens alright?", Dannie nodded his head as Leatherhead walked towards us, standing right beside me.

"Heads up! Droids are heading our way!", standing behind Mom, she reached into a pouch she had, strapped over her shoulder, and pulled out my nun-chucks, placing them into my hands, I looked up towards her and took my weapon out of her palm, "君には友達を守ってほしいけど、君は私たちの誰かの近くにいてもらわないといけない、さあ、来い!"

(I need you to protect your friend, but you have to stay near any one of us, now come on!)

She patted my shoulder and walked towards the door, peaking through the side of the window, scanning the area outside of the laboratory, "Coast is clear", Mom whispered, I walked forward to the door, typed in the code, and watched as the door slid wide open. Walking through the door, only for Dannie to walk in front of me, carrying his own weapon, a krang-made gun, "Let's go, I know the way". Dannie ran down the hallway, and I ran after him with my own weapon clenched in my hold, racing down the halls, I could hear a group of droids marching down the hall, the exact hall we needed to go down, "We can go around them, this way!", Dannie whispered and sprinted down a separate hallway.

Looking behind us, I could see the rest of the group and turned back to Dannie, he continued to lead the way, leading us down the path that avoided as many droids as we could, and straight to the elevator. Sprinting past Dannie, I spammed the button, waiting for the elevator doors to finally open, and moments later the doors did, showing a completely empty lift. The five of us crammed ourselves into the lift and spammed the bottom floor button. The elevator lowered so slowly, freedom was so close, I could almost touch it, but this felt wrong, this didn't feel real, no relief filled my lungs, and yet I had so many questions, how can I talk, did they disconnect the power from it, and how did they know about Dannie.

*Ding*

The doors separated, opening to the lobby, Dannie ran out of the elevator and charged towards the crowd, but I was frozen there the scientist stood, with the remote in his hold, and glared down at me as everyone else fought in the background, taking down the multitude of droids that stood in the lobby. The only ones that stood still were the kraang scientist and me staring at each other, he pointed the remote towards me, and I was frozen, staring at the droid that could end this entire rescue mission, I knew I needed to take him down, any of us could, however, I knew the fact that he could take me down in a second with just that remote, " 013-202012 ", I trembled as he called out my name, turning my head down, making sure not to face him, " Head back to your cell, I will make sure to deal with you accordingly ", the sound of his footsteps walked towards me, stopping right in front of me. He reached towards me and grabbed my face, I whined, but stood still, " We can't have you thinking it's okay to leave the facility...d̴̠̑͛ợ̵̽n̵͖̯̒'̷̻̿ẗ̸̘̀ ̴̘̐͗w̷̬̓e̴͓̕,̵͔̗͐ ̷̟̱͌̾M̶̱͝i̷̙͕̾c̶̠͛̂h̸͕̓̔ḁ̶̐́e̷̮͗̈́l̷̨̩̐̇a̴̲͌n̷̟͒̓ġ̴̹̑e̴͙̱͂̋l̴̹̑̈́o̸̤̿ ", he pulled my face up, and scoffed as I continued to look at the ground, shoving my face off to the side.

" What could be making your little useless brain, want to leave so bad... ", looking back up at him, he looked away, and scanned the room until his eyes landed on the people who rescued me, my friends...my family. Switching my eyes between them and the droid, I shook my head and began begging him to leave them alone, "No please sir, don't hurt them, I promise I'll stay here, I won't run away from TCRI, I do whatever you say, just please! Don't hurt them!", tears poured down my face as I grabbed ahold of his suit, watching him pull out his gun, and giving the droids around him orders, and in an instance, the droids, took them down with ease, making their previous fight look like a joke. Everyone was groaning in pain as the droids pulled them over towards us, and shoved Dannie next to me, I pulled him into a tight hug and looked over his body, bruises and cuts covered his arms and legs, and a few covered his wings and cheeks, "Dannie are you okay?!".

" 013-202012 ", I stopped speaking and pulled Dannie close to my chest, glaring up at the droid above me, " Let this be a lesson mutant... ", walking away from me, he stood over April and pulled her up to her feet, wrapping her hair in between his fingers, using it to keep her in the air, her feet too far to reach the ground. He pressed his weapon right up against the side of her head, his face held no emotion as he glared at me, April stood there trembling, as tears fell down her cheek, but I trembled as I saw how terrified she was, in fact, she looked...almost angry as she stared at me. "You know this is your fault right, Mikey", April huffed out, almost snarling at me, I was shocked, frozen as she glared at me, "This is all your fault, Mikey! If you never left your family, everything would be fine! But no! You just had to be a stupid fucking BR-"

*BANG*

April's words stopped instantly, I was frozen as blood splattered everywhere, landing at the base of my knees, my eyes only widened as my breath was caught in my throat, staring at the limp body that was once my friend, that was once April, " APRIL!!! ", the droid tossed her body off to the side. Running toward April's limp body, I picked her up, and pulled her close to my chest, asking her over and over to please wake up, but she didn't. My body trembled as I hugged her limp body, " You know the girls right... ", the droid spoke behind me, I growled as an uncomfortable knot formed in my stomach, I turned towards him, but my once rage-filled body was only replaced with fear once again, Leatherhead laid down limp behind me, blood pooling out onto the ground, but all I could do was stare, questioning when he shot Leatherhead, 'I-...When-', but I had no time to question, the droid held up my Mom, gripping her by the throat, lifting her out the ground, choking her, I scrambled away from April, reaching for Mom.

"Please don't hurt...*Gasp* Momma, I'm sorry...I...wish I was a better son", She only smiled as a single tear rolled down her cheek, "You were baby...you were the best son, I could ever ask for, I-", she sniffed hard and her eyes glossed over, looking down at me, her smile still present, "I just wish you never went that night...", I regretted everything, I wished I never went for that mission, I looked up at the droid, the bags under my eyes puffed out, I begged him to stop, but of course, he didn't listen to a word I said.

*BANG*

" MOMMA! ", I finally broke down into sobs, crumbling to the ground, ringing filled my ears as I looked up and stared at Mom's body, her body laid limp like the rest, laying next to Leatherhead, crawling towards her, I moved the hair away from her face, my tears landing on her cheeks, rolling down and landing inside her ears, "Come on Momma, its time to wake up...please *sniff* wake up", I tapped her cheeks, and pressed the side of my face against her chest, listening to her heart, the pulse...slowed down, I pulled my face away and shook her, trying to wake her up, "Momma, please, this isn't funny! Momma please, Jennika and Lita need you", my sobs covered my words as I hugged her so close, begging her to wake up, but she didn't. Laying limp in my arms, the droids pulled her away from me, "No! Bring her back, Mom wake up, please!", they didn't listen, I looked towards the droid, my eyes swollen almost shut from the long day, the droid looked down at Dannie, and kicked him towards me, hitting Dannie's stomach in the process.

"Dannie!", I pulled Dannie close, I knew I needed to protect him, he was the only thing that was left from the life I loved, the life I cherished, closing my eyes, I cried and hugged Dannie, " 013-202012 ", I didn't looked at him, I kept my eyes shut tight, and hugged Dannie even tighter, I couldn't lose him, I needed him, I needed him to keep me sane, " You know this is you're fault right... ", I knew I needed to answer, so I nodded as my sobs continued to echo across the lobby, " Look at me mutant ", tearing open my eyes, I glared up at the droid, growling under my breath, " Remember this... ", he pulled me away from Dannie, I fought back and continued to hold Dannie, the droid instead of pulling me away grabbed my face, " None of this would have happened, if you never stole the Transformation Cell, this is all your fault, and clearly... ", he shoved my face out of his hand and walked towards April, crouching down he pulled her up by her hair and looked at me, showing me her dead face, bruises were starting to form on her forehead, caused by the blunt force of hitting the ground.

" Clearly she knew that as well... ", he laughed as he looked at me, my face held a glare, but my body only trembled, " You know if you had listened to your little friend, she would still be alive, everyone would still be alive, your mom- ", he shoved April's head against the ground and pointed towards Mom, " Your mutant friend... ", he turned towards Leatherhead and pointed at him as well, his face showing the grossest smile, " If you would have listened to your family, and this stupid girl, you would be home... ", walking back over to me, he crouched down, " But instead you decided to be a stupid, fucking brat, and run away...leaving everything behind, leaving your responsibilities behind... ", he reached towards Dannie, but I back away, growling at him as I held Dannie close, pointing the blade of my weapon at him, " You don't deserve happiness...it's honestly surprising that your own mother even love you. Wait! Heh, she's not even your actual mother, you left the only people that loved you... ", I glared at him as he stood to his feet, and yanked Dannie out of my hold, pulling him up in the air, and hanging him from one of his wings. I smashed my hand on the ground, "That family never loved me, they treated me like I was nothing like I was weak!-"

" And you are weak...so weak that you couldn't even protect your own family, you just watched as I shot each one...you did nothing, just like you're doing right now...so why do you get to choose who gets to stay and leave your life... ", he tore his gaze away from me and looked at Dannie, the gun he held sounded as he powered it up, " Why don't I take away the one thing that will keep that brain of yours from hoping that someone will rescue you... ", he pressed the gun into Dannie's side, just barely off to the side of his lungs and heart, "No! Please, I'll never run away, I'll stay for, just please-"

" That's not your decision to make "

*BANG*

------------------------------

"MIKEY!", I pushed myself up as tears rolled down my cheeks, I looked around, my body shaking when I noticed where I was, but I didn't care, I looked around, searching for anything, anyone, until my eyes landed on Dannie, I was frozen as I stared at him, the small flow grew as I throw myself onto him, pulling him into the tightest hugged I could muster, "Hey, it's alright. Shhh shhh...it was just a nightmare", I lifted one of my fingers, and tapped his back, grabbing his attention.

Y O U    D I E D

My tapping stopped for a second but I continued, my grip tightened even harder knowing that if I let go he would disappear.

I    C O U L D N T    S A V E    Y O U

His hold tightened moments later and began scratching small circles into my shell, I leaned into the feel, trying my best to ground myself, "It's okay, I'm here, just breathe...", Dannie wrapped his wings around me, pulling me into a deeper hug, "Do you want me to sleep with you, or do you want to me to leave-", I shook my head and lifted my finger.

D O N T    L E A V E     I     D O N T    W A N T    T O    S L E E P

"Alright, I'll stay up with you", he continued to scratch my shell, just like I did to Jennika and Lita when they were upset. Dannie hushed me and continued to tell me he was okay, that he was safe, I knew I needed to hear those words, 'Dannie was safe, he was alive and unharmed', a smile grew on my face as I hugged him, and my grip never loosening for a second.

Chapter Text

~One Month Later~

POV Mikey:

'I've been waiting every single night, staring up at the window as I stayed up, waiting. I couldn't sleep, so I stayed awake and hid from the constant nightmares of my family finally saving me, only to be murdered at the very end. The droid blamed me for everything I did and said that none of this would be happening if I was just...grateful if I wasn't a brat. But the dreams weren't always the same, I had a choice, and they just felt so real, in the nightmares I took different routes, trying my best to escape the building, but it always ended with the lead scientist killing someone whether that was one person, or everyone, he would leave me alone, surrounded by someone's blood.'

'Yet for some reason, every nightmare was the same, however, there was one that left me terrified, frozen in place the moment my eyes shot open as I woke up. That dream felt different, I-..we made it out and were finally able to get home, but he...found us, and instead of killing my mom or friends he killed the twins...just the twins. My mom blamed me, blaming me for the circumstances that led to their death, I thought it was real, but it felt so real, watching as the small turtle fell limp in my arms, Lita cried as she stared at the droid that aimed it's gun up against her shell, I couldn't watch, but all I knew was that everything that lead to the point was my fault, any route, any strategy that could get me out of this hell hole, lead to the death of someone truly dear to me, and all I did was sit there and watch as death took them away, as Shinigami took there life'

'Shinigami that was the name I gave the lead scientist, I even told Dannie about the name, and for some reason, he thought it was very fitting and agreed to the name. Shinigami in Japanese culture is a god of death, there's no short version for his name, he honestly doesn't deserve one, the entire time he was on earth, he's tested on and murdered many innocent lives, just to improve inventions'

'Recently I noticed that on the clock above the door, in the corner showed the date, it was really small and hard to read, but if I stared long enough I could read the date, it was April 13, I didn't realize how much time has passed by, the only thing that tells us is the time, there's no sight of the sun or moon, just the clock, hanging above the door. Each day I stared at the clock, switching between it and the window, hoping that at any moment, Mom's face would appear, but it never did and what made it worse, filling my stomach with so much hate and guilt, was that as each day past by, the knowledge of knowing that my Mom never came...gave me a sense of relief, like I was happy that she didn't come, that she just left me here, not even trying to look for me, and I think I know why. I didn't want them to die, I didn't want anyone to die, because if they did I knew it was my fault...I knew part of me wished Mom would come, save us from this place, wondering where she is and why she hasn't saved me...but knowing that they're home safe is all I need to live on'

"Oy! Pequenito!-"

 'That was Centi's nickname for me, she never told me what it meant, I kept asking Dannie to tell me what it meant, but he never asked, and if he did know, he never told me'

"Flaco! Time for breakfast!"

'I was awake, I mean I have been for the past two days', pushing myself up, I rubbed my eyes, hearing the sound of Dannie, groaning above me, I looked up and watched as wrapped himself tightly inside his wings, causing me to smile siftly, still happy he's alright, "I'm not hungry, Centi...", Dannie whined, I was tired, yet the feeling of sleep never came, looking away from the door, I covered my head with the blanket, blocking out all the light, I couldn't talk so I just hissed, peeking out of the blanket through a small tear.

Centi walked towards me, and placed the bowl on the floor with the bag right next to it, placing her hand right on my shoulder, grabbing my attention, "Hey, did he eat yesterday?", she whispered quietly, looking down, I shook my head, "The day before?", pulling out my hand, and motioned to her, keeping my middle and thumb close together, almost touching but not. Centi sighed and stood to her full height, scratching the back of my head, "Alright, make sure he eats and you better eat, pequenito", she finished and closed the door, leaving me alone with my own thoughts. I smiled and placed my hand on top of my head, 'I like Centi, she's kinda like the grandma I never had', chuckling at the idea of Centi as my grandma, I reached down towards the bowl, and sat up on the bench, bringing the bowl close to my mouth, and sipping down the food. 'Over time I finally got used to the taste, honestly, I kind of liked the taste', looking up at the ceiling, Dannie continued to hide himself with his wings, lowering my hand to the bench, I continued to stare at Dannie as I set my bowl off to the side.

D A N N I E

Looking up towards him, his ear twitched, but he didn't answer me, curling in on himself, and making his body into a tighter ball.

D A N N I E    C A N    Y O U    C O M E    D O W N    P L E A S E

"I don't want to eat, Mikey...I'm not hungry", he finally pulled his head out and looked down at me, his eyes held the heaviest bags and his cheeks caved in on themselves, he looked so tired.

D A N N I E    P L E A S E

I mustered the best I could do as I gave him my puppy eyes, begging him to come down, Dannie sighed and climbed down to the bench, hugging his knees close to his chest, and placing his chin on top of his knees, he looked away from me, "Mikey, I told you I don't want to eat...", reaching down towards the ground, I picked up his food and placed it in between us, telling him nothing, I didn't tap the bench, all I did was eat my food, letting him chose whether he wanted to eat or not. Finishing my bowl, I placed it off to the side and stood up from the bench, stretching my legs and arms. Looking up towards the clock, I noticed that it was almost time to leave and turned back to Dannie, who was unhooking the half-full bag and setting it off to the side, "Come on, we need to leave before B-...Shinigami gets mad at us", nodding my head I followed after Dannie, showing off the biggest smile I've had in a while.

Walking down the hall, I followed after Dannie and stared down at the ground, following the direction of his steps, bringing my finger close to my chest, I began tapping my shell to the last song I listened to. Reaching back, Dannie waved my attention and reached over his shoulder as he began tapping his back.

Q U I E T    T H E    S O L D I E R S    A R E    W A T C H I N G

Clearing my throat, I lowered my hand, and rested it against my side, lifting my head as I followed Dannie down the mutant-filled hallway. Dannie's pace quickened as the sight of the lab came into view, he continued to walk and moved off to the side, giving me full access to the key panel, 'Alright so the code is...'.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

*Buzzzzzz*

Sliding the door open, I held it open for Dannie, and made my way up the stairs, looking back Dannie stopped, and pulled out his goggles from under his cloak, adjusting them comfortably over his eyes. Turning back towards our sections and opening the door, I walked towards the computer and started up the machine, entering the password, and tapping the surfacing. I pressed the button that unlocked the cases and listened as the pressure released into the air, turning back around,  I watched as the incubators came into view, revealing the growing eggs and small pictures of the turtles above the containers.

"Oh looks like the specimens are finally showing some fetal growth", Dannie spoke out, I walked towards the eggs and looked at each one, staring up at the pictures of the specimens, they were starting to kinda look like turtles, well miss shaped ones, honestly they looked more like lizards. Walking towards 001's chart, I began entering into its file, starting a new entry.

Day: 38

Date: April 13, 2013

Time: 08:01:29:44

Specimen 001, has shown growth over the last week, it has grown one and a half inches in size. The specimen is growing at a healthy rate and is still leading the scales as pinkish. So far the specimen has grown a tail, as well as large black eyes. The specimen's heart rate is 151 beats per minute, the specimen is healthy.

Walking between each chart, I continued to fill out each one, monitoring the different changes in the turtles, whether that was their heart rate or just size growth. At the same time, Dannie documented the information and genetic and bilogical growth in each one of their files, entering the injections to each turtle. Crouching down in front of the eggs, I looked at each one of their individual temperatures, making sure each group was in their respective range, and if its off, I adjusted the knob, changing it back to the temperature. Looking over each one, I turned towards Dannie and tapped his shoulder, resting my hand on the side of the computer.

H O W    L O N G    U N T I L    T H E Y    H A T C H 

I waited near the eggs, crouching in front of them, waiting for Dannie's answer, Dannie turned towards me, fixing his goggles just a bit, "Well at first, I theorized that the specimens would grow at the rate of a normal turtle feti. But then I discovered that for them growing inside of these egg, each specimen has different incubation periods, meaning that..." turning back towards the computer and pulled up an earth calendar, "001 and 005 should theoretically hatch around the eighth of May, 002 and 004 should hatch around the same time around the month of June, and 003 should hatch around December Fifth, however, based on their current status...", turning around, Dannie walked passed me and looked at each one, his hand placed on his chin, "They seem to be growing at the normal rate of a human fetus, regardless the length of incubation period could vary, whether that means the time could be longer than a human fetus incubation period or shorter".

Bending down, Dannie looked at each egg and checked on the temperature, standing back to his full height, "If my theory is correct then 001 and 005 should hatch around the same time, meaning these two should grow about the same rate as a human fetus, about forty weeks-", walking back to his computer he pulled up all of their charts, staring at the screen, "-002 incubation period should range around forty-five weeks, while 004's incubation period should be around forty-eight to fifty weeks. 003 will most likely have the longest incubation period, ranging around over a year, specifically sixty-five to seventy weeks", my eyes widened as I turned my gaze to the eggs, then looked at Dannie from the corner of my eyes.

H O W    L O N G    I S    T H E I R    N O R M A L    T I M E

I paused and I noticed that Dannie waited for me to continue.

A S    T U R T L E S

"Well, I gave you my estimated guess, but like I said each one has different incubation periods-", he pulled up all their species information, and turned back to me, pointing at each one as he continued to speak, "001 is a Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle, compared to the rest they're incubation period is the shortest and about fifty to sixty days. 002 is a Chinese Box Turtle, the incubation period is about seventy-five to ninety days, 003 is a white-lipped mud turtle and has the longest time as I stated, which is about three to nine months...", walking over to specimen 003, Dannie placed his hand over the top of the incubator, rubbing his thumb over it. Taking a moment, he cleared his throat and moved on to the last two, "004 is a Russian tortoise, and its incubation period is eighty to hundred-ten, and finally 005, this one like I told you is an African side neck turtle, normally incubate for fifty-five to seventy days".

Looking down at the small turtles, I turned my gaze over to Dannie and watched as he walked back over to the computer, I placed my hand onto the surface, and raised a single finger, looking down at my hand.

H E Y    D A N N I E

"Mikey, we need to work seriously, we can not just keep talking, all you have to do is monitor the specimens, whatever questions you have, ask me when we get back to our cell okay, the droids are watching", I nodded my head, and turned back towards the specimens chart, reopening their entry logs.

----------------------------

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

*Buzzzzzz*

Sliding open the door, I walked over to the examination table, "013-202012, sit down on what is known as the examination table", rolling my eyes, I pushed myself onto the table. "Kraang Prime has stalled the one known as the lead scientist and will be here promptly", nodding my head, I rested my head against the table, and moved my head off to the side, staring at the computer screen, files were open,  I stared tiredly, reading over the screen, until I noticed-, no...recognized what I was reading, 'Wait a second, those are...", fear filled my gut as I recognized the files that popped up on the screen, they were the exact ones a delete over a month ago, 'WAIT! HOW?!-'

"Alright! Is the camera ready!", looking back towards the front, droids began to strap me down, connecting wires onto my head and some on my fingers, 'If they have all the information then...why are they doing these test?!', I continued to struggle against their hold, "013-202012", I stopped, and tensed up against the table, looking away from Shinigami, I was so confused, 'Why...why are they doing this', lifting my gaze, I met his gaze and glared at him, switching my gaze between the screen and him, "What", tearing his gaze away, he stared at the screen, "Heh...So it was you as well?-", stepping forward, he grabbed my face, its nails digging into the side of my cheeks, "You were the one that tried to destroy all my files... Heh, god who knew you were so idiotic, you thought you delete the information, all you did was just deleted the information from that computer", shoving my face to the side, he walked up to the computer and pulled up a new file, "However, one of the files is gone, so I did have to create a new file".

He glared down at me, taking in a harsh deep breath, "I'll have to deal with you accordingly, nonetheless we need to begin", reaching towards the side, he picked up the device and slid the crystal into the machine, 'But why, if you have the instructions, why do you put me through this-'.

"Project Transformation Cell, Test Two thousand, seven hundred eleven, in the last test, Prisoner 013-202012 experienced large amounts of brain activity, nearly all of the adverse reactions have been eliminated, but the side effects that are still reoccurring is agression and partial amnesia. Still the mutant's body is not fully transforming identically to a human", he walked away from the camera, and stepped in front of me, attaching the device right onto the center of my chest, and changing me into a human. But something felt off, as the flash of purple filled the room, pain radiated through my head, 'AHHHHHHHHHH!!!', I thrashed my head against the table, 'TAKE IT OFF!', taking in a sharp breath, I continued to gasp for air, but nothing entered. My eyes flung open as I glared at the scientist in front of me, and before I knew it, pain shot through my whole body, and everything went dark, the sounds of the heart rate softened into the background until I heard nothing.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

----------------------------

Darkness surrounded me, silence was the only thing I could hear, it felt strange, but calming, and the tension in my body was finally gone, 'Am I dreaming?', reaching up towards my neck, I felt the skin along the back of my head, shocked to feel nothing. Parting my mouth, I tried to speak, "H-hello?", I chuckled as a single word fell out of my lips, closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, breathing in the scentless air, "That's weird...usually my dreams kind of smell". I opened my eyes and shocked as past memories showed up, however one looked familiar and I walked towards it the memory filling every corner of my vision. Bliink a few times I noticed I was somewhere else...the lair, I noticed my brothers were doing their normal things, Raph was punching the dummy, Leo sat in front of the TV watching Space Heros, sitting a few feet away, and Donnie most likely was in his lab, working on his machines.

"Wait...", I was confused, looking around what looked like an abandoned subway station, memories of the sewers flashed before my eyes, memories I forgot, people I had forgotten, "When did I remember-, how can I...", I started to remember everything, my brothers, the games we played, I was starting to remember everything...well except for one thing. Walking up to Leo, I looked at the figure that sat in front of me, staring at the TV, I knew that wasn't what he looked like, it was a dark figure, the same one I've seen in my dreams, I can remember what he looked like, but that wasn't the worst part.

Memories of my life with my Mom flooded through my dream, but the sight nearly made me cry, I couldn't remember their faces, I couldn't remember what they even looked like. Memories of everyone I knew, flashed before my eyes, I began to remember everything, yet their faces were blank, I forgot everyone's faces, Mondo's face, Leatherhead's, Papa's, I even forgot Jennika's and Lita's. Tears fell down my face as I fell to my knees, I wanted to see my family so bad, I wanted to go home, I want see my family, even my older brothers, but I knew I couldn't have them rescue me, if they died, I knew it was all my fault, yet I called out into the void, hoping that someone would here me, "I-I'm sorry I ran away *sniff*"

*Beeeeeeeeeeeeep*

Sounds of my heart rate got louder, I clenched my eyes shut, trying to keep the tears from falling, and falling to my knees.

"Please...", sobs echoed across the void as I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the tears. "Please...I wanna see my family..."

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

"Mikey?", I knew that voice, turning around I looked behind me, a dark figure with dark blue eyes stood behind me, its eyes full of worry, it was Leo, "Leo?...is that really you?", the figure raced towards me, and pulled me tightly into a hug, "God this...", I took a deep inhale, my arms hanging down beside my body, "This dream feels so real-"

"This isn't a dream, Mikey. Do you remember, when you talked to me last time", I nodded my head as he pulled away from the hug, holding me by my shoulders, "This is just the same thing, basically were sharing one mind as we both meditate-, wait! Thats not the point! Mikey I need you to tell me where you are, we can't find you, all we know is that the shredder captured you, but he won't tell us who he gave you to-"

"No...", Leo's eyes widened as he backed away, sadness filled his eyes, and tears fell down my cheeks, as I looked at the ground below,  breaking down once again, "I can't tell you where I am", Leo's dark figure trembling as he stood a few feet away from me, "Mikey...please we changed, and we seriously regret what we did...please let us save you-"

"And how do I know that...", anger fill me as I glared at Leo, however, the tears continued, "You guys never treated me right, and plus you think I'll just forgive you like that?! Plus the only reason you guys changed so you looked good in front of the only human friends you guys have...", I stared at the figure, watching as its browbone furrowed, Leo looked hurt by my words, but I didn't care, "Please...don't come...this is my fault, I know that now, and I have to pay for what I've done...so please don't look for me...he'll kill everyone-", my voice trembled as pain began to shoot through my chest, I clench a fist of my chest, "Mikey!", Leo reached out to me and grabbed my shoulder. "Ack! Just please be better brothers...better for the twins, and tell Donnie-", I groaned, clenching my chest, "-that the crystals I stole are in my room, behind the painting of the farmhouse...', the voices of the droids sounded off behind me, and I knew Leo couldn't hear it, I was glad, I needed them safe, this is my fault, and I knew it, "Tell the twins and mom, that I miss and love them...I can't forgive you guys, not just yet...I just remembered you guys", Leo just kept begging me, asking me to tell him where I was, but I didn't tell him, I just looked at him, my eyes furrowed, feeling shame as my oldest brother begged on his knees, but I only said this, "So please stop looking for me..."

"No! Mikey, please! Tell me! Everyone's been looking for you, your mom misses you please!-"

"Goodbye Leo, please be better", Leo called out to me, and as I opened my eyes I was back inside the lab with the collar still wrapped around my neck, everything hurt, my heart pumped against my chest, pumping inside my ears, and all I could think of in that moment was, 'Be safe guys'.

Chapter Text

POV Leo:

"Goodbye Leo, please be better"

"Mikey! No, please! Just tell me!-", I continued to yell out for him, calling his name as I ran after him, but was no longer inside the void, I sat there, back inside the dojo, screaming loudly at the tree in front of me. Frustration filled me, and a knot formed inside my stomach as I slammed my fist on the ground, "GODDAMN IT!!!", pushing myself up, I kicked up the mat and walked over to the weapon shelf, ripping my swords off and shoved them into their holsters, "Leonardo, だいじょうぶですか？"

(are you alright?)

Shen's voice spoke quietly across the room, my body tensed up, I couldn't speak, I mean how could I, after a whole month of nothing, I finally got something, that Mikey was still alive, and now after all this time he finally remembers me, he remembers his family, yet I still didn't know where he was.

I didn't respond, I didn't know how, this was the woman that cared and protected Mikey for months, I knew I needed to say something, but what..., "I'm...not", her steps grew louder, and my body grew tenser the closer she came, until she stood next to me, every muscle in my body tensed up. She placed her hand on my shoulder, "I noticed you were meditating, you usually seem so tranquil afterward, but now...you look like you saw a ghost-"

"I saw him...", I finally said, turning my head away, "Before he was taken, I met Mikey in meditation, at the time I first saw him, he didn't remember us, but now...I saw him, he blamed himself for everything, he told me that all the things happening to him were for a reason...", I looked up to Shen as the grip on my shoulder tightened, "Did... he?", I shook my head, and walked towards the mat I kicked, rolling it up, and setting it off to where it belonged, "I asked him...I kept asking him, but he said he couldn't, that "he" would kill us...", She sighed and let go of my shoulder, walking away from the dojo, I followed after her, and stepped out of the dojo, "If that was truly him, I need to make sure...", placing my hand on my chin, I walked with her as she sat on the couch, sitting right next to her, "Before he finished he told me that the crystals he stole...that he left them in his room, if this was truly him, then the crystals should be there..."

"それでは、行きましょう"

(Then, let's go)

Pushing herself up, she walked towards the rooms, I jumped up from the couch, and followed after her, watching as she knocked on the door, waiting for an answer, "Raphael?", she got the signal and pushed the door open as I stood behind her, looking over her shoulder. "Ah the girls are sleeping, I'm gonna take Leonardo to my place to check something out, we'll be back in twenty minutes, can you watch them until I come back", Raph nodded and Shen closed the door quietly, making sure not to wake the girls.

-----------------------

"待って、どうやって私をあなたの家に連れて行ってくれるの、まだ日中だよ"

(Wait so how are you going to take me to your place, it's still day out)

A little bit of light came through as she pushed up the manhole cover just a bit before fully moving it out of the way, "ここで待ってて"

(Wait right here)

She walked off towards her car, leaving the cover off barely, leaving me just enough room to peek through, watching as she slowly backed up her car and parked the car a few feet away. Jumping out of the van, Shen popped open the back of the vehicle, waving me in to enter, "Just lay down, I'll you know when", slamming the door, I curled up on the floor and looked around the back on the van, it was quite clean, the carpet well vacuum, and the sides dust free. Moving along with the car, I swayed back and forth.

"Shoot, Leonardo, I have a blanket in the trunk with you I need you to hide, there's a cop behind us, cover up just in case", reaching off to the side I grabbed the blanket, and threw it over my shell. Pulling off my holsters, I shoved my swords underneath the chair, and adjusted the blanket back into place, making sure I was hidden, "We're a mile away until we reach my house".

Nodding my head, I continued to stare up at the ceiling, and dragged my finger against the carpet, listening to the scrapping noise caused by my nail, "彼はなぜ私たちに自分の場所を教えられなかったのか話しましたか?"

(Did he tell you why he couldn't tell us his location?)

Turning over onto my side as my shell faced the front of the car, "Honestly there are a lot of reasons he didn't tell me, and a few of them confused me even more...", Pushing myself up, I kept the blanket pulled over my head, and looked down at my hands, rubbing my thumb against my palm, tracing the lines, "He started saying that everything he has done along the way was all his fault, that this was payment for everything he did wrong-, I tried to tell him that none of that was his fault, but then he told me that he can't tell us where he is, because "he" would kill us, and Mikey said if someone died it would be his fault. But "he" could be anyone, it could be the Shredder, Don Vizioso, the Kraang, Lord Dregg, The Rat King! Shit, for all we-"

"Language", I chuckled as she interrupted me, watching as she pulled into an alley, and put the car in park, "For all we know he could have been given to Armaggon, the least likely is the Triceratons, they've left are planet alone for months..., when we get back we can ask Bishop, if he's seen anything", exiting the van, Shen slammed her door shut, her sillottette walked towards the back and popped open the trunk, "Then we'll have to check out each person, now I have students training inside, can you jumped to the top without being seen?", she whispered, peeking through the window, I noticed the fire escape gave a straight path to the roof, so I nodded my head. Shen reached behind me and handed me a large hoodie, looking over her shoulder, "Alright, put this hoodie on, it was the one Mikey wore in his normal form, so it should hit you-", looking down at the orange hoodie, I pulled it on and put the hood on over my head, hiding my face entirely, "Head to the door on top and wait there, I shouldn't be too long". Hopping out of the car, I raced towards the fire escape and began scaling the ladder to the top, leaping straight onto the roof of the building.

Walking towards the door, I looked around, taking in the view that Mikey got to see and live with for months, it was so...nice. Seeing the city during the day, was so bright, so nice, despite the blaring car horns sounding off in the background, it felt calming. Yet, it felt so strange, standing on top of the building my brother lived in for a while, he was so close, we could have just brought him home, but no one knew...

"Leonardo?", turning around, Shen held the door, I quickly ran inside, and heard her close the door, "申し訳ありませんが、時間がかかりました。一部の従業員が私の助けを必要としていました"

(Sorry it took me so long, some of my workers needed my help)

"It's alright, I didn't wait that long, now um...where's Mikey's room?"

"Oh! Over here", walking past a couch, Shen walked into a hallway, and led me to the farthest room, pushing the door wide open, she walked into the room, and stood right next to the door, waiting for me to enter, yet here I was frozen as I stared into his room, feeling a sense of nostalgia filled my mind. 'This room...looks so much like...the one he had in the lair before he-', clearing my throat, I stepped into the room, and looked over the room, it looked so much like the one at home, posters of his favorite shows hung on the wall, strangely his sheets neatly made, it was a weird sight, he was the messiest, and heres his room, spotless, "You know-", Shen looked over at me, most likely actively listening, "This is actually what his room looked like before he left...", scanning the room, I searched for the painting he spoke about, then my eyes landed on it, an elegant painting of the farmhouse, gradients of colors blending together beautifully, I was stunned, "When did he get...so good at art-"

"He's always been!", looking over towards her as she walked over she looked down at the painting, admiring its beauty as well, "But he got even more talented during the time we lived at the farmhouse, he painted every single day, and by far this one is my favorite", she rubbed her thumb over the side of the painting, wearing a soft motherly smile. Looking back at the painting, I flipped over the canvas and noticed three objects taped and wrapped in each corner, however one corner was empty. Pulling off each one, I held them in the center of my palm, and looked at each one, lifting my gaze away from the crystal, I handed Shen the canvas, and placed two of the gems on the bed, leaving one in my hand.

I began slowly unraveling what looked to be toilet paper, until finally the crystal showed itself, sitting on the one square of toilet paper left in my hand, and with one final pull the crystal landed in my palm, fully touching my skin. Moments later, the crystal emitted a bright flash of light, blinding my eyes.

"Oh god, that was freaking bri-"

"Wow, you look...kind of like your brother...", confused by her words, I scanned the room and noticed that it was connected to a bathroom, running inside, I was shocked, my skin was lighting than Mikey's tone, but my face held more Japanese structure, the lids of my eyes were more of a monolid shape, and my hair was different than Mikey's, while his was more curls, mine were waves, all pulled back into a messy high bun. "Ready to head back?", looking back at Shen, she walked into the room, I grabbed the crystal, and tucked the gem snuggly into the wraps on my arm,  making sure it wouldn't fall out. Stepping out of the room, I followed after and picked up the wrapped crystals, shoving them right into the hoodie pocket, and pulling my hood down, no longer hiding my face. I began walking towards the door that led towards the roof, ready to head home, but Shen stopped me, placing her hand on the shoulder closest to her, "Where are you going? Come on, follow me!", she smiled as she pulled me towards the door that led down towards her dojo, the same dojo humans were in. I felt nervous the closer I walked toward the door below, a knot formed in my chest, fear that they would see through the disguise, that they would tell immediately that I wasn't human.

Shen pushed the door open, I gripped her hand as the light flowed into the stairwell hallway, "Oh Ms. Tang, I wanted to ask you-, oh is this another one of your sons?-", she looked behind us, and frowned, "Where's Mikey, the girls wanted to ask him a few questions on their fighting styles, is he still sick?", switching my gaze between the girl and Shen, "Oh yes, Mikey has really caught a real bad case of the cold, and it for some reason keeps coming back-", nudging me forwards, she placed me in front of her, placing both of her hands on my shoulders, "And this is my son, Mikey is the most out going out of the lot, but this one's the oldest!". Bowing my head, I reached out my hand, trying to seem really respectful, "Leonardo Hamato. Nice to meet you ma'am", the girl shook my hand, "He has his father's name unlike Mikey, but they're still blood-related!"

"What a nice kid-", letting go of her hand, I moved out their way, and walked off, letting her talk to the girl about whatever was important. I looked around the room, watching as the humans fought, training against eachother, until my eyes landed on the display case that held all of her weapons, each one cared for and cleaned probably, I began making my way towards them, and crashed into someone, tripping right onto the ground, "Oh sorry kid didn't mean to bump into you", rubbing my shoulder, I scratched the back of my head staring at the ground, "No, it's fine, plus it was my fault, I wasn't paying attention-", looking up from the ground, I was left silent and stared at the girl above me as she pulled my up to my feet, walking me off the mats, I was shocked, it was-

"Karai?!", her sincereness in a moment changed to a blank expression, reaching towards her hip, "Oh! Miwa, いっしょに来れますか？あなたもね、ホン..."

(can you come with me? You too hon...)

"はい奥様"

(yes ma'am)

Following after Shen, I continued to look at Karai as she stood in front of me, leading us into a strange room, and locking the door behind her, "Miwa, this is Leonardo Hamato", Karai instantly turned her gaze to me, her eyes scanning me up in down, "Leonardo?! But how?!"

"A crystal, the same one, Mikey used to walk around during the day with, remember?", Karai looked down, her eyes shifting around the ground, then looked up at me, "But how did you-".

"He spoke to Mikey...", Karai switched her gaze from her mother to me, "You saw-"

"No. He spoke through meditation, Mike told him during that time where they were, however, wouldn't tell Leonardo where he was, all we know is that, some man has taken him, telling us  that "he" will kill us... Miwa, if you hear anything when you go out at night, be careful and tell me immediately. Now, I'm gonna drop him off, I should be back in an hour alright, when I get home, you can play with the girls! Right now, their with Raphael, most likely still sleeping-"

"Wait you know about the twins?!", Karai nodded her head and headed towards the door, "Yeah, but lately Jennika has been super distance, I think it's because of Mikey...", nodding my head, Shen walked towards the door as well, and I followed close behind, watching as Karai opened the door, and walking back to her spot, "Well, see you in a bit hun", walking out the side door, I made my way towards the trunk only for Shen to looked at me confused, "Leonardo, come sit in the front", looking towards the side, I walked to the side front seat, and opened the door, awkwardly sitting in the seat, everything felt so weird, no shell getting in the way, no accidental tail crushing, and what was even better, no one stared at me, everyone treated me...like a human. "Alright, time to head home..."

-----------------------

"We're back!", Shen yelled out as we both walked into the lair, Casey waved his hand and continued to stare at the TV, while April just stared at me, her face so confused, "Uhhh...Ms.Tang, who's that?", I was confused and looked at Shen, before looking back at April, Casey now looking at me shocked, "What's wrong with you guys?-"

"Hey, have you guys seen-", turning to the side, Raph stopped his steps and just stared at me, carrying Lita on his shoulders and holding Jennika's hands as she hidden behind him, "Who are you, and what are you doing in our home!". I was so confused, "Human?", looking down at my hand, I realized I was still wearing the crystal, 'Crap, I'm still human', reaching towards my arm, April quickly moved near me and pulled out her fan, Shen moved in front of me, "Whoa, wait! Guys, it's me Leo!"

"Leo?!", everyone yelled, reaching into the cloth that wrapped around my bicep, I pulled out the crystal, showing it to everyone that stood in the room, the crystal placed between two of my fingers, but no one responded as I held the gem up, silence was the only thing that filled the room. "Where did you get that?...", April broke the silence, her tone was stern as I turned towards her, "Get rid of that thing-, Wait how long did you wear that?!", she made her way towards us, and grabbed my arm, dragging me towards Donnie's lab, "April, let go of my arm!". April's grip tightened as she shoved open the door, only making Donnie groan in annoyance, "Are you guys serious, right now?! I'm working on chemicals, that if dealt with incorrectly, could seriously do some dam-...", Donnie just stared at me as I held the crystal in my hand, yanking my arm away from April, I walked towards Donnie, and placed the gem on his desk, instantly turning back as I let the gem go. "Where did you get this?", Donnie's face held so much fear as he stared at it, he didn't touch it, just stared.

Walking behind the desk, I cleared my throat and gained everyone's attention, "I went over to Ms. Tang's home and went into Mikey's room, that's where I found these three crystals", reaching into my pouch, I pulled out the other two gems and placed it next to the first gem, leaving the last two just how they were. "Three?! Wait are those-, How did you?!-"

"Yes-", reaching down, I grabbed the unwrapped crystal and held it up, showing everyone in the room, "-and that is actually why I needed to talk to you guys-"

"How did you know...", April spoke out as she stared at me, I just blankly stared at her, "Did you know where it was?", placing the gem back where it was, I leaned on the desk, "No, well he told me that he hid them, but he told no one! Ask Ms. Tang!", everyone switched their gaze over to Shen as she picked up the twins, carrying both on each hip, "April is correct, I wanted to give Mikey the choice of privacy to keep what ever business he wanted to himself, and that was one thing he kept to himself, however...the only thing I requested him to tell me, was anything that happened to him, that could bring harm to himself or our family...", and with that she left the lab, leaving me alone with the group, I looked down at the gems, the unwrapped one shined so bright, "Wait...", looking up from the desk, Donnie spoke out and looked at the gems, his hand placed on his chin, "then who told you?".

Taking in a deep breath, I looked at each one, "Mikey told me...", silence filled the room, and April just continued to glare at me, "You what, Leo?...Fuck you", turning towards the door, April tried to leave, "No, April! I need everyone to listen, please!", April just stopped and turned back around, her face covered in so much anger, "You better explain, right now, cause if you fucking joking about Mikey in a time like this, I'm going to-"

"I know listen! I should have told you all ahead of time, but what happened today, has happened before...during meditation, I'm in this state of peace, just me resting inside my own mind, over a month ago, and just right now, my mind was broken into by some being, the first time it happened I was startled and when I opened my eyes, I saw Mikey, the first time we saw each other, I knew I was meditating, but he didn't, he didn't know who I was-"

"Wait?...", looking over at Raph, he only just stared at me, his eyes widened as the realization set in, "Was that the same day, you yelled out Mikey's name, acting really weird and frantic?", nodding my head, I looked back at the rest of the group, "However, this time was different, he remember me, he even said my name, he said he knew that he was dreaming, but even then, when I asked him, where he was he said he couldn't tell me...He said that everything happening to him was all his fault, and he deserved it. I kept telling him that it wasn't true that everyone was missing him, but he said he couldn't, repeatedly telling me that "He" would kill us, towards the end, he told me where the crystals were and to give them to Donnie...he ended before he disappeared that we should stop looking for him, saying that what us-", I signaled to three of us, me, Donnie and Raph, "To be better brother's to the twins, telling me he couldn't forgive us, not yet anyways-".

"You're lying...why would Mikey leave his family...why would he leave his own sisters-"

"Then how did I find these crystals?!...", stepping back I took a deep breath, and walked around the table, still standing in front of everyone. "I would never make something about Mikey...all we know from that, is that he was captured by a dangerous man, however, that doesn't limit our list very well. So what we're going to do from this point on is check every villain we can think of, Shredder, Kraang, Don Visioso, Buzz Kill, everyone, even the Purple Dragons, and if they have multiple bases, we will check every single one, no matter how long it takes, and we will do this together, this man could be powerful. Donnie could get in touch with Bishop, seeing as he is our only ally that could monitor the entire city and see who could have taken him", Donnie quickly walked off to the side, and slid each crystal into their own vial, "But this doesn't make sense, why wouldn't he tell us where he is...we know the guy is probably strong, but...".

"Another reason he said we shouldn't come for him was that, if any of us died, he knew it would be his fault...", April sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose groaning as she leaned on her hip, "Yeah, that sounds like him...well!", rubbing her hands together, she walked towards the table, "Where should we start first!", smiling proudly, I nudged April, "Thanks April"

"Whatever Leo"

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POV Mikey:

Walking down the hall, I grabbed ahold of my arm, and looked down at the ground, 'Hurts...it hurts...so bad...', looking at my arm, I noticed it begin to change into a light purple, bruises began to form. Turning left around the corner, I noticed my cell at the farthest side of the hall, and noticed Centi's body was hanging out of the cell, 'Ooh, I'm gonna scare Centi~'. My pace quickened as I walked down the cell, the closer I walked, the more I could hear their voices, slowing down my pace until I stopped and hid by the wall, listening to their conversation, 'What are they talking about?'

"Dannie...when are you going to tell him?...", I stayed silent, 'Him?', knowing this was serious as Centi said his name, not his nickname,  whispering the entire conversation, her tone sounding a little angry as a few of her legs repeatedly tapped the ground, "Tell him what-"

"You know what, the kid needs to know, this is something you can't hide from him-...*sigh* is he still waiting for someone to save him?", silence filled the cell, and Centi let out what sounded like a sigh of relief, "Gracias a dios-, but why won't you tell him?!", I couldn't take it anymore, squeezing passed her legs, I walked into the room, interrupting their previous conversation, "Oh my god, how do you want me to freaking tell him?!-", I rose my hand to the door frame, and knocked out my question.

T E L L    M E    W H A T

Shock covered both their faces as they stared at me, nervousness filled my belly as each one stared at me, and at that moment I knew I messed up, 'Shoot maybe I should have left them alone...'.

Chapter Text

~Two Months Later~

POV Dannie:

Typing into the system, I looked at each specimen's health and status, each one of the specimens was growing at its respected incubation rate, however, something was strange about 004 growth, compared to the rest, 004 seemed to be growing at quite a rapid rate, regardless of its initial size, it's not even close to its hatching date, regardless, the specimen will choose when it is its time to come out of the egg. I began adding some nutrients to the egg and some DNA, giving the specimens more of a chance to become something great, something powerful. I was so excited at the thought, 'Ah! Me creator and lead worker on this project, one spoken for years, and I, Dannie, could be the leading cause to their greatness', I smiled widely and looked back at Mikey, only to frown a second letter.

Since the beginning, Mikey has been keeping his distance from the eggs, asking no questions as to why the facility has chosen turtles, he just...goes with the flow...just like all the people of New York City. I watched Mikey as he continued his work, all of the work he completed always seemed average, like he put in the needed work, however never succeeded passed that, he just did what was needed. Turning back to my chart, I continued my work, even did some more, looking at each one of their biologies, I felt a sort of guilt as I stared at the screan, that was until Mikey tapped my shoulder, scaring that shit out of me.

"Jeez! Mikey, what the heck are you doing we have work to do-", Mikey waved and turned around making his way to leave the lab, only for me to run towards him grabbing him by the shoulder, "Mikey, what are you doing we still have tons of time to work, you know if we leave early then-", waving to get my attention, Mikey pointed at the time, I squicked my eyes, trying my best to see, I was shocked, 'Shoot Three o'clock already', pointing in the direction, I waved Mikey off and continued my work, only to get lost in thought, why was Mikey always so quiet.

'That was something that terrified me about Mikey, the kid never made a sound, his bare feet tapping against the ground were always silent, his breathing was always low and not audible, and the device over his nape, only made it worse. Mikey's footsteps over time became quieter until you never heard them, even running down the hallways whether that was here or when I was in school, his steps never made any sounds! And now...heh he's silent and you never feel his presence no matter what his mood is, this kid's a threat...and I don't know, why the kraang decided to kidnap this one'.

Turning around, I walked towards the eggs, and pulled up their projection, looking over their physical structure, "Entry 356, looking at each fetus, all are completely healthy, showing no signs of error, or odd mutation, i.e. third eye, holes in the shell, or elongated tail bone...", spin the projection, I looked at 003's, "Regardless it seems 003 is nearing the end of its germinal stage, almost ready to transform into the next stage, while the rest of the specimens have moved onto the Embryonic stage, the second stage...", pulling up 003's file I looked closely, looking at it's hatch day, "This could be due to its species late hatching date, compared to the rest, this species, takes around two to almost nines months when it's a normal turtle, and looking at its structure I'm guess this one will take the longest".

"013-02012, the one known as Bishop, would like to speak with you, immediately", nodding my head, typing into the computer, I ended the entry, and turned around, watching as the eggs lowered down into a more protected enclosure. Turning around, I followed after the droid as it held open the door, and walked down the stairs.

Walking down the hall, my stride continued its normal pace, my posture proper and upright, my arms placed over my chest, crossing my arms, and keeping my patagium out of others' way. I wasn't nervous, my expression was collected, there was no reason for me to be nervous, I was a obedient worker, and I knew that. Walking down the corridor, I looked straight ahead, and felt curious, questioning why Bishop needed to talk to me. I thought over all possibilities, but before I could get to the conclusion, I was already standing at his door, taking a few deep breaths as the droid knocked on Bishop's door.

*Buzzz* *Click*

The door clicked, signaling that it was unlocked, pushing open the door, both the droid and I stayed silent, and I noticed that he was speaking with someone, talking in a different tone, wearing some strange sunglasses. "Yes Donatello, me as well as the other Utroms, still have found no evidence as to where your brother, Michelangelo is, however, we will continue looking for your brother, have you looked into the others?"

"Yes. Me and my brothers are continuing our search, looking into each villain, but we still haven't found anything...*sigh* that will be all, thanks for the help"

"Anytime, and remember, me and the Utroms are here for you guys, farewell", Bishop ended the call and moved the communication sphere off to the side, turning his gaze to the droids as he pulled off his glasses, "You may leave", there it was his normal voice. Turning his gaze to me, he motioned to the chair in front of his desk, to which I walked over and sat in, pulling out my tablet, ready for the meeting, "013-020112, what is the status on the specimens, please tell me some good news. All I've been dealing with is 013-202012's irritating kin...", and with that the droids left the room, locking it behind them, leaving us alone. Taking in a deep breath, I looked straight at Bishop and turned on my tablet, pressing a special button that placed everything on the screen into a 3-dimensional projection, I placed the tablet on the edge of the table, and left the tablet alone, putting it closer to me, "Starting with Specimen 001, the specimen has been growing at a respective rate, staying within the theoretical hatching date, as well as the other's each one is growing perfectly, however-", pulling up the fourth specimen to the projection, making it larger than the rest, "Specimen 004 is growing in size at a rapid rate, however, seems to be still not even close to the hatch date, I suspect 004 will be a strong one, compared to the others! Regardless this could be due to the fact that unlike the other specimens, 004 is a tortoise instead of a turtle or sea turt-"

"Will they all hatch at the same time?", I knew that tone, he was impatient. Pulling up the year's calendar, I walked to the side and showed him, growing nervous as I continued to talk, "Well sir, the eggs you gave to me, well... each one has their own incubation period, each taking different lengths of time, which is why if you look at 001, this one's the most developed compared to the rest, while 003 is still in its germinal stage, I suspect that it would start changing for another few weeks. Regardless, the rest are all growing just perfectly, surprisingly-"

"What do you mean...Surprisingly? Did you suspect that the eggs wouldn't turn out how I intended?!", I kept a calm composure as I continued with our meeting, and pulled up their genetic structure, "What I mean sir, is that the mutagen injected into their eggs, and the chances of the specimens becoming what they are now, was a one in a thousand chance! I understand that the mutagen has been perfected, but that was only to mutate creatures into Kraang, the previous mutagen was unstable, so you can understand where I'm coming from, but so far they have not shown any defects in their biology, they're not fusing with the eggs, not growing an extra limb. They're just growing like normal human children, just inside eggs, compared to Mikey-, sorry 013-202012, who's also a mutant turtle, mutated from a human-",

"Human?!", the flow of my words stopped, I was confused and turned my gaze to Bishop, watching as he chuckled, leaning back in his chair, "013-202012 was never human. That thing has been a mutant since he was young!", I just stood there, staring at Bishop as he laughed, time past by and his laugh finally quieted down, my mouth still hung open, "But?!- No I went to school with him-, he was human?!", he reached off to the side and pulled out a glass container, holding the original Transformation Cell, "Did you ever see him wear this?-", I shook my head, staring at the bright gem, taking in it bright colors, "Well, he did wear the gem on a piece of human jewelry, one that wrapped around his neck, but just so you know the mutant used one identical to this, so 013-202012 was never really a human, just a mutant in disguise", he smiled the smuggest one I've seen in so long, leaning his elbow on his desk as he tapped the glass case that held the gem.

'Mikey...was never...human', the pitched tapping filled the room as I looked down at the ground, 'He lied...Mikey', I felt so betrayed, even though in school we met only during P.E...I felt like I should be angry but I wasn't, it made sense, this kid wanted to live a normal life and go to school, but the only way to stay safe, was to tell no one. Everything made sense, but still, I stayed silent staring at the carpeted floor.

"Hehhh humans are such weird little things...Now! Continue on with your previous point...", clearing my throat I looked back at Bishop, resting my arms beside me. "L-Like I was saying, compared to...Mikey...who is also a...turtle, he instead has completely unstable mutagen that runs through his body, based on that, they were both mutated when they were young, it is odd that they're stable, and he isn't, it's very peculiar...".

"So would you like to tell me how you know that, you currently have no access to his file, and the only way you would know is if you did, meaning you took this heart drive or you spoke to the mutant...",

"Uhhh well I noticed just now when you had his file on the screen...", I scratched my arm as I stared at him, only for Bishop's smile to flatten out, his once joy-filled face changed back into annoyance, loudly pushing himself up to his feet, "I want to know...", walking around the desk he stood right in front of me, gazing down at me, "do you think I'm stupid.", slamming his desk on the edge of the desk, causing some things to fall over, "No! Sir, I would never-"

"Then you should know I see everything inside this facility, inside every facility within a thousand-mile radius", he placed the glass case back in the drawer, continuing to glare at me, "I have studied the human race for over a century, DID YOU HEAR ME?! A!!! CENTURY!!! I have learned all that's been taught on this disgusting waste of a planet...cultures, dialects, food, war techniques, even the communication you use between that mutant and yourself...", fear filled my gut, as I shifted my gaze down to the ground, my hands gripping the side of the chair, "What have I told you, I told you just a few things to follow before 013-202012 was administered here, and you directly disobey those rules! Tell me?! What rules did you break", my gaze continued to stare at the ground, but my voice stayed clear as ever, "No Communication, unless needed during given tasks-"

"Communicating! Did you think I wouldn't know about Morse code, which brings up the next topic I noticed recently, is there a reason the mutant calls me shi-shin, Ugh! What is it?!"

"Shinigami, sir, he hated calling you the droid or lead scientist, so he gave you the name, Shinigami...", he stayed silent waiting for me to continue, "In Japanese culture, the shinigami from what I've been told, is a God of sorts there, a god of Death...", finally after some time I looked up towards Bishop, his face blank as ever as he stood in front of me, "God of Death huh? I wonder why he gave me that name, sure I have killed a lot of my creations, but it is all just a part of population control inside this facility, he hasn't seen me kill anyone, except for himself temporarily, but he seems completely unaware of himself dying"

"You what?! You can't kill Mikey!!!-"

*Slap*

My cheek burned as the metal plate in his palm collided with my cheek, "What did I say about raised tones?", taking a deep breath I lowered my hand away from my cheek, keeping eye contact with him, "My...my apologies, but sir, you need to understand, we can't have you willingly ending that kids life, I-, you need him", he leaned against his desk, staring at me, "I know we need him, which is why I brought him back to life, and just so you know, his health is none of your concern...", I was shocked, how could he not want me to worry, we need Mikey, "Sir with all due respect, I would say it is part of my job to worry and make sure he's healthy enough to do his tasks, so if I could make a suggestion...please try not to kill him", Bishop stared at me, and just sighed, "I guess I do need to be more carefully with him than the rest, but that's not because of your statement, I mean I can't have him getting brain damage...", turning his gaze away, Bishop stared down at the communication orb he set off to the side, "Has he been waiting for his family? Trying to escape lately?", shaking my head, I put the tablet away, and sat back down the chair, "No he's been slowly giving up on the chances of his family coming to his rescue, that actually why he gave you the nickname-", Bishop curked his brow, "after the first week, he's been getting constant nightmares of his family saving him, only for you to kill one or all of them at the very end, rarily me, but yeah". Bishop turned towards his computer and signaled me to come around the desk, standing next to him, typing into his computer, he pulled up Mikey's file, the same one that was kept hidden compared to the rest.

"Has the mutant spoken anything of sorts about his brothers...", I shook my head as I read over what I could see on Mikey's file, "For the first week, he actually stayed up every single night, taking no naps, but after a while, he went straight to bed, and stopped mentioning that his mom was going to rescue him", Bishop stopped and looked at me for a second, "What about his family?"

"Kinda, he doesn't talk about his family coming to save him, he just tells me about his mom, sisters-"

"Sisters?! Whoa ho! There's more of them, did he tell you what his sisters were exactly?", Bishop turned away from his computer, and looked at me, "Not much, all he's said is they're twins, all he's talked about is their favorite things to do, and their names", he groaned as he turned back to the computer, entering information into the computer, "That's unfortunate, however, knowing that the 013-202012 has given up on his family rescuing him is perfectly what we needed, well in a way. His brother Donatello has been hacking into our system for years, he was actually capable of stealing one of our major files, we have been looking into ways to shut him out, he even found a way to change our dialect into English, but nothing we've done is working, which is why 013-202012's files, is hidden in this heart drive, keeping this file out of their sight, will make them stray away for the facility, making us the last ones to search", Bishop closed Mikey's file and ejected the heart drive, sliding the device into the farthest drawer.

Turning back towards me, "Alright, back to the reason you are here, is there a way to speed up the hatching process, the mutant's brothers are searching for him, we need them to hatch as fast as possible"

"No Sir, that is a terrible idea, forcing the specimens to grow quicker than their intended incubation period will cause drastic long-term issues, they could become underdevelopment and have health issues, disabilities, hell even death, and this will be even worse without the bonding-"

"What", Bishop spoke his tone filled with anger, and walked towards me, standing over me as the light shined behind his head, giving his face the most terrifying expression, "What did you say? I think I heard you wrong, cause if I heard you right, then I am going to SNAP-", pulling me off the ground, his fist gripped onto the fur on my chest, lifting me off the ground, "-these brittle fucking wings of yours, now repeat what you just said", though he wasn't choking me, the pain still occurs, it feels like someones pulling my hair aggressively, "W-well sir, they really haven't been bonding, this kind of thing you have to let them want to bond-", shoving me back into my chair, he stepped away, pacing back and forth behind his desk, "Oh my-...then make them bond dammit! We- I need them to bond, that is the only way they'll grow stronger!".

"We can't do that sir! Ack! This type of thing you let happen with time. Forcing them to bond will cause issues with reliability and trust, we need to let them want to bond together, but... the kid since the beginning has been distant, so that role-"

"Distant?! DISTANT?! What the-, does the kid even know why he was chosen for this assignment?!", he slammed his fist against the wall, only for me to shake my head, his eyes slimmed out as he glared at me, and slammed himself into his chair, "013-020120...I told you the first day, to explain everything to 013-202012! But of course, you didn't listen!", placing his arms on his desk, he glared at me, slowly taking in a deep breath before he spoke again, "Tomorrow, a droid with escort you and 013-202012 back to my office, I will tell him the news, since you are too incompetent to tell your own cellmate. Do not go to the laboratory after your first meal, just wait in your cell, now...GET! OUT!!!!!!"

Chapter Text

POV Mikey:

I woke up early...sitting on the bench as I stared at the clock, purple letters dimly lighting up the room. For the past hour, I've been awake, tapping my fingers on the bench, trying to fall asleep once more, but I couldn't, I just kept thinking about the conversation I overheard heard between Centi and Dannie last night, 'Was this about the same thing they talk about last time? I want to know and ask him, but how...how do I know he's even telling the truth'.

-------------------------------

Walking down the hall, I grabbed my shoulder, my arms sore from hours upon hours of training, and combat, scars formed on my scales from the training, cuts littered my skin and all I could do was wipe them clean during my bathroom breaks, making sure none of them would get infected. Stepping closer to the cell, I noticed Centi was there again, ready to bring us dinner, I quickened my pace only to slow down, 'they're talking? What are they talking about this time', standing near the crack where the hinge and the door met I listened very carefully, "Well, it was about time, Flaquito. That kid has been doing this for how long and knows nothing about it! It sucks that Bishop is the one speaking to him, and knowing him he's probably not going to put it  lightly, you should tell him now-"

"No, Bishop told me before I left not to tell him, it's already hard knowing the fact that Bishop is lying to Mikey's brothers that he hasn't seen any sightings of Mikey yet. Centi his brothers are looking for him, and Bishop ordered me to tell no one, I shouldn't even be telling you!", I was frozen, staring at the ground no longer listening to the conversation, 'They're...still looking for me', shaking my head, I continued to listen.

"From what I've heard, they've been checking out every single possible kidnapper all over the city, but have come up with nothing, and for some reason, he asked about his family, if he ever talked about them...I told him that he hasn't tried escaping, but he does talk about his sisters, he asked what they were but I just told him, I didn't know-", I stepped away, shocked by the news I heard, I felt...empty...the one person I trusted, spilling the few memories I could remember of my faceless sisters, was told...to the enemy, but I guess I wasn't the only one startled by this information, "You told Bishop?! How could you do that, you know he'll harm anything and anyone to keep the things he wants, plus kid, what if by chance-, oh I don't know his sisters were actually turtles like him, Bishop would probably kidnap them-"

"Well for all we know they're not, so they're fine-"

'I...trusted him...but-', shaking my head, I made my way, stepping around the corner, but before they saw me, I put on a tired look, the same one I held moments before, and walked inside, both mutants looked at me, showing a very nervous face, "Hey Dannie- Oh, hey Centi, is it Dinner time already?"

-------------------------------

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

*BUZZZZZZ*

Looking up at the door, I watched as it slowly opened up, revealing Centi standing there, pulling their cart along with them. "Wha-....", they stared at me, their face looked so tired as they stared at me, grabbing the same bowl and bag from before, "Buenos Dias, pequeñito, were you up all night", I turned my gaze to the bowl she offered and took it from her, staring at the gruel, sighing tiredly, I shook my head, but her face said otherwise, "You know you need your sleep, cariño...", reaching off to the side, I grabbed the notepad and pen, Dannie gave to me, I began writing, and Centi waited, walking farther into the cell. Turning back towards her, I showed her what I wrote.

I heard towards the end what you guys said last night and thank you for telling him off

Ceti stared at the note as I continued writing, "So then you heard about your brothers huh?", nodding my head I continued to write, my sentence growing longer each second, "Huhhh, and no problem about me giving Flaquito a talking to, I was just...mad? I'm not sure, as someone who hasn't seen my family since I ran away over seventy years ago...god that really messes with you huh, I'm already eighty years old", I instantly switched my gaze over to them, shocked as they spoke about their age, I finished off my sentence and showed them my notepad.

I listened up from the part of you guys talking about something I didn't know, you don't have to tell me, I'm guessing it's about the meeting me and that droid are having, huh? And I'm guessing based on the fact that you said if my sisters were turtles, that Dannie told you huh? That I was never human? Honestly, I'm surprised by your reaction, most people who were humans, get shocked, it's nice for a change of pace. By the way, who's Bishop?

I looked away from the paper and stared at them, their face was covered with so much guilt, and they never looked at me, sighing very deeply as they folded their hands, "Yeah...I've actually known longer than Dannie...I remember that night like it was yesterday, hearing the droids talk about a mission mishap, how they dropped their spare mutagen on a human and his four pet turtles...and up until a year or two ago, I hadn't seen any other mutant turtles, so when I heard about you four, I knew it was you guys...are two of them your sisters?", I shook my head, and write down on the notepad three simple words.

They're my brothers

"Oh...well i heard that you had sisters as well, are they turtles just like you-", I began writing as the centipede looked away, "And for your last question, you already met Bishop, you know the guy the lead scientist, the droid that talks like a human unlike the rest, remember?", I stopped writing, 'that droid actually has a name...', frozen I stared at the sheet, the news shocked me, but something else was off...eyes were watching...Dannie was awake, and he was watching me, staring at my sheet, but I continued to write as I looked up at the time, 7:30.

Thanks for telling me, and about my sisters, I'm sorry I don't feel comfortable telling you, I trusted him and I went to school with him, so I hope you understand where I'm coming from, also I think it's time you wake up Dannie, it's already 7:30

"Oh shit! And yeah I completely understand. Oy! Flaco, get up time to eat, come on!", they set the bag on the bench as I shoved the notepad underneath my pillow, and gulped down my food, finishing it not long after and handing the bowl back to them. "Alright, I have to head to the rest of the cells, hurry up and eat your food before they take you two to the meeting-", and with that they left the cell, leaving me alone with Dannie. I could hear him climbing down the wall and sitting comfortably next to me, and sounds of the gruel swishing back and forth inside a sack sounded next to me, neither of us spoke, but even from this distance I could tell for some reason Dannie seemed nervous, but why should I care.

The door swung up, and a droid stood at the head of the cell, staring at the both of us, "013-020120. 013-202012. The one known as the lead scientist is demanding your presence for what is known as a meeting. Follow now", pushing myself up from the bench, I made my way towards the droid, leaving Dannie inside the cell, only for Dannie to catch up and walk in front of me.

Walking down the hall, I followed after Dannie and felt nervous as time passed by, the closer I worked towards our destination, the more I wanted to run away and leave, but there was nowhere I could go,  'What did I do? I didn't do my chores wrong, right? Oh crap, what did I do...it must have something to do with Dannie...but what?', I kept thinking back to what I did wrong, but I kept thinking over yesterday's actions, all I could think about...was Dannie. Ever since yesterday, Dannie has been acting really weird, I don't know why, he just seemed nervous. I decided to leave him alone, especially after what I heard last night, I didn't want to speak to him, but I was still curious, 'maybe something happened yesterday...'.

Keeping my normal pace without turning my head, I scanned the halls, searching for our destination, but I didn't know what I was looking for, I honestly never been to the room, so I'm not sure what I'm looking for. The droid after some time finally slowed down and stood in front of a door, knocking moments later.

*BUZZZ*

*Click*

The droid pushed open the door and walked inside, I followed after Dannie and stood along the wall only for "Bishop" to motion to the chairs in front of his desk, Bishop waved the droid off and looked away from the computer, staring at me, and for a moment Bishop glared at Dannie. Looking away from us for a second, he pulled out the remote, I froze, staring at the remote that could shock me any second. Silence filled the room as he showed me the remote and pressed a button, "Sir it wasn't his fault-".

*Beep*

The sound sent a chill through my body, knocking the wind out of me, but...nothing happened, however, I noticed something, the collar was looser, and I looked up at him, and he only stared at me, placing the remote back on his desk. "013-202012...speak", I was confused, 'he wants me...what?', I opened my mouth and all I could muster was a chirp. He slammed his fist on his desk and pushed himself to his feet, glaring down at me, "I said talk, now do as I ordered", I touched the collar and looked Shini-...Bishop, I was confused about how he expected me to talk, and he only groaned, "God- I turned off the mechanism that causes your larynx to become paralyzed, so now you can talk, so talk mutant". Opening my mouth, I huffed out the best I could, and finally, I spoke the first word I said in over a month, "H-h-hello", my throat itched as I heard my voice, it sounded so raspy. I coughed harshly, it hurt, it felt like blades tore through my throat after every word. Looking up at Bishop, I sat up in my chair and rubbed my throat, "Good, now onto the topic at hand, 013-202012, me and 013-020120 had a discussion yesterday and it's come to my attention that you have not been informed of the reason you were chosen for your tasks. Tell me, why do you think you were chosen?", I nodded my head, only to flinch as Bishop slammed his fist on the desk, glaring at me, "Speak"

So I did, whispering I told him, "Y-yes sir-"

"Speak up and tell me why you were chosen...", clearing my throat, I spoke up only for it to hurt so much worse than before, "Y-yes sir, I was chosen because I work the best with the crystal, and no other mutant works best with the cell, since I've had more time getting used to it-"

"Not that. Why do you think you were chosen to work with the specimens...", clearing my throat, I looked down at the ground and thought over what the reason could be, but nothing popped into my head, I wasn't the smartest, so maybe..., "B *cough* *cough* Because I'm a turtle? Because you need a turtle to make sure, theyre growing correctly?-"

"You see this 013-020120, this is the exact reason you need to explain, but clearly you can't do your damn job!", I lowered my head, staring at my feet as I pressed my shell farther into the chair, wanting so badly to leave but I couldn't, I was trapped here, "013-202012", looking back up to Bishop, I nodded my head, and he turned his screen towards me, showing me all five of the small specimens, I stared at the screen, but I was confused I didn't understand any of it, and looked at Bishop puzzled, "We need the specimens to grow healthy and to do that, we need their parental unit to be around them for long periods of time, so because of this from this point on your training duties will be shorted down from eight hours down to two hours, training will still commence at the same time, however at seventeen hundred, you will be going back to work with the specimens, at twenty-three hundred you will be given the decision to either go back to you cell or stay with the eggs, you don't have to continue entries, just bond with the eggs, that is all, understood?".

I sat there confused as I stared at the droid, Bishop spoke so fast but I was still stuck on one part, "Sir, but...why do I have to hang out with the eggs?", silence filled the rooms and the droid only stared, switching my gaze between the Dannie and Bishop, the droid never answered but Dannie did, "Because Mikey...the eggs need their father to be with them to grow-", I looked at Dannie, none of this was making sense, and I think Dannie could tell, "Mikey, you're the specimens' father...those eggs...theyre your children...". I stared at him, my face held horror, and his face held so much guilt, 'Why..why is he sad...I...I'm a da...', the thought made no sense, "how-...when-", all the air left my lungs, I...just didn't know what to do, 'Maybe Dannie's lying, I'm mean how can I trust him, he's a liar, theyre all liar! I can't be-no! I'm only...'.

The silence was broken by sobs, however, they weren't mine...they were Dannie's, and I turned towards him, "I'm sorry, Mikey, I wanted to tell you sooner, but how could I?! You're literally just a kid-"

"I trusted you yesterday, before I stepped into our cell, my trust in you was unbreakable, nothing could break it, but now, I don't even know you-", pushing myself up to my feet I walked over to Dannie, glaring down at him, "And this!-", I pointed at the screen that faces us, "God, I knew you would do anything for this place, like tell them our private conversations-", Dannie's eyes widened and reached towards me, but I slapped his hand away, "But to think you would play into the mess with Mikey's head train, trying to make me go insane, trying to make me stay here!". I was seething, and all Dannie could do was cry, begging me to stop, "But I'm not lying, Mikey! And you can trust me-"

"Really, then show me! Show the proof, that I can actually trust you and that those eggs actually came from me, cause last time I checked, for them to be my kids, they have to have my DNA inside them! Just because they're turtles, they're not automatically mine...god they're not even the same species as me!". Finally, after some time Bishop spoke, turning the screen more in my direction rather than Dannie's, "Well, you said you need proof?-", typing into his computer, my file popped on the screen and he turned back to me, "Here is your DNA, how did we get it?", Bishop pushed his keyboard away and looked at me, crossing his arms, "Remember back. All the way back to the first day you were brought into this facility, do you remember?", looking down, I thought over the day, how could I forget, the tours, the lectures, the tattooing, the..., "My blood..."

"That's correct. On day one, I took five tubes of your blood as well as DNA, while you were not paying attention...those eggs were laid by turtles, infertile, so we inseminated those eggs with your DNA", the droid switched screens and showed the specimens' DNA, pointing at each one, "See even you can't deny it, their DNA, as well as yours, are perfect matches". Bishop turned back to me, turning his computer back to him, "Slowly over time, 013-020120 will continue to inseminate the eggs, so the DNA they have will become stronger, but the dose is done slowly, so whether you want to deny them as your own or not, the specimens are your offspring...".

I was stuck, all of it made sense, but...'This can't be real. I can't accept it, I can't be a dad, I...', staring at the ground, I fell silent, listening to Dannie's soft sobs, apologizing over and over, but I didn't want to listen to him, so I ignored him, my thoughts running fast at the thought, 'I purposely told my family to forget me, to stop searching for me, just so none of my family members would get hurt, be harmed by my mistakes...and now here I am, fifteen years old...with kids...five kids', thoughts ran through my mind. 'How am I going to protect them, if they get sick, or hurt, it'll be all my fault, but...I didn't-', I choked up, looking up at Bishop, I didn't listen as he spoke to Dannie, how could I? I was crushed, left to raise and protect unborn children, and for the first time in over a month...I felt trapped, and at that moment I wanted to be alone, I didn't want to think about the children...my children, "Sir, may I head back to my cell I...I need some time...to think-"

"No", I turned my gaze up towards the droid, and knocking sounded behind us, something was knocking on the door, and Bishop pressed a button.

*BUZZZ*

*Click*

A droid walked inside, and for some reason the droid seemed out of breath, tired for some odd reason, "The one known as Bishop, the one called the mutants think they perfected the stone, should we test it", I turned towards Bishop, "No! Please, sir, I'll work with the specimens! Pl-"

*Beep*

My voice was cut off, I tried to speak but no words were said, and the droid looked at me, "Yes, take 013-202012 to the laboratory, I will be there momentarily...", I looked towards Dannie, who in turn didn't look at me, and in that moment I knew I was alone, alone as the droid dragged my by my arm, scraping my heels along the floor, I was trapped, stuck as my thoughts were the only thing that filled my mind, 'This can't be real...this has to be a dream...right?.

Chapter Text

POV Mikey:

I fell silent, wincing as the droid gripped my wrist painfully, I knew bruises would show up afterward, but I didn't care, how could I? After all, there was one thing on my mind and I begged that this was just some messed up nightmare, my mind playing tricks, and soon I would wake up, all of this would be over...but it never ended, the pain proved this wasn't a dream. 'Wake up...', I pressed my nail into my palm, trying so hard to wake myself up, 'Wake up...come on wake up', I did anything to wake myself up, I pinched my thigh, dug my nails into my skin, anything to feel nothing, no pain, just to prove this was a dream, 'Somebody! Please!', I called in my mind, hoping someone would hear me, 'I don't want to be here anymore, I don't care, please someone save me', I hated this dream.

'Wait! Maybe this is like that meditation thing Leo was talking about, maybe if I call out to him, he'll hear me', I opened my mouth took a deep breath, and with all my might, I tried to yell, calling out to Leo, but...his name never left my throat, his name was never muttered and the only thing that fell from my mouth was a depressing chirp. I continued to call out, whether that was inside my head, or an attempt to yell, I kept calling out to him, hoping that he would hear me, 'leo...Leo...Leo! Leo! LEO! LEO!!!'

---------------------------

'The test failed, and the results of the recent modification...was worse than the last test, and Leo...he never came...', Bishop dragged me down the hall, yanking me by my wrist, my throat burned, acid clinging to the side of my throat and the inside of my mouth, it hurt, everything hurt. I limped as I walked down the long hallway way, my legs and arms shook, spasming painfully as I took each step. Looking up at Bishop, I noticed as he mumbled under his breath, most of which was cursing, 'He's angry...'. He turned a corner sharply, pulling me with him, and wincing which only made his grip even tighter, I looked around the hallway, but I didn't recognize anything, 'was this a different route? Where is he taking me?!", small chirps sounded out as I looked around the hallway, turning the last corner, and stopping right in front of my cell, he entered the code, kicking the door wide open and throwing me to the ground, I whined scrapping my knees against the rough concrete floor.

"013-202012...", I lifted my head from the ground and looked at him from the corner of my eye, massaging my bruised wrist, "Stand you pest", pushing myself up from the floor, I stared down at the ground, noticing that a small flow of blood was dripping down my knee. "Are you doing this on purpose...", I shook my head, my eyes stung remembering the test that occurred minutes before, this one hurt, almost like the test months ago, everything hurt, but how was this my fault, "Don't lie to me...", I heard Bishop mess with a piece of his clothing, hoping that he was just fixing his sleeve, but who's ever that lucky.

*Beep*

The pain only worsened, grabbing ahold of my neck, I scrambled for freedom, I wanted to leave, I wanted to be somewhere safe, I needed to be somewhere safe...I wanted to go home. My fingers dug against the ground, scratching over and over, grating the skin off the tips of each finger, blood painting the floor where I dragged my fingers, it hurt but I didn't care, I couldn't feel it, all I could feel was the shock, 'Help! Someone! Please-', my silent screams turned to wet coughs, droll dribbling down my cheek. The coughing turned into heaving as I felt what was left in my stomach reaching my lips, stomach acid pooled onto the ground, and my face laid in the mess, he finally turned off the shock, leaving me on the ground lying in the pool of acid and saliva, everything hurt, my throat, my body, the tips of my fingers, even my face, the fresh bile began to burn my cheek, picking up my head, I moved it off to the side, and slammed my head back on the concrete, breathing heavily, drool still coming out of my mouth. "Stand", reaching for the bench, I pulled myself up to my knees and flinched as the rough concrete stabbed into the freshly torn skin on my knee. He glared at me, his face covered in so much disgust, "You smell vile", Bishop pulled out a small radio and walked towards the door, speaking softly yet harshly into the radio.

I placed my hands on the edge of the bench, lowering myself slowly down onto the smooth surface and groaning in pain, "A droid will bring you a bucket as well as a rag. Bathe yourself, then at-", Bishop turned around and stared at the clock, turning back a moment later, "Noon, return to the lab where your offspring resonate, then continue with your updated duties", and with that he left, leaving me alone in the quiet cell, I hate everything about this place.

'My cell was my safe place, my first job of the day was my safe place...Dannie was a safe place...there's nothing safe here anymore, everything is out to make my life a living hell, just yesterday, I begged and hoped that no one would come to save me, not my friends, my allies, my brothers...especially not my mother, I knew that if anyone came here to risk their lives to safe mine, someone would end up dead, and it would be all my fault...all of this was my fault, if I paid attention, and focused on the mission, I wouldn't be here...I would be home in my room, watching something, probably the newest episode of Crognard, but no...I'm stuck here...', I scratched at my neck, only to stop almost instantly, feeling the freshly torn fingers begin to burn, wincing as I pulled my hand away from my throat. Everything hurt, there wasn't a part of my body that didn't feel pain, I sighed as I hugged my knees, waiting for the bucket to arrive.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

*BUZZZZZZ*

'That didn't take long', looking up at the clock, I groaned at the time, 11:40, 'Great, I only have ten minutes to clean myself', a metal hand placed a bucket at the entrance of the cell, a rag hanging off the handle, looking almost like it was used every month without being washed. Stepping off the bench, I stumbled as my leg gave out and my knee hit the ground, stabbing into the already rawly scrapped skin, I winced, but pushed myself up, crawling to the bucket and sitting beside it. Leaning against the wall, I stared down at the bucket and picked up the rag, dipping the cloth into the water, and dragging it across my arms. I wiped the sweat off, cleaning my scales of blood and sweat from the months of training, even cleaning the drool off my chin, I felt disgusting.

I continued to dunk the rag into the water over and over, the water becoming more and more red after each dunk into the liquid, I cleaned my skin one last time, then moved on to my shell, peeling off the loose scutes and tossing them next to the bucket. I swiped the cloth over my shell and tossed the rag into the bucket. Looking up at the clock, I groaned and tapped my head against the concrete wall, 'I don't want to leave...', I sighed and pushed myself up to my feet, dragging the door open, and began my long painful walk to the lab.

---------------------------

I stood outside the door, staring at the code panel, my hands trembling as I reached for the button, pressing each one slowly, it felt like forever until finally, I pressed the pound key, unlocking the door instantly. Pushing open the door just slightly, I stood there and stared at my feet, I didn't want to enter, turning back around I looked down at the stares, tempted by the thought of running back to my cell, hiding away in my shell, hiding away from the world, but I couldn't. Looking up at the camera, I turned back towards the door and entered, 'He's watching you, don't get in trouble'. Staring down at the ground, I walked towards the...specimens' charts. Opening each one, I never looked at the eggs, but now that I think about it, it all made sense, over the months, I felt this... weird bond with the eggs, like they were more than just turtles the kraang created...I just wish this wasn't the reason I felt that bond.

"Mikey?...", I froze as I heard Dannie's voice, but I decided to ignore him, and continued my entry, typing in the description of 001's structure, "Look...", Dannie sighed as I heard him step towards me, "I understand why you're mad at me, I get it, I mean if someone I trusted did that to me I would be angry as well, but please...", his hand touched my shoulder and I tensed up, pulling my hand away from the chart, "Let me explain-"

N O

Dannie stopped and I turned towards him placing my hand on the closest metal surface, only to notice it was the specimen's incubator, I tensed up, but continued to glare at Dannie.

Y O U    O N L Y     H A V E    Y O U R S E L F     T O    B L A M E

Shoving his hand off my shoulder, I continued to glare at him, and all he could do was slouch in on himself.

Y O U     T O L D    H I M     A B O U T     M Y    F A M I L Y

Tears fell down my cheeks, and Dannie's sorrow-filled expression changed in a moment to one full of guilt, I looked down at the ground as my expression darkened and the tears flowed harder.

Y O U     T O L D     H I M     A B O U T     M Y     S I S T E R S

"I know, and I'm sorry okay! I've worked with Bishop for months, and that droid is the only thing that has actually been proud of my work, and not think of me as weak just because of this stupid-", he grabbed his feeding tubing and gripped it hard, almost like he ready to yank it out, "-feeding tube!...I...was mad too you know, at you", I only chuckled and stared at him.

R E A L L Y     W H A T     D I D     I     D O

"You lied to me!-", his breathing was heavy as he stared at him, his brows furrowed and his voice sounding irritated, and I just leaned against the computer, "I trusted you! I thought you were a human, I thought...that you were like me, a human turned into- into-", he motioned to the both of us, "this!... I thought you were human...but Bishop told me that I was wrong, and...stupid to ever think that-"

A R E     Y O U     S E R I O U S

Dannie just stared at me, and I stared at him,  I was shocked, 'Why...he never asked, and why would I tell him before'. Taking a deep breath, I just turned back to the chart, entering more details on 001's structure.

L E T S     J U S T     G E T     B A C K     T O     W O R K

"Mikey, fine I get why you didn't tell me, but please let me explain-"

F I N E     E X P L A I N

Dannie was shocked, and instead of speaking, trying to make himself not guilty, he just stood there, but I waited, giving him just a bit of time to find the right words to explain everything he did, "Bishop was the only person-, thing that was actually proud of me, my parents never let me do the things I wanted, saying that I wasn't in the right "mind space" to deal with dangerous materials and chemicals, so...when I was taken here, I was finally...free in a way", I was shocked as I stared at Dannie, he pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning on his knees, "This place, I know isn't where anyone belongs, I know that, really I do, but...I just did whatever Bishop asked me to do, whether that was work on projects, or even see what future projects are actually helpful...like this project...", he motioned to the eggs, and stared down at the ground, "I...I told him that this project was a great idea, I thought...that they would just create the turtles, similar to how they made...you. Taking four turtles and adding mutagen, not-", he motioned to me and the eggs his hands trembling, sighing as he covered his face with his hands, "Later on he told me the project more in detail, I thought that...maybe he would use someone who's mature and...old enough to take on the role of raising the eggs, whether that was one of their own species or something else, but...when he said it was going to be my cellmate, I was nervous like I said I thought the mutant would be older, but...it was you...a child...".

I knew what he meant, but I listened as Dannie continued to speak, his hands began to tremble even more, "Giving my input and information on the situation is what Bishop expects from me, he... I've told him to end the project or at least find someone older, I even told him that he should discontinue with the collar, but, he denied the idea on the spot...same with discontinuing you being their parent..", he fell silent, scratching his arm as he looked away from me, staring at the eggs.

B U T     W H Y     D I D     Y O U     T E L L     H I M

He tensed up, his finger dug deeper into his skin, I could almost see the top layer peel away, "I couldn't even if I wanted to...like you know, this place is crawling with security cameras, there is no where you can hide without being seen or heard by a droid soldier...the first time I came here, he asked me a question, and I...", he swallowed very hard, digging his nails deeper into his skin, "I lied to him, and he found out, turns out they're are cameras in our cells, he overheard my conversation with Centi...he order me to come to his office, and...Mikey, I need you to understand, if you want to stay safe here and not get hurt... do as Bishop says, no matter what he says, that droid is different than the rest, he's...unstable, and will do anything to anyone that goes against him, so please-", Dannie pushed himself up to his feet and walked over to the computer, logging into the files, "Listen and do as he says, or else he'll do worse things then shock you...", I was stuck as I stared at the back of Dannie's head, my trust still broken, but...now I didn't know-... I didn't want to think about it, I turned towards the chart and continued typing, silence surrounded us.

I looked over 001, entering his heartrate and growth since the last session, Dannie sighed behind me, standing directly beside me, "Look, like I said I completely understand if you don't ever want to talk or be near me again, I know, I just...please don't leave our cell...please don't leave me, I-...you are the only thing left from the life I had before, and...when you kept going on about how your mom was going to come soon and save you, I was jealous...", from the corner of my eye I looked at him, his face held a blank expression, yet...it looked sad. "I know my mom would probably give up on the first week, probably thinking if I was out on my own I was probably dead on the side of the road. So I guess, I didn't want you to leave me, leave here, I know I'm close to Centi, but...I would truely hate myself if you left me too, so please-", I turned towards Dannie, pulling my hand away from the cart, "Don't leave me...just not yet".

I     C A N T     T R U S T     Y O U

N O T     Y E T

I began tapping my finger on my shell, thinking of what to say, but all I could say to him was...

B U T     I L L     S T A Y

Dannies's once sad face changed in an instance, smiling the brightest I've seen in a while, he threw his arms out, and walked towards me, trying to give me a hug, but I stopped him, and based on his face, he understood, backing away from me. Without saying another word, he walked over to the large computer, continuing his work, and I continued mine, but something still bothered me, but I kept my distance from Dannie, 'I couldn't trust him, he...he will say anything to Bishop, wait, what if he tells Bishop about this conversation?!', I stared at Dannnie from the corner of my eye, watching Dannie work quietly, entering information, but I was so confused, 'I understand that he likes when people are proud of him, I really do but...why does he want me to stay here so badly, he doesn't need me, so...', I looked back at 004's chart, entering the structure.

For the rest of the time, I switched my gaze between the charts and Dannie, watching his every move, 'I can't trust him...what if Centi's the same?!', I began getting worried, my breath grew short, but who could I go to, I was alone in a building full of creatures I couldn't trust, and all I want to do was go home.

I waited for Mom to rescue me, 'Mom, where are you...I want to go home'

Chapter Text

~Two Months Later~

POV Dannie:

I was awake, hanging off the side of the wall, my eyes hung open, tired from the hours of restless time, staring into space.

'Compared to most of the mutants in this facility, I have exquisite vision when it comes to the darkness, however, during the day, I have to squint my eyes or wear my goggles blocking out the brightest from the lights and lamps that lined the hallways and laboratories. Regardless, I may have a good scotopic vision, but I don't have...the best'.

I stared down from the ceiling as I switched my gaze between the clock and the turtle, laying down on the bench, and hiding inside his shell, the head hole facing the door, looking back up at the clock I sighed, 'It's only 5 in the freaking morning', knowing I wouldn't fall back to sleep, I groaned tiredly as I climbed down, climbing down the concrete wall almost similar to a ladder and landing right in front of the bench. "Uggghhhhh, I'm so tired...", I mumbled quietly, stretching my arm as the other scratched my side, and turning towards Mikey, "Hey I'm gonna head to the laboratory a little early-", I told Mikey, taking in a deep breath, I walked towards the door, giving it a gentle knock, "Tell Centi, I'm not hungry, and if they leave it with you, just...", I droid opened the door as I turned away from Mikey, "Just eat it, or put it in the corner, I don't care...", shuffling sounded behind me, but I didn't look back, and turned towards the droid, "I'm heading to the lab to work on the specimens", the droid only nodded and I made my way walking down the long quiet corridor.

'Mikey...I've been monitoring him for over a month, from the meeting up until this point, Mikey has become distant, talking and socializing with no one, and as much chatting as he could do, he hasn't used Morse code once since then. Leaving for his next job without telling me, and entering the room without a single noise he's just pure silence now, I've tried to talk to him, however, the moment he enters the cell he goes straight to the bench, hiding inside his own shell, not even tapping the benching saying he was going to sleep, honestly I'm not even sure if he goes to sleep when he goes inside his shell, yet I leave him alone, chatting to him as if he was listening. What makes it worse is from what I've seen he's even more distant from the eggs, he never looks at the eggs, and he hesitates when he looks at the projections, entering the physical structures. Mikey hasn't even once shown any form of connection with the specimens at all, it's starting to frustrate Bishop'.

Stopping in front of the lab, I began entering the code, listening to the button signals echoing across the hall with a buzz soon after. Pushing open the door, I entered the empty lab, climbing up the concrete stairs to the small laboratory that was cut off from the rest of the lab. Entering the next code, I pushed the door open and made my way straight over to the computer, logging into the system and opening up Mikey's hidden chart I created, the log didn't have his description, his height, his name, not even his species, all it held was his TCRI name, and an entry of every single visit only opened the moment he leaves the room. Bishop requested this, during each entry, Bishop ordered that I go into deep detail, describing what Mikey did, however, the only rule is, don't same his name, only refiring him by his code, 013-202012.

---------------------

Finishing off Mikey's entry, I opened each one of the specimen's charts and turned back towards the eggs, measuring each egg's shape only to notice something odd, 'Did...did they move?', looking at each egg, I got grew nervous when I remembered something, 'The cameras!', racing towards my computer, I logged straight into the laboratory cameras, getting more nervous as I went into the security system, 'who came in here and touched the eggs?!'. Enlarging the footage to maximum size, 'Alright, so the eggs were in the same position yesterday before I left, but that was at ten at night, so who-', zooming through the footage, I came around the eleven at night mark, only to see, "Mikey?!".

Staring at the cameras, I watched as Mikey entered the room, and began working on the charts, doing his normal tasks, nothing seemed strange. I sped through the footage, but all I could see was Mikey switching between each chart, walking back and forth between the specimen's projections and the charts...that was until he stood still, staring at the projections. Putting the video at normal speed, I continued to watch, Mikey stared at each projection and finally, after all this time, looked down at the eggs, he knelt down and just stared at the eggs. Switching angles, I kept the time stamp and moved to the incubator footage, pulling up both cameras 2 and 3. Mikey poked his face into the incubator, the one that held the female specimens, 002, 003, and 005. Staring at each one, Mikey gazed at them, he didn't look like the days, even weeks prior to me seeing him, he looked almost...interested, astonished, zooming in on Mikey, I noticed his pupils dilate, chirps slipping from his throat, pausing the footage, I pulled up Mikey's chart and began entering everything that occurred in the video, 'Yes! Finally some progress!'.

Playing the footage, I continued to watch as Mikey pressed his hands against the egg that held Specimen 005 rubbing his thumb over the texture of the egg. My eyes widened, and I noticed Mikey's widened as well at that moment, the egg moved, however, what made this already fantastic news even better, the egg moved towards Mikey's hand, recognizing him as its parent. Pausing the video, I was amazed, the progress was occurring faster than we thought, the egg recognized and started to bond with Mikey, I chuckled and played the footage, Mikey flinched, I grew nervous that Mikey would back away, freak out even, but no he...

I was shocked, staring into the video camera, I couldn't believe my eyes, Mikey was... smiling, "He's smiling! Yes, oh my word, this is great!", I downloaded this information to my tablet, but continued to watch, I became nervous as Mikey slowly picked up the egg, he stayed within frame, cradling the egg, nuzzling his snout against the egg, chirping and what also sounded like clicking against the egg. I was amazed watching as he held the egg carefully before placing it back inside the incubator, slightly out of place than it was prior, but Mikey seemed too amazed to care.

I continued to watch as he did the same thing to each egg, giving each one the same attention as he did the last, nuzzling and making turtle noises. 'Oh my-, I need to tell Bishop-...', the thought stopped before they left my mind, I can't tell him, why should I tell him...looking back up at the screen, I stared at the paused image, Mikey looked...happy, happier than he has in months before. 'Wait a second...', rewinding the footage, I paused moments after Mikey touched the eggs, only to notice once more, something off, they weren't in their original positions, 'Wait how long...', I continued searching, speeding through all the footage.

---------------------

"Two...weeks?", I stared at the screen, watching Mikey do the same thing over and over, bonding with the eggs, at first I could tell he didn't know what to do, actually yesterday was the first time he actually held they eggs, before he just watched them and placed his hand against them, making those turtle noises. "How have I not noticed...", I was shocked, trying to think back to when these signs showed up, but I couldn't think of anything..., 'For over two weeks now Mikey has been bonding with the eggs without anyone knowing, not Me, not Centi, and I haven't heard anything from Bishop yet, so...does he even know?'. Shaking my head, I looked up at the clock, realizing that it was already 7:30, 'Mikey's coming soon', taking a deep breath, I decided to continue my work, however, I settled with not asking about the subject at hand to Mikey if he continues on thinking that no one knows about the situation, then their bond will continue to thrive. I stared at the screen, shocked by the news I learned, and reentered Mikey's chart, continuing off with the current entry.

While working on the specimens, I realized that the eggs were moved out of place, meaning something or someone had messed with the eggs, so I looked into the situation. Prisoner 013-202012 was seen on the day before's footage bonding with the specimens, growing a loving parental role. In the footage, Prisoner 013-202012 was seen bonding with the specimens doing a variety of activities, cuddling, nuzzling, and even somewhat communicating with the specimens. Doing some more research, I have discovered that 013-202012 has been bonding with its offspring for the past two Earth weeks, however, today marks the first day 013-202012 has actually physically carried the specimens.

Even though now the knowledge that 013-202012 is actually bonding with the eggs is groundbreaking, the knowledge will not be brought up with the prisoner as it could have an adverse reaction from 013-202012, such as lashing out or becoming distant from the eggs once more. Looking over the specimen's readings, the bonding seems normal at the moment, 7:40. However, Looking over 013-202012 charts

I pulled up Mikey's charts on the left half of my screen, looking over the entries of when I wasn't in the lab at the time and when Mikey was alone. Looking back at the incubators, I walked towards the container that held the males and touched the top of the egg, their vitals stayed the same, but I continued to try, I wanted to receive a reaction, but nothing happened, honestly I was irritated by the fact. I spent countless hours, nurturing the eggs into strong creatures, and they favored Mikey.

*Groooooowwwwwwwwllllllll*

My eyes widened at the sound of an animalistic growl, quickly I flipped my eyes over the incubator and noticed who made them.

H A N D S    O F F

I tore my hands off the egg and backed away, Mikey stopped growling and shook his head, his once possessive and protective expression changed to one of pure confusion, he watched me walk back to my computer, but I noticed something odd, yet intriguing. Staring at him from the corner of my eyes, I noticed how confused Mikey was, he looked at his hands, and scanned the room, almost like he didn't know how he got there. I turned back around and continued my entry.

The specimens seem more reactive to 013-202012's presence, their hearts jump and their brain activity seems positively affected. Just at this moment, I placed my hand on specimen 001, and the egg didn't react, however, without noticing, 013-202012 entered the room and began growling at me, indirectly warning me to back away, what is more interesting is the fact that after calming down, 013-202012 didn't realize he arrived in the room, as if his protective parental behavior took over all sense, just to protect its young, this is good news, not only has 013-202012 been bonding with the eggs, its body as become attuned to the bond, and has become aware of who its offspring is.

That concludes this entry.

Exiting out of Mikey's chart, I opened today's tasks for the day and started from the top list, 'Alright, let's do this'.

---------------------

'Mikey has been watching me...THE ENTIRE TIME!!! Every once in a while, I would check on Mikey, making sure he was doing one of the two needed things, documenting or bonding with the specimens, he was documenting of course, but he just stared at me whenever I walked close to the eggs, and he didn't stare out of angry, he just...stared! But what made it worse was the moment I forgot he was in the room, I couldn't feel his presence...even if I knew he was there I still could not feel it!', I turned back to the computer and finished off my first task, moving down the list to the next, only to feel a chill run down my spine. Turning around, I walked toward the incubators and stood in front of the one that held the female specimens, checking on the temperature, I gazed up at the charts where Mikey stood, only to be met with nothing, he wasn't there, my heart froze as I looked around the area, trying to find Mikey, until I turned around, there he was...standing right next to me, staring at me, he tore his gaze away and looked at the projections, moving them around, analyzing them.

Turning back to the incubators, I continued to check on the status of the machines, making sure none of them were having any malfunctions. Opening the side panel, I pulled up my chair and sat down, looking over the thermostat and the air sensor, 'Alright, let's see...', checking on the girls' temperature, the temperature was set perfectly, switching temperatures, yet staying within the needed range. Moving onto the air sensor, I checked over the part, making sure it stayed within the range programmed into the thermostat, 'Good, it's working perfectly'. Placing the panel back on, I moved on to the next incubator and repeated the same thing on the male specimens' incubator, only to discover the machine parts were working nicely, keeping the eggs at their respective temperature. Placing the panel back on, I walked back to the computer, checking the task off of today's list.

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POV 3rd Person:

Michaelangelo stood in front of the incubators, he wasn't staring at the eggs, the vitals, not even Dannie, he just stared at himself, staring at the reflection that showed through the metal, 'W...what's wrong with me?'. Michaelangelo walked away from the incubators, making his way straight toward the connecting bathrooms, shutting the door behind him, Mikey splashed his face with the sink water and stared at his reflection, his breath came out labored as he tried to make sense of everything, but...nothing made sense. The air in his lungs never came back, he felt empty, listening to the sound of the faucet running, listening to the water hit the porcelain sink. His heart thumped loudly in his ears, pumping faster and faster, slowly becoming louder than the actual water. Mikey held onto the sink, his head felt dizzy, swaying back and forth, 'Momma.Momma.Momma.MommaMommaHelpHelpHelpHelpHelp', Mikey scanned the small room searching for something, Mikey, looking around, calling out for Tang Shen, begging her to save him, but no words left his mouth, all he did was chirp, desperate chirps left his beak. Michelangelo hated this, this feeling, yet at the same, he was so confused, why he was like this.

Over a week ago, Michaelangelo discovered this new... instinct, feeling the constant need to be near the eggs, watching over them, making sure none were brought any harm, but he couldn't understand why he was beginning to feel this way. Michaelangelo understood that he had been more interested in the eggs, thinking about random stuff whenever no one was around, Michelangelo even thought of names for the eggs, but he couldn't call them that. Part of his mind insisted that young turtles were his own, to stay near them, and never leave their sight, yet the other part was scared, terrified to consider them his own. Michelangelo grew terrified, knowing that the moment he claimed the turtles as his own, that's the moment his old life would no longer matter, he would have to protect them...with his own life.

Michelangelo stared into the broken glasses, broken from the center as the cracks fanned out, pieces in the center of the mirror were missing, 'This is all your fault...", Mikey glared into the glass, 'This is all. Your. fault...if you were just-', Mikey stared down at his hands, his hands trembling, and all he could do was sigh, staring at the cuts, scrapes, and scars that littered the scales on his palms and the tips of his fingers, each mark stained a tinge lighter than his natural skin, 'If you were just stronger-, strong enough to fight that-...Tiger mutant, you would be home. Home with my family, yet here you stand...'

Mikey placed his hand on his face, tracing his finger along the marks, permanently fused with his scales. S cars, scabs, and blemishes, Michelangelo hated the way his face felt, but not just that, he looked down towards his hands, his palms, soles, and even armpits, all of it was wet, covered in thick layers of new and old sweat, coated to his skin. Rincing his hands underneath the water that continued to flow, Mikey splashed his face, scrubbing away the grime and filth that sealed was to his skin, scrubbing harder and harder, he pulled his hands away from his face. Staring into the mirror, layers of dry scales hung loosely off his face, his skin was a bright red contrast compared to his green, Michelangelo splashed water onto his face once more, scrubbing harder and harder.

"Mikey?", Dannie called out, and Mikey froze, keeping his body as silent as possible, no heavy breathing, no chattering teeth, just silence, quietly shutting off the faucet. Mikey grabbed the cloth off the side, cleaning his face and tossing the rag back on the side. Walking out of the bathroom, Michaelangelo walked straight to the charts and checked on the time, 11:05. "Mikey?...", Dannie walked towards Michaelangelo, placing his hand on top of his shoulder, only to notice him tense up, pulling his hand away, "Hey, I thought I heard something. Are you okay? Your face looks inflamed-"

I M    F I N E

Mikey eyes never met Dannie's, staring down at the eggs, he took a deep breath and walked back to the chart.

I    J U S T    N E E D E D    S O M E       A I R    A N D    W A T E R

Dannie knew Mikey was lying, staring down at the turtle's hands that trembled as he typed, but neither said anything, continuing on with their tasks, Mikey still didn't trust Dannie.

Chapter Text

POV 3rd Person:

"Ha Hahhhhhh! Come on you slow-ass reptile! Too slow to win against an actual powerhouse!", The mutant cat stared down at Michaelangelo, cackling down at the young turtle that laid on the ground, wincing in pain as the blood pooled into his eye, changing the whites in his eyes to pure red. The blood continued to flow over his lid, forming what looked like tears. Mikey pushed himself up to his feet, glaring at the cat that continued to laugh, his back turned towards the turtle, cheering himself on to the non-existent crowd, "Who's the winna'! Hah me, Old Hob gaining another win baby!", The cat continued to cheer on as Michaelangelo scanned the room, searching for any way that could help, that was until he noticed it, the room had a few blind shots, shadows that hid in several spots. Michelangelo smiled and walked towards the shadows, fully disappearing into the void.

"That was fun, but let's get this over with-", Michelangelo smiled as the cat searched around the room, "Ay! Where ya at", the room was fitted with shelving units, lining the walls towards the top just a few feet from the ceiling. The room was fitted with obstacles, even some places to hide, giving the fighters a more...challenging battle. Michelangelo climbed along the sides, staying within the shadows as the mutant continued to scan the room, growing more and more frustrated as time passed by, he spun around, looking for the turtle, staring in the wrong direction. Mikey positioned himself, readying himself as he stared down at the cat, switching the roles in just a quick motion.

Lunging towards the mutant, Mikey landed on the ground, and swung his leg close to the ground, knocking the mutant off his feet, everything moved so slowly as Mikey watched the mutant fall to the ground, twisting around and lifting his foot off the ground, Mikey slammed his foot into the mutant's abdomen, slamming the mutant straight into the ground. As the motion of the mutant's body slammed against the floor, Michelangelo grabbed the cat's foot, and swung him around, twisting around and around, chucking him right into the wall. Michelangelo jumped back into the shadows, waiting for the mutant's next move. The mutant tiredly stood to his feet and spoke no words as he glared around him, preying on the room, snarling deeply as drool dripped down his chin, searching for the young turtle, his claws presented themselves, showing off in their full glory. "Come out you little shit?!", saliva spat out of his mouth almost resembling a feral stray, the old cat spun around, searching, trying to find the turtle, but he was gone, the cat's breathing sped up, becoming more irritated as time passed by, "WHERE ARE YOU!!!", the few obstacles that sat on the ground were thrown across the room, hitting the wall.

But all Michaelangelo could do...was watch, his eyes held a blank stare, watching the cat grow more aggressive after each passing second, Michelangelo scanned the room, analyzing each piece of trash littered across the ground, possible weapons at the fighter's disposal. "You're going to hide after making an embarrassment of me?! Huh?!", Michaelangelo scanned the room, but nothing was a weapon until his eyes landed on a long red well-kept rope, lying on the far side of the room, discarded like the rest of the trash, 'That's it', getting a plan Mikey, jumped across the room, hiding the moment he touched the wall. 'Let's do this', with the force of gravity, Mikey fell to the ground, grabbing the rope the moment his feet touched the floor, pushing all his weight on his foot. Sprinting towards the cat, Mikey wrapped the rope around his hand, readying himself for his next attack, "Heh heeeh, there you are", Hob smiled crooked up, and twisted around swiping his claws, aiming for the turtle's face.

The claws dragged across the turtle's skin, tearing away the skin over his already injured eye, backing away, Mikey sidestepped and sprinted towards the mutant, catching the edge of his hand, the rope wrapped around the cat's wrist. "What the-", with one quick motion the rope was wrapped around the cat, Mikey tightened his grip around the rope and yanked the rope. Hob fell to the floor as he cursed out the turtle, only to be silent as his head collided with the ground, Mikey raced towards the mutant and tied the cat up, leaving the mutant no room to move or escape, leaving the mutant on the ground motionless.

Michelangelo just stood there, standing in the center of the room, Mikey just stared, his breath never came out labored, it still was calm, the blood that filled his eye continued to overflow, dripping down his minced cheek. He won, Mikey knew that, yet no cheer came to the surface turning up his gaze, Mikey stared up at the one-way window, he couldn't see Bishop, yet he knew he was there watching. Wiping the blood with his wrist he turned away from the window, "Huu you think I'm d-", the turtle charged across the room, standing over the mutant, the white of his left eye was the only thing Hob could see, and this only made the old mutant laughed, cackling loudly, trying to free himself. But before he could speak, with an easy tug, Mikey chucked the mutant across the room, slamming the cat against the wall, Michelangelo chased after the body and pressed the tip of his elongated nail against his throat, just a few inches from the jugular.

"013-202012...", Bishop called out through the intercom, gaining the turtle's attention, Mikey stared through the corner of his eye, lowering his finger down the mutant's neck not pulling away. Mikey stared back up at the mutant and pressed the tip of his finger harder against the skin, pressing Hob's pressure point, and falling to the ground, Mikey walked away from the mutant, standing in front of the door...waiting for his next opponent.

Droids filed inside the room, some picked up the limp mutant while the other stood off to the side, "The one known as 013-202012, the task known as training has officially ended, head back to your cell or laboratory, Bishop orders", Mikey walked away from the droid, and stood in front of the door, waiting as he watched the droid drag Hob out of the room. Stepping out of the room, Mikey never cleaned up his face as the blood flowed down his cheeks, dripping onto the floor, "013-202012...", Michelangelo froze up, staring down at the ground, his vision becoming more and more blurring, stumbling against the wall, Mikey stared down at his hand, cringing as blood fell into his hands, staining the paleness in his palms. Bishop stared down at the turtle, only to dismiss him, letting him leave as the flow slowed down from a stream to a gentle drip, blood crusting over the corners of his eyes.

Walking down the hallway, Michelangelo swayed back and forth, stumbling to his knees only to push himself up to his feet, and try to make it back to the cell, 'I'm...so...', Mikey stood in front of the door and entered the code. Stumbling towards the stairs, mutants watched as Michaelangelo walked into the laboratory and climbed the stairs into the separate lab, slamming the door behind him, 'I'm home...', Mikey stumbled to the floor, falling to his knees, he laid on the ground, his breath came out heavy. Mikey laid on the ground as his face pressed into the metal, relaxing against the cool floor, humming in delight. He just laid there, lying in the darkness, and for once Mikey felt happy, he felt calm, no one was around, just him inside his cell or so he thought. Lifting his head, he noticed where he was, lying on the floor...of the laboratory with his children just a few feet away. Chirping quietly, Mikey crawled towards the island in the center of the room, he leaned against the cool surface as he listened to the quiet hum of the incubator drumming against his ear.

The silence felt nice, lying against the island, Mikey held his side, and shut his eyes,  taking his time to calm his rapid heart rate. Pushing against the surface, he lifted himself, and rested his head on the edge, staring at each egg. Mikey just stared, resting his hand on the top of the egg, grazing his thumb along the shell. 'I hope you kids become something beautiful, something great...', Mikey rested his hand on each egg, his quiet chirps and clicks fell from his lips. Mikey just stared at the eggs, as his eyes slowly became heavy, and his head became heavier as he rested against the cold metal surface, 'I'll...just take...a small nap', Michelangelo made himself more comfortable, falling asleep as he took in a nice warmth with his hand protecting the eggs.

--------------------------------

~Ten Hours Later~

Slowly waking up, the turtle groaned in pain, his body stiff, and his face was covered in crusted blood, groaning in pain, all Mikey could do was sit there, taking in the comforting warmth that radiated from the incubator. He wanted to stay there forever, just taking in this feeling, this new odd feeling, not the pain or discomfort, he knew those feelings all too well after training with powerful mutants, he feels content...safe, it confused him so much. He was inside TCRI, trapped and no one knew where he was and he was...content. Lifting his head from the metal, Mikey stared down at the eggs, accidentally smiling as he looked at each one, and the moment he realized he was smiling, he knew why he was feeling like this...it was because of them, because of the eggs.

Stretching to the best of his ability, Mikey felt his joints pop aloud, sighing in a slight relief as tension left his body. Mikey pushed up to his knees as he continued to stare at the eggs. Sighing tiredly, Mikey switched his gaze over towards the door, 'I guess I better head to bed...', pushing himself to his feet, he gently placed his hand on each one, 'Good night Uno, Yi, Venus, Odyn, and good night Moja...", walking towards the door, Mikey pushed it open, 'See you in the morning', Mikey knew the kids could never hear, so all he could do was chirp as he closed the door behind him. Mikey held the railing, taking step after step as he swayed down the stairs, his vision blurring in and out, finally reaching the bottom, he looked around the laboratory, only to notice that no one was there, 'Guess everyone's off to bed early...'. Shrugging his shoulders, Mikey walked towards the door, shoving it to the side, and walking down the long cooridor, Mikey just stared down at the ground as he dragged his hand along the side of the wall, staring down the hall, Mikey could have swore he was seeing double, to corridors fading back and forth, but he didn't care, he just wanted to sleep.

Mikey's stroll took forever, taking one path, then the other, searching for his cell, and almost falling onto the ground, only to catch himself, and continue his journey. There it was, down the hall he saw his cell with Centi exiting the cell, pushing the cart as they left his cell. Centi turned away from the cell as they closed the door, and Mikey gave her a gentle smile, but they weren't so happy, "Ay! Mijo, what happened to you?!", leaving the cart behind they slammed the door open, "I swear I'm eating my food-, Mikey?!", pulling Mikey by the arm, they guided him into the cell, letting him go the moment they walked back into the cell. Dannie and Centi bombarded Michaleangelo with questions, asking what happened to Mikey's face and where he was, but Mikey didn't answer, all he did was walk to the bench, and lay himself down, trying to get comfortable.

N I G H T     G U Y S

"Night?! Mikey, it's 7:20 in the morning! Where have you been, I thought you left or tried to escape", Mikey never looked at them, he felt warm, yet he groaned his body still sore.

I     T O O K     A     N A P

Mikey reached for the bowl as he sat himself up, slowly drinking the slop.

I     T R A I N E D     A G A I N S T     H O B

Finally, Mikey looked up at Centi, and her expression said it all, she looked worried, but the moment they heard that name, they sighed, stepping towards Mikey, the mutant crouched in front of the turtle, "Then why didn't you clean yourself up...oh my gosh your eye", the centipede placed her hand on the turtle's cheek as they looked over his condition, but Mikey only moved away from their touch, looking away from the centipede's gaze, "Wait who's Hob?", Dannie questioned as he grabbed the bowl from Mikey grasp, placing it off to the side, "He's a Mob Boss that the Kraang kidnapped and mutated into a cat, now majority of the mutants that fight Hob, come out torn to bits, Mikey surprisingly looks great after fighting him. Pequenito look at me", Centi looked into the turtle's eyes as they lifted his face, staring at his eyes, "I'm surprised you made it back to your cell, I'm surprised you walked here. Dannie come on, Pequenito could have a concussion, let's go"

"We can go to the lab, there are some supples we can use", Mikey was too tired, and wrapped the blanket around his body, he didn't want to leave, it was too cold. Centi touched his forehead, and cringed at the touch, "We need to hurry, one second", Centi left the room, leaving Michaelangelo on the bed, trembling as a waft of cool air passed by, he just wanted to sleep, everything hurt, his head, his arms, legs, everything, he just wanted to be left alone...he was fine.

"Alright, a droid will cover the meals, let's go", Mikey flinched as Centi pushed their arms under his body, and lifted him from the bench, using all six arms, cradling him with his head pressed into their shoulders, he was fine, he knew that he wanted to tell them that, but of course, he couldn't. Mikey's hands trembled, hating the coolness of Centi's endoskeleton, his eyes closed as he lifted one finger, trying to tell them something.

I     A M     F I N E

"No, you're not Puequenito. But it's alright, I got you", Mikey fell silent, he wanted to feel safe, but he couldn't. How can he trust them, they're liars, everyone is a liar, yet... at that moment Mikey knew he could trust her. He rested more comfortably as Centi carried the mutant down the hallway, not giving a second thought as other mutants and droids stared at the centipede and bat walking down the hallway.

T H A N K     Y O U

Mikey tried to stay awake, trying to stay strong enough for them, but his sick body fell victim, falling quickly into a calming nap.

N A N A

Centi tensed up as Mikey tapped that word, smiling softly, and cradling the young turtle, "Alright, Pequenito, just rest". Those were the last words he tapped before he fell asleep in their arms, resting as the two mutants walked down the long hallway.

--------------------------------

POV 3rd Person(Centi):

The centipede walked down the hall, adjusting the blanket as she scared the trembling turtle, carrying him to the laboratory, "Worker 013-000001...what are you doing here, shouldn't you be handing out the prisoner's meals?", Bishop's metallic brow rose as she stared at the mutant, switching his gaze from Centi to Dannie, but as he stared down at Dannie, the young bat stared down at the ground, bowing his head in fear. "With all due respect sir, Prisoner 013-202012 is in terrible condition, severe blood loss, fever, chills, possible concussion, syncope, headache, as well as delirium. I will look over his condition and nurse him back to health. As for meals, Kraang droid 61749 is covering that for the day", Bishop's face held a blank expression as he walked towards the centipede, and pulled the blanket down, staring at Mikey, "Fine. Up until eight in the morning, Prisoner 013-202012 will be relieved of any and all duties until then, for now, you will be responsible for nursing him back to tip-top shape. Now, where are you going to be doing this?-", Bishop glared down at the sick turtle, disgusted by the sight of the turtle, "That mutant left a mess for the droids to clean."

"Pe-, Prisoner 013-202012 will be taken care of in the laboratory with his children, there's a nursing section that I'll use", Bishop's eyes squinted at the well-aged mutant, switching his gaze between all three, waving them off as he passed them, "Alright, procede, and 013-000001...", Centi stopped in their tracks, they were tensed, nor nervous, they were at ease, calm like they always were, "¿Hay alguna razón por la que estés cerca de estas dos?", Centi's hold grew tighter, holding the young one close, never once looking back at the droid, they were just silent, and by that respond, Bishop knew they were special to them, and knew exactly why.

Turning around Bishop stopped in his tracks, "013-020120, follow me, we have something to discuss", and continued to walk again as Dannie ran towards him, standing just a few feet away. Centi's pace quickened, racing down the hallway, they shoved passed the multitude of droids, not even caring that some fell. Turning the last corner, Centi saw the door at the end of the hall, slowing down their pace, the centipede freed one arm, and entered the code, shoving the door out of the way. Centi scanned the lab, looking for the spot the turtle worked, but they didn't recognize anything, shifting Mikey awake, the small turtle opened his eyes, staring tiredly at the mutant.

T I R E D     C O L D

"I know, Pequenito, but I need your help, where's the lab?", she whispered, scanning the room, only for Mikey to tap their shoulder, pointing at the tall stairs that stood behind them. Turning around, Centi ran up the stairs and entered the code.

*ERROR*

"Que?", Centi entered the code again and again and again, but each time they typed it, the panel sounded out in error, "Pequenito, what's the code?", looking down at the creature, Mikey reached his arm out from underneath as he stared at the code, slowly pressing button after button, until he moved onto the next one, and finally finished, making the light turn green. Shoving open the door, Centi scanned the room, but their eyes landed on the island that sat in the center of the room, dry blood dripped onto the ground, pooling together into one large puddle, starting to turn brown, and the centipede just stared, "Oh mijo...", noticing the two doors, they checked each one, and found the room, setting the mutant on the table, Mikey laid there still wrapped gently in its warmth, but all they could do was stare as they sighed tiredly, "Let's get you cleaned up..."

Chapter Text

POV 3rd Person (Dannie):

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

*BUZZZZZZ*

Bishop's office code was always the longest, no one knew the code, not even the other droids knew it. Bishop shoved open the door and walked to his desk, signaling Dannie to sit down at the chair in front of him. Dannie sat down, and began fidgeting with his hands, dragging his thumb along the line on his palm. "Project Transformation Cell is going nowhere. For the last month, there has been no progress, the mutants working on the crystal have been saying that the cell is finished, that instead, the issue is 013-202012, stating that the mutagen inside his blood is way too unstable, compared to most of the mutants inside the facility...So soon, whether that's within the next month or by the end of the year, 013-202012's blood will be stablized, do not bring this up to anyone, not 013-202012, not even 013-000001...", Dannie was confused, 'what were they going to do to Mikey'.

"Wait, sir if you don't mind me asking, how are you going to stabilize the mutagen in his blood?", Bishop just typed into his computer as he stayed silent. But Dannie waited, watching the droid type into the computer, and Dannie didn't speak, he couldn't even if he wanted to, he had to wait. Finally, Bishop turned the computer towards the mutant, showing him the screen with Mikey's body structure beside two DNA structures from two different creatures, Dannie was confused, "Once the time has come and the injections are ready, 013-202012 will be injected with Ten CCs of mutagen that was extracted from the body of our most stable mutant, as well as Ten CCs of the perfected mutagen-"

"You're going to do what?!- Sir, injecting Mik-", Dannie took a deep breath, trying the best of his ability to calm himself down, "Sir. 013-202012, as you have stated has severely unstable mutagen inside his blood. Adding-, injecting two different mutagens into his bloodstream could have an adverse reaction!!!", Dannie was no longer sitting comfortably inside his chair, now he was standing, staring at the droid that only held a blank expression, "Do you think I care?", Bishop curked his brow, staring at Dannie, "013-202012. That mutant has only two important roles, raise the specimens until they reach the age of maturity and be a test subject until the crystal is perfected. Once both tasks are completed, 013-202012 will be eliminated, and I will deal with the body post-euthanasia", Dannie was shocked, he hated this, all of this, Dannie fell into the chair as he placed his hand on his face, 'This can't be real, this can't'.

"You're going to kill-"

"Yes", Bishop just answered, staring down at the mutant in front of him as Bishop leaned against his desk, "And I advise you to quit this friendship or-", waving his hand into the air, "Whatever you called...that, anyways...", pushing himself up to his feet he walked around the desk, leaning against the surface, he turned back and moved the screen away, making sure all Dannie's focus was in that moment, but he wasn't. Dannie needed to persuade Bishop to keep Mikey alive, though he knew that would be difficult, "But Sir! Why can't we just send him away, not with his family, just-", Dannie tried to think of something, anything! Waving around his hands, trying to get the point across, "Just anywhere! But we need him alive! Even if the specimens reach maturity, the children still need him to depend on!". Dannie was desperate, begging the droid in any way possible, trying to keep the kid alive, 'He can't die! I need him!'.

"That's the point...", Bishop answered him just a short response, his expression the entire time was too calm. Dannie was confused, yet he felt terror, "What?"

"Killing 013-202012 would do great benefits with us...", waiting for the droid to explain, but Bishop just stared, scoffing moments later, "God, I thought you were one of the smart ones...", Bishop just sighed, rubbing the palm of his metallic hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Ending his life would give us...better control over the specimens. Ridding the specimens of their father would eliminate their dependence-"

"But they would start depending on each other-"

"So be it. For the specimens to become strong soldiers, they need to trust each other, so separating them from their father will make them know how things work around here... Loyalty-", pushing himself off the desk, Bishop walked back and forth, passing around the room, "Two things are needed for mutants- anything actually to be loyal...affection...", Bishop stood in front of the bat as he faces contorted into something strange...something dangerous, a knot formed inside his stomach, Dannie no longer felt safe as the froid stood over her, smiling at him"And f̷̜̬͔̩̼͒́̌̌ĕ̷͔͔ȧ̷̪̩̞̣̬̈́ŗ̷̗̓̊̍̀͠...", Dannie pressed his back against the chair as Bishop showed a terrifyingly wide smile, "With those two attributes, mutants will stay loyal, the fear will keep them in their place, however, once in a while, you reward them, that is when you have them...hook line and sinker. Knowing that if they stay in line they'll be safe, they'll live", sitting back in his chair, Bishop laughed at Dannie, loving the absolute fear in the young one's eyes, feeding off the fear. "It's the same method Kraang-kind have been using for eons, so don't be so shocked by that fact, I have even been using it on the two of you since the beginning", he gave Dannie a smug look, twisting the pen that was placed on his fingers in between his fingers.

"Now let's move on to the topic at hand. How is 013-202012 doing with the specimens...", Dannie knew this was coming, turning his gaze away, he so wanted to tell him that nothing happened, to lie about the entire situation, but he couldn't Bishop knew and was testing him, making sure Dannie was hiding nothing, "Yesterday, I left an hour before my shift started, I decided to skip breakfast and when I got there, I noticed when I looked at the eggs-"

"Get to the point", Dannie froze and cleared his throat, fidgeting with his hands underneath his blanket poncho, messing with the loose strings, "Looking at the camera system, Mi-, 013-202012 was seen, bonding with the specimens, making turtle noise, watching them with such intent and fondness. He has been doing that for two weeks, however, yesterday was the first day he actually touched the eggs, nuzzling and cuddling with each one. So far I checked his charts, he hasn't grown enough of a bond to give each one a name-", Dannie's fidgety expression changed to one of curiosity, and interest, his voice more thrilled to talk about the situation, "However, yesterday, I discovered something extraordinary, the bond has grown so much that his body has identified the eggs as his own! Yesterday, I walked close to the egg to see if I would get the same reaction, Mikey got when he touched the egg, but when I tried to touch the eggs to get a reaction, he growled!"

"Growled?"

"Yes!", Dannie chuckled as he stood to his feet, pacing back and forth, "His mind's becoming protective and possessive over the eggs! This mind has gotten to the point where it's considered me a threat!"

"And that's good news?", Bishop leaned on his desk as he watched the bat walk around the room, "It is! What makes this whole situation even better, the eggs recognize Mikey as their parental figure, when he places his hand on the eggs, their hearts spike, and their brain activity showed signs of dopamine flowing inside their brains, it's amazing! Within just two months he's grown a motherly role!"

"Motherly? But the mutant is male, correct?", Dannie nodded his head, trying to find the right words to explain, "For some of the animal kingdom, the mothers are protective of their young, like bears, orangutans, a lot of animals, the fact that we're even getting this is astonishing. All species of turtles do the same thing the moment the turtles lay their eggs, they leave them to fend for themselves, so the fact that 013-202012 is acting protective is super lucky for us!". Bishop held no expression, staring at the mutant in front of him, Dannie didn't know how to react, he didn't look happy or mad he just looked calm. Bishop just crossed his arms, "Have you seen any of this behavior acted out in front of your eyes?"

"No sir-", shaking his head, Dannie couldn't sit in his chair, "Except for yesterday, 013-202012 has been hiding these acts away from anyone seeing him. When checking the cameras, I noticed that he came whenever I was not present, he greets them, gives them his farewell, everything, he treats them like they can respond", Bishop nodded his head and walked towards the door, "Well seems like everything is going perfectly with the plan, continue watching him, and taking care of the eggs, you are dismissed", Dannie stood to his feet and walked towards the door, ready to walk to the laboratory and check on Mikey, but Bishop never opened the door, looking up at Bishop, Dannie waited for him to open the door, only to be met with a face full of danger and authority, "And remember what I said to you early...", placing his hand on Dannie's shoulder, Bishop stared down at the mutant, "What's said in this room, stays in this room", nervously, Dannie nodded his head as Bishop opened the door, shoving Dannie out of the room, "Good, now hurry"

"Yes Sir..."

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Dannie sped down the hallway, walking as fast as he could without the droids ordering him to slow down to a controlled speed. Dannie turned each corner, going left, right, left, straight, turning whatever way he needed to get there quickly. 'God, please be okay Mikey', turning the last corner, he saw the door, and quicken his pace until he was considered sprinting, running down the hallway,  Dannie slowed down when he reached the door, running into the door accidentally. Dannie felt slightly dizzy, shaking off the healing, Dannie entered the code, slamming the door open once he got the signal. Running up the stairs, mutants stared at the frantic bat, giving him strange expressions, but Dannie didn't care, he never really did, everyone always gaze from weird looks, but in this moment he didn't care. Reaching the top of the stairs, he entered the other code, but he never got to finish, Centi swung open the door, waving him to enter inside, 'Why do they look like that?! Is something wrong?!'

"How's Mikey doing?", Centi said nothing to him, leading him straight to the turtle, Dannie looked them over, the only positive sign was that their pace was slow, not in any hurry. Pushing open the door to the nursing room, Mikey laid there trembling against the cool surface, wrapped in the blanket he was in less than an hour ago. "How is he doing?", Dannie pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, cringing at the temperature, "He's cleaned up, thankfully none of the wounds were infected, and the blood that seeped into his eye will be there for a good two to three weeks, however, he is severely ill and I think I know why...", Centi said nothing all they did was turn towards the specimens, their expression looked so worried, "You think it...the eggs did this to him?"

"No. I know the eggs did this to him, not directly though...", Dannie just stared at them, "What do you mean?"

"Pequenito stressed himself out, because of the eggs. You should have seen it when I got here, the moment I got here, he wanted to be near those eggs, he did not once care about his health, he kept telling me that he was fine, but of course, I didn't believe him...", Centi placed a cool rag on the turtle's forehead. Centi washed down Mikey's body, cleaning away the fresh coat of sweat, cleaning away the turtle's scarred plastron and carapace, her back facing towards Dannie, "Do you have any plans on how you are going to build their nest once they hatch...", Dannie just froze, confused by Centi's words, he just stared at them, "Like...beds?", turning around the centipede stared at the bat, "You haven't...", Centi covered the turtle's body, reaching up towards the top shelf, grabbing two Benadryl, trying to wake Mikey up. Mikey woke up for a second, staring tiredly up towards the centipede, shifting his gaze towards the door reaching the door, "No Pequenito, you need to get better, once your better you can see them, now come on take this", leaning Mikey forward they gave the mutant some medication, and laid him back down, but he didn't fall back to sleep, he just stared at the door as pathetic clicks and chirps fell from his beak. Mikey pushed himself up, trying to get to the door, only for Centi to push him back down with ease, "Get better first, then you'll see them, okay?", Mikey never responded and just turned onto his side with his back facing the two, Centi sighed and signaled Dannie to followed them, turning off the light and closing the door as they left the room, leaving Mikey alone to get as much rest he could get.

Walking towards the eggs, standing just a few feet away, Centi turned towards Dannie as her face held a tired expression, "Bishop has talked to me about this project for decades, however when the idea was brought up it wasn't turtles. Turtle specimens weren't decided until three years ago, originally they were supposed to be faster, stronger animals. So...within the time frame, I've done some research, turtles need an area to bask, meaning once they hatch they need to be placed underneath a heat lamp-".

"So...should I just build a heat lamp?", Centi placed their hand on their chin, staring down at the eggs, thinking over what they should do, "What species are the specimens?", Centi looked at each egg, noticing that even though they should similar shapes, there were three different shapes between the five eggs, Dannie explained the five species, going into heavy detail as to why they were chosen, he waited for the centipede's idea, "That's three...", they sighed, trying their best to think of what to do, "Completely different species, one's aquatic, three are semi-aquatic, and one's a tortoise. For now, you should plan on making the nest. Pequenito is in charge of building said nest, if the nest is not up to the parent's standard then the whole process is useless, so your goal for this is to make them a lamp they can bask underneath, if you finish in time build a small tank half a foot deep, that will be designed mainly for the aquatic turtle, that species is known for racing towards the water the moment they hatch, so build a pool with a small ramp from the outside that goes inside the pool. That is going to be your goal. I'll try searching for good material, Pequenito can go through them and make it himself".

Centi crouched down and stared at the eggs, just staring..., "After I collect materials, I will research the children's diets, and prep them myself, alright I'll check on him later, for now...", they sighed deeply as they walked towards the door, "Make sure he stays asleep, he's been trying to get out of bed so many times", and with that, they left, leaving Dannie to his own leisure.

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Dannie did his research, yet it only confused him even more than before. From what he learned, Mikey...shouldn't be acting how he is, 'For all species of turtles, they lay their eggs, and leave them to fend for themselves, so why is Mikey acting like this? It would make sense if Mikey was a female mutant turtle, but he's not?! The behavior he acting out is similar to his human side, the protectiveness, possessiveness, all of it would make sense, but only for females! But he's not a girl, so why...", Dannie stared at the chart, switching his gaze between Mikey's and Dannie's online searches, trying to make sense of the entire situation but none of it made sense.

Turning around Dannie, noticed Mikey peeking through the jarred door, and all Dannie did was sigh. Walking towards the door, Mikey stared through the crack, his eyes trained on the mutant bat that walked closer toward him, opening the door, Mikey stepped away from the door, "Mikey come on...", grabbing Mikey by the hand, the turtle struggle for a moment, rapidly switching between Dannie and the eggs as sad chirps fell from his beak, reaching towards the eggs, "Look Mikey, I know you want to be near them, but for now please get some rest", Dannie lead the turtle to the table laying him down, covering him with the old torn blanket.

Placing his hand on the edge of the table, Dannie just stared down at the creature that laid there sickly, staring up at Dannie as his body shook, but all Dannie could do was stare at Mikey. He wanted to tell him, so badly he wanted to tell Mikey, but he couldn't, he would know, Dannie sighed tiredly as an uncomfortable knot formed in his chest, he couldn't tell him what would happen in the end, so Dannie decided to talk about something else. "Hey...Mikey?", Dannie pushed himself onto the table, looking at Mikey just to make sure he was listening, he was so Dannie turned towards the door, "Me and Centi talked about when the kids hatch...", I heard Mikey shift underneath the blankets, 'I must have his attention now', Dannie folded his hands, staring down at them trying to find the right words, "After you get better, you'll need to...make a...nest", this felt weird, but why though, Dannie needed to calm down, so took a deep breath, never meeting Mikey's gaze, "In the meantime, I'll build the heating lamp for you guys to bask under as well as a small pool for Specimen 001, his species instantly runs to the water, so the pool is built just in case". Dannie looked up at the clock, noticing that he should start doing his tasks, sighing tiredly, Dannie patted his shell, and pushed himself up to his feet, walking to the door, only to stop as he waited, for what he didn't know, "Centi's coming back later to check on you...please get better, Mikey", Dannie closed the door, leaving the turtle alone to rest.

Chapter Text

~Four Months Later~

POV 3rd Person(Tang Shen):

"Where is he...", standing inside her bathroom, Shen stared at the mirror, her breath seething through her teeth as her breath grew heavier, she was alone, the twins were with the boys, and Miwa continued her nightly searches, Shen didn't know what Miwa did during those patrols, but here she was instead of looking for her son, she was alone...standing inside her bathroom. "Where is you", her arms trembled as she gripped her hair tightly, almost to the point she ripped her hair out. "Son, where are you...", in one quick swipe, all of the material on the counter fell to the ground, glass facial products shattered, and heavy objects flew across the room putting dents in the walls. "Where is he. Where is he. Where is he. Where is he. Where is he. Where is he?!", Shen glared at the mirror, her face looked destroyed, sleepless night hung under her eyes, and her cheeks sunken in, she looked terrible, Shen knew that, but she never cared, she wanted him back, she wanted Mikey back. As the months passed by, moving from one month to two, to three, to four...she felt like a failure, she failed to find her son.

Shen slammed her fists on the counter, slamming them over and over and over, until she pulled her fist back, slamming them one last time on the mirror, only taking a moment for the glass to shatter as her fist collided with its reflection, cracks spread across the large mirror as pieces of shards fell straight into the sink, shards stuck to the women's hands, pieces barely embedded onto her skin, but she didn't care. She hasn't cared about her health for months, for almost half a year...

Staring down at her hands, blood dripped down her arms, "Mikey...", she called out Mikey's name, wanting her son to come home, but the name fell off silent ears.

She was alone inside her home, her home felt so empty, no life, no fun, nothing. Shen's phone continued to ring, and she knew why, she hadn't seen anyone for weeks, almost an entire month, Yoshi acted as the twins' father while Shen was away, and Miwa...she does come home, but its always so late that when she does, she never tells me she's home, or when she's leaving. Shen's not even sure Miwa lives with her anymore, her home always stayed clean, Shen used cleaning as her only coping mechanism, but she was never truly cleaning the house, instead, she cleaned it and made the rooms, look identical to the day Mikey disappeared. Leaning against the counter, Shen fell to her knees and pressed her forehead against the counter, "I...am a terrible...human being...I-", painful tears seeped from the ducts in her eyelids, streaming down her cheek, what was strange though is the fact that she wasn't sad, in fact she was the opposite, anger and hatred were the only emotions Shen was feeling that moment.

Clenching her fist tightly, her nails dug into her palms, and slammed her fist against the cabinets, punching each cabinet, the skin on her knuckles began bleeding, staining the nice wood with prints of fresh blood, "Useless.useless.useless.useless.USELESS!!!", each time she repeated that word to herself, her nails dug deeply into her arms, "Why am I so useless?!", Shen seethed underneath her breath.

*SLAM*

The door flew open, and the loud bang of the door slamming against the wall was the only noise heard inside this room, Shen just stared at the doorway, Miwa stood there staring down at her trembling mother, with the turtles right behind her, Donatello held Lita, while Raph held Jennika, "Mom-"

"Oh, I'm so sorry about the mess, honey! I tripped over the mat, just please wait inside the livingroom-", Shen winced in pain, shards of glass were still stuck inside her hand. Shen wiped her faces clean with the back of her arm, cleaning away the sweat and tears, "Mom your hand-"

"Miwa, I'm fine, alright-"

"Shen...", Shen knew that voice, 'why is he here, he never leaves the sewers, so why-", Shen turned her gaze away from the doorway as she continued to clean, which was only responded by a tired sigh, Shen continued to pick up the facial products, placing them back messily on the counter. "Boys. Miwa, please wait inside the living room, while I talk to your mother", their mother... it felt odd, years passed and so much happened. Within just a few years, Shen went from two kids to three, to seven, it felt like a lot, she felt so overwhelmed, but she loved them, they were her kids, and she loved each one with so much care, she loved them equally, yet all of this overwhelmed her.

Cleaning up the glasses, she heard the door shut as a pair of bare feet tapped against the ground, making themselves comfortable in the only clean spot inside the bathroom, "Shen-"

"I'm sorry...", Shen stopped cleaning at that moment, reaching into a cabinet, she pulled out the only first aid, available inside her home, and placed it on her lap, only for Yoshi to grab it from her, and open it with such care "What are you sorry for...you didn't do anything wrong"

"Yes, I've done so many things wrong", Yoshi grabbed her hands, and began cleaning them, gently picking out the shards with a pair of tweezers, "Like what?"

"Only everything! I've been so busy, that I haven't visited the kids in weeks, I can't find anything on our son, I don't even have time to bond with my-, our daughters, I just...", that was it, Shen broke down, her body trembled as quiet sobs pooled from her mouth, "I just feel like I'm a terrible mom", before Shen knew it Yoshi was done, her wounds clean of blood, and bandaged up, pushing himself to his feet, he dusted his knees, pulling Shen up with him, standing a few feet away he rose his arms out, giving her the option to hug the mutant if she wanted to, which she did. Lunging herself into his arms, she hugged the rat's waist, jumping as she felt something wrap around her leg, "I just want to let you know that everything you said is incorrect, you are not a terrible mother, you're a great mom. These kids waited for you, the girls missed you sure, you've been their mom since birth. But the boys completely understand, you've been out there day and night searching all by yourself, looking for our son, but...", Shen's heart froze at those words as Yoshi continued to hold her, grazing his fingers through her hair, "Shen you need rest, the kids miss you, I miss you, so please let the kids, search for their brother, let them do this so you can get some rest", Yoshi pulled away slightly from the hug as he placed his paw on her cheek, dragging his finger across her sunken in cheeks, "And I promise the moment we hear anything about Michaelangelo, you will be the first one to know, alright?", Shen didn't respond, all she did was pull the rat into a deeper hug with a soft smile, "Good, now you go hang out with the kids, I'll clean this up-"

"No, Yoshi, let me clean this, I'll hang out with the kids, I just want to...clear my head before I see them...", Yoshi nodded and left the room, leaving Shen inside the room alone, just like before, yet something felt different, the silence...felt calm. "Here, uhhh I found your broom", Shen smiled softly as she grabbed the broom from Donatello's hold, "Thank you, Donatello. I'll be out there in a moment, in the meantime though, how about you guys choose a movie we can watch together, sound good?", Donatello nodded his head as a smile grew on his face, and rushed to the living yelling the plans to the others, leaving the door wide open. Standing to her feet, Shen grabbed hold of the broom and began sweeping, keeping herself distanced from the shards that decorated the floor. Hair fell into her face, and blocked her vision, it made things difficult as she bent over towards the pile sweeping it into the dustpan. Shen brushed the hair away from her hair, tucking it behind her ear, only for the hair to fall back into her face, blocking her sight once more, "Can I help you?", reaching back as Shen tried to pull her hair into a messy bun, she turned towards the door, meeting Yoshi's eyes, before Shen could answer he walked towards the counter, sweeping all the shards from the mirror into a pile, "Wait! No Yoshi, I got this, I made this mess-"

"And I can help you clean this", his voice soft, and all Shen could do was sigh as a soft smile appeared on her face, "Alright, Yoshi". They continued to clean, and every few moments one of the children peeked into the bathroom, each one watched us, and for some reason as each one checked on the couple, Shen begged that the next one would be Mikey, but as each one checked in, she never saw or felt Mikey's soft baby blue eyes staring at her and Yoshi. A lonesome tear fell down her cheek, Shen didn't realize until Yoshi finally spoke up, placing his hand on the side of her cheek, grabbing her attention, "Are you alright, Shen?"

'Yoshi always knew when I was upset', Shen chuckled sadly as she held his hand, pressing her cheek closer to his palm, "I just really miss, my-...our son...I want to find him, and bring him to his family, but what if-"

"It's going to be alright, Shen...the boys and Miwa, as well as their human friends will find him, you will find him...but you need to rest", Yoshi pulled them both up to their feet, and Shen scanned the bathroom, realizing they finished, all the bottles were cleaned up, the shards thrown into the bin, and two small turtles peeking around the door frame. Smiling softly, Shen bent down to her knee with her arms stretched out wide, resulting in two small turtles running into the mother's arms, nuzzling their faces against her cheeks as they cried her name, begging her to never leave again. "I'm sorry girls, I won't do that ever again"

"Promise?", Shen looked down at the two turtles, Jennika who was now a few inches taller, and Lita with a new pair of glasses, better shaped to her small head, both sharing similar height. 'God they've grown so much in just a few months', Shen pulled them into a deeper hug, "Promise". Picking up the twins, Shen placed each one on her hips and left the bathroom with Yoshi right behind her as she walked towards the living room where the kids waited patiently, Leonardo chatting with Miwa on the floor, Raphael on the couch scrolling through his phone and Donatello on the ground with his hand-made computer, looking through a map with markers on its screen. "What movie are we going to watch?"

"Venom!!!", Lita yelled as she crawled out of Shen's arms, racing towards the already selected movie, which was in fact not Venom, "Lita, we talked about this, everyone just Men in Black", Lita whined as she stomped towards Donatello, resting against his side, and everyone just laughed. Shen walked over towards the couch with Jennika still on her hip, and sat down, leaving a spot open so Yoshi could sit could next to her, which he did.

Shen watched as the movie started up, Miwa getting comfortable as she leaned her head against Shen's knees, and Jennika squished into the gap between Shen and the chair arm, too comfy to move out of the way, this was nice, Shen needed this, she knew she did, yet part of her mind yelled at her, screamed at her, telling her to get off this couch and go outside, search for her son, search for Mikey, she wanted to, so badly did she want to get off this couch and look for him, but what good is she, fighting off of no sleep and empty stomach, so she listened to them, she listened to her family. The movie continued to play, words played out loud as her eyes slowly shut, and her head leaned against Yoshi's shoulder, finally falling asleep, "Good night, Shen...", that was all she heard before she fell asleep, with a gentle smile plastered across her face.

-------------------------------

POV 3rd Person (Splinter):

Splinter listened to the soft snores that came from Shen's lips, that was the only thing he listened to as the movie played on through the night, hours upon hours passed by, each kid switching out the movie to another's choice. Splinter stared at the TV with a barely noticeable smile that stretched underneath his snout, reaching towards the side table, Splinter picked up his jasmine tea, and drank the warm liquid, warming the inside of his belly. Looking down at Donatello, the small ivory turtle rested inside his lap, snoring quite louder than Shen, who in turn rested her head against Splinter's shoulder with the small dark turquoise turtle resting against her side. "Do you think...were going to even find him?...", the credits played out as Donatello spoke up, Splinter sighed quietly, "Donnie don't speak like that, we'll find him-"

"And how do you know that?!-", Splinter knew that Donatello was the more logical and science-minded child compared to the rest, which means Donatello has been thinking about this issue for a while, and finally got the courage to ask his family, "-We have confronted every single villain we know!-", Splinter hushed down Donatello, pointing towards the boy's lap and the two next to him, Donatello bows his head, quieting down his voice all the way down to a whisper. "As I said, we've confronted every single villain we know, The Shredder, Don Visioso, Kraang, Purple Dragons, everyone, we even went through the bases checking every nook and cranny and we found nothing, we checked every freaking cell, and room inside the Kraang catacombs and facilities, nothing...what if he-"

"No. Clearly, we have not checked everywhere", Miwa spoke up, gaining the boys' attention, "What I can do is listen around Shredder's territory, and see if any of his goons slip up and say something about him...you know what that's it!", Miwa whispered loudly, standing to her feet walked out of the room, charging down the hallway. Splinter gently pulled Shen off of his shoulder, doing his best not to wake her, "Raphael, why don't you grab your sister, Jennika for me. I am going to take your mother to bed", Raphael said nothing as he nodded his head and crouched in front of Jennika, picking her up and carrying her off to where he sat before, pressing Jennika against his chest as he leaned back against the cushion, getting quite comfortable. Splinter crouched over and picked up the sleeping Shen, carrying her down the hallway, he made his way straight to her bedroom, and gratitude filled his body as his eyes noticed the ajar door. Pressing his back against the door, the door opened wide with the screech of the old hinges, Splinter walked towards the bed, and placed Shen on the bed, pulling the blankets over her shoulders, making sure she was comfortable.

Splinter left the room, and closed the door behind him, walking down the hallway, Splinter entered the living room and noticed that everyone was gone, well everyone but Donatello, sitting towards the end of the couch with one small young turtle on each side, resting comfortably with their body's pressed against his side as he was on his self-made device, Splinter spoke softly as he sat down on the couch, "Where are you brothers and sister?" grabbing the tea that has already cooled all the down, he took a long drink, downing some of it in one gulp. Splinter and Donatello never turned towards each other, "Karai decided that she was going to go out and search for Mikey again, basically saying that "She's not coming back until she finds him"?", Donatello's typing slowed until finally after a few seconds stopped, "Raph and Leo, said that they're going to join her, and I just said I'll stay and watch the girls, while they're out...", Splinter hummed in agreement, nodding as he drank the rest of the tea, gently placing the cup back where it was before. "I just-", Splinter turned towards Donatello, giving him the time to find his words, "We have been looking for Mikey for months, and yet we have found nothing on where he is-", Donatello closed his computer and set it off to the side, somehow not waking either twin up as he moved around, "I have been talking to our allies, the Mighty Mutanimals, Shinigami...Bishop! None of them have seen anything on Mikey, I just!...", Donatello quieted himself down when he realized his voice was a little loud, "I just want Mikey to come home, I miss him, we all miss him...", he fell quiet as he looked away from Splinter, and breathed out a tired exhale, "...I just don't want to go on another patrol only to be disappointed at the fact that we haven't found anything...I'm just so tired Sensei"

Splinter sighed as he placed his hand on the young turtle's shoulder, turning his gaze away as he stair at the menu on the TV, "I know Donatello, everyone is tired, but don't fret, the moment we find your brother is the moment we can rest-"

"Guys!-", Splinter hushed the children that barged inside the room, pointing at the sleeping children, "First put the girls to bed, then quietly tell us what happened...", the kids nodded their heads as Raphael and Donatello carried the girls to their rooms, closing the door for the night. "Now what is the issue?"

"We found out where Mikey is!", Leonardo whispered loudly as a desperate smile showed on his face, "Wait seriously?!", Donatello charged towards Leonardo, "Yes, well kind of. The three of us went out-"

"God you're slow-", Raphael interrupted Leonardo and looked towards Splinter, "We heard from Rahzar and Fishface that Mikey was taken to TCRI and is being used as a test subject, but we could find out for what?", Donatello stared at Raphael as his face turned a pale green, "I...I think I know what it is...we need to rescue him as soon as possible". Everyone nodded their head as well as Splinter, "Alright, discuss a plan for your mission Leonardo, and once Shen has woken up, inform her. Knowing Shen, she'll want to come on the mission, now go on, you'll leave at the moment she wakes up"

"Hai Sensei", Splinter walked towards the kitchen, pouring himself another cup of tea, and with a new profound excitement that never overflowed his calm demeanor, 'We...we found him Shen...'.

Chapter Text

POV No One:

It's been months since Dannie and Centi "found out" about the bonding between the children and Mikey, a multitude of changes have occurred because of the situation, especially with Michaelangelo, Dannie seems to have noticed the change as well. As days changed to weeks, then to months, Mikey was becoming more...animalistic, and because of the change, training duties were not decreased at all, in fact Bishop required that Michaelangelo to train more, making sure the young mutant was going to be strong enough to protect the eggs, even after they hatched. Because of this Michaelangelo went back to his original hours, and Mikey didn't seem to... like that change....ever since then, Michaelangelo never came back to his cell, from that point on he slept inside the laboratory, resting inside the nest he designed, organizing the pillows and blankets into a large cushiony bed, only picking the best items for the nest.

That was something Centi noticed about Michaelangelo when he work on the nursery, not only the odd nesting behavior but a load of other behaviors as well. For humans, mothers when they are farther along with their pregnancy, they start having this strange behavior, similar to the ones Michaelangelo possesses. However, the most common behaviors that he is exhibiting are, nesting behavior and specific concentration problems. Michelangelo has been deep cleaning the nursery and laboratory, organizing the items and furnishing until it was to his liking. But what was worse was his concentration, most to even all of his concentration went towards the eggs, during his duties he did all his tasks well, monitoring the eggs, checking their vitals, checking their growth, he was doing everything, and what made it better was before the mutant knew that about the specimens being related to him, Michelangelo did the bare minimum, but now, he was going over and beyond, it left Dannie amazed, even confused, but took advantage of this, writing this down as progress. Concentration was written down as a problem, however, in training, Michelangelo would find any reason to end that task as quickly as possible, whether that was defeating any and all mutants, no matter what issues they had, even if they were young, old, weak, strong, Michelangelo never cared. After some time, Michelangelo realized that beating the mutants until they couldn't muster to even stand up to their feet ended the training the fastest, yet he didn't care.

Mikey hated that about himself now, as months passed the caring loving kid that loved to prank his family was disappearing, the same kid that could never kill a soul wasn't here, standing over a young mutant, glaring down at its trembling body as it cried out for his mother, begging to go home...home...exactly six months ago, for two weeks straight, Michelangelo has been begging, trying to call out to Leo, attempting to connect, but it never happened, so...he gave up...

Home...TCRI is home...Michaelangelo's kids are his home, his safe place, his comfort, his life, his purpose...the laboratory was his home... Michelangelo knew that, but that was the only thing he knew, from constant lessons, Mikey knew that leaving the facility... w̴͉̤̠͔̼̣̃a̴͍̒͆̂̋̃͘s̴̠̹͚̥͖̹̤͗͐ ̶̧̮͔̺̹̀d̷̘̂̊ĕ̶̢͈̹͍̟̩͇̜a̶̼̰͖̹̔̃̚t̷̰̐̂h̴͖̃̈

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POV 3rd Person(Mikey):

He was at rest, resting inside the center of the nest, Michelangelo opened his eyes as he heard the sound of someone walking into the lab, walking towards the nursery. "Pequenito are you inside?", Michaelangelo recognized that voice, lifting up his head, Mikey let out a small chirp, 'Food! Food! Food!', crawling out of the bed of pillows and blankets, Mikey raced towards the door and yanked it wide open, "Oh! Hey, you look like you're in a good mood today, huh?", Mikey nodded his head in a rapid movement, tugging Centi towards the incubators, as he released them from their protective holding.

"What's going on with you-"

N A N A     N A N A     L O O K

Mikey pointed at the projections as the centipede walked towards the incubators, Centi didn't know what they looking at, upon looking closer at the projection they realized what it was, two fully grown fetuses, "Wait! Is it almost-", Mikey nodded his head as he dragged his hand over the eggs, "Is that why you're so happy?...", Centi smiled softly as they watched the small turtle chirp at the eggs, chuckled as small movements came from the first egg as well as the last egg. Centi smiled at the young mutant, clearing their throat, gaining Mikey attention, "Here's breakfast...", Mikey just stared at them as he stood in front of the incubator, giving each egg attention, but he just stared at them, his face blank of emotion, turning around towards the eggs. Throughout the months, Centi realized that he had been the happiest now, Mikey was showing true signs of stress, impatient, loss of interest, unless it was about the kids, clenching his jaw, headaches, Michelangelo was stressing himself out over the eggs, Centi realized that Mikey has been working and protecting these eggs so hard, that he has left himself no time to truly relax and breath, every free moment he has he's with the eggs, he's stressing himself so much over this obsession, and all Centi could do was sigh. Setting down the bowl, Centi walked towards Michaelangelo and placed their hand on his shoulder, but he didn't look at them, he was too excited, Mikey didn't care about her concerns, nothing mattered more than everything in this moment.

"Hey! Why didn't you wait for me, Centi-", looking up at the time, Mikey turned around and grabbed the bowl off the table, chugging his food down as he turned away from the two other mutants. They were talking, peeking through the corner of his eyes he watched the two as they chatted about something, what they spoke of Mikey didn't care, and placed the bowl down, freshly barren over any sustenances. Mikey walked over to the chart and stared up at the time, 7:59, and the day was next to it, glowing it's shining white, December 21, 2013...

Michelangelo stared at the clock, glaring at the date until he realized something, 'I missed my birthday...I'm...16?', Michelangelo was frozen, 'How did I...', Mikey was stuck in a trance, hours of working and bonding with his kids, he never gave himself some me time, 'What has happened to me...', he thought, his face stared at the screen, yet his eyes zoned out, staring into the air and yet staring at nothing.

"Mikey...are you okay?", Mikey heard Dannie's voice, but he was frozen, his body-, his mind turned into this animalistic being only caring about nothing else than it's young, how did it come to this. "Pequenito?"

I     F O R G O T     M Y     B I R T H D A Y

Michaelangelo's back faced the two mutants as he tapped his plastron, tapping his elongated nail on his shell, "What? Mikey, what do you mean-"

M Y     B I R T H D A Y     W A S     T H R E E     M O N T H S     A G O

Slowly turning back, his face was just shocked as he stared at the two, their faces holding a real depressing expression. Neither mutant spoke, staring down at the ground, Mikey wanted Dannie to be honest, to tell him the truth for once.

D A N N I E

W H Y     A M     I     L I K E     T H I S

"Mikey...I-", turning towards the camera, Dannie seemed hesitant, "I...don't know...but we need to start our tasks, Mikey let's check on the nursery since we only have days, maybe weeks until 001 and 005 hatch, so come on. Bye Centi! See you later!", Dannie walked over to the side as he grabbed the tools and grabbed Mikey's hand, yanking him towards the nursery. There was a reason he took them towards the nursery, the small room was sound proof and also, there were no cameras. Closing the door, Dannie completely walked over to the lamps, checking on their condition.

H E     W A S N T     W A T C H I N G

Dannie stopped looking over the lamps, and Mikey knew something was up, he knew that Dannie knew something, but he couldn't tell what it was. "Mikey...Bishop did something and...", Dannie never turned back to Mikey as he leaned forward against the table in front of him, "I want to let you know, that I told Bishop that it was a bad idea to do this, but whatever I tell him to do, telling him that it was a bad idea-", Dannie just continued to ramble, desperately telling Mikey that he tried to persuade Bishop to not go through with it, his rambling turned to mumble, and not once had he ever looks at Mikey.

D A N N I E     W H A T     D I D     H E     D O

Dannie's jumbled mumbling stopped, his body tensed up and yet he still had not looked at Mikey, switching his gaze from the lamp to the door, never meeting the turtle's eyes, "I...can't tell you...".

Mikey's eyes fell from the back of Dannie's head, down to the bat's arms and legs, even his wings. Honestly, it was hard to see, but if Mikey squinted real hard, you could see them, cuts and bruises littered his skin and wings, and Mikey knew exactly why, ever since Mikey begged-, asked him to never talk about Mikey's personal life, Dannie respected that, and never told Bishop even if he asked him, but as their once broken friendship began to rebuild itself, this promise...only hurt Dannie in ways. There would be days, when Dannie came back to the cell or even work, with bruised cheeks and puffy eyes...Dannie was never in training, all these bruises appeared after every single meeting he had with Bishop. Dannie never told him where he got them no matter how much Mikey asked, but Mikey knew why he had them, and decided to leave the conversation there.

O K

I M     G O I N G     T O     W O R K     O N     T H E     E G G S

Mikey tapped his nails against his plastron, and walked out of the room, making his way straight to the incubators. Standing in front of the eggs, he just stared at them, sighing tiredly, 'I'm...so tired...'

-------------------------------

~Four Hours Later~

Walking down the long hallway, something felt off to him, he scanned the corridor, no mutants in sight, not even one droid, 'where are you...!', through the corner of his eyes, the cameras moved around, aiming straight for him. 'They're watching...', turning his gaze away, Mikey continued to walk down the hallway, yet the cameras continued to watch him, watching every single step he took. Mikey felt nervous, 'Is Bishop watching me? What did I do?'. There it was, the laboratory, Mikey quickened his pace, yet the cameras never stopped watching, as the door came closer, Mikey slowed down his pace, stopping in front of the door and entering the code. 'They're watching. They're watching. They're watchingThey're watchingThey're watchingThey're watchingThey're watchingThey're watchingThey're watchingThey're watching-"

"013-202012", all of Mikey's thoughts stopped in a moment, his body tensed as Bishop stood in front of the door, his arms crossed and his eyes peering, glaring down at the mutant that never met his eyes. No words were spoken, Mikey knew he was in trouble, he was late, yet he was left undisciplined, Bishop turned around towards the rest of the lab, and Mikey followed after him, making his way straight to the examination table. They're watching...someone was still watching him, and he didn't know who, the cameras aimed straight at him, 'Who's watching me?'. Mikey kept thinking over who could be on the other side of the lenses, 'Definitely not Bishop. Prime? Sub-Prime? A mutant? It could possibly be just another droid...', staring up towards the cameras, Mikey felt a sense of confusion, they no longer stared directly in Mikey's direction, instead now they were scanning the room, just like they always do, and what made him more confused, was the fact that those watchful eyes disappeared. Mikey's body tensed up, flinching at every sudden touch, droids connecting every wire to his arms, and head, but this time there was something new, two bags side by side, holding two different colored liquids, one held a red liquid sharing a similar coloration to blood, and the other held mutagen, glowing a beautiful green. Michelangelo stared at the bags, curious as to why they were even here in the first place.

Reaching off to the side, a droid grabbed an oximeter and placed it on Michaelangelo's finger, monitoring the turtle's heart rate and his oxygen, Mikey's heart pumped quickly as fear and confusion filled his body, he questioned everything, the watchful eyes, the strange bags of liquids, but in moments like this, he needed to keep his hopes up, 'I'll be fine...Yeah! Uno, Yi, Venus, Odyn, and Moja...I'll see you soon...'.

"Kraang set up for the test, however, leave the serums and IV bags until after, that will only be used if today's test fails as well...now-", it was the same, every single session was the same, and yet Mikey never could get used to the feeling of the modified crystals. Bishop reached toward the cell amplifier and placed the gem into the device, turning back towards the recorder with the amplifier in his palm.

"Projection Transformation Cell and today marks Test one thousand thirty-four-", Bishop walked towards Mikey as he held the device in the air, making his way over to the examination table. Mikey felt it again, someone was watching, staring at him, Mikey scanned the room, but pinpointing the watcher was never his strong suit, he continued to look back and forth, looking from over one shoulder to the other, switching his gaze around, trying so hard to find the eyes, however, there were more. Mikey continued looking, until Bishop grabbed ahold of his face, and pulled him to face the droid, "013-202012, you are to focus and sit still...unless you think that punishment is a preferable method compared to this test?", Mikey shook his head as he sat still, Mikey's body was tense, muscle constricted to the point pain radiated through his body, and his eyes changed into one's that held no emotion, staring tiredly into the camera, relieved that the eyes once again disappeared.

Releasing the mutant's face, Bishop held Mikey down as he slammed the amplifier into place, turning Michaelangelo back into his human form. Droids surrounded him, examining the turtle's body, Mikey hated this part, the droids took their time as they examined the boy's body, searching if the abnormalities were still present, or if finally...everything was gone, but of course, it was never that easy. The droids walked towards Bishop, and told him their report, Bishop turned his gaze to Michaelangelo, glaring down at Mikey, his face darkened as empty expression changed to a hidden fury. Turning towards the camera, Bishop stood in front of the camera with his arms by his side, and his voice emptier than moments before, "As the droids did further examining, they had discovered that parts of the mutants previous physique and structure...are still present", Bishop walked away as he stood in front of the screen, a screen that showed his boy's human body, and the camera turned towards Bishop, and Mikey was no longer on camera, "With this new modification, the mutants back still appears to have scutes connected to his skin, its tailbone still elongated, as well as still possessing the turtle-like tongue and membrane used to cover the eye once the creature blinks. 013-202012, look towards the camera and blink", the camera turned towards the mutant waiting for the kid to show the viewers what Bishop was speaking of. Turning towards the camera, Mikey blinked as a clear membrane slid crossing his eye, rewetting the transformed human's eyes. "Interesting...as seen here, 013-202012's body not only did not progress with the new modification, it's body regressed...in the last earth week, the only signs given were its neck bones and muscle still being present, it's still the elongated tail, as well as its human form's belly and back we flat, however were rough to the touch, and have the same texture to its plastron and carapace. And now those are still present, but now has grown what looks to be reptile's scales and scutes on his posterior...".

Bishop walked back into the frame and stood next to Michaelangelo, "Internally, the mutant blood is still unstable, and its DNA and lipid cells still resemble a turtle, plus-", Bishop enlarged the components in Mikey's blood, "The blood that flowed through the pulmonary artery, swapping higher levels of carbon dioxide than a human's body. It's heart rate is 105 beats per minute, blood pressure is 136/82, oxygen 98%, and respiratory is 15 breaths per minute, bmi since the last test has decreased from 23.5 down to 20.8, tests are so far showing no signs of affecting 013-202012's body, so this will conclude this week's test", and with that, the footage ended, Mikey relaxed comfortably as Bishop pulled off the amplifier, no more cameras recording him and no foreign eye's watching him, he's was finally able to go back to the eggs, however, they did free him from the restraints. "You're not going back so soon 013-202012, the mutants brought up a point and I have to say that I agree with them. For months, we've tested this cell on you, yet every time the test ends in failure, but next time...it won't fail...", Bishop stood beside Mikey as two droids stuck needles into him, one into each bend of his arm, each one connected to the same bags of strange liquids he saw earlier, "Start the process. And don't let it leave until both fluids are injected fully into its bloodstream"

'No sir, I'll be better, please!!!', Mikey begged him, pleading to Bishop to stop this, he didn't know how to fix this but he'd try his best, but it was too late, "You see 013-202012, we have known for a while that the mutagen inside your body is completely unstable so...we needed to fix that, and doing that is completely simple, right now you are injected with are our finest perfected mutagen, prepared moments before this session, and the other is blood from a mutant with the most stable mutagen in the facility, a Komodo Dragon, quite the dangerous creature on its own, so once those two serums bond inside you...heh you will be perfect", pathetic winces and whines pooled from his beak as the blood and mutagen mixed inside his blood, however, the first to make contact was the blood, 'hurts hurt hurthurthurthurthurthurthurthurthurthurthurthurthurt-", Mikey's body shook, slamming his head against the table, banging his head over and over, he wanted to leave, he wanted to go home and yet all he could see...w̷̧̫̩͇̻̙̿̃̋́̕ȃ̵͖̜̩̝̐̿s̶̻͖̺̏̇̿͝ ̵̤̻͔͚̀̄ͅr̷̢̳̝̼͓͔͐̈́͆͠ē̷͎̿̾͑͆̚͝d̵̙̮̟̣̱̹͈̔̽̀͛̀͘͝.

Chapter Text

~Ninty Minutes Ago~

POV 3rd Person (Donnie):

'Everything was going according to plan, everyone was doing their own thing as they continued to prepare for tonight's mission, collecting their weapons, and sharpening their blades', searching through the lab, Donnie scavenged through his drawers, and looked through each one, searching for his cord adapter. "Ah ha!", pulling out the cord, Donnie slid the wire into his satchel, placing it right beside his computer, wrapped nicely in a neat circle, and organized inside his bag. Walking off to the side, Donnie grabbed his bo and slipped into his holster, strapping it comfortably onto his shell, everything was ready, he was ready. Taking a deep breath, he ran the plan once more through his mind, memorizing his side of the plan, he wanted this to be perfect, he needed this mission to go perfectly, he needed Mikey to come home.

Walking to the open space in the lair, Donnie waited there as he held his gear close to his body, his computer packed inside his suitcase and his bo strapped to his back. "Yo, Don! Ready to head out?!", turning around, Donnie continued to scroll through his phone, tucking his phone away as he followed after Raph, racing towards the exit. "Alright everyone remember the plan?", each person nodded their head to Karai's question, Leo nodded his head as he turned to the rest of the group, switching his gaze between each person, making sure they were paying attention, "There are three floors that are used as a prison and laboratory, April and Casey will be on the top floor, Tang Shen and Karai will be on the floor below, Raph and I will be on the floor below theirs, and Donnie will be on the security floor, connecting all of the T-Phones directly to his computer while he searches for Mikey through the security cameras. Once he's spotted, everyone will immediately head to the floor Mikey's on, and once he's alone, bring him home, everyone got it?".

"We got it! Now come on, let's save that little weirdo", Raph ran down the tunnel with everyone on his tail. Sprinting down the tunnel, Donnie pressed his bag close to his side, ran up to the Shell Raiser, opening the door wide open, Raph inside, making his way straight to his post, and Donnie did the same. Sitting in his chair, he reached into his bag and pulled out seven small earplugs, placing them into each one's palm, "These are what we are going to use to communicate amongst eachother-", and demonstrated to everyone as he pointed where the device would go, "Raph. Leo, as for us, there is a strap that hooks onto our masks-", hooking on the earbud, Donnie ask each person to test their earbud, resulting in everything working, "Good, alright everyone, be ready, TCRI is approximately a mile down the road", walking towards his chair, Donnie sat down in his work station. 

Turning on his station, Donnie hacked back into TCRI's files, rechecking every single file he could think of that Mikey could be in, but there was nothing, doubt was the only thing he felt during the drive, Donnie never felt hope or anticipation, he just felt doubt. 'Is...Mikey even going to be there...what if...this was all a lie...', Donnie tried to think of anything, but every theory he thought of led to nothing, his body slouched over, and Tang Shen seemed to notice, walking over towards him, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and Donnie flinched away, relaxing once he noticed who it was, "Donatello...are you alright?", Donnie looked up towards her, his sorrowful filled face disappeared as he took a deep breath, brushing her hand off of his shell as he turned back towards the computer, "Yeah, I'm fine-", Donnie closed his eyes as he took in a calming deep breath, relaxing all his nervousness, 'I need to focus'

"Looking into the system, if Mikey really is there then the Kraang must have discovered that I passed through their firewall, however, besides that, I am finding no sign of Mikey ever being kidnapped by the Kraang...", Donnie closed out of the system, clearing all tracks known of him ever accessing the system, and turning towards Leo, Donnie was going to continue his words, but at the corner of his eyes, he saw Tang Shen staring sadly at the young turtle, she stared at him with so much pity...god he hated that look. Turning his eyes back to Leo as he spoke, "What are you saying Donnie, do you think Mikey's not at TCRI-"

"I think you should focus on driving, now! The Kraang are known for documenting everything, everyone, and every event that occurs inside every facility across the city, and looking at every facilities system, I haven't found anything, the only sign I found, which I just found was that TCRI is keeping a turtle, species not documented typical-", Donnie mumble under his breath, opening the chart looking at the empty file, only filled with strange entries, "inside their captivity, going by the code Prisoner 013-202012, but there's nothing to go by, no species, no gender, no age, not even a vague description! There's not even a photo, but-"

"But?", Donnie turned back to Tang Shen whose tired eyes held so much hope, begging for there to be a possible sign in all this darkness, "But the only possible evidence we have is that TCRI has only one mutant turtle prisoner and Karai heard that Mikey could be there, however, I am still doubtful", silence filled the car as Donnie heard footsteps walk up to him, "How are you doubtful?"

"Well looking at this mutants file-"

"Mikey's file?"

"This mutant's file...because I did a little bit of reading and it looks like this turtle is part of very particle projects...they only have two tasks every single day, except for Saturday, they participate in being a test subject for the old project, Project Transformation Cell..."

"So, what makes you think it's not Mikey?", closing his tabs once more, Donnie turned to the person behind him, "Well the first test of the day involves tests subjects...", Donnie looked at everyone around him, only to groan as he realized everyone was confused, "For test subjects, theres so much that goes into the projects, you have to be very precise, monitoring them 24/7, injecting them when needed, etcetera, stuff like that, I'm sorry Tang Shen but you have to agree, Mikey has never learned anything that has to do with the medical field, he doesn't know how to take someones pulse, let alone an eggs, and injecting serums...that takes really precise work, but-", Donnie looked up to Tang Shen to clarify not wanting to sound mean, "If Mikey was given the time during the months he was here then yes, then it would make sense, but from what Leo told us and from what he heard, it sounds like he's in constant pain and discomfort...", everyone fell quiet and a depressing atmosphere filled the Shell Raiser. Donnie cursed at himself, he wanted everyone to be confident, yet he just made everything a hundred times worse.

"Then this is what we'll do-", Donnie looked towards the front as Leo parked the car inside an alley, a block away from TCRI, "We'll go in, look around, then leave, if we see him, good, if not...then we'll leave and mark this place down as a no go. Alright! Let's go".

--------------------------------

Peaking through the glass, Donnie scanned the inside of the lobby, it was strange there was no one, 'where is everyone', he looked around the room, and found a light switch just a few feet away, 'If I get this right-'. Pulling a small ninja star, Donnie calculated the angles, staring at the point of the star, pushing the door barely open, Donnie squinted and chucked the star. The star hit every needed angle, quietly bouncing off one wall to the next, until finally it hit the switch, just in time as a worker walked passed the switch, "Hey! Carl, did you turn off the lights-", running passed the desk, Donnie pressed the elevator button, glad that it opened seconds later, and ran into the lift, "Hey who's there?!", humans walked towards the elevator, but saw nothing, "Must of malfunctioned again?", Donnie stood up, standing on top of the elevator, peaking through the cracks staring at the humans, 'Let's do this', aiming his grappling gun towards the top of the elevator shaft, Donnie shot the hook and cheered as it connected to the top, and began climbing to his floor. His footsteps were quiet, taking step after step as he stepped closer to his goal, keeping track until finally he reached his goal. Pulling out his bo, he shoved the blade between the door, and wedged the door open, stepping right through the doors.

Donnie, are you there?

Shoving the door closed, Donnie pressed on the earpiece, sprinting towards the security office, "I'm close-", peaking around the edge, he scanned the office, one droid stood inside, staring at each camera with his finger hovering over the call button. Donnie positioned himself as he stared at the droid, releasing the blade, and hiding inside the shadows. The droid turned around at the sound of the release, and pulled out his gun, scanning the room as it searched for the intruder.

Donnie what's taking so long-

In a quick motion, the droid turned towards Donnie, his gun powered up ready to take down the mutant. Pushing himself off the wall, Donnie jumped to the side, and stabbed his blade through the droid, pulling his blade out of his chest. Donnie pressed the earpiece, pissed as he walked towards the console, "Really Leo! You almost ruined the entire mission!", typing into the computer, Donnie connected his wires into the system and his computer.

Really Donnie, ugh nows not the time, we're crammed inside tiny closets, now where's the secur-

"Got it!", linking the two systems to all the T-Phones, Donnie crouched in front of the computer as he switched between the live footage, changing from one frame to the next but Donnie wasn't finding anything. "Come on. Come on~", starting on Leo and Raph's floor, Donnie checked all the cameras, checking every single hallway, every corner, every lab, Donnie even checked every single cell. Donnie continued the search as he checked each floor. Everyone was looking as Donnie clicked through, searching for any sign of a turtle mutant, Donnie moved to the last floor, he knew it, Mikey wasn't here, he was gone.

Wait go back!

"What?!", flipping back a frame, there he was, Donnie stared at the screen, stunned by what he saw. Walking down the hallway, Mikey looked so stiff, walking in a straight line with no one around him, no droids following him, he was alone, 'Why isn't he escaping?!'

You guys find this weird to right?

Definitely, there's no one around, yet he's not escaping, Donnie keep watching

Donnie continued to watch him, shifting from one camera to the next, watching as the turtle continued to walk down the long hallway. "Where are you going...", Donnie mumbled under his breath.

Do you guys see that?

"See what?", Donnie continued to watch as Mikey walked towards a door and entered a code, pressing the codes slowly.

Everytime we watch him, he's staring at the camera, not directly, but he knows someone's watching

Wait how can you tell

Well look!

Mikey pressed the pound key and for a split second he turned towards the camera, staring at it directly before turning towards the room, pushing the door wide open, "So does he know we're here?"

No, when Mikey was with me, he could tell when people were watching but he could never tell the difference between anyone's stares

Donnie continued to scan the lab, listening in carefully, trying to get any clues about where Mikey was precisely, he looked around the lab in the footage, only to hear a disturbing voice, instantly recognizing the room, "Guys I know what rooms he's in..."

Okay? Where is he?! We can't head towards Casey and April until you tell us

"April...", Donnie felt a weight form in his chest as he watched Mikey sit in the chair, his face held tightly in the hands of the lead scientist, the head of Project Transformation Cell, "Do you remember the videos I watched months ago after that mission we saw Mikey?", Donnie heard her hum in agreement, his breath shake as he pressed the earpiece, "That room...Mikey's in that room", silence filled the call between everyone, they knew what Donnie meant and this made this mission even more drastic, they needed to save Mikey.

Alright Donnie where is he

Shaking his head, Donnie copied his coordinates and sent them to each user's T-phone, closing the computer the second all coordinates were sent to each device. "His position was sent to everyone on the phones"

Good, now everyone, let's move

Shoving his computer into his satchel, Donnie left the system exactly how he found it, grabbing the chair in the corner of the office, Donnie sat the droid lazily in the chair, 'That's good enough', leaving the office, Donnie sprinted across the floor, his feets tapped against the ground, tapping against the carpet. "Who's there!", Donnie stopped, hiding inside a cubical, he connected his T-Phone to the cameras inside the room, 'Droids...', three droids walked through each aisle, guns gripped close to their chest. Peeking through the side, Donnie noticed the elevator, he was close, twenty feet away was the lift, "Sub-Prime one known as intruders have infiltrated the facility, droid 1967 has been taken out and out of what is known as commission...", peeking around the corner, the droids stood around the broken droid, talking into their radios, "Yes Sub-Prime, the ones known as intruders will be dealt with accordingly", Donnie needed an exit, scanning the room, he noticed a vent in the ceiling, just above a cubicle just across the aisle.

'Alright, nows my chance', Donnie rolled across the aisle, landing right into the needed spot, and hiding right out of sight. Using his bo, Donnie pushed the vent out of the way, leaping inside and pushing the cover over just a second in time, "Did you hear what is known as a sound"

"No, let's go search so that Sub-Prime will not kick what is known as our dorsal regions", Donnie left, crawling through the vent, he stared at his phone following the coordinates, Donnie followed everything to a tea, crawling left and right, scaling up the up the vent, he was close, he could feel it. Crawling through the vent, Donnie winced and cringed, his knees scraping across the rough metal, 'it's been quiet...', he pressed the earpiece, "How's everything going?", Donnie pulled his hand away waiting for someone to speak, but no one did, the sounds of static sounded through the radio call, Donnie continued to wait, he crawled as fast as he could, trying so hard to make no sound but he grew restless, 'Why isn't anyone speaking it's been twenty minutes?', Donnie radioed to the others again, but static was all he could hear.

"Hello! Is anyone there, were any of you able to get him?!", looking at the map once again, the exit of the vent was just up ahead, he didn't care, 'What's going on?! Why isn't anyone answering me!', pushing the vent cover out of the way, Donnie never left the tunnels, staring into the hallway, the lights flickered as droids ran up and down the halls, "Kraang! Transport all prisoners to sister facilities! And take down 013-202012-"

'Mikey!', Donnie crouched down, and placed the cover back into place, carefully listening to the droids, "But do not do what is known as the killing-", it happened so fast, something rushed by in a quarter of a second, Donnie knew something was off, he needed to contact the group, try to get a sense of what was going on, but every time he called out to the group, "Anyone?! Please someone, tell me what's going on!", no one answered back, he looked out the vent cover, pulling off the cover, an uncomfortable pit formed in his chest, a knot formed in his belly, the hallway was empty, yet it wasn't, Kraang blood was splattered across the walls, and the walls were not silent, sounds Kraang squeals and whines echoed across the hallways, footsteps of the droids as they ran who knows where sounded along, 'What's...going on?'. Jumping down from the vent, Donnie walked along the walls of the hallway, staying hidden in the shadows, Donnie had his weapon at the ready, as he sprinted down the corridor, he turned down every single corner, but there was no one, he lost everything, 'They're gone...no! I need to find everyone', Donnie searched, he searched and searched and searched, until...there they were, across the aisle stood everyone, the tension and pressure that built up inside his body finally broke, his slow pace quickened from a light jog until he was sprinting, shoving his bo back into his holster, Donnie pressed his earpiece, he kept himself hidden inside the shadows, keeping himself hidden away from the droids, "Leo can you hear me? I see you across the aisle-"

Donnie? Dude hide, there's something out in the hallways, I saw that thing killing Kraang droids left and right-

Dee, there is some monster-, something  walking around in these halls, Donnie I think this is the "he" Mikey was talking about

"I know I heard about the mutant by the droids, but that was one hundred feet from hear, large mutants have more strength, than speed so it would take the mutant a while", Donnie charged across the hallway, his feet tapping, echoing across the walls, this was a mission, Donnie needed to be serious, yet he ran towards the group with the largest smile on his face, "Oh my god, I'm so happy you guys are okay-"

"Donnie you need to keep it down, it could...", Leo was frozen, everyone was, standing at the end of the hallway, hiding farther into the shadows. Backing away from the mouth of the hall, Donnie stepped towards them, "What? What's wrong?", sounds of nails grinding against the wall echoes, and a sharp hiss sounded off behind him, his body tensing as he slowly looked over his shoulder, staring at the creature the hiss came from, for the first time he felt like prey, 'What...what is that thing?', for the first time he saw a true predator.

(Created by @Amasc0met on X)

Chapter Text

!TRIGGER WARNING!

!FETAL HARM/TRAUMA AND MISCARRIAGE!

POV 3rd Person(Mikey):

Mikey just stood there...leaning against the wall, glaring down at the creatures, and for the first time since the mutation moments ago, he felt free...Mikey finally felt like he was the one in control. Staring down at the humans and mutants that stood trembling in front of him, finally he was in control, yet he stood there confused, 'How am I...in control?', Mikey switched his gaze between each one, they held up their weapons, clenched firmly in their hands. Fear...that was what covered each one of their faces, their bodies were tense, they were scared of him...he was a monster. However, one didn't look at Mikey in fear instead she looked worried, a human with ginger hair walked towards the tall mutants, who in turn stepped away, the hissing grew louder, and his Kraang eye became sharper, "April, what are you doing-", Mikey in a swift motion turned his gaze towards the mutant that spoke, 'Wait I know that voice...Donnie?! Wait April?!', he switched his gaze between each one, his throat burned, and his eyes stung, yet nothing fell from his eyes. It was them...his family was here, 'No no no nonononono! They can't be here!', Mikey continued to step away from the girl's reach as the sound of droids' footsteps grew louder, "Collect the one known as Prisoner 013-202012-", Mikey turned around away from the group as he glared at the droids that stood behind him. His finger tapped the wall harshly, he kept repeating a word, over and over, hoping that one of them would understand.

L E A V E

Turning back to the group, Mikey looked at each one, his mind screamed leave, go home, yet his face held no emotion, 'Please leave! None of you are safe!'. Mikey crept closer towards the droids as he occasionally looked back at the group, their poise still tense and their weapons still held tightly in their hands.

L E A V E

"Wha- leave?...", a rough voice whispered out, Mikey turned around in a blink of an eye, staring at the group, switching his gaze between each one, 'One of them understands!', a chirp fell from his snout as he stared at the group, "The one that is known as 013-202012. Stand Down", the droids readying their weapons.

L E A V E

L E A V E    N O W     I T S     N O T     S A F E

"No. We're not leaving Lizard...thing. We're not leaving until we find our brother-", all of Mike's attention was brought to the turtle that wore the red mask, Mikey's face was flat, yet the turtle in turn gave Mikey a harsh glare, ready to fight, and find his captured brother, "Raph, what are you talking about?"

"This thing-", it hurt, the sound of his brother, Mikey's brother calling him a thing, '...thing?', the tall mutant's chest tightened and the sting inside his throat grew harsher, but Mikey knew now was not the time, he needed them to leave, Mikey wanted to leave, "-is telling us that we need to leave and that it isn't safe?! I'm not listening to this mutant!", he couldn't stay any longer, Mikey turned around as he stalked towards the droids, staring down at each one, standing almost a foot above the droids, "But how do you even know-"

"He's doing fucking Morse code, Leo!-", the lights flickered at them, and Mikey used that to his advantage, sprinting towards the droids, Mikey slammed my arm into the droids, and ripped the creatures from their metallic armor. Mikey hated these things, 'Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. DIE! DIE!', Mikey slammed the droids against the wall, he was lost again...Mikey punched the creature again and again, covering the wall in blood, and forming cracks from the destruction, Mikey was gone again. The mutant turned around as he licked his knuckles clean of blood, if the group wasn't terrible before they were now. For a good minute, the lights stayed on showing Mikey's current condition, showing them what they didn't see before in the darkness of these halls, blood dripped down his chin and his jaw hung loose, giving the group a full view of his unhinged jaw, it was a nightmare, this...was a monster.

Mikey killed every single droid, smashing their alien casing against the wall, and turning the creatures into minced meat, dopamine flowed through his mind, the trill, the hunt, the kill... "Pequenito!", the creature tores his eyes from the mound of murdered aliens, staring at the mutants that stood at the end of the hallway, breathing heavily with the body leaning against the wall, "Your son! He's starting to hatch-", his entire body tensed up, 'Uno!', and without a second thought Mikey raced down the hallway as he crawled on all fours, sprinting through the shadows, Centi couldn't see him, all they could see were his eyes, and knew that was Pequenite, but when the centipede saw what he was, guilt replaced the happiness, "Wait Gelo!!!", the girl sprinted down the hall, racing for the two, 'She can't come...', standing up to his full height, Mikey turned towards Centi, and placed his hands on her shoulder, "Pequenito-"

N O T     N O W

K E E P     T H E M     A W A Y

T H E Y    C A N T    K N O W    A B O U T    T H E M

G E T     T H E M     O U T     O F    H E R E

Centi turned toward the girl who continued to run towards them calling out to Mikey, with the group running after her, pleading for her to stop, and all the centipede could do was nod, 'How can she always tell...', Mikey walked past the centipede, and raced down the hallway, sprinting towards his family. He ran, charging down the hallway, Mikey crushed everything in his path, he needed to see him, yet all he could hear was April, 'Go away! You're not safe!', Mikey shook his head, he needed this to be a dream, he wanted this to be a dream, 'This isn't real. This is a dream!', he saw the door and sped up, there was no one near the doors, no droids, no mutants...no Bishop, 'Please be alone. Please be okay...', Mikey struggled to enter the code as he pressed his enlarged digits into the code panel, finally unlocking the door and swinging the door wide open. Mikey raced up the stairs, and entered the code, swinging the door wide up, Mikey ran inside and shut right after, making sure the door was locked tightly.

*Crack*

Mikey turned around, staring down at the mutant that stood in front of the incubator, 'Dannie...', he trembled as his voice stuttered, 'Does he not recognize me?', slowly Mikey stepped towards the bat, and placed my hand on my chest, tapping the shell.

D A N N I E     I T S     M E

Dannie continued to tremble, but Mikey could tell Dannie knew it was him, so he stepped away from the incubator, giving Mikey enough room.

*Cra-ack*

Stepping closer, Mikey crouched down and stared at the egg, picking up the egg, and cradling it in his normal-looking palm. Mikey waited, watching as the cracks spread across the shell, ready to free the newborn hatchling. As Mikey stared down at the egg, nothing mattered more in the entire galaxy than this moment, and for a second he forgot his old family was even here, all that mattered was his children. The air fell silent and the only thing his eyes would watch was the egg. Though to Dannie time passed by slowly, to Mikey Uno hatched in a moment, breaking through the shell, Uno's head broke out first, until finally, he was fully out of the egg, chirping as he nuzzled his beak into his father's palms, Uno was born... and he was one happy baby, Mikey knew it was because he grew almost twice his size, but staring at the small turtle, he noticed that Uno could fit in one of his palms, almost the size of his hand. Mikey loved him, he was perfect, and they were all perfect.

"NO STOP!"

*BANG*

*CRACK*

It happened so fast, Mikey pulled Uno close to his chest, and turned his head towards the threat that entered the peaceful atmosphere, 'They found us?!', Mikey kept Uno protected as he held him, but the loud noise only made the newborn weep, yelling as he pressed his body closer to Mikey. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!", Mikey's body tensed, hearing the sound of Dannie scream, his sobs were loud and wet as he screamed, blaming the droids for their wrongdoings, but Mikey was confused, 'What did they...', turning back around Mikey stared down at the incubator that held his daughters, and his eyes furrowed as his eyes widened, 'Moja?! Venus?!', Moja's egg had a hole that went from one side to the other, leaking pink fluid through the crack, only for it to become more red as the minutes passed and Venus's egg...was destroyed.

'VENUS!!!!!!MOJA!!!!!!', Mikey turned back towards the droids as he pulled the small turtle close to his chest, and used his foot to slam the door shut, forcing all the droids to fall down the flight of stairs. 'Protect.Protect.Protect-', Mikey turned back to Dannie and forced him to pay attention, he needed Dannie to focus, using his free hand he talked to Dannie, tapping his fingers in a stuttered movement.

S A V E     T H E M

Mikey pointed at the eggs, Mikey knew breached or premature births were possible, and Dannie was set up for anything that might go wrong, Mikey only hoped that Dannie was prepared for this.

P R O T E C T     U N O

Mikey held Uno out to Dannie and pointed towards the nursery.

T A K E     E V E R Y O N E     I N     T H E     N U R S E R Y

C H A N G E     C O D E

Grabbing Mikey by the arm, Dannie eyed the cameras that lined the room, only to mouth just three words, making Mikey understand everything.

Destroy the cameras

Turning towards cameras, Mikey eyed each one stalking towards the camera that was aimed at the door, recording everything that crossed its path. Lifting his hand towards the camera, Mikey stared at the device as his entire hand wrapped around the device, pressing his palm against the lens, and in a quick motion, Mikey crushed the camera, letting it go as it fell to the ground, leaving the floor an entire mess. He did that to each one as Dannie carried Uno into the nursery, crushing the last camera, Mikey turned and walked towards the door, 'Please be okay...'. Shoving open the door, Mikey closed it behind him, staring down at the droids below, his glare was sharp, he needed to protect them, he needed to kill them.

-----------------------------

POV Dannie:

"Nononononononono no no no. no. no! NO!", carrying the two injured fetuses into the nursery, placing each one inside their own readied NICU bed. There was so much wrong with both the girls, 003 was born way too early, still being in the first week of the second trimester, however, 005 may still be in her shell, yet she could have been nicked by the bullet. Connecting the last few wires to the 003, I checked on its condition, 'she's not going to make it...', I looked over her very underdeveloped body. Placing a very miniscule oximeter on the body, I listened...no pulse, "No nononononononononon, please wake up! Come on honey, wake up for Mikey, please!", I tried, but there was nothing I could do, 003 was injured and it's heart hasn't been pumping for over five minutes, I just stood there, staring down at the lifeless fetus laying limp in the bed, "I failed...", no sobs broke passed my lips, all that broke through was tears, pooling down my cheeks as I stared at the heart monitor continue ringing, letting me know it was dead, 003 was dead.

Her cry, specimen 005 wail echoed from inside the egg, thrashing against the egg husk, she crawled out as she continued to sob. Rushing towards her I looked over her condition, I needed to help her, but I was left there frozen in fear, "I-It's arm...", her arm torn unevenly from the bend in her arm, I needed to do something. Rushing to the First Aid kit, I pulled out a pair of scissors and bandage, slicing it roughly to the needed size as I walked back over to the crying child. "The flow needs to be blocked...I'm sorry 005 this is going to hurt-", I sighed tiredly as I reached down towards the ends of my poncho, and ripped off a small strip. Wrapping the fabric around the child's arm, I tightened it just enough to stop the flow, I knew it hurt as she wailed louder, snot running out of her beak and tears soaked her cheeks, coughing wetly as she continued to cry, "I know I know-", reaching off to the side I grabbed the bandage and looked directly at the wound, "It's not-", tearing off my self made tourniquet, I continued to observe her arm, "It looks like...the laser cauterized the wound directly on contact...almost", as I fully pulled off the wrap, the wound began to bleed once more, but the flow was slow, and 005's cries quieted down, yet she continued to whine. Grabbing the gauze, I placed it directly on the wound and wrapped the nub, clipping the bandage in place. 005 looked fine, her cries began to quiet down and her heart rate started to slow down, beating steadily as she began to nod off, falling asleep comfortably in her NICU bed.

I just stared at the child, staring at Specimen 005, giving myself a chance to breathe, only to remember a small detail, the security cameras were destroyed, 'Wait...so Bishop can't...', before I ran out of the room, I checked on the 001 and 005, both were asleep comfortably in their own spot, deeply napping underneath the heat lamp. Racing out of the room, I carried a large blanket and grabbed the cart that sat by the side of the wall, similar to what Centi uses to carry the prisoner's food to their cells, 'This should work-', wheeling the cart towards the incubators. I placed the blanket on top of the cart, and reached over towards the eggs, placing each one of the warm cloth, wheeling them straight into the nursery where the spare incubator was ready to be finally used, placing the machine inside the room purposely by Mikey's request.

Everything was in place, the hatchlings rested in their spots, and the eggs sat comfortably inside the calibrated incubator. Walking toward 003's lifeless body, I picked up her dog tag and placed it inside my palm, rubbing my thumb over the metal, I couldn't look at her, the limp child just laid there, I couldn't even tell it was a turtle yet, the fetus was still so underdeveloped, her shell wasn't even formed yet. Grabbing the blanket she laid on, I draped the cloth over the child and closed my eyes. It hurt, 'I connected with these specimens-, these kids for months, and a stupid-', tears began to fall down my cheeks as I stared at the blanket, "Why- *sniff* why couldn't I save you...".

"013-020120", I gasped aloud as I heard Bishop's voice on the other side of the door spoke out, speaking through the Kraang sphere. Racing through the door, I quietly shut the door behind me and walked towards the counsel, "Y-", I coughed wetly and cleared my throat, I needed to focus, "Yes sir", I opened the security footage and looked through the hallways, searching for Mikey. "Where is 013-202012", I continued to search, my hands trembled as I looked through the halls, blood painted the walls, the lights flickered rapidly, and droid vessels laid lifeless on the ground, discarded to the side, "I am uncertain Sir, however, he stopped by early and some droids...", I need to say it if I wanted to fool him, but what if it doesn't work, "Specimens 002, 003, 004, and 005 were caught in the crossfire between 013-202012 and Kraang soldiers 3213 and 4983-,*cough* the droids shot the eggs. Sir, I did my best to stabilize the specimens. Still, none of them were able to survive...", the silence was the only thing that filled the radio call, Bishop never answered with silence, but if he did, he was pissed, "Which droids did you say killed the specimens?", I answered quiet, keeping my tone flat with no change in attitude, "3213 and 4983, sir".

"I see...", though the droid had no lungs, Bishop took a deep breath and groaned in annoyance, "I'll speak to them later...all the mutants were successfully transported to some sister facilities, I will have some droids come, and take you to the nearest facility, for now until they come-"

"Wait! Sir!", silence followed but I needed him to listen, "I apologize for the interruption, but like I said Specimens 002-005 were caught in the crossfire, however, Specimen 001 just hatched and is alive, however, the child looks weak, and because of current events, 013-202012 is too unstable to be transported and separating him from the hatchling, is dangerous. However, for now, leave me here with him until everything calms down, or maybe until the child fully matures. This could help the two bond if they're away from anything that will bring them fear", I stood there waiting for Bishop to answer, I even waited for Mikey to come back, tapping on the door to let me know he was here, ready to rest with the kids, but I wasn't ready, I was going to have to tell Mikey the news, "Fine...", I was shocked as I turned away from the security cameras, 'Wait seriously?!', knocking was heard in the background, "You will be in charge on monitor the hatching's growth and health, and I better see a detailed weekly entry. However, because of this, you will not have a worker to make your meals, instead you will have to make your own, the meal area is near the east end of the floor...", I was confused and walked closer to the sphere, "Wait what happened to Centi?", doors shut in the background, "While transporting the prisoners, we discovered Worker 013-000001 was killed in the chaos, only finding what looked to be her body left in the far end of the east corridor, this is unfortunate, however, if the mutant wasn't strong enough to survive then she was too weak to have that much privilege...Now, this will conclude the call, make sure to do the entries", Bishop ended the call leaving me too shocked to speak, my ears rang and my body ached when the words continued to repeat inside my head, "Centi's...dead?".

Chapter Text

POV Dannie:

"No nono nonononono, she can't be dead, she can't be!-", opening up the security footage, I searched the hallways, I even checked every single floor, hoping that they were just hiding in some cell or something, but I couldn't find anything, "Mi-...mikey didn't hurt them...right?", I mumbled quietly as I continued to search, moving the cameras around, only to stop as I stared at the footage. Bile almost reached my throat as I continued to stare at the static, their body was shoved into the far side of the corner, torn right down the middle, and discarded in the hallway with no sign of any help in moving the husk.

D A N N I E     I T S     M E

'Shit-', shutting off the computer, I walked towards the door, but I didn't open it, staring down at the ground, I began to fidget with my hands, taking a deep breath I stared down at the ground as the slammed door open. I was tired, and wanted so badly for this all to be fake, for all of this to be some messed up dream, but of course, I was never really lucky in that way. Mikey raced passed me and stopped, turning around, I finally looked up at Mikey, my eyes stung as I continued to mourn, pulling out the dog tag.

W H E R E     A R E     T H E Y

"I-", my breath was shaky, and my voice stuttered as I tried to speak, I hated this, it hurt so much, "I took everyone into the nursery, but Mikey-wait!", Mikey never gave me a chance to explain, I raced after him as he shoved through the door, and as I entered I fell to pieces. Crying was the only thing I could do as Mikey stared down at 003, his hands shaking as he reached for the blanket. "I-I'm so sorry Mikey. I swear I tried but she lost too much blood and was too far underdeveloped to survive-", I continued to speak, but my stuttered words turned to jumbled words as I stood by his side, holding the dog tag in front of his view, "I wish I could have save 003-"

I    T O L D    Y O U    T O    S A V E    H E R

I stopped speaking as I turned to look up at Mikey, his once blank expression just stared down at me, glaring down at me, "I-", I backed away from him, Mikey never moved as he held the lifeless fetus, yanking the dog tag from my hold, I kept my distance, standing right by the door.  Mikey looked down at the dog tag and held it close to his chest, wrapping the long chain around his neck leaving only six inches of space. "Mikey-", A sharp hiss sheathed passed his beak as he turned back towards me, glaring, so I stepped back and Mikey made sure of it, "I-... was able to save...Specimen 005...", Mikey placed 003 back inside the NICU bed, looked at the small turtle, I know I couldn't see his face, but I knew his expression was a mixture of hate, angry, and sadness.

"...I was able to save Specimen 005, however, because of the shot, she-...", I couldn't say it, it hurt, I protected and in a way raised these eggs, and now here I was standing on the far side of the room, scorned for doing something out of my control. Regardless, I listened to the parent and stared down at the ground as the image of the turtle flowed through my mind, one harmed and the other killed right in front of me. Mikey lifted the blanket that covered the specimen's arm, her right was fine, but the other...part of her limb was missing, wrapped carefully to collect any blood that might leak. "And as for Specimen 002 and 004-", I stared down at the ground, flinching as I heard Mikey walk towards me, only to sit down in his nest, I noticed that he was cradling Uno and Speicmen 005, I wanted to tell him, to leave 005 in the NICU bed, but angering him in this state could get me hurt, so I said nothing, "-I moved them into the nursery incubator, and adjusted the temperature...", I stood there, waiting for Mikey's response, his reaction to everything, but he said nothing, "For now, until 005-...has enough strength, she will have to stay in the NICU bed until further notice, right now I need to figure out meals for those two since we're on our own in that field...".

W H Y     D I D     T H E Y     T A K E     C E N T I

There it was, another issue, "I was...", I cleared my throat as I walked towards the nest Mikey sat inside, but back away as Mikey warned me, so I did, staring at the hatchlings resting comfortably in the bed. "I was informed that with the transportation the droids found out that Centi was found at the end of a hallway dead and torn down their spine, I thought that it was a lie, until I saw their body neglected at the end of the hallway on the security cameras...", Mikey's breath hitched as I turned towards him, his back facing me.

T H E Y R E     D E A D

T H E Y

He stopped, he just stopped tapping as he stared at the small turtles he held in his palms. Waiting for Mikey's answer, I watched as Specimen 005 grabbed ahold of Mikey's finger, barely able to wrap her whole fist around his one finger.

I T     W A S     M Y     F A U L T

My body became stiff as my mind returned to my previous thoughts, hearing him tap those terrifying words. 'He didn't...he couldn't have k-', stopping that thought I turned back to him. Standing back up, Mikey walked back over and placed Specimen 005 back inside the Nicu bed, staring down at the sleeping child. Mikey covered Moja with a blanket as his hand trembled, letting go of her small hand, and giving her time to recover, "What?...What are you talking about?", Mikey walked passed me and picked up the small resting turtle, sitting down in the center as he rested the hatchling against his chest.

T H E Y     K I L L     T H E M

M Y     F A M I L Y

T H E Y     K I L L     C E N T I

"They were here?! Wait why do you think that?!", Mikey hushed me as he laid on his back, patting the small child's back.

I     A S K E D     C E N T I     T O     K E E P     T H E M     A W A Y

T H E Y     C O U L D N T     K N O W     A B O U T     T H E     K I D S

"But didn't they recognize you-", I stopped as Mikey looked at me with his eyes halfway shut, staring at me flatly, "I guess not...but still! Even though you don't look like your old self, you're still recognizable!". I stood to my feet as I walked closer to the door, readying to search for some food, "Well just so you know it's not your fault, they could have escaped without you, but decided to help...anyways I'm going to head out, just so I can get the floor mapped out and find the kitchen", Mikey nodded his head as he began nodding off as he rested underneath the heat lamp, shutting his eyes a moment later.

Walking out of the nursery, I decided that I should change the password before I left for the meal area and walked towards the computer, all computers were connected to the doors that were installed in this facility and can change the code from just one door to all doors inside the building, however, that's just for this building. Entering the current code to the small laboratory, I decided to even change the code to the entire laboratory this room sat inside. Staring at the ten empty spaces, I tried to think of a code, anything that only Mikey and I would understand, that's when something came to mind. "0305142009", using the numbered alphabet I spelled out their name, 'Centi', I entered the code into the system and confirmed the code, happy to see it was accepted, and shut off the computer.

Making my way towards the door, I left the lab, and walked down the concrete stairs, listening to my steps echo across the empty lab, it felt weird, no one...was watching me...looking around the room, I stared at the empty stations where mutants and other prisoners would work on experiments, remembering the sounds as the tubes and beakers clang against each other, centrifuges whirling around, separating the fluids, yet now all that filled the room was silence. Staring up at the clock, I noticed the time was far earlier than I suspected, "14:30?!", shocked as I pushed open the door and walked down the abandoned hallways, listening to the only thing that filled the silence, my footsteps. Walking down the different hallways, I decided to explore the entire floor, previously when I was under supervision, I really never got to explore, I didn't even get as much freedom as Mikey did in the very beginning, months after I was brought here a droid would walk with me until they knew I wouldn't run off somewhere I didn't belong, but now...I have freedom. Racing down the hallways, I felt free as I raised my arms in the air, and spun around, spinning faster and faster until I fell straight onto my backside, laughing as I fell to the ground. I rubbed the spot that hurt but I didn't care, I felt free, I continued to search the halls, running down each intersection, running around without a care in the world.

Nothing about the atmosphere bothered me, not the sea of empty droid robots, not the flickering lights, not even the blood that coated the walls, 'Wait a second...', slowing down to a complete stop I stared up at the blood the was painted on the walls. On every single floor, excluding the lobby, the height from the floor to the ceiling is four yards, giving any mutant prisoner enough walking room to walk through, but I just stared and scanned the walls, realizing the blood reached ten feet above the ground, splatters of blood painted the ceiling and floor, none it felt real, 'Mikey didn't feel that tall...was he?'

----------------------------

POV Donnie:

'We...we're back inside the security floor', I continued to search through the footage, rewatching as Mikey walked into the laboratory, but never walked out, I watched the clip over and over on one side of the screen while the other side was used to search through the hallways, searching for anyone- anything. As I went through the cameras that lined the lab, I cursed as the cameras shut down only to pop up after the experiments were done, Mikey was gone and all that was left was that nearly eight-foot-tall mutant standing over the lead scientist droid, killing all of them moments after, but where did Mikey go, "How's Raph doing?"

"He's still shaken up after seeing that Mutant worm with a lot of legs-"

"She was a centipede. Having similar structures to a normal centipede, based on her coloration I bet she's an Amazonian giant centipede, one of the deadliest on the planet, what was intriguing was the fact that she could see and fight so well", pausing the clips, I stepped to the side and looked through the hallways, "What do you mean? Sure their hair was in their face but I bet they could still fight, right?"

"The opposite actually, you see centipedes lack eyes, however, they have ocelli a cluster of eyes, but their only use is so she can tell the difference between day and night, regardless I was surprised she-"

"They", I turned towards Raph who finally spoke after a long period of silence, his voice stuttered but it was something, turning towards him, everything looked at him, "Wait how do you know?". Taking some slow breaths, Raph looked up to me, "Because I heard multiple droids refer to the bug as they, saying its name is Centi?-"

"Actually she-...they're an arthropod-"

"Donnie for once can you just shut the fuck up...", I turned away and walked back to the computer, "Wait, but I never heard any Kraang say that name?"

"God do none of you listen, I told you earlier, they were speaking in Morse code", Casey walked closer to Raph, "Like what the army use?", nodding his head, Raph finally stood to his feet, making his way straight beside me as he stared at the pause footage, "Yes like the human army, basically it was used to communicate to allies without the enemy listening to their plans, and...I learned Morse code years ago, so I heard a lot of what the mutant said to bug-", I could tell that raph glared at me from my peripheral, telling me to shut it, so I did, "-however, I didn't hear what the centipede said..."

"Well, what did it say?", Leo walked up and stood on the other side of me, staring up at the screens, "Not now. Keep them away. They can't know about them. Get them out of here. And that was it, its sentence seemed rushed like it needed to get away from us specifically", I followed the creature as it left the lab, it rushed past other mutants not doing any forms of Morse code, and its fingers weren't tapping any surfaces, not even the pads on the tips of his fingers he was just...destroying. "Raph is correct", turning away from the computer, I looked at everyone showing the clips of the mutant, "The moment it left the laboratory, he communicated with no one except for us, and that centipede-", we watched the altercation between the group and the mutant, watching as he backed away when April stepped forward, "Hey April? Was there a reason you were walking towards that thing?"

"I'm not sure, for some reason, the mutant looked very familiar to me, I thought that maybe if I just touched him, I could see his past, but he just kept backing away from me"

"Maybe it's because he looked like Slash and Leatherhead had a baby", Casey's observation left everyone silent, I just stared at Casey, my lids were half-way shut, I was dumbfounded by his mind sometimes, "What! He doe! He has Slash's turtle-like shell and face, plus Leatherhead's arms, tail, and legs!", turning away from Casey I pulled up more of the security footage, "Hey Donnie, follow the mutant?", I was confused as I turned to Karai who walked up beside me, "After the mutant left us with the centipede, follow their tracks, let's see what this thing was hiding", nodding my head I followed him, he was quick, racing down the halls he stopped in front of a laboratory, taking a different angle I memorized the code he entered, and filed that away, knowing I'll need it later on. The mutant raced up some stairs and entered a different code, I switched the cameras into the room he entered, it looked to be some kind of incubation room. The mutant walked closer to the bat that trembled and placed himself in between two incubators and the mutant. With a small motion, the mutant raised his hand toward his chest and began tapping, and Raph told us what it meant, "Dannie, it's me", the bat stopped shaking and instead he stepped to the side, letting the mutant walk closer to the incubators, "I don't understand what's going on-", an egg, pulling out a small egg the mutant stared down at the egg that continued to crack until finally, something busted out of the egg, a small mutant turtle...

"Oh my, is that-"

"Why do the Kraang have mutant turtle eggs?", the others continued to argue trying to think of any reason they would have them, but I just watched, 'Was this what he didn't want us to find out?', the mutant nuzzled the egg, he looked so happy, 'But why did he not-'

"NO STOP!", the bat screamed as droids rammed into the room, and began shooting at the mutant that held the young turtle, but the mutant was never hit, instead the lasers hit two of the eggs, causing the bat to scream, blaming the droids for destroying everything, the mutant slammed the door shut, and handed the hatchling to the bat, waiting for the bat to take the child as he began tapping, "Save them. Protect Uno. Take everyone in the nursery. Change code", I erased the previous code I remembered from my find as I watched the mutant turn towards the door, only for the bat to grab him, but there was nothing, no tapping, no words spoken. The mutant just looked at each camera and crushed each one, static was all we saw and no noise was received, all the cameras were broken.

"So...that mutant...wait he didn't want us to see the eggs?!", shutting off the entire system, I knew this mutant was hiding something, but what that was I had no idea, "Alright, let's confront this mysterious mutant and see if he knows anything about Mikey if we don't find him, then we'll talk to that bat, either one has to know something, now let's head out before some droids catch sight of us".

----------------------------

Silence, I wish that was what filled the corridors, but it wasn't, instead it sounded like dry laughing from a kid?...walking down the hallways, each one of us pulled out a flashlight, watching our steps as we walked down the corridor, "Yo Dee, are you sure were heading the right way?", I groaned as I lead the way, watching the sparks fall, only to disappear before they made contact with the ground, "Yes, I've memorized everything about this facility, especially the level with all the laboratories", walking down the hallway, I walked along the center of the hall, walking a steady pace, ready to fight anyone and everyone, but I wanted to run, I wanted to charge into this two mutant's lab and talk some sense into them, but we needed answers, "Alright, the laboratory is over two hundred feet ahead of us", with my bo by my side and a flashlight in the other. Everything felt strange about this place, we've seen it at its busiest, mutants and droids walking up and down the hallways, walking to their next destination, yet here we were, walking causally down the corridors with no one stopping us, 'Wait a second....'

"Hey, I recognize this spot...I wanna check something out-", I began to run down the hall, seeing the hall with a dead end just a bit ahead, turning the corner I saw it, the centipede's body, pulling out my vials and scalpels, I walked closer to the body, making my straight to the head of the mutant, "Donnie, what the heck are you doing?!", Raph yelled at the head of the hall, "Centipedes fangs secrete a powerful venom, maybe I could use this for la-", I noticed something strange, pushing myself up to my feet, I rechecked the mutants body, 'Its...empty', I froze, as Raph's confused questions fell silent, no ones was talking, 'Centipedes molt?!', twisting around I stared at the head of the hallway and my eyes opened even wider by the sight. "Th-...they're alive?!".

Chapter Text

POV Dannie:

Screams...screams echoed across the hallways, echoing loudly at different variations of pitches, my body felt stiff as I turned towards the noise, my hand resting on the knob that lead to the meal prep area. I needed to think, but all I could hear was people screaming and fighting against something, 'if I grabbed some slop that should be fine for the kids...right? Ugh, I wish Centi was here!', shoving the door out of the way, I scanned the room, I was shocked, the room was stocked with not just slop, but different ingredients from all over the planet, and even some that looked like it came from Dimension X. Walking around the room, I searched for anything as I read each label, boxes filled with room temperature vegetables and even pasta, it was odd, even though we had such a wide variety, we were brought gruel every single day. I walked further into the kitchen and found what looked like a fridge, opening the fridge wide open, and smiled seeing a fresh gallon of milk, "Great! Wait...can baby turtles have milk?", finding a large flask, I poured some of the milk into the container, shutting the fridge right after.

I continued to look around as I set aside some leftover gruel from the day and placed it all in another container ready for us to eat, that was when my eyes caught something, "Baby... nutrients?", pulling out the box, I looked through the items, vitamins, nutrients, anything that was inside was packed neatly inside the crate. This could be used later on, so I left it inside the kitchen and placed all the food I grabbed inside a spare plastic bag, 'Flying will probably be the fastest way I can get back to Mikey...but I haven't flown in a while', carrying the sack towards the door, I pushed it open and peeked through the crack, seeing nothing in sight. Using my feet, I grabbed the bag as I stood outside the kitchen, staring down the dark flickering hallway. Raising my wings, I flapped them over and over, lifting a foot off the ground, 'Oh yeah let's go!', souring down the corridor, I stayed silent as the sound of metal and wood collided sounded off ahead of me, in this moment silence was my best friend. Gliding down the hallway, I flapped my wings a few times as I kept myself up in the air.

"We're not winning against this thing, Leo!"

"That's because we're fighting a literal mutant that can casually run 40 miles per hour!!!", I stayed silent knowing that these creatures sounded like no one I had ever met throughout my time living inside this facility, 'Are they intruders?!', my question was answered in moments, not even a foot passed the hallway a rope wrapped around my leg, pulling me back. I screamed, trying to escape the enemy's hold, knowing my end would come soon, "Back off! I-I-IIiiiii...", I pulled out a container from the bag, holding it above my head as I stared at the shadows that stood in the hallway, "I'll chuck this at you!...", their white eyes continued to stare at me. 'Mikey's probably not looking at the cameras, I need to get back'. I stepped away as I continued to hold the container above my head, "Wait!", one of the figures screamed out, reaching for my as a hand was placed on my shoulder, its breath was heavy, almost sounding like they were out of breath...

"Heh...hey Flaco...", I knew that voice, swiftly turning around I looked at the slightly taller mutant standing before me, "Centi!", hugging the centipede as hard as I could, "We need to leave...that's Pequenito's family", whispering, however loud enough for me to hear. I spun my head around as the mutants and humans emerged from the darkness, 'They...do look like-', grabbing the bag from the floor, I hid behind Centi, staring at the intruders, waiting for someone to speak, yet...no one did, so I decided I needed to break the silence, "Why are you here?!", their glares of authority and strength changed to just blank stares, watching our every move, "Every Prisoner was transported to other sister facilities, so why are you here?!", I questioned them, waiting for their answers, their comebacks, but they just whispered amongst themselves, that was until a short turtle with a blue mask walked forward, staring at the two of us, both hands gripping his swords. "We didn't mean no harm-"

"Yet you harmed my friend..."

"Look kid-", the red-masked turtle stepped forward, only to step back as Centi walked towards the turtle keeping themselves between them and me, keeping us separated, "Look...they attacked us first, we just came here to rescue our brother, he was captured ten months ago and a little birdy told us that he was taken here-"

"Well he wasn't", I stepped towards the group only for Centi to place their hand on my chest, making sure I didn't make a mistake, "And how do you know that?"

"There hasn't been a human nor mutant taken into this facility since I arrived, I am told of every living and non-living thing that enters this facility, so no I haven't seen any additional prisoner, however, if he was taken here he has been transported as I said during the chaos", I spoke up, glaring at the turtle that stood on guard in front of me, "Oh ha and when was that! Yesterday?!" my back was straight and my poise was strong, "No I was brought here when the Kraang attacked New York City", the blue eyes saddened as he looked at me, 'I needed them to believe me, Mikey can't leave...not just yet', the blue one stared at me, "Aren't you WingNut?!", a turtle with a purple mask spoke up, stepping out of the dark hallway, "No, I am Prisoner 013-020120. Lead Scientist of the Mutant Soldier Project...however if it is true that your brother was taken here without my knowing, he is probably gone by now, and if I were you I would leave now, a prisoner roaming the hallways after an incident, so I think you should leave-"

"No! We're not leaving until you tell us where he was taken!", the red turtle stepped out of the dark, glaring at me, "Flaco, we need to leave...", Centi whispered. I nodded my head, turning to leave towards the lab, "I know you're lying to us!", I froze in place never turning back to look back at the one that spoke aloud, "I know!...That he was your cellmate! We saw him!-"

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE MIKEY THEN HUH?!", I glared at the group, knowing they were no better than my own family, and they just stared, "I HAVE NOT ONCE SEEN YOU SNEAK INSIDE, TRYING TO FIND HIM-"

"I knew he was lying-"

"I haven't lied ONCE!... I told you that he was taken away...that he's gone", I finally broke and I felt Centi place their hand on my shoulder, "But we never told you his name...so you were-"

"Do you know how many fucking prisoners live in this facility alone...here's your answer, over seven thousand prisoners, okay? For all I know there could have been hundreds of other turtle mutants here...", my glare darkened as tears flowed down my cheeks, wetting my fur, "So screw me for knowing my cellmate, you know what! I've known that kid for a while", my breathing was heavy, and my steps were stuttered, 'why do I feel dizzy...', swaying I gained my steps and looked back up at the group, "Mikey was my fucking classmate...", two humans peeked around the group, watching from the back. Stepping out, they walked towards me, trying to see me, but I just stepped back, "He was my friend-"

"Mikey went to school with me and Casey, sure he made friends, I'm trying to think of others he was...", I could tell it hit her when she walked towards me, reaching for me, but I continued to step away, I hated stranger's touch, "Dannie?...", I cringed as she continued to walk towards me, "Wait who?!", the girl turned towards human boy, "Dannie?! He was in our class-", she turned back towards me, reaching for me, "Dannie...your family has been looking for you for a year, I heard she's still looking for you-"

"Don't touch me!", flapping backward, I landed beside Centi, and messed up my stepping, falling to my knees, "Centi I don't feel so-", everything went dark as I collided with the ground, passing out moments later.

----------------------------

POV Centi:

"Flaco!", I checked his pulse, his heart was slow and his breathing was steady, 'Did he eat today?...When was the last time he ate?!', picking up the limp kid, I carried him in my arms turning away, walking away from the group behind me, only for them to follow after me, asking if the kid was okay, "Ay dios mío! Yes Flaquito is okay, he just fainted from the stress-", I stopped in my tracks realizing they were still following us, "No, you guys need to go home-"

"No not until-"

'Oye, mira aquí chico-", placing Flaco over my shoulder I walked towards the crowd, making my way to the person in the front, "Look, I need you to remember this, there are hundreds facilities in New York, your brother shouldn't have left the city, the boss wouldn't do that, now remember this-", I heard shuffling almost like someone was pulling out paper, ready to listen, so I spoke, naming off all the facilities I told them about each one, informing the group about the possible dangers that are posted there, even telling them when the best time to intrude each facility was, majority was at night, when all the mutants were in their cells. I even told them their brother's code, letting them know that the kid was never entered into the system because the lead scientist knew that one of them was hacking into the system, and that he noticed traces of the hacker's code still there. "Now you should leave, if you make it in time, your brother should still be inside those vehicles".

One of them nodded their head, leading the group out of here, "We can't seriously be listening to this bug, right?", something red walked towards me, almost coming into vision, "What makes you think that we should believe you?!", I stepped towards the mutant, who in turn stepped away as its eyes widened, "Because I would do anything to protect that kid from anything...now go he's watching us", and with that they we gone, walking down the hallway, I carried the unconscious bat, carrying the bag in another free arm. The halls were empty again, the lights flickered and the droids' bodies laid motionless on the ground. I quickened my pace as I raced through the halls, following the path straight to the lab, I saw the door, just straight down the hallway. Running faster and faster, I finally reached the door and typed in the code, but...

*ERROR*

'What?!', I typed the code in over and over, trying to open the door, but it never signaled, it never unlocked. I tapped the young bat's face, "Flaco...Flaco!", the door swung open, I never entered the code nor did Flaco, no one did. Standing with the door wide open, Pequenito stared at me his eyes looked empty for just a moment before he saw me fully, and the lights flickered on showing me entirely.

C E N T I     I     T H O U G H T     Y O U

"No, I molted...I'm-", slouching down my breath came out heavy, trying so hard to catch my breath, "...fine...come on, let's get inside. Lock the doors-", rushing into the room, I slammed the door shut behind me, turning off lights that illuminated the room. I began climbing up towards the room, waiting for Pequenito to enter the code, showing the door out of the way. I noticed an empty table that sat in the center of the room and placed Flaco down on the cool surface, "Leave this door open, I need to get an IV pouch"

I     H A V E     O N E     O F    D A N N I E S     P O U C H E S

"Good. Now connect it to his feeding tube and slowly push the food down the tube by squeezing the bag", reaching towards the side, I grabbed an IV pouch filled with saline water, and hung it on the hook, inserting the needle into the bend of his arm, directly into the vein, 'good no swelling', looking up at the bag, I watched as the liquid dripped slowly, injecting the saline directly into his body. Looking over at Pequenito, he continued to squeeze slowly, and Flaco's belly began distending, becoming more round the more Pequenito pumped the food into the kid's belly, "That's good for now, we can't overdo it, now go! I got this...", reaching to the side, I handed Pequenito all of the food needed for the children as well as himself, watching as the kid turned away, I looked over Flaco's resting body, the sound of saline dripping again and again. Walking towards the computer, I leaned against the wall, 'I just needed to wait...I just needed to give him time...'

----------------------------

'It's been hours...when are you gonna wake up kid', though my entire view was blurred out, I continued to watch the sleeping mutant. The lab was silent, yet the only thing I could listen to was the kids breathing, regardless it brought me peace, knowing the kid was alive. Sitting against the wall, I waited there, it felt strange, for decades, days and even nights consisted of cooking for the prisoners, cooking the fastest thing I could make, but now, there was nothing to do, it felt...odd. Regardless I needed something to do, to keep my mind on the positive side, rather than the opposite. Looking around the small laboratory, I walked toward the exit, and cracked the door open, stopping only for a moment to stare at the nursery, 'He hasn't left once since I came back...', I knew everything was fine in there, I heard no whines, no cries, no struggle, just silence, I could only hope that the kid was alright.

Leaving the door wide open, I walked down the cold concrete and stared at the empty room, glass shards broken on the ground, blueprints torn as the mutants rushed to pack everything, it was all just one big mess. Reaching the last step, I walked around the room, staring down at the tables all I saw was a pigsty. Chaos...this room showed the chaos that filled these halls..., 'why...', on the side of every single laboratory, kitchen, even training room, there stood a supple closet, filled only the supplies mutants used to clean up their messes, I opened the closet and grabbed the broom, deciding to start with this room first.

'Within all my years living with the Kraang, I've learned to adapt from my logic to theirs, learning their language, their culture, everything, I learned everything about them. My days, hours, minutes, and seconds... were filled with new learning moments, tasks to be done, and new places to go, there would be moments where I would crave moments like this, left alone with nothing to do except stand in the silence, nothing to do except relax, finally a chance to fill my lungs with air, yet...I felt...disappointed...'

"Why...", I continued to sweep, mindlessly filling those workless moments with more work, I cleaned the room, sweeping piles after piles of trash into the garbage, but it never felt clean, everything felt wrong. I walked back towards the closet and pulled out all the cleaning supplies, laying it all out on the only clean workbench available. I did the only thing I did for decades, almost for a century, I worked. I cleaned the counters down over any debris, washed down all the walls of any smudges and scuff, everything...and after hours as the day changed to the night I finished. Rubbing my wrist across my forehead, I swiped away the sweat that soaked my bangs and made my way over to the stairs, pulling myself up the stairs I felt my eyelids grow heavy, ready to fall asleep for the night, ready for tomorrow's task.

Pushing open the cracked door, I dragged my feet inside the room and shut the door as I finally fit inside the room, ready to collapse right there, but something got my attention, "Centi?", smiling softly I walked towards the island, looking down at Flaco as he sat up from the cool surfaces, rubbing the tiredness away from his face, "What happened...wait the-"

"They're gone-", looking up his condition, I marked down the change, 'clear skin, hydrated and-', I checked on the plumpness in the kid's muscle, only to notice they looked the same, and sighed, "They left right after you collapsed in front of them, most likely from being constantly stressed and malnourished, regardless, in my opinion, it was good timing-", pulling out the needles, I picked up the bag from the hook, and flipped it over, making sure none of the saline spilled onto the floor, setting the bag to the side, sealed up tight, tossing the needles away, "What do you mean...you think I fainted cause I'm weak-"

"You aren't weak, just like me and the rest of the mutants in this building, working every moment of every day until we die, so no you're not weak, you're normal...and as for the fainting it worked as a getaway, I told the group the sister facilities that are built inside the city, telling them that they needed to leave at that moment or else they'll lose him, so they left, however, that plan won't last forever, we probably have a few months, so we should be fine...". Flaco fell silent as he pushed his legs off the table, and walked slowly towards the computer, lowering himself slowly into the chair. "What are you doing?", walking towards the kid, I looked up at the computers, watching as he typed in random codes and patterns, "If Mikey's family is anything like he says and talks about, then they'll be here soon, we need to be ready...", I watched as he stared at the footage of the cameras that lined the halls, he was ready, I was ready...Mikey can't leave...he's our family.

Chapter Text

~Two Months Later~

POV Donnie:

Silence filled the room as we returned from the night's mission, 'We were excited, ready to see Mikey again, yet after checking the *Siiiggggghhhh*... hundred-second facility within the city, we still found nothing...everyone was silent, but what made it worse, was tonight was the first mission Mom stayed home for. Every single mission, Mom seemed so hopeful, so excited to see Mikey, to bring him home finally, but as each day passed she was beginning to give up, spending all her time with her girls...The girls... they're...starting to forget him, their minds aren't as strong as mine or even their older brothers, so that person they loved so dearly is leaving their mind until soon enough they'll question why we even go out every night or who even is their...baba. Guilt filled my stomach as the feeling was starting to affect me as well, I wanted to give up...but I can't, I can't give up on my brother after we just saw him two months ago, yet I wanted to. There were so many chances of us finding him, even some chances of him just telling us where he was, but he never told us...maybe this is what he wanted'.

Walking inside the lair, I made my way straight to my lab, and slid open the door, locking it up tightly right behind me, I needed to be alone, I wanted to be alone. Sliding down the door, I sat in silence, breathing deeply as I rested my head against my arms, and my eyes shut tight, "Dee?", Lita tapped on the door, but I didn't respond back, I was tired, if felt weird to speak, I didn't even want to speak, the feeling of the guilt and disappointment continued to overwhelm me, I squeezing my legs tighter, pulling them closer to my chest, "Leo?"

"I'm so tired, Lita but Leo's super tired right now, we can play later okay?"

"But Dee not talking! I saw Dee go in, but he not talking!", her small whines flowed past the large door, I could hear her, but I wanted to be alone, 'Please...I need silence...', Leo sighed loudly, "He probably fell asleep, wait a second shouldn't you be in bed? Alright come on-"

"Nooooo-", she continued to whine, I covered my ears, trying so hard to block out the noise, "I want to see Dee", her whines softened as they walked away, leaving me by myself, 'Finally...', I sat there as I pulled out my phone, scrolling through old photos of the family, whether that was pictures of my family now, or pictures of the family before Mikey left, yet, there was one photo I continued to stare, 'I forgot I even had this photo...god it feels like it's been...years...'

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Yo! Donnie open up! We need to discuss plans for the next missions", I didn't speak, all I could do was stare at the photo, Raph continued to yell softly as he slammed his fist against the door, yelling for me to open the door. Quietly I pushed myself off the floor and grabbed my laptop, making my way straight toward my spare bed, as I walked farther away from the large doors, the less I could hear the chaos, it felt nice...it felt calming. Reaching toward the nightstand, I grabbed my earbuds and connected them to my T-Phone, clicking a playlist I used to relax...to calm down to.

~Rise the Moon by Maruwhat ~

Swaying my head to the song, I logged into the computer and stared at the screen, 'I can't give up...I need to find him'. Clicking back to the security footage I saved from the mission, I retraced Mikey's steps, I even watched where he was before we saw him, tracing him all the way back to one of the laboratories, ironically tapping to that bat kid. But something felt off, in documentation, the files stated that the bat kid and Mikey were cellmates, yet he was walking out of the room connected to the lab. I watched this footage so many time, I almost have it memorized at this point, but I persisted, watching the videos over and over and over, persisting until I could find something, anything that could help us, but I haven't found anything. So...to pass the time, I watched the footage, watching my brother chat with the centipede, I watched him smile, '...why is he so happy?', the sad thing about this video footage, I was unable to download the sound along with it, so all I could do was watch, 'Maybe...', I watched the centipede closer, watching everything about them, their expression, the way Mikey looked at them, everything, only to notice the mutant looked...worried every time they looked at him, what were they worried about.

'I need to talk with them-', shutting my computer, I threw on my gear once more and shoved my earbuds back inside the nightstand, I opened my phone and cringed as it was filled with messages and calls from my brothers, I stared at them, debating my choices of telling them my plans, only to throw the idea away immediately. 'Walking through the front is too risky', turning towards the side door, I shoved my bo into its holster, and unlocked the side door, sneaking out without a sound uttered, I was almost out, that was, "Hey Donatello, where ya going?", until Karai stopped me, turning around slowly, I hushed my older sister, looking over her shoulder just in case the others were within earshot, "TCRI...", it felt uncomfortable to speak, but I had to, she wanted to know, so I told her. Turning away I walked towards the exit, ready to leave on my solo mission, "Then I'm coming with you", I froze, turning around towards Karai her face held so much firmness, she was serious, "No, I want to do this alone, Karai...I need to talk to that mutant, the centipede knows something-", turning away I began walking, I knew I couldn't stop her, but I hoped that she would respect my wishes, her foot steps walked towards me, keeping the same distance before I walked away.

-----------------------------

Sprinting across the rooftops, I jumped from one after the other with Karai by my side. "So what even is your plan when we get there?", sighing tiredly, my skips grew shorting and my eyes grew heavier, I was tired, I wanted to go home, I just wanted to sit, to breathe, but right now in this moment I needed answers, "First I'm gonna check the security floor, so far it's been two months, so the Kraang should have returned and calmed down the situation, by my calculations it's very unlikely that the floor is still unoccupied, however if it is, which like I said is very unlikely, then all we'll need to do is locate the laboratory, that bat kid and Mikey worked in, and talk to the centipede and bat, we need answers, pluuuuusssss-", annunciating on the 'us' I looked away from Karai and pulled out a large vile, waving it in Karai's view, "I can give them a trade, they give us some more information on Mikey's possible wareabouts, then I can give them this vile", shoving it back into my side pouch, I slowed down as I looked down towards entrance, the lights were off, and the inside for some reason looked...empty. Jumping down the fire escape, I stood behind the corner and saw no human in sight, 'That's...strangle'.

"And what if they don't want what is inside that?"

"They'll want it, I mean why would you want to stay like that *snort*", I flustered when I realized I snorted when I laughed, waving it off as I raced towards the entrance peeking through the glass, 'Where is everyone?', there was no one, no workers, no front desk people, not even a security guards, "What's happened?", pulling out my tools, I messed with the lock, pressing the two rods inside the holes jiggling them around until...

*click*

Pushing open the door, I cracked it open just enough for my sister to enter and shut it the moment she slipped through, scanning the room only to notice with was completely gutted, leaving the only thing in here, was us. Without a second thought, I raced toward the elevator, and pressed the lift button, waiting as I stood next to Karai. Neither of us spoke, and finally, the lift dinged, sliding the doors open, I walked into the elevator and pressed the security floor, so I waited, watching as we passed each floor, I waited but as each floor passed, time just felt so slow, 'Come on hurry up-'

"Hey...are we sure we can even trust that centipede mutant...", I turned towards Karai but was met with no look in return instead she just stared up as each floor illuminated moving from one to the next, "I...", I honestly didn't know, I mean this is a stranger but they are the only thing that knows where our brother is, and I'm taking anything, Karai...", the elevator doors opened and I rushed out of the small space, but everything was weird, slowing down I walked down the empty aisles of office cubicles, seeing no droid in sight. My pace quickened, and I heard Karai calling for me, telling me to slow down, but something felt off, and the empty security room proved my point, "Where is everyone?....". Stepping towards the massive computer, I hacked and made my way straight to the cameras, but I didn't see footage of mutants and droids or even just empty hallways, the footage was all static, with bold words in the middle of every single security television.

"NO SIGNAL DETECTED"

I clicked through every footage but it was strange all the cameras in the middle laboratory level had no signal, yet every single other floor worked, 'Maybe the cameras fried out...right?', so I checked, looking through all the cameras, but there was nothing wrong, no override, no malfunctions, no even a past overheating issue, "Alright, I checked the entire floor and found no one-...what! Did you find anything?", shaking my head, I continued to search, only to get an idea, "Nothing, all the cameras are broken, but I think I got an idea-", but that idea was destroyed as I looked for the save footages only to find nothing, all the prior minutes, hours, days, weeks, everything was trashed, and I guess Karai noticed as well. "Someone deleted...everything...".

"Come on-", without a second thought, Karai pulled me towards the elevator, however, I pulled my arm away, "No! Karai-"

"Donnie, it's clear that one of the droids, maybe even the creatures inhabiting this facility could be the reason all the cameras are glitching out, now so far neither one of your older brothers or our mom has called either of us wondering where we are-"

"Oh, I thought this through!", I pulled out my phone and showed my notifications, there was nothing, "I silenced my phone, so even if they called me, I wouldn't hear a thing-"

"Whatever! As I said, let's go talk and negotiate with the bat and centipede mutant...if they're still here", I could hear the last part, even though she tried to mumble as she walked towards the elevator pressing the button, her position was turned toward me, she wait whether that was me joining her or leaving her to search on her own, I turned back to the cameras, only to hear the elevator signal behind me as the doors opened. With one final thought, I raced towards the elevator and slipped through the small crack, right before shutting and moving to the next floor. "So I have a plan, we negotiate with them, if anything goes wrong, you have to agree okay?!", I stared at her, I was confused, "Sure?", the floor was coming up so I readied myself, "Alright, if anything goes wrong we call our brothers-"

"What?!"

*Ding*

"No, you weren't even supposed to come on this mission, so Leo and Raph are completely out of the question-"

"Dude you need to lean more on your brothers, they can help you in every single way you lack in-"

"Exactly!", I was no longer in front of Karai, walking away as fast as I could, now I stopped, and stared at her, 'she doesn't get it...', my fist clenched as I stared at my older sister, "You don't understand, I have been a burden on this team for years, what I lack in, the other two- hah! Even Mikey has strength! I have been part of B team for so long, me and Mikey were never taken seriously in any situation, and this-", I pointed down towards the ground, not talking about the room, nor the concrete floor, instead I talked about this moment, this mission, "this mission... can prove to the others that I can be better than B team!", I turned back around and continued to walk, mapping out where I was on the floor, "Donnie..."

"No! I thought you would understand, not that you have ever been in my position to empathize...", the silence was her response as seconds passed by, I could hear her footsteps, just a few feet away, "Donnie...that's unfair-"

"Unfair?! Hah! You can not be serious, I understand that you work with the enemy since you were a baby but the fact that you call me unfair for saying what I said, that! That's what's unfair...god you're just like Leo...those two have been on my back when I tried to build and make our home a safe place...fortifying the walls, installing security cameras inside the sewers, god they even got pissed when they found out that I programmed the T-Phones to send identical copies and recordings of their texts and calls, but I did that to protect them...I may not be as strong as everyone else in my family, but I know damn well that I'm brain smart, so don't tell me that I'm being unfair...", looking down at the ground, I knew there was only one person who could say those exact words, "There's only one turtle that can say that...", I mumble those words just loud enough to hear for me to hear as I turned around, walking down the quiet hallways, "So if you honestly think I'm being so unfair go back home, but please don't tell anyone, let me do something for once...", I quickened my pace, racing down the long corridor.

--------------------------

Standing in front of Laboratory #08, I just stared at the door, it almost felt like I could look through it, turning towards the key panel, I just stared at the numbers, I didn't know what to do. I had nothing, no hacking equipment, no wires, I didn't even have my computer to help me figure out the code. 'So...I did the only thing I could think of...', scanning the area, I pulled out my phone and looked at the level I stood on, searching for any other alternate ways to get inside the lab, anything, that was until I found one. My eyes followed the path as they started from the lab all the way to, 'Found ya', the vent just a few feet from me, racing towards the vent. Prying the cover off the entrance, I climbed into the vent as I followed the path, sliding my knees along the metallic path.

Staring at my T-Phone, I followed the turns, turning left then right, crawling straight till I found the exit, the vent directly above the laboratory, "Perfect...". As I jiggled the cover around the vent finally came off, placing it off to the side, I climbed out and freaked out as I hung from the ceiling, hanging over twenty feet from the floor. Reaching into my pouch, I pulled out my grappling hook, I aimed it just a foot away, untangling the rope around the cylinder bar, watching as the hook wrapped around the bar, catching on the rope. Tugging on the rope, I felt its sturdiness and began lowering myself down, staring at the ground, landing perfectly stable. "What are you doing here?!", pulling out my bo, I aimed the head towards the voice, only to see, "Oh! It's you-"

"Yes, now speak. Why are you here?", the centipede kept turning towards the small lab built inside the room, taking a deep breath, I composed myself, "I'm here because we haven't seen any clues of my brother's whereabouts...", I waited for their answer but they just stared at me, giving off some...terrifying expression, "Have you check every single facility a gave to you?"

"Yes-"

"I don't believe you, it's been only two full Earth months and there are over a hundred facilities spread across the City of New York, so...", the mutant walked towards me, reaching for my bag, only for me to pull it away glaring at her, "If you actually care about him, get out of here and look for him-"

"We're trying, and we did search every single one, we split into groups, for the past month we searched over a hundred facilities, really we're trying just please...are there any other facility you didn't tell us?", the mutant kept looking up towards the room, yet it was odd, though they couldn't see in full detail, 'it's almost like they were watching out for someone, but why?', finally they looked at me directly into my eyes, "No, those are the only facilities inside the city, Bishop has been watching over the kid for the past year, monitoring him, so if you find the-"

"Hold on, stop...Did you say...Bishop?", they nodded their head, their brow curled up, almost confused by my observation, "But Bishop has been telling us for a year that he's seen no sign of Mikey, plus maybe it's a different Bishop? The Bishop I know is Utrom", looking off to the side, they turned back towards the small room, almost like they were off in thought, lost in their own mind, "I've never heard of any such species, and I'm over seventy years old. So if you want my input, talk to Bishop, and see if he's heard anything, if not search for the facility where Bishop is stationed, mutants they call him the Lead Scientist-", I knew that title, the head of the Transformation Cell Project, one of the worst Kraang ever known, a chill ran down my spine as the memories of mutants tortured just to perfect a stupid crystal, "I hope that can help, now leave, the other two are sleeping and one hasn't been in the best of moods lately...", I was still shocked as I reached into my satchel, I handed the centipede a fresh batch of retro mutagen, "Thanks for the info, and here...", they just stared at the vile swishing it back and forth, watching the fluid glow, "What's this?", their voice curious, yet stern.

"It's retro mutagen, in short, it breaks down the mutagen that was added to the user's original form, and turns them back to what they were, I hope it helps the guy who guy double...triple mutated, and it a thank you gift for the help", a soft smile showed on their face, "Thanks Mijo, hope you find your brother soon", I nodded my head as I walked towards the door, "I hope so too..."

Chapter Text

POV Centi:

I watched as the small turtle left out through the door, his figure keeping a stuttered pace as he walked by the windows, I could tell he was watching me, waiting for me to move, but I stood still until finally he was out of sight. I remembered his tone, forcefully calm, yet stiff, almost like he tried to hold down the rage when he heard the scientist's name, ready to boil over the edge and yell at the nearest living thing, yet he didn't, he stayed calm. Turning towards the stairs, I carried the large container in my arms and entered the ten-digit code, shoving the door out and closing it again. "Flaco, I need you to look into this 'retro-mutagen' the turtle kid gave me", Flaco was silent, saying not a single word, 'that's weird, he was here a moment ago?', feeling around the room, I looked for any blurred figure, but there was nothing, not a hum, not a creek, I couldn't even hear his breathing. 'Pequenito has to know something...he has to', I walked towards the nursery and quietly tapped the door, waiting for the kid to make any sound, anything, and he did.

W H A T

"I'm sorry for waking you up, Pequenito...did Flaco leave by chance?", I waited as I heard shuffling inside the nursery, greeted by an ajar door with an eye peeking through the tiny crack.

N O

H E     W A S     W O R K I N G     O N     T H E     C O M P U T E R

"Alright...one more thing, I know you're tired believe me I understand, but please...can you come out and help me find him...I destroyed the cameras, so I have no way of knowing where he went...", the young parent fell silent, not thinking, but watching, staring up toward the vent above the room, he knew something but what...

A     H U M A N

K E E P     Q U I E T

T H E Y R E     W A T C H I N G

"Thank you", I whispered, placing the vial off to the side as I pushed the door shut, hearing the tale tail sounds of the door locking, "We know you're here girl, come out", I stared up towards the vent, still hearing silence, so I waited, "That kid's gone! I sent him home with good news, so leave, let us live in peace-"

*Slam!*

The vent fell to the ground with a loud bang as a girl dropped to the floor, and Dannie shoved against her side, looking somewhat unconscious, "May I ask what you are doing here-", my eyes shifted down towards the limp bat, gratefully hearing the sounds of the kid snoring, "with that kid in your hold?", the human rose her blade and pointed it towards my neck, yet I stood still. Threatened with the tip of the blade aimed directly towards my Adam's apple, that did not scare me... after living in this facility for almost a whole century, I've seen...worse things. "I know you're lying, where's my brother", her tone gave off not curiosity, but rather authority, demanding me to tell her, the young one's whereabouts, so I did, "The turtle with the purple mask? I just told you, the boy left to continue his search-"

"No, I mean Michaelangelo", I just stared down towards the girl, "Like I told the boy, but I guess I have to tell you kid-"

"Kid?! Ha, I bet I far older than you, so I don't you put some respect in those voidful eyes and sours words-"

"You think you're older than me...a mutant?! You sweet summer child, fine why don't you guess my age", I chuckled as I walked towards the computer, and stared at the two young turtle heart rates, pumping a healthy rate. 'The other two should be hatching soon...I so can't wait to watch them grow', scrolling through the screen, the girl still said nothing, so I spoke, my back turned towards the young girl, "...seventy-two...I know you probably don't believe me, but its true, I have lived here since I was ten, so around 1930 was when I was born, and 1941 was when I was kidnapped...", I felt the atmosphere thicken, everything felt so tense, so I just continued off of my previous conversation, telling her the same thing I told the boy from before.

"Now... would you like me to say the same thing I told the boy to you?", the girl stayed silent, saying not a word, so I told her, "I told him that he didn't search hard enough for his brother, I even told him, that if you find the Lead Scientist called Bishop, then you'll know that the one he resides in, is where you're brother is being kept...", my back still turned yet, I heard shuffling and the sound of a vent, closing right after.

Turning around, I leaned against the counsel, scanning the entire room and landing my eyes on the vent above, completely sealed shut, walking towards the unconscious boy on the ground. Picking up the small bat, I noticed a small note, placed firmly against his wing, and pulled off the paper, looking at the words,  a small smile was the only response I could give. 

'You're friends fine, he should wake up within thirty minutes to an hour, thanks'

Resting the note on the counter, I placed him on the island, his body looked so sad, his wings thinner than normal, his cheeks caved in and his eyes were bloodshot, hours of working inside a lab with no orders, nothing to do was getting to him and because of it, he wasn't eating. I continued to check over Flaco's entire body, 'Huh guess the girl was right...', reaching over towards the side, I grabbed a spare blanket, worn down from the months of rips and tears, used and abused by previous mutants. I sighed sadly and draped the extra blanket over the young mutant's body, making sure the young mutant kept warm.

Standing over the kids restful body, I looked over towards the large vial, my eyes mesmerized by the bright yellow color, nothing like the mutagen the Kraang produce, 'Pequenito has to know something', walking towards the door, I pressed my knuckles against the door and knocked three times, "Pequenito, I need you to look at something, it's...your brother dropped it off for you-", I stuttered a bit, trying my best to compose myself, "He didn't know that you were here, he just dropped it off to the mutant that you are...and don't worry...they're both gone", there was no noise, the idea of him possibly being asleep continued to run through my head, making me question if the boy was even awake, that was until he opened the door.

M A K E     I T     Q U I C K

Nodding my head, I turned towards the vial as Pequenito stepped out of the nursery, shutting the door before I could even see a glimpse of the babies inside. I finally showed the large vial to him, and his once empty eyes, widened in fear, stepping far away from the jar itself.

H E

H E     G A V E     T H A T     T O     Y O U

"Yes. He told me to give it to the triple?...mutated mutant? I'm not sure, but I knew it wasn't for me nor Flaco, I was going to have Dannie look over the components-"

F I N E     B U T     K E E P     T H A T     F A R     A W A Y     F R O M     M E

I knew whatever this was, was stressing the kid out, his body trembling and his hands clammy, wetting every surface he touched, he continued to look back at the nursery, but I needed one more question answered, so I blocked his way, calming the young turtle down, "Before you go back, please tell me...why is it that you don't want to turn back?...You can finally be free from this-"

N O

His taps were firm, slamming his nails against his shell, and making sure I got his point, but I was confused, if it were me, I would do anything to go back, to be human once more finally, it sounds too good to be true, "But why-"

I M     F R E E

I M     S T R O N G E R

His breath came out heavy as he walked towards me, standing a foot taller than me

T H A N

H I M

'So that's why', shoving past me, Pequenito walked back into the room and shut the door behind him, leaving me as I leaned against the wall, "Hey...Michaelangelo...is there a reason you never went home with your family...", I waited as silence was the only answer that Pequenito responded with, so I continued, "Because...it's clear your family cares, they've been trying-"

*SLAM*

Sobs broke out as something banged against the wall, scaring the young turtles. I was scared, I didn't know what caused that noise, and yet, I just ran inside ready to fight, and comfort the mutants inside. Pushing open the door, an angry mutant greeted me, his Kraang-like eye formed a large slit, hissing as his children continued to cry out loud, calling for their father. He continued to charge towards me, glaring down at me, yet here I stood, moving not an inch as I stared sadly at the kid in front of me. "Pequenito...please, just...", Pequenito just stared at me, standing less than a foot away, yet he did nothing, he never touched me, not even lay a finger on me, "Can we just talk?...", looking off to the side, Pequenito walked off towards the twins, cradling each one in separate arms, calming each one down as he continued to rock them, sitting comfortably in the center of their nest. Pulling up a chair, I sat down and looked at the two turtles, they continued to whine, yet they were much calmer than before, "I never got their names...", he was silent, pushing himself up, he walked towards me, 'did I say something wrong?!', stepping away, I got out of my chair, I back away only to noticed that he turned away, placing each resting child carefully inside the large nest.

T H E     L I G H T     O N E

U N O

Y E L L O W     B E A K

M O J A

It took me some time to register what he said, but once it did, a soft smile was all I felt on my face, "How cute...what about the others?", looking over towards the incubator that sat, effortlessly on the side of the room, keeping each egg nice and warm.

O D Y N

Y I    A N D

He paused as he looked down at the necklace that hung around his neck, I noticed something off, his once calm demeanor, changed to a depressed expression, staring down at what looked to be a dog tag.

V E N U S     D E     M I L O

F O R     T H E     B O Y S     I     W A N T     T H E M     T O     B E     J U S T     O R     O P E N M I N D E D

F O R     T H E     G I R L S     I     W A N T     T H E M     T O     B E     C O N T E N T     H A P P Y

"And they will be...", I placed my hand carefully on his shoulder, his shoulder looked stiff, yet his body trembled underneath my touch, "Hey...so why didn't you go home-, and before you get mad I...just wanted to know what they did..."

M Y     M O M     M Y     S I S T E R S     W E R E     G O O D

M Y     B R O T H E R S     M Y     D A D     W E R E     B A D

I N     D R E A M

E V E R Y O N E     D I E D

M A D E     S U R E     N O     O N E      D I E D

A L L     M Y    F A U L T     I F     T H E Y     D I E

"Oh...", but what he said made no sense, a simple dream made him never want to be saved, "One dream-"

E V E R Y     N I G H T    F O R    T W O     M O N T H S

There it was, the reason, the cause that affected everyone around him, even others that are trying to bring him home, were affected by his choice, by his own fear. "May I?...", walking closer towards the nest I pointed towards Uno, asking the young parent if I could carry the young child, and Pequenito just stared at me, switching his gaze from the nest to me, swapping back and forth. Crawling into the nest, he picked up the small children as I pulled the chair towards the side of the bed, waiting for Pequenito's answer.

P L E A S E

B E     C A R E F U L

Cradling the two-month-old in the center of his palm, I carefully picked him up, and rested the resting child in my arms, watching as the turtle's chest swelled, breathing slowly in and out. It was calming, the room radiated with warmth as the heating lamps were set on low, and the sound of water sounded off quietly inside the room, it was nice. The soft hum of the incubators warming two eggs filled the room as well as the snores of the two tired children, 'Two eggs...two hatchlings...', opening my eyes, I noticed they felt heavier than usual, like I was ready to fall asleep, ready for bed, and turned towards Pequenito, staring at the dog tag that hung around his neck, "Hey Pequenito...if you don't want to talk just let me know, but I have a question...how-...what happened to the third egg-", I noticed a small motion as Pequenito's body flinched, slightly turning farther away from me, "I remember that was five eggs, and I'm only counting-"

S T O P

Turning my gaze toward the massive turtle, I noticed through blurred vision, the young ones eyes glared down at me, yet he looked so...sad. Hearing the sounds of a chain being played with sounded off in front of me, so I looked, he continued to rub his thumb over the dog tag as he held it close to his chest. 'Oh...mijo', I felt bad as all the dots started connecting, I didn't know how it happened. Still, just by that reaction, I could tell that one of his children died somehow, 'Is this why you haven't left you're room?', I honestly never had kids. Yet, I knew the feeling of leaving someone I dearly missed, "I'm...sorry-", placing Uno back inside Pequenito's hold, I turned away, walking towards the door ready to check on the other troubled child, "for bringing that up...well it was nice hanging out with you, and remember we're here for you, and we will do anything to keep you and you're kids safe...". He said nothing as he turned away from the door, staring at me from the corner of his eye, just watching me.

Closing the door, I turned toward the island and noticed that, "Flaco?", was gone, searching round the room, I looked over every single inch of the room, only to hear a quiet flush and the bathroom door opening, "Yeah, what's up?", Flaco walked towards the large vial as he made way towards the door, picking up the vial of golden liquid, so I decide to follow him, "When did you wake up", reaching the bottom floor, I watched as he placed the vial on the counter, and dug aggressively through the cabinets, searching for who knows what, "Twenty minutes ago...I heard you speaking with Mikey...", slamming a microscope on the counter, he opened the large container and just stared at the glowing gold liquid, the glow illuminating his face. "Wait-", I didn't even know if this stuff was safe, so I knew no one should touch it, grabbing Flaco's hand I pulled it away "Don't touch the liquid, one of Pequenito's brothers stopped by while dropping this off-", I watched as he stepped away from the liquid, still analyzing from afar, "He said he called it retro-mutagen? Basically it turned mutants back into their prior state whether that's human o-o-o-or, I don't know", Flaco nodded his head as he opened a drawer, digging around until he pulled out a small pipette, and extracted 0.1 milliliters, placing the liquid on the glass slide.

Reaching back inside the drawer, Flaco pulled out another object and placed it on the side, "Alright, if it is true that this can turn us back, let's test it", before I could even think and stop him, Flaco sliced the tip of his finger and drew some blood out, sliding the glass slide underneath. I was worried, watching his finger drench his fur, Flaco dripped a single drop on the glass, and continued to stare into the scope, muttering under his breath, "Interesting...", I walked closer to the counter, waiting for his observation, waiting for anything, "All...of the components inside the blood changed from mutant bat blood to...human...Hah...ha ha ha Ha!-". He just laughed, nothing about this situation was even close to hilarious, yet he just laughed, wheezing as his laugh calmed down, "Centi-", his eyes held excitement, and weirdly something else, walking towards me, he pulled my arm towards the counter and close the vial, holding it in botuh arms, "We can be normal again...we...Centi we can be human again!".

I was frozen at the thought that he spoke loudly about, 'Human?...I could see my sisters...my brother', that word repeated in my mind, for so long I wanted to be normal, to be human once more, but as I aged and grew older that thought left my mind entirely, to the point something I forget I was ever human. 'What would I look like, would I still feel young or...would I turn into an old person...no, I don't even want to know?'. I had my answer, looking up at the Flaco, I could see his excitement, ready to be human, to be...normal, but did I...didn't, "No...".

Chapter Text

POV Donnie:

"A year...", anger filled my mind as I raced through the tunnels, my feet thumping against the wet concrete ground, making a sort of dripping effect, "A whole ffffff-", I slammed my fist against the concrete wall, grinding my jaw down, and gripping my fist even tighter, making the ends of my knucks become a pale green. I pulled my fist back and stared ahead of me, punching the wall over and over, smashing each fist into the wall as the skin slowly tore off, blood dripping slowly down my fingers,  it hurt, but I didn't care, "A WHOLE FUCKING YEAAAAAARRRR", with one final punch, I hit the wall, and fell to my knees, I felt lost, I just felt...worthless, 'The person I trust, who had equal smarts, maybe even better...lied to me...', I pushed myself up to my feet as I charged toward the lab, running in silence as the pads of my feet made not one sound, "Ha-...How could I be so stupid...", reaching down towards the ground, I yanked the door up, just enough for me to crawl inside and close the door, making only the slightest of noise, 'I need to talk to him-', groaning tired, I turned around only to be greeted by the people I had no time to talk to, "Guys, I don't have time right now, I need to talk to Bishop immediately-"

"Bishop?!-"

"No! Donatello, where were you?! It's Almost Two- Three in the morning!"

"Leo-", I groaned as I walked passed the group, my back facing them as I sat at my desk, searching around for my computer, ready to call Bishop the moment the time comes, "I don't have time for this, I seriously need to call Bishop-"

"No! Donatello, I am the oldest and your leader, so listen-", Rolling my eyes I noticed my computer over on the bed, right where I left it before leaving for my solo mission, 'Ooooooo the full name and leader tactic, god, like he hasn't used that every single time', picking up the computer I headed back to my desk, setting it next to the Kraang communication sphere, "oh my- Donnie if you don't listen, I will get sensei to deal with you-", that was it, that was exactly what set me off, "Oh! Now you want to be a fucking snitch! Leo Hah! I'm looking for our brother, you can ask Karai, guessing that's the one who snitched! Huh! Didn't you Karai?! Didn't know all of my siblings were freaking snitches!".

"Donatello!", Sensei yelled from the entrance of the lab, his tone angry, his very yell made me fall silent, so I looked down towards the ground "You are to listen to your leader, to follow his words, that is what will keep you all safe from harm", I understood what Sensei was saying yet, "But Sensei-"

"Yame!"

"But Master Splinter?!"

"Donatello! Do I need to teach you Japanese once more!", I was confused when he said that, 'Of course I know Japanese, I'm the most well-versed in the language, I may not speak it a lot, but I knew it', so I shook my head as Sensei walked closer, "Then you should understand the word Yame...", Sensei stood a few feet from me, glaring down as he towered me, " Donatello you are grounded"

"What?! But Sensei, I did nothing wrong, I went on a mission to look for Mikey-"

"Which could have put your family in danger-"

"My family is in danger! Did you forget that Mikey was you son?!", Leo and Raph watched from a far, whispering amongst eachother, laughing under their breath, "Donatello, I will not continue this conversation! You are grounded from missions, and working inside your lab-", I couldn't believe what he was saying, 'He wanted me to do what?', stepping away from Sensei with my computer in hand and my pouch still wrapped over my shoulder, my back was pressed against the door, trembling in fear, but I felt something else... anger, I glared as Sensei continued to speak, "So you don't care about your son...", for some reason he said nothing, he just stood there, "He...Michaelangelo was given multiple chances to come home, to come back to his...family...yet he decided against it...I will not fight for a boy that does want to be found", my skin itched, my throat burned and my eyes stung, I had no idea how to feel, I just felt...overwhelmed, yet shock was what covered my face, but not just me, it even shocked the others behind him, 'He...what?!', I didn't want to be here any longer, I sighed angerly, and turned around, my face turned toward Sensei, "Fine", I watched as he quirked his brow, and just stood there, waiting for my next move, "Then I guess that includes me as well...", looking behind towards the others, and just stood there waiting for them speak up, to say that what Sensei said was wrong, but of course...they stayed silent. I chuckled as I scoffed at the others, Leo, Karai, god even Raph looked worried as they walked towards the conversation, standing right behind Sensei, muttering my name, "I knew you all were just gonna be a bunch of teacher's pets", Splinter kept himself walled between the others and I, his hand blocking my view of the others, "If you wish to leave, no ones stopping you..."

"Sensei?!", all three yelled as they looked up towards the rat wearing a robe, each one questioned their father's judgment, they were shocked, their own father, willing letting his child leave his clan, yet...I wasn't, I laughed, "Ha...Ha ha I guess this is why, Mikey never came back-", reaching towards the ground, I lifted the large metallic door, and walked around the room collecting everything I needed, and stood by the door holding everything in two bags, "Leave...the bo", I looked back towards the mutant that stood behind me, and handed him the the weapon I was trained to use since I was a mere child, but in a way this separation felt...good. I stared at the sibling and adult I called my family, glaring at each one of them, "And just so you know, if I find Mikey, I'm not bringing him back...", with that I closed the door, walking down the long empty tunnel, "That isn't a home I would bring him back to...".

-----------------------------

Sighing tiredly, I looked up at the sky as I remembered the moments and words passed through my mind, words spoken between Splinter and I's conversation, "Maybe I should have thought this through...", I sat on top of Murakami san's noodle shop as I ate a fresh bowl of noodles, I kept pulling out my phone as I continued to check the time, 'three...hours...', no one searched or called for me, not even a text, 'Did he really...would-', the thought of Splinter telling everyone to not speak to me, saying that I dishonored the family was the on;y thing that ran through my head, just made it felt so much more real...

I hated these feelings, for one I was happy, I finally was able to get my words across, it felt empowering and freeing, yet...at the same time I felt terrible, for years I was taught that I was to obey my elders, and to go against them is dishonor...not just on myself but on the entire clan. Everything just felt like so much, the overwhelming urge to go back, and beg for forgiveness, to make my father proud of me once more, but that will never happen, Sensei was never proud of my talents, my machines, not even the one thing he trained me to do, it was never enough for him...

I needed to talk to Bishop, I was still angry at that liar, that...robot, but I needed some rest, I needed somewhere to think, to live, but I couldn't think of anything, 'Maybe I could find a warehouse...', scanning the area, but I gave up on the idea, some of my failed experiences sometimes end with an explosion, and I know that would cause disturbence, humans would call police and if they catch me, I'll be tested on, maybe given to the Kraang, 'Heh who knows, maybe I'll be sent to the same facility as Mikey', that sent guilt through my body, my body felt heavy and my eyes felt heavier, "Is this how you felt Mikey-", looking up towards the sky, I never believed in dieties, nor anything with similar attributes, just the thought of a being, watching over their creation and just watching made me feel sick, yet I just hoped that somehow, Mikey could hear my words, "Was I...was I really that bad of a brother", memories flowed through my mind, but of course it was never the good ones, just...memories of moments I was a bad brother flowed through my mind.

It hurt, remembering the moments I yelled, cursed, blamed, and degraded the only younger brother I had flooded through my mind, hugging my knees, I pressed my face against my knees as tears flowed over, "I'm so...sorry, Mikey...I-I didn't mean to I-", it felt wrong, why should I be sad, when I did this to him, I caused him...so much harm, yet I'm the one crying. Wiping my eyes clean, I finished off the rest of the ramen, and walked towards the edge, tossing the empty to-go bowl into the bin below. I stood there as I listening, waiting until...*tap!* the sound of the box hitting the bottom.

Reaching into one of my two pouches, I pulled out the wrapped crystal, and just stared at it, rubing my thumb along the edge of the cloth, 'We've had this for so long, I didn't even figure out how to make an additional one for Splinter, regardless in this moment, I was happy that I didn't. So far out of my family, I was the only one to not use the crystal, excluding Lita and Jennika, I never used it once, not even on the mission, when we finally first saw Mikey I didn't use it, and for that...I was happy. None of my family nor friends will know what my human form looks like, so they'll never find me'. 

Unwrapping the crystal, I pushed the crystal between the cloth wrapped carefully around my arm, squinting as a glint of pink and purple flashed around me, and when I opened my eyes, my mask changed into a bandana, resting neatly on the top of my head. Tight braids reaching my shoulders, tied loosely into a low ponytail with four loose braids two hanging on both sides. This style felt right, it felt symmetrical, looking down at my skin, it was a deep dark brown, so badly I wanted to look at everything but where was I supposed to go? Looking down at my outfit, I wore white tennis shoes highlighted with a hint of lavender and plum, black cargo pants, and a purple hoodie, I noticed something written on the hoodie so I tried, only to notice that it said, "I may be N.Er.Dy...but only Periodically...damn, got roasted by a stinking object", I groaned tiredly at the stupid pun as I continued looking towards the side, noticing the fire escape just a few steps away, climbing down to the very bottom and for the first time in so long I... conformably walked on the sidewalk, it felt... nice. 

I wasn't scaring anybody, no one screamed in fear, nothing, I was free, staring down towards the ground, I noticed a single drop fell towards the ground and another, then another, looking up towards the sky I searched for the clouds yet the sky was clear, no rain, not even a sprinkle, there was nothing, that was until I touch my face, soaked with fresh tears that flowed as the freeness set in, but...why was I crying, I was sad, I was actually happy. For years the only thing that truly made me smile was science and April, yet here I stood, no brothers or parents telling me what to do, no one scared of me ready to send me to a lab, just a fresh new start, 'Was this what it was like Mikey, you felt so free, was this why you never came home?', I laughed at the irony, for months I begged for him to come home to his family yet I never got to experience what he got to live with, no fighting, no kraang, none of the Shredder's gang, not even the purple dragons have come out to start another, I was just...a normal human.

I needed to look normal, if Leonardo and Raphael were to come out they wouldn't know I disguised myself, looking down at my out I knew dressing in my signature color was like Batman's signal too obvious. 'The shoes are fine, but the hoodie and bandana?', it was already too late for anything to be open, I was lucky with Murakami, but convenience stores and other stores should be opening in a few hours. So I continued to walk down the streets, I needed something to think about so I decided to look at my new features, well the easiest and most appropriate to look at in public. Looking down at my hands I noticed I couldn't separate some of my fingers, both hands imitated the Vulcan salute, and my fingers separated only if I used my other hand to do it but on its own, I couldn't, "Interesting...". Reaching up towards the side of my head, I felt where the slits we called ears were, now they were weird flaps of cartilage and skin, not scales, actual skin, it felt weird.

I continued to feel everything new about me, my nose, my chest, and my back, weirdly I felt lighter without a shell, which makes sense, but the newest thing was the shoes, every single day since I was young, I walked with wraps to protect my feet, this felt so much better, the calluses under my feet didn't press against the concrete instead were pressed a cushion, 'I wanted to continue, I wanted to learn more about the new features, yet...', yawning tiredly, I walked down the side walked as I pulled out my phone, thats when I noticed new notifications, texts from everyone, well...except for mom...and Splinter, shoving my phone into my pocket I continued to look for anywhere to sleep. Having no slept for three days was starting to take a toll on my body and having no experiments to wake me wasn't helping, so staying awake was harder than I thought initially.

I just walked down the street, looking down each alley, I decided against every single one, I honestly didn't mind a mess no matter what size, heck my labs were always a mess, but this...I'm sorry no. I searched, 'I can't stay at Mom's place she sold it to one of her coworkers, who pays her rent- Wait!', two places popped into my head, I may like neither, and it may not be a good idea, but...they're ideas.

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~Back with Centi and Dannie~

POV Centi:

"What?! You...you can't be serious! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we can finally be human-"

"And what if I don't want to go back to how I was huh?!", I walked towards the vial ready to get rid of this curse, but Dannie took it away as he laughed loudly...crazily, "So what! You want to be a freak for the rest of your fucking life?!", I was shocked, he's never acted like this before, that was when I knew that vial needed to go, or maybe, "Dannie, you know very well I can't turn back human, don't be stupid..."

"Stupid?! Ha! Then tell me, what could possibly happen to you old hag-"

"I COULD DIE PENDEJO!...", for once the kid's once crazed expression softened, he reached for me, but I just stepped back, I no longer knew who was standing in front of me, "This-", motioning to myself, I tore my eyes away from the kid, "mutation was the first one done on planet earth, so if I changed back into a human, heh so many things could happen to me...I may be close to the end of "human life expediency", but I'm not ready to die yet...if-...if this did work and I turned back into a human, I would only turn into "an old hag", so screw you for pressuring me to, in a way, end my life..."

"Centi, I'm sorry, I-I-I-I don't know what came over me-", I held my hand up as I walked towards the stairs, only to stop at the very top, "Dannie, if you really want to know if that piss is safe, let's get the creator's brother's opinion...", jamming my finger into each number, I slammed the door open, and knocked on the door, waiting for him to answer.

W H A T

"I need you to look at something real quick...something was dropped off and maybe you know something more about it?", silence, I knew there was a very high chance Pequenito wouldn't come out, saying that the outside was too dangerous or something similar, yet I was surprised, Pequenito pushed open the door, I shut it quietly behind. It was so sad to look at him, the bags under his eyes were dark yet they puffed out, and his cheeks no longer held it's innocent roundness, now it was just...sunken in, "Sorry, follow me...", with Pequenito on my tail, walking down the starts, I stood beside the table and waited for him to come forward, yet he didn't, standing at the bottom of the stairs on the other side of the room, he just stood there.

W H E R E     D I D     Y O U     G E T     T H A T

"Pequentio...I am going to be a hundred percent honest with you...one of your brothers stopped by asking for you-"

Y O U

Y O U    W E R E    S E R I O U S

He stepped back ready to retreat back into the nursery, "-Yes, but we just told him you were taken somewhere else...", the kid's body relaxed, only taking one step closer to us, I took a deep breath, ready for him to tell us anything, "Mikey...do you know anything about this stuff? Like I said your...brother...dropped this off as said it was called-"

R E T R O M U T A G E N

Finally, after some time, Pequenito walked closer to the vial, so me and Dannie stepped off to the side, watching as the kid analyzed the vial.

D O N N I E     W H Y     D I D     H E     B R I N G     T H I S

'Donnie?', looking back at Dannie, I pointed towards him, only for Pequenito to shake his head.

E X     O L D E R     B R O T H E R

"Oh! Well, he came to talk about any additional sister facilities you could be in, I informed the kid that if he didn't find you he wasn't looking hard enough, so I told him that if he ever found where Bishop was stationed then he'll find you...and as a thank you he wanted to... 'cure' you, turn you back into your normal formal...", I watched as Pequenito picked up the large vial, yet it was funny for both Dannie and I, we had to carry it using both hands, yet for him, he held it perfectly in just one palm, he stood in front of Dannie, with his elongated nails touching his chest. Raising the vial above Dannie's head, Pequenito used the other to hold the boy in place, Dannie trembled wiggling helplessly as he tried to escape from what, neither of us knew.

Y O U     D O N T     W A N T     T O     B E     A     F R E A K

R I G H T

Dannie's eyes widened as he stared up at towards Pequenito, I needed to stop him but stop him from what, "Mikey, please I didn't mean it, I was just spewing none sense, please listen to me-", he kept flinching as Pequenito's grip hardened, "Mikey, I'm sorry...", his free hand tried to rip off the turtle's arm, run away, maybe find another lab, Dannie wanted to do something, but he had no strength, as the muscles and tissues were only strong enough to walk, barely even run, and his wings just able to fly less than a hundred feet, he was weak he knew it, I knew it, yet I stood, there. Pequenito stood there, the liquid just on the edge of overflowing, and hanging just above the bat's head, yet he stood still, Dannie whined, begging for freedom, but Pequenito never gave him a chance.

S A Y     H I     T O     Y O U R     F A M I L Y     F O R     M E

D A N N I E     P E N N I N G T O N

Chapter Text

~Moments after Donnie left~

POV Leo:

I was stunned, standing there quietly as I watched Sensei just stood there and Donnie run away, Sensei, just stood there, letting another son leave the lair, disowning this family once more, "Master Splinter-"

"Everyone off to bed, training will begin at eight in the morning", his voice full of authority as he walked back, looking at no one but the exit in front of him. "Sensei...what you said just then...you...you can't be serious...", Raph's voice cracked as he spoke, in moment unlike this, I would tease him, making fun, but I couldn't the air in here just felt to think. Sensei stopped, staring down at the ground, Master Splinter never looked back towards us, "I will not waste my time looking for someone that would rather stay trapped than be saved...", I felt empty, I wanted to listen to Sensei, to be his most obedient son, to let Donnie fend for himself outside, but I couldn't how could I, "Sensei...Sensei!-"

"That is enough Leonardo! Now off to bed...", bowing my head, I stared down at the ground, Karai and Raph next to me copied as they bowed their head, listening as Master Splinter walked off to bed, leaving only the three of us alone inside Donnie's Lab. Walking towards the open garage door, I left the two behind, ready to find Donnie, "Leo? Where are you going?! You're going to piss off Sensei!", Raph whispered as he grabbed my shoulder, but I needed to leave now, "I. Don't. Care! I am not losing any more of my team than I have to...", I felt so useless, watching as my own team was falling apart in front of my eyes, and I did nothing, for once I knew I needed to do something, to do the right thing.

"Mikey may not want to be a part of this family, but I will not lose any more important people in my life", reaching beside my head, I fixed my bandana as I ran down the long tunnel, my feet tapping against the wet concrete. "Leo!-", looking back down the tunnel, Raph and Karai ran closely behind me, "You can't forget about us bro!". I laughed as the exit came closer, "Alright, then! Let's do this!"

----------------------------

'We searched...', standing on top of April's apartment, I tried to think of more places to check, but I was running out of spots, we called and sent messages but he never answered. Everything was going wrong, my team was slowly falling apart...my family was falling apart. Walking towards the edge of the building, I crouched down and sat on the ground, crossing my legs, trying to get comfortable, to finally calm down and clear my mind, but I couldn't.

Reminders of incidents and failures, everything that led me to this point in time was all our fault...all my fault. Mikey would be home right now, baking up the most ridiculous concoctions, or even just chatting with Ice Cream Kitty, talking his heart out to the lair's only pet. "If we-...If I were a better brother he would be here, but he's not, and neither is Donnie...God I wish I was stronger- a better leader, then everything would be perfect, the team would be happy and perfect-"

"But who really is perfect...", a softly spoken feminine voice sounded out behind me, I just sat there never looking back as the sound of the footsteps walked closer, crouching down next to me, "I know I'm in no place to fix this family, to make this family perfect like you said, but...", her words were slurred and her voices rasped tiredly, "Miwa spoke to me saying that the building has been left empty since two months ago...that there are some...kids? Still living there...", we just sat that, and I just looked towards the smog-filled sky, letting her find the words she wants, "Mikey was given multiple chances to let us know about his location...", she softly grabbed my hand as she unwrapped the clothes that protected my hands from gaining any callus, "He even had the chance to come home...yet something...kept him there"

"It was the Kraang, he was too scared to escape, too scared to run-"

"No...Mikey is never scared of getting harmed by a threat...he was scared...of us finding out something...he had a chance to come back, he was just a few feet away yet he knew he needed to stay-", I was confused, thinking back to the mission, none of it made sense, Mikey was never standing close to us, the only moments we saw him, we watched him through cameras, "But Mom, the only contact we had with him was through my meditative state, what are you talking about...", pushing herself to her feet, she walked back towards the fire exit, still wearing the clothes from the missions nights before, her hair brushed finely, as her hair blew with the nights gently breeze, "Hmmm-", looking back, her eyes and brows were turned down, giving off an almost sorrowful expression as a soft smile showed on her face, "Maybe your right Leonardo...but I know I saw him in those eyes, for now...Mikey needs time to think...time to rest", she mumble quietly the last part under her breath, I wanted to know what she meant, to ask her what she was speaking about, but she was gone, running towards the fire escape her silhouette vanished, disappeared like that.

I felt more lost, mom spoke of truth, she saw something, someone on that mission that no one noticed, but why...why wasn't she telling me, why was she not telling any of us, anything?

*RRRIIINNNGGGIIINNNGGG*

Reaching into my phone I hoped that it was Donnie, that he forgave Sensei for what he said, yet instead, I saw someone else's name, Karai's name.

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Me: "Karai, have you seen any sign of Donnie"

Karai: "No, I spoke to Raphael earlier and we agree we should speak with our allies"

Me: "Alright, you and Raph you speak with Murakami-San, I'll Speak with Bishop, he knows where everyone is, don't call me until you hear good news"

Karai: "Wait, Leo, don't g-"

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I hung up before Karai could stop me, my phone rang over and over, messages filling my inbox, I didn't have time for this, 'I needed to get him back, this team can't fall apart'. Looking around the area, I searched for Mom, but she was gone, even looking in the direction of the lair, thoughts of decisions ran through my mind, deciding whether I should run after Mom, and ask her what she meant, ask her what she saw in that mutants eyes, or just stay put, and continue my search for the second younger sibling, and bring him back home, yet for some reason, none of that interaction felt real. For only a moment of ten minutes, Mom talked to me, telling me that Mikey's closer than we thought, that we could save him, even though he himself didn't want to be saved, and yet it felt like a dream, a short vision.

I stared off into the morning as the sun barely peeked over the horizon, the cool breeze sending a chill down my arms, covering my arms in speckled goosebumps, littering my scales. The soft silence was all I could hear, that was until...

*RRRIIINNNGGG*

My ears felt muffled as I stared down towards my T-phone, the constant ringing rang through my head as I stared down at the Caller's name, 'Bishop', my thumb hovered over the answer button as I stared that the photoless number, 'He has to know something-', answering the call I brought it up to my ear, waiting for someone to answer, 'He has to...'

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Bishop: "Greetings Leonardo, are you free at this moment, or by chance near your kin, Donatello"

Me: "Uhhh- Morning Bishop, *Clears throat*, uh no. Donatello is...going to be away for some time, however, I myself am free. Have you seen any sightings of Mikey?"

Bishop: "Hmm. Well, that is unfortunate about Donatello, but as for your other brother Michaelangelo, we still have seen no sight of him. However, we are going through the Kraang's system to see if there is any trace of Michaelangelo's current whereabouts. So far I as well as the other Utroms, have only seen remnants of knowledge written before the incidents with the triple mutation incident"

I thought through everything Donnie spoke about that day, 'The security footage!'

Me: "Donnie said something about the security footage, that day of the incident, we watched on the Kraang's live footage, Mikey was walking door the hallways into the Lead Scientist laboratory, but before we could see what happened, that mutant appeared out of nowhere, do you by chance know if the Kraang had other cameras inside that laboratory-"

Bishop: "..."

Me: "Maybe with that, we can get a different angle and see where and when they carried Mikey off during the attack-"

Bishop: "..."

Me: "We just need to know where. So far all we know is that Mikey was taken to one of the hundred sister facilities inside New York City, we checked the majority of the hideouts so far, but we haven't had any luck, Karai and Donnie went back to TCRI, well against my direct orders, but the mutant were getting intell from is helping alot-"

Bishop: "Wait what? One of Kraang's experiments is helping you out, but...how are you getting inside, the facility should be swarmed with Kraang droids and drones monitor every inch of the hallways, so...wait which one? We have a few spies on the inside so maybe it's one of them?"

Me: "I'm not sure, all we know is their name is Centi, and centipede mutant that looks to be about six-, maybe six and half feet tall. However, as for getting inside, I have no clue as to how they went in and came out with no signs of harm, they could have ventured through the ventilation system, but mapping through those tunnels is quite difficult"

Bishop: "..."

Me: "Before I forget, for the time being, Donnie is not by any chance able to speak with until I find him-"

Bishop: "Find him? What happened to your brother? Was he found when he snuck inside the Kraang facility"

Me: "No, and it doesn't matter I can fix it, he'll be back. However, for the time being, can you in some way try and locate any more additional cameras that were inside the Lead Scientist's laboratory"

Bishop: "I will try, Leonardo, and I do hope you find Donatello"

Me: "...He's not lost, but...thanks. Over and out"

----------------------------------

I pressed the end call button as I stared at the screen, staring at the blurred-out photo of Captain Ryan, 'Where are you, you two?', shoving my phone in my pocket, I thought of places Donnie would run to, but that was difficult, Donnie never left the lair unless for missions, regardless, if there was no patrol or mission, Donnie was at home, working on experiments or at leash chatting with April if she ever did come out. 'Donnie has left the lair to go to April's apartment, but that was only one time, and he isn't here anyways', stepping back as I stood in the middle of the roof, and began sprinting towards the edge, I charged across the rooves and made my way to the only spot I could think of.

Leaping from one rooftop to the next, I raced towards the edge of the city, sprinting towards the edge lined with warehouses whether those were ones just for storage, used by companies to make more product, or just abandoned ones, reserved mostly by the house the homeless or thugs, using them as a hideout. After some time I finally reached the east edge of the city, blocks filled with warehouses, yet...it was quiet, no sounds of hammers, drills or even the sound of trucks back into the building, ready to drop off a new shipment so the workers can couldn't their work, it was just...silent. Looking around at each one, I saw the warehouse I needed, placed perfectly near the edge of the water, so I raced towards it, climbing down the fire escape, I raced through the shadows, small flickers of flames reaching my eyes as homeless humans lit fires over barrels, keeping themselves warm in the early morning freeze, and as I reached the final warehouse, I pulled up the manhole cover, crawling back into the sewers.

Climbing down the ladders, I instantly noticed that silence was the loadest thing that filled these tunnels, there were not rodents running over the concrete, no drips of water echoing across the walls, in fact the walls were dry, and the tunnel itself was well kept, no stains, not even an ounce of foul smell filling the air, just growing planets that lines every inch of the sewers, moss growing through the cracks and cravesses, algae whithered almost forming what looked like seaweed, and even some other planets growing continuously without and once of dirt or sunlight.

Walking further down the sewers, I saw the opening and quickened my pace, feeling a sight tickled as my phone continued to buzz, ringing in the silence, the phone switched to quiet mode, making sure I made not an once of sound. Stepping into the open I found myself where I needed to be, the Mighty Mutanimals hideout, searching around the room, I noticed Dr. Rockwell working hard as he sat at his large computer, the keys echoing across the walls as he typed word after word, and code after code, just like Donnie.

"Leonardo, your thoughts are as loud as your phone...", shaking my head, I walked beside Dr. Rockwell, "Is there a reason you're here and awake, Leonardo? I'm sure that normally at this time, your brothers and you are preparing yourselves for training-"

'Training?!', looking off to the side of the massive computer, I stared at the time, seven a.m., 'Shoot!', I felt myself break into a cold sweat, Sensei was awake, awake to no kids home except for his wife and two baby girls. "Does this have to do with Donatello? I could hear your thoughts before you entered the sewers, and to answer your question, no...", stepping away from the systems, Tyler turned around and faced me, his hand still placed on the edge of the console, staring down at me as he hovered in the air, "Donatello hasn't come to the Mighty Mutanimals Lair for some time, if I remember correctly, not for a good hundred-thirty six days", Dr. Rockwell turned back around and continued his work, he was silence, I was silent, moments before we spoke in whispers, but now nothing was spoken, then he stopped typing, staring at the codes that lines the screen from one side all the way to the other, "By chance did he leave on the same terms, Michelangelo did-"

"No. Donatello loves this family, and Mikey didn't hate this family, he was just confused, he needed some time to think, but something kept him away from us...something is still keeping him away from wanting to come home...", looking down at the ground, I followed every single crack that lined the floor, "They both love this family...I know we may-...I have not been the best leader, or even brother but we changed...we better now-"

"By chance do you think that Michaelangelo would want to come regardless of you guys changing or not..."

"Of course he would, it's better than living trapped with the Kraang for months, for a year"

"But what if he finally found a place that let him grow...that let his abilities flourish into something greater, what if that's what's keeping him there-", he turned around and finally stepped away from the computer, flouting past me, and heading towards the water cooler, pouring himself some cool clean water, "I watched you guys once when I visited, not only in training but your day to day life...Michaelangelo was degraded, moments he would try and better himself, whether that was cooking for the family, or even just hanging out just for the fun of it, he was always placed in this...'cage' in a way, a character that was always seen as the happy kid that screws up everything, and if he was doing something right, you guys were only proud for a moment, or just to busy to even notice...but the moment he screws up, fails at training, fails on a mission, or just anything, you turtles belittle him, reminding him for days of the mess up he did hours, days, weeks, months before, just reminding him that he's 'the same old Mikey'"

"I know! And I regret every single moment we did that to him, he deserved so much better than that, and that's why all of us changed, we're better now-"

"Are you? Because you're current-, well ex...younger brother, seems to have proven that that's not true..."

"He's still our brother!-", I felt angry, I came here to solve the issue, to find my brother and tell him, that Sensei didn't mean anything he said, that he still loves Mikey, he wants to bring him home, we're just...so tired, "He's still apart of this family, he loves this family, plus hah! Where is he going to work on his experiments, Donnie loves science and if he-"

"And there you go again..."

"Wha-", confused, I backed up as Dr. Rockwell hovered towards me, sipping the last drops of water and placing the cup off to the side, I backed up so much I ran into a wall, flinching as the sound and vibrations of my phone buzzed out, and Rockwell stopped a foot away from me, "I may not have a family, or anything similar to call my own, but as I watch, even listen to you talk about your family, it disgusts me to my core. I listen to all of you talk about each other, and you are the worst out of the lot, placing every one of your teammates, your brother in characteristic boxes. You see Raph the brother with bad anger, who is ready to fight every single villain he sees with no room for discussion. Donatello the brother that only knows science and would rather spend an eternity in there than be with his own family, and I've already discussed Michaelangelo, and this just proves my point even more", he leaned down, staring harshly down at me, "You never changed...You're even more worse than before your brother even left..."

Chapter Text

~3 Months Later~

POV Centi:

'Everything has been going wrong, and it's all been going downhill to the point everything is becoming an issue, Dannie left the lab the moment he was free from Pequenito's hold, falling to the ground, only to turn back into a human, but since then I haven't seen Dannie once, maybe he was scared and ran away, all I know is that he has not been seen for three months and Pequenito...

Pequenito had not once left the nursery after he poured the glowing liquid all over the bat's body, glaring at the kid as it flowed down from his head to the rest of his body, dripping quietly onto the ground, and moments before the mysterious liquid touched his skin, he dropped Dannie. The poor mutant whined as the sound of crunching blared in front of the two of us, the transformation was not even close to gentle and easy to go through, in fact, it was quite the opposite. I wanted to do something, to hush the whining child to calm down but as the transformation finished all that was left was a poor kid, bare of clothes beside the blanket that draped over his pale skin, but what was worse was his expression, he wasn't happy, for a second I thought he would be happy, to finally be free from the one thing that kept him from his family, yet it wasn't, he was terrified, looking over his entire body the boy just cried, whine whine as he rubbed his face, begging over and over, saying that none of this was real, I knew he didn't feel safe, so he ran, to where...I have no idea, when I turned back to Pequenito, he just stared down at the empty vial, moving it around as the single drop left swirled around the glass. Tossing the glass to the side, Pequenito just left and made his way back to the nursery.

In that moment, I looked back and forth, wondering who to follow, who to comfort, so...I followed Pequenito, tapping on the door, trying so hard to comfort the kid, but he never answered...so I left, searching down every single corridor, hallway, cell, laboratory, closet, I searched everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found...how did it get to this, how did one vial ruin everything...but that wasn't the present issue, for the past two months possibly more, there has been a shadow running along the walls, for weeks I questioned if this figure was a threat, out to harm the six of us, or maybe just here to steal the only food we have left, just enough left to last six more months. But...I was wrong, they were helping us, I was confused as I went out to retrieve the food, I noticed the cameras were fixed, and the halls messily cleaned up, the Kraang carcasses were all that was left behind, yet not in the hallways but instead inside a single cell. At one point I figured that it was Bishop or some of the Kraang droids fixing everything up before the move back inside the facility, but there were no voice messages from Bishop sent through, no alerts on Dannie's position, there was nothing, so...

I decided to search for the shadowy figure'

Checking on the food log, I kept track of the amount of food both me and Pequenito consumed, even including the kids as well, throughout the months we rationed our food, however, I gave the two kids the normal amount of nutrients. 'Something's happening soon...Pequenito knows it, he seems...happy. Maybe the others are hatching soon...maybe', Writing down the inventory on a list, I made sure to check everything, my list was right, I know it was, if there was anything wrong with it...then someone's eating our supple, yet I doubt it. News came around from Bishop that Flaco was found outside the facility, and taken to a sister location, mostly likely to get...fixed again, 'I still don't understand how he found out I was alive though...'.

"Worker 13-000001", sitting off to the side, I continued to fill the boring hours with small tasks, until a quiet, yet harsh voice spoke up in the silence, "Worker 13-000001, answer now", pushing myself off the floor, I pressed on the intercom, my throat itch as I cleared it. "Apologies Sir, I was...preparing food and just got back...", Bishop took some time to respond, the video project wasn't on so Bishop couldn't see me, yet I still stood tall, no slouching nor dazed look covered my face, "So you are alive...Hm, well it seems some incident occurred with Prisoner 13-020120, so for the time being it will be fixed and placed accordingly, for the time being, you are to do its job, a simple one really, monitor Specimen 001 health, 13-020120 informed me the day of the incident that the rest of the experiments were caught in the crossfire, so we'll just monitor 001", I was shocked, 'He doesn't know...', I huffed out as Bishop continued to explain my new role, nearing what I thought was the end of this conversation. "Now, I spoke with Prisoner 13-202012's kin, the blue one that goes by Leonardo...we talked about you...", my breath stilled as I stood by the communication orb, my breath stuttered, and Bishop stayed silent, "To think I gave you everything, only for you to go against my order, and spout nonsense to my experiment's kin...*^&$#", I cringed, my name was spoken, yet it felt odd to hear, for years I even forgot what I was named, the name my mother gave me, my father's name, but hearing it from his mouth, made me hate it even more. Sounds of shuffling echoed through the call, Bishop gave orders to a droid, telling it to stand near him, "Be outside Laboratory #08 in thirty Earth minutes, a Kraang droid and I will see you there and deal with you accordingly-"

"But sir-"

"This will conclude the conversation" , and with that he was gone, leaving me in more trouble than I was moments prior.

Walking into the kitchen, I stood there for a second, looking around the room, I noticed a napkin falling to the floor,  hitting the ground with a soft tap. Ignoring the cleansing rad that lay there motionless on the floor, I walked towards the fridge and counted everything inside, counting the cartons, the jugs, the few types of meat, and everything else that belonged inside the fridge, everything matched with the inventory, so I moved on. I checked everything from the dry goods, items usually placed inside the pantry, to even the sweets, we never had a lot but Bishop used them as a reward when a prisoner did everything correctly. Checking the last cupboard, I opened the door, and began counting every single can we had, counting the canned soups, canned veggies, and canned fruits, that was until I noticed something off, a few of the cans...were missing. I continued to recheck check, checking my list and the cupboard once again but my list was right, 'Maybe...Flaco took some before he was taken to another facility?', I hoped I was right, that that was the issue, but I knew I was wrong, someone was here, but where.

*Click*

'The door shut?!', turning around, I reached for the code panel, and entered the code, pressing my digits firmly against each button, only for the door to open moments later. It was short, just a fraction of a second, there were footsteps, tapping away from me, racing down the halls, with the lists in my hand, gripping the notes tightly in my hold, I chased towards the footsteps. 

Stealth was never my strong suit, especially when it's mixed with speed, racing down the long hallways was never a quiet trip. 

Racing down the hallways, I searched around each corner, listening to every tap and click, sounds of air pressure releasing, anything, I was listening, I continued to run, charging into the prisoner sector, I opened each cell, hoping to find the intruder, but there was nothing, no human no mutant nothing. 'I know someone is here, there had to be...right?', slamming the door, I looked around the cell, I kept doing this, checking every single cell, but there was nothing, so...I stopped, stepping out of the cell, I noticed where I was...three hallways east of Pequenito's cell. No longer in a rush, I walked in that direction, but I listened, walking in the direction of the cell, I ran my hands along the edge of the smooth walls, feeling that oh-so-familiar texture, as the distance became shorter, 'Just one more turn', the kitchen was always the farthest from Pequenito's cell, so making my way back will take some time, well unless I run back there.

Turning around the last corner, I saw Pequenito's cell, sitting there wide open, it was strange...unlike the rest of the cell, all of the others were shut tight, only opened with a code told by Bishop himself, yet here was Pequenito's cell, wide open. Walking towards the rooms, I pushed the door the rest of the way, staring into the room, stepping only a few feet inside, I noticed so much, yet so little, bags of food left behind, shoved underneath the bed by Flaco, and notebooks stacked neatly and carefully in a corner, belonging to one of the two cellmates, used in moments to fill the empty boredom, or just to talk when tapping is too much, when listening was too much, reaching down I picked up one of the books, and opened it to the front page.

'Belongs to Michaelangelo Tang'

'Don't Read this Dannie >:('

Chuckling lightly, I flipped through the pages, and just stared at the pages, depictions of his old family sketched out on the pages, and even drawings of the three of us, 'How long have you been calling me nana, Mijo?...', he wrote once a day, for what looked like him trying to keep his sanity stable and for the most part seemed alright, well...until day...well I'm not sure, he didn't even mark the day, but I knew the day to well, the moment he found out he was a father, a kid forced into a role he never wanted nor was prepared for, I continued to read through the pages, and as I read each one he sanity worsened, each page becoming shorter and shorter, his words filled with love and yearning to see his family, to see his mom and little sisters once more, to be out in the world, and change his past decision, to be more careful, to be more vigilant, writing every single night a letter directly to his mother, 'Tang Shen...sounds beautiful', his words were so detailed so touching, that was until finally...he stopped.

Pages became short and dead, he continued to talk through these pages, but they no longer held life, held purpose, those words just...felt empty, Pequenito wrote like he was bored, wanting to get this over with like someone was forcing him to write, to do this small task. I stared at the last page, and my chest just tightened, staring down at the only recent page that said some much in just a few words.

'Goodbye Momma...maybe in another universe, we are together, together with your grandbabies'

I swallowed down that firm discomfort that formed in my throat, rubbing my eyes as they stung with fresh tears ready to break through, I rested my hand on my chest, "Oh Pequenito...your Momma loves you so much...and so do I", closing the cover, I brought the notebook close to my face, pressing my forehead against it. "Oh mijo", I closed my eyes, and a fresh tear flowed down my cheeks, 'a tear?', crying was never something Bishop approved of, it was a sign of weakness, a sign of submission, the Kraang didn't want that, they wanted their workers to be strong, to be stubborn, hard to break and spread the Kraang work, so this felt nice. Rubbing my palm over my eyes, I quickly wiped the moistness away, placing the book on the ground, and reaching for the next one, I read over the cover and a small smile pulled at my cheeks, making my laugh remembering old times, 'Convo Only', I read through all the conversations, questions Pequenito wanted to know, how to tap certain letters, and even some cases where Flaco wanted to ask the turtle a simple question, I laughed, laughing at all the dumb, yet funny jokes Pequentio told Flaco, the puns and old shows he watched outside of TCRI, shows he watched with his sisters, it was adorable that was until I came across a conversation,

(Dannie talking and Mikey talking)

Mikey r u ok?

Did u have that nightmare again?

Did u have a different dream?

In my dream I was out of TCRI my Mom didn't save me no one did I escape

That was until only my old disowned family found me I wanted to run away but they caught me I thought maybe they'd just take me with them where I could leave once more but they didn't instead of taking me to the lair they

There were tear stains on the paper, not many, but it was clear this dream hurt him, it brought me to tears,

They brought me back here

That's where it ended, no words after to calm the boy, there was nothing. Sighing tiredly, I knew it was time to go back, grab some lunch, and see Pequenito, to feed the two mouths that giggled and cried on the other side of the door, I wanted so badly to help the kid, to help in any way I could, but he never came out, he stayed hidden away. Placing the book back, I pushed myself up to my feet, and walked towards the door, squeezing through, I made my way back towards the kitchen, my feet felt heavy and my eyes felt weighted, I was tired, too tired to continue any more, I wanted to go back to the lab, to rest just outside of Pequenito's door as I listened to the soft coos of the babies just on the other side, but I couldn't, not just yet.

The hallways were quiet again, with no sounds of footsteps, not even the sound of hushed breathing, 'Maybe I was just hearing things...', there was nothing but the sound of my hundreds of legs, tapping away quietly at the floor, 'Maybe...I just miss the sounds of people walking up and down the halls...yeah that's it'.

--------------------------

Pushing the kitchen door open, I looked inside the fridge, 'I should probably stick with soft foods still for the kids, for Pequenito probably is low on protein-', placing the baby food off to the side, I searched through the fridge, meats were low and all that was left was some chicken liver, saved for mutants that were anemic, or just craved meat more than the gruel I prepared day after day, so I grabbed the liver, and begin cooking, the meal was going to be a very basic pasta, just sauce, pasta and the liver itself, I continued to cook scrunching my face at the smell that filled the room, the liver was never my favorite part of the animal, but it was still something I ate to stay healthy.

I finished, pouring all the pasta into the chipped bowl left here for months on end, tossing the rest of the food into the worn-down plastic bag, I even threw some formula in as well, and turned around, making my way back towards the lab. 

Staring up towards the cameras, looking at their structure, fixed perfectly and built back to its original form...well close enough. I reached for it, my hands inches away from touching the device, I pushed myself up, lifting my front legs I was able to stand taller, I was able to reach the device, my hand gentle as I looked over the design, my hand grazing over it, moving farther towards the back. I touched the device gently, but as I grabbed the wiring in the back, I ripped the security camera off the wall, tossing it to the ground making the floor dirty once more, "No!", I flinched at the sound of someone's voice yelled loudly from one end of the hall, "Do you know how long it took me to fix all of these damn cameras, I'll tell you two months!-", looking towards the voice that yelled, I couldn't tell who it was, the body blurred out in the dark hallways, I could tell one thing, they weren't Kraang, nor were they, Bishop. Squinting my eyes, I tried to see who was yelling, speaking so quickly that I could barely understand, but then I remembered that voice, a voice I told to leave, yet he came back, back to this forsaken waste of a building, "I told you to leave. I told you he wasn't here, so why are you here-, did you give up-"

"Oh don't start that! You knew it was a matter of time before I came back, and spoke with you, only to find out you had been lying-", I was shocked, I was lying, lying about what, I thought back to everything I spoke about, the only lies were Pequenito's whereabouts, that was the only lie, "I have never lied once, I told you, your brother isn't here!", a book was flung to the floor, sliding all the way to my feet, so I picked it up, reading the words, 'Pequenito's Journal?!', I held the book close to my chest, "Alright fine, what do you want, go on ask", he was silent, walking closer and closer, just a few feet away as he stared up at me, I just looked down at the small worn down turtle, his purple mask no longer on his forehead instead wrapped around his arm, but something else was wrapped around his arm...an orange mask?

"When were you going to tell me that Pequenito was my brother", I stared down at the dirtied boy, soot covered his cheeks, his wraps, his hands, I just looked down at him as the young boy looked up at me, he stepped forward as he reached for the book, but I pulled it away, I didn't want to lose it, "When were you going to tell me, my brother was here this whole time!", I didn't want to lose him.

Chapter Text

POV Centi:

I cleared my throat as I looked down at the soot-covered turtle in front of me, "He isn't. Like I said to you months ago, your brother left. He's gone-", the kid smashed his hand against the wall, as he continued to glare at me, pointing his finger towards me, pressing it firmly against my chest, "I'M NOT STUPID! MIKEY IS IN THAT LAB WITH YOU! FIVE MONTHS AGO HE WAS TURNED INTO- INTO- AH! YOU CAN NOT PERSUADE ME ANY LONGER, I HAVE WATCHED THE FOOTAGE THOUSANDS OF TIMES! LOOKED FROM EVERY SINGLE ANGLE TO SEE WHERE HE WAS TAKEN...", his arm dropped down to his side, his breath was heavy, he was tired, I was tired, "So don't tell me that bullshit anymore...I know my brothers in that fucking room and you are going to take me to him NOW!!!", the boy was like all the men, and even some women, short-tempered and hot head, but this was not just a short temper, no... this was months, almost years of anguish and frustrated spilling over, but I knew he was mad at me, I knew but I could tell he was also mad at himself.

Reaching down towards the ground, I picked up the plastic bag, still holding Pequenito's food in my other hand, but when I looked at the boy I knew the answer, and I knew he wouldn't like it, "No"

"You b-", I held my hand up, placing the bag in the boy's arms, he was angry, but also confused, staring down at the bag he looked up towards me, his eyes held a subtle glare, "No, because that is not possible, I will tell you why if you tell me, why you have been staying here-", he looked shocked, undoubtedly ashamed that I noticed him, "I've been seeing your shadow follow me whenever I leave the lab, for weeks I thought it was a droid, and maybe even Flaco, but they never approached-", I turned around as I walked back, he walked fast to catch up with me, but he didn't walk by my side, instead he walked a few feet behind me, "- it's been here for some time, droids whenever they see me and hear my footsteps, they call out my number, demanding as to why I'm wondering around, so I knew it was someone foreign", he was silent, his once quiet feet, tapped louder than before.

"When I got back to my old home that night, my family was there waiting for me, instead of being...proud, they berated me, telling me that I was in the wrong for finding more information on Mikey's whereabouts, and my...father-", the way he said it, like to him it felt wrong, to him it felt odd to say, "-told me that...since Mikey hasn't at all tried to tell us where he was, then there is no point in searching for someone that doesn't even want to be saved, so...I...", I stopped and looked down at the turtle, his eyes never meeting mine, instead he stared down at the ground, "I told them that if I ever found him, I would never bring him back to a family like that, and left...and as you can tell...I don't really have anywhere else to stay so, I've been staying here...", he slowed down as I continued our trip, walking down the long halls, he noticed I never stopped, so he ran for me, 'Well he gave me the answer to my question, might as well answer his'.

"Like I said earlier you can't see Peque-... Mikey-", it felt odd saying his name, but I needed to, I needed this kid to understand, not me but his own brother, "...he doesn't want to see anyone, he's been hiding inside the nursery for five months, he comes out a few times, but it's rare, only coming out when he needs to throw something out, or go to the bathroom, and even that is rare, he doesn't trust anyone, not even me. And I know I'm most likely nothing special to him, but his cellmate was close to him, he didn't even let him in there...", we finally arrived, slowly I entered the code, and waited as the doors slid open, the air pressure releasing. "Let me talk to him, maybe I can say something...".

'Was it a good idea, it worries me, what would Pequenito do, would he run, leave with the two, heck maybe four turtles with him...', making our way up the stairs, I walked up the inner door, and entered the code again, pushing the door open, I stopped the kid, "Wait here...", whispering quietly, barely loud enough for the boy to hear, I walked towards the nursery and knocked on the door, my hand resting on the door handle, ready for him to unlock it.

M E A L S     H E R E

Waiting there, I stared down at the ground and heard a quiet click, a hand reaching out as he grabbed the bag, and bowl, closing the door before I could say anything, before I could ask him. Looking off to the side, I motioned the kid to come over, to sit next to the door as I tried to get Mikey to talk, to answer his brother.

P E Q U E N I T O

S O M E O N E     W A N T S     T O     T A L K     T O     Y O U

I     D I D N T     T E L L      T H E M    Y O U    W E R E    H E R E

T H E Y     F O U N D     O U T

Looking towards the kid, I waited, I knew the possibility of Pequenito speaking to anyone, let alone to his own brother wasn't going to happen, I knew he wouldn't come out, yet the tapping continued.

W H O

My finger hovered over the door, hearing the quiet sounds of coos, and giggles.

Y O U R     B R O T H E R

T H E     P U R P L E   O N E

I pushed myself up and turned away from the door, he didn't want to see him, he wanted to be alone, that's what Pequenito does, he ignores it, he hides just so he can protect his young.

L E T     M E     P U T     T H E     K I D S     T O     B E D

T H E N     I L L     C O M E     O U T

W H Y     D O N T     Y O U     A N D     H I M     G O     G E T     S O M E     F O O D

"Alright-", my hand nearly fell off the handle before I grabbed ahold of it once more, "-but please...", my grip on the handle was firm, pulling it towards me , hoping that this could keep him here, that this will make him not want to leave, "don't run away, he's not here to take you home...he's not apart of that family anymore...", I let go of the door and ushered the kid to follow, walking down the stairs, I waited for the turtle to follow, but he just stood on the stairs, looking up towards the door, "He won't leave kid...", he said nothing and followed after me, "How hasn't Bishop found you?", he looked towards me, "Bishop can see every live camera footage, through the city, so how-"

"It's because it's not live video footage, all of the videos sent through are footage recorded is a week after I cleaned the halls, just after I fixed them, I played those videos on repeat, so Bishop doesn't think something wrong, throughout the day, he'll see the old footage of you walked up and down the hallways, making your way towards the kitchen", he smiled, so did I, looking up I stared down the end of the hallway. Listening to the silence, I thought that he would stay silent after that, too awkward to speak to someone, but he wasn't, filling the journey with question after question, I tried to answer as many as I could, but the majority were about my mutation, my old life, he even questioned why I never left, I was happy to answer...that was until he got to my name...my real name, "So I've also been wondering, did Mikey give you that name? He loves naming mutants and other things, so it made me wonder if Centi was even your real na-"

"The kitchen's not that far, I'll let you look through the cupboard, but please, we're rationing our food, so don't eat too much", he was silent when I interrupted him, I hoped he understood, that was a topic I refused to bring up...not anymore, yet...for some reason, all I felt...was guilt.

Walking through the door, I pulled out a large bag of rice, and brought it towards the counter. Inside this facility, the Kraang regularly collected kitchen appliances, whether it was the newest edition, or even something from when I was a kid, but often never knew what and how they were used, a few times I tried to explain it to them, but they never understood, one of these appliances was a rice cooker, a simple device, but one created in the 1970s. Placing the rice cooker on the counter, I poured half a cup of rice inside the cooker, a small amount, but just enough to make the two of us feel full for the time being. Pulling the removable bowl out of the machine, I washed the rice, rinsing it over and over until finally, the water was clear, I brought it back, and began cooking the grain.

-------------------------------

It's been fourteen minutes, waiting quietly by the cooker, the boy sat on the counter, his legs swinging back and forth, writing away on his overly used notepad, with his choice of seasonings sitting aligned next to him, "I never got your name...what is it?", I stared down at the orange light, waiting for the second it changed to bright green, "Oh it's Donatello...", switching my gaze over to his pad, I looked over his notes, it was just...equations, for what I had no idea, so I chuckled, as I looked back at the blurred orange light, "Your father must have really liked the Renaissance era, what about the others?"

*Beep* *Beep*

Pulling off the lid, I reached for two bowls, and a rice spoon, scooping each equal parts into each bowl, "If I remember currently...there was a red one and a blue one-", handing him the bowl, I added simple seasoning to mine, garlic powder, onion powder, and soy sauce, nothing to fancy, "Well the blue ones, Leonardo, he is...was my leader, and the red ones, Raphael", rinsing the cooker, I placed the machine away, and carried my bowl with me, "What strong names...Donatello, I want to apologize for what I did early-", with the small distance, just standing a foot away, I could tell he was confused, "-when you asked about my name...to be frank, I don't remember my name, and...", pushing the door open, I started our trip back, he looked back before looking at his bowl, noticing his confusion, I informed him that the Kraang never supplied us with utensils so he'll have to use his hands, he didn't mind, so he scoops some rice and ate from his fingers.

"Ever since I was...I would like to think around my thirties, I was close with very few mutants and even humans that lived in this facility, I told them my name, and we were all just so close, but for some reason...the ones I told died...the cause was always different but it always happened a month after I said it, well excluding the Kraang, so I never said anyone else my name...except one day...this girl, kidnapped by the Kraang, came to this facility, I think I was about thirty-five, she grew close to me, he hair was a beautiful brunette color, and of course, her mutation was just a lovely as she was, a mourning dove. We grew close, she...in the beginning never learned my name, so she called me, Centi, mutants started calling me that, a name, one that brought no signs of death in its path, it made me happy...she made me happy...so I thought she was different, I told her my name...she died in that project a day later, brain dead the moment they removed that crystal from her body, so...Bishop killed her...", my face felt wet as I remember my old friend, a girl that barely lived past the age of thirty.

"Anyways, like I said, I don't remember my name, the only one that knows is Bishop, so if you really want to know ask him...", I quickened my stepping, the door just down the hall, I could almost see it, "There's this girl, I like-...", looked down towards Donatello, he held a soft smile as he looked down, his thumbs fidgeting with one another, "she's the smartest, prettiest, and by far the only person I have ever wanted to be with...she was the first human I ever met, yet it felt like it was love at first sight, a saying I heard through the internet as I did my research...I wanted her to know, so I got my feelings out, she-...she denied feelings, sure I was sad, but I'm glad I was able to tell her, so that I can focus on other things that can help with team", entering the last digit, the door opened, 'Feelings?...for her', I thought back to the girl, 'I could remember her clear as day, but...feelings?', we walked inside, "You're a good kid...", the door closed behind, and when I looked up towards the stairs, the door was wide open, and fear filled my chest, 'No...-'

H E Y

I looked off to the side, and there he was, Pequenito sitting quietly, as he ate the pasta I made earlier, "Oh my lord, I thought you left-", he placed a finger over his mouth as his other hand tapped the bowl.

T H E     K I D S     A R E     S L E E P I N G

"Mikey...", Donatello spoke through his breath, I looked at him, his cheeks wet as his eyes landed on his brother, his steps were stuttered, yet he continued to walk, his reached out towards him, "I-...I can't believe it's you-", and as Donatello walked towards him, Pequenito scooched himself back, switching his gaze between the turtle and me. Donatello could tell Pequenito wasn't ready, so he stopped where he was, actually he took a step back, sitting on the ground and just looking at his brother, "Wait you're still...", Donatello watched as I sat off to the side between them, "What happened to the retro-mutagen I gave you...", I didn't want to answer, but I knew that it was going to have to be me the one explaining, translating everything, "Pequenito didn't want the retro-mutagen, so...he gave it to Flaco..."

"Flaco? Who's that?"

"Do you remember, his cellmate, the bat-", Donatello nodded his head, still eating the rice I propared for him to eat, "He was transformed back, but he was also taken in my Bishop...", Donatello's gaze turned back to Pequenito, his gaze softened as he watched his brother eat the pasta with his fingers, watching as his once little brother fumble with the noodles, using his large hands to pick up the tiny pasta, "But why didn't you take it...", Mikey said nothing turning his gaze back towards me, but I just looked back at Pequenito, sighing tiredly as I scratched my arm, "When he's like this, he feels stronger, he feels strong enough to protect himself, to protect his family, strong enough to fight against Bishop-"

"His family?...but if that was true, why didn't you just come home after the Kraang left this building?", I looked towards Pequenito, wondering if he wanted to tell him, but I guess...

"WAHHHHHHHH!", he didn't get to decide, Pequenito pushed himself up and walked back towards the lab

I L L     B E     B A C K

I nodded my head and looked at Donatello, "He'll be back, he just needs to do something real quick-"

"Does he have a kid in there?! Wait...who's-", I nodded my head, but I told him to wait, letting him know that if the time comes I'll explain everything to him. Pequenito kept the door, wide open, carefully he walked down the stairs, both hands full as they carried one thing delicately, in one hand, he carried a bottle, filled with the formula I brought earlier, and the other...held his eldest child, Uno. Watching from afar, I switched my gaze between the two and Donatello's face was just covered in pure shock, his mouth stuttered as he tried to find the words, but he couldn't. Looking towards Pequenito, he tapped his finger on Uno's shell.

E X P L A I N

"Everything?", the boy nodded his head as he fed the child, tapping his tail on the hard concrete floor always seemed to calm the child, so I did as he said and turned back to Donatello, "Who's-...who's kid is that?". Taking a deep breath, I looked at him, and turned my body fully towards him, "it's his...meet Uno, his first child-"

"First? Wait what?! How-"

"Let me explain. Pequenito ever since day one has been unknowingly monitoring and watching over his kids, Bishop assigned Pequenito to these tasks, while working alongside Flaco, his cellmate, six, maybe seven months later, Mikey was informed that those specimens were truthfully his own-", watching others cry felt odd, but I let the kid, it was gross to listen to, to listen to this story hurt, "Bishop took Mikey's DNA and well created them-", Donatello's hand covered his mouth, he was silent, no sounds of choked up sobs or even the utter of words, "Bishop created five mutant turtles from eggs..."

"Project Soldiers", so he knew, "Oh my-...Mikey, how could-"

"Love and accept them? Because that's Pequenito for you, he knows it's not their fault on how they were created, so he wanted to love them and give them the closest thing he can to a normal life...", I continued and turned my gaze towards Pequenito, he seemed content, happily feeding the baby with ease, "But...one didn't make it, so now he's taking care of two-", I looked towards Mikey once more, only for him to hold up all his fingers on one and an additional on the other, "Four kids...", I expected tears, but when I looked back the boys eyes looked empty, his hands gripped tightly into his, he was angry, "That disgusting piece of-"

N O     C U S S I N G

Donatello stopped, looking towards me wondering what his brother tapped, "He just said no cussing, I'm guessing because of the baby", Donatello nodded his head as he set aside the empty bowl, "Is this why you never came home, did you think we would have been angry about the children?", Pequenito shook his head, "I'll translate, go on Pequenito"

("Centi Translate Mikey's Morse Code")

"No, I knew you guys would have loved them whole heartingly. It was because I feared that all of you would be disgusted because of why and how they were created"

It hurt to hear him tap those words but it made sense, the kids would be a constant reminder of what happened to Mikey, a constant reminder of the hell that happened to him, no one would forget.

"Mikey...your kids, my nieces or nephews would never be seen in that way, I would love them with all my heart...but why aren't you talking?".

Pequenito went to tap his chest, but I looked at him, my hand raised letting him know that I'll explain, "Let me...I can tell you why he's not talking...Pequenito?", he nodded and slowly turned around, his back now facing the two of us, "If you looked at the back of his neck, he has a device that is permanently bonded to his neck-"

"Well let me look at it, I can-"

"No...the device was created by Bishop, the properties of the device makes sure the user's larynx stays paralyzed when Bishop permits, throughout his time here there had been new controls added to it, boundary limit, disobedience, and if anyone other than Bishop touches the device it shocks him, so-"

"Let me help-"

"I told you, no one can touch-", from his pouch, Donatello set the remote on the floor, sliding it straight towards me, "How?-"

"I went into Bishop's office...now please-", this time he wasn't looking at me, but instead looked at Pequenito, I looked as well, Pequenito was worried, his eyes stared in fear as he gazed down at the remote, his body trembling as he held his child close to close to his chest, "Mikey...Let me help you..."

Chapter Text

("Centi Translate Mikey's Morse Code")

POV Donnie:

Mikey tapped his chest, I knew he said something, so I listened, listening to tempo, the speed, even the patterns, but I could never understand what any of it meant...moments like this made me wish I used my time to study a language like morse code instead of filling my time with trinkets and experiments, this was one of the many languages I never studied, "Wait what did he say?!", I stared at the old mutant beside me, waiting for the translation, 'I hate not knowing things...it makes me feel...', I turned back to Mikey, '-it feel so useless...', watching as he stood up carrying the child in one palm, his child, my nephew. There would be moments when I dreamed that I would have my own, I've actually been writing down ideas on how to create my own, but only one was the most ethical, I knew I would have my own kid for a while, but I never thought I would have a nephew or niece, maybe from Raph and Mona Lisa, yet it felt so surreal, I stared at the young one giggle, his scales pale, and almost having similar features to a sea turtle, he looks so much like Mikey when he was young... I watched as Centi followed his path, pushing themselves up, and walking after my brother, "Centi, what did he-"

"He said no, Donatello. He doesn't want to go through with that...", I was confused, the one thing that could make him feel free, maybe not from this place, I knew for sure the release from the pressure would feel amazing, 'why...Mikey?', Mikey walked back towards the stairs, he was ready to leave, to hide away once more, but I couldn't let him go, he need-...no...I wanted him to stay, to talk, to chat, to just...be brother once more, "Wha-, fine! I'm sorry-, I won't!...just but please don't leave me...", I stumbled as I pushed myself up to my feet, my body tremble, reaching not for Centi, the mutant closest to me, no I wanted to reach my younger brother, 'Mikey was so supposed to look up to me, to admire me, yet it's the opposite, he...hates me', I no longer reached towards him, my body was tense as I watched him leave once again, he was not selfish, in fact, I was the selfish one, I want all of this to disappear, to vanish like nothing happened, but you can't change the past, but you can change the future, "I thought I would love living alone, working in complete silence, no interruptions...", staring down at the ground, I felt so much tension, my body stiff, and shoulders slouched in, my body continued to trembled as I tried to hold still, but I wasn't still, my back hurt, hunching over for days as I continued my work, "But-...", a water drop, then another, hitting the ground one after and another, I touched my face feeling the wet tears flowing down my face, wetting my chin, "I hate that life..."

"I don't like the life of solitude, back almost years ago, I wished I was human, to live a life where I could do the things I've always wanted to do, to be who I wanted to be, which...at the time was to be alone, to be undisturbed by anyone as I work in my lab, but...", my throat squeaked as I hiccuped through my tears, "I hate it..."

I heard tapping and looked straight towards Mikey, only for the centipede to let me know that she'll translate for me, 'I hate feeling useless', so he tapped.

"So what does that have to do with me..."

'He thinks I'm blaming him', I walked towards him, only for him to step back, "...I miss our talks where you ask questions that for a second I thought were simple-minded, but instead were quite complex, I miss your presence while I worked. I missed the surprisingly well-cooked meals you create during the night while I work until dawn...".

"Surprisingly?"

"Mikey you have to remember the weir-, strange concoctions you created...", I started naming them off, chuckling as I remembered that even a few made Mikey himself throw up from the taste, "Pizza smoothie, algae cake, pizza with stuff from the garbage! Nonetheless, these are things I missed...", the tears never stopped, yet my eyes felt puffy, I hardly ever cried, supposedly from Splinter, it was a sign of weakness, yet Mom...said otherwise, "I know that it will take you some time to forgive me, let alone trust me, and I will give you the time to go with your own speed..."

"But why...why do you want me back...you guys used to hate my presence..."

I could tell he was angry as he glared down towards me, Mikey handed his son off to Centi as he walked down the stairs, Centi followed, yet they seemed awkward, they looked like they never held a baby before. Mikey kept walking towards me, only to stop, his sharp nails tapping sharply against the countertop.

"For years, I tried so fucking hard to make you guys proud, I tried everything, training, cooking, learning, games, silence, helping, patrol, everything...but you guys were never happy...and what the heck do you mean surprisingly. I made perfectly delicious food specifically made for each and every one of you...."

"Mikey please, I'm sorry, I know I was a shitty brother, I know but please-"

"You are only sorry because you missed the life we once had...you are only sorry cause you fear the thing I am now..."

"Wha-! I'm not-"

"I'm not stupid, I saw your guys' face when I got rid of that Kraang Droid-"

"That wasn't because I was scared of you, I was scared at what became of you... I saw blood dripping from your mouth and teeth!", I never wanted to get to this point, me screaming at Mikey, all I wanted was for him to let me be a part of his life, whether or not that meant he forgave or not, "Believe me, watching the Kraang race die is something I wanted to do for so long. I mean destroying their stupid droids does nothing!-", I spoke out of breath as I slid down the side of the counter, pulling my knees close to my chest as I turned away from the two of them, noticing that the child had not once cried when I yelled, "I was...", I tried to look for the words, but the memory of that day, still shocked me to my core, sending chills down my spine, "What was terrifying was watching what I thought was some complete stranger, rip up a Kraang with his teeth, and just staring at the limp tentacles hang as they were just wedge in that stranger's teeth...I was never scared of you, Mikey...god I could never be scared of you...and I know I don't say it enough, fuck-", I said those words through my breath as I chuckled, tears coming back once more, but I still never looked back at them as I pressed my eyes into my palms, "I know I never say it, out of everyone, you made me so proud...to the point I was jealous...", I large thumped sounded off beside as well as a softer one, soft coos sounded out as what I'm guessing was Mikey's tail thumping against the floor.

"Jealous? Why?"

I laughed, but it didn't sound like one as I remembered back, back to when he was with us, and when he wasn't, "Hah- where do I start...", my voice trembled, I tried to clear my throat but nothing help, I was finally with my lost brother, I wanted to hug him, to finally bring him back home...but he was home. For the first time in years, he finally looks happy, trying so hard just to prove himself to his own fucking family, he was happy here, "You compared to the rest of our-"

"Your..."

"Compared to Me, Raph, heck even Leo, you have by far the most talent compared to the rest of us...you can cook, fight, learn quickly, socialize with humans easily!", I rested my cheek against my knee as I looked at the ground, "You got to live an actually normal life, live amongst humans, and go to school, you even got to try a variety of different food, not the same thing every single night...you got to live a good life...", for once I finally looked up towards Mikey, watching as he cradled the young turtle, "And...", the truth hurt...I knew that it was true, but I still felt bad, "We ruined everything...", reaching into my pouch, I pulled out a dirtied rag, drying my face, only the rag was dirty from wiping my hands clean from my soot-covered hands, "I'm sorry...you don't have to forgive me, I know I don't deserve it, but please, let me stay in this lab, let me try-"

"How long have you been here..."

I looked up towards Mikey and noticed Centi walking back, 'When did they walk away...', they reached for the rag in my hand, but I pulled back, "That rag is dirty and so is your face-", they pulled it from my hands as they placed a clean wet cloth in my hand, walking away, "Clean your face...it's dirty". I thanked them, rubbing the rag against my face, I cleaned off the sweat, the dirt, everything that stained my scales from the weeks of showerless nights, "Three months..."

"Three months? Where have you been staying?"

"In one of the other laboratories..."

"You have to be careful, Bishop comes by sometimes to check up on Uno's status", Mikey tapped his chest his eyes furrowed, I just looked down at the child that sat comfortably inside Mikey's palm, playing with his thumb, 'He looks so small...', he looked at me. I stared at the baby as he switched between Mikey and me, reaching his arms out, "Pequenito! Bishop has no idea about the others, all Flaco told him was that Uno was the only survivor. For two months, I have been writing fake logs about Uno, stating that he is living a very healthy life-...", Mikey's hand lowered towards the ground as he set Uno aside, silently arguing with the centipede. I reached for the baby and placed him in front of me, using my legs as a border, his carapace rested against my plastron as he played with my fingers, moving them back and forth, "Pequenito, believe me, if I had a choice, I would not be doing this, but the moment I'm late on an entry, Bishop threatened to come here, and take us to another facility to continue the project-, Mikey! I know-You can trust me!-".

I knew this had nothing to do with me, so I ignored them and played with my nephew..., 'Heh...that's so nice to say...nephew'. Looking over his head, I watched as he moved my fingers around, shoving my fingers into his mouth, covering them in saliva, as he cooed quietly, "So you're Uno, huh?", the kid hummed as his mouth hung open, drool pooling onto the ground, "Let me get a look at you, I need to see and figure out what you are", picking up the baby, and laid him on his back, checking his entire body structure, I looked at the bottom of his feet, his hands, even the engraving lines on his plastron, even the dark navy blue scales that lined the left side of his face. I spread the digits on his feet only for the kid to giggle, I chuckled, "Ooooh you're ticklish-", picking up the kid I blew raspberries on the dip in his neck, making his once quiet giggles, breaking out into loud fits of laughter, "I'm gonna get cha'! I'm gonna get cha'! I got cha'!", he continued to laugh, by as I slowed down, his chubby cheeks showed a big toothless smile, his hands reaching up, so I picked him up.

Resting one of my arms underneath him, I let him use my arm as a seat as I used the other to hold him upright, chuckling as the kid tapped my face, '...I wonder what the other kids are like...'

"You're really good with kids"

I jumped, noticing that Mikey sat in front of me, which made Uno in turn reach for him, wanting to be back with his father, "Well...taking care of two one-year-olds does that to you", I chuckled as Mikey placed Uno back against my belly, I looked over to Centi, she seemed shocked, about what...I couldn't tell. I looked back up to Mikey only to be met with a sorrowful expression.

"How were the twins?"

I looked down towards the ground, and my smile fell, even though this bundle of joy sat in front of me, giving me the biggest smile, "Do you want the truth?...", not lifting my face, I looked up to Mikey, he tapped nothing, but instead...nodded, "Because of how young the two are, over time-... their memory is still developing, so they don't remember some things...one of them being you...after some time they asked where we were going, and why we were leaving, every night we told them, that we were looking for their Baba...", I could tell that that nickname, hurt him, hurt to remember what he left so he could protect this family, "After I wanna say seven months after Mom-...Ms. Tang moved in with us...the kids were starting to forget...who they were waiting up at night for...".

"I wish you knew morse code...Because there is so much I wanna ask you without a translator, sorry Centi-"

"I completely understand, Pequenito, but...why don't you go on...ask...", I looked back at Mikey as he smiled, chuckling softly, then he did something.

*Chirp*

A soft chirp came from him, the sound gained Uno's attention and he repeated the noise, 'Turtle talk...', the little one chirped over and over and over, as he clapped his hands.

"Let's make a deal..."

I looked up towards Mikey, as he picked up the child, his mouthing yawning as he continued to tap, as Centi continued to translate.

"Learn morse code...then I'll tell you why the real reason I never left..."

"Wait...", I looked down at the ground, remembering the visions Leo would have, the meditative states he had when he talked to Mikey, "so-", when I looked up Mikey was gone, he made no sound, not his feet, nor large size made a sound, he went full stealth mode..., "A true ninja...", I mumble under my breath as I heard the nursery door click shut, 'And he wonders why I was jealous of him...he's-', I stared down at the lines that were in graved into my skin, the scars and burns plastered all over my arms, 'a born ninja...'.

"I could never get used to that...", I looked up at Centi as she carried our bowls, even the plates and trash left behind, "He always was so silent when he trained, and even when he was in a rush, his feet never made a sound no matter how hard that boy ran...hm", they shrugged their shoulders as they walked towards the door, "Also if you decide to go get whatever stuff you have, the code here  is 0305142009, you got that?", pulling out my notepad, I wrote the code down, only to forget the last three numbers. As I asked them to repeat they said the code one last time. Repeating the code,  they confirmed, "Don't forget, learn morse code!", they spoke in a singsong voice as they left me alone in the laboratory, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

'Learn...morse code...WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!!!', it felt so obvious, I cursed at myself, "UghhhhhhhhHHHHAAAAAAAH! Whatever...", I groaned annoyingly as I pushed myself up to my feet, I looked around the lab and walked towards the door, leaving the lab with my notepad and phone in hand.

--------------------------------

"Alright...", looking around the messy lab, I tsked my tongue, looking for an area to start, 'My essentials first', walking towards the counters, I shoved everything in the two pouches, my devices, any equipment that could fit, everything, looking over in the corner, I stared at the weapon I found in the training room, the weapon I used to fill the hours of boredom that couldn't be filled by science and experiments, the bo. Walking over towards the corner, I grabbed the broom and began sweeping, sweeping the dust, the glass, the dirt, and the grime, sweeping all of that into the dustpan. Looking around the room, I saw in the far corner, my makeshift bed, a blanket large enough that I used it to cover the floor and cover my body as I slept stiffly throughout the night, 'I could still feel the knots in my shoulders', waking up every day to a bad morning as I groaned in pain when I rub my neck every morning, trying so hard to get rid of the pressure, but the pain and soreness never did go away, I can still feel it now. Rubbing my hand against my neck, I picked up the large blanket, and threw it over my shoulder, making my way towards the door, and pressing the button, I opened the door, shutting the lights as I left the laboratory.

Walking down the long hallway, I listened to the sounds of my tools clinking, everything about me was not anything close to quiet, my steps were loud no matter how softly I stepped, and the gap in my teeth always made a constant whistle as I breathed, everything I did was loud, "How was I ever a good ninja...", I looked up at the door, the door that protected Mikey and his kids, my nephews, and nieces. Pressing my index finger against the key panel, I entered the code, waiting as I heard the air pressure release, the door sliding open only to close the second I walked through. I put the blanket on the counter, placing my two pouches on the counter.

I was silent for once, except for the whistling that air rushed through the gaps of my teeth, but there was no other sound, not the clicks as my knees popped, just pure silence, I looked up towards the lab, staring at the window, I knew he wasn't there, but it was like I felt him watching, "Was I ever a good ninja, Splinter...", I sighed tired as I leaned on the counter, staring at the important notepad I carried earlier, "How am I not envious of you, Mikey..." 

Chapter Text

(Centi tapping, Donnie tapping, Mikey tapping )

~Three Weeks Later~

POV Donnie:

'Morse code was a breeze so far, in moments of boredom I would play audios off of the internet, listening as a human tapped, she began doing single words, then she more on to phrase and then finally after some time, she moved onto full sentences, I never responded back, but I always said what she tapped aloud. But throughout my learning process, I realized I still had one problem, speed was the issue...'

'So far I've been able to tap ten words a minute, it may not sound like a lot, but to me, it felt like hours...I tapped over and over for almost three weeks, and the tips of my fingers hurt, but I couldn't stop, I needed to be better...for the first few days, not only did it confuse Mikey, but me as well, yet there was a difference. I wonder how could I not be jealous of him, it may have been almost three years for him, but in that time he's mastered so much, he's learned sports, and multiple subjects, god-, he's made friends, he's learned how to connect with children, he even learned how to monitor specimens created from the eggs. I mean sure, they were kidnapped from unknowing mothers all over the planet, but in that time...he mastered morse code. He says he'll tell me everything, anything I want to know, but I'm not ready, I tap so slowly that it'll probably bore him, listening as I slowly tap...tap...tap away at my scutes that cover my plastron. I need to learn faster, to be better, Mikey left the B Team long ago...he left me behind in this second-best team.'

"There you go!", I flinched when their voice broke the silence, their hands placed gently as a digit tapped the counter. I tried and listened, listening to the tappings, to the spacings, 'that was...', I opened my mouth, ready to answer the code, to finally prove that I was learning, but...they stopped me, and said nothing but tapped once more, I listened as I placed my hands on the counter, 'Answer...like this...now answer my questions', I nodded my head, lifting my digit before I conversed with her.

D O N A T E L L O

G O O D

N O W    T E L L     M E     W H A T S     Y O U R     F A V O R I T E     C O L O R

M Y     C O L O R S     P U R P L E

N O

I looked up from my fingers as I stared at Centi, their brows creased as they frowned, they tapped what they said before, but this time, their fingers slammed on the words 'Your Favorite', I looked down at the counter, I was stumped, 'My...favorite color?... Purple...that has been my color, my color since the beginning, but...I-'

D O     Y O U     H A V E    O N E

Their face softened, and a soft chuckle escaped their mouth, I felt humiliated, me a proud scientist who knows so much, I knew what every object is made of, which itemized atoms were consisted inside the blood that flowed through my veins, I knew biology, science, math, geometry, I knew every single detail to when and who created it or named it, yet...I didn't know my favorite color. They must have noticed my struggle and grabbed my attention, their digit tapping away at the stainless steel surface, their body leaning against the table.

E V E R Y O N E     H A S     A     C O L O R     T H E Y    L I K E

W H E T H E R     T H A T S     B E C A U S E     I T S     N I C E     T O     L O O K     A T

O R

M A Y B E      I T     R E M I N D S     T H E M     O F     S O M E T H I N G     S P E C I A L     T O     T H E M

I looked away from the centipede as I tried to think of any color, a color that reminded me of something..., 'something...special?', that was until something came to mind...

B L U E

"Blue?", I nodded my head, as I raised my digit, ready to explain.

S P E C I F I C A L L Y      M I D N I G H T     B L U E

I T     R E M I N D S     M E     O F     T H E     F I R S T     N I G H T     I     W A S     O U T

"There would be nights where we finished patrol, after we searched every corner of the city for any bad activity, whether that was from thugs or fighting Shredder's goons...and on silence nights...I would sit on a roof top, relaxing as the sound of silence was all I could hear after a stress-filled day...", I remembered those nights, memories of us just barely leaving the lair to go on patrol, looking up at that beautifully dark sky, it was nice..., "Did you not like the morning sky?...", I shook my head, the morning was never my favorite, sure the skies and sunrises were stunning, but..., "The few times I got to witness the morning, dusk, heck even dawk...none of them ever were as beautiful as the midnight sky, during the day it was just constant noise, cars honking, sounds of people talking loudly amongst each other, the morning was never quiet..."

P L U S      A T     N I G H T     W A S     W H E N     I     C O U L D     H A N G O U T      W I T H     M Y      F A V O R I T E      H U M A N S

W H A T     W E R E     T H E I R     N A M E S

A P R I L     A N D     C A S E Y

T H E Y     W E R E     T H E     F I R S T     H U M A N S     I     E V E R     M E T

'First, it was April and her dad....then Murakami...then Casey...then Mom, and now...no one, the only humans I ever met...I will never see ever again, but it's fine, it's worth being with my brother once again...', my throat clenched at the thought, never meeting my friends...my family, my throat felt tight and my eyes strung, I am doing this for him, for his trust and for his kids...'I'll no longer feel like a burden...ever since Mikey left I was the only one left in the B team, but now...I am finally no longer the last choice...

D O     Y O U     M I S S     T H E M

I knew what they were talking about...my friends...my family..., "Of course I do, how could I not, I mean they're my family, my friends. We may have had our ups and downs, but it's nothing we can get past...I know we can...", that's just part of life...brothers being jerks to one another, just messing around, that's what we do, that's what siblings do...

D O     Y O U     T H I N K     H E    M I S S E S     T H E M

I knew the answer too well, yet part of me wished it wasn't true, "Part of me...thinks-, wishes that he missed them, missed his old family-", I sighed tiredly as I leaned against the counter, "-but I knew it's not true...", I sighed deeply as I looked away, staring up at the small lab that Mikey sat inside, taking gentle care of his small kids, "I know he moved on without us, I mean he disowned us almost three years ago, and within that time he's made two new familys, one with a mother and two sisters, and the other where he had four kids of his own...he's moved on without us, living a better happier life...hah-", I hated crying, but what I hated most was moments of weakness like this one, it felt uncomfortable, I hated this..., "Mikey's life was so much worse than ours...he lived through life, being degraded by his own family, it wasn't degrading like normal siblings do like calling out something dumb, like my teeth gap, no...we did so much worse than that...I've been wishing I was better, a better brother who treated him like my equal, not like he was lower than me...I wished I could just shut up my past self, but there's nothing I can do, but...fix my mistake, being a better turtle- a better brother..."

Y O U     K N O W

I looked up to Centi as I heard them tap those two words, I was waiting as I stared up at the centipede, ready for them to follow up with something, anything, yet they seemed lost in thought, trying so hard to think of anything to follow up the sentence they started, then their fingers finally tapped the words they were searching for.

I     N O T I C E D     Y O U R E     L E A R N I N G      P R E T T Y      F A S T

I groaned as I rubbed my eyes, I was tired, I knew that much, tired from the hours upon hours of practicing, every single finger hurt from the constant tapping I did with each finger, whether that was me tapping on my shell or just the nearest surface to me, all I knew was I wasn't learning fast enough, "But it's not good enough-"

W H A T     D O     Y O U     M E A N

"I mean, I need to practice harder. I can't tap at a normal speed, I'm basically tapping ten words a minute! It's not good enough-"

"Hey!-", their once quiet voice gained my attention, speaking louder than I'd ever heard it, they pulled the chair back into place, guiding me back to sit with them, to talk with them. "You don't need to be good enough, you don't even have to be something great...Donatello...", their voice was soft, as I looked down at the counter, only for them to guide my head back up, "I'm not here to lecture you, to be better...you are already such a special kid, what more could you do to be more special...", my throat clench and my cheeks started to become wet, I thought maybe...just maybe in moments where someone was actually proud of what I've done, asking me not to go above and beyond, I thought I would be happy, yet tears flowed did my cheeks, I was not laughing pitifully nor was I sobs grossly, I was just staring at them, their face holding the softest smile as the wiped the tears from my cheeks, 'Is this why you call them Nana, Mikey...', I flinched at the sudden touch, but I let them continue, pulling out a rag to clean as many as they could only for me to break down, resting my eyes in my palms finally, 'Is this what grandparents are like', I laughed as I leaned up and looked at them...they were silent, I could tell they were waiting for me to speak to say anything, but I just laughed as I cleared my eyes, "Haaaa...is this why Mikey calls you Nana...", I looked at Centi, only to be met with a shocked expression.

"You know up until a few months after Mikey was kidnapped and given to the Kraang, I've never had a motherly figure in my life, no one to care for me when I scraped my knees, no one to read me stories when I couldn't sleep, my father was the only parental figure I've ever had...", I leaned on the counter as I crossed my arms, resting my head on them, the continued to flow as I looked off to the side, staring at the glass windows that lined the walls, waiting for...well I wasn't sure, but I felt like something was coming, nothing dangerous, just...something. "He was more of our trainer than our father, he never watched over us, he just trained us...well he did take care of us, that was until we were old enough to reach the stove to cook our own food and old enough to do things without his help...he stopped being our parent when we were seven-", I chuckled as I remembered back to those days, "Surprisingly, Mikey was the tallest when we were younger, and since he was able to reach the stove, he started cooking for us, of course, hah... when he started cooking food for us, sure at first it was terrible, I mean he was just a kid...no one really taught him", memories of the food started to flowed through my mind, I laughed pathetically as I whipped my forearm over my eyes, trying so hard to rid the tears from my eyes, but they never stopped, they just...kept going, "If I remember currently, after two years his cooking was becoming really good"

"How did you get the food?", my head stilled rested on my arms as I looked up at Centi, "Our dad did of course, he would get us enough food to eat and make whatever we wanted, but besides that, he stayed inside his rooms, I'm not even sure if he does it still..."

W E L L     I M     N O T     S U R E     A B O U T     N O W

I looked up towards the stairs, and chuckled as Mikey walked down the stairs, his arms full as he carried three little turtles with a large blanket thrown over his shoulder. He walked closer towards us, Centi reached for the blanket and placed it right on the ground, adjusting it until it was nice enough for us to sit comfortably on top, 'Dang this blanket's huge...', looking at the size, I was guessing it was two and a half yards, both ways. Mikey sat on the closest corner to him as he held two of his kids, and handed one off to me, one I'd never seen before,

B E F O R E     I     F O R G E T

Y O U     K N O W     U N O

Uno drooled as he biting a small rubber toy, 'Guess I didn't notice the teeth last time...'

T H I S     O N E     I S     M O J A

U N O S     T W I N

A N D     T H A T     L I T T L E     C H U N K S T E R     I S     O D Y N

'Mikey wasn't lying, Odyn was a bit on the heavy side for a baby, but nothing wrong with that', I chuckled as I pinched the tiny turtle's-..., "Wait...", I looked at him, but..., "Mikey...you know he's not a turtle right?", Mikey nodded his head as he let Uno play with his finger, and the other played with his other hand.

Y E A H

H E S     A     T O R T O I S E

"Interesting...do you think he'll grow as big as Slash", Mikey snorted as he silently laughed, I chuckled as well, imagine that, his own kid fully grown and taller than him, well actually with how tall he is now, he might just be a few inches taller.

I     H O P E     N O T

"I know that would be something to see...", I sighed as I continued to stare down at Odyn, that was until Mikey's last deal came to mind, "Hey Mikey...", I never looked up to him, I knew I would understand what he tapped, I was happy, I finally no longer needed a translator, but this topic, I knew it was a sensitive one, so I watched what I said, "...why did you never come home?", I noticed the sound of his long tail tapping the ground stopped, so I looked at him, he wasn't looking at me, but just stared down at the two he held, it almost looked like he pulled them closer to him, like he was scared the moment he loosened his grip they would disappear.

B E C A U S E     I     W A S     S C A R E D

S C A R E D     T H A T     T H E     P E O P L E     I     L O V E D     

W O U L D    D I E 

B E C A U S E     O F     M E

"Because of-...why-", I didn't know where to start, part of me wanted to know so badly who he was talking about, the people he was talking about, the people he loved, but I knew that answer, and it wasn't me nor my other brothers, I looked down as Odyn continued to chew on my fingers, I had to pull my finger away a few times when a felt his growing teeth pinch my skin.

E V E R Y     N I G H T     I     D R E A M T    O F     M O M

A P R I L

A L L     M Y     F R I E N D S     C O M I N G     T O     R E S C U E     M E

O N L Y     T O     D I E     T H E     M O S T     T E R R I B L E     D E A T H

I     D I D     E V E R Y T H I N G     I     C O U L D     T O     M A K E     S U R E     

N O N E     O F     T H E M     C A M E

I     M A D E     S U R E     N O     O N E     D I E D     B E C A U S E     O F     M Y     M I S T A K E S

"Mikey-"

I     K N O W

His taps were firmed, I saw as his jaw tightened, and his body stiffened.

I     K N O W     T H E Y R E     S T R O N G

I     J U S T     D O N T     W A N T     P E O P L E     T O     S A C R I F I C E-

"Mikey...", he stopped tapping, but looked at me, his eyes hung tiredly as he stared at me, small gentle tears rolled down his chin as he looked at me.

N O N E     O F     T H I S     I S     Y O U R     F A U L T

His eyes widened when he heard those words tapped gently against his son's shell, just loud enough for him to hear, I wanted him to understand, for him to know that he wasn't alone this time, "Mikey...I could never understand the torture and torment you went through inside this place, but please...I want you to trust in your family...and I'm not talking about my brothers-", his body softened when I said that, he was relaxed, "You need to trust your mom...I know you don't want to go home, believe me, I am not trying to take you back to a place that made you feel so low, I would never do that. I've watched you thrive and become your best self here, you...you look so much happier here than you ever did with us...but you need to understand that your mom will do anything to save you...to bring you back safely...", Mikey just stared at me, his eyes and cheeks soaked as he just stared at me, "...You need to trust us, Mikey, not with your life not even with these kids, but I need you to trust us to be strong enough to protect ourselves...", I motioned to the rest of the room, to the kids, I even motioned to himself, I needed him to understand, to finally hear me when I tell him..., "None of this...is your fault, Mikey..."

Chapter Text

(Four Months Later~)

POV Donnie:

'Everything is going great...'

'Everything...is going...'

'Great...'

'After two months, Mikey finally spent time outside the nursery, spending time with me as I worked on some experiments, he even put in some feedback, what chemicals would work better, and just some ideas he threw in the air, sometimes though he would just sit next to me, listening as I chatted away talking to myself about possible ideas, he knew I wasn't talking to him in those moments, yet he stayed... over the last two months, it did take some time for him to let me spend time with him inside the nursery, but he did, he even let me move inside the nursery, it was honestly quite a sight to see, a warm room calibrated to the perfect basking temperature for turtles and a nest for the turtles to rest inside, it was perfect. I wondered for so long who made the nest, so I asked him, and he told me he did, but that filled my mind with more questions, but...I never asked'

'As the days became weeks, which slowly turned into months, after some time I continued to work on the remote, trying anything to mess with the controls, for months I tried to find a way for the collar to stop its role, but it kept on letting Bishop know it was still working, so that's what I did. As Mikey rested throughout the nights, I worked on the computer that's connected to this lab, using the only free time I had where I was left alone, and worked on the remote, until finally...counting thirty days, twelve hours, two minutes and fifty-nine seconds ago, I finally was able to break the remote's properties. The collar continues to monitor Mikey's heart rate, sending the information straight to Bishop, however, his collar no longer monitors his position, instead the remote constantly sends Bishop its position, which I keep in my pocket, only ever taking it out before I leave the lab...'

'I still haven't told Mikey, but so far I can tell it's working. I've listened carefully to calls between Centi and Bishop, and nothing was ever brought up about the collar or the cameras, so... it's working. I know he would be mad if he ever found out, everything will be ruined if he ever found out, so I won't tell him...not just yet...but for now I continued my research. Not on the collar, instead, I continued to look deeper into perfecting the retro-mutagen, the itemized bonding has become more unstable by the month. Mikey has been naming off some possible chemicals and materials to add that could help, so I tried them and only a few have helped. Compared to a month ago, the retro-mutagen has become more stable, but something's missing...maybe I can find the answer here...'

Placing a drop of retro-mutagen on the glass slide, I slid the pane underneath the scope, and looked through the eyepiece, watching as the mutagen bonding rate was slower than before, I was frustrated as I groaned. I pulled away from the microscope and rubbed my eyes, trying so hard to rub away the fatigue that flowed through my body, I wanted to go to bed, to sleep forever until my body told me it was time to wake up, but I couldn't, I needed to fix this, to perfect this mutagen. I rested my elbows on the edge of the table, and placed my head on my hands as I breathed in...and out slowly, I needed to calm down...I needed to breathe...

*Ding*

*Ding*

"Wha...", I looked off to the side where my two satchels laid off, lazily thrown against the wall the day I first came to live in this lab. Walking over to the pouches, I crouched down and grabbed my bag, flipping over the cover and pulling out my T-phone, 'a text...', the first one I've had in eight months..., I slowly entered my password in as I walked back towards the microscope, falling into the chair as I leaned against the table, scrolling straight to my recent message.

--------------------------------

Casey Jones: Hey Dee

Casey Jones: I know you've been gone for a while, but me and April just want to say we miss you. Everything's starting to seem so fucking depressing and dull since you left, honesty, I haven't been back there since you left, it just isn't the same without you and Mikey there anymore, I know that you probably won't answer, but please come back Raph and Leo aren't the same since you and Tang Shen and her kids left, so please come home

Me: there*

--------------------------------

That was a mistake, I laughed tiredly at the thought of Casey misspelling a word, only to send the correction a few moments after I read the text... it was a mistake.

*Ding*

It was an accident..., 'I swear Mikey it was an accident. I'm sorry please-', ...it was an accident...

Adrenaline filled my body the moment I received a text back, the screen lighting my face up as I heard notification after notification sound aloud, letting me know that someone was there, someone wanted to talk to me. I didn't have the guts to read it, so I silenced my phone, shoving it straight into the drawer, and shutting it closed. I covered my ears as I continued to hear the sound of my phone buzzing, 'They can't know! They can't know! They can't know!-', a long buzz played out as it vibrated against the metal, it just went on, on and on and on, until...it stopped, no sounds of texts or calls, there was nothing, just silence. I needed space...I needed air. Walking off to the side, I grabbed my pouch and threw it over my shoulder, I made my way straight toward the door, but stopped...staring as my hand reached into the bag and pulled out the small wrapped crystal, 'I need to let them know...', so I did, pulling out my notepad I wrote on the paper, placing it on the counter, so they would know where I was. Before I left I walked towards the drawer, still no vibrations rung out so I knew he was done...he gave up. Reaching into the drawer, I slipped my phone into my satchel, switching it out for the remote, closing the drawer right after.

Reaching into my satchel, I pulled out the old pair of headphones I had, my phone was fully charged so I pulled out my phone, and plugged in my headphones. Scrolling through the music app I made, I selected my favorite playlist, playing the first song at the top of my play.

~My Love Mine All Mine by Mitski~

Moon, a hole of light

Through the big top tent up high

Here before and after me

Shinin' down on me

Moon, tell me if I could

Send up my heart to you?

So, when I die, which I must do

Could it shine down here with you?

'I've always liked her music, it was always so nice, so calming...', walking towards the door, I reached for the crystal and wrapped the clothes around my arm, tucking the crystal in between as I left the lab, leaving to take a break.

--------------------------------

'One in the morning...', I knew it was late, yet I sat there, staring up at the sky as I relaxed, feeling the gentle wind brush over my skin, sending a cool chill down my back even though I wore warm clothes, it was nice, I pushed back one of my headphones away from my ear. Swinging my legs from side to side, I pulled out my notepad as I stared down towards the street, there was no one...maybe a car driving past slowly, but there was nothing, it was nice...it was relaxing. I stared down at the sketched craftsmanship of the bo I was building, one that could be compacted, hidden away in those rare moments when I'm cornered, moments where a thug or anyone dangerous comes around looking for a fight. I needed a bo that could be compressed and stuffed inside my pouch but was strong enough to not break or bend, something that wouldn't erode from weather damage, so I continued to sketch.

"Uggghhhhh!- I'm tired of this Leo-", a harsh voice yelled out loud, so I turned towards the voice, and noticed that it was in the alley beside me, 'Leo?! Wait that's Raph's voice?-', sounds of beings climbing the fire escape filled the once silent air, 'I need to leave...I can't stay here', I became frantic, I wanted to run, to flee from the rooftop, but I was frozen, my body motionless as my body was faced towards the street, but my eyes stared at the fire escape, peering through the corner of my eye,  sitting there as they continued to climb, I knew I needed to look normal so I continued to draw, my arms were stiff, but...I continued minding my business as I heard them reach the roof, but...not climbing on top.

Whispers. I heard their whispers. They continued to mutter under their breath, I heard Casey's voice, he was arguing with them, though it wasn't loud, I could hear him, I checked over my outfit, making sure nothing yelled that it was me, I stared at my yellow chucks, and my green and yellow hoodie, 'It was fine...they'll never notice-'

"Hey kid?", I didn't move, my body was stiff, frozen as I stared at my notepad, 'I'll pretend I'm deaf- yeah-', Casey continued to yell out for someone, I knew he was calling out to me, but I never looked back, and continued to sketch the mechanism, only to feel a tap on my shoulder, turning around quickly as I stared at Casey. "Oh! I did mean to scare you-", I tapped my ears as I continued to stare at him.

Can I help you

I used sign language... 

I knew either way if he knew sign language, he wouldn't understand this one, I was signing in Japanese. Japanese and English were the only languages I knew in sign language, so if by a rare circumstance Casey did know ASL, he wouldn't know JSL, but he just looked back over towards the fire escape. I tapped my ears again, but he said nothing, so I picked up my things, my satchel only to notice my T-phone resting just on the other side, barely hidden from the groups' eyes. I picked up my notepad, and turned towards the opposite fire escape, ready to leave, but he stopped me, "Wait! Where did you-", he reached for my notepad, but I yanked it away, shaking my head as I pulled the notes close to my chest, stepping away from him, stepping closer to the edge, I tried to stupify JSL, so I pointed at the notepad, and tapped my chest, telling him that this was mine. I turned away from him only to lose my breath, noticing how close I was to the edge, stepping just a foot away from falling off.

Leave me alone...I don't know you!

I knew I could outrun him, but the others, not a chance, "Wait...where did you get that bag...', I knew Casey recognized the notepad, he was the only one beside Mikey who rummaged through it, commenting on everything I wrote down, even comments on the stickers I found in the sewers...I knew he recognized it, "Where is he", his tone was serious, he no longer cared that I stood near the edge, instead he walked closer, closing the distance that separated us, so I did the one thing I could think of. Reaching into my pouch, my fist was closed, and just stared at him, blowing the seasoning I had left in my pouch right into his face, 'nows my chance!-', I turned around, and climbed halfway down the fire escape, jumping across the alley, barely reaching as I grabbed ahold of the bar. With all that adrenaline, I pulled myself up from the bar, and climbed onto the roof, sprinting across, readying myself to jump once more, "Hey!", I never stopped, running faster and faster, but I could hear them, they were coming, I knew couldn't stop, but I looked back, Raph and Leo continued to chase me. I turned back forward and noticed a light post, racing towards it, I leaped from the roof, "Wait?!" "What the fu-", like a firefighter, I slid down the pole, landing on the floor, only to continue running, running straight for the nearest exit, 'This was a bad idea. This was a bad Idea-", an alley, I sprinted towards my exit, but..., "Ay!", a woman stopped in front of me, clapping her hands in front of my face, 'Where?- who?'

She tapped her mouth, muttering her words so softly, "Donatello, it's time to head back", I was shocked, frozen as the women dragged me away, looking towards the rooftops, the streets, they were gone. I looked back at the lady who pulled me back towards an alleyway, so we climbed, I followed her as we hidden against the wall, she continued to talk, asking me why I was up and out so late, but I just stood there, 'Who are you...', I waved to get her attention, but she stopped, her face still stern as she looked at me. Ripping my hand from her whole, I whispered very quietly, "Who are you", my words were sharp, I was confused, who was this human, walking up and grabbing me like I was her kid, as if she knew me, "It's your Nana, mijo"

'Centi?!', they peeked over their shoulder, looking around for my brothers, more than likely, but they said nothing, "Act normal", they whispered so softly, it was almost barely audible, grabbing my hand, they pulled me out towards the streets, walking calmly with me by their side. "Hey!", it was strange, I heard the sound of Leo calling out for us, but as I looked all I saw was some human boys running towards me, I didn't recognize one of them, however, I did know the one of them, 'Leo's human disguise?!', off to the side, Casey caught up with them, he slowed down as he leaned against Raph, his breath coming out heavy, "May I help you boys? I need to take my grandson home...", I looked up towards Centi, 'grandson?...you barely looked like you could be my mom', I stepped back, and stood behind Centi, they didn't pull me forward, nor make me stand in front, they just stood there, their hand pressed against my arm, they were protecting me...

"Oh sorry we were just wondering where he got that satchel, it reminds us a lot of our missing brother..."

"Well I apologize boys, but he bought this from a thrift store-"

"What about the notepad!", Casey kept interrupting Centi, doing it every time they tried to speak, but he never gave them to talk, to explain what happened, "D-...Daniel, is quite smart in my opinion, he's creating quite the piece for his physics class, now why don't you head back home, and leave him alone-"

"No! Why don't you-"

"Alright ma'am...", I was shocked, Leo giving up without even trying to fight back...somethings up, I glared at him as he continued to talk to Centi, letting them know they'll leave me alone, but when he noticed my glare he just...stared, like he saw something, I looked away, tugging at the blouse they wore, I wanted to leave, we needed to leave, "Get home safe both of you...", they waved as they walked passed, they gave up too easily, what was he doing, I didn't get to think too long before Centi grabbed me by the arm, pulling me along as they walked towards TCRI, no longer caring to be careful, "Que carajo-, What were you doing outside-", they shoved me inside the alleyway, their finger jammed against my chest as they glared down at me, "What were you thinking?!", they spoke through their teeth, teeth grinding against eachother. I opened my mouth, but they never gave me a chance to speak, "What am I saying...Hah! Your weren't thinking!"

"Centi, I'm sorry, I just needed some fresh air, I needed to breathe-"

"And you couldn't have done it with more care?! For god sake! Of course, you had to run into your f-"

"Don't say it!", I finally snapped, I was awake, awake without any sleep...yet I was tired, and I wanted to go back, but here I was standing here as Centi berated me, treating me like a child, "Look, I'm sorry for being careless, but I needed some air, I needed to think-"

"I never said you going out for air was wrong, but you could have put your nephews and nieces in trouble!", they're right, I sighed tiredly as I fell to the ground sitting on the dirty concrete, my elbows leaning on my knees, my head resting in my hands as I sighed tired. My eyes felt heavy, I was tired, I wanted to go home, I wanted to sleep. I was ready for them to yell at me, ordering me to stand to my feet, to grow up, but all I heard was a thump as a hand rested on my hand, "Look...", I stared down at the cockroach that ran past, placing my hand in front of it, I chuckled, laughing as it climbed on top of my hand, his antennae tickling my palm, feeling around, "I didn't mean to come off as rude, I'm just looking out for him and the kids. You have to understand, we need to be careful when we're outside-"

"I know, I'm just... I'm just tired", I crouched down as I played with the roach, "You know...", flipping my hand over, I picked up the bug, and stood up, walking with Centi, everything about them was the same, their eyes blurred over, like a white film was placed over their eyes, making it so hard to see, so I walked closer. Leaning against the wall, I stood next to them, showing them the small insect, flipping my hand over as the roach continued to walk all over my hand, "I used to have a little cockroach..."

"Really?", I nodded as I watched the bug, "Yeah, I was never good at naming things...hah that was Mikey's specialty, I called him...Spy-Roach. Quite the friendly like thing even though it was a mere insect, but it was like...he was my own pet, not my siblings, I didn't need to share him with the rest of the family...he was mine...", crouching down to my knees, I placed my hand on the ground, letting the cockroach run away, running straight towards the trash can, probably where the rest of the insects festered. "But he's gone now...turned into a mutant and killed not even a day later..."

I felt a hand tapped my shoulder, tapping those rhythmic patterns.

M A Y B E     Y O U     C O U L D     M A K E     A N O T H E R

I sighed as I stared down at the ground, "It's not the same, plus, I already have my hands filled with the others-"

"Well...isn't this an interesting surprise...$%^&", I stared at the figure that stood at the entrance of the alleyway, 'Bishop?!', he walked farther into the alley, making his way straight to Centi, his glare was firm, "It seems you have been going against my order...", his glare was pulled away from them, as he stared down at me, he knew me, he recognized me, "Donatello-", my eyes widened as I stepped back, "Time's up..."

Chapter Text

~One hour before~

POV Mikey:

Broken silence...standing in the center of the field, the meadow was empty, but...it wasn't quiet. I heard the sounds of Uno crying loudly, his siblings joined in, their screams piercing the quiet atmosphere. "Kids...", I lead with one foot, placing one foot in front of the other, my pace sped up until I was running, running with all my strength, I needed to run faster, run to my kids, I needed to save them.

*SQUEALS*

I knew those noises, the sounds the Kraang screeched from the top of their lungs, 'I need to protect them!', I strumbled as roots grew from the ground, the once leveled land became uneven, it was horrifying, the beautiful meadow, the forest...gone. Destroyed as all that surrounded me were buildings and structures created by the Kraang, it didn't matter. I looked around me, calling out for the tiny children, who continued to fill the air with cries and sobs, calling out for me, but I couldn't find them, the cries echoed against the concrete walls, and the sounds surrounded me, I hated it, I needed to save them, but where were they.

"Mikey?", that voice? I turned around and just stared off, looking at the woman I miss, my mother...my protector, "Momma?", I was back in that meadow, yet I no longer heard the cries of my children, instead...screaming, cursing, yelling, that's all I heard as my mother looked at me, her arms crossed as she held a bundle of cloth in her arms, "Who?", I walked towards her, reaching to see who was inside the green blanket, "Your daughter, Mikey", a soft smile was on her face as she pulled the blanket back, showing me a turtle with tiny chubby speckled cheeks with the cutest freckles, yet I was confused, none of my kids had freckles so who... her eyes shut as she slept with a gentle snore, "But I don't have any-"

"Any daughter with freckles?-", I was stunned that mom knew what I was going to say, but she just chuckled, her hand grazing over the small one's head, scratching gently at the back of her head. "Well you don't that's alive anyways...", softly she handed the small turtle off to me, sitting comfortably as she looked over my shoulder, I knew what she meant, but it made this whole situation hurt even more, I pulled her close, hugging her fully with both arms, 'somethings...off', I looked down at my body, my arms, my legs my...tail, I was me, the normal me, a small 5'5 turtle, with bright sky-blue eyes, not the monster the Kraang made of me. But I didn't care, I crouched down until I fully sat on the floor, holding my baby, "I'm so sorry, hun-", my baby, Venus. I regret all my decisions, everything that led up to this one's end, "If only I was smarter-, stronger, something enough to have been able to protect you, but I wasn't, too weak to keep you safe... too weak to be a good dad...

"You are a good dad...", oh how I wished the tears would stop, but not once did they give up, "Mikey...", my eyes swollen, and the bags that hung underneath puffed out red as I stared at her, I wanted to know what she was going to add, but-, "it's time to wake up", what she said was not what I wanted to hear, "It's time to come home-", I shocked my head, turning away from mom as she reached out to me, reaching for my hand, "Please Mikey, I need you to stay with me...", I tried to pull her arm off but her hold was firm, it hurt, "M-mom, stop that hurts-"

" Mikey !", I heard two-three? There were too many voices when she spoke, my body felt like it was being shaken around, mom grabbed my shoulders as she shook my body, "Mom! You're hurting me-"

"Stay with us, Mikey!"

"Us?!"

"Stay.Stay.stay.stay.staystaystaystaystaystaystaystaystaystaystay.  CLEAR!!!!!! "

--------------------------------------

Pushing myself up from the nest, I was frozen, looking around the room, only to notice...I was back home, sitting comfortably inside the nursery I made months ago, maybe even a year ago, time has been weird when you have no clock source. I fell back slowly and relaxed against the cushion, no longer feeling the urge to fall asleep once again. My eyes hung open as I stared up at the ceiling, my eyes tracing the textures, and analyzing the smooth ceiling. 'Peace...silence...', laying inside the nest, I stared up at the familiar ceiling, listening to the much-wanted quiet, something I never asked for, but I knew I needed it. It was nice, just the sound of the lamps and incubators humming quietly, almost making a sort of white noise...

'But...', voices sounded off quietly in the background, 'Donnie?...', his voice sounded tired, too sleepy to speak up, yet I knew the louder he spoke the more likely he would wake up the kids, yet the voices outside the door kept talking, so I listened. Pushing myself up, my legs hung off the side of the nest, standing up I walked over towards each medical bed, checking up on each child, all of them...were asleep, I stood there staring down at the children, I so wanted to protect them, to risk my whole life just so I could be with them, I don't regret anything, theyre my life, my purpose, nothing is more important than them.

The voices talked, their voice continued to get louder, but it was strange I didn't recognize them, all I knew was Donnie's, he continued to argue with someone, but who, who was he talking to? 'Maybe...it's Centi...', the voices no longer mattered as I heard quiet coos coming from one of the beds, I looked into each one, only to see my oldest waking up real early with the biggest smile, 'Hey Bubby', looking down at the empty small tub, something came to mind. I wanted to create the same memory, one I created with my sisters, a simple memory to recreate, playing inside the water, just turtles having fun. Walking away from his bed, I made my way straight towards the small pool that was built into the floor and stared down at the empty pool. Turning on the water, I adjusted the knobs until lukewarm water flowed through the tap, I knew I wasn't going to fit but I wanted to make this memory, so I was going to sit on the side, but close enough to watch him.

I wanted to watch him, to keep him safe, though I knew his species would be fine in the water since sea turtles are known for swimming and breathing underwater, yet it felt wrong, so I stood next to the bath, stopping the water when it got to the level I preferred, it was perfect. Reaching into my makeshift crib, I picked Uno up, and set him down, carefully placing him inside the warm bath of water, he loved it, he laughed and cooed, chirps filling the air as his hands tapped the surface, splashing water everywhere, even on me, though no sound came out, I laughed as well, this was fun. 'I wish you could meet them Mama...', I gasped quietly as Uno fell on his back only to fall into a fit of laughter, he was happy, I was happy.

'Inside the nursery, I filled the quiet and boredom-filled days with little tasks, the main one was communication, I knew that the kids would never hear me, or even know what I sounded like, and morse code was too much for someone this young to learn, so...I learned baby sigh language!'

With my fingers straightened to a point, I quietly snapped my fingers, gaining Uno's attention, signing over and over the word 'eat', but Uno just stared, repeating the sign, 'milk' and 'more', so I did, reaching off to the side, I picked up the bottle of milk and placed it in the warmer.

I stared down at Uno, who kept signing, saying more over and over, so I chuckled, warming the milk up usually didn't take too long, so when I heard the signal, I grabbed the milk, and handed the bottle straight to him, tapping the ground once again to get his attention, 'Bath, all done?', I didn't want to force him to stay in the bath longer than he wanted, but he shook his head, tapping the tips of his fingers, letting me know he wanted to more time to swim, so I let him. So far out of the four, Uno has been the only one that's able to sit up, he wobbles but he's doing good, Uno fell on his back, giggle harder as he splashed the water, the bottle floating around his head as he continued, '...I missed this', this moment, this feeling, I just missed being relaxed, calm as I finally had time to just breathe, to laugh.

'Ever since I was kidnapped, the moment my heart yearned to protect these little munchkins, their whole life I wanted with all my might to leave this place, I wanted to go back to the farmhouse and let my kids live a calming and normal life...maybe I can give the that...maybe if I leave this place...', I knew the thought was crazy, there were droids watching me everything, Bishop was watching, I knew he couldn't see inside, but I didn't want him to know, he can't know, not about them. I looked at each bed as the smile that made my cheeks sore finally fell, I wanted to leave, I wanted to go back to the farm...maybe April could...maybe mom would live with us, bring the girls to play with their nephews and nieces, maybe...

"...the kids were starting to forget...who they were waiting up at night for..."

My chest tightened at the thought, they were forgetting me, their brother, the one that took care of them for months on end, feeding them, playing with them, doing everything in my power to keep them growing strong and healthy...they're forgetting me.

*tap* *tap*

I looked over towards Uno, his cheeks puffed out as he held the biggest goofiest smile I've seen on him, I knew I couldn't focus on the past...not when I have a family of my own, just the five of us and Donnie. 'All Done?', Uno copied the sign as he reached up towards me, picking him up, I rested him against my chest, draining the water as I reached for a clean, washed towel. Drying off his scales, I cleaned off every single surface, his shell, legs, arms, the webbing between his toes and fingers, and even his head. He always loved it when I dried his head, giggling loudly as I blew raspberries against his neck, bath time was always his favorite...I wish I could say the same about Odyn though, every single time I've tried to bathe the kid, he cries-, screams every time I put him in the bath, and the only way for him to stop is by taking him far away from the tub, and the only way to clean him, is a sponge bath, out of all my kids Odyn is by far the hardest to keep clean.

I always had a routine when I bathed the kids, it was the same as everything, I cleaned them then let them rest underneath the heat lamps, letting them bask in the warmth as the lamp dried their scales of any other moistness, but not completely. Walking over towards the lamp, I hung the towel over the side of the spare chair, placing him under the lamp, this was nice, it was calm. Yet...

I could still hear Donnie's voice...

His voice became louder and louder, and whoever else's voice was speaking became louder and louder, maybe it was Centi or even Dannie, but why were their voices getting louder, like they were arguing, fighting amongst each other? I needed to quiet them down, they were going to wake the children, so that's what I did, pushing open the door, I slid the door shut, locking it so no one could enter, hiding the only key to the room underneath the console, all the way towards the back, up against the wall, no one would find it, I know of it.

Walking through the door, I closed the door, making my way straight towards the voices...but that's the thing...no one was there. Yet, I could hear their voices becoming louder and louder, like they were right there, 'Maybe they're in the hallway?', but that didn't make any sense, they sounded so close like they were next to me. Still, I couldn't understand a word they were saying, I wanted to call out for Donnie, for Centi anyone, but...I didn't think anyone would hear me...Walking towards the exit, I pressed the keypad, watching as the door slid wide open. Stepping through the doorway, I followed the voices, but I still didn't recognize those voices, I needed to get rid of them, they needed to leave. I followed the voices, yet as I stepped closer to them, they never became louder or softer, they stayed the same tone, barely audible, yet I could tell, they were fighting...Donnie was arguing with them.

D O N N I E

My fingers tapping against the walls echoed down the hallway, I listened, but...

Their voices stopped...

I tried again, but someone called out my name, but it wasn't a voice I knew, it almost sounded like they were...crying. It was strange, for some reason I felt like I'd heard this voice before, a voice I argued with, but...who was it? I listened as the voices started to converse once again, I could almost, yet barely hear them.

"Mikey I hear you! Come on Mikey, come back!"

'Come back?...', what were they talking about, how would they know I could hear them? I did nothing but continue my journey, trying so hard to find Donnie, yet as I continued my journey...the softer the voices got, 'Donnie...', I stopped as I stood there in the empty hallway, I tried, I listened as hard as I could, trying to find Donnie, I wanted him to stay, to be there and help me raise my kids, to raise his nephews and nieces, but...his voice...

...disappeared...

'No no no no no no no no no nonononononononononononono no. No!', my throat strung as I continued looking around, checking every single corridor, but I could never find him, 'Please don't leave me, Donnie-', for once in what felt like forever, my face felt wet...I felt alone, I cried out as small pathetic chirps bellowed from my chest, calling out to him, I hated being alone, I wanted him back, I wanted my big brother back, but...he was gone.

'Why...', I stared down at the ground, the fool grew puddles as each tear fell, I knew I needed to move on, so I walked back, rubbing my palms against my eyes, I wiped away my tears-soaked cheeks, my breath coming out somewhat labored as I stared down at the ground, silence has been the only thing that's stayed by my side, yet for some reason in this moment...there was no silence. Footsteps echoed across the halls, the footsteps weren't padded, not even similar to Centi's steps. My body froze the moment I recognized those steps, 'Kraang?!', I would say I ran but that would be an understatement. With all my might, I sprinted down those halls, hearing every tone and sentence, they were here, they were coming for my kids, and here I was nowhere near them, ready to protect them. Turning the last corner, I saw the lab, droids walking in casually like they were in charge like they had no fear. I was ready to run straight through them, crushing them with all my might, but I couldn't.

Less than a few feet away, I saw it, droids carrying boxes, big enough where their arms were spread out wide, and inside...

'Kids!!!'

Were my kids...my babies, 'Let go of my kids you disgusting vile creatures!!!-', my arm flung across the room, crushing the droids in a wide swoop, smashing them against the wall. A sharp hiss bellowed from my throat, none of the droids themselves looked at all frightened, but the Kraangs...their eyes widened the moment they caught sight of me, sharp squeals echoed across the walls, and my children's cries echoed even louder. "Hurry, take the ones known as the specimens out of the facility known as TCRI! Hurry!!!", my eyes turned towards the droids that continued running, running with my children. 'No!', I glared at the droids as they ran, I no longer cared about the droids that stood in front of me, they no longer matter, nothing did, all I wanted-, needed to do was save them. I felt a sting in my chest as I raced towards them, that was until...

*Beep*

That sharp, high-pitched sound called out from my collar, "Hello...013-202012", I peered over my shoulder, my glare harsh as I looked at him through the corner of my eye, my lip curled up, showing off the top of my teeth, showing off my gums. 'Leave...', I stepped away from the droid, stepping closer towards the cries, for a moment I thought he would be angry, yelling at me to stand tall, to listen, but...

He laughed...

"You think you can leave so easily?... Cleary, I need to put you back in your place..."

*Beep*

The beating in my chest stopped at the sound of the noise, I thought I would be used to it, the pain, the torture, but I wasn't...from the top of my head I felt the electricity rush through my body, all the way to the ends of my feet, this was worst...far worse, I whined as he slammed his finger against the button once more, it was short but for a moment, it almost felt like...he restarted my heart, my mouth hung open as I fell to my knees, falling onto my side, drool dripping down my cheeks, making what looks to be a small puddle as my body shook, my body made small jolts as I looked up towards Bishop with clouded wet vision. I couldn't hear him, at that moment all I could hear was ringing, my lids slowly began shutting, I no longer looked up at him, I just stared off towards the end of the hallway, 'I'll find you babies...I'll-', I never really got to finish that sentence before my eyes closed shut. I tried to listen, but something was off.

*Beep*

"Guys!", something felt off...whose whispering...

*Beep*

"He's awake!", I thought that I would wake up to a dimly lit cell, greeted by Dannie, I thought I would see him again, or maybe even Centi, but...

*Beep*

A bright harsh light greeted me instead...

*Beep*

"Mikey?...", I heard so many voices around me, I only recognized a few...but that would make no sense. I went to push myself up, but something stopped me, or in actuality, someone, "Oh my god-, Guys! Mikey's actually awake! He's back!"

Chapter Text

POV Mikey:

It hurt...

Everything... hurts...

Cracking open my eyes, a harsh blinding light was the only thing I could see, so I shut my eyes just as quickly, it was too bright, lifting my hand as far as I could, I tried to block the light, but my arm never could reach far enough, my body felt heavy, my arms felt heavy 'Where...am I?', squinting through the bright light, my arms could barely lift off the table, I felt weak. Looking around the area, I tried to see where I was but, I didn't recognize it. But I knew something was somewhere other than TCRI, 'Did the Kraang take me to a laboratory, did Bishop take me somewhere hidden to put me back in my place?!', however, when I looked around, I didn't see a droid at all, instead a bunch of mutants...as well as what looks to be, 'April?!', I went to push myself up, to look at April, but something held me down, someone held me down. I hissed harshly, glaring at the figure that held me down, 'Why are there prisoners using me as a test subject-, wait...why is April here?', I looked back at April, she was farther than before, almost like she stepped away, but why? A chirp fell from my mouth as I pushed against the hands that held me down, she said something, or rather her mouth moved and not a word came out, was I deaf, no I knew I wouldn't become deaf from a simple punch, I powered through much worse, yet their voices were muffled, they were yelling at something, all I knew was that it was too loud, my ears hurt, ringing uncontrollable, so I covered my ears, pulling my legs close to my chest as their voices got louder and louder.

"Hey!...", for once since I woken up it was quiet, I looked towards the voice, recognizing who was talking, 'Donnie!', I smiled as I caught sight of him, yet it was strange he didn't look happy at all, however, the opposite, he looked... concerned.

D O N N I E     W H E R E S     C E N T I

W H E R E S     M Y     K I D S

Donnie never replied, so I repeated myself, maybe I tapped too quickly, he just started learning, so I tapped again.

D O N N I E

W H E R E S     M Y     K I D S

He still didn't respond, I reached for Donnie, and he walked forward, but he didn't get a chance to speak, I saw it...

'M-....y- H-hands...', I pulled off my blanket, only to see the same thing, I was back, back to be my normal, my weak self, 'No-', I touched my neck, my collar was gone as well, "Mikey?-", my arms were weak, my body was weak, but as he came closer, I grabbed his arm, digging my nails deeply into his skin, yet it did nothing, my claws were clean, filed down to a smooth edge. I glared at Donnie, but... he just stared down at me, waiting for me to speak, but I couldn't, my throat hadn't been used since Bishop let me speak. I tapped my finger against his arm, the tapping echoed loudly in the quiet room.

W H A T     H A V E     Y O U     D O N E     T O     M E

A soft beep sped up in the background, filling the air as I tapped his skin again, "What is he doing?!"

"I-I-I'm not sure-, but Mikey you need to calm down, your heart rate- your blood pressure", I didn't care about my health, I didn't care about what these other mutants had to say, I didn't even care what April had to say, 'I DON'T CARE!!!', I shoved his arm away, 'I need to leave-'

"MIKEY!", someone grabbed me, a mutant, one that looked similar to me and Donnie yet...different, he wore a red mask, I scoffed as he made me face him, 'Possibly a creation made by Bishop himself, a disgusting tactic'. His eyes kept staring at me, I tried to pull away but he kept me still, making me face him, "Donnie did nothing to you-", I was shocked, he understood, but how...so I tapped once more.

Y O U     U N D E R S T A N D

"Yes-"

"Raph, what are you d-"

"Shut up, Dork!-", he didn't get to finish those words, I may be weak, but my stealth is by far the best compared to these strangers. A blade. Aimed straight for the throat, yet didn't touch him, only a centimenter away from creating a tear in the vein on the side of his neck, he was frozen, his brows strangely furrowed, he was afraid.

D O N T    S P E A K    T O    M Y    B R O T H E R    L I K E    T H A T

He was shocked, but the other mutant pulled the blade from my hand, forcing me back down against the table, "Hey! Be careful, he just woke up-"

"Donnie! He almost killed Raph just now-"

"He's just confused!", they yelled, yelling on and on and on and on, the blue one and Donnie yelled against one another, while the red one just stared at me, his once angry demeanor changed, "What did you say...", the two fell silent, and for once I was also confused, why did this mutant care, why was he so affected by my words, so I tapped the words again. But his face became more depressing by the second, "Mikey-...", he laughed as he tried to walk closer to me, he reached for my hand, but I pulled away. "Do...", he took a deep breath as he backed away, "I want you to name off what you think-"

"Raph, what are you-"

"Leo for once can you please shut up...", everyone looked shocked, but by what though, was it the turtle's face, maybe the way he spoke, for once I had no idea, but he continued to speak to me, only me. "Mikey, I'm going to point at someone, say their name and what they are to you okay?", his saddened expression calmed down, yet he still seemed sad but he continued. He pointed at April...

S A I K I     O R     A P R I L

S H E S     M Y     F R I E N D

"Saiki?-"

"Is no one seriously going to discuss the tapping and how Raph understands him-"

C A S E Y S     R I G H T

H O W     D O     Y O U     U N D E R S T A N D     M E

He sighed annoyingly as he scratched the back of his neck, "I was really interested in the human army, and while learning about armies made by humans, I learned about morse code, basically what you are tapping, now-", he spoke up as he turned back around towards Casey, his arms flade out in the air, "-can we get back on topic..."

"Yess...", I turned back towards Donnie as he walked closer, a flashlight in hand, "This can help me determine the damage, so far it's looking good...", I backed up as Donnie stood next to me, I hated this, I felt like a test subject, I pressed myself up against the cool metal table. "Alright, so I saw that you know Casey and Donnie...what are they to you..."

D O N N I E S     MY     B R O T H E R

A N D     C A S E Y

I stared at him, a human I could never trust, he ruined everything, the peaceful life I lived, he ruined my life. I looked at April...at Saiki, a human I could trust, one I could trust with my life, with my family...I wish I could say the same thing about Casey.

A     S N I T C H

My fingers slammed down against the table as I glared at the human boy...

A    T R A I T O R

"What did he say, Raph...", the turtle was silent, he was confused, so I continued without him.

A S     F O R     Y O U     A N D     T H E     B L U E     O N E

I     H A V E     N O     C L U E     W H O     O R     W H A T     Y O U R E     T O     M E

I tried to look for Donnie, but he and April were gone. 'April?! Donnie?!', I looked around the room, I couldn't find them...I was left with people I couldn't trust. 'Momma?!', I looked back towards the red one, he continued to stare at me, the blue one tried to get his attention, but he was stunned.

*BANG*

The red one's eyes stuttered, and he shook his head, but for some odd reason, that look never left his face.

R E D     W H E R E S     M O M M A

That look was gone, he looked at the ground, I tapped his arm, tapping those words again, but he was still silent, "Do you mean Sensei- or do you mean Leatherhead- or Mondo!"

W H O

I shook my head, I needed to focus, mom could help me, I knew she could help me save my babies, my children.

N O    W H E R E S     M O M M A

"Michaelangelo...", I turned towards the voice, I was confused, as I stared at the rat in front of me, a mutant that wore Japanese human clothing as if it was human itself. It walked closer to me, its arms spread, it...hugged me. "My son...", I shoved the elderly rat away from me, I was angry, disgusted that this stranger called me his son, yet my throat stung, 'I missed Momma calling me that...', I glared at the rat, I hated this rat, but why... I didn't know who or what he was to me, but he was no my father or my parent, yet for some reason my cheek felt wet, "I want...", my throat hurt as I stared at the elderly rat, "Mo- *cough* *cough* momma...".

W H E R E     I S     M O M M A

"Mikey!", I turned back towards the blue turtle, he charged towards me, his hand raised in the air high above his head.

*Slap!*

I held my cheek, listening as the slap echoed loudly inside the room, making my ears ring. Looking at this turtle, he held a sort of look, one that looked disappointed and furious at the same time, I wanted to punch this mutant, I wanted to push him to the ground, prove that I was better, stronger than him...but

There was nothing I could do, I was weak...

"Why...", my voice was so hoarse, it hurt, but I just stared down at my lap, my hands resting comfortably in my lap, I switched my gaze and stared at the wires that were connected to my arms, my skin was smooth, 'Where are the scars...', I reached for the tubes, gripping the with as much strength I could muster, "why am I here...", I stared back up at the blue turtle, "Why didn't you just leave me with Bishop to die!", I ripped the cords from my arm, blood stained the blanket that draped over my lap, but I didn't care, I want to see my kids, I want to see Uno, Moja, Odyn, Yi, I want to go see my kids-', I touched neck, and a chill ran down my spine, the collar was gone I knew that, but my dogtag, Venus's dogtag..., "Where is it?", my words seethed, but the blue one didn't hear me, I reached for his arm, but he pulled his arm away, "Mikey-", his voice sounded so serious, he shoved my body back against the table, trying his best to make me comfortable, "Get some rest-"

"No!", I shoved his arm away, my throat burned, it hurt to speak, but I needed to, I needed him to understand, "Where is my dogtag-"

"Your dogtag?-"

"Yes. My dogtag. With the numbers 013-202012-003. Where is it", I clicked my tongue on the T, as I jammed my finger against the mutants shell, only for him to shove my hand away, ushering everyone to leave the room, "WHERES MY DAUGHTER'S DOGTAG!!!", they stopped and just stared, but what confused me the most was Donnie's face, 'Why is he confused, he knows my kids, his nephews, his nieces...', my face felt warm as my eyes blurred over, tears rolling down my cheeks as I glared at the group that was ready to leave, "I want...*sniff*", I huffed the snot back up as I pulled my knees to my chest, "I want to see me babies again...", these humans, these mutants would never help me, not even Donnie would help me, I just sat there in silence as I felt the group's eyes watching me. "Get some sleep, Mikey", and with that, they left.

"Saiki!", I stared at the large metal door, but she never came back, she left me alone, alone in this strange place..., 'I hate this place...I wanna go home', the thought of Mom's house came to mind, 'I need to see her, she can help me!', shoving the blanket off of my lap, but as the blanket fell off my legs, I stopped, staring down at them, cringing what looked to be ten sores covered both of my legs, 'What did they do...', I didn't have time, I pushed my legs off of the table, but it was odd, as I put all my weight on my legs, I collapsed. 'Why-', I grunted as I felt the soreness spread across my legs, the tingling didn't stop either, I hated this, 'Why can't I walk', I slammed my fist against the ground, "What are you doing to me!!!", my breath seethed through my teeth as I looked around the room, tears wetting my cheeks as I tried to find something that could help, something that would free me from this hell hole...

A staff...

One made perfectly out of wood, polished smoothly as to not sprinter the user's fingers, yet strong enough to take down their foe, an extension of the weilder, a weapon...looking down at my legs, the muscles continued to twitch, trying it's best to make the muscle come to life, but I didn't have time I needed to go, to leave, so...I crawled. I crawled closer and closer, using all the strength I had to pull my body closer towards the staff, and there I was. Reaching up to the top of the counter, I pulled my body up, legs trembling as I reached for the staff, yet I was grateful, I could stand, I placed one foot forward, repeating the same step, and I could walk, but just barely. This must be what old humans feel like, walking around with a cane, shaking aggressively...how can humans live like that?

I took a step then another and then another, it took so long to reach the door, but I made it, the room had two doors, so I used the one they didn't walk through...but as the door opened, I was greeted by something unsightly, 'These mutants...live in the sewer?!'

-----------------------------

'Who knew leaving that bunch would be this easy', I chuckled pushing the manhole cover out of the way, I was struggling, but I knew I needed to hurry, and as I pushed the cover out of the way, I tossed myself onto the concrete, breathing in that nice, smog-filled air, 'oh how I missed this...maybe when I save my babies we'll move to the farm- *Gasp* Momma can come too! And sweet pea and honey bee can play with the kids!', the thought made me so excited, I wanted this, but I knew I needed Mom's help, at least I hoped she would help me.

Pushing myself up, I looked around the streets, peeking behind the corner and searched for any humans. My crystal was gone, so I used the best thing I could find...a cloak, one I found hanging on the side of a pole like it was forgotten. Leaving the alleyway, I stood there, looking around the street, 'Nighttime...', I didn't know where I was, so I began my search, walking down the sidewalk, I looked at each street name, some looked similar whiles others didn't, actually...none of these streets...looked familiar...

"Mom's place was in Chinatown...Murakami-san!", I looked up at the street name, I knew that street, I smiled when everything was working, I can finally come home, I'll be happy. Looking down the street I saw the school, my school, 'which means...', there it was I walked farther down the street, waddling faster and faster, I cringed at the sores, the pain, but I didn't care, I could see it, I could see Momma's home, my home, but I tripped, landing right on my hand, and knocked the wind out of me, it hurt. I gasped, reaching out as I saw someone walking-, no running towards me, grabbing ahold of me, "Momma", they froze, and stayed silent, I reached for their hand but they pulled away, "......", she said something, but what. "Momma, please take me home...", my cheeks felt wet again, and my throat stung as my eyes squeezed shut, quiet sobs broke out as I rubbed my palms harshly against my eyes, "Pl-ease Momma...I-", I want to go home, but...I felt dizzy, lightheaded from the fall, a sigh, clear as day when I heard it, "Come on Mikey-"

"Momma, I ne-ed to save my babies-my children, please-", her hand cupped my cheek, it was warm, I pressed against the touch, I missed this, her warm. She pulled me up, and kept me steady, walking down the sidewalk, making our way back home, she just kept walking, but for some reason she crossed the street, I looked up at the blurred image, she must have noticed as she sat me down, right in front of the house, in front of her dojo...I leaned my head on her shoulder, my eyes growing heavy as my vision starting clearing up, "Momma...can I see my sisters again...I...miss them..."

"None of that was real, Mikey...", I chuckled at my Moms terrible joke, of course, they're real, just as real as she is, as real as each one of my beautiful children, all of it's real. I looked up to Momma, yet...it wasn't her, it was April, "Saiki?...Where did Mom go", she was silent, she never looked at me, but when I looked back, I didn't see the dojo, I didn't even see my home, it was just...some convenience store, 'Wait what?! No this is where mom's dojo was, where we lived, laughed, trained-"

"Oh my god-, Mikey what were you thinking?!", I didn't say anything when the Blue turtle spoke, I was lost, confused as to where my Mom's home was...was it destroyed during the invasion? "Leo...please I need you to tell him-", they argued, Donnie told Leo to give me time to adjust, but for what, what on earth do I need to adjust for, many worried thoughts ran through my mind, was mom hurt, were the girls hurt, what! What do I need time to understand?, "Mikey...the things you're talking about, your daughter, your kids, talking about wanting to see your 'Momma'...none of its real...", for the first time this whole night, I finally gave the turtle my full attention, 'what is he talking about, of course, they're real', my throat stung, "Liar...", I pushed myself up to my feet, staring down at the turtle, he seemed shocked looking at me up and down, taking in my structure, my height, "Liar, my mom is real...she's just gone...keeping my sisters safe...And I know my kids are real-", I shoved past the turtle as I tugged Saiki with me and looked at Donnie, standing right by his side, with April on the other side, "Tell them Donnie...", I smiled he was going to prove them wrong, he was going to tell them, but..., "Mikey...what are you talking about?", I turned towards Donnie, my brows furrowed as I looked at him, "My kids! Uno?! You held my son in your own hands, you even held Odyn-"

"Mikey just stop it!!!", the blue one's voice echoed against the walls, he pulled me towards him, he made me face him, "You have been in a fucking coma for the past four YEARS!!!", I was frozen...he was lying, this can't be real, "No...nono...I felt my son- my kids when they were born-", I wanted this to be fake, "Look Mikey I don't know what fantasy you were dreaming-", he jammed his finger into my shell, it hurts...everything hurts..., "But none of that was real! So wake up!", I wanted this to be a dream...but all of this hurt too much to be a dream, but as I stared at the building that stood where Mom's dojo once laid, it all made sense, but...this can't be real...right, Momma?

"Mikey?", the turtle's voice was softer, softer than the way he spoke to me before, he placed his arm on my shoulder, and for some reason, he...hugged me. "Do you remember that night, I sent you alone to fight against Rahzar and Fishface...", memories flashed crossed my mind, Rahzar hurling me across the room, slamming me against the wall. 

Blood...there was so much...blood

I nodded my head, and for some odd reason he hugged me tighter, his arms trembling as they held me, "That was the night you fell into a coma...", my legs gave out...someone caught me and laid me softly on the ground, my head laid there as I stared at the building, "N-no...what", my voice stuttered as I turned away from the building, and just stared up at the sky, "Wa-hut ha-happened t-to the Kraang...", someone touched my shoulder, "We defeated the man!-", his tone sounded so happy, he looked at me, he seemed so ready for me to be happy that those creatures, those pests are gone, I wanted to be happy with them, "We defeated them almost two years ago!", but the news just made everything feel even more real. My vision began blurring in and out of focus, "Hey...I'm getting a little tired...heh maybe I'm waking up from this nightmare-", my words slurred as the darkness slowly began taking over my vision, "-god I hope this isn't real..."

-----------------------------

I opened my eyes...

"The...forest?", I was no longer lying on the concrete, instead I was lying in the center of a forest, staring up at the leafy sky above, I looked around me, it wasn't like any of my dreams of a strange dark forest off in the distant, a forest being so far from my touch no matter how hard I ran towards it...this one was different. This one was familiar, looking around at my surroundings,I pushed myself up and I saw a small stream...no a creek, "Baba!", I was startled, but when I looked towards the thing that made the voice, my throat clenched, it stung, "H-...honey bee?", she giggled as she played in the water, "Baba!", I heard another voice, and a smile finally showed up on my face, I picked up my two sisters, cradling them in my lap, not caring that they were still wet, "Baba! You sleep, really long! Like-", with her small chubby arms, Lita spread her arms out as far as she could, "-this long", a dream...all of that...was a dream.

My face felt wet as I laughed, hugging them so tight, I didn't want to let them go, "Baba sad?", I shook my head as I nuzzled my forehead against theirs, "No sweet pea...I'm just...so happy", I looked back in the direction towards the house, lost in thought, 'is Mom still unconscious? I hope not...", I pushed myself up, noticing I was still wearing the sling I always wore, but it only made the tears flow more powerfully, "You guys hungry!"

"Yeah!"

"Yes pease!", they cheered as they reached up towards me, I picked them up, sliding each one on either side, making sure they were nice and comfortable. Turning away from the creek, I walked back towards the farmhouse, but everything here...just felt strange, everything I lived through, the kidnapping, raising kids of my own, all of that wasn't real, I hated this. Part of me was happy, happy that I was home, safe with my sisters, heck maybe even with my mom, living a life I could only dream of when I was with my old family, yet the other half...wishes this wasn't a dream, I wished I was sleeping, resting away safely with my babies right next to me...but its only a dream...a made up reality I created in my own freaking skull to live a life that may not be a healthy one, but one I wanted my whole life, my own family...

"Baba?", I tapped both their backs as we walked closer and closer towards the house, none of this felt real, but it was...and part of me knew that I needed to accept it...but when? When will my mind be okay with the fact that my kids never existed? When will be okay to move on? 

A hand rested gently on my shoulder as I stood on the very edge of the forest, I never looked at the person, I was just...well I wasn't sure, was I scared, curious, or confused, I was probably all of them. "Mikey...", it was Mom, I missed her voice so much, I turned towards her and hugged her, my face pressed firmly against the bend where her shoulder and neck met, and the tears just continued, accidentally squeezing the girls in the process. I loosened my grip, but never let go, Mom just stood there, scratching my shell, "先に進んでも大丈夫ですよ..."

(It's okay to move on...)

I looked up towards her, my tears slowly down as I listened to her, 'Did I was speak out loud?', she cupped my cheek as she wiped away the stray tear, "誰もあなたを怒ることはありません...息子よ"

(No one's going to be mad at you...my son)

I haven't heard those words in so long, I missed it, I let her go, giving the girls time to breathe, to stretch, and we walked towards the house. I looked around the yard, everything was the same, the car placement, the barn...

I raced towards the house, pushing the door open and keeping it that way as I waited for mom as she walked over slowly, using the cane we made her walk as fast as she could. For some reason, I didn't feel like I was in a rush, needing to get places quickly, making sure I get there on time, now...I felt like I can breathe, I can relax, and listen to the soft breeze brush against the leaves, I missed this, "それで、何を考えていたのですか..."

(So what were you thinking about lunch...)

I closed the door after she walked inside, trying to think of something to eat, but I couldn't think of one, for what I thought were months, even years of living in that nightmare all I really ate was gruel, that was up until the Kraang left, but still, "私の名物のうどんのスープはどうでしょうか？"

(How does my famous Udon soup...how about that?)

I nodded my head as I continued to rub gentle circles into each of my sisters' shells, just like I remember, "分かったわ、ハニー、テレビを見に行きませんか。食べ物の準備ができたらお知らせします-"

(Alright honey, why don't you go watch TV and I'll let you know when the food's ready-)

"Do you mind if I just...sit with you...I had a really weird dream, and...I just want to be near you...", a soft smile showed on her face as she nodded her head, so I sat on one of the kitchen island chairs, watching as she began preparing the food. Looking down at the girls, I stopped scratching their shells and instead, tapping them, drumming my fingers against their shells, beating to the lost song I could remember, "それで、あなたの夢の中で何が起こったのでしょうか..."

(So what happened in this dream of yours...)

"Alot...we went back home...my family found where I was 'hidden', they tried bringing me home, the shredder kidnapped me, and was given to the Kraang, another one of my old enemies, and was kept there and eventually raised the kids I grew and raised in my prison...", mom stopped cooking, but what left me confused...was her expression, she looked so sad, so...worried, but why, it was only a dream...a dream.

"すごく怖い夢だったんじゃないでしょうか?"

(That must have been a really scary dream, huh?)

Her brows furrowed as she chuckled awkwardly, but why, why was she so sad, why was she so awkward in this conversation? I nodded my head as I continued to tap rhythmic patterns into the girls' shells, "Mikey...", I tried to veer away from the previous conversation, so I wanted to hear what Mom had to say, watching as she continued making the food, I didn't look up towards her, just my fingers tapping against my sleeping sisters, "Mikey, please can you look at me?"

"Mom, whats going on? I'm sorry for bringing up my depressing dream, so come on-"

"Mikey...this is a dream...", I chuckled at my mom's words, but for some reason my hold on my sisters became stronger, "Mom what are you talking about...this is real life! I just took a small nap, so you can quit the joke...", she turned the stove off, but she said nothing as she walked around the island, making her way straight towards me, "Honey...it's time you move on..."

"Mom. Stop-"

"Baby...", her words were so gentle as she made me face her, but when she saw my face, her face only showed more pity. "I love you, baby-", a soft peck was placed on my forehead, my throat stung, I felt like I was going to burst, ready to fall apart the moment I relaxed, and Mom didn't help it, not her words or her actions. She pressed her forehead against mine, I wanted to stay here, I didn't want to go back, but there was nothing I could do, so...I just did the one thing I could do, hugged her. "Would you like to see your babies before you go...", I never nodded my head so quickly, but as I opened my eyes we were back inside the facility, TCRI. My tears stopped the moment, I saw where I was, my body stiff as I followed Mom to the nursery, my baby's nursery. 

I didn't give her the chance to open and even get close to the door, I ran there first, pushing the door open just to see my babies...sleeping quietly in our warm room. I checked on each one, I wanted to hold all of them, the cradle them all in my arms, but I couldn't I was too small to even hold two, but I did my best, and tears continued as I laughed when I played with each baby, I wanted to stay, just my children, my mom, and my sisters...but not here, I wanted us to live at the farmhouse, but that's not going to happen.

Voices...I can hear them again, "Looks like it's time to wake up, Baby...", I shook my head, as I sat in the nest holding my eldest in my arms, listening to his gentle snores. Mom knelt down and wiped away every tear that fell from my eye, "I know this isn't what you want...but you have to go back...your family misses you-"

"But you're my family-", I held Uno close to my chest, "I can't live without you, Momma...not without my kids or even my sisters, I want to stay...", she crawled into the nest, looking at Uno as he snored, "You know I'll miss you too, but it's not my choice...", she pulled me into a hug, rubbing her thumb against my shoulder, "Do you think we'll meet again?"

"I hope so hon...", her hug was so tight, I closed my eyes, hugging her back just as tight, but when I opened my eyes, I wanted to tell her I love her, I wanted to tell her she was the best parent, but...she was gone.

-----------------------------

I blinked...over...and over and over and over and over and... 

The void started disappearing, and a room cleared up in my vision, I was back, back inside the small lab I was in before, resting on the cool metal table and staring up at the ceiling...'all of it was fake...none of that...was real', reaching up towards my face, I felt my cheeks, they were damp, 'was I crying?', I rubbed my thumb over my wet finger, rubbing it between each finger, "Morning Mikey...", I turned towards the voice, I didn't know what to do when I saw April, part of me was so happy to see someone familiar, yet...part of me was so mad...that everything wasn't real, so I just stared at her, waiting for her next words, "You hungry for some pizza?", I chuckled as I tried reaching towards the plate, flinching at the pain, I knew that I needed to accept this reality, yet..."Yes please", for some reason, I wish that this was all a dream that I was trapped within..., "Thanks...April", but whose ever that lucky.

The End

Chapter Text

A/N~ Alright! So it seems that I've had a few readers not like how the story ended saying it was too confusing, asking why there were so many POVs and I hear you, so!...
I give you the original ending to the story, the ending that doesn't end with Mikey waking up from a coma...
And I want the readers who put their input in my inbox, all of them are super valid, and this is for those who were not satisfied with the ending, however, if you were, I'm glad I made a terribly written story that you love(for some reason lol jk) to come back to...
SO FAIR WARNING
IF YOU LIKED HOW IT ENDED STOP READING!!!
GO BACK NOW!!!
HOWEVER, IF YOU WERE UNSATISFIED LIKE YOUR MOM ON A TUESDAY NIGHT
THEN KEEP READING

<3

POV Mikey:

"Mikey?", a voice...my ears rang as the voice echoed in my ears. Looking around all I saw was a bright light, 'Why is it so bright in here', lifting my hand, I blocked the light, whining as the brightness burned my eyes, 'What is that?-', squinting my eyes, I tried so hard to see who was talking, "Oh my god!-", and just like that the light disappeared, leaving bright floaters in my eyes. I tried to blink them away, rubbing my eyes and trying to clear my vision, but something grabbed ahold of my hand, pulling me up, "Mikey!!! We need to hurry?!", the person tried to pull me up but as he pulled hardly I felt so... dizzy, numbness filled my body, my arms and legs spasming as I tried to pull himself, but I was confused. Opening my eyes, I peered around the room, 'Why am I in the hallway?', flipping over onto my side, I used my arms to push myself up, my arms trembled, pushing harder and harder against the floor, only for my arms to give out, slamming my back against the ground. "Mikey! We need to hurry! Please!", painful whines bellowed from my chest as I laid there, I felt so weak, like I was...

H̶͍̠̓ȇ̶̖l̴̹͒͜l̶̗̻̑̈́ǫ̶͓͆.̷̱̭́̂.̷̯̈́̕.̴̘̍͝0̷̗̈́1̶͉̈́͋3̴̡͆̒-̵͉̹́͠2̸̰̣̀̚0̵͚̅̒2̷̡̙̆0̴͔́ͅ1̷̕͜2̷̧̅

W̷͚̌̿̅̒͜Á̶͙̪̑̀̈́H̶̢͎̘̟̞͋̿̆̐H̷͙̖͊͆͒̈͜H̶̖͛͝H̴͉͕̺͊̆H̸͙̘̯̟͈̻́̐̓Ḩ̴̩̀͋̒̍͗͝

'Kids?!', without hesitation, my body flew forward and my eyes opened wide as I stared down the empty hallway, Donnie yelled, his ar tugging at my shell, but I couldn't hear him, I trembled as I flipped over onto my belly, pushing myself up, stumbling to my feet. I switched my gaze looking from one end of the hall to the other, thoughts running through my mind as I tried to figure out where I was, 'How long was out?! Why am I still here?! Why didn't Bishop take me or fuck even kill me-'

"MIKEY!!!", Donnie grabbed my arm, my breath came out labored and I could tell that I must have looked like a mess, he looked so scared, but why, "Mikey-"

W H Y     A M     I     S T I L L     H E R E

W H Y     D I D N T     B I S H O P     T A K E     M E

It took some time for Donnie to understand what I said, but I didn't have time, my kids were taken somewhere, somewhere that wasn't with me, I went to rush past him, but he followed after me, his bo tied firmly against his shell, while I had no weapon, only my bare hands, "Bishop left to transfer the kids personally to the facility. Before Bishop left, however, he ordered the droids to transfer you to a separate facility where the kids weren't!"

T H E N     H O W     A M     I     S T I L L     H E R E

Walking past the laboratory, I could barely hear Donnie falter, like he needed something from the lab, only for him to sprint towards me right after, "Centi and I destroyed all of droids-", he walked by my side, stopping me as his hand pointed down the rest of the hallway, pointing down the hallway full unconscious droids lying on the against the walls there motionless, I was shocked, I wanted to be proud to thank my brother for this, but now wasn't the time, so I walked towards the closest elevator. Donnie continued to talking, talking about seeing Bishop when he was outside, talking about everything, but I didn't care, I needed to be faster, I needed to be better. Quickening my steps, I started jogging, running, sprinting down the hallway as I traced my steps, filing through memories of the days I walked through these hallways, walking from one room to the next, repeating the same thing every single day.

There it is! The elevator...I used all my strength, my feet slamming against the ground, the noise echoed a strong thundering sound, but for some reason I felt so unstable, like I was going to trip any second, why did this feels so weird, and then...I tripped falling down on all fours, Donnie knelt down to my side, he spoke so quickly, asking me a million questions a minute, giving me no time to answer, yet even given the chance I didn't tap anything, instead I stayed on all fours, and continued to run. Why was I faster? Was it the creature I was mutated with, is it because I was born to walk on all fours, who knows, I just ran, running faster than Donnie could even keep up with. He yelled for me, asking for me to wait for him, 'Wait?...', waiting only stalls time, making it harder to even save my children, I had no time to wait.

The elevator was so close, so close I could almost touch it, I ran, my arms and legs thumping against the ground, running faster and faster by the second, I could almost feel it, freedom...but as the elevator got closer, it only made me slow down until I completely stopped. I starred at the silver doors, watching as my blurred reflection's shoulder rose and fell. 'He's watching- watching,-where is he?! I am going to be shocked...how am I going to leave', I reached towards the button, but as I stared at the button, the more I could feel the cameras pointing at my back, watching me, my finger trembled as I stared at the simple thing, I felt so stupid as my finger trembled, reaching for the button,  'Why am I so scared, press it...come on! Press it damn it!'

"Come on Mikey, we don't have time for this-", my breath trembled as I stared at the doors, stepping farther and farther away... 

I couldn't, I knew I needed to save my children but...could I survive another shock. Donnie pried the doors wide open, leaning over the edge as his hand reached for mine, waiting yet all I could do was stared at him, my eyes shaking as I kept my gaze firm. I guess Donnie noticed..., "Hey Mikey...it's okay...nothings going to hurt you"

G E T     S H O C K E D

S H O C K E D

I    W I L L

My hand trembled as I tapped those words, I felt like I couldn't breathe, I felt stuck, I felt so...weak, too weak to even protect my own children, "Mikey, I messed with you're collar-", I shifted my gaze from the elevator to Donnie, barely touching the collar as I turned back towards the cameras, Bishop must have figured out, "Look! Mikey I'm sorry, but we need to go-", he grabbed my hand pulled me towards the elevator, giving me no time to think. Using the elevator cable I slid down the shaft, landing straight onto the elevator lift, still unharmed, and no sounds signaled from the device, I was okay, but my breathing shuttered as I tried to catch my breath. Opening the door, Donnie signaled me to come inside, so I followed after him, prying the door open. Freedom was so close, so close I could run from here, run away from this city and ever horror that haunts this city, I could run...from everything, but...I couldn't. I was speechless, for months-, years I had never reached farther than those elevator doors that held me on that level, yet somehow Donnie made me do it.

I wanted to run through those doors, racing after the closest Kraang delivery truck, I wanted to save my children, but I was stuck, no form of instructions, no instinct, nothing I was just stuck, standing in the center of this facility's lobby as Donnie scrolled through his phone, thinking of something. "Centi! What's your status?", Donnie stood there on his phone, but I couldn't wait, I needed to leave. Shoving passed Donnie, I slammed the door open, racing towards the nearest building, and climbing straight to the top of the roof, "Mikey?!", I listened, scanning the area for anything an engine noise, wailing cry, anything that could help. "Mikey? Centi-"

W H E R E

All that momentum stopped as I turned back to Donnie and crept towards him, staring at him as he continued to talk on the phone, "They-"

W H E R E     A R E     T H E Y

His eyes were wide open as I glared at him, "215 Street Station-", pivoting on my heels, I turned and pushed off my foot, racing towards my destination, leeping over the roofs was an easy task, "Donnie!!!", a voice, looking down towards the street, I saw a small group that yelled for Donnie, telling him to stop, but they weren't looking at him, they were...looking at me. Staring down at the group from the corner of my eye, I expect Donnie to slow down, to talk with the group, to talk to April, but he never falter...he was a true brother. I chuckled as I ran faster, racing on all fours as I leaped from one roof to the next, "Centi should be just a few hundred feet a head of us. Here catch!", looking back towards Donnie a device flew through the air, so I caught it, running once again on my hine legs, running slightly slower than before.

W H A T S     T H I S

"A tracking receptacle!", staring at the device, I watched as the soft green like blinked quietly, watching as the dot moved awy at a quick speed, almost as fast as a..., 'A truck!'. Donnie tapped into his phone as he ran beside me, "If Centi did this correctly...", nodding his head, he slipped his device into his satchel, "That should be the position of the truck where the kids are being transported in". Nodding my head, I followed after the blinking dot, we were so close, yet..., "DONNIE!!!", something had to stop us, two mutants stood in our way, but that wasn't stopping me, "Get out of the way!-", turning towards them I went back to stop them, my kids couldn't lose their uncle, I couldn't lose someone, not again, "No! Donnie, it's time to come home! I'm not losing another brother because of someone else's mistakes!-"

"Go!", run...I guess that was the only thing I was good at. I continued to stare at the device, but something was off, looking around the area, I switched my gaze from the device to the area, 'It's saying I'm standing right over it-', my eyes landed on it, the street, "Donnie...what the hell are you doing with this mutant-"

"Wait! Is that bug one here too!", peeking over the edge, I saw the droids carry in crate after crate, yet no sounds, 'I'm coming!', crawling over the edge I landed on the ground, bracing my fall making not a sound.

*ThumpThump*

'What was that?', looking up towards the rooftop, I tried to listen, 'Donnie?!', reaching for the fire escape ladder, I was ready to climb, to save him, "The ones known as the Specimens have arrived ten earth minutes ago, Sir-", I couldn't go after him, Bishop was with them, I peeked around the corner, and watched as many droids walked in and out of the warehouse, I stared at the device, recognizing where the position was, "Hey! Who goes-", slamming my fist against the droid, I slammed them against the wall, and watched as the creature clung onto my arm, barely alive yet pain filled squeals came from the creatures mouths, I stared at it, watched as it tried to let go, to alert the others, but it never gets the chance, slamming my teeth into the aliens temple it fell limp, it's exposed inners twitch as the nerves continued to spasm. Opening my hand, the Kraang fell out my hand, falling to the ground making a sound similar to a wet towel hitting the ground, tossed to the side. I turned away from the corpse, dragging my hand across the walls, removing the blood from my red-stained hands. I peeked around the corner, but there was nothing, no droids, no hover drones, no security, 'Why...', creeping through the door, I made my way inside, hiding behind the cars that disguised the warehouse, making this violent place seem so innocent, so nice...

Scanning the structure of the garage, I remembered this place, looking around the room I noticed the bain of my existence...the vending machine, 'And that stupid burrito's still there!', staring at the machine, I tried to think of way to open the door up, but last time I remembered metalhead was the one that opened this, "Move. Move-", Donnie walked past me, plugging cord after cord into separate parts of the machine, typing something into his phone.

Y O U

Y O U     S T A Y E D

"Of course, I stayed. What do you take me for", he laughed as he turned his makeshift key. Turning around, I was alarmed as I heard the sound of air pressure release, I was stiff, but as I listened I couldn't hear anything, no strange Kraang dialog, not even the sound of metal footsteps. Jogging towards the lift, Donnie ran past me, and looked over the key panel, "Alright. We need to be quick, from what I saw so far, the quadrant we need to go to is clear of droids for fifteen minutes exactly", pressing the keys on the panel, he finally pressed the button. Feeling the elevator lower, I looked over toward Donnie, switching my gaze between him and the entrance.

W H E R E     D I D     T H E Y     G O

"No where- It doesn't matter, right now we just need to focus on getting in and out", nodding I looked towards the front of the elevator, watching as a light passed through shortly over anv over, I was scared, so nervous, as the elevator lowered, the elevator beeped, beeping as it reached each floor, I stared up at the letters, reading off the Kraang characters that shown bright red above me. In my time inside TCRI, I filled my time with anything and everything I could do to fill the quiet hours, one of the things I learned was the Kraang dialect, 'Seven...six...five......four......three...', for some reason as we went farther down, the farther the floors felt. 'Two.........one.........ground floor...'

*Ding*

Shuffling to the side of the elevator, light peeked through the crack, and watched as the doors revealed the underground facility the aliens hid inside, the door released pressure, creeping open, but as it slowly opened I could see them, droids walking up, and down the halls. Turning towards Donnie, I pulled him closer to the wall, hiding from the view of the droids, he groaned as he pushed my arm away, trying to see what exactly I was looking at. Peeking through the door, I watched as a droid walked down the hallway. Turning the corner, and walking out of sight, I looked back down at the device, trying to figure out where they were, but this device wasn't making sense, "This way!", he whispered racing towards the direction where the droid turned, I ran after him, finally figuring out the device. Racing past him, I followed the dot and ran in the same direction, Donnie called out to me, yelling for me to slow down, but I couldn't I needed to save, to be with them.

*Beep*

I froze, slowing down as I just stood there, my body stiff as I looked down the hallway, he's here but where. I couldn't breathe, yet I stood still, my body standing tall as I looked around, peaking through the corner of my eyes, "Hey! Buddy-", all my air stuck in my lungs as I stared down at Donnie, mouthing silently as I stared at him, 'RUN'. I never wanted to have my family see me like this, not Donnie, Centi, and of course never my kids. 'He's here', my lips stuttered as I mouthed each word, and Donnie understood, I watched as he looked around the hallway and disappeared somewhere, hopefully somewhere hidden, "Well well well...", his voice echoed across the walls, echoing in my ears as I stared down at the ground, "What on earth are you doing here 013-202012. I could have sworn, I ordered droids 4931 and 3963 to transport you to another facility..."

*Beep*

His finger hovered over the button as he walked closer to me, taking a deep breath as if...he had lungs in that metallic body, "You know...", we turned away and walked around me, "013-000001 didn't put up much of a fight when I found her...searching around the facility...that was until I found her...", it felt like my heart stopped as he laughed, the sound of paper filled the air until something fell in front of me, a photo. "Such an interesting specimen don't you think...", the photo showed a small human hugging another human, their smiles so big as they looked at the camera. "19...40, a year no Kraang could forget. The start of our reelution, a time to change this useless planet into something better, something greater. The same year we test mutagen on this planet".

I raised my head, making sure to keep eye contact, but...he wasn't looking at me, "Who knew such an old creature would die so easily...and look at this...looks like she's not the only one dying to tonight, huh?", he walked closer to me, but as he stood a foot away, he glared at me, and a chill ran down my back, "Prisoner 013-202012", he laughed as he said my code, staring off somewhere behind, 'He knows...he knows!'. 

*Beep*

Turning around, I stared at the closet that Donnie hid in, I could feel him watching us. I stared down at the ground, feeling the sharp pain run through every single vein in my body, I felt so humiliated, so weak, 'Why did he have to see this... no one should have seen this...', my body ached as my knees trembled, and my joints burned, placing my hand on my chest as I felt the pressure in my chest worsen, I hate it here. But of course that wasn't the end of it, he slammed his finger into the button, and a sharp pain rushed through my body, my throat clenched so hard, my eyes watered as I fell onto my hands, drool pooling onto my ground as I tried to hold myself up, but I couldn't, but as my throat clenched even harder a wave of warmth overflowed my throat, blood, the red fluid dripped from my mouth, my eyes blurring out as I stared at the ground, the pain...

It hurt so much, but as I braced myself, I was ready for the next rush, yet...it never came. I kept slouching on the ground, waiting for Bishop to punish me, to do anything, yet..., "Come on Mikey...", my face felt wet as I lifted my head, my eyes blurred as wet tears blocked my vision. I rubbed my arm over my eyes, cleaning off the waters and drool, and I reached for Donnie's hand, pulling myself up.

L E T S     G O

My legs trembled as I took one step in front of the other, but as I continued to walk the easier it became, Donnie kept trying to stop me, telling me to take a break, but I couldn't, I walked past him, and stopped as I stared down at Bishop's weak body, squeals fell from his mouth as I stood over him. Reaching towards the droid I ripped the Kraang from his cavity, staring at him, he fit in perfectly in the center of my hand, closing my hand, I watched as my nails dug into the alien's fleshy skin, and this was not a quiet kill, he squealed so loudly, my ears ringing as I glared at the alien, my finger diving farther and farther into the alien's skull, "Mikey?!", Donnie grabbed my arm, trying so hard for me to quit it, but why should I. Even if he did persuade me...he didn't get to talk fast enough, and Bishop finally fell limp, hanging off my finger, imitating what looked similar to a finger puppet. The alien fell off my finger, but as I stared at it, everything that happened repeated in my mind, every order, torture, experiment, every single thing this stupid creature did to me repeated in my mind over and over and over, I wanted to yell, scream, anything but as I stared at it longer, all I could do...was stare.

And the silence was so loud.

Stepping over the limp corpse, I stared down at the phone, following the direction of the kids, Donnie stayed behind me, keeping his distance, I peeked over my shoulder, staring at him, and what shocked me was he never looked at me, and when our eye met he immediately looked away. He was scared...

D O N N I E

When I looked back at him, he was frozen, but why, what was he scared of...was he scared of me. Of course, he was, who wouldn't be, he was a normal mutant, a mutant that didn't look terrifying, but me...I am a monster...a freak, mutated beyond recognition...why wouldn't he be scared...

G O     H O M E

"Wha...wait what?!", he tried to catch up to me, but I only walked faster, I knew I was going to be on my own, so why not get it over with, I turned away from him, I was just a few feet away from them, I could sense it, staring down at the device, walking towards the closest room, a laboratory.

D O N N I E

I M     G I V I N G     A     C H A N C E     T O     B E     F R E E

T O     H A P P Y

"And what makes you think that I would be happier living a life where I dont get to be in my nieces and nephews', huh?! What makes you think I want that!", I tried to say something, but as I went to tap my finger against my shell, cries echoed across the hallway, "What's that-", I sprinted towards the noise, slamming the door wide away, making the bang echoed across the room. And there they were, Uno cried out as mutants tried to pick them up, trying so hard to analyze them, but I knew my kids. I raced towards the group, not making a single sound as I charged towards the mutants, slamming my fist against their sides, hurling them far across the room, and crashing against the wall. Coos...looking down at the table, I stared at each child, "Holt! Prisoner 013-202012-", reaching towards the side, I picked up one of the stools and hurled it straight for the closest droids, droids fell as Donnie disarmed the rest, I never thanked him, I wanted him to go home...I wanted to go home with my momma. I wanted to yell at him, I wanted him to go home, go be happy were his family wants him, I wanted my brother to be safe, but when I heard the coos and giggles, all the anger, the frustration...was gone.

'Hey bebe~', I chuckled as Moja reached for me, soft chirps came from her mouth, 'I missed you guys...'

"Mikey! We got to go! That fifteen minutes ended two minutes ago", looking around the room, I noticed something folded neatly, shoved into the corner, two blankets placed nicely on an examination table. Sprinting towards the table, I wrapped the blanket around my body, tying it as tight as I could, making sure it never moved. Walking back towards the small NICU beds, I picked up my biggest child, and stuffed him into the sling, reaching towards Uno and placing him inside as well. "Mikey! Hurry-"

I cradled my daughters in my arms, I used the second blanket as a coat, draping it over the girls, hiding them out of sight, everything was ready, so I left, walking as fast as I could, I made my way straight towards the destroyed doors.

L E T S     G O

Walking down the halls, I cradled my sleeping daughters in my arms and hushed the boys, trying so hard to keep them quiet, to keep them safe with them, "Hey...", Donnie spoke up as he caught up with me, his voice spoke so softly as I traced my steps back towards the elevator. I scanned the hallways, 'why are the hallways...empty', I pulled the girls closer to my chest, I walked into a corner, slipping Yi in the leftover extra space in the sling, giving me one arm to protect the kids, an arm to fight with. "What you said ear-"

I M     S O R R Y

"Wha-"

I     W A S     J U S T

I tried to think of the words, but I couldn't...

Y O U     L I T E R A L L Y     D E F E A T E D     B I S H O P    I N     U N D E R     A     M I N U T E

T H A T     A L I E N     T O R T U R E D     M E     F O R     O V E R     A     Y E A R

T H A T     J U S T     P R O V E S     T H A T     I M     W E A K

"No!", I stopped as I stared down at Donnie as he stood in front of me, blocking me from the exit, he talked, talking on and on, but I just stared at the lift, we were so close, I guess Donnie noticed when I heard him sigh, "We'll talk later. Come on", he peaked around the corner, and rushed across the hall, making it to the elevator, Donnie slammed the button pressing it over and over. Waiting outside the elevator, I looked from end to the other, 'Where are the droids?!'

*Ding*

Donnie shoved me into the lift, slamming the key panel, and hacking into the system, "This should make the droids to head to the opposite and farthest side of the facility", the elevator began going up, but I was confused, I stared at Donnie as he shoved the wires and cords into his pouch.

W H A T     D I D     Y O U

I didn't get to finish my question as the sounds of alarms filled the air, echoing against the walls, my ears hurt as they rang, and a robotic voice spoke aloud.

ALERT! DISTURBANCE IN THE EAST QUADRANT!

I chuckled as the alert began to become more quiet, 'Dang...sometimes I forget how smart my brother is sometimes...', Donnie looked up at me, and walked towards me, lifting the blanket he stared at Moja, watching as she slept peacefully in my arms, "Thank einstein they're safe...". Letting go of the blanket, he looked open towards the opening, waiting for freedom to come, "Mikey-", I switched my gaze over towards him, but something was off, he looked so scared, so...worried. But as the silence got long and the closer we got to leaving this place, he took and deep breath and finally met my eyes, "We need to go somewhere safe for the time being until we can find somewhere else-", walking out of the elevator, voices of droids spoke up. I pulled Donnie off to the side, and hid behind the closest car, "Mikey!-", I slammed my hand over his mouth, and peeked over the car, watching as every single droid walked over the elevator, their guns held close to the chest ready to deal with the situation.

'They're gone', I walked around the edge of the warehouse, droids continued to walk in and out, conversing about the alert downstairs. I watched and as a droid left, I sprinted past them, holding the kids close. I raced towards the alleyway, and hid in the shadows, waiting for Donnie. "Mikey!-", I waved my hand outside of the shadow, gaining his attention, and running straight for me, "So-", he breathed out tiredly, leaning on his knees, and trying to catch his breath. "Like I was saying. We need to recuperate and rest. I have a place in mind...", he scratched the back of his neck as he stared down at the ground, I continued to tap Moja's back, bouncing her as I continued to listen, "Buuuuuuuuuut", I waited for him to tell me, I needed to listen, so...I did.

------------------------------------------

(Mikey tapping / Donnie tapping)

'Why...'

*Drip*

'Why did I listen...to him', my guard was so high as I walked down the tunnel, cringing as my feet touched the green slimy floor.

D O N N I E

He hummed as he continued to tiptoe down the tunnel, I followed as I walked carefully, not wanting to slime.

W H A T     A R E     W E     D O I N G     I N     T H E     S E W E R S

"Soooooo-", he noticed something and began running, sprinting away from me. I wanted to yell at him, I wanted him to slow down, but as I ran closer he started to slow down, so I tapped the strap of his satchel, grabbing ahold of his attention.

W H E R E

Y O U R     O L D     H O M E

In just a few rhythmic taps, it felt like all the wind was knocked out of my chest, I couldn't breathe, everything around me even the sounds around me, drips of water hitting the pavement, the rats, even the bugs...all of that faded out of hearing, I stared at the garage like door, 'I'm...ba-'. Donnie slid the door up quietly as he ushered me in, but I couldn't move, I didn't want to be back here, I escaped this place for a reason...

Donnie grabbed my free hand, pulling me inside, he spoke, tapping my face and trying to get me to come back, but I was so scared, so terrified. Nausea filled my throat as I looked down at the ground, but when I looked back up at Donnie he seemed so frantic, looking around the room, he tapped my face, tapping words so I understood.

Y O U     N E E D     T O     H I D E

U P     T H E R E

My nod was stuttered as I looked up towards the ceiling, and climbed, reaching the top as I stood quietly on the platform that was built up here, I felt so unstable, but I tried my best, holding tightly onto the nearest pillar. I scanned the area around me, I noticed there was no built-in light to help brighten, so the shadows hid me well. "Donnie?...", I knew that voice, 'Mama?', my body almost stuttered as I leaned closer, I wanted so badly to jump down there to hug my Mom, "Dee!", my throat stung when I heard that voice, the sounds of my sisters' footsteps tapping into the room as they saw Donnie, a soft smile appeared as I watched how happy they were, 'Maybe...Donnie should st-', I didn't get to finish that sentence when I was met with a pair of eyes staring up at me, no fear or terror, just curiousity, maybe..., 'Honey Bee', she remembers me...

"Donnie?!", two mutants ran inside the lab, the turtle wearing a blue mask and the other a red one, the red one looked so angry, yet both looked...like they were so ready to cry, "Oh my fuck!-"

"Language!", I chuckled when mom spoke up, embarrassing the red turtle, "What Raph means... we're glad you're doing good...but please...don't go...", Donnie looked so stiff, he was stuck, he wanted to be back home, a safe place where he can work with everything he owns, yet he hesitated. "Brotha?", my eyes widened as I looked at Jenny, her head tilted as I looked at her as she reached up towards me, but I couldn't, it was time I left, I dont belong here, "Yo what's up, Jennika! Big bro missed you-", the red one picked her up, tossing her in the air, but she didn't laugh, she continued to look at me, "Nooooo"

"What's wrong-"

"I want Brotha!", she whined and pointed, she continued to look at me, when I looked around the group, the only other eyes that stared...were mom's, 'She knows?!'. I tried to step back, but I had nowhere else to go, so I stayed quiet, hiding farther into the shadow. "Hey!", I stared at the loud voice, the blue one must have noticed me, glaring at me as he pulled out his sword, and the other held his sais, "Donnie! Did you let this mutant in here-"

"Brotha!", Jenny began crying as she walked closer underneath me, reaching up, wanting me to pick me up, but as I tried to lean forward, the blue one reached towards her, picking her up and handing her off to Mom, making her carry two two-year-olds at the same time, 'I need to leave...', the blue one continued to yell, demanding me questions, asking me the weirdest things. Leaning against the pillar, I used my free hand and climbed down, but as I stood there, I stared at Mom, watching as she put the girls down, and walked straight for me. The blue and red one yelled at her, asking her what she was doing, but I didn't hear them as Mom stood in front of me, she reached for me, but as her hand crept closer I pulled my face back, squeezing my eyes shut, I didn't know what was coming but as the turtles stopped talking, she spoke up, "Hey Baby...", her voice was so soft as she touched my cheek, I flinched at first, but as I felt her warmth, I pressed farther into the warmth, 'I missed you...so much', she grabbed my free hand holding it as she lead me farther into the lair, "Mom?! What are you doing-"

"I'm making himself at home, hon. Now why don't you make some food for your brother", her voice was so stern as she talked to them. "Brotha!", Jennika ran around me, her snout and eyes wet, dripping as she reached up towards me.

N O

N O     I M     N O T     S T A Y I N G

"What do you mean you're not staying?", Donnie walked into the room holding a pizza, cheeze dripping from the crust, connecting to his mouth, never breaking. Oh pizza sounded so good, so delicious, but...I knew I couldn't stay, I didn't belong. Donnie's brothers walked beside him, they still looked skeptical as they stared at me, and a soft smile appeared on my face, my eyes stung as I took in the picture...a picture I didn't belong to.

D O N N I E

Using my free hand I pushed up to my feet, still cradling my sleeping children. But as I stood up someone hugged me, Mom hugged me, and under her breath she spoke quietly, she begged over and over to sit down, to talk to her, but I couldn't, I couldn't ruin the perfect life she has right not.

I M     G O I N G     T O     F I N D     A     S A F E     P L A C E     F O R     T H E M

"This is a safe place for them!", he pitched his snout as he walked towards me, "I'm sorry, but what makes you think any other place is safer then home-"

B U T     T H I S     I S N T     M Y     H O M E

"Yes it is!-", he groaned loudly as he ate the last piece of the pizza, "Then I'm coming with you...", I shook my head, and walked back towards Donnie's lab, shoving the large door out of the way.

D O N N I E     T H I S     I S     Y O U R     F A M I L Y

"This is your family too!!!"

L A S T     I     R E M E M B E R

I     O N L Y     T H R E E     S I B L I N G S

I     D O N T     E V E N     K N O W    W H O     T H O S E     T W O     E V E N     A R E

"THEY'RE YOUR BROTHERS!!!", walking into the lab, I picked up a notepad I saw, and used the only free fingers, picking up a pen. Walking back towards the TV, I slammed the notepad down, and began writing, "Donnie. What did you mean by that...", Donnie laughed as I continued to write a small letter, the mutants behind me continued to talk, but when I heard Donnie laugh... that's what made me stop. Turning back towards him, he glared at me, "Ha! You guys wanna know where Mikey has been all these years!", I turned back towards him, shaking my head, I wanted him to stop, they couldn't know, no one could.

D O N N I E     D O N T

"They should know! I mean- hah! You can't hide your kids from their uncles forever!-", I trusted him...glaring at Donnie, my nails grazed over my collar, scratching it over and over, until...a finger got caught on it, and with one quick tug, the metal fell off my neck, no shock, no stun, and Donnie looked terrified, I stared at him as I felt a warmth from my neck, I was tired...I wanna go home...I wanna go to the farmhouse, "Mikey?! Oh my- Why did you-", I shoved him out of the way, I needed to leave, so I did, walking past Donnie, he continued to ask if I was okay, but I ignored him, handing the notepad straight into Mom's hands, "ママ、愛してるよ..."

(I love you, Mom...)

My throat stung as I spoke, as I hugged her, "Mikey?...", I didn't turn around, I didn't even recognize the voice, but I continued to look at Mom, my eyes stung as I hiccupped, resting my head on Mom's head, her hand reached up, cupping my cheek, "私はここには属していない、ママ...私はどこにも属していない-"

(I don't belong here, Momma...I don't belong anywhere-)

"いいえ、赤ちゃん、あなたはここに属しています。あなたはこれからも私の息子です..."

(No baby, you do belong here. You will always be my son...)

I crouched down, as Mom hugged me, her arms wrapped around my neck, hushing me as I cried, whining into her shoulder, I continued to let her hug me but I flinched as something touched my neck, "There's blood all over your neck hon...", I let her continued wiping away the fresh blood, flitching every single time it stung, when it hurt to bad, but this hurt far less than everything that happened in there, "でも...私は怪物...実験者...変人-"

(But...I'm a monster...an experiment...a freak-)

"Ay-", she pulled away from her tight hug, tapping me on the face, "Don't you dare...talk about yourself like that!", her thumb wiped under my eye, wipping away the tears, only to get soaked once more when a tear fell once again, "Now...", a big smile showed up on her face, "Let me see my grandbabies!", she squealed quietly as she looked at me, and I could only smile.

*CRASH*

"SISSY APPLE!!!", Lita yelled as she ran towards Saiki, tugging April by her hand, pulling her closer to me, "Apple! Brotha's back!", turning back towards Mom, I untied the top blanket, and let it fall to the ground. Voices continued to talk behind me as I crouched down, only for the movement to wake Moja up, making her cry as she wiggled around. Mom giggled as she reached for Moja, bouncing her as she hushed her, "I know that cry~", she stood up and walked towards the other turtles, my...brothers...

"Jenny! Can you get the formula in my room!", I crouched over my arms, hugging the three still with me, 'Nursery-, I need to make a nursery- a nest-', I stared off towards the rest of this place, shivering as the cold finally set in. Reaching back, I draped the blanket over my shoulders, huddling in and trying so hard to keep myself warm, "Mikey has a daughter?!"

"Correction, Two daughters and two sons, however, one of his sons is a tortoise...", staring down at the ground, my eyes felt so heavy, "Hey?", my eyes fluttered open as I stared at the blue turtle in front of me, watching as the red one and Donnie joined, "Can we see the rest of our nephews and nieces-"

"Wait! I have a quick question?", April spoke up as she sat down on the couch, handing off her phone to Lita, playing her favorite show, Spiderman. I chuckled at that as I continued to tap one of my kid's shell, "So...did you like adopt these kids when you were ummmm... there?"

"No actually!-", Donnie spoke up as he turned away from me, and faced the others, "These are truthfully his actual kids! Blood-related!", April gasped and smiled, for a second I could almost see her eyes sparkle, "Wait so! Do you have a girlfriend~", I wanted to laugh, that sounded so stupid, a girlfriend...but I couldn't laugh, all I could do was turn away, flinching as I felt a hand tap my chest. Looking down I noticed Odyn was up, smiling bright as ever. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"Well...its honestly a hard subject for Mikey, but...Bishop...collected his 'DNA' for months and...injected it into eggs they stole from different parts of the planet...", reaching into the sling, I pulled out Odyn, setting him down right in front of me, "Please at least tell me he knew...you knew...right?", I just stared down at Odyn, his smiled widely as he reached back, only to fall over, giggling loudly, "No...", my voice sounded so scratchy as I spoke, "Whoa! Mom that turtle as big as me!", I chuckled as Lita yelled at mom as she continued to feed Moja, "In...", I finally looked up from Odyn, staring at the group that sat in front of me, "there...learning that these beautifully creatures...all six-", I pulled out Yi and Uno, cradling them in my arms, but when I looked up everyones eyes were so wide as they looked at them, "All of them became so precious to me...they were the only good thing that came from that place...", everyone seemed so shocked, yet the blue one was confused, "Wait-", he turned around, probably counting each one, "I only count-"

I tapped the dogtoag that hung from my neck, my heart hurt as I grabbed my daughter's dogtag, pressing my lips over the tag, kissing it, "She never really made it out of the egg", my voice trembled as I stared Moja, watching as she drank so much, 'She must be so hungry...', staring at her nub of an arm, "The...droids miss fired, killing Venus and-", I ushered my head towards mom, "-removing Moja's arm as well...", I laughed as I heard the sound of a pop as Moja finished eating, "But that never stopped her from being just like her uncle", I turned towards the red one, watching as his eyes widened, watching as Mom handed Moja to him, "You know...when Bishop left me there by myself, I sat in that nursery for days as I watched my babies...but when I sat there awake, while my babies sleeping, I thought about my old family...this family...I repeated memories of everyone, blue...red...donnie...I repeated memories of this place-", I scanned the room, staring at everything I could remember, the kitchen, the living room, even the dojo...

I chuckled as I turned back to them, "But after the final experiment Bishop did on me...I remembered everything...except...your faces...your names...And-, and as I raised them for only a year, they reminded me so much of you guys...", Red continued to stare down at Moja, who in turn glared at Red, "Great. Not like we need another Raph here-"

"Oh Shut up, Leo!-", red-...Raph looked down at Moja, lifting her up in the air, almost creating a pose similar to Lion King, "I'm going to make you the best! Just like Uncle Raph!", Raph laughed loudly as he carried her around the room. I watched as the other talked to the kids, 'Maybe...maybe I can-...am I aloud...', Mom walked beside me and picked up Yi rocking her as she continued to sleep, 'Am I aloud to stay...can I...finally be happy', I chuckled as Uno finally woke up reaching for my face, he looked so happy. This felt...right. "Welcome home, little bro!", blue- Leo looked up towards me, I could tell he was silently asking so I handed Uno off to him, picking up Odyn and setting him in my lap. 'I'm...back. I'm home".

The End