I'm not human. I'm not human. It resonates in my mind. I am not a human. In a way, I'm glad to know why I'm different. But it stings just the same. I don't say anything and neither does anyone else. And then Mikey breaks the silence.
"So… you're like family now." And then it really settles in. I'm a mutant, just like the best of them. And the worst. I want to do something, to say something but I can't. I'm frozen to the spot. Thoughts start swarming in my head and they come again and again. Hornets I think.
I mentally pushed each one away until just one imperative remains. Home.
When I wake up I'm at home, in bed and fully dressed except for my shoes. Dad's gone. Mom's gone. And I'm alone. I briefly wonder how I got here, how I got home instead of my aunt's house. The shadow moves and I turn towards it. I see a dash of purple in the darkness. Donatello. Always there. Always watching. Always keeping me safe.
I close my eyes again. Maybe being a mutant isn't that bad after all. Nothings changed.