Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Mutiny

Prologue

The lair was silent for once that night, there was only the echo of water leaking from a broken water pipe and the occasional rumble of the subway that broke the peace; the reason being for such unusual tranquillity was the fact that Michelangelo had earlier broken his beloved skateboard and after the chaotic events that had followed, all inhabitants had gone to bed early, worn out by the youngest brother and his overreaction. Only Donatello remained awake, he was sat in front of the television editing blueprints for the latest Shell Mobile with his brow fixed in concentration; peace like this was rarely found in his home and he had to make the most of it, his mind enjoying the relaxation and silence. The TV buzzed in the corner of his eye as the wrestling channel flicked to a special news report; intrigued, Donnie lifted his gaze to see what the matter was.

The reporter was dressed in pink, her blonde hair was scraped back off her face and a pair of spectacles clung to the tip of her nose; Donnie scrutinised everything about her as he would with anything, his mind whirring away deciding her character and presentation skills, her knowledge and attitude. Donatello was, after all, the genius of the group; he paid attention to every small detail and absorbed as much information as possible. But at the same time, he divided himself from the rest; when his brothers were asleep, Donnie would work away and never ask for credit. When his brothers needed his assistance, he accepted without a single complaint; then he would be left behind as his brothers excelled in their training and their socialising.

The technological turtle would watch from a distance, consumed in his work and focusing on the only thing he could truly depend on… machines; they were the only thing that he could control in his life, they were so much more understandable unlike humans and even his own family. To Donnie, a mechanism with all its wires and rivets and screws and bolts was far easier to live with; they were predictable, they would have no complications, no feelings…and they would not hurt him. For the one thing Donnie was so concerned of was his vulnerability, the fact that his life had led him to distance himself from others meant he feared being hurt by anyone he allowed to be close to him, because unlike a machine, they could not be understood by a simple blueprint, they could not understand him. That's why Donnie never complained, he was grateful for the excuse to retreat away from the others and be the turtle he never let anyone see, the one content at seeing the world in a logical and mathematical way.

The blonde cleared her throat and patted her sheets of paper on the desk in an authoritative manner; she pushed her glasses up and then smiled at the camera. She hates her job… thought Donnie, picking up his drink beside the chair as she began to speak.

'There has been a scientific breakthrough today for the companies working on a new kind of crime-buster; professionals have been working for over sixteen years and used their vast amounts of knowledge and intellect to finally create a form of artificial life beyond anything imaginable. The new subject will help to increase the success of police forces throughout the country and offers mankind with a more sure way to fight crime. We will now show you a special broadcast filmed only hours ago with the brains behind this revolution… Mr Bishop!'

Donnie's drink flew through the air at impressive speeds, landing with a mighty clonk against the widescreen television; the turtle sat upright with his eyes fixed intently on its images. Agent Bishop was standing surrounded by flashing cameras and microphones, an evil smile fixed on his face; Donnie knew at once that it meant trouble… BIG trouble. The agent's twisted smile faded as he loosened his tie slightly and faced the cameras.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, I stand before you today with great news; after sixteen years we have finally managed to finish what we set out to do all that time ago. A new era begins today, crime will be abolished, alien threats will be useless and mutants will be eradicated; I present to you my personal assurance that the artificially enhanced subject will change our lives forever. Characterised Artificial Technology will soon be on every street corner, protecting mankind from every threat possible; inescapable, incomprehensible and moreover… indestructible! The first of the batch is already proving to be a promising result; CAT 1 will be the mother of all exterminatory projects and by far the most resourceful! I promise you ladies and gents, life will never be the same again… you can count on that.'

Disgusted, but deeply concerned, Donatello switched the screen off as he clambered to his feet. This is not good, he thought as he began to pace the forecourt of the lair, his brow again furrowed in deep thought as his mind whirred away once more, Something so publicly announced by Bishop means it's something very powerful and successful… and something so powerful and successful will mean the public demanding a test run…

Donnie's mind flew back to the first encounter he'd had with extermination programmes, the Mousers… the turtle shuddered as he remembered his old home and the terrifying, deathly jaws of his first foe. But Stockman had required hundreds in order to destroy so much of the sewer; Bishop had mentioned only one of these CATs being active… if he only needed one to prove their worth, how powerful were these things? How long would he and his family have until they soon came face to face with the new threat to their lives? How long would they survive the dangerous new world facing them? The Shredder had gone, but the turtle still saw the imminent revival of destruction so close to his own world; his theory was proven wrong, not all technology was predictable, not all technology was used for good. This CAT 1 was made from scientific data, made by a top scientist… it was something Donnie dreamed of doing himself one day… only this scientific discovery was going to be something Donnie could not understand with a simple blueprint, it was going to be something that betrayed Donnie's own beliefs in science and its admiral uses; again it was Donnie's hopes being broken and right now he nor his family could afford to be vulnerable...