Chapter 4

Abort Mission

Like shadows in the night, Mikey and Raph leapt from rooftop to rooftop before landing on the building the youngest was looking for. Smoke wafted from the sewer tunnels, creating an eerie effect with the street lamps. An old neon light flickered weakly against the fog.

"What's this Mikey? We don't usually shop here."

The little turtle shrugged and started to work on the diversion. "I donno, I figured we needed to switch it up a little, ya know? Now help me with these smoke bombs."

Raph mulled it over before following the orange band into the smoke below. Once on the ground, the two skillfully dodged a very confused store clerk in the sulfur mist and entered the building.

The soft ding of the door was the only evidence of them entering, and in a flash, there was a list in Raph's large hands.

"Here, you get this. I'll get the other stuff." Mikey waved his own list before rushing to one side of the store.

"Yeah, ok." Through his red band the turtle looked over the list, and did a double take. "Mikey, what d' we need this stuff for?" Confusion clouded his face as he looked up helplessly.

"Just get it!"

"Geeze, fine. Mah whole family's goin' nuts an' Im the only sane one," he mumbled looking around the aisles like a lost puppy. " 'K, I know where ta get fruit. Didn't know Mikey was inta that stuff." He just shrugged, and bagging a few odd fruits that didn't look like mush. "Okay, okay, next…"

"What's taking you so long, bro? I already have my stuff!"

"Gah!" Raph clutched his chest, "You probably have a shorter list then me!" He resisted the urge to punch his younger brother from the fright.

"Naw dude, I specifically gave you the shorter list. Come on, we have to hurry!"

"Mikey, what do we need all these heating pads for? And this Dis-Disi- man what evah it is. These are some strange orders."

"Just trust me dude. I know what I am doing." His younger brother shuffled his foot before snapping back to his normal, jumpy self. "Now come ON Raph!"

"Yeah yeah."

After collecting a large enough mass to please Mikey, the two left some money on the counter before slipping out the back entrance, barely noticed. A little boy might have seen two dark masses slip into the night with a huge fluffy purple blanket, but his mom never believed him any way.

"Where were you two?" Leo's hands where absentmindedly placed on his hips; a position he always assumed when he suspected his meddlesome brothers were up to something. Space Hero's played audibly in the background.

"Yeesh, we jus' went out ta get some groceries ma." Raph brushed his older brother off in his usual sarcastic manner.

"But we don't need anything right now."

"But I needed stuff that we don't have!" Mikey whined, getting upset that his brother's never seemed to trust him. "Look." He proudly held his bounty for his brother to see.

Leo observed the bag, pulling a cylindrical container from the mix, "Icy hot? Mikey, since when have we needed this?"

"Dude, just take my word. We are gonna need it." He grabbed all the bags and waddled off to Donnie's room.

"Is it just me, or are our brothers getting a bit weird?"

"Nah, they are getten' weird." Raph clasped Leo's shoulder.

The little freckled turtle knocked on his brother's metal door. He beamed at all the groceries in his arms, proud of his accomplishment. However, the knocks fell hollow and unanswered. He decided to push the door open slightly, "D? It's me, Mikey. I got some stuff for y-" The littlest grew quite when he saw his older brother in the middle of the scientifically cluttered room with a shiny needle in his hands. "D-D-Donatello?" He squeaked, slipping in a little more.

Donnie turned his head slowly, as if in a trance, to gaze at his brother. "Hello, Michelangelo. " He quietly turned back to the syringe. Methodically, he positioned the needle to his side, closing his eyes.

"D-Donnie, what is that?"

The older turtle paused, "It's a serum. "

"O-oh okay. What's it do?" Mikey quivered, some how frozen in his spot. The familiar metallic smell to his brother's room grew cold and foreign. "Donnie, what does it do?"

The purple clad ninja sighed and put the needle down. "It's going to kill the-" he gulped, "kill the eggs inside of me.." he hung his head in shame, hiding his face from his brother. In the distance, a small timer went off and mechanical buzzing could be heard.

"It what…" Mikey dropped all the bags he was holding.

Donnie sighed, "You know I cant keep them… Right?"

Mikey was pink and tears streamed down his freckled cheeks. "Cant, or wont?"

"Cant.. Wont.. I CANT, Mikey! This isn't all fun and games any more! This is an ABOMONATION! They have to go!"

His little brother backed up a little, hand on the doorknob. "I was excited for you. For us. But now I see I got a bit carried away." Kicking the bags aside, he rushed out the door, holding his face.

"Mikey, Mikey!" Donatello stood, reaching for his brother. "Damn it." He looked down at the needle in has palm; and in a passionate rage, flung it across the room, watching it shatter and drip across the wall. The usual accompaniment of soft whistles and whirring machines dimed as the teen collapsed to his knees, bellowing in pain and fear.