Seven years old Mikey had a special reason when he chose the nunchucks.

A veeeeeery special one, that was what he thought. The idea popped up the moment he saw it so he didn't want his brothers to touch that weapon. Nobody would touch his weapon.

That was his, like it destined to be his.

So when Master Splinter summoned them to the dojo to train with weapons for the first time, he was the first turtle at the door. Totally excited to try his idea on his weapon. Splinter seemed amused to find his youngest son so eager to train. Not every day to see Michelangelo wanted training more than playing.

The moment Splinter handed him nunchucks he quickly did something to it.

He licked on the nunchucks.

"What are you doing!?"

"Eww… that's another level of disgusting."

"That's gross!"

The chorus automatically came from his brother. But Mikey didn't care. This. He wanted to do this to his weapon. To make him invincible. Even Raph couldn't beat him.

"Ha! Now you're scared! Prepare yourself!"

"What make you think I'm scared!? I will hit you before you hit me with that stupid sticky piece!"

"But it's a good trick! See? Now you don't want to come near me!"

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but it's because your saliva is on nunchucks. I think it's against all rules in the real fight."

Before Mikey swung his nunchucks and made saliva flown all over the place, Splinter put a hand on his small shoulder, making him flinch.

"Michelangelo."

His father's voice was far from intimidated, but his father's presence behind his back kinda froze him. The fact that his brothers stopped talking and just stared at Father made him even more nervous. The youngest son was usually an exception when it came to a lecture, basically because he was the youngest. He sometimes got scolded by their father when they were practicing in the dojo, though. But today father was serious. Mikey gulped. He was truly in trouble.

It wasn't easy to raise four sons that were at the same age, especially when your sons were mutants. They were wild, young, and full of curiosity. But he was patient. Splinter knew better that violent wasn't the solution. Most of the time, he believed in reasoning with them.

"That is not how you treat your weapon. You have to respect your own weapon because one day it might save your life."

Splinter turned him around and kneeled before him, looking disappointed at his childish idea. Seeing his son's wide eyes with fear, Splinter closed his eyes, and when he re-open them his gaze was soft.

"Since you have a fully understanding of the bare hand techniques, I want to train you how to move with your chosen weapon. There is no room for disharmony or hesitation when you are holding your weapon. You have to be aware of your surroundings, and know your own weapon well enough to make adjustments with your body."

Splinter got up to his feet and looked at his sons. "If all of you do not take it seriously, you will get hurt by the errors you made. You will get cut from the blade, get smacked by the bō, or become entangled by the chain." The last part was meant for Mikey. Splinter even lingered his glance for a few moment to make sure he got a message. "Respect the weapon you are using."

"Hai, sensei." His brothers answered. Mikey could only nod. He bowed to Father and whispered.

"I'm sorry, sensei. I won't do it again."

A fur hand soothed him on his shell. When Mikey perked up he could see his Father smiled.

"If you know your mistake, you can learn to fix it," Splinter gestured him to outside. "Please wash your nunchucks. It is now yours, so you have to take a good care of it."

"Okay..."

Well, his first idea to become undefeatable was busted. But that didn't mean he won't try a new one.

The training with weapons in the dojo was fun, to say at least. They tried to get used to their own weapon quickly. Even though Master Splinter warned them beforehand, Raph still got cut from his sai, and Donnie got smacked by his bō. Mikey felt sorry that Donnie got the second hit from his nunchucks too. The only one who didn't do mistakes today was, of course, Leo. It was expected. Leo was the best ninja among them. Splinter went to treat their wounds, leaving Mikey alone in front of TV. He was bored. He wanted to play with his brothers but he had to wait until they came out of the needle room.

Where's Leo? He wondered. Mikey got up and looked around the lair. He found his brother still in the dojo.

"What're you doing, Leo?" He stood at the door, watching Leo combining his move with the katana.

"Practicing."

Leo's voice was slightly hoarse as he continued spinning the katana in both hands. He didn't even spare Mikey a glance.

"But the training time's over. You can have a break now."

"I know, I just want to get used to my weapon."

Apparently, everyone started the this-is-mine trend. Well, he couldn't blame his brothers since he was the one who started this trend. Nunchucks was his, rightfully his! They became possessive of their own weapon. But it felt weird since they never claimed their toys, they shared and played together.

Mikey decided to wait in the dojo until Leo was finished. He was very bored that he sat on the sideline watching his brother swinging the katana, but couldn't sit still for long. Mikey got up again and walked casually to the weapons on the wall. Maybe if he looked at the Japanese swords long enough he would interest in them. He walked around the dojo and not caring that he was getting too close to the katana. Leo paused his move and narrowed his eyes when Mikey was in his way. He sighed, dropping his pose. No point to continue. He had known that when Mikey wanted something, he would do anything to get it.

"Okay, what do you want?"

Mikey whipped his head so fast his neck would snap. "I'm bored! Raphie and D are still with sensei so I thought you want to play with me…?" The last part was two octaves higher because he realized he didn't know if Leo wanted to play.

The immediate answer crushed his hope.

"No."

"Or..." Time for plan B! "I can spar with you!"

"No. We can't spar with weapons. Master Splinter said that's our next lesson." Leo clenched his grip on the katana, giving his little brother a disapproving look. "I thought you already know that our weapons are not toys. You can't play with it just for fun."

'You don't have to rub it in.' Mikey thought, pouting.

"Alright, I get it. No playing." Mikey held his palms up, then he shot questions like a rapid-fire gun. "Why did you choose twin blades? Are they cool? They look really cool. Can I try them?"

It took a few moments before Leo blinked. "...What?"

"Can I borrow it? Please? Pretty please? Just a few minutes?"

There was some emotion flickered behind his brother's eyes, but it was gone before he caught it. Mikey tilted his head and did his best to keep his puppy eyes at Leo. He knew it would work because it worked every time. He was super bored and needed to do something.

Leo clenched and unclenched his grip, refusing to look at Mikey. But his little brother was begging and he couldn't deny it. He was pretty much the expert katana wielder already when he swiftly flipped one of his katana. With a half swing, Leo reluctantly offered the hilt to Mikey.

"You know how to use it?"

Finally! Mikey was too happy when he got on katana from his brother. "I saw how you use it, like this!" He saw Leo swinging the blade like he did with nunchucks, it shouldn't be difficult.

Apparently it was.

"Ow!"

Before Leo could stop him, the blade cut his forearm in the first swing.

"Mikey!"

The katana fell on the floor with a thud, both of them already forgot about it. Leo grabbed his injured arm and quickly inspected the wound. Mikey pressed his lips together, trying so hard not to cry. Splinter was in another room. He didn't want his father to hear him. He didn't want to get caught playing with the weapon and get scolded again.

His big brother didn't ask when he was uncharacteristically quiet, focusing on the cut on his arm. "It's okay. It's not deep."

It was a small cut, more like a scratch mark. Thanks to his quick reflex in the last second, otherwise he would need Master Splinter to stitch it. He hated needle. But when Mikey saw the red from the blood under the cut, he began to panic. He felt like he chopped his own arm in half. "It hurts! Make it go away go away go away!"

Mikey squeezed his eyes shut. If he didn't see the cut, it didn't exist, and he might not feel the pain. So he didn't see Leo's expression that morphed in a sympathy. Leo rubbed his arm, carefully not to touch the cut. Then he blew on the open wound to make it less painful. The moment Mikey felt the air brushing his skin, he cracked one eye open, wondering what was his brother doing. And when he saw Leo blowing on the cut, his mouth hung open because it actually helped. The pain didn't entirely go away but it felt magically less pain.

While Mikey was still in awe, Leo went to pick up first aid in the shelf. He quickly cleaned the cut. Fortunately, the cut was small enough for one band-aid to cover. Mikey kept quiet until the process finished.

"I'm sorry..." Mikey sniffed. "Am I getting in trouble again? Please don't tell sensei..."

"What do you mean?"

"Master Splinter was angry because I played with nunchucks, now I did it again. I make you angry." Mikey wiped the tears on his face with his palm. "It still hurts..."

"No, I'm not angry with you." Leo sighed while he arranged stuff back to the first aid box. He was just tired and upset. He didn't want to give the katana, he should have trust his gut so this incident wouldn't happen. When Mikey didn't look convinced, he smiled fondly and rubbed his cheek. "Just don't use your arm too much and you'll be fine."

"Thanks, big bro," Mikey whispered. His arm was throbbing a little but it didn't hurt much. Suddenly he remembered Leo did something to it to make the pain temporarily gone. "Leo, can you do it again? Your magic trick to make it hurt less. Please!"

Leo was about to argue that the band-aid already covered the cut so the trick wouldn't work, but Mikey kept looking at him with those baby blue eyes...

He lifted Mikey's injured arm gently and blew on the skin again. Light touch of his breath tingled him, Mikey giggled. The pain actually lessened because of Leo's trick.

"I remember now! I saw mom doing it on the TV when her son fell on the ground. That means you're mom?"

Leo spluttered before pushing his arm away. "No way! I'm not mom. I'm a boy!" He lowered his voice before crossing his arms and looked away with a dark blush on his cheeks. "But I like her trick, okay?"

Mikey didn't back down because he thought to call Leo 'mom' was appropriate. He was kind, even though he didn't want to play with him. "But we have dad already, so you can be my mom! I always want mom!"

"No, I can't be mom and brother at the same time. I'm your brother. Period."

"Then who's our mom?"

"...I think you should ask Donnie."

After that day, Mikey still thought 'mom' should be Leo second name or something, so he called Leo 'mom' occasionally. Although Raph made fun of this nickname later when he heard Mikey. Leo was mad and they ended up bickering and fighting again. Mikey was sad because he liked that name, but if Leo didn't like it then he would quit. Since then, Mikey called mutagen mom thing instead (Donnie said it was a very close thing that related to mom. Plus, he said Leo was far from being mom, Mikey secretly disagreed).

He totally forgot about his next invincible trick. But being undefeatable wasn't as cool as being Leo, who seemed to know what to do to take care of him. He wanted to be like his big brother.

That was the distant memory in the past. One of the big-bro-and-little-bro moments he cherished.

Now...

Now he was having breakfast.

He had boiled potato with worms he found near the tree. This was nothing compared to his usual food concoctions he made back home. But since the ingredients were limited, this was all he could do. He wanted to make one for Leo too but his brother only asked for normally cooked potato. What was wrong with worms? They used to eat it for years! He thought worm could be a substitute for salt. It tasted good, too.

He looked at Leo who was practicing the kata near the river. They decided to take a break from the main road because they constantly ran into clickers, and they wanted to get close to nature too. In the wild, there was no clicker out here. They could relax and search for more foods. But Mikey knew they had to go back to the road soon. Without GPS or directions, they would be lost and wouldn't get to Colorado.

Now it feels like we're camping like we did in the woods last year.

While chewing his food, Mikey glanced at Leo's graceful pose and took a candid photo with T-phone, collecting every moment on their journey. Once he finished eating, Leo called him.

"Come here. It's time for training."

He groaned, feeling like he was having a personal punishment with Leo. "Do I have to?"

"Absolutely. Your skills are rusting."

"Hey! That's not true. I'll show you!" But he showed no sign of moving, still sitting on the rock and wriggling his toes.

"You're slacking off." Leo grinned. "If you win, I'll let you read this."

The comic book in his big brother's hand made him drop everything and run to the shore so fast.

"Where did you find them? Where? Where? What issue? Is it Silver Sentry comic?"

"In the gas station," They visited that place yesterday before they came out of the main road. He couldn't believe it, Leo hid the comic book from him! This was unacceptable! Leo smirked, teasing him by waving the 'Star Trek' comic book in front of him. "Sorry, it's not about your Silver Sentry. It looks like a copy of Space Heroes. They even have an impersonator of Captain Ryan."

"Come on! Can I take a peek at it? Please?"

"I'll let you read it after we finish training. Deal?"

Mikey whined. "Okay, okay. So what's the lesson today, Cap'n?"

Leo stood proudly with one of the katana in his hand. "We'll practice katana today. I think we have to try to use all weapons. Last time we failed Master's lesson but it doesn't mean we shouldn't try it again."

The memory of king of the mountain came back. It wasn't a nice one because he remembered they teased Leo, not taking Leo's side, and Karai captured him later. So he hesitated. "But, umm, you know, what if we fail again?"

"You're not that bad since you already know the basic. Just need a little exercise," Then Leo faltered. " It's important to know how to use it in case… in case we're injured like… having a broken nail."

Mikey raised his eye ridge. Really, Leo? Really? He believed they had gotten injuries worse than that.

"Is that your attempt to lighten the mood, or you can't think of any better example?"

Leo opened his mouth and closed it, and then he opened again to answer quietly. "Well, I heard April complained the whole week about her pinky so it must be hurt."

"She painted her nails, dude. She complained about broken nail ruining her paint."

"Point is," Leo exclaimed loudly. "We have to adapt ourselves to use any weapon in case of emergency."

"Okay..." Mikey sighed, knowing it would be better just to accept it than arguing with the leader.

"Issun saki wa yami," Leo quip as he flipped the katana and pointed the hilt to him. "We don't know what lies ahead so we have to be prepared."

Mikey blinked. The scene in front of him was similar. Back in the dojo when Leo let him try the katana for the first time. Back when he thought Leo was super hero who could perform the magic trick to heal him. He glanced up at Leo. The quiet brother who recently detached himself from family, who would leave him in the dark and went on the crazy solo mission was gone, now Leo was smiling at him, urging him to join the spar.

"Well?"

It feels like… Leo's back being himself again.

"I have a pretty good idea what's waiting for us. Lots and lots of ugly pizza topping," Suddenly he felt confident, swinging the blade smugly. "Okay Cap'n. Let's do this!"

Yeah, we're on vacation finally.

They were back on the main road again. It was still a long way until they reached Colorado. Mikey read his comic while walking again, totally obsessed. He got a new stack of comic book that he wanted to take back home so he put everything in his backpack. But Leo told him to throw some books away since he was carrying too much.

"It'll slow you down, Mikey."

"Are you kidding? Nothing slows me down. Comic books are like my fuel."

Leo frowned. "I'm serious. You can't run fast from the enemy with a truckload of books on your back."

"I got this, dude. Clickers can't run that fast so I'm totally chill," Mikey said without taking his eyes off the comic. He spoke from experience, actually. Considering he fought thirty clickers before, and he faced them alone.

"Michelangelo," Now Leo crossed his arms and turned to him. Mikey tore his gaze from the comic book in his hands and glared at Leo. The power of full name was back again.

"Killjoy," Mikey muttered as he reached behind his back to retrieve the books. "Can I throw this Star Trek away?"

Leo huffed when he saw the comic cover. At first, he was happy to find sci-fi comic book, but after reading he was outraged because it was too similar to his favorite show. "Please do it. I will never accept another fake Captain. They copy all Space Heroes characters!"

Mikey pretended to contemplate the cover, rubbing his chin with his finger just to annoy Leo. "You know, you take it a little too far. I think Captain Kirk is a nice guy."

"No! There is no better leader than Captain Ryan!"

Mikey grinned. Mission accomplished. "Whatever floats your boat, dude."

Leo crossed his arms and sighed heavily. Mikey knew how to rile up everyone including him. But on another side, if Mikey could stay a goofball even in this dimension, he would bear with him.

A few hours later, they spotted the manufacturing plant on the side of the road. Normally they would continue their journey, not bothering to risk themselves in the unfamiliar building. This was not New York city anymore, they were out here in new, strange place. Plus, they collected enough supplies to last on the road for a week. But something was off, Mikey knew it. He squinted his eyes suspiciously.

"Wow, that's very big factory. Should we explore it?"

Leo raised his head from the map, taking a time to observe the manufacturing plant. Then he tilted his head. "It looks pretty isolated. I guess there's nothing inside."

"No clickers in the middle of America? I don't think so. My six sense tells me that place is kinda Kraang-y." Mikey was tapping his foot. His famous six sense was itching and he knew it won't go away until he set his foot in that place. "Care to join me? Unless you think you can't keep up with me, bro."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Oh please, I handled three of you before. Handling you and only you is much easier."

"You think?"

"Mikey, wipe that smirk off your face. This is not a playground. Whoever in the plant can hurt us. If it's not clicker, it might be hunter."

"I don't know. This place is pretty far from the town. I don't think we'll meet hunter here," Mikey crossed his arms. "Come on, let's take a peek. If there's nothing here I'll admit my sense is wrong. But I'm sure there's something here."

If it had been another place and time, Leo would ignore him and continue walking on the road. But his little brother's sense had proven to be true many times. After all, Mikey usually sensed the Kraang stuff better than anyone, so he would give it a shot.

"All right. Let's go in," Leo said. Mikey was excited and ready to run to the broken gate but Leo stopped him. "Not so fast, cowboy. I'm going first."

Mikey stuck his tongue at him.

Somehow the plant turned into a field hospital. There were many unused beds lying around like they just prepared them for patients, but no bodies. Leo suspected they might escaped when the virus broke out or they already turned into clickers. It was too clean, everything was still intact, no sign of chaos. Perhaps they got out of here before they got infected.

When he opened the next door, he gasped at the large blender in front of him. It looked familiar… the dark control panel, the glass cage, the strange machinery, everything inside this room was too familiar.

"The Kraang lab? In the middle of nowhere?"

Mikey squeezed himself to get into the lab. When he saw the bright purple stuff here, he shook his fists in triumph. "Kraang! I knew it! I miss our pink alien!"

"Quiet!" Leo warned. It's too good to be true. If the Kraang was here, he didn't want to get their attention easily. He turned around to find any movement in the dark but found none. "It seems nobody is here."

Mikey followed him. He looked at the panel and touched it, and then he realized he shouldn't do it. He took his hand off like it burned, but nothing happened. The power was off so he didn't set out the alarm. He sighed in relief as he rubbed his palms together. "Look at the dust, bro. This lab must be abandoned for some time."

But why? Leo wondered. It seemed like no one attacked them, they just left, but why they had to leave? Then he stopped at the square glass shape on the table, staring at it as he said out loud. "I remember this glass cage in Shredder's headquarter. It's for-"

"Get away from me!"

The shot rang through the lab. He quickly ran behind the giant monitor. In distant, someone was shouting from the outside. Leo glanced at his little brother who was behind the panel, eyes wide, holding nunchucks tightly. He didn't blame Mikey for getting edgy. Guns could attract clickers or hunters.

'Wait here,' He mouthed a silent order and went ahead to find human outside.

The man was on the pile of crates, holding the gun. There was a body lying on the ground, still twitching. He waved the gun around ready to shoot again, his eyes wavering and unfocused. Judging from his torn shirt, this man was more like a survivor than a hunter. Leo tugged his hood, making sure his unnatural skin was concealed before yelled back.

"Hey."

The reaction was immediate. The man followed his voice and tried to aim at his position. But Leo was hiding in the shadows. He didn't want to approach human when he wasn't in the right mind.

"Who's there!?"

"Chill, pal. I'm not clicker. Hear me? I'm talking, and it's not your imaginary talk."

"Stay away!"

"Hey, I'm not your enemy."

"Are you one of them? Show yourself!"

He thought for a moment before complied. "Okay. Just don't shoot."

Leo raised his hands above his head and walked out to the light. Mikey tried to follow him but he shook his head. The man lowered the gun. It seemed that he was glad to see another living man beside himself because he clumsily climbed down the pile and almost ran into Leo. He fell on his knees and tried to catch his breath.

"Hey, it's okay," Leo put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Do you know what happened here?"

"They-They left us to die!"

"Who?" Leo asked. Although he had an idea, he wanted to hear some confirmation.

"Those men in the black suit. Said they're from Fireflies."

"The Kraang was here," Leo muttered under his breath. The man had confirmed his suspicion. If the Kraang was here maybe they didn't have to go all the way to Colorado. They could go back home early. "How long since they left this place?"

"I don't know. I'm stuck here for weeks. I-I escaped from the room. I don't want to die."

"Hey, calm down. We can help," Leo patted his shoulder. "Just tell us where that room is."

This time the man looked straight at his eyes. Leo was a little nervous. They were sitting too close and he was sure the man could figure out that he wasn't entirely human. But apparently having green face didn't bother him. The man grabbed his shoulders and shook him a few times. "Are you crazy!? You can't go there anymore. They're all here. There's nothing left. They tried to burn us alive but they failed. Those things killed some of them so they retreated and left us to die here..."

Mikey chose the right timing to join in. "Wow, now I can't get the image of Kraang clicker out of my head. But maybe they're not scary? Since they have short limbs and only pinky brain, the mushroom might root them to the ground-"

Leo glared at him, shutting him up. He didn't need the man to get startled from another green face. It was clear that this man already had a screw loose, he didn't want Mikey to frighten him further. Then he asked the man again. "Where is the room?"

"O-Over there," the man pointed at the white building behind him. When Leo tried to get up, he grabbed his arm. "Don't go. Trust me. I don't want to die don't want to die I have to get out!"

"Please calm down," Leo tried to remove his hand, but suddenly the man took a knife out of nowhere and tried to slash his arm, releasing him in process. Both of them froze. Mikey drew the nunchucks quickly, just in case, yeah, just in case he needed to knock some common sense into this man. But then he quickly ran from them to get out of this place.

"What's wrong with you?" Mikey yelled after him, annoyed. "Hey!"

"Ignore him, Mikey. He's already lost it." Leo rubbed his arm and turned to look at the said room. It was actually the white building, the large garage door was sealed shut, but that didn't mean they couldn't get in. But before they went on the agonizing scream from the man pierced through the air. Mikey spun to see a group of mushroom heads running toward them.

Wait a minute. It can run that fast?

His big brother was already used to this kind of situation. Leo wasted no time to grab the top of his shell and drag him to the wall, trying to get out of their sight. He quickly used the grappling hook to get them to the roof safely.

Mikey ran to the other side of the roof to find a possible route to get out of here, but he stopped mid-way.

"Umm, Leo?"

"What is it?"

His head went blank, unable to say anything. Leo walked from behind and about to say something but shut his mouth immediately when he saw the amount of zombies in the ground.

"Son of a broccoli…"

The garage door on the other side of the building was wide open. The man probably broke it from the inside to escape. A few broken Kraang droids scattered on the ground below. It seemed that they had paid the price for being too slow to escape. Those mushroom heads could walk freely out and in the building. He wasn't sure how many of them still inside, but at least two hundred were on the ground in front of him. But he didn't hear clicking sounds at all. They made a sound from their throats similar to human sound. They were different from clickers. Hunters usually called it stalker, the earlier version of the infected. They still had a human brain and an aggressive instinct from the fungi, making them deadly killer. Their eyes weren't completely blind as the fungal plates just began to grow only on half of their heads, they could partially see.

And to his utter horror, unlike clickers that used echolocation, they could see him.

"What's the plan, bro?" Mikey squeaked, trying to stand still as much as he could. If he didn't make a sudden move maybe they would think he was a turtle statue.

"Fallback," He still wanted to know why there were so many infected here, but nothing worth facing an army of a new type of zombie, except...

His breath caught in his throat when he saw a single bright rainbow crystal lied innocently among zombie hordes. The pieces of Kraang droid and small triangle device that he had seen it before were next to it.

Kraang's crystal. And the portal device!

Again, it seems too good to be true, it feels like a trap. But the Kraang isn't here anymore, how can it be a trap?

Leo gritted his teeth, making a decision in his head. Mikey held his breath when he followed Leo's gaze and saw it.

"I'll go down alone."

"Umm, Leo? We both should go together since they saw us." Mikey whimpered as he turned to see behind him. His eyes widened when he heard a croaking sound coming closer. They were following them and trying to get to the roof. "And they're coming to eat us now!"

Mikey was hugging his nunchucks, seeking for a little comfort. Their movements were sluggish like zombies he had seen in the movies, but when a hundred of them moving at the same time it was kinda terrifying. His eyes darted to the right side of the roof. They could cross to the next building. But if they wanted to retrieve that device safely they needed to come up with a plan. He heard the katana being drawn, Leo frowned at the first stalker on the roof. Physically, it wasn't different from clicker but it could run faster because it had one eye working, it didn't have to wait for an echo sound to find a prey.

Without hesitation, he cut off its head clean. The fight must be finished quickly as the second, third, fourth stalker kept climbing to the roof. They couldn't stay on the roof forever.

"What will we do now!?" Mikey asked while hitting its face with his nunchucks.

"Jump to the next roof. I'll follow you!"

"Leo, we can't leave that portal device!"

"I know! Going to Dimension X is better than here! But we can't fight our way through them. They're too many!"

It didn't matter if those stalkers on the ground heard the commotion on the roof since they could see them running across the building. When one stalker saw them, it croaked, and the rest heard it and followed them like a swarm of ants. Oh god, soon it would be two hundred zombies against two turtles. He was certain even Super Shredder wouldn't survive this mayhem.

Suddenly those things flowed out everywhere. They climbed so fast the roof under his feet rumbled. Mikey stumbled when zombie hordes broke through the door on his right side and started running at him. He made a quick turn and jumped to another nearby building. The minute he was separated from Leo made the hordes focusing only on his big brother.

Urgh! At least they can't jump.

"Mikey! What're you doing over there!?" Leo shouted when he realized his little brother wasn't behind him.

"Trying to stay alive, bro!" Mikey shouted back, rolling and getting on his feet. "Please tell me you have a plan!"

"I'll lure all of them. You go back for that portal piece!"

Leo looked over his shoulder and found that most of zombies in the open space near the white building were gone, leaving the broken parts of the droids and portal device untouched. His gaze met Mikey's for a brief moment, then Mikey nodded, eyes turned white as he did a backflip off the roof and landed softly on the ground.

He was worried about Leo, but the only thing he could do now was to get that portal device and get out of here. He had to trust him like Leo trusted him to get the device.

"Come on! I'm here!" Leo shouted at them, making loud noise as much as he could to attract them. Stalkers ran and screamed, hands reaching out for him. It took everything he had learned to fight back the group. Smoke pellets and shuriken flew out, the twin katana swirled at them. He just needed to buy some time for Mikey.

The small shadow of his little brother was creeping toward the portal device. When he was out in open, two stalkers wiped its head toward him and lunged at him. Mikey smirked, he could finish them quickly.

"Time to get our ticket to home," Mikey switched his weapon into Kusarigama and spun the chain. "Incoming!"

The sickle knocked a mushroom out of it, so to speak. Mikey ran to retrieve his prize from the ground. It was really the Kraang portal device, a little banged up but still in one piece.

Yes! Yes! I got it! Finally!

No time for victory dance, he needed to get back to Leo. He realized he was too far from his brother and couldn't see him from here. Suddenly he heard a deafening noise like the whole building collapsed. Panicked, Mikey ran back with the portal device in his hand.

Did the roof collapse because of the overload? How many zombies are up there to make the concrete roof gave way? More importantly, where's my big bro!?

"Leo!"

Mikey ran to find his brother inside. This building was similar to the first one, the field hospital, unlike the first building this one had Kraang's experiment like needles and large empty blender. A row of beds and oil barrels that was now under the debris.

That man said they tried to burn this place. I guess their experiment has gone awry. What're they trying to do with zombies anyway?

Then he heard snaps and pops and purple smoke covered the area, some stalkers were survived the fall and staggered toward him. Someone called his name from behind.

"Mikey! Run!"

He turned his head to the exit and found Leo covered in red and dirt, sweating and panting, but not bitten. Probably the first one who faced hundreds of zombies and came out clean, well, not literally.

"I got it!" Mikey ran and waved the device in his hand. Leo's expression brightened, but quickly twisted into disgust when stalkers rose from the wreckage and roared loudly as if they were angry.

Well, they were definitely angry at him.

Mikey ran along side with him.

"Did you blow up the roof?"

"I have no choice. There're too many."

"Well, then let's do it again!"

"Huh?"

This is our chance to go home.

Mikey would do anything, and he meant anything to get out of this dimension. If he had to fry those zombies hordes to get out, he would do it in a heartbeat. He stopped, swinging the sickle and pulling the large blender behind them to smash the hordes. The oil spilled all over the place, it only needed a little spark.

The nightmare is over. We are going home!

"Mikey!"

He was turning to ask Leo when one stalker fell from the beam above his head. It fell from the roof and then to beam. The structure couldn't carry its weight anymore so it fell down on him. It clung on his shell with mouth open wide. Instinctively he was about to elbow it but its fangs crushed into his flesh.

The sharp pain rushed from his right arm, his eyes widened in shock. No, no, no, it's not happening! Before he could do anything, the katana pierced through its head and wrenched it head off the body, the upper jaw flew away from his bicep, but the lower jaw hung for a moment, fangs deep in his skin before it fell sickeningly on the ground.

Mikey paled, holding his arm shakingly, his legs gave in and finally he collapsed. The Kraang portal device was still in his hand, but he just held it, not caring about it anymore. He wished he got broken nail like Leo said before. Unable to do anything, he cried out for his big brother.

"Leo!"

"MIKEY!"

His brother swept him up into his arms as the building exploded, sending them both to the open area outside. Stalker that bit him was beaten to a pulp, but it wasn't the last one. With some miracle, those things survived the fire and staggered toward them. Leo gritted his teeth, his breath ragged. But he couldn't rest, not yet, not when Mikey was trembling in his arms.

So he ran.

Leo carried him until the manufacturing plant was out of sight, they could only see smoke and hear the chain explosion from distant. Leo slowed down to a jog because his legs were tired, adrenaline washed off from his system, replacing with a horrid truth. Finally, his knees dropped on the grass near a marsh. He didn't even remember he was off the road.

Suddenly Mikey scrambled to his feet and ran to the marsh. The portal device in his clutch fell on the grass behind him, but both of them didn't care. The price of it was too high. Leo yelled after him and seized his shoulder, preventing him from doing something reckless.

But Mikey didn't hear him. He was reciting every word he said to Leo in his head.

'It's not wrong. That person isn't Sam anymore'

'It's nobody's fault.'

'Everything's gonna be okay.'

Such a hypocrite.

The water washed away blood and dirt on his wound, but the bite mark was still there, unwavering. It was real. He was bitten. Suddenly he couldn't take it anymore. The long painful scream came out from his throat before he knew it. He didn't care if those things would hear him, it didn't matter, he was going to become one of them soon. He screamed and screamed even if his throat was sore, feeling like his voice cord was ripping in shreds.

He felt someone holding him from behind. Green shaky arms reminded him that Leo was here, with him, crying. Oddly enough, his big brother's presence usually soothed him, but not this time. He rubbed his right arm repetitively, trying in vain to wash the mark away as if it was a water painting. He did it until his skin was red and swollen.

But this time the pain didn't go away.

Author's note: Issun saki wa yami = Expect the unexpected.

This chapter is inspired by Days Gone trailer, Mushin By Robert L. Akikta, and Left 4 Dead: DAM IT. I'd like to remind you that zombie hunting isn't my fav genre but I watch them for a research. You know, I like stuff with mind blowing (not literally) like 'would you kindly' in Bioshock *grins*.

NOW LET'S KILL SOMEBOD- /shot

I know I throw a flashback most of the time, though It works better when it's in my head...

To Guest - Definitely! I will throw it in somewhere, actually this chapter I introduce Stalker (but Leo doesn't know its name so it ends up as zombie lol). I have to think how they fight Bloater too because that walking mushroom is quite hard to defeat…

Honestly, I'm not sure about Joel and Ellie. Currently I might have a plan for one of them. But I need to mess with the major LoU timeline if I want both of them. I still don't know where to put them… but let's keep your hope until I can come up with something. All I can say that I have a big plan for Fall season *winks*.