12/24/30 6:52 pm
TheCuteOne: OMG OMG ew're driving up now I am fuh REAKING out i cant do this what do i do?
12/24/30 8:14 pm
TheCuteOne: UGH almost there n Nick keeps trying to be all supportive n junk I'm like CAN U NOT? JUST LET ME FREAK OUT! X|
12/24/30 8:31 pm
TheCuteOne: GAAHHHH WE'RE HERE I CAN'T DO THIS DUDE PICK UP!
12/24/30 10:14 pm
TheCuteOne: MISSION TOTALLY ACCOMPLISHED!
:fireworks: :americanflag: :turtle: :heart: :man: :fireworks: :star: :christmastree: :thumbsup:
12/24/30 10:23 pm
The Cute One: Dude?…
12/24/30 10:31 pm
TheCuteOne: Welp, I guess you're busy with Xmas stuff…that's cool. Call me later, tho! U were totes right, everything actually went way better than expected! Might even get lucky later, lulz. Everything's comin' up Mikey! ;)
12/25/30 1:13 am
TheCuteOne: JUST GOT LAID, MERRY XMAS TO ME #humblebrag #ujelly? lol
12/25/30 1:14 am
TheCuteOne: I almost sent you our adorable post-sex selfie. But I didn't. See? RESTRAINT. Much adult, very maturity. We are fucking adorable, though. Just sayin. xD
12/25/30 1:15 am
TheCuteOne: Also, I might be high. HBU, U havin a green xmas? LOL
12/25/30 1:16 am
TheCuteOne: Srsly tho, Merry Christmas, dude. And thank you for always being such a good friend through all this. I can't believe how happy and how lucky I am, and I'd never be where i am now without you, so - you're the best. Hope you have a great holiday! Call me so we can hang out soon! (cuz I know I wasn't supposed to but I mighta got u somethin XD ) #nobacksies #rebel #outlaw #cantbetamed
12/25/30 8:04 am
TheCuteOne: Dad died.
12/25/30 10:05 am
TheCuteOne: How is this real life right now? He was fine last night. Call me? I could really use it.
12/25/30 11:45 am
TheCuteOne: ?…
12/25/30 10:15 pm
TheCuteOne: DUDE.
12/26/30 11:10 am
TheCuteOne: ?…
12/27/30 12:08 pm
TheCuteOne: Not cool.
1/1/31 12:04 am
TheCuteOne: So…Happy New Year, I guess.
1/1/31 12:05 am
TheCuteOne: We did presents at Donnie and April's. Would've invited you, but…you're MIA.
1/1/31 12:06 am
TheCuteOne: Did I do something wrong? Should I be worried about you? Like, if I did something wrong, fine, but just tell me, okay? Because the past week has been the craziest shitshow of my life, and this is coming from someone who spent time in Dimension X. I really need my friend back.
1/1/31 1:15 am
TheCuteOne: Um. So, not to be your creepy ex girlfriend or whatever, but I just called and it hung up after the first ring. So….any thoughts on that?
1/1/31 1:20 am
TheCuteOne: Right. Cool. So, bye, I guess. Wish I knew what I did wrong.
1/1/31 1:21 am
TheCuteOne: It was new bearings, btw.
1/1/31 1:42 am
Raph: PICK UP, ASSHOLE!
1/1/31 1:44 am
Raph: U MADE HIM CRY. NEXT TIM UR FUCKN DEAD MEAT.
1/6/31 9:45 am
TheCuteOne: Hey, sorry about what Raph sent. I just stole his phone and saw the texts. Nobody's mad, just sad. Well, Raph's mad, but he's mad at everything cuz he and Mona broke up. And, y'know, sensei dying and everything. So, don't take it personal.
1/6/31 9:46 AM
TheCuteOne: Actually, I don't know if you even knew about Mona? Whatever. Anyway. Sorry about him. And sorry in general, for whatever I did, I guess. I miss you. Hope you're doing okay.
BS180TailGrab: Hey
TheCuteOne: ?!11
TheCuteOne: HEY?
TheCuteOne: HEY?! DUDE, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! ARE YOU OKAY? ARE U MAD AT ME OR SOMETHING!? WTF?!
BS180TailGrab: Sorry, things have been crazy here.
TheCuteOne: Uh, YEAH, I guess! r u ok?
BS180TailGrab: I'm okay now. Sorry to hear about your Dad.
TheCuteOne: Thanks. It still doesn't feel real. Like every day I wake up thinking he's still here, and then there's that moment I remember - God, it's the absolute fucking worst. :,(
BS180TailGrab: Sorry
TheCuteOne: Thanks
BS180TailGrab: So…tell me more about Mona. Her and Raph broke up? Tell me more about him.
TheCuteOne: …about Raph and Mona?
BS180TailGrab: Yeah.
TheCuteOne: Well…u know Raph and Mona is his lizard girlfriend. Well, ex, now. I…have no idea what you want me to say, here. o_0
TheCuteOne: Things are super awk at home right now, I can tell you that.
BS180TailGrab: Wow. We should meet up to discuss it.
BS180TailGrab: It sounds like we have a lot to talk about.
BS180TailGrab: Hello?
BS180TailGrab: Are you still there?
BS180TailGrab: Dude?
BS180TailGrab: We should totally meet up.
TheCuteOne: Sure, dude. Let's meet up to discuss it.
BS180TailGrab: Great, dude, when/where?
BS180TailGrab: Are you there?
BS180TailGrab: Still there, dude?
TheCuteOne: U should bring your board. It's been ages since we had a good sesh. Hey, maybe you can finally teach me to skate goofy footed!
BS180TailGrab: Sure, dude. Sounds cool. Where and when?
Mikey lowered the phone, shaking his head.
"Guys," he said, "Something's wrong with Mondo."
"That him?" Raph said, dodging one of Leo's blows, "'Bout fuckin' time. Tell him I'm gonna pound his face in."
"No, Raph," Mikey said, urgently, "Guys, seriously, stop sparring."
He walked over and showed them his phone. They all read over his shoulder.
"So?" Leo said, sheathing his swords, "Sounds like he feels bad and wants to talk."
"And quit tellin' my business to everybody!" Raph scolded sourly, "Me an'…whatever, it's none of his beeswax! And I am not 'mad at everything!'"
"No, guys - he said he'd teach me to skate goofy footed."
"Good for you!" Raph said, throwing his hands up exasperatedly.
"You're not listening!" Mikey said, stomping a foot.
"Mikey - pretend we have no idea what that means," Donnie said, trying to keep his patience as he holstered his bo.
"Goofy footed means skating backwards…like with your left foot in back, by the tail," Mikey explained, "Except I could always skate goofy! Mondo used to be jealous about it, wanted me to teach him how to do it! He only skates regular!"
"So maybe he made a mistake?" Raph shrugged.
Mikey rolled his eyes.
"Wouldn't you think it was weird if I asked you to teach me how to use the nunchaku?" Mike said, putting his hands on his hips, "Or if I offered to teach you how to ride a motorcycle?"
"Well…yeah."
"It's like that," Mikey insisted, "I'm tellin' you, guys. I don't like it. Something's up with him."
The phone buzzed in Mikey's hand, and they all turned to look at it.
BS180TailGrab: You still there, buddy?
"Buddy?!" Mike said, thrusting the phone forward, and arching his brow.
Raph and Donnie looked up from the phone and made eye contact. Together, they both turned to Leo, waiting for the verdict.
Leo considered, then nodded, once.
"Don. Go get the Horse Pill and a glass of milk."
"Aww maaaaaan," Mikey groaned, shoulders sagging, "I was kinda thinkin' we could just -
"It might be nothing. But I'm not taking any chances," Leo said, firmly.
"Ugh, fiiiiine.," Mikey groused, "Man, you better be in serious trouble, Mondo."
"Don't you mean he better not be in serious trouble?" Don mused wryly.
"Mikey, tell set up the meet. Raph, you preset the bike and come straight back. Oh, and Don," Leo added as he was about to leave the dojo, "Call your better halves."
Don's brow furrowed, annoyed by the appellation, but setting that conversation aside for later. "Someone's gotta stay with Geo-
"Mikey, get Mona, and give Nick a call, ask him over. I want all hands on deck. I've got a bad feeling on this one."
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"So, she gets dinner around six, and then a bottle at seven…bed time is eight o'clock, but it takes her a while to settle," April said fretfully setting the heavy bag at Mona's feet, stuffed full of diapers, bottles, pacifiers, changes of clothes, and a stuffed turtle, "Especially if we're not here. She likes it when you rub her back, circles though, don't pat, because that just wakes her up again, and - "
"I got it, April," Mona said, reassuringly, "We'll be fine down here, I promise."
April gave Georgia one more kiss on the head before passing her into Mona's arms.
"I don't like this," Nick said, still holding Michelangelo in his arms, forehead pressed to his, "I don't like this at all."
"I'll be fine, babe," Mikey reassured him, "We're being extra, like - super-extra careful."
"It feels wrong," Donatello said, for the millionth time, "One of us should stay with - "
"You said yourself you don't know what you're walking into," Casey said firmly, "And Leo said all hands on deck, right?"
Donnie pursed his lips. Casey and Raph had no problem bitching about Leo's orders - right up until they liked them. Then it was "Hey, Leo Says, what're ya gonna do?"
"Yeah," Donnie hemmed, "But still, April should probably - "
April snapped the tessen in her hands, the keen blade singing through the air as it opened with a flourish, and then snapped shut. She tucked it swiftly into its holster at her hip, put an elastic in her teeth, yanked her hair back into a bun, and secured it.
"Let's go," she said, evenly, blue eyes daring Donatello to argue.
"We'll stay right down here," Mona promised, settling into the sofa of the Lair with Georgia cradled in her lap, "Just…stay in touch. So we know you're safe."
Her eyes flicked to Raph as she said this, but everyone politely ignored this, including Raph, who was staring studiously at his feet.
Mikey and Nick shared another squelchy kiss.
"Be safe," Nick begged.
"Always am!" Mikey winked, grinning broadly. He and Leo swept out towards the turnstiles. April gave Georgia a kiss on the head.
"Be a good girl," she instructed.
She followed his brothers out to the tunnel. Georgia began to whimper slightly, so Don gave her a kiss on the head and made for the turnstiles as well. He paused, looking back for Raph.
He was watching Mona and Georgia with a miserable expression on his face. She looked up and they stared at each other awkwardly for a moment while Georgia whimpered. He kept opening and closing his mouth like he wanted to say something.
"Raph," Don interrupted, "Stayin' or going?"
That had the desired effect. Scowling, he stomped over and bumped Donnie with his shoulder as he passed. Don looked back at Mona who was watching him go, as Georgia pulled on her hair. Her eyes met his pleadingly.
"I'll keep an eye on him," Don assured, with a faint smile.
Mona smiled gratefully, and turned to Georgia, pulling her hair out of her grip.
"Likewise," she echoed, bouncing Georgie on her knee.
"Be careful," Nick called.
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"First mission without sensei waiting at home," Mikey said, pausing on a roof top so the rest of them could catch up, "Feels…different."
"Yeah," Don agreed, keeping an eye on Casey and April, who had fallen way behind. They finally landed, April resting her hands on her knees and panting. It'd been a long time since she'd done a rooftop run with the guys. Casey didn't slump over out of pride, but he was sweaty and panting as well.
"Kinda like our good luck charm, y'know?" Mikey continued, "Like…if he was there we knew we'd all get back, somehow."
"Well, now we have Mona, Nick, and Georgia waiting for us," Leo snapped sternly, "Everybody is coming home, okay? We don't even know that anything's wrong yet. Don't get squirrelly on me."
"No squirrelanoids here, dude," Mike quipped, raising his hands defensively, "You're the one with the 'bad feeling.'"
"Game faces," Leo said, now addressing everyone, "The mission is the mission. That's it."
"And just what is the mission?" asked a silky voice.
They all whipped around and watched as Karai melted out of a shadow to lean against the struts of a billboard.
"Oh, snap," Casey said, involuntarily. April elbowed him absentmindedly, though she looked pretty shocked as well. Don quickly closed his gaping mouth. When the hell did she blow back into town? Did she even know about Master Splinter?
"Tis an ill wind that blows no man to good," he mentally recited. Involuntarily, his eyes darted to Leo and his grip on his bo tightened.
"K-bomb?" Mikey blurted, his eyes going round.
Karai detached her face mask and they saw she was smirking slightly.
"'K-bomb?' Isn't that a little…culturally insensitive?"
"Sorry," Mikey blurted, shoulders sloping guiltily.
"No, I kinda like it," Karai said, her grin widening.
Without waiting any further, Mikey bounded over like a Labrador and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, ignoring her uncomfortable reaction as he swung her around in a circle.
"Dude! This is awesome!" Mikey crowed, then caught himself with a guilty glance at Leo. "I mean - it's awesome, right?"
He slunk back guiltily and hopped up on the roof ledge, like a bashful gargoyle. Don glanced at Leo, but he and Raph were already having a silent "eye-contact conversation."
"I thought you had to go back to Japan," Raph said, folding his arms as he looked away from Leo and fixed her with an accusatory glare.
"I did," Karai said. Her eyes darted to Leo's, instead. "I couldn't just abandon my record collection."
She and Leo held each other's gaze, gears turning, both of their poker faces firmly in place, waiting for the other to blink.
"Sooooooo" Donnie said, slowly, "About that mission we're all currently on…right now."
Karai arched an eyebrow, still looking at Leo. Leo paused, as though considering whether to bring her in.
"It's recon," he finally said, with a begrudging grin beginning to tug at the corner of his mouth, "With a possible Breadcrumbs."
"Oo. Which lucky lady gets to play Gretel?" Karai asked, smirking.
"Yo!" Mikey said, giving a little salute from his place on the ledge.
"We don't really know what we're walking into," Leo said, "Could be nothing…could be dangerous."
"Why, Leonardo," Karai smirked, "Are you trying to flirt with me?"
"Gross," Raph snorted, "Let's go already."
Leo shrugged, in a mimicry of casualness. "Fair warning, then."
"Fair warning," Karai repeated. She tightened the strap that held her sword. Michelangelo was beaming like Christmas came twice that year, and held up his fist. Karai grinned, and bumped it, making it 'explode' like him. She caught Donnie's eye.
"Donatello."
"Karai," he nodded, politely. Leo hadn't mentioned Splinter, so she either already knew, or he was waiting until after the mission to tell her. As usual, there were layers of subtext going on between Leo and Karai that nobody had seen fit to fill him in on. Either way, he decided to hold his tongue.
Karai glanced April and Casey's way, and jutted her chin in greeting.
"O'Neil. Jones."
"Oroku," April said, acidly.
Donnie winced and glanced Leo's way, but he was apparently ignoring this, and set off again, with Raph and Mikey falling into step.
"I didn't know if we'd ever see you again," April said, a veneer of polite conversation over the accusation.
"Surprise," Karai replied, drily.
Leo leapt to the next roof, and Raph and Mikey followed.
"So," April said, as she and Karai approached the edge of the roof, "Leo."
"What about him?" Karai asked, her tone light, voice even and guarded.
April just fixed her with a dubious, searing glare.
"I threw you down the stairs once," April said, eyes flashing. "Hurt him now, and I'll find a taller staircase."
Without waiting for a reply, she leapt off the roof.
Karai smirked in Donnie's direction.
"Your wife's pretty hot when she's pissed."
Donnie and Casey made awkward eye contact.
"Relax," Karai rolled her eyes, "Four's a crowd."
She leapt off the roof after April. Casey shook his head.
"Remember the past decade where we never heard from her?"
"Good times," Donnie replied sourly, and leapt off the roof.
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They all watched silently from the rooftop as Mikey skated the half-pipe lazily, pausing at the top of each bank to look around before swooping back to the other side. Normally he'd be whooping, hollering, listening to music, doing tricks…it was strange to see him so subdued while he was boarding.
"Wasn't he supposed to show by now?" Raph groused, quietly.
The wheels of Mikey's skateboard ground out against the concrete, echoing through the abandoned construction site-turned-skate park. He paused again, and glanced up their way, shrugging.
"Stop looking!" Leo hissed into the T-phone in his hand. Mikey flinched, shook his head slightly, and rubbed the side of his head reproachfully. Kicking his board up, he turned away from them and sat on the lip of the half-pipe, kicking his feet and looking around boredly.
"Sorry," Leo whispered into the phone, more quietly, "Try texting him."
Down below, they watched as Mikey fished out his phone and began to swipe his thumb around the screen. Suddenly, he yelped, and clapped a hand to his neck, lurid green flocking protruding between his fingers. The phone skittered down the half pipe and came to a rest.
Raph snarled a low, guttural hiss, muscles instinctively bunching to leap from the roof, but Leo held up a warning hand, and with his other, reached to Don. Without being told what to do, Don reached into his belt and passed Leo his binoculars.
Two men, wearing dark suits, sunglasses, and carrying Kraang rifles, eased forward out of the shadows, with a bead on Michelangelo. Mikey held his hands up, and tried to stagger to his feet, but slumped over onto one knee. Drugged.
"He was right," Don whispered, turning back to Leo. Leo nodded in response.
"Stay frosty, Mikey," Leo whispered into the T-phone, and then set it down so he could focus the binoculars.
"You parked the bike earlier, yeah?" he whispered to Raph, not looking away. Raph nodded, waiting for the word.
Leo turned to him and nodded once, and Raph was off like a swift, silent arrow, making his way stealthily to the motorcycle waiting below. They watched as the two men half-dragged, half frog-marched Mikey to the alley. They could faintly make out the cadence of his slurred protests, but not the actual words themselves. Leo set down the 'nocs and picked up the phone again.
"Good," he whispered, "Try to get them to talking. Say what you see, but try not to tip them off."
Leo hit a button and set the phone down on the ledge. They listened to some muffled scuffling noises as it went to speaker phone.
"Dude, that's your ride?" Mikey's voice slurred from the T-phone, "An unmarked white van? Seriously, don't I at least get some free candy first?"
"Mikey says it's an unmarked white van." Don relayed quietly to Raph via his own T-phone.
Sounds of struggle increased, along with a few grunts. From far off, they heard a faint crunch and some tinkling plastic.
"Hah!" Mike's voice came from the T-phone, "Take that, Rapemobile! You're totally gonna get pulled over. Hey, maybe I should kick out the left one too, y'know, just to make it even?"
"He kicked out the passenger-side tail light," Don relayed.
"Shut up and get in the van!" one of the suits griped, sounding like he was out of breath.
"No, no, yer…doin' it alllllll wroooong," Mikey slurred, the tranq obviously taking hold, "Yer s'posed to tell me there's…puppies inside, or - HNGH!"
Mikey grunted, as a thud cut his voice off mid-sentence.
"Ugh. He's heavier than he looks," another voice said.
"Yeah, well, at least he's quiet now," the first complained, "Are you even lifting?""Don't be a dick, I have sciatica!" the other guy said.
"Raph's got visual," Don murmured softly to Leo, his T-phone still pressed to his ear.
"God you're old."
"Hey, man, fuck you, too. Let's just get him back to HQ so we can go home. If I keep pulling these late nights, the wife is going to divorce my ass. She's already pissed I dragged her out of D.C."
"See, that's your problem right there," the first guy said, "Me? I'm - "
"If you say 'married to the job,' I swear to god, Rook."
"Rook," Leo repeated, softly to himself.
There was the sound of van doors slamming, then again a few seconds later, and then the sound of an engine roaring to life.
"Get ready to move," Leo said, "Raph will follow close, the rest of us will catch up on foot. We can't let them know we're following or they might ditch him. Don?"
Donnie took out the tracker from his belt and extended the antenna on top.
"Loud and clear, boss," he replied.
The Horse Pill was transmitting perfectly. They'd be able to track Mikey wherever they took him, even underground.
The alley was lit briefly by headlights, just out of their field of vision. In response, they heard the familiar sound of Raph's bike engine coming to life.
"Let's move," Leo said, "Quick and quiet."
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Their journey was not nearly as long as anticipated - and brought them somewhere familiar.
"The parking garage?" Don said.
"You don't think the Kraang have anything to do with this, do you?" April asked, eyeing it warily.
"Doubtful," Donnie said, "We've had no communications from the orb. Though that's not conclusive one way or another. My guess? The government's taken over the Kraang facility and is using it as a base of their New York operations."
"One way to find out," Leo said, "Karai's on point with me. Donnie, you handle any technical barriers. Casey and April in the middle, Raph - rear guard."
"How come she gets point and I'm batting clean-up?" Raph groused.
"So she stays where I can see her," Leo said, brusquely.
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Karai scoffed.
"A, we haven't run a mission together in over a decade," Leo hissed, testily, "And B, you're unpredictable on a good day. And just a general note for the team, here: I am really, really done explaining myself. This is not a training exercise. These people have Mikey, and I'm not gonna stop and hold a special session of Congress every five feet. From now on, you can follow orders, or go home. Clear?"
"Yeah, okay," Raph snarked, "You Big Chief Talks-A-Lot, we get it, now let's go."
He spun his sai in his grip, and his hands flexed around the leather pommels. Don knew most of the tension was stress about Mikey. He honestly didn't get why everybody else had such a damned hard time following orders. They ought to be used to it by now. He had a feeling these were more of those layers of Karai subtext flying around. She sure had a talent for complication.
They took their places and approached the building. Donnie took out a keycard that was hooked up to what appeared to be an old GameBoy. After swiping it through the lock and hitting some buttons however, the door unlatched with a soft hiss and a few electrical pops.
Leo held a finger up to his lips, and unsheathed his katana, his nictitating membranes sliding ghostly white over his eyes as he lead the way into the shadows.
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"Show me the way to goooo home," Mikey sang, weakly, "I'm tiiired and I wanna go to bed. Iiii had a lil' -
"Shut UP!" the older guy said, the one with the silver at his temples. He was kneeling at the floor, trying to get Mikey's other ankle in the leather straps on the table, but Mike kept wiggling it out of his grip and singing as loudly as he could.
" - drink about an' hour ago, an' it went right - UNGH!"
His head jerked to one side as the younger guy clocked him across the jaw. He sagged against his arm restraints, and in the few seconds he was out of it, the older guy finally secured his ankle, and all four of his limbs were strapped to the table.
"You hit like a Purple Dragon," Mikey drawled carefully, avoiding his fat lip.
"Like a purple dragon?" the younger guy smirked, shaking out his hand, "The hell is in those tranqs? This thing is trippin' balls."
"Dude, I…wish," Mike groaned, poking his sore mouth with his tongue. He took a deep breath.
"PUFF THE MAGIC DRAAAAGON LIVED BY THE SEEEEA," he bellowed, "AND FROLICKED IN THE MORNING MIST, IN A LAND CALLED HONA LEEEEEEeeEEEE- "
His voice cracked obnoxiously on the high note.
"Fuck this," the older guy said, standing up and wiping his sweaty brow, "Tell Bishop he's prepped. I'm going home."
"You're leavin' me here?" the younger guy griped, "You're supposed to be on until - "
"Yeah, tell 'im to dock my fucking pay. I'm done."
"Tell him yourself."
Both men automatically stood at attention as Agent Bishop strode into the room.
"Here come the MEN IN BLAAAACK," Mikey sang, sagging weakly against his bonds, shaking his head, trying to stay clear, "Men in…Blaaaack. Hah hah - hah hah…woooo!"
Bishop arched an eyebrow.
"Did you issue psychotropics?"
"Nope," Mikey replied for them, "I just like to sing. Why, you holdin'?"
"Sir," said the older guy, "It's been a helluva night and I'm not feelin' so - "
"Suck it up, Knight," Bishop said, "I've got you until midnight. You and Agent Rook stand guard."
"Sir, yes sir," Knight replied, unable to keep the bitterness from his tone as he trudged out into the hallway, one fist pressed miserably into the small of his back.
"Later, Rook. Later, Knight," Mikey called wearily, "Do some yoga for that back."
Knight gave him a startled glance, then shook his head and turned to leave.
"Fucking freaks."
The door closed shut with a soft whooshing sound behind them.
Mikey took a big, ragged breath.
"Cause I'm a FREEEEEEEAK," he hollered, "I'm a WEIRDOOOOOOOOo….What the hell am I doing HEEEEEEEEERE…"
"So," Agent Bishop said, drawing closer, "You like to sing."
Mikey ignored him.
"I don't belong HEEEEEERE…"
"Let's put that to the test, shall we?" Bishop said quietly, ignoring his musical tirade and picking up a scalpel off the table so Mikey could see it. Mikey glanced at it, then into Bishop's cold, dead eyes. For a moment they just regarded each other.
"Where is Mona Lisandrello?" Bishop asked, quietly.
Mikey stared back at Bishop, then took another deep breath and leaned forward as far as his restraints would allow.
"I DON'T CARE IF IT HURRRRRRRTS," he bellowed directly into Bishop's face, "I WANNA HAVE CONTROOOOOOL…."
"Okay, then," Bishop said, quietly, leaning closer, "Here we go."
"I WANNA PERFECT BO - AH! - DEEE- heeeEEE! I WANNA - AH! PERFECT - S - SOUU - ULLL."
"Just tell me where she is and it stops," Bishop said, as calmly as if he were reading the weather report.
"I WANT YOU TO NOTICE," Mikey bellowed, blinking away involuntary tears, "WHEN - nnNNG! WHEN I'M NOT A- AAAAAH! Fuck! AROOUUU- OWWW! OW OW OW…OUND!"
He left off singing momentarily as Bishop withdrew, and panted heavily, sagging against the restraints.
"Mona Lisandrello," Bishop repeated, setting the bloody scalpel down on the tray and casually picking up what appeared to be a cattle prod, "Where is Mona Lisandrello?"
Mikey looked into Bishop's dead, black shark's eyes, his own baby blues narrowed hatefully, glinting with tears of pain.
"Tell me what you did with Mondo you son of a bitch."
Bishop smirked.
"I should think you'd be able to guess by now," he said, gesturing to Mikey's bloody, dripping arms with the cattle prod.
"Alright," Mike said, through gritted teeth, "I'm in a generous mood, so I'm gonna give you a rare, one-time warning. But this is your last chance. Tell me where he is right now, or no more Mister Nice Turtle."
Bishop regarded him thoughtfully.
"You're brave," he replied, "Good for you. You can feel good about that."
He touched the cattle prod casually to Mike's plastron.
"GRRK - RRK!"
"It isn't going to make a difference, though."
He jerked involuntarily against his restraints, until finally Bishop removed the prod. Mikey's muscles continued to twitch spasmodically as he sagged on the metal table.
"Mona Lisandrello," Bishop repeated, more firmly, "Where is she?"
"Thunner…boltsn…lightning…ver' verrrry fright'ning..meeee," Mikey sang weakly.
The door swung open again with the soft whooshing noise.
"Sir?" Agent Rook said.
"I said that I am not to be DISTURBED!"
The final word was a furious outburst, and the metal tray holding the scalpel rattled as Bishop thumped the table with his fist in his temper.
"We've had a perimeter breach, sir," Agent Rook said, nervously.
"So let the droids handle - "
"They've already made it down to Level Three, sir. We lost contact with three Pawns."
"They're heeeeeere…" Mikey sing-songed, weakly, "You're gonna get it…"
"Send Knight," Bishop snapped.
"I did," Agent Rook replied, "He hasn't come - "
But Agent Knight did come crashing through the doors at that point, landing in a bloody heap. He slid across the floor with a squealing noise, leaving a little trail of red on the floor.
"JUST THE TWOOO OF US" Mikey sang out, loudly, "WE CAN MAKE IT IF WE TRYYYY- "
In one smooth stride, Bishop was at Mike's side. Unsheathing his Kraang pistol, it made a dull whine as he held the barrel to Mikey's temple. Rook, on the other hand, immediately knelt down and drew his own pistol, aiming it at the door.
"JANIE'S GOT A GUUUUN," Mike sang, "JANIE'S GOT A G-UNGH!"
He winced as Bishop clocked him over the head with the butt of the Kraang pistol, and immediately resumed his position.
It took Mikey longer to recover this time. He just hung his head and groaned. Bishop eyed the door, his finger poised on the trigger. Above him, the lights flickered, then suddenly went out.
Instantly, Rook hollered in agony in front of him. Aiming his pistol at the sound, Bishop fired indiscriminately, and each burst of pink lit the dark room up like a strobe, showing him glimpses of lean, green muscles bunching and furious white eyes.
His head exploded into painful stars as a blow connected with his jaw, and another blow robbed him of his weapon. But Agent Bishop was not born yesterday. Dropping down, as though felled by the blow, he immediately sprang back up with a vicious uppercut that connected with a meaty jaw.
"Aanh!"
Bishop immediately pivoted to cover his back, raising his arms just in the nick of time, as something razor sharp raked across his arms, flaying them open to the bone. He grunted in annoyance.
"Raph, no!" someone hissed, as Bishop sidestepped what would have been a fatal blow from the knives, or whatever they were, and with a wrench, heaved the table forward so that his captive fell to the floor face-first, crushed by the table.
"Mikey!"
"rrrRRRRAAARGH!"
Bishop ducked the attack, the cry of rage giving him a clear mental picture of his attacker's position, and drove his knee into the thing's breadbasket, hard. In a normal human, it would have done some serious damage, maybe even ruptured an internal organ - but due to the thick plastrons on these turtle freaks, this one only seemed winded, as it took a knee. He was reaching to twist the thing's head neatly backwards, when a flying kick connected with his chest, driving him backwards into a glass cabinet. He felt a shard of glass pierce his back between a couple of ribs, and grunted involuntarily.
"Got him," said another voice.
The lights flickered again, and suddenly came back on.
The lab was a complete mess - broken glass, implements of torture, blood, and Agent Rook all lay on the ground. Agent Bishop found himself backed against the broken glass cabinet, held at sword-point by a turtle wearing a blue mask.
"You," Agent Bishop said, narrowing his eyes, the blows to his head making his perpetual migraine twist and writhe with agony, "I remember you."
"I suggest you forget," the thing said, in a deadly hiss, "Don. The table."
"Stay here," said a gentle, anxious voice. Bishop looked over Blue's shoulder, and saw his former captive sagging against the door frame. A turtle with a purple mask hefted the table back to its upright position, with some help from the one in the red mask.
"Can't…say I…didn'…warn you," the orange one panted, with two black eyes, a dribble of blood oozing from its nose, and blood still dripping down its arms.
"Let's go," said Blue, twitching his head at the table, still holding his sword to Bishop's chest.
Bishop began inching his way to the table, waiting for an opportunity.
"I can see the family resemblance," he said, coldly, "But what are four turtles doing protecting a lizard?"
"Better question," Blue replied, "What are you doing with mutants?"
"That's classified information," Agent Bishop replied, unflinchingly, "You are trespassing on government property. I am hereby placing all four of you under arrest."
Red snorted. There was a chirp, and a woman's voice filled the room.
"Leo?! Leo! We found them. You guys've gotta see this."
In the split second that Blue looked at the sound coming from his belt - he must be Leo - Bishop struck, knocking the sword aside by the flat, the sudden motion causing the deep slashes in his arms to sting like fire and slop blood on the floor. He drove his heel as hard as he could into the thing's foot, and it let out a high-pitched yelp. He grabbed it by the head and was about to drive his thumbs into the thing's eyes, when the other two caught him, one by each elbow, and wrestled him over to the table.
He struggled for all he was worth, but Leo, the Blue one, limped over irritably and secured his wrists and ankles into the straps as tightly as possible, until there was no escape.
"I'm sure someone will be along eventually," he said, through gritted teeth, "If not - well, you'll figure something out. But this is the one and only time I'll say this: Stay the hell out of New York. Go slither back under whatever rock you came from."
"That's rich, coming from you," Bishop said, through gritted teeth, "This is my rock. This is our planet. You mutants and aliens and freaks are the ones who need to go back where you came from."
"We're New Yorkers, asshole," the Red one said, "We were born here. You're the tourist."
"Freaks like you aren't born," Bishop snarled, "You're made. And you can be un-made."
"Leo!" came the woman's voice from Blue's belt, "Hurry up and get down here!"
"We're gonna need a bigger boat," added a gruff, male voice.
"Let's go," Leo said, limping towards the doors. The purple one slung the orange one's arm over his shoulders and helped him follow in his trail.
"There's nowhere you can run from me," Bishop called, "I'm a patient man. Some day, I will find you, you and Mona Lisandrello, and when I do, you will regret the -
"Raph," Leo said, "D'you mind?"
"With pleasure," he said, cracking his knuckles and drawing closer. Bishop took a deep breath through his nose, bracing for the inevitable, as the red one grabbed his chin and looked him in the eye.
"This one's for Mona," he whispered, with an evil grin.
The last thing Bishop saw, was his gigantic green fist winding back.