Well, my beta reader has finished the story and says she loved it, so barring further computer issues, we're going to try to get chapters up more regularly. I hope this was worth the wait.

As always, I don't own TMNT, Godzilla, or anything else that gets mentioned in this story from some other universe. Neat as it would be, I lack the capital for it. Sigh. Don't sue – as stated, I am lacking in capital.

Enjoy!

Donatello labored in the water, trying to reach Mendel before it was too late. He looked up to see Godzilla's tail and calculated that he had precisely 13 seconds before it would come into violent contact with the water, and the force of it would probably be fatal to anything even remotely nearby. Though his left leg hurt where it had been hit with something, the turtle put on a burst of speed, enough to catch the flailing doctor's lab coat. As the tail came down, a plan blossomed in his mind.

"I hope I'm not crazy," he said to himself grimly. He wrapped an arm like steel around Dr Caven, positioned his body very precisely, and counted to himself, risking both their lives on the strength of his shell and the skill of his ninja training.

"Four…three…two…one!"

And the tail impacted.

-==OOO==-

"Where'd they go?" Randy asked, looking in the foaming, churning water for either of the two that had been there moments before.

"They can't be…Godzilla would never…" Elsie said, gripping the railing of the Seeker with all her strength as her mouth went suddenly dry.

Nick felt the sorrow still thudding into him from his charge, but there was also a spark of something else – renewed anger. This boat had caused him to bring distress to his parent. For that, it would suffer too. Godzilla wrested his mind from the pain of the subsonic sound and turned his massive head towards the offending craft. This time, his nuclear flames hit their mark, and the boat was engulfed, the eerie sound cutting off abruptly.

"Look!"

Everyone turned at Monique's command, and to their amazement, could see a pair of tiny figures dangling almost comically from Godzilla's enormous tail. Donatello had somehow latched onto the tail and been carried out of the water by it with Mendel clinging to him, apparently without being squashed in the process. As the tail swept close to the HEAT-Seeker, the ninja released his grip, shooting through the air like a sling-shot pebble.

"Here I come!" he shouted. Gripping Dr Craven tightly, Donnie flipped in the air a few times to get control of his momentum and speed, ignoring the frightened noises his passenger made at the antics, and landed on the deck of the Seeker with as much practice as if he'd simply leaped from a particularly high rooftop. Of course, as soon as he came slamming down, he remembered his wounded leg, and it was all he could do not to wince.

"Are you okay, Dr Craven?" Don asked tensely.

"Um…sure," the scientist replied shakily, feeling the deck under his feet and still not quite sure how he'd gotten there, but acutely aware of how close he'd come to being smashed into nothingness.

"What happened to Bishop?" the turtle immediately wanted to know. But his question was quickly answered; though his boat was rapidly burning on the surface of the water, a helicopter had appeared, and a form could be seen on a ladder beneath it. It was making good time away from the island and Godzilla, who was determinedly incinerating whatever remained of the threat.

"Chalk up another win for the G-man," Randy said.

"It makes no sense," Monique cut in. "Why the attack? He was obviously prepared for it, and yet not sufficiently. Why engage us if he lacked the ability to defeat Godzilla?"

"I have a theory," Donnie began.

"Theory later. First we better do something about that," Nick said, pointing at the blood still trickling down his leg.

"And we better call for a ride," Elsie pointed out. "We're stranded."

"We can probably rig something that moves from what we've got left aboard. And my brothers are already on their way, I'm sure," the turtle said. "As soon as I told them Bishop was here they'd have set out. Still, it'll take them at least a couple of hours."

"Let's get you bandaged up then," she replied.

"I will do it."

Everyone looked in surprise to Monique, whose face was not much less impassive than usual. She arched an eyebrow.

"I am sufficiently skilled. He has done good work this day. That is all."

Nick hid a smile, which was more than anybody else did, and Monique pointedly ignored the other faces that were smug with triumph. But Donatello, rather than enjoying this step forward, instead turned to Elsie again.

"Dr Chapman? Would you do me a favor and please test some things for me? I've already configured NIGEL to run the analyses I need. Just…screen my blood and the water, please."

"You got it. And for those antics, you can call me Elsie."

"And you can call me anything you want as long as we never do that again," Dr Craven added. Don smiled at him ruefully before being steered away by Monique. As the three of them made their way below deck, Nick turned to the remaining members of HEAT.

"Mendel? Sure you're all right?" he asked.

"Actually, yeah. Wet," and he sneezed, "but not hurt. I might want to run a few of those tests myself, though. Just in case."

"Do it. Randy and I will see about this," and Nick gestured to the war-torn HEAT-Seeker. Turning then to Godzilla, he called out softly, a tug that was more internal than vocal. The giant lizard, finally satisfied that the threat was gone, lumbered gracefully to where the boat bobbed in the shallows. His bright eyes were fierce and proud.

"Nice work, big guy," Nick said. "And don't worry. I'm okay. We're all okay. But I need you to move the Seeker again." He made a picture in his mind of Godzilla lifting the boat and setting it gently on the nearby sandbar out of the water. Godzilla snorted in return, and with the same care as if he were lifting his parent in his hand, settled the boat securely where Nick had indicated, barely rocking it more than the waves had done.

"Thanks, Godzilla. Are you hurt at all?" Actually, Nick could have answered that question for himself. In his mind, he was dimly aware of a pounding headache that wasn't his, and a nasty aching gash from the rocket Godzilla had intercepted.

"Randy, start working on fixing whatever you can. I'm going to check on him," he pointed upwards. Randy struck off, his usual cheerfulness back. Meanwhile, Nick "talked" Godzilla into settling in the shallow water next to the sandbar so his parent could look at the wound.

Godzilla had been hit by missiles, bullets, and worse countless times. He always healed very quickly and scarred very little, but anything that actually penetrated his thick scales was worthy of examination just in case. This time, it looked like very little damage had made it past the lizard's hide, but there was still blood. Nick reached up carefully, actually getting a ride on Godzilla's foreleg when he proved slightly too short on his own. Feeling around gently, he fearlessly moved his hands in the wound, picking out shards of metal before they became lodged in his skin permanently.

"What's this?"

His fingers came upon something small that was drenched in blood; working carefully, he established its shape and size and drew it out quickly. Nick's heart sank. He held a hypodermic needle, one that had been embedded in the rocket. And which was now empty.

-==OOO==-

"Can't this thing go any faster?"

"Maybe if you stop pacing," Mikey pointed out. The angriest turtle let out a breath and stalked to the back of the helicopter. He wanted his punching bag, and unfortunately nobody would let him use his youngest brother instead.

"Calm down," Leo advised, though his own tension was clear. "We've just got to trust Donnie to handle things until we get there."

"Yeah! If anybody can deal with mutants and Bishop…oh." Michelangelo shrugged. "No, seriously, he'll be fine! He's surrounded by brains! They'll think of something!"

"I, too, am concerned," Splinter said, not opening his eyes from his meditative position, "but I have faith in Donatello. Like all of you, he is a skilled ninja, and extremely intelligent besides. He can and will protect himself well. And, were he truly in danger that threatened his life, I believe we would know. It would not be the first nor the second time your brother's mind has sought mine in moments of his greatest peril."

"What do you mean, sensei?" Leo asked. Even Raphael stopped his irritated pacing to listen.

"He told you, did he not, of the device the Triceratons used to try to gain access to his memories of Dr Honeycutt's whereabouts?" At his sons' nods, he continued, "And did he tell you of how he overcame it?"

"Yeah," Raph said quietly. "That you found him somehow, and protected him from it."

"That is not precisely accurate, for it was not I who initiated the contact. He called for me and I was able to join him, thus lending him the strength to shield him from its effects. It was the discipline of my mind, but the strength of his that allowed me to do so. And when he fell ill recently, at times his mind would brush mine again, and in those moments I could calm the beast that had overtaken him. I am always aware of all four of you, my sons, when I meditate, but I believe your brother may also be aware of us, though he does not often use the ability. If he were again in mortal danger, it is my feeling that we would know."

"But how does Don do it?" Leo asked. Though he felt a slight twinge that he, who studied meditation far more intensely than any of his brothers, had not quite managed the same level of skill, it wasn't jealousy that pricked him. Rather, it was the sense that, unless he mastered what his brother had apparently managed on accident, it was a burden he couldn't carry for Don. Already there was so much the purple-clad turtle did that Leo couldn't help with – the last thing he wanted was one more way in which Donatello had to give up his time or his energy or his focus or even one inch of worry that was really Leonardo's job as eldest and leader.

"Even he cannot answer that question," their father said slowly. "You have all managed to join each other in our minds on occasion, but only when augmented by some outside magic or with my help. Donatello is unique among you in that he can reach my mind alone with no help from any but his own will."

"His brain's so big he can't even fit it all in his head!" Mikey grinned.

"There's only one fathead here, Mike, and it ain't Donnie," Raph replied. "But I'm glad you think he's not in too much trouble, Master."

"Yes. However, I believe the situation we face is not yet as dangerous as it is likely to become," Splinter commented quietly.

"What makes you say that?" Raphael asked.

"Instinct."

-==OOO==-

"Everything checks out," Elsie said, holding out a printout. Donatello took it, eyes scanning back and forth quickly as he looked over her findings. Then he sighed with relief.

"I'm so glad. I've just about had it with this!"

"I take it you have been contaminated before?" Mendel asked from the nearby table.

"Twice. Once I got infected and after a pretty long incubation that acted more like a bad cold than anything else, it destabilized the mutation in my DNA and…well, it was very unpleasant," and here Donnie suppressed a shudder, "but we were able to reverse it. The second time was just a little while ago, and it was much milder. They say third time's the charm, so I'll settle for a benign reaction for once."

"You knew you might have an adverse reaction to the compounds in the water, and yet you willingly entered it to save a life?" Monique had been leaning against a wall nearby after expertly binding his leg, and though she continued to study him, her expression was much less cold.

"Um, yeah." Donnie didn't voice the incredible shock of fear that had run through him as he'd been jumping into the water. He didn't speak about how half the force that had propelled him through the water at such speed had been panic. He couldn't admit how very, very afraid he was to lose his mind again. But somehow, standing on the deck, knowing what would happen to Mendel if someone didn't act fast, he hadn't been able to stay put. Donatello supposed it was Master Splinter's influence – more than training, his father had taught them to defend, and Don had taken those lessons to heart. Against his own fears, the turtle would protect the innocent, even if it meant what he feared the most.

"Okay, that's extra brave, then," Elsie said, arching an eyebrow. "Normally I wouldn't think even a mutant ninja turtle could be tougher than Godzilla, but apparently I'd be wrong. Color me impressed."

"It's not about being tougher, or more foolish, which might also be the case," Donnie said a little sheepishly, thinking about what his brothers would say had they been there to yell at him for taking stupid chances. "It's just about finding out whatever strength you already have, whatever form it takes, and setting that against the problem."

"Nick was right about you after all," Monique commented. Somehow, though the words were complimentary, there was still something superior in her tone. And with that, she abruptly exited.

"Well, looks like the French fry has finally gotten something right," Elsie smiled wryly.

"About time," Mendel nodded. Donatello was about to reply when Nick burst into the space.

"We've got a problem." He held out the syringe. "Bishop did something to Godzilla. He's not showing any effects yet, but…"

Donatello jumped off the table he'd been sitting on and pulled up his laptop. Nick gave the syringe to Elsie, who swabbed it efficiently for samples as Mendel assisted. Nick moved to his own workstation and began booting up his equipment. The four of them, working together, were able to make fast work of the analysis, given that they all had a fair idea of what to look for, and how to get at it. Within an hour, the answer was staring them in the face, not only of the problem, but its solution. At least, it was painfully obvious to the terrapin.

"I guess we should have expected it. It's the same compound in the environment, just tweaked slightly, probably to be more effective against Godzilla." Dr Craven pointed at a sequence of complex molecules on a diagram. "This is the problem. The G-cells in his system will be pretty ineffective against this."

Randy, who had come to see what was going on, looked at the screen.

"Amazing how something so little can cause so much trouble."

"Something you have in common, then," Monique said cuttingly, appearing behind him and causing the hacker to jump.

"Hey! I ain't sorry if you make my heart pound, Monique, but that wasn't what I had in mind."

"Children," Elsie sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, getting back to the point," Mendel continued, "whatever this stuff is, it's going to destabilize Godzilla's DNA from the inside out. Almost like it's rewriting him at the genetic level."

"It's pretty similar to his earlier work," Donatello put in, feeling weight settling on his shoulders. "He's changed it since it first got into the sewers of New York and created all those extra mutations, including me. But it's pretty close to what I got hit with a little while ago, except that it looks like it's going to move a lot faster than mine did."

"What will it do to Godzilla?" Nick asked.

"Well, if Godzilla's experience is anything like what Donnie described," Elsie said hesitantly, "from what we can see here, he'll probably begin mutating again, this time reverting to some more primitive version of his genome, losing intelligence, becoming more unstable."

"So how do we reverse it?"

"Me." Nick looked at Donatello, who shrugged. "The cure Bishop developed for the original outbreak won't work – I already explored that angle. But I got hit with almost this exact thing not long ago. Remember when my emails stopped? Because of what I'd already built up in my system from the first exposure, the compound didn't have much effect besides making me really tired for a couple of days. So if my body already knows how to fight this thing…"

"Then your blood might contain the cure," Monique nodded.

"But you can't possibly produce enough blood to act as a cure against this in Godzilla's body. Given the rate it reproduces, we'd need ten of you just to start giving him a transfusion that would do anything at all." Elsie ran some quick mental calculations. "Even if we let Godzilla eat you whole, it might not be enough."

"Er…great. Did I mention that I don't want to get eaten?"

"Nobody's going to get eaten." Nick rubbed his neck thinking. "But we're going to need to see if we can synthesize whatever is in your blood and make more of it."

"Well, we've done it before. Wouldn't be the first time we've had to work up a cure for Godzilla from something pretty small." Mendel smiled a little. "At least our subject is cooperative and not, you know, out to kill us."

"Are you certain you wish to be used for this purpose?" The question from Monique surprised everyone. Donatello met her eyes calmly.

"Sure. If there's something I can do to help, I'm there."

"Well, roll up your sleeves then, so we can get at your mutant blood!" Randy suggested cheerfully.

"I don't have any sleeves."

"Even easier."

"Cut the comedy, Randy. Elsie, Mendel, you work with Donatello to figure out how to cure Godzilla before he starts experiencing the effects of this stuff. We don't know how much of a time-lag we have to work with before we start to lose him. Randy, Monique, keep working on the HEAT-Seeker. I want us mobile as soon as possible, just in case."

"What about you, jefe?"

"I'll be with Godzilla."

-==OOO==-

Nick sat on the sand, eyes closed. Though worry was bubbling right below the surface of his heart, his mind was surprisingly clear. This may have had something to do with the fact that Godzilla was, for all intents and purposes, almost perfectly happy.

Only a few yards away, the giant lizard was stretched half in and half out of the water, his enormous head and shoulders taking up a large portion of the tiny island. But it wasn't often his parent allowed him to sun himself so fully like this, and he was taking the opportunity to absorb as much warmth as possible. The threat had been eliminated, Nick was safe, and there were plenty of fish if he got hungry. What more was there?

Nick shook his head fondly, amazed at the childlike peace of his charge. Godzilla could be a towering bringer of destruction, and he could also be a simple creature of land and sea, almost playful and innocent. He couldn't even know that at that very moment a compound was spreading through his blood, contaminating him. That any time now he might begin to change, to be lost.

The pang of that brought Nick to his feet. He closed the distance between them and laid a hand on the scaly snout. With his eyes shut, he could almost lose himself in the reptilian mind even with his own mental shielding firmly in place. A twinge told him that someone was approaching; a scent his human nose would never have caught identified it as a particularly large turtle that seemed to be not quite like Nick, but not quite like the ones deep in the water, either. No matter what, it had been respectful of Godzilla's territory, and it seemed to cheer his parent.

Nick opened his eyes to Donatello standing unusually nearby. The biologist had long ago gotten used to the general discomfort of his team to get as near to Godzilla as he did, but Don showed no such hesitation. After a glance as much for permission as advice, the turtle laid his own hand against the somehow similar scales. A smile crept over his intelligent features.

"You're not afraid?"

"No," and Donnie's voice was soft, almost reverent. "He's like us, just kinda bigger and way more awesome."

"I'm glad you think so," Nick said, realizing as he spoke how true it was. HEAT had learned to appreciate Godzilla, but he wasn't sure they'd ever feel quite like he did, like he felt Donatello did, about him. He also idly noticed how his friend had said "us" instead of "me;" it still surprised Nick how very much the turtles considered themselves one unit, not four individuals; it came up in Don's speech patterns all the time. Perhaps that was the difference between being friends and being family, that you were so close you were forever together, even in your own subconscious.

"So, does he tell you how nice the sun is to us cold-blooded types?"

Nick looked sharply at the teenaged turtle, and Donatello smiled sagely and shrugged.

"You can't hide it forever, you know. You're bonded to him, and though I don't know the details, it's pretty clear that it's more than just his having imprinted on you as a hatchling. If I had to guess, I'd say there's a basic psychic link between you, probably strong enough for you to enter each other's minds and speak across species. And it's probably pretty overwhelming to you both sometimes, the differences between you, the huge gap between your mental skills and perspective."

"Yeah," Nick finally breathed. "Yeah, it is."

"You know, I'll bet…well, I'll bet there's something more you can do than what you're doing now. Basic grounding and shielding, right?"

"How…?"

"Let's just say I know somebody with a pretty amazing ability to teach mental gymnastics. And someday I'll introduce you and you can see what I mean."

Unexpectedly, Godzilla shivered. His huge body twitched, his muscles convulsing sharply. At the same moment, Nick felt something wash over him, like a hot bucket of water had been upended above his head. He was vaguely aware of gentle hands helping him sit on the sand, but his mind was truly elsewhere.

Godzilla blinked eyes that were suddenly sleepy, his senses strange. Sight and touch seemed like always, but his sense of smell was suddenly weak, then terribly strong. He could barely smell the sea, and then a scent of spoiling food from within his parent's boat assailed him. Sound was cloudy too, softer and fuzzier than being under water, but then terribly and painfully loud, and before he could hate it, quiet again.

"Nick! Nick, you've got to come back!"

His eyes opened, and Nick was within his own mind again, sitting on sand and leaning against Donatello. The turtle's eyes peered down kindly, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. But I'd guess the compound is starting to activate in Godzilla's system," the turtle speculated. "Is he in pain?"

"No," Nick said, turning his eyes back to his charge. "But he's confused. He doesn't understand why things feel different."

"Come on," Donatello hauled him to his feet. "We've got to find a cure for this, and fast. And we should probably put some distance between you two as well. It won't make a lot of difference – space and time never does – but we can try."

As the turtle supported him on their way back to the HEAT-Seeker, Nick turned to his friend. "Don?"

"Yeah?"

"What you were saying earlier, about knowing somebody who knows grounding and shielding? Any chance they're on their way here with your brothers?" Nick felt his skin go cold as Godzilla's sensation of the warm sun suddenly cut out.

"I'm almost positive." While Nick straightened himself and walked quickly on ahead, determination and a hint of fear in his face, Donatello added silently, "And if I'm right, we're gonna need him."