Chapter 1

"B-but I saw him! He was standing right here! I saw him! Don't you believe me?"A look of sadness flashed through Leo's eyes. He opened his mouth, "Mikey, I'm sorry. I just… I can't…" A dark figure is drifting through the woods at Casey's grandma's house. Mikey's the only one to notice it and he has a growing feeling it wants something… and it won't leave until it has it…

A quiet night on the streets of New York doesn't exist.

Tonight was no exception. Despite the fact that the daylight had disappeared hours ago, cars still lined the streets and a random person was seen here or there. The busy sounds were a constant and endless flow of energy. The noise might slow, but the streets were never quiet.

The rooftops were another story.

Not much but the wind could be heard on the rooftops. The street noise below could still be heard from above but it was distant. The quiet atmosphere was useful, but it wasn't the most important thing about being on the rooftops. It was the visibility.

No one on the ground could see anything on the roofs.

Light azure eyes behind dark ebony glasses stared down at the shadowed alley below. To any other civilian it would look like an ordinary alley. However this person, this shadow, knew better.

The figure glanced down at its watch. 10:38. They were eight minutes late.

Suddenly, a loud clanging noise of heavy metal being scraped against concrete broke through the air and the shadowed figure jerked away from the ledge wary of the beings down below. Everyday people might not see lingering figures on the roofs but these…creatures… were different.

Their voices came from down below, ricocheting up the walls with their high volumes, surprising the figure. For highly trained ninjas they were being quite reckless and out in the open. The shadow knew what they were capable of, it had observed them long enough now to know that it needed to be aware of the surroundings while operating around them. This act of carelessness was quite a surprise.

Quietly, the figure drifted further from the ledge of the building and pressed the mic button on it's headset.

"Targets in place for phase one and being observed." The figure whispered robotically. "Moving on to phase two, sir."

"Excellent." A deep voice broke in on her frequency. "I expect you to treat them well Miss X. Oh, and give my thanks to Karai."

"Yes sir." The signal crackled and she reached up and turned the headset off.

She let out a soft cloud of breath into the frigid air and turned to face the ledge where the muffled voices came from. Smirking, she spun gracefully on her heels and began to walk away casually. There was nothing to worry about. Within a week those things would be flooded out of their home like mice and into her mousetrap. Within a week they'd be at her mercy.

A confident smile still visible on her face she took off at a dead sprint, leaving no trace of her existence behind.

She disappeared into the night like the shadow she was.

"Why do I gotta wear these stupid clothes again?"

A long-suffering sigh answered him before his brother shoved his uncooperating arm through the sleeve of his coat. After a few painful moments of tugging fabric and silence, the real answer came.

"Because you're sick and running a fever," Leo stated emotionlessly for what Mikey guessed was the seventeenth time in the span of thirty minutes. Mikey had a feeling if he asked that question again Leo might blow a gasket. He wasn't going to stop any time soon though. In his world, there was no use for clothes and as long as he had to wear them Leo was going to hear about it.

Leo reached over and grasped the knit hat that Mikey managed to forget to put on earlier. More like he was avoiding it. "And we're going outside in cold temperatures. We don't need you getting worse Mikey."

Mikey muttered lowly, holding in a cough as Leo shoved a hat on his head. Darn Leo and his annoying persistence.

To put it simply, Mikey had been stuck on the couch ever since he came down with the flu a day and a half ago. If that hadn't been bad enough, the Foot had decided now was the perfect time to start scouting the sewers again for them. The Foot had been in the sewers all week and they had finally decided it was too dangerous to stay down in the sewers. Tonight the Hamato family was heading to April's and they were going to the farmhouse the next day to hide out until the search stopped.

Normally, getting past the Foot wasn't much of a challenge. They knew the sewers like the backs of their hands while the Foot knew practically nothing. Tonight though would be a challenge and Mikey knew his brothers were worried. Dragging a sick turtle along was slow, noisy, and dangerous. They couldn't leave him here though, especially when he was as sick as he was.

"Don, did you find those gloves?" Leo yelled out over to the lab as he straightened his hat.

Mikey grimaced as the smarting pain of his headache pulsated from Leo's raised voice. If there was any sound louder than soft vocal tones then his brain felt like it was trying to digest itself.

"Not yet!" Don yelled back. Cue throbbing brain-eating headache again.

Mikey heard Leo exhale faintly as he finally sat down next to him, extending his hands over, and began to zip and button his coat up like he was a hopeless child. Mikey was too tired to protest. Shell, he was tired to do anything. His eyelids had been drooping since Leo had shaken him awake thirty minutes ago. He found himself leaning against Leo as his older brother man-handled him.

Leo pulled back as he finished zipping his coat and adjusting the hat on his head. Through his struggle to keep his eyes open, Mikey watched Leo give a satisfied nod to himself. Afterward, Leo extended his hand back to Mikey's head and gently pushed his hat up. Mikey couldn't help holding back a wince as the cool contact of Leo's skin rested on his forehead.

"You still feel pretty hot." Mikey heard him whisper. Leo the mother-hen strikes again.

Mikey didn't blame him. Leo worried when any of them were sick and Mikey had been running a fever the past two days and nights. It kept fluctuating up and down, even getting a little scary at times. Last night Don had finally thrown him into the tub to shower him down with lukewarm water in an effort to bring his fever down. Now that had been fun. Mikey had a great time waking up from his sleep (not that he was really getting any though) to be thrown into a freezing cold shower. Yep. There was nothing better than an icy bath while running a high fever. Note the sarcasm.

Leo flipped his hand over as if he expected a different temperature. If he was expecting that, he didn't get it. He sighed similarly to a disappointed child who received socks for Christmas.

"I think we need to take your temperature again Mikey," Leo stated.

Mikey blinked and frowned, not bothering with any words to answer. He leaned into Leo's touch, closing his eyes as he rested against Leo's cool hand. Everything was just so tiring.

Leo moved his hand down and Mikey felt him cupping his cheek. Leo hummed with dissatisfaction.

"Found his scarf."

Mikey opened his eyes as he felt the slight shift in Leo's touch at the unexpected voice. Though probably not visible to anyone, it was Leo's version of a jump at something unexpected. Leo had to be worried if he was distracted enough to be spooked.

Leo brought his hand away from Mikey and they both turned to find Raph standing behind the couch, leaning on it casually with Mikey's orange scarf in his hand. Leo held his hand out to take it. "Here."

"Na, I got it, Leo."

Leo shouldered him gently into a more upright position. The next thing Mikey knew he felt something wooly being wrapped around his face and neck. The voices of his brothers relaxed him and he leaned back against Leo once more and closed his eyes again.

"Man, he's out of it ain't he?"

"He's been off and on Raph. I think it's the fever."

"Don gave him some more medicine earlier, right?"

"I think so. His boots still need to be tied."

"I got it."

Mikey felt his foot being shifted around and he opened his eyes wearily in confusion. Leo was holding him upright once again and Raph was down by his feet, tying the dreaded boots to his feet. Mikey always felt clumsy when he wore shoes.

"Do I gotta wear those?" Mikey croaked, his hoarse voice scratching his sore throat. "It feels like you're tying bricks to my feet."

"Yes, Mikey." Leo seemed to be getting tired of being asked if he had to wear this or that.

"Whhhy?" Mikey whined. He summoned enough energy to pull his foot to the side out of Raph's grasp. He didn't like wearing clothes, sick or not.

"Because you decided to get sick at the most convenient of times," Raph growled sarcastically. "Now shut up and stop moving your feet!"

"Raph!"

"What?!"

"Calm down." Leo hissed. He lowered his voice as if he thought Mikey couldn't hear him. "Mikey's not processing things very well."

Of course, he could. Mikey turned grumpily to Leo as annoyance fueled his burst of energy."I process fine! Stop talking like I'm not here. I've got ears, Leo."

Leo sighed.

"If ya got ears, use 'em!" Raph bellowed before pulling roughly on Mikey's foot to tie the boots. "I said stop moving your feet, ya numbskull!"

Mikey winced as his ears rang and stopped moving. Moaning he leaned forward and put his throbbing head in his hands.

"Raph, keep it down!" Leo hissed again. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Leo smack Raph in the head lightly, earning a growl from Raph. "There's no need to wake up all of New York!"

"Yeah, bro," Mikey muttered. He slumped backward and leaned into the couch cushions, closing his eyes to block out the spinning lights. He tilted his pounding head to rest it on Leo's shoulder. "My head's killin' me here."

That seemed to get to Raph. He lowered his voice. "Sorry, Mike."

"S'okay," Mikey said breathily. As his head pounded he felt nausea bubble in his stomach. Mikey moaned again. What did he do to deserve this?

"What's wrong Mikey?" He heard Leo ask softly. His brother's hand was on his forehead again.

"Stomach." Mikey breathed, trying to control his breathing and nausea with it.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Leo asked urgently. "Are you going to be sick?"

"No. Not yet." Mikey said. He wrapped his arm around his midsection and winced. "Can I have the bucket?"

Leo reached over and grabbed the bucket next to the couch and lifted it onto Mikey's lap.

He had sacrificed to the porcelain god a total of four times already and Mikey knew there was more to come. After almost not making it to the toilet the last time around, a bucket had conveniently shown up next to his bed and followed him out to the couch. Of course, Mikey hadn't protested. He obviously wasn't up for any sort of cleaning and if his brothers had to clean up a mess like that more than once, he was going to feel pretty bad about it. He already felt bad enough, no need to add to it.

It was a quiet and tense few seconds as Mikey fought nausea and the throbbing in his head. He felt Leo rubbing his shell through his thick winter coat and Mikey let the repetitive motion ground him. Within a few minutes, Mikey felt the nausea drift away and he sighed. He moved the bucket to the floor.

"You good?" Leo asked.

Mikey shrugged, feeling miserable.

He glanced at Raph who was kneeling at his feet, looking skeptical that Mikey wasn't going to lose the meager broth they had coaxed him to drink earlier. Mikey nodded more confidently, reassuring both of his brothers. "Yeah, I'm good."

Raph grunted and got back to tying the boots. Leo let his hand move upward and rubbed the back of Mikey's neck gently. Mikey leaned into him a little more, trying to absorb as much warmth as possible.

"Think it will snow tonight?" Leo asked.

"Dunno," Raph answered. "Even if it won't, it's wicked cold out there."

The temperature was cold enough that Mikey's brothers had broken out their own scarves for the trip. Mikey, because he was sick, was bundled up in the warmest clothing they could find around the lair. His brothers would never allow him to be out in this temperature with just a scarf when he had the flu. He wouldn't want to either. He was already freezing.

Leo and Raph were mainly the ones to make sure Mikey was dressed warmly when he was sick. Don did too, but their relationship was different. Sometimes it felt like Don was more willing to trust Mikey's judgment without trying to force his own way. He gave advice more often than orders, unlike other older brothers( *cough* Raph and Leo *cough*) that would scold and boss him around without a second thought.

"Stop pulling your scarf down Mikey! It's there for a reason!" Leo said. He reached over and pulled it snug again.

"But it's scratchy!" Mikey complained. It wasn't really (well maybe a little) but Mikey had this weird thing about tying things around his neck. Choking hazards and all that.

"I don't care! Keep it on!" Leo snapped back. His face was pulled taut in annoyance. A face that was both scary and normal for Leo. He pulled Mikey's hand away from his scarf.

"Found the gloves!"

Don appeared in front of him, brandishing modified gloves for Mikey. He dropped them in his lap. Mikey glared down at them menacingly.

"I hate clothes!" He exclaimed as he grabbed the gloves and began to pull them on before realizing he was putting the wrong glove on the wrong hand. Mikey threw them down in frustration. "They're so…stupid!"

"We heard ya the first time!" Raph said down by his feet. He was still tieing the boots.

"Well, they are!"

"Don do you have the thermometer?" Leo asked Don, ignoring his complaints and struggles. "He feels warmer than earlier."

"Yeah." Don reached into his belt and pulled out the digital thermometer. He handed it over to Leo. "Here."

Leo took it and poked him in the arm. "Mikey, I need to take your temperature."

Mikey sighed and opened his mouth. Leo slipped it under his tongue just as Raph stood from the ground, looking down at his handy work with his boots.

"Can you go tell Master Splinter we're leaving soon Raph?" Leo asked politely as Raph stood.

Raph nodded. "Sure."

"I need to go get my bag, Leo," Don spoke up, turning away to leave again. "Keep an eye on the thermometer."

Mikey saw Leo nod as both of them ran off.

As they waited, Mikey struggled to pull the gloves on his hands. He didn't know why it was so hard for him to put clothes on. Humans did it every day! And he was a ninja for crying out loud! That had to count for something.

"Do you need help, Mike?"

He glanced up at Leo and shook his head in embarrassment. Leo had already put half the clothes on him. Mikey was determined to at least get his gloves on.

"Alright," Leo said.

As soon as Mikey pulled the last glove on the thermometer started beeping. Leo took it out of his mouth and read the numbers out loud. "101.6. A little higher than earlier."

Mikey grunted softly in acknowledgment. Leo put the thermometer on the end table. He shifted slightly, moving as if he was about to get up.

"Is there anything you want to bring along Mikey?" Leo asked softly. "I'll go get it for you."

"My sketchbook," Mikey said immediately. He had been wanting it for a while. He had regretted forgetting it when his brothers had moved him out into the den earlier. "It's on my desk. Oh, and my pencils too."

"Do you want any comics?" Leo asked.

"No." He did but he wasn't going to let Leo mess with his collection. That would be a nightmare.

"Okay," Leo said. Mikey shifted away from him and Leo stood. "Just sit tight Mikey."

Mikey nodded wearily and yawned.

As Leo left, Mikey swung his legs up onto the couch. He laid down stiffly and rested his head on the pillow he'd been using earlier that day. Sighing, he closed his eyes. Maybe a short power nap would make him feel better. Of course… he'd been sleeping all day and it hadn't done much.

Oh well. He wasn't going to miss out on a perfectly good nap.

Mikey yawned and closed his eyes. He was asleep almost instantly.

Mikey didn't know how long he slept but sometime later he felt someone shaking him lightly. He opened his eyes to find Leo hovering over him.

"Sorry I had to wake you, Mike," Leo said softly. "We're leaving pretty soon."

Mikey reached up and rubbed his eyes. He sniffled gently as his nose started to run and he rubbed it in irritation. "How long was I asleep?"

"About thirty minutes." Leo reached over and grabbed the tissue box of the coffee table from where he stood. He threw them to Mikey.

"Thanks Leo." Mikey plucked a tissue out and blew his nose lightly. When he was done he tossed the used tissue on the ground where he was starting a little collection of them. He set the box on the floor next to his bucket, not wanting to reach for the coffee table. "When are we leaving?"

"Within ten minutes," Leo replied. He looked at Mikey carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"Like…" Mikey seriously did think about it but his muddled tired mind couldn't find a good enough word. "…Bleh."

"You'll feel better when we get to April's," Leo said. "April said she's setting up the guest bedroom for you so you won't have to sleep on the floor or the couch."

"Where will Master Splinter sleep then?" Mikey asked, pushing himself up on his elbows in confusion. Splinter always slept in the guest bedroom when they were at April's.

"I will find a place, Michelangelo."

Mikey turned to see Splinter walking toward them with Raph trailing behind. Mikey quickly sat up from the couch in respect though it made him light-headed. He swayed and felt Leo's hand on his shoulder, steadying him.

"You must worry about getting well." Splinter said as he walked over to Mikey and sat down next to him quietly. He raised a hand and felt Mikey's cheek. Mikey leaned into his warm touch. "Your fever feels like it is rising again. I will make you some herbal tea when we get to Ms.O'neil's home."

"I don't need to take the bed," Mikey said guiltily, lowering his head. "I'm just a little sick. I'll be fine."

"Nonsense." Splinter said sternly. "You are ill and you need a good place to rest my son."

"Yeah, and "little sick" don't cut it, Mike." Raph piped up gruffly. "I don't call having to shower ya down because yer fever's too high a "little sick" bro."

"Hey, guys!" They turned to see Don walking towards them from the lab, his bag at his side. "I just called April and told her we're on our way."

"Then let's move out," Leo said, reaching over to help Mikey stand.

Mikey wobbled a little as he stood, his legs shaking like jelly. He was stiff and sore and a fuzzy dizziness made his head swim. He swayed slightly. Master Splinter was suddenly there on his other side, holding him upright.

"Easy my son." Master Splinter said comfortingly. "Take your time Michelangelo."

"Do you have him Master Splinter?" Leo asked from Mikey's other side.

"Yes, my son."

Mikey could already feel sweat beginning to form on his face just from the effort to stand. He began to take a shaky step forward and felt someone take his other side.

"I can help for a bit. At least until we get out into the main tunnels." It was Don.

"Thank you, Donatello." Mikey heard Splinter say.

Mikey only had one thought going through his head.

This is going to be one shelluva ride…