Better Genes 5

Warning, this chapter is a tear jerker.

,,,,,

(Earlier)

More than 12 hours have passed since the turtles, Leatherhead and their human friends brought Michelangelo back home, even longer since they'd learned that he'd been infected by the alien outbreak.

Since they'd returned Donnie and Leatherhead immediately went to work, doubling their efforts into finding a cure. Not only to stop the Outbreak once and for all but to also save the youngest member of the mutant family.

They were studying the Outbreak virus in Mikey's blood, comparing it to samples of the other mutated creatures that they've encountered. They found that there were some similarities between the samples, the only difference was the Utrom mutagen in Michelangelo's DNA.

Even with April's added help, their progress was moving at a snails pace. Something that the olive green turtle didn't like, but they wouldn't stop until they found a cure. No matter what...

,,,,,,

Leatherhead's POV

Empathy, compassion, even trust. These are things that most people take for granted, but the one that everyone yearns for the most is acceptance.

I consider myself very fortunate to have quenched that yearning, first by the Utroms and then the turtles, Master Splinter and their friends. But there are those with wicked intentions who would see these traits as weaknesses, a way to use ones desires to suit their own purposes. I unfortunately have experienced that as well.

When my family, the Utroms, were forced to leave after humans had infiltrated our home base, I was left behind. I had no choice but to seek refuge in the underground tunnels of New York City. Little did I know that the tunnels where I had resided myself in for months was the former home of the turtles.

Michelangelo was the first of the turtles that I met and the first to befriend me shortly after our first meeting. Though I am ashamed to admit that our first encounter was... not under the best of circumstances. My primal instincts took over and I attacked Michelangelo. After some time, I was able to calm down and apologize for my aggressive actions, that is until his brothers showed up and attacked me and the whole thing started over again.

Michelangelo defended me against his own brothers and asked for a truce, I agreed to the truce.

I then told them my story and my quest to rejoin my family the Utroms. I had also introduced them to someone whom I thought I could trust, Baxter Stockman. I was surprised to learn that they knew each other but even more shocked and angry to learn that not only had Stockman worked for the Utrom's most hated enemy, The Shredder, but that he had used me for his own purposes.

Like a coward he fled but not before destroying the support beams that were keeping the tunnel from collapsing.

Michelangelo begged me to go with them when the tunnels were collapsing, but I couldn't. I chose to stay behind to keep the ceiling from crushing them and let them escape.

Though our time together was short, I knew that I had at least made a true friend in Michelangelo.

Then I was captured and tortured by Bishop for many months until the turtles saved me. They accepted me into their home, for a while I lived with the turtles and Master Splinter and I was happy.

However I was still suffering from nightmares from my imprisonment with Bishop.

Then one night I had a horrible nightmare that became too much and... I attacked and hurt Michelangelo without knowing it. I will never forget the image of Michelangelo lying motionless on the ground. I was horrified by what I had done that I fled from the turtles home.

Yet despite what I had done, Michelangelo was more concerned about my well being then his own, when it was over he forgave me.

I was at a loss for words, I didn't understand how he could forgive me so easily. I thought that his family would be furious with me for hurting Michelangelo and that Michelangelo wouldn't want anything to do with a monster like me.

Then one night Michelangelo came to visit me at my new home, to see if I was alright. I was hesitant, afraid that I would hurt him again just by being near him, then as though he knew what I was thinking he assured me that what happened was not my fault and that I wasn't a monster.

I still remember what he told me…

'You're not a monster Leatherhead. You just think that you're a monster because of how people treat you. People like Shredder, Hun, Stockman and especially Bishop, they're the real monsters because they take sick delight in hurting people and they don't care. You're nothing like them. I know monsters LH, and trust me you definitely don't fit that bill. You're my friend and you're part of our family. And nothing will ever change that.'

I removed my glasses to wipe away the tears from my eyes. Those words filled me with warmth and hope. A feeling I feared that I would never feel again. But thanks to the evil Agent Bishop, I fear that that hope is dwindling further into despair.

I turned towards the Containment Unit, Michelangelo was once again trying to break free by striking at the glass with all his might. Then he turned his gaze towards me, he gave me the most vicious snarl I'd ever seen, as though he knew that I was was the one who placed him in his current imprisonment.

The primal rage instantly reminds me of the uncontrollable feeling that dwells inside of me. Our forced battle in the tunnels springs to mind as well. One that will haunt me for the rest of my days. It breaks my heart to see one of my dearest friends behaving like a mindless savage monster. Something that I myself have feared of becoming because of my own uncontrollable rage.

'I hope that you can forgive me my friend.'

"Leatherhead?"

I turned to find Miss O'Neil standing beside me. Her eyes held immense sadness and worry, "Yes Miss O'Neil? Did you have a question for me?"

She smiled gently, "Only the standard 'are you okay' question, but I can see that you, the guys, Master Splinter, and even Casey are clearly not okay."

I sighed, "You're right miss O'Neil. What's happened to Michelangelo has greatly affected all of us."

She nodded, "I keep hoping that this is all a bad dream. That everything that's happened didn't really happen. That Mikey will walk in at any moment with that big smile on his face." We both turned to Containment Chamber, "But then I remember that that thing… is Mikey."

"Raaarrrrr!" 'Thunk!' 'Thunk!'

I couldn't help but nod for I felt the same way.

"I'm worried about everyone Leatherhead. I'm especially worried about Donnie."

We turned to where Donatello was working on his laptop computer. Over the last 12 hours I noticed that Donatello has been working nonstop in our search for a cure for Michelangelo's condition. Never stopping to rest or even eat.

I know that Donatello tends to lose himself when he is focused on his work. I am like that too, but at the way that Donatello is pushing himself, I can't help but worry for Donatello's well being as well.

"Leatherhead, be honest with me. Is there any hope of curing Mikey?"

I didn't want to answer that question, not because I didn't know the answer but because I did know the answer and it wasn't good.

I sighed, "There is a slim chance, a very slim chance, that we can cure Michelangelo. However I'm afraid that time maybe be the issue that we are facing." I turned to my computer that showed a diagnostic scan of Michelangelo's vitals, they did not look good.

I showed Miss O'Neil the results on my laptop screen, I watched as her expression changed from disbelief to horror within seconds.

"Oh no…"

''''''

Donnie's POV

'This... can't be right... it just can't be...'

I rechecked my notes, my files, Leatherhead's notes and files page by page, once, twice, three times, hoping that maybe I overlooked something, or missed a step, or possibly even misread something...

Normally I'm good at solving problems, finding solutions, until I've figured out the answer. Brain teasers is what I like to call them, some were easy while others were challenging, but I always managed to figure something out in the end. But this time it seems that no matter how many times I've looked over every hand written or printed equation, the results were all the same fucking thing!

I threw the papers down in frustration, 'Why? Why can't I figure this out?! What am I doing wrong?!'

'Thunk! Thunk!' "Rrraaahhhh!"

I looked over to the Containment Unit only to find that it was empty, at least visually it was empty. Looking at the inferred screen that I installed showed the brightly illuminated shape of Mikey still inside the Bio Container that Leatherhead and I built. A project that was supposed to be used on Bishop's mutant monsters… not on my own baby brother.

My mind went back to last week, when Leatherhead and I were testing the Containment Unit's holding strength right after we'd finished building it.

Leatherhead volunteered himself to test it's durability. I admit that I was skeptical at first but realistically who better to test it than Leatherhead, with his size and strength and all.

Mikey showed up at that moment with a tray of food for me and Leatherhead. His timing was impeccable as always when it came to that sort of thing.

He asked what we were doing and I gave him a quick debriefing. We watched as Leatherhead went all out inside the Containment Unit, putting everything he had into trying to break out of the Unit.

I admit it kinda scared me for a moment, in more ways than one, watching Leatherhead go completely berserk inside of the Unit, both praying that the Unit held up and that Leatherhead didn't hurt himself.

Thankfully the Unit held like a champ and Leatherhead was okay.

I remember Mikey telling me that he'd hate to be trapped in there with one of Bishop's ugly monsters. I laughed and told him that he didn't have to worry about that, and then he smiled at me.

But I was wrong, I was wrong in so many ways. I was wrong about the cut on his arm being nothing to worry about, that it was nothing but a scratch, I was wrong about the reason why he was sick. I was wrong about him being okay, I was wrong about everything! And now Mikey, my only little brother, my best friend since we were tots, was paying the price for my mistakes!

My eyes began to sting, not just from how tired I was but from the tears that were building in my eyes.

How could I have gotten everything so wrong? I'm supposed to be the smart one, the Brains, the turtle with all the logical answers, the turtle that can fix anything…. but how am I supposed to fix this when I can't even find anything that'll help?!

"Donnie?"

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned to see April standing right beside me.

"Sorry Don, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay April, I was just… lost in thought." I said while rubbing my sore tired eyes.

She frowned at me, "You don't look so good Donnie."

"I'm fine. I just need... some more coffee is all." I reached for my coffee cup, which was empty. I cursed mentally, but before I could stand April grabbed my wrist.

"Donnie you need more than coffee. You need a break."

I pulled my hand away from hers, "April I can't stop now. I have to keep working."

"Donatello Miss O'Neil is right." Leatherhead spoke, "You have been working hard nonstop since we returned from the tunnels. You should get some rest."

Rest? As in drop everything that I'm doing and walk away? Are they out of their minds!? No way! I couldn't stop! I have to keep going, I have to keep working, I... I have to find a cure... I have... to save my baby brother... I have to fix this...

"I-I can't! I can't stop now! Not when Mikey's life is on the line!"

"Donatello you are exhausted."

"Leatherhead I'm fine… I can handle it…"

"No you can't!" April said firmly which just about made me flinch, "Have you seen yourself lately Don? You're frazzled, you're shaking from all the caffeine that you've been drinking and from lack of sleep, and you look like you're about to pass out at any second!"

"That doesn't matter!" I yelled firmly, "I don't care about any of that!"

"Don…"

"Even if I were to stop to rest or to eat it won't change anything! The only thing that matters is finding a cure for Mikey and putting an end to this nightmare!"

I took a couple of deep breaths to calm down but fire was still there. This must be how Raph feels.

As much as I wanted to rest, or rather how much my body wanted me to allow it to stop and rest… I just couldn't.

Every time I close my eyes, even for a few seconds, my mind replays that horrible moment in April's apartment. Mikey clutching his arm in pain then it starts to mutate. Mikey looking so scared at what was happening to him before turning to me, Leo and Raph pleading for help before mutating even more whilst screaming in pain. Then finding him in the tunnels after he ran from us… then him grabbing me and then…

I gasped when I felt something grab my shoulder, I looked over and saw that it was April.

"Donnie I'm sorry." She said gently, "We're just worried about you. I know that you want to save Mikey, we all do, but you're gonna burn yourself out if you keep this up."

"She's right my friend." Leatherhead spoke, "Your health is just as important as finding a cure for Michelangelo."

I looked up at them, I know that Leatherhead and April are worried about me and want to help me save Mikey, but they just didn't understand. It's my responsibility to fix this. It's my fault that Mikey got infected by the Outbreak. It's my fault that he's been turned into a monster. It's my fault that he's… he's….

'Thunk!' "Raaaawwrrr!"

I jumped, turning back to the Unit. Mikey was visible again and he was looking right at me. Both hands were on the glass, his tail whipping back and forth, and his glowing red eyes were boring into mine.

I sucked in a breath when I suddenly saw a ghostly image of Mikey before his monstrous mutation.

'Donnie…'

I blinked, when I opened my eyes the apparition of Mikey was gone. Did I… did I really see what I saw…. or was I hallucinating from exhaustion? I honestly don't know anymore.

Mikey roared again before continuing his attempt to break out of the Unit. He was ramming his shoulder into the glass. Every time his arm hit the glass, I see the long scar on his forearm. Where that mutant roach had cut him… when he… when I…

I turned away from the Unit that held my trapped baby brother inside, I had to keep working, can't quit, I have to…

Then I spotted a petri dish in the corner of my eye, inside was the broken spike from the mutant roach, the one that I removed from Mikey's arm after he was cut by that thing.

Looking at it repulsed me but it also filled me with burning anger that I haven't felt since… since that horrible night when Ultimate Drako sent me to that horrible future.

Now that anger was directed at the despicable man… No, not a man… a monster… the real monster who caused all of this.

'Bishop… you monster! YOU FUCKING MONSTER!'

I gripped the petri dish tightly in my hand before throwing it as hard as I could across the room. Then I stood up from my chair, grabbed the bottom of my desk and pushed it over. My laptop, my coffee cup, everything that was on my desk all crashed onto the floor, but I didn't care.

I just didn't care.

'''''''

Normal POV

Leo exited the kitchen with Klunk right beside him when he heard that loud crash.

His first thought was that Raph had finally snapped and was lashing out by smashing everything in his way, but that assumption was soon dashed when he saw his red clad brother and Casey on the couch in the living room. He looked towards the Bio Chamber to see that Mikey was still inside of it.

'If it's not Raph or Mikey causing the ruckus, then what…'

A loud yell caught his attention, it came from Donnie's lab. He, Raph, Casey and even their father Splinter headed towards Donnie's lab to see what was going on. When they got there they were met with a horrifying sight.

Donnie's lab looked like a tornado hit it. Donnie's desk and chair laid turned over on the ground, tools were scattered everywhere in one corner of the lab with the toolbox close by, his laptop, half completed experiments, and beakers lay broken on the ground.

"Donnie! Donnie Stop!" April shouted, frightened by her friends sudden rampage.

But the purple clad turtle didn't stop, he didn't even hear his human friend. Donnie swept his arm across his work table, knocking everything onto the ground before slamming his fists on the tables surface with an angry yell.

"AAAHHH!"

"Donatello!" Leatherhead grabbed the young turtle from behind, lifting him off his feet while being mindful of his strength, "Please stop!"

"LET GO OF ME!" Donnie yelled while thrashing in the mutant gator's hold.

"Not until you calm down." Leatherhead told him, keeping his grip on the distraught turtle, "My friend listen to me, I understand how you feel. I share the anger that you are feeling right now, but it is not going to help anyone and it will not help Michelangelo right now. Please Donatello stop this."

After a while, Leatherhead's words slowly sank into Donnie's mind. His anger soon turning into grief as he stopped thrashing in Leatherhead's arms before going limp. His breathing became shallowed before turning into heartbreaking sobs.

Splinter, Leo, and Raph approached Leatherhead as the gator gently set Donnie on the ground, right into the arms of his brothers.

"Donatello? Can you hear me my son?" Splinter spoke gently.

Donnie felt his father's warm hand on his face, he remained silent for what felt like an hour before nodding, "I'm sorry… I'm so…. sorry."

"Donnie, you don't have to apologize for anything." Leo assured his younger brother.

Raph nodded, "Yeah it's okay bro."

Donnie shook his head, "No, it's not okay… none of this… is okay…. because it's my fault that this is happening."

Everyone blinked in surprise at that statement.

"Why are ya saying that it's your fault Donnie?"

"Because it's my fault that Mikey got infected, it's my fault that he's been turned into a savage monster… it's all my fault!" Donnie sobbed.

"Donnie that's not true. None of this is your fault."

"Yes it is!" Donnie yelled, "If I had been more thorough when I was treating Mikey's injuries, I would've seen that something was wrong sooner! If I had been aware of my surroundings none of this would've happened!" He stated as more tears spilled from his eyes.

"What do you mean Donatello?" Leatherhead asked.

Donnie sniffed, "The night the Outbreak started, we first encountered giant mutant ticks. We fought them but they outnumbered us, so we ran. When we thought that we were far enough away from them, we were then attacked by those mutant cockroaches. During the battle Mikey yelled out 'look out' to me and Raph, Raph pushed me out of the way to avoid the tendrils that one of the roaches shot at us but I slipped and fell. Mikey came to my defense and protected me from being hit by the tendrils but… one of them hit Mikey…. causing the cut on his arm." More tears spilled from his eyes, "Mikey got infected because he was protecting me! How is that not my fault?!"

The news broke everyone's heart as they watched the purple clad turtle break down into more heartbreaking sobs in his brothers arms while his family did their best to comfort him.

"Donnie, none of this is your fault." Leo spoke.

"Yeah if anyone's to blame, it's that bastard Bishop. He's the one who created this mess." Raph added.

"Your brothers are right Donatello." Splinter spoke, though he didn't care for Raph's use of profanity, "Bishop is the one responsible for Michelangelo's current condition. No one blames you for what happened to Michelangelo."

Everyone nodded in agreement with the old ninja rat, but Donnie shook his head.

"Well you should." He sniffed, "Because I was wrong about everything. The cut on his arm, why it wasn't healing, why he hasn't been himself lately, hell I was even wrong about his sickness! I brushed it off as being normal because he always gets sick this time of year!" He wiped the the tears from his eyes, "I told him that he was gonna be okay, that his illness would pass, like it always does… but I was wrong! I was wrong and because of me he's dying! He's dying because of my mistakes!" He yelled distraughtly, his body shaking from the sobs.

Everyone, aside from Leatherhead and April, was taking aback by the news.

"What do ya mean he's dying?"

"Exactly what it means!"

The lab was silent before Splinter turned to look at Leatherhead, "Leatherhead what can you tell us about Michelangelo's condition?"

Leatherhead stole a glance at Donnie before answering, "Nothing good I'm afraid. Michelangelo's condition is slowly deteriorating with each passing second. The chemicals that Bishop had used to create the virus are reacting violently to the Utrom mutagen in Michelangelo's blood."

"And because the mutation is unnatural, Mikey's body began rejecting it almost immediately after he mutated." April added.

Leatherhead nodded, "His cells are being destroyed from the inside and I'm afraid that without a cure, Michelangelo's systems will completely shut down in the next twenty-four hours."

Splinter's heart dropped, "You mean…?"

Leatherhead nodded dejectedly, he didn't have the heart to answer the question verbally.

"That's not gonna happen!" Leo said firmly, "We can't let that happen!"

"But what can we do Leo?" Casey asked.

Leo pondered on the question, then a thought came to him, "Donnie, you and Leatherhead both said that the Outbreak virus is artificial because Bishop created it right?"

"Yeah… that's right." Donnie nodded.

"So if Bishop created it, then he must know how to uncreate it."

Everyone looked uneased by that statement.

"I understand what you are implying Leonardo," Leatherhead spoke, "But Bishop is a very dangerous man."

Leo nodded, "I know but we may not have a choice." He glanced over his shoulder at the Containment Unit, "Especially if Mikey's running out of time."

Sensing eyes on him, Mikey paused in his wild thrashing and turned towards his blue clad brother. Leo's hazel eyes locked onto Mikey's unfamiliar red glowing eyes, hoping once again to feel some spiritual trace of his baby brother within that thing.

'Leo… help me…'

Leo gasped. Did he just hear… Mikey's voice calling out to him?

"Hey Leo, you okay there bro?"

Raphael's voice brought him out of his daze, he looked up to see Mikey roaring while clawing at the glass of the Bio Chamber.

"Leo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Raph wasn't sure if he believed him but right now there was a bigger issue to deal with, "Leo you sure that this is a good idea? Going to Bishop to cure Mikey? You know that that bastard can't be trusted."

"I know, believe me I don't like it anymore than you do Raph." He turned toward the Bio Chamber again, "But what other choice do we have?"

'''''