The sun was nearly down as Raph made his way back, slightly bruised but ultimately unscathed. He hugged his worn-out jacket tightly to the body, as he untied his raggedy mask and let it fall over his neck like a scarf. Getting used to not having a shell was still a task, making his every encounter with street thugs even more exhausting than morning practice. As if every move he made was weighed down by underused muscles. He would've lied if he said it didn't tip him off every time he pulled a punch, but what could he do? He couldn't force his body to agree with his mind, though he'd certainly tried. Being human for three months didn't make it any easier either. No, time didn't get him any closer to finishing his mission,and even if it did, that still wouldn't make him a better fighter. Certainly not the one he used to be. He'd warned his brother's that this was a bad idea and yet none of them bothered to listen. Now he was stuck in the skin of someone who hadn't trained his entire life as a warrior and the cold hard sensation of concrete every night he went to sleep.

Great job, fearless leader. Great. Job.

Raph sighed heavily as he rounded the corner. It still made him eerie every time he saw his reflection, so he'd made it a point to not walk straight ahead, but around the building instead. Even the cockroaches crawling by the trashcans was a more welcoming sight than his own reflection. At least they still looked normal. Not ccompared to Raph, who barely remembered how he looked like at the moment, 'cept for his new-found messy dark-red hair and his ever-present green eyes. The only feature left, reminding him of who he used to be. It didn't take long before he found himself by the old warehouse on Maine, the smell of burned garbage and old coffee mugs greeting him as he walked by.

The sad truth, was that following the siege, Raph quickly found that he had nowhere to go for the first time in his life. And for a long time running on nothing but sheer fortitude and adrenaline, he made it a point not to settle down anywhere before he'd found his family first and foremost. Something that, as the weeks went by, led to him sleeping on benches or under bridges, easily tempted to the usual warmth of his old room- making it so that every time he followed a dead lead, Raph would by habit return to the sewer before the realization set in. He'd get his hopes up every time another wannabe tough guy mentioned something about another homeless runt his age, and thinking it could be one of them tracked down a few days worth of clues, but to no avail.

In the end, Raph wound up in what he thought to be an abandoned junction downtown, which was actually a homeless shelter for a good portion of vagabonds in the neighbourhood- Raph now one of them. Though accepting the fact itself from the always so stubborn hot-head of the team was as expected, not something that came easy. Temporary my shell, a cold and disgruntled Raph mumbled, as the second month passed, winter slowly setting. That's when he began to doubt how long he could manage to go on like this. He'd stumbled into a part of the city he now loved so much, a place he'd never even seen before, let alone lived in and it made him feel almost guilty. Knowing that all the while criminals was causing all sorts of trouble in the streets, here were people not even granted the simple luxury of a bed. Who protected them when gangs roamed freely causing trouble? And based on the neighbors account, things could get pretty grim around here fairly quickly. But at the same time, it was also a small comfort, though Raph hated to admit it. Knowing him and his family weren't the only outcasts in society after all. He just... didn't see it before.

"And here I was startin' to wonder if you were gonna show!" hollered Ernie, tossing a can of soup to the young vigilante as he slummed down by the fire. The view of the city in the background as light snow started to fall over the piers.

"Yeah, well… that makes two of us" he sighed, digging in like it was his first meal in years. The taste in itself was… meh, but anything was better than Mikey's bug pizza with lint, he reminded himself. Lord knows if there was something Raph could go without, it was the sight of his younger brother gulping that down every day. Ernie sighed, jugging his beer before he noticed the boy's faltered expression. "You got nothing?"

"You know it. Just another stupid purple dragon wannabe in tights. Should've figured..." he hissed, nearly burning his hands in the process.

"Now, now, that's not what you told me this mornin-

"Maybe because this mornin' it was only one useless scumbag I had to worry about, not five. Punks couldn't even tell me anything! It was a total waste of time! 'Cept… maybe throwing him through that stupid antique shop on fifth wasn't all that bad. Those gargoyle statues always been givin' me the creeps. Now that was fun"

They both let out a solid laughter, Ernie chucking the remaining of his beer before leaning over to pour more soup into the can. "Now that deserves another round, friend. Purple dragon scum, thinking they own these streets. They deserve everything you can give 'em, boy"

Raph couldn't help but smile a bit, the old man's resolve strongly reminding him of that of Casey Jones. The thought alone made him wonder if there was some part of New York the crazy vigilante was off beating sculls as they spoke. How would he react if he saw his friend now? Probably make fun of his appearence, as far as Raph was concerned.

Now Ernie was a lot of things, but scumbag wasn't one of them. Only reason he'd ended up on the streets in the first place was because of the purple dragons burning down his house when he couldn't pay his loans. Poor old fool had been walking the piers of New York ever since. Only reason he didn't question Raph's strange circumstances was the promise of vengeance in return for not calling the cops on him. It was actually kind of endearing, in a weird way. That for someone so miserable he held his own- something he'd done all his life in fact, no strings attachced.

Maybe that's why Raph held him in such high regard, despite the awful hand the universe had dealt him. Despite the not so good example he sat for himself, considering he was just as equally screwed in return. "Actually, I better go" Raph said, emptying the can and patting Ernie on the back.
"You barely sat down"

"I'm getting rusty. I just need to recharge for a bit. See you around" he muttered, the old man letting out a sigh in defeat while refilling his own cup.

"Very well, very well. I ain't ya pap, just saying. You already wasted every street mugger on fifth today, so don't go exhausting yourself even further now before the sun's even down. Hear what I am saying? Every man deserves a good night's rest"

Raph grit his teeth as of instinct before he rounded the corner, "Loud and clear"

Now there was really not much to say about the tent. It previously belonged to a woman no one remembered anymore, leaving some while ago, but never coming back. When Raph found the piers, Ernie was the one to give it to him, claiming that no one had used it for weeks anyway, so it was a free spot. And a free spot in these parts was not something to waste, so reluctantly the young ninja had agreed.

Raph dumped his things in the corner- that being his sais and a couple of old fighting equipment he managed to salvage from the dojo. Tightening his mask over his eyes and trying to calm his heart, Raph closed his eyes. He could still feel it beating heavily in his chest as he kneeled down over the half-soaked cardboard. "Okay, remember what sensei said... block out your surroundings. Easy peacy"

He took in a deep breath, letting the outside slowly fade away in his subconcious until nothing remained but the tent. When Raph really thought about it, living in the underground wasn't all that different from living up here. Sure, the smell was a little more fresh, but when you'd grown up with it all your life, you didn't really notice anyway. Not until you looked around and noticed that hey, the sky remained exactly where it was night or day. It was no longer just a whole in the ceiling, filling various spaces with small rays of light, luring you closer, clawing at your mind. No sound of cars driving over ahead while trying to scout for passer-bys on the street, curious for whatever lived in the city that never slept. Curious for the world he and his brother's had been kept hidden from all their lives. All just a pipe-lenght away. Raph tried to focus, ignoring his tightened nerves and the relentless ache in his bones, as he tried to do something he hadn't tried in a long time.

He meditated.

At least that was how Leo probably would've seen it. If he was here, Raph knew his big brother would surely make a big deal out of him finally trying to put his mind to rest instead of focusing it on for example: beating their practice dummy to a pulp. Truth was, this wasn't the first time he'd done this, though none of his brother's knew it. He remembered practicing in his room, alone, yearning for sensei to see him trying his best, every time he walked by. And yet every time he'd tried it, all the way back to when they were kids, Raph just, couldn't. He couldn't clear his head in the slightest, no matter how much he tried not to bite his lip or tried calming his breathing in slow gulps of air, or listened to the non-existent silence around him that right now, consisted of blaring sirens and the murmur of people from all around him. He really tried. It just didn't work. Resulting in the following ten minutes of his remaining patience bottling over and making Raph want to punch something repeatedly in the face. He'd given up on mastering Leo and Sensei's technique ages ago, thinking it was just a another stupid method he wouldn't have any use for anyway.

But even now, Raph couldn't help but think that, if he had known what would've followed… what sensei's death would leave behind... Even now a year after his passing, Raph knew he would have tried a lot harder to master it. Not just to clear his mind, no that was something he'd given up on a a long time ago. But if he could just see him. Just once. Just try to do what Leo did, what his big brother always did, so flawlessly and probably kept doing when everyone else wasn't there... If he could just hear his father's words, just for a moment, just once… to tell him what he needed to hear. Then maybe all of this insanity would finally start to make sense. He would never in his wildest fantasies believe in all this crap if it wasn't a last resort. Raph needed guidance. He needed help, even if he'd never admit it. And right now, the only people who could give him that, was either wearing the appearence of a total stranger or burried in the ground.

So, there he was, Raph, meditating. Waiting, impatiently but relentlessly still. He kept doing it for several minutes, silently praying, his knuckles turning white as more and more time went by.

"Come on, sensei… talk to me…"

Raph tried again, focusing with all his energy and letting the stillness bring him closer to the void in his mind But when another ten minutes passed, he started to grow more and more impatient. "Come on. Why won't it work!? Please…"as he nearly lost his cool, Raph quickly focused on calming his breathing again.

"Please, father… it's me… Raph… you there?"

He tried to listen to his voice, to the essence or whatever the shell it was that was supposed to manifest, but all Raph met was the deafening silence of the tent and his ruffled breathing pattern. When he couldn't keep his eyes shut after the sound of (what he guessed to be) some kind of rat knocking over a bottle, that's when he noticed the blue fabric dangling from his pocket. Leo's mask, bloody and tattered.

And that's when he couldn't hold it anymore.

Raph stormed out without a second thought, his chest rising up and down like a wildfire. Screw this! He didn't know where he was going, just away from the people. Away from the noise, the dirt, the smells, away somewhere he could let out his frustrations the good old-fashioned way. Raph was already tightening his knuckles to the point where the fact that he now have twice the amount of fingers, made his nails drill into his hands. However, after reaching the far end of an alleyway a little further down from the shelter, that's when he noticed the figures following him from the shadows. Raph wasn't sure if he was imagining it but decided not to take any chances. He waited a bit, listening to the movement around him. Maybe I should've listened to Ernie...

"Okay, whoever you are, I'm in a bad mood today, so just come out here so we can get this over with already!" he hollered, drawing his sai's as he realized he wasn't wearing his mask. Didn't take more than óne cop to bust him if they saw him like this. Sewer apples. Quickly followed were multiple fast paced steps coming from all around him. The rooftops, the fire escapes and every other corner with the hot-headed ninja right smack in the middle. Raph couldn't believe it when he saw it. "Foot bots?! " He didn't know whether to be nervous or celebrating- heck maybe a bit of both. He hadn't seen these freaks in ages, and now that they were here, it could only mean one thing: payback time.

"All right you walking pieces of junk… WHO WANTS SOME?!"

When the first one charged, Raph was quick to fling one over his shoulder in a triumphant roar, before stabbing the second one in the head. They kept coming at him, one at a time at first, changing their methods each time to see which way would best send the ninja flying. But Raph wasn't that quick to let them get the upper hand. And despite his exhausting efforts from a hard day's skull thrashing, that didn't stop him from enjoying every piece of metal he could make into a ball of rusty wires. A smile formed over his face as he backflipped, stabbed and grabbed every incoming foot bot like it was a game for him, and Raph was about to beat Leo's high score. He didn't even consider asking them why and what they were doing there, but figured that whatever thing-a-ma-jig they had up their sleeve, it could come after they'd been wasted limb from limb. At least that was how it felt for a while, but as soon as Raph missed the three-foot bots charging his way from the back, that's when another foot bot saw an opening. Raph felled a burning fire soar through his entire body, spreading all throughout his veins and into his bones. The only other time he'd felt like this was when Karai poisoned them with her venom a few years ago. It was like being zapped by lightening, and rightfully so. When the foot bot removed the charged metal rod, Raph collapsed to the ground, his eyelids growing heavy and on the verge of passing out from exhaustion.

It took him a good minute or two before realizing that they were searching him as he lay there on the ground, unable to do anything.

"What the heck are… what the heck do you think you're doing…?" he muttered, his throat strained from screaming. Suddenly the bots looked up and nodded, seemingly satisfied with whatever it was they were searching for, and began to scatter hurriedly into the shadows once again. "Oh no you don't- Raph groaned painfully, climbing his way to his feet. When he tried to get up, the entire world began to spin and he had to cling to a nearby wall to keep him from falling. It didn't make any sense… why would the foot bots come after him after all this time, only to leave him alone in the end as if nothing happened? Shouldn't he be dead? Dropped into the ocean right now tied to a pole or something? Shot dead by those purple lazer beams they always carry? And then Raph had a realization, jugging his hands into his pockets and just as he thought, all he met was a bundled up grocery receipt and some coins.

Leo's mask… it was gone.

You gotta be kidding me… Raph grit his teeth, cursing himself for being so careless. Nonetheless, those bastards really got a thing or two coming if they thought they could just get away with it scott free. Further proved by the young ninja painfully slogging his way forward despite the ache in his side.

Donnie waited until the sun went down before he made his way over the nearest rooftops out of sight. He'd tossed his janitor suit aside in favor of a more comfortable, not to mention easy-moving shirt and some shorts with leggings underneath. Not the most stylish outfit of the day, but none the less fitting for a ninja. He'd strapped his trusted bo on his back, as well as his protective knee pads and tech equipment on, the feeling of each strap oddly misplaced. It had been some time since he was last out scouting the city, and if it wasn't for the fact that Donnie had to constantly remind himself that he didn't have a shell anymore, he'd probably have dropped most of it as deadweight anyway.

Donnie ran approximately ten blocks, carefully finding the momentum between each jump before he scouted ahead from the tracker point beeping silently in his hands. If he was lucky, most of the staff wouldn't even notice he was gone. Though that wasn't really surprising, truth be told. The feeling of his mask over his face again was a relief, though he tried to hide his face underneath the hood of his winter jacket. The last thing he needed was another foot soldier recognizing it, but Donnie convinced himself that it would probably be fine. What's the worst that could happen? It was either crazy alien engeneered robots out to kill him or getting fired for aledged 'illegal activity' when cops arrested him for trying to save the world. Bottom line, he had to keep a low profile and his face very hidden. Also the fact that he couldn't seem to get himself to part with it.

If they'd already gathered orange as a way of tracking Mikey, lord knew what kind of trouble his little brother had found himself in. The thought itself made Donnie move even faster. As fast as his human legs could carry him at least. He was still getting used to them after all, and Donnie didn't have nearly enough data to calculate a right way of approaching anyhow. He knew damn well he couldn't afford to screw this up, not with his first real clue in months. No, best to just get there fast, find Mikey and get the shell out of there. Yeah. No big deal. It wasn't as if it just took one unfortunate enough hit in the head to nearly crack his littler brother's skull open last time they went up against them… no, no! This was easy. Not to mention the fact that they were the ones with a disadvantage, Donnie reminded himself. Not knowing how the turtles even looked like anymore certainly would pose a problem for them… Though in hindsight, if they had been presumed dead all this time, the question remained…

How long had they known the turtles were alive?

Donnie sighed. Who was he kidding? The foot clan was tough, and especially after Shredder was defeated. Arguably even more so after he was defeated. It didn't take long before a good portion of Karai's forces turned against her, remaining loyal to Shredder and in turn gathering arms with other criminal gangs in the process. Leo had been all over it for months on end- the others next to convinced that his worrying was all for nothing, because no way their enemies would be able to be an actual threat without their master. It wasn't until they started gathering the Kraangs leftover 'toys' around the city and started doing experiments with the purple ooze, that things really started to take a turn for the worst. Even defeated, those intergalactic brains somehow still managed to cause trouble. Not surprising, really. The Kraang may be gone for good, but there was still a lot of damage left undone…

"Donnie, you okay? You've been cooped up here for days on end. You missed practice again, you know. We're getting worried"

Leonardo stood in the doorway of Donnie's lab arms crossed. Donnie who at the moment was deeply invested in a small cannister at the table, turned slightly before he noticed his big brother standing there and nearly knocked over a pair of funnels as a result.

"I'm fine, Leo it's just…" Donnie sighed, realizing whatever excuse he could come up with, would most likely not make the ever-persistent leader leave him alone. But where to even begin? Donnie could hardly believe it himself… He'd pondered this for a week and still he had trouble comprehending the significance of this groundbreaking discovery.

"Yeeeeees?" Leo persisted expectantly.

Donnie pushed up his goggles and took a deep breath despite the pit in his stomach. Leo should know. He was the leader after all. It was only fair, he'd tell himself over and over again without actually approaching the subject. But enough was enough. Donnie knew it was time.

"Okay, okay, the thing is. I might've discovered something about the ooze…"

"What? You mean the highly unstable purple mutagen we should definitely not be messing with, or else we'd most likely blow up?" Leo closed the door behind him, entering the room curiously but cautiously all the same. You never knew what to expect when coming into the lab and especially not with an overworked Donnie on the case.

"Yeah… about that… " he laughed nervously, trying to form the right words. Though it took a solid minute of Donnie's excitement making him go into a rapid stuttering for him to give up the endeavor. "Just take a look at this"

Leo stepped down towards the microscope. What he saw, or at least thought he was seeing was several purple dots tying into each other before fusing into… dots again? Safe to say, he wasn't sure what exactly it was that made Donnie so ecstatic.

"See? The cells t-they're not mutating as expected, instead it's like they're purposefully taking the already mutated part of the cell and becoming it instead. Completely taking over! It's… it's amazing" Donnie was completely baffled, though Leo struggled to follow a single word he said. Normally he was very patient with his younger brother when he went into a rant, listening to the best of his ability until inevitably he'd get to the point. But something told him that this was too important to dismiss. His paranoia further confirmed when he saw the mass of purple mutagen lying next to the container by the microscope.

"What do you mean?"

Once again, Donnie tried to calm his excitement by walking back and forth like a crazed Mikey after several candy bars. "What I mean is, well to put it simply… this mutagen, is not locking onto the originated DNA of the victim. Instead, it's somehow been reprogrammed, locking on to the second chain and like the retro mutagen Mikey created, (by complete luck I might add), completely recontextualizing the very core! Like it's replacing the mutation with an entirely different species. Leo, do you have any idea what this means?!"

"That you've been cooped up here for way too many days without sleep?"

"Leo, this ooze… it's a recipe for becoming human! Well at least, in our case, not really sure an ordinary human would benefit from having a spider, or worse a BUG overriding their DNA on a molecular level, but you get the point" he explained, the scientists reaching triumphantly out for the ceiling with a big wide grin on his face. Leo froze up unable to move. As they stood there, approximately one table away from each other, Donnie waited in anticipation for his brother's answer to this discovery. But as the time went by and Leo's pupils slowly dilated, he got the feeling that maybe his big brother wouldn't be as ecstatic about this as he'd hoped. "Well? Isn't this great?!"

After a solid minute or two passed, finally words formed over Leonardo's lips, to Donnie's surprise. "Have you tested it?" he asked, leaning over the table as if it was the only thing keeping him standing. Donnie started scratching the back of his head, "Well, I mean not yet. That's the thing. Until I test this, I have close to no idea if my hypothesis will be completely failproof. That's why I've had to double down on the coffee lately, not to mention working my shell off to see if this actually checks out… But with what I've discovered here, now we can actually start-

"We can't"

Donnie had to do a double take, unsure whether or not they were on the same page here. To be fair, Leo was no scientist. He couldn't blame his older brother for not understanding exactly the mechanics behind the testing of a dangerous substance, but that could all change with the right equipment. So why did he look so… afraid?

"What?"

Leo made sure there was no one listening in the hallway before he turned back towards his brother, his voice doing that thing where it deepens to the point it's like his vocal cords are trying to do a Batman impression. "Listen to me, I know you're very excited about this, but we cannot tell the others. Not… not yet"

Donnie couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Not yet?! Leo this is possibly one of the greatest scientific discoveries since- since gravity! And you want to keep it a secret?"

"I know this sounds nuts, but just trust me, okay? If we let this out, who knows what could happen? And you know Mikey! He'll probably shower in the stuff first chance he gets. We can't take that risk. Not with how things are right now. Not until we're absolutely sure "

"And you get to decide that, why? And don't give me that leader spiel again."

"Because I say so" Leo let his arms fall by his side, pleadingly reaching out for the door. "Please, Donnie. We'll talk about this later"

"What's this really about, Leo?" Donnie asked, feeling his temper reach a certain boiling point, because he couldn't understand what his brother was even getting at. He couldn't be bothered to care that Mikey and Raph would most likely be able to hear their argument if they were in the right vicinity of the lab. Days on end, doing research and this was his answer? Leo owed him an explanation and they both knew it.

"What? Are you afraid that becoming human will change things for the worse? For us?! I mean just think about it! The chance to actually blend with human society for once! To finally get the chance to not be viewed as freaks anymore-

"Or the chance to get with April…" Leo muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Leo-

"And who's going to take responsibility when this stuff turns our guts inside out? IT'S TOO. RISKY. Remember what master Splinter said: We must not confuse the specter of our origin with our present worth."

"Yeah, well master Splinter isn't around anymore, is he?!"

The air between the two brothers thickened. Donnie hadn't realized what he said before it was too late and the young ninja instantly regretted it. "Leo, I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that-

"No, no, I get it. These things just takes some time... I guess I just… nevermind." Leo sighed, turning away as a shadow faded over his eyes and in that moment, perhaps not deliberately, but almost immediately formed a certain understanding in Donnie's gaze. He wanted to slap himself for letting his temperament get the better of him, his brother's hurt look only serving to make him feel even more guilty. Leo only made it to the doorknob when Donnie's somber voice reached out to him from across the room,

"Okay… fine. But you know they'll probably find out sooner or later anyway, right? This isn't exactly the sort of thing that stays hidden for long."

"I know, I know… But right now, we have bigger things to worry about."

Relieved, the blue ninja returned Donnie's gaze in silent agreement before closing the door behind him, leaving the young scientist alone with his thoughts as the purple ooze shimmered lightly in the canister.

The tracker flickered once more, pulling Donnie out of his thoughts and back to reality. He was getting close. He rounded another warehouse, this one leading downtown, further and further away from OLS but he didn't skip a beat. He followed the tracker closely as the dot started to increasingly flicker on the black and green pixel screen. When it finally stopped, he followed the signal down the fire escape, silently moving his way down until he found a small window leading into the underside of the building. He kneeled down, wiping the fogged glass with his palm and tried to get a look inside. Nothing. Of cause, it wasn't going to be that easy. He took a quick look around, making absolutely sure that there were no cops present, before using his homemade surface vibration to force the window open. If Raph was there, he would surely have bashed the glass in already, undoubtedly sounding the alarms or alerting local authority. Then Leo would yell at him for not being stealthy as a ninja should be, meanwhile Mikey would probably already have found another way in. It was all so predictable it was almost sad. But even Donnie had to admit he missed the bickering to a certain degree, even if his brothers were more than a nuisance at times.

He entered quickly and silently, sliding down onto an upper platform surrounding the area, sneakily checking the scanner for any interference. But as far as Donnie was concerned, he was the only one there. No foot soldiers, no robots, no aliens, no anything.

"You gotta be kidding me! "

Donnie considered surveying the area outside the warehouse, but since his scanner didn't pick up on anything, he was left to wonder if the foot somehow hacked the tracker and disturbed the signal altogether. If maybe they were already on the move when he picked up their readings, and maybe he was too late… But Mikey… Orange… who else could it be? Donnie felt his nerves go numb and in his frustration he somehow managed to kick the nearest stack of crates so hard he nearly broke his human toes. "Sewer apples!" he managed to hiss out in a high-pitched screech only dogs could hear, clinging to his foot while aggressively jumping up and down as if that would somehow stop the pain. Donnie let out an exasperated sigh. Well, that would make for two awful ideas in one day… I never fail to surprise me.

And that's when he saw it. The purple glow emanating from one of the crates ominously, like a warning not to come closer. The very same he nearly just broke his new human foot on just a few seconds ago. The young ninja used the sharp end of his bo to try and force it open, gritting his teeth as he channeled all his strength- despite the lack of training with this new body of his. It took one push, then two, then three until finally the lit came off and Donnie starred into what appeared to be more than ten canisters of purple mutagen each. Seems his tracker worked after all… question remained however, if there were no foot soldiers around, where did the radio transmitter come from? It had to have been moved somehow after he locked on to its signal, but why now? Did they know he was coming? Was the orange just a code? Simply a clever ruse to lure him out into the open? At the thought of this the ninja became very aware of his surroundings and adjusted his fighting stance. So many questions and yet all he could do was just stand there in awe.

Focus, he told himself directing his attention on the purple mutagen before him. What was it doing there? Think. A chill ran down Donnie's spine when his mind puzzled together just how many crates with containers there were in total, and he almost let out a gasp in bewilderment. This isn't good… how did they manage to- But Donnie didn't have much time to stare dramatically in horror however, when a loud crash suddenly roamed somewhere deep from the other end of the building. Quickly followed were several footsteps, blades clashing and a loud cry echoing throughout the walls, in turn making the young ninja fear his intuition had been right all along. Donnie quickly put the lit back on the crate, placed it into its original spot as if it had never been opened, and readied his bo in his hands: charging towards the ruckus.

"Probably just a- a- a very angry New Yorker... yeah, nothing to worry about! Probably fine. It's always fine... it's almost never a face grabbing mutant ready to tear you to pieces before devouring you whole"

Another roar eminated through the walls, making Donnie gulp down his words.

"I'm coming Mikey"

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Mikey swung excitedly around the nearest pole as he and Simon exited the movie theater, chugging popcorn a each other as people shouldered passed them, rolling their eyes.

"I'll admit it wasn't that scary. But I still can't believe that ending! I mean seriously, how dark can they make it!? I thought the point was that there was at least some sort of hope in end!?"

"… there wasn't? Must've missed that part. Sucks for you" Mikey paused, hands behind his head as he let snowflakes melt on his beloved nose.

The night air was chilly, sounds of car alarms in the distance and overworked police lurking somewhere close by as snow rained from above. Though Simon was the only one sensible enough to bring a decent pair of gloves. He had to lend Mikey the other one as the boys wandered toward the subway, his right hand now covered in a silky blue fabric he couldn't help but stroke repeatedly. Mikey had made it a habit of his to use all of his ten fingers as much as he could, strumming on various walls like chopsticks or ruffling through his messy hair. Who knew how long he'd be able to keep them? Simon was still shook from the movie's heartfelt ending, though he made it a point not to show his dissapointment deliberately, "Well, I wouldn't exactly say being separated from your family for fifty years is a 'happy ending' even if they got back together in the end. I mean, poor guys… all that trauma. When all they wanted was just to save the world" -and deliberately failing.

"Yeah, trauma's pretty bad. I remember this one time one of my brother's was put in this death sauna or as I like to call it the sauna of death completely toasting him. Like a fried pizza, but not as delicious"

"Not sure I follow, but yeah that's… preeetty dark"

"Yeah, you probably should have been there. Sorry dude"

Simon let his confusion show, raising his brow, but choosing not to question him any further. It hadn't been long before he'd simply accepted the randomness of Mikey for what it was. And while highly entertaining for the most part, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious to know the full story at some point. However, every time he'd asked, Mikey almost forcingly stopped himself from talking. Not that he wasn't very eager to share, Simon figured that much simply by the look in his eyes, but it was as if someone had compelled him to keep silent. He wanted to help so badly, yet all he could do was reassure his friend to the best of his ability. No point in forcing out the truth if it was only going to hurt him in the end. Instead he tried changing the subject.

"So, how's things at home?"

Mikey had to think on it for a moment, thinking back to their conversation in the parking lot. "Pretty rad. I mean Misses Robertson's still mad about the whole ninja butt kicking thing, but at least she hasn't banded my X box this time"

As they rounded the corner, Simon gulped, scratching the back of his head nervously as Mikey bend down to pet a stray cat. "You still call her that, huh? You know, saying mom every once in a while, would probably boost your chances of getting your nun chucks back. I mean, if you feel like it"

Mikey turned around, the smile fading from his face. It hadn't even occurred to him to call her that before his friend brought it up. But now that he thought about it, he saw no reason not to really. Not anymore at least. It just, never really seemed important, given sooner or later his brothers would find him and turn him into the mutant they all knew and loved again. Everything would go back the way things were, he was sure of it, so what was the point in cementing himself as a Robertson? It even sounded wrong when Mikey tried to sound it out. Robertson Michelangelo. Just… no. It didn't sound right at all. Now, Hamato Michaelangelo on the other hand, that's where the money was at.

"I suppose so. Guess I'm just not very used to the whole, mother thing. It's not at all like on TV. Man, where's my homemade apple pie with ice cream?"

Simon couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you can't expect a sitcom to imitate real life. It's way more complicated than that, dude"

"You have no idea…" Mikey sighed, feeling his ninja senses tickling until he realized it was just Simon taking his hand in his. And as he did, he got this funny feeling in his chest, almost the same as whenever he was out skateboarding- the rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins, but not as intense. As a respond, Mikey curiously returned the notion. But just as he lifted his gaze from their hands to his face, that's also when he nearly lost all knowledge from sixteen years of ninjitsu in a momentary lapse of panic. Was it possible for anything that wasn't a mutant to sneak so close to the face all of a sudden? Not that he seemed to notice, but Mikey didn't know how to react, words stuck in his throat like chewed up gum. Simon seemed to notice, taking a solid step backwards but keeping his eyes fixed on Mikey's.

"Look, Mikey. I know you don't believe it, but they're not going anywhere. And neither am I, so… it's okay to settle down every once in a while. Take it easy is all I'm saying. You've nothing to worry about" he said, dashing the young ninja calmly on the shoulder. As much as Mikey didn't want to agree, a part of him was slowly starting to have doubts… He'd pride himself of being a glass half full kind of guy, but lately that mentality was starting to waver, even he'd have to admit it. That maybe settling down was all he could really do...

"Thanks, Si. I guess it's just, a little difficult sometimes. But maybe you're right"

"Dude, I get it. I felt the same after my mom got arrested. Time just… completely froze, you know? And believe me when I say, you're gonna regret it if you don't start thinking about your own life too."

The cat Mikey just moments ago stroked scurried off, leaving them alone on the street of Maine, covered in the light of the lamppost above. Simon's glasses started to fog so heavily that he had to take them off momentarily to clean them, Mikey watching calmly.

"Simon, so eh… I was thinking, like..."

The boy looked up, "Yes?"

In truth, Mikey had no idea what he was going to say. He rarely did when he opened his mouth, the words just came to him until he couldn't stop them, and he never bothered to slow down either. It was then he noticed a very familiar looking purple, not to mention ominous, glowing silhouette on the nearest rooftop behind his friend, watching them closely to Mikey's horror he and as expected reacted without thought.

This time however, the words that escaped his mouth was the last thing he could've thought of, completely cutting him off guard.

"Holy chalupa!"

Simon tried turning around, but was stopped as Mikey pulled at his sleeve with a surprising strength for someone so scrawny. "You, eh... were thinking about Mexican food?"

"What? Oh, yeah!… no I'm just…" Mikey stretched out his arms in a very convincing fake yawn, before dragging Simon with him in the other direction. "Ah would you look at the time I-I just remembered! I promised Misses Robertson to help with eh… laundry stuff! I should eh, probably head on home"

"You sure everything's alright?"

"Totally awesome! Don't worry about it! I'll follow you to the subway!" he insisted, dragging them both along the sidewalk in what was nearly not a run for their lives. Please don't follow please don't follow please don't follow- Mikey nearly stumbled over his shoelaces, until finally they rounded the corner to find a set of stairs leading into the underground. It took everything in him not to just push Simon down them, when he looked back to find the foot solider still eyeing them from above.

"Mikey, what-

"Sorry! Sorry I thought I saw a, eh, rat there for a second" he lied, biting his lip while anxiously looking over his shoulder. Simon decided just to smile at the hijinks of it all, once again accepting the reality that his friend was a nutcase wannabe ninja without much objection.

"That's New York for you. Careful. One bite and it'll transform you into a rat man with poisonous whiskers. Raaaargh! " he joked, raising his hands like claws while mimicking an animalistic roar. Mikey didn't know if it was wrong of him to smile at that, but he couldn't help it. Sorry, pap.

"Yeah, wouldn't wanna be that guy, am I right?" he just said, waving goodbye as he desperately tried locating the foot soldier on every building surrounding them.

"And Mikey?"

"Yes?"

Simon was just about to round the corner, Mikey already prepared to jump into a fight when he paused to look at his friend.

"If you change your mind about the ending, let me know"

"Sure thing, Si" he smiled, forming a thumbs up until he vanished from sight. "Sure thing…"

Mikey took a deep breath, noticing too late that he was still wearing Simon's glove. I can return it later, he thought prioritizing his own protection first and foremost. But since he didn't have his nun chucks on him, the closest thing to a weapon-like object he could find was the lid of a nearby trashcan. He put on a brave face, walking back towards the empty streets as he readied his ninja senses.

"Okay foot dude, I might not have my weapons, but I got a trashcan, and I am not afraid to use it! COME GET ME!"

He tried to look around, but to no avail. The foot soldier was gone, but Mikey knew what he saw. And just as he realized that he'd lost him, a sudden thought entered his head. One thing he so desperately, desperately needed to be wrong about.

And suddenly he found himself running full speed towards the nearest taxi, before stumbling his way up the stairs and back home. Mikey nearly lost his ability to breathe in his new lungs, practically slugging inside the living room ready to cry out for anyone when he noticed the TV still turned on and a hand reached over the sofa cushions. "Misses… Robertson?"

He nearly had a heart attack when her (very much alive) head popped up, followed by a nearly passed out Tyler way up passed his bedtime and yawning his way up the stairs. "Ah, you're still alive. We never thought you'd make it. Had a good night, sweetheart?"

Mikey didn't know what to say, eyeing the apartment desperately in search of anything purple glowing, but with no luck.

"Everything okay, Mikey?"

Misses Robertson straightened her back to meet his gaze, gesturing for him to sit down and Mikey nearly accepted the invitation, was it not for the aching pain in his chest from all the running.

"Miss Robertson?" he began, taking a step forward.

"Hm?"

But for some reason he just... couldn't, remembering Simon's words. Simon, his friend quite possibly in great danger because of him and Mikey only seemed to let that thought alone guide his exhausted body. "Never mind… I'm going to bed"

"You? Go to bed early? You're starting to scare me, you know. Did something happen?" she asked worriedly as Mikey made his way up the stairs, Simon's blue glove clutched tightly in his hands as he pondered his friend's safety as well as the safety of his foster family. And now that he thought about it, who's to say his real family wasn't in trouble either? No way Mikey was the only one...

"I'll be fine… just feeling a bit tired is all." he yawned, before uttering a barely audible, "G'night mom"

Misses Robertson edged on going after him, but decided instead to allow him the space.

"Good night, Michelangelo"

If there was one thing Raph wasn't good at, it was patience.

Especially when it came to busting skulls and smashing some foot ninja to pieces. He'd held on to his electrified ribcage through gritted teeth and the prominent urge for pay back, following the enemy to the best of his ability. It hadn't taken him long, before he made his way to an old warehouse, using stealth to observe the foot ninjas as they jumped down into what appeared to be a hole in the ceiling. Following close behind, Raph made it a point not to jump down immediately, listening until their steps vanished in the dark until he made his pursuit. If there was one good thing his new body had offered him, it was the lightness of it. Carrying around a shell all your life was one thing, but now that he didn't have one, it had become a lot easier to move around without the added weight. What was not very easy on the other hand, had been the very unwanted addition of lack of protection on his back. He'd been painfully reminded of that every time some third-class criminal or other had gotten the best of him, slamming his spine into all sorts of unwanted edges.

Raph ran down the darkened passage, sais ready in his hand, while forcing himself to move past the sizzling of his nerves until he was sure he could keep his balance again.

"Okay, now where did you freaks run off to, huh?" he muttered, checking behind the nearest corner, until only the sound of his footsteps echoing followed the building. Raph could feel his frustrations taking over, cursing himself for letting them get away, but swearing to all that was holy that he wasn't leaving without Leo's mask. And then, he reached another window, this one hanging half open on the other side. Hearing voices coming from somewhere beneath, the young ninja quieted down and shimmied inside. He slummed down on a small steel platform, the ruckus from the fall making him think he blew his cover, when suddenly he saw it.

That is to say, he wasn't sure what exactly he was seeing. But from where Raph was right now veering down, it looked very much like a foot clan pajamas party. There were so many of them he could barely count, all roaming around in what looked like an old laboratory of some kind, somehow structured all the way towards the underground. They were all just… there. The first one no different from the second one. Canisters upon canister were set up in various places, glowing the frighteningly familiar purple glow he'd grown to despise. But there was something else in the room. Something huge, massively large that filled the center of it all like a miniature skyscraper. The sort of metal junk Raph had no idea what was, but made him at the same time very, very temped to smash to pieces- if only to see what would pop out. That, and his usually right intuition telling him that whatever that thing was, it probably wasn't a confetti blaster.

He moved further along the walkway, staying above ground and out of sight. One of these bastards is bound to have it, he thought, carefully sliding further down the walkway, though he couldn't make out anything blue from below the steel bars. What would they even need the mask for anyway? It was barely holding itself together as is, and it wasn't as if they could just stroke it and then magically know how to locate his brother. If anything, this whole messed up situation at least provided him with the information that they most likely didn't hold him captive somewhere. Though going by the size of that pit, it wouldn't be out of the question for them to have more ways than one to traverse the city now. Just great.

"Intruder."

A voice sounded behind him and Raph barely managed to dodge a blade swung towards his head. He nearly lost his balance again, before quickly grabbing hold of his sai and slicing down from all angles, at the ninja that perfectly dodged him using acrobatic flips and katas. He only managed to get in one solid blow however, before an alarm started blaring and the foot soldier started running in the opposite direction. I guess stealth's not an option anymore. Raph didn't need to think twice before he bolted down the same walkway, swinging over the platform and towards the window. He didn't get far however, when two other enemies appeared from underneath, grabbing him by the leg until he had no choice but to fight back. He managed to kick the first one off and into the pit, whilst using his sai to flip the other one several feet into the air. Raph roared and groaned, dodging every blade and kick coming his way, until he managed to find his way toward the upper window. With no time to spare, he used his arms to shield his face, as promptly smashed the glass, shards flying everywhere. More and more enemies stormed the passage behind him, and it was hard not to be thankful for the fact that his legs were still nimble enough to carry him. But just as he was about to escape, Raph saw the faint glimpse of a blue fabric tied to its left arm.

"Hey! That doesn't belong to you bugface!"

Raph felt himself burning up, aiming all his fury on the ninja right now in the midst of getting as far away from the building as possible. It would've been easy to tackle him to the ground, if it wasn't for the fact that the foot tackled Raph first. Forcing him against the steel floor, as he struggled to concentrate. When they were all pinned on top of him, it was like an explosion occurred, emanating from the boy as he used all his strength to force the enemies off of him. Fired up on adrenaline, he used his sai to block the incoming attacks, sliding past three others until he finally caught up with the soldier.

"You're gonna pay for that, buddy!"

The solider made the first move, revealing two throwing knives up his sleeves, two of which Raph managed to block with his sai, before charging at the ninja, striking several blows to the head, and seemingly getting the upper hand. But then, just as he was about to grab the mask, he felt the force of another steel rod hit him in his plastron-free chest. Raph would've screamed in pain, but it was like his cry was stuck in his throat, making him instead expel an almost animalistic sound as he nearly fell to his knees. With his vision blurry and his balance severely off kilter, Raph didn't stand a chance when the soldier granted him another painful kick to the stomach, sending him flying straight through the window and crashing onto the concrete below. He was completely cornered, foot soldiers scurrying around him all at once, this time determined to finish the job. He tried to get on his feet but didn't get very far, before his opponent raised the steel rod once again, ready to strike and Raph knew he was done for.

That's when just above the alleyway, coming high atop one of the main buildings, a figure suddenly and unexptectedly soared through the air.

Raph, stuck in a long-held scream whilst shielding his face in a panic, was instead left confused when another wave of electricity didn't enter his body. What happened instead, suddenly and without warning, was a pubescent screech filling the alley as a kid, about his age, performed a near-perfection se-wo-na-ke directly into the foot soldiers face.

Raph couldn't process. He used his sai to force him into an almost sitting position, the world spinning as he defended against a soldier coming at him from behind. The kid who just saved him carried a long staff, his face slightly hidden behind his winter jacket's hood, as he swung around smashing soldier after soldier using perfect acrobatic moves and a stick… A stick. Raph had to steady himself for a moment before he could get a good look at the situation. The kid was good, tall as well as nearly mastering every set of attacks Raph had performed to a T. His head was ringing, but even he knew something was definitely going on here… something he'd missed, something obvious, but what? And who did this kid think he was anyway?!

"Don't worry! I got this under contro- ARG NO I DON'T!" the kid yelled, before a soldier grabbed his stick, sending him backflipping into the nearest pile of trash in one swoop. He sounded so familiar, Raph almost thought he was hallucinating. "Who the heck do you think-

He stopped. The ninja wearing Leo's mask was trying to get away using the fire escape. Oh, no you don't, Raph cracked his knuckles before grabbing the ninja by the scruff of his suit and jagging his sai directly into its shoulder. He quickly grabbed Leo's mask, folding it into his pocket while blocking the ninja's last attempt at zapping him, before finally stealing the rod out of its hands. Though he wasn't very particular on the getting electrocuted part, he had to admit holding it for himself, it felt pretty good to have a new weapon. "Huh. Thanks." He muttered, patting it on the head a couple of times for good measure.

"LOOK OUT!"

Raph barely had any time to turn around, before the tall kid charged at yet another foot soldier with his surprisingly efficient stick and as the last remaining enemies finally began to scatter, finally, that's when it all began to click. Raph blinked a couple of times, shaking off the oozing headache in his forehead and trying to regain his senses. That's when he saw it… when the hood came off and it finally clicked why he'd seemed so familiar. The purple mask, the similar fighting style, the high-pitched voice no woman would ever date…

"Wait a minute… don't tell me….!"

Raph had no clue how he failed to see it before. Granted he was nearly fried to death by a torture stick, but still…! Even the boy looked surprised, when he noticed the sai in the assumed to be civilian boy's hand, revealing the very prominent gap tooth in his mouth as a result of his jaw dropping.

"I-It can't be…"

Both boys starred at the other in complete and utter bewilderment, eyes wide, defeated enemies scattered all around the alley, as their exhausted breathing was the only thing that filled the stunned silence. And then all at once, they both let out an equally impressed, equally confused:

"Raph?!"

"Donnie?!