15. Things are Coming Undone

It was a few days before Ardyn and Ibis spoke again. They both immersed themselves in their respective work. Ibis trained and patrolled with the boys, and Ardyn did what she could to help Donnie find Bebop and Rocksteady.

Ardyn didn't see Ibis in the abandoned turnstile again, but she left evidence of her presence. Instruments started appearing in the middle of the platform. First a guitar, which made Ardyn scowl. Then a piano. Ibis had brought one down in spite of Ardyn telling her she didn't want to play piano without all her fingers. How she got it down here, Ardyn couldn't fathom.

Then there was an electric guitar, a bass guitar, and a drum set.

At first she was upset. Ibis was pushing her, like she always had. She could never just let things be. It didn't matter that Ardyn had told her it broke her heart to be this way.

It didn't matter how much Ardyn wished things were different.

She ran her fingers over the keys, her claws clicking as they hit the grooves. God, she missed music. The vibrations of a real piano felt as if they were playing her heartstrings. She pressed a hey, hearing the note carry beautifully around the dome-shaped turnstile. She pressed another, feeling it bounce around in her chest. She heaved a sigh and sat down at the bench, moving her tail over the back. She held her hands over the keys, thinking of a simple tune.

The claws weren't impossible to work around, and it surprised her how quickly she was able to adjust herself. Her fingers danced over the keys with an unexpected grace, and she found herself singing.

"Wise men say,

Only fools rush in.

But I can't help

Falling in love with you."

...

Things became better after that. Not right away, but gradually. A passing nod, a smile... then a good morning and a good night. After a while, Ibis came down the tunnel and listened to Ardyn play the piano. Leo watched from the shadows as they sat together. A smile broke on his stoic face when Ibis began to harmonize. He'd missed hearing Ardyn play. He used to sit out of the fire escape to listen, but he never told her that. It was his guilty pleasure, especially when she'd mess up a note and swear.

He made sure to not be around when they headed back.

Ardyn was easier to be around now. The tension in the lair had all but disappeared. Things almost seemed normal again, whatever normal would look like for four mutant turtles, a mutant rat, and two recently-mutated-but-still-unspecified women.

But, you know what they say: 'All good things...'

Ardyn had been helping Donnie track down Bebop and Rocksteady. It was a long process, most of which she straight up didn't understand. Mostly, she was keeping an eye on the cameras around the city so he could focus on working with the ooze. It was like a reality show, only there was no sound.

"Its baffling how many people don't give a shit about cameras," Ardyn said around the slushie straw in her mouth. "That's the fifteenth person I've watched pick their nose in the last hour."

Donnie gave a hum of a laugh, "Security cameras are the ultimate fly on the wall for watching humans in their natural habitat."

"Still, you'd think people would have some class. This guy's been two knuckles deep for about three minutes now. I think he's trying to scratch the back of his eyeball or something."

Donnie laughed again, "That's not really anatomically possible."

"Tell him that."

Ardyn's face contorted into different levels of disgust as Donnie turned around to eye her.

"Why are you still watching?"

Ardyn popped the straw out of her mouth and shook her head, eyes still glued to the screen, "I don't know, I just can't look away..."

Donnie returned to his work when Ardyn made an exclamation of disgust.

"Gah! He just ate it!" she gestured to the screen. "I just watched a grown-ass man dig deep into his brain cavity and eat a booger! Humanity is so gross. Cancel it. Time for a reset."

Donnie was only half paying attention now. He was staring at the ooze in front of him. It couldn't be possible, could it? No, of course not. It was absolutely absurd. That kind of thing was science fiction, it didn't happen for real...did it?

"Could what be possible?" Ardyn was standing next to him, eying the ooze.

Had he spoken aloud? He was told he did that sometimes.

"Yes, you did."

Donnie met her eyes, clear and curious. He didn't want to get her hopes up. He knew as well as anyone down in the lair that she would kill to be human again. This would be an opportunity for all of them.

...

"Leo!"

He was torn from his focus on sharpening his katana by Donnie's excited voice and quick steps.

"Leo! Leo! Oh my gosh, this is amazing!" he stood a few feet away from where Leo sat on the bed, carrying a small dropper. "You're not gonna believe this." He took a steadying breath, "Okay, I made a solution from the sample of purple ooze, right, to expedite analysis of the isotope? But while I was waiting for it to catalyze, I started thinking: if the purple ooze can turn humans into animals, perhaps, if properly reengineered... Watch this, watch this," he gestured for Leo to come closer. Leo obeyed. "It could turn us..." he let a few drops fall onto the back of his hand, "into humans."

His hand shifted, fingers splitting into four human-sized-but-still-green fingers. He wiggled them and turned his hand over and over. Leo's mind was racing. He turned away from Donnie, taking in the new information. This, as of now, was a problem. A distraction. The possibility of becoming human was a temptation half of the team couldn't resist. It would jeopardize the mission. He would lose control of them if they could be out in the daylight. How would they be able to stop Shredder if they couldn't stick together? Not to mention the years of training it had taken them to master ninjutsu in the bodies they had.

"If we could get our hands on more of this stuff," Donnie's voice was so hopeful, "it could be life-changing."

Leo steeled himself, turning to face his brother, "We don't need that kind of change."

Donnie's face fell, like his dreams had just been stepped on. He did his best to recover, but he still sounded hurt. "Okay. You're right. To blend in with humans would compromise our strategic advantage. We have a system that works. We shouldn't mess with the formula."

He turned to leave.

"And Donnie," Leo's voice was firm, but quiet. Donnie turned. "Listen. You can't say a word of this to the others."

Donnie looked unsure, but nodded.

Ardyn clicked out of his shoulder cam from the lab. So that's what he'd been so excited about. He'd tried to explain to her, but he was speaking in half-sentences that seemed to blend together with what he was currently trying to do. That in itself was hard enough to decipher. She wasn't a geneticist. She had no idea what he was talking about. He'd been so excited with the possibility that he'd rushed out to tell Leo before she could calm him down enough to explain it in layman's terms.

He could make her human again. He needed more ooze to do it. And Leo had told him no. Told him to keep it a secret. Didn't he know what it meant to her? Didn't he know what it was like to have something ripped from his fingers? How could he be so selfish?

She was gone by the time Donnie returned.

...

"Yeah, right," Raphael shoved Ibis to the side as they walked out of the dojo after a sparring session. "Like you could take me on hand-to-hand, Sparky."

Ibis shoved back, the brute force barely sending him more than a single step to the side as he walked. "Just you wait, Red. I've beat you at arm wresting already. It's only a matter of time before I knock you flat on your shell."

"Dream on, Birdie."

He hopped up into the tunnel that housed his weight bench, Ibis climbing up behind him. He grabbed her arm when she reached the top and pulled her up like she weighed no more than a water bottle.

She playfully socked his arm when he released her, causing a bellowing laugh to fall from his lips.

"Guys!"

"Hey, Sunshine," Ibis greeted, seating herself behind the weight bench.

"Ya missed it," Raphael said as he laid back under the bar, "I jus' had Sparky beggin' for mercy."

Ibis slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand, "Did not!"

He chuckled, grabbing the bar and starting his set.

"Donnie said he could make us human if he got more of the ooze!"

Ibis just looked at him. Raphael paused his reps for a second until Mikey started talking.

"I didn't believe it, but then Donnie showed Leo it could really work. I was the coolest thing I've ever seen." He leaned back against the side of the tunnel. "It gave me hope. Maybe we won't have to be stuck down here forever, you know?"

"Sunshine-" Ibis began gently, pulling the bar back to the rack as Raphael sat up.

"So Leo told Donnie to keep it a secret," Raphael panted, turning his dark gaze at his brother, "from us?"

Panic took up residence on Mikey's face, "Uh, no.."

"Hold on, Red-"

"Who does he think he is?"

Raphael hopped out of the tunnel, with Mikey on his heels.

"No, wait! Hey! Look, if you tell Leo that I told you that Donnie told him-Gah!" Raphael shoved Mikey off, leaving him on the ground, "We'll never finish our hip-hop Christmas album!"

Ibis glided down clumsily beside Mikey, helping him up, "Red, hang on a sec!"

"Pop quiz!" Raphael barked at Leo, who was doing his katas in the center of the room. The leader's blue gaze met his quizzically. Raphael was tense, darkened gaze focused. "What're the three most important traits'a the ninja?"

Leo gave a cocky smirk to the side, "Speed." He continued his swift movements, the whistling of his blades slicing through the air rang in their ears. "Stealth."

Raphael hopped up on the platform, invading Leo's space. "And Honor."

Leo took a step back, picking up on the hostile signals Raphael was sending.

"Where's the Honor in keeping secrets from your brothers?"

Ibis and Mikey exchanged nervous glances.

Leo steeled himself, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ibis pinched her brows.

"Oh," Raphael growled, his voice getting louder, "so now yer addin' lyin' to the list?"

"If you're referring to what Donnie told me about the purple ooze," Leo turned to face him, sheathing his katanas, "it's called compartmentalization of information."

Ardyn emerged from the lab to see what the noise was.

Raphael leaned in, his voice intensely rasping with emotion, "If there's even a chance that ooze could make us human-"

"We're turtles," Leo interrupted firmly, continuing his katas. "Whether you like it or not."

"It's not about what I like," Raphael argued. "Its about what people up there are willing to accept!"

"True acceptance only comes from within," Leo responded, as if he was only half-paying his brother any mind.

"Don't give me that fortune-cookie muck," Raphael growled. "You should consult wit' us before you decide ta do somethin' like that!"

Leo finally halted his katas to turn and face his brother, "I consulted Donnie, and we decided-"

"And what about Mikey?" Raphael shoved him. "He don't get a vote?" Another shove. "What about Shorty?" Another shove, "What about me?!"

Leo's tone came out equally aggressive, "There's only one vote that counts in this family: Mine!"

Ardyn locked her jaw shut. Ibis opened her mouth to speak, but Donnie's careful voice beat her to it.

"Leo?"

For a moment, nobody dared to move. The tension in the air was so thick, Ibis could taste it. It seemed everyone had a different feeling about what had just happened, but they were all equally as strong. Ibis took a breath and looked to Donnie.

"What's up, Doc?"

"An alarm just tripped at the Hayden Planetarium. We've gotta get uptown," he spoke urgently, if not cautiously.

There was a beat of silence before Ibis spoke, "Blue?"

Leo let out a short breath through his nose before turning to face them, "Gear up, Donnie. Ibis, with me." He passed between her and Mikey, shoving the smaller brother's shoulder aside. "You two stay here."

"Hey, what'd I do?" Mikey called.

Ibis patted his shoulder, "It's okay, Sunshine."

"You're benchin' me?!" Raphael yelled.

Leo turned and yelled, "Call it what you want!"

Ibis kept her mouth shut behind Donnie. She had her opinions... strong ones. But she'd learned a lot in her short life, and she knew Leo was as hard-headed as Raphael. He wouldn't receive any new information until he'd cooled off.

Raphael was furious as he watched them leave. Ibis had taken his side, too. That hurt. It was a bellow's breath to the fire that raged in his gut.

"Well, that went well," Mikey sagged.

"The nerve that guy has!" he thrashed his arms against different items in the lair, making a lot of noise and walking without a rhyme or reason. "Big-timin' us!"

Mikey was right behind him, trying his best to keep up and keep out of the warpath.

"He may be fine with the status quo, but that don't mean we can't make our own decisions!"

"Wait, wait, what are you saying?" Mikey was doing his best to be supportive.

"It means there's more purple ooze where that came from," Raphael growled lowly. "And we're gonna get our hands on it."

"Yeah... I still don't know what you're saying?"

Raphael walked out of the cove he had wandered into, Mikey hot on his heels.

"Are we..Are we doing something?"