A/N: YAAY! Finally chapter 40! Sorry this took so long, but I've got a buy life XD So, we've got a little comedy, fluff, and some reeally not good things coming up in this chapter, so buckle up!

Also, heads up: I won't be updating at all for the next 2 weeks because of a possible job thing I have coming up, so basically a mini-hiatus. Sorry guys!

I OWN NOTHING!

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 40

"The voices of cold reason were talking, as usual, to deaf ears."

― Ellis Peters, Brother Cadfael's Penance

Meanwhile, deep within the vast labyrinth of sewer tunnels beneath the lively city of New York, three ninja turtles stood before their master in a straight line, their shelled backs erect and shoulders squared as they awaited his wise council. Behind them, sitting with her legs crossed on the dojo carpets by the wall of weapons, April watched the session begin with slight anticipation and slight envy. She'd already had her one-on-one training session with Master Splinter earlier (at his request), but a part of her wanted to spar with the boys, to truly test herself and the skills she'd picked up over the past few days. Alas, neither she nor the boys were ready to cross that bridge just yet; the turtles were still hesitant about sparring against her in fear of truly hurting her, and April…

…well, after the last attempt at a sparring session, where their blows had been but feather touches, April still had to get her own hot temper under control, and let go of the idea that they were treating her like a delicate flower…which they were. Unintentionally perhaps, but no matter what Splinter said, they were, gosh darn it.

However, as Splinter folded his arms over his chest, frowning as he regarded his sons, April suddenly decided that it was probably a good thing she wasn't standing with the boys. Something about the old rat master's sudden change in demeanor screamed 'danger, danger, turtles run!', and she didn't want to be on the receiving end of that.

"You three have defeated much of the Foot Clan with ease," Splinter alleged, his tone most displeased.

April raised a brow as she tilted her head, staring at the ninja master in surprise. Huh?

"Why does he make that sound like a bad thing?" Raphael muttered under his breath, pretty much echoing April's thoughts exactly. Wasn't this supposed to be a good thing? It meant that the Foot were failing, that the turtles were getting closer and closer to knocking the evil ninja clan off their throne, and eventually taking down the Shredder himself…maybe.

So why did Splinter sound so…mad? Was that the right word for it? Or was he frustrated? Either way, whatever the turtles had done wrong, it had clearly twisted Splinter's whiskers in one of the worst ways.

Of course, Splinter had heard Raphael's muttered disdain, and was quick to glare down at his hot-headed son, his ears tipped backwards with irritation. "Because you have grown complacent!" he snapped, regaining the boys' attention with a slight jump as they stood to attention once more.

Her brows rising with interest, April hummed softly to herself in understanding. Splinter was right; over the past few nights, the turtles had become a little cocky after defeating the Foot Clan with little difficulty. Whether that was due to their skills improving or the fact that the Foot were suddenly starting to slack off, she wasn't entirely sure. Nevertheless, though it could be considered something to be happy about, the boys' arrogance could – and would – get them into trouble sooner or later. It'd happened before, when they'd faced off the Shredder for the first time; they'd been overconfident, and had nearly died as a result…and perhaps Splinter's sudden frustration had been born from his desire to avoid that from happening ever again, at all costs.

"Each of you has become dependent on your own weapon," Splinter continued. "But, there are times when you may not be able to fight with what you know. And when that happens, you must adapt to your environment."

"Oh yeah?" Michelangelo countered, holding up a comic book. From where and when he'd gotten that, April had no idea, nor did she have any wish to. "What if there's only, say, a comic book?" the freckled turtle probed with a grin.

Quirking a brow at his young student, Splinter rolled his eyes before cuffing the orange clad turtle upside the head, which earned him a squeak of protest. "Anything can be a weapon," he said.

"Sensei, you can't seriously send us out there armed with nothing but a comic book," Raphael argued incredulously. With a roll of her own eyes, April had the distinct feeling that Raph was missing the point entirely as she shook her head.

"For a ninja, anything can be a weapon," Splinter repeated, folding his hands behind his back once more. April almost expected him to add 'yes, even a comic book', but he didn't, and she couldn't help but feel partly disappointed as well as relieved.

The three turtles shared a brief look, with Mikey shrugging his shoulders bewilderingly, before they turned back to look up at their mentor. "So, what is it that you want us to do, Master Splinter?" Donnie asked.

"I want you to embrace the unfamiliar. Switch weapons!"

Eyes rounded to dinner plates, the turtles stared at their father in shock, before once again sliding a glance to each other. In turn, April was also very surprised, blinking hard as she stared at the scene before her. She'd never seen the turtles fight with anything but the weapons they'd chosen years ago – and more often than not, their fists – so it would be strange, for her at least, to watch them fight with different weapons so suddenly. And yet, she found herself sitting up with excitement at Splinter's declaration, for something told her that this was going to be either pretty cool, pretty embarrassing, or pretty funny. Or all three at once.

Hesitantly, the turtles switched weapons as instructed; Donnie got Raph's Sais, Mikey got Donnie's Bo staff, and Raph took both of Mikey's beloved nunchaku.

Weighing the long wooden staff in his hands, a wide grin split Mikey's face in two as he raised the staff over his head. "Look, I'm Donnie!" he chimed, before deepening his voice a fraction and narrowing his eyes. "I'm the smart one! Science, science science science, numbers!"

Whilst April smirked behind her hand at Mikey's dramatic impression of his older brother, and Splinter merely shook his head with the faintest of smiles at his sons' antics in spite of his earlier sternness, Raph laughed out loud, patting Mikey on the back of his shell. "Good one, Mikey," he praised, earning a giggle from the youngest terrapin and a low 'humble' bow.

Donnie, on the other hand, was not amused in the slightest, his right eye twitching irritably. "I sound nothing like that, Michelangelo!" he scolded, planting his clenched fists on his hips and pinning Mikey with an accusing glare.

"Yes, that's why we're laughing, because you sound nothing like that," Raph countered with a smirk and a knowing raised brow.

Donnie growled under his breath, before glancing over at April sitting behind Splinter, who quickly bit her lip to vanquish the smile. "You don't think I sound like that, do you?" he asked, almost pleadingly.

In reply, April just shrugged her shoulders. "Can neither confirm nor deny, Donatello," she smiled innocently, fighting desperately against the urge to laugh at the frown he sent at her. Alas, poor Donatello.

Finally, Splinter decided to put a stop to the shenanigans as he held up a hand, silencing them all. "Face each other," he ordered.

Quickly, the turtles fell into place, with Donnie and Mikey facing off Raphael. Again, April fought the urge to snicker due to how downright uncomfortable they all seemed with the weapons they held; Raphael let the nunchaku dangle loosely in his grip, Michelangelo held the Bo staff above his head as if it were a baseball bat, and Donatello...well, he was certainly trying, at the very least. Though April was fairly certain, from watching how Raphael fought, that holding them with both Tsuka's touching wasn't the best way to wield a pair of Sais.

Biting down hard on her bottom lip again, April sat back to watch what she was sure was going to be a one hell of a show. If only she had popcorn.

"Hajime!"

Raph was the first to move, swinging both nunchaku over his head. But as soon as he neared his younger brothers, one of the Chukon-bu clonked him on the head, and he cried out in pain as he stumbled to his knees, pressing a hand against his sore head. Mikey was the next to fall, after he'd charged at his fallen older brother and tripped over the staff, falling face first onto the carpet with a shout followed by a muffled grunt. Donnie, meanwhile, was still trying to figure out how to actually attack with the Sai, and rather stupidly, he tapped the honed tip of the weapon under his chin in thought. "OW!" he squawked, dropping both Sais to grip his chin, wincing pitifully.

"Yame!"

With the match over before it had even begun, there were literal tears in April's eyes as she slapped both hands over her mouth. That had to be, without a doubt, the most pathetic yet most hilarious sight April had ever been given the pleasure of witnessing first-hand. And better still, from his stumble to the ground to his attempt to get up again, Raph had somehow managed to get himself tangled up in the chains of Mikey's kusarigama, and was now lying on the floor with chains wrapped around him, his left arm pinned to his side, and the sourest expression creasing his features.

Oh, if only she'd had a camera; this was far too precious.

"That was messed up," Mikey muttered dryly as he and Raph clambered back up to their feet, facing their teacher.

Splinter, despite his best efforts to hide it, looked very pleased with himself upon having gotten his point across to his sons in, quite possibly, the most entertaining way possible. "You will continue to fight this way," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument on the turtles' part. "It will teach you resourcefulness and versatility."

With a huff, as Splinter declared their lesson over for today and exited the dojo, Raphael set upon the task of untangling himself from the mess of chains he'd found himself in. Mikey skipped to his side, raising a brow at him. "Not so easy, is it?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

Raph growled, bringing up the other nunchaku and swinging it around. "Hey, I'm getting the hang of – ow!" he barked when the Kikon-bu smacked him on the back of the head with a dull 'klunk!'. As he dropped both nunchaku's and held his throbbing head between his hands, Mikey only laughed before sauntering off, Donnie's Bo staff in hand. Watching his youngest brother go, Raph growled like a feral dog, his fists clenching with growing frustration.

Knowing what was undoubtedly going to happen now that Mikey had entered Raphael's infamous 'Anger-Zone', April promptly uncrossed her legs and stood up, wiping away a tear before the others could notice as she approached the fuming red clad turtle, laying a calming hand on his shoulder. When he whipped his murderous gaze to her, he faltered, realized it was her and not one of his brothers, before sighing heavily, letting his eyes drop to the floor.

With an understanding smile, April patted his shoulder. It wasn't the first time he'd done that, and probably wouldn't be the last. "Easy, Raph," she said. "I'm pretty sure you guys will get the hang of it eventually. I mean, you did practice with each others weapons back when you were little, didn't you?"

At that, both Raph and Donnie shared a brief, blank look with each other. "Um…well, kinda," Donnie explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "But we've never had any extensive training with them. Once we chose our weapons, we stuck to them. So yeah, that's why we sucked as bad as we did back there."

April blinked at them, her hand slipping off Raph's shoulder. "Oh. Right," she murmured. "Well, that might be a problem."

"Ya think?" Raph groaned, glaring down at the nunchaku he'd dropped on the floor with disdain. "This is impossible! If we've gotta fight like this for who knows how long, we'll be the ones getting stomped into the ground! I don't get what Sensei was thinking; how is this supposed to help us?!"

Unable to argue on that, or offer any further words of encouragement, April simply folded her arms over her chest, brows furrowed as she bit her lip in thought once more. Raphael did have a valid point; until they truly got the hang of their new weapons, this sudden change would seriously hinder the turtles in battle. But Master Splinter had been firm with his decision, and more often than not, his guidance proved to be useful, something to reflect on, to learn from, and none of them ever had a real reason to doubt the wisdom of their master.

Still, April couldn't help but feel as though something bad was going to happen if the boys didn't get their act together soon…and it would be worse than just switching weapons.

Later that afternoon, back at the Foot Clan headquarters, father and son had acquired a quiet place to resume their long overdue meditation session, and were now seated side by side in the center of their room, eyes closed and hands resting upon their laps as they delved into the vast spiritual plane. If one looked close enough, they could see that their very bodies were aglow with a pure, transcendent aura…

…apart from the son, that is, whose aura and concentration flickered, until he was forced to return to reality and open his eyes.

With a soft sigh escaping his lips, Leonardo rolled his shoulders backwards, attempting to loosen the knot that had been tied in his muscles before he closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath through his nose, and tried again. However, in mere moments, his focus dwindled once more like a dying flame.

Opening his eyes again with another long exhale, Leo cast a glance over at Tiger Claw, watching him closely in the darkness of their room. His father's posture was as collected yet relaxed as ever; he'd already perfected this state of meditation over the past twelve years, nearing thirteen, and could enter and exit such a state with little to no effort. Leonardo had also gotten this technique down quite well; in fact he could proudly say he was nearing the same level as his father. Today, however…something was blocking his connection.

Shaking his head, Leo shut his eyes and tried once more, forcing the disconcerted thoughts and feelings out of his head, focusing hard…

But despite his best efforts, as his hands clenched into tight fists atop his lap, he found himself quickly losing his grip on the spiritual plane once more, falling back into the real world. With a frustrated groan, Leo let his head fall forwards, his mouth set in a firm scowl as he stared at the black tape wound around his arms. Damn it. He just couldn't do it. What was wrong with him –?

"Leonardo?"

"KYAA!" Leo screeched, his voice cracking two whole octaves higher than normal, as he toppled onto his side. Since when had Tiger Claw gotten that close to his face?

Lifting his head up from the floor, Leo noticed the confused yet concerned look on the old tiger's face as he looked down at him, his brow raised. Again, Leo sighed heavily, letting his head drop back to the floor. "Sorry, Sensei. Can't seem to focus," he muttered, his voice muffled against the cold hard ground.

"I noticed," Tiger Claw replied, only partly teasing, as he held out his paw to his son. Leo cast him a glance, staring at the outstretched paw, before reluctantly taking it and letting himself get hauled back to his feet with little effort. As he dusted himself off, Tiger Claw folded his arms across his broad chest. "What troubles you, young cub?" he asked.

One hand idly picking at the black tape around his arms – the new material still felt odd against his skin, itchy almost – Leo refused to meet the tiger's eyes for a moment, instead looking down at his feet. He'd explained his jarring situation concerning his 'promotion' to Tiger Claw last night, and whilst his reaction had been similar to Karai's, and having his father back again after spending so much time apart was like a weight lifted off his shoulders, other distressing thoughts had quickly taken its place, making him restless, anxious…

All he'd wanted to do was spend some much needed time with his Sensei, to clear his head and replenish his energy for the next mission later in the evening. And yet, he couldn't even do that without something getting in the way, again.

"I just…I can't stop thinking about what's happened. About what's going to happen," Leo finally said, lifting his eyes from the ground to look up at Tiger Claw. "I mean…Shredder wants to create an army of mutants, Sensei. He has to know that this plan of his is doomed to end in disaster, right? He can't seriously think that messing with an alien substance we know nothing about is a good idea! And worse, if I have to go up against my brothers again with that stuff, they'll probably think I'm – oof!"

A paw landing heavily atop his head silenced his paranoid rant. Reaching up to lay his hand over said paw, an old habit he'd never grown out of, Leo looked up as much as he was able to and caught sight of Tiger Claw's patient yet concerned gaze. "Calm yourself, Leonardo. I am well aware of what consequences may arise should Shredder's plan fail, which it could, and probably will," he said, a slight smirk on his striped features. "But there is also a chance it could succeed. The mutagen is unpredictable, and highly unstable –"

"Like me?" Leo deadpanned.

Tiger Claw smirked in surprise at that despite the crudeness of it, and he rubbed his sons' head with rough affection, finally earning the faintest of snickers from the turtle at the action. "Not entirely, Leonardo," he chuckled. "But as I said, the plan could succeed, or it could ultimately fail. But regardless, we must be prepared for the outcome, whatever it may be. It is the way of the ninja to always expect the unexpected, is it not?"

"Nnggh," Leo groaned under his breath, unable to deny that his father was right...as usual. "Alright, alright, I get it. Smartass cat."

"Watch your language," Tiger Claw chuckled again. But his smile soon fell away as he lifted his paw from Leo's head, bracing both paws on his shoulders and looking him in the eye. "And Leonardo," he began, his tone softer yet just as solemn. "I understand that all of this is hard for you. You have forged a new bond with your brothers over the past few months, despite how fragile it is, and you are in fear of breaking it one more. And you are anxious of what is to come should Shredder's mutant army become a reality. I cannot change what our master has decided, nor can I go against his orders. However, you must understand that no matter what happens –"

" – You'll always be there for me whenever I need you," Leo finished for him, reaching up to lay his hands upon the pair of large paws on his shoulders, squeezing them lightly as he, finally, smiled up at his father for the first time that night. "I know. Thanks, father."

Returning the smile fondly, Tiger Claw nodded. "You're welcome, my son," he said, his heart aching as he released him.

The boy had already gone through many hardships in the last few months alone than he had in his entire lifetime, and it was a wonder how he could still stand so strong, remain so loving towards those he held dear, and could still have hope, even after enduring so much. It made the old tiger warrior unbelievably proud of him, of course, but still he worried. He worried that if Leonardo allowed his frustrations, his anxieties, or even the new role he possessed, to take control of him, to drown what he'd fought so hard for so long to keep afloat despite his struggles...he feared that soon enough, his son would be lost to him for good –

"Hey, Tiger Claw?"

Tiger Claw blinked out of his reverie, looking back down at Leo, who had his hands on his hips and a strange look in his eye. "Hm?"

"You know what we haven't done in a while?"

Tiger Claw raised a brow. "What? Sparring?"

Leo shook his head once. "No. This!"

And as Leonardo let out a loud war cry and pounced on the tiger, sending the both of them sprawling to the floor before a full-on tussle ensued between father and cub, Tiger Claw felt a fraction of his worries fade away.

Back in the sewers, the three Hamato turtles were handling this foreign adjustment in their own special ways.

Sat on the floor in front of the flashing T.V, Michelangelo was using the naginata blade of Donatello's Bo Staff to carefully cut himself a slice of steaming hot pepperoni and mushroom pizza, stabbing the slice before bringing it up to his mouth, humming contentedly as he took a bite. Behind him, Raphael had both of his youngest brother's nunchaku in each hand, narrowing his green eyes in concentration as he started spinning one of them. He kept spinning it, walking backwards and eyeing the weapon cautiously. Donatello, on the other hand, was sat on the steps in front of his lab, prodding the honed tip of the Sai with his finger, a brow quizzically raised. One might think the turtle was purposefully trying to prick himself with the way he continued to poke it, like it was an alien specimen rather than a weapon.

It was an odd sight to behold, to say the least. Three, highly trained ninja warrior terrapins, poking and playing with weapons that were not their own, after utterly failing to even wield them beforehand.

Before he'd left with April into the sewers for an extra training session (at her request), Splinter had wondered if leaving them on their own was really such a good idea. And unbeknownst to him, April had though the same.

The sound of his phone beeping loudly brought Donnie out of his pondering with a start, and he quickly picked up the device, looking at the message he'd received. Brown eyes narrowed at the screen. "Uh oh. Text message from 'you-know-who'," he announced.

Raphael instantly paused, the nunchaku dangling from his fists as he shot a glance at his leader over his shoulder. Mikey turned around also, baby blue eyes clouded with confusion. "Uhhh…"

"Text message from 'everybody-but-Mikey-knows-who'," Donnie deadpanned.

Mikey nodded at him, smiling with a thumbs up.

Shaking his head at Mikey's usual foolery, Donnie stood up, mumbling the message aloud as he approached Mikey and Raph. "The Pulverizer is telling us where the Foot are gonna strike next," he elaborated, finding himself surprised by this. Looks like Pulverizer wasn't entirely incompetent after all.

Raph grinned, spinning the nunchaku again. "What do you know? He's actually useful," he said.

At that, Donnie's eyes narrowed down at his older brother. "Yeah, but he can't stay in the Foot, they'll toast him!" he argued.

Raising a brow, Raph stopped spinning the weapon, instead pointing it up at his leader. "Inside information, Donnie? It's worth the risk."

"But we're not the ones taking the risk, the Pulverizer is!" Donnie snapped back, and it was the absolute truth.

"I know. It's the perfect plan!" Raph shrugged nonchalantly.

Anger boiling from the pit of his chest, Donnie growled, his fists clenching as he glared daggers at his red clad older brother. How could he be so dismissive over Pulverizer's very life? Sure he was annoying and kind of dim-witted, but he was still just a human boy, an innocent human boy, who didn't deserve the treatment the Foot – or, admittedly, the turtles themselves – were giving him. Eventually, he'd get himself hurt, or caught, or worse, and Donnie wasn't going to stand idly by and wait for that to happen, regardless of the benefits of having a 'spy' inside the enemy fortress was.

Still, they couldn't ignore the lead he'd given them. And yes, Raphael did have a point; with Pulverizer on the inside, they were one step ahead of the Foot Clan, and one step closer to stopping whatever scheme they hoped to pull off.

With a resigned sigh, Donnie reluctantly nodded his head at last. "Alright, alright, fine. We'll follow up on his lead, and then we'll bust the Pulverizer out of the Foot Clan, for good," he affirmed.

"Excuse me!" Mikey called, waving Donnie's staff in the air as they turned to him. "I'm the guy with the stick! I make the decisions here!"

Donnie and Raph stared at him, both of them raising a single brow at their youngest brother as they waited. Lowering the staff, Mikey blinked. "Uh…what Donnie said."

With a roll of his eyes, Donnie nodded at Raph before the pair made their way out of the lair. A grin spreading across his freckled face, Mikey quickly bounced after them as they jumped the turnstiles, hopped into the Shellraiser and drove off with Raph at the wheel.

However, as they reached the surface and pelted it down the road, following the lead their 'spy' had provided for them, at the back of the subway car, Donnie continued to feel dread and fear bubbling upwards from the pit of his stomach as he stared at the map on his computer screen. He would get the Pulverizer out of the Foot Clan, no matter what…but something told him it wasn't going to be as easy as he hoped.

And it had less to do with the possibility of the Foot wanting to keep him, and more the possibility of the boy wanting to stay.

Mask and scarf tails fluttering in the light breeze, Leonardo stood poised at the edge of the rooftop, his narrowed blue eyes glaring down at their target across the road, fists clenched at his sides and shoulders squared determinedly. Behind him, a handful of his black clad comrades watched him silently, and hidden in the alleyway below nearby their van, Bradford and Xever, along with another squad of ninjas patiently awaited their orders.

Because their last mission to infiltrate TCRI had gone awry, thanks to the involvement of the Hamato turtles, Shredder had instead ordered Leo to gather the Foot, infiltrate one of their hidden labs located on Fifth Avenue, steal as many canisters of mutagen as they could carry, and return to the lair. Failure was not optional, and the punishment severe.

Leo drew in a deep breath through his nose, before letting it out again in a quiet hiss through clenched teeth. This mission could prove dangerous if the Kraang were still buzzing about inside the abandoned warehouse, or a failure should Leo suddenly lose his composure in the face of the creatures he despised. However, he wasn't exactly in the mood for facing the penalty for denying Shredders orders – despite the insanity of it all – so he decided to suck it up and get it over with. The sooner they retrieved the hidden mutagen, the sooner he could burrow himself into the safety of his blessedly warm blankets and never get up again.

That is, if their Ashigaru Sha didn't mess things up again.

Averting his gaze from the building, Leo watched with a raised brow as the Pulverizer shuffled his way across the alleyway, doing what he did best; looking for traps. Behind him, he could see Bradford and Xever smirking, along with their group of Foot Soldiers, as they watched the boy creep 'discreetly' alongside the side of the warehouse. It appeared the canine and the sushi meal on legs were more than eager to watch the poor kid get creamed by any traps he came across, if there were any at all. Rolling his eyes, Leo sighed heavily. "Do they have to make him do this every mission?" he muttered aloud with a shake of his head.

Not wanting to waste any more time, he looked over at the four soldiers stationed behind him, giving the barest of nods, before they leapt across the gap between the buildings and moved in. Lifting his scarf above his snout, Leo quickly moved after them as they pried open the garage door, hauling it open as quietly as they could manage before slipping underneath. It was dark inside once they shut the door again, but with his keen eyesight, Leonardo had no trouble maneuvering through the obscurity whilst the soldiers were forced to use flashlights.

One only had to take one look at the blue clad turtle to know that he was on the edge; his eyes were narrowed, his shoulders tensed, and one hand already bracing the hilt of a single katana as he tread the warehouse warily. They hadn't been shot by any lasers the minute they'd stepped inside, which meant the Kraang probably weren't around…but that didn't stop Leo from worrying. The Kraang could be just as stealthy as the Foot Clan when they wanted to – as Leo had learned from experience – and he wasn't about to risk the chance of that happening again.

Sure enough, much to Leo's relief, one of his soldiers snapped their fingers, gaining their attention as he pointed down at a box of crates in the far corner of the warehouse. Quickly moving over, Leo nodded his head once, and the soldier slipped out his blade and cracked the crate open, revealing two large vats of glowing mutagen inside. Leo felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight of the florescent canisters, but quickly brushed it aside. He had to focus, keep his head screwed on straight. "Good," he said quietly as two soldiers bent down and grabbed a canister each, "now we alert the others and return to Master Shredder as quickly as –"

BOOM!

Leo spun around so fast he was surprised he didn't break his neck at the sound of something slamming against the garage door, his blue eyes widened in shock. To his relief, it wasn't the Kraang ambushing them; the sound came from outside the door…and now that he listened closely, he could hear the sounds of battle, groans of pain, metal hitting flesh and blades meeting blades…

And the familiar excited crow of his hyperactive baby brother, Michelangelo.

The blue clad turtle cursed under his breath, fists clenching at his sides. Oh great, of all the times his brothers had to show up, it just had to be now. How the hell did they even know the Foot would be here tonight? They couldn't have found them by mere chance, could they?

"Foot, we're leaving, now!" he hissed sharply, the soldiers quick to nod and follow his lead as they headed back towards the garage doors. Right now, Leo could not afford to be seen by or with his brothers; if they fought, Leo wasn't entirely sure he could take the look in their eyes upon seeing his new attire, his symbol of dedication to the Foot Clan despite his reluctance, especially after his most recent encounter with Donatello…

That, and he was not in the mood for any more 'family drama' tonight. He'd had enough 'drama' in general to last him two lifetimes, thank you very much.

The Foot Soldiers hauled the doors open, and as they leapt out into the alleyway, Xever and Bradford, previously locked in battle against three very peeved looking ninja turtles, whirled around to meet Leo's hardened gaze. He jerked his head to the right, signalling them to drop the fight and retreat to the van. The two larger mutants nodded, sending one last glare over at their rivals before loping it back to the van, hauling the two canisters and their injured brethren inside, before pelting it down the road.

From his seat in the front of the van, Leo looked in the mirror to find his brothers staring after them, standing in the middle of the road. Whether they'd seen him or not before they'd made their escape, he wasn't sure, but he allowed himself a slight breath of relief all the same. He'd avoided yet another unnecessary confrontation with his brothers, and he'd managed to retrieve two mutagen canisters for Shredder, thus avoiding any sort of punishment. In his book, that was a definite 'mission accomplished'.

Guess the night hadn't been so bad after –

Wait a minute.

"Aw, damn it!" he suddenly cursed loudly, slapping a hand over his eyes as he groaned, surprising the Foot Soldier at the wheel as he jumped slightly. "We forgot Pulverizer again!"

"Guys! Mutagen!" Donnie cried, watching in dismay as the van disappeared into the distance. "The Foot are stealing mutagen!"

"Shredder with mutagen? That can't be good," Raph gulped, sharing a disgruntled look with Mikey, who turned very pale. Now the Foot's interest in the Kraang blobs made more sense; Shredder was undoubtedly going to use those mutagen canisters to create an army of mutants powerful enough to take the team down once and for all. And once they were out of the way, Splinter would be next, along with whoever tried to get in their way…

Mikey shivered, feeling his heart drop into the pit of his gut upon realizing what was happening, what was going to happen, now that their greatest enemy possessed one of the most dangerous substances on the entire planet. Why didn't they think about this sooner? If they had, they could've put a stop to it before it was too late. They could've –

"Psst! Over here!"

The turtles blinked, turning on their heels to look back down the alleyway. They found Pulverizer sticking his head out from where he was crouched behind a dumpster, waving them over in a discreet manner.

Oh yeah, I forgot he was still here, Mikey thought. Though he certainly hadn't forgotten about the whole 'can't blow my cover' thing he'd pulled before the fight. So not cool, even for a spy.

Sheathing their weapons – their own weapons, thank goodness – back in their rightful places, the three of them hurried over to the boy, but he didn't move from his spot. "You don't have to hide, Pulverizer," Mikey deadpanned, "the Foot are gone."

Pulverizer cleared his throat roughly. "You shouldn't use my real name," he said, deepening his voice.

Putting his dissatisfaction with his horrible impression of Batman aside for the moment, the youngest turtle quirked a brow at the older human. "Your real name is…Pulverizer?" he asked. His parents couldn't really that cruel, could they? Granted, Mikey liked giving people nicknames as much as the next person, but to name your actual child something as ridiculous as that was going just a little too far –

"No," Pulverizer sighed, still in his crappy Batman voice. "It's Timothy."

Mikey blinked. His real name was Timothy, huh? Well, that was already a hundred times better than the name 'Pulverizer', which was something Mikey didn't often think about normal names. In fact, with his innocence and his bright, childlike personality, the name actually kinda suited him.

With a heavy sigh, Donnie pushed past Mikey and grabbed Pulverizer – Timothy – by the shoulder, hauling him out of the shadows and back to his feet. "Stop talking like that, Tim!" he scowled, releasing Timothy's shoulder as he stepped back, folding his arms over his chest.

However, Timothy was quick to reach out and grasp Donnie's shoulders excitedly, making Donnie jump in surprise. And if anyone noticed him clenching his fists at his sides ready to punch, a knee-jerk reaction, no one said anything. "Guys, you'll never guess what Shredder's gonna do with the mutagen!" Tim grinned.

Donnie didn't bat an eye as Timothy released him. "He's gonna create a mutant army to destroy us?" he probed.

Timothy froze. "Well, yeah," he shrugged awkwardly, eyes darting to the side, "but there's…there's a lot more to it than that!"

"Really?" Donnie droned.

"No. You guessed."

Donnie rolled his eyes, and Mikey was surprised they didn't get stuck like that from how much he'd done that in the past few hours alone. "Pulverizer, you're in over your head. Go home!" he pressed sternly. Clearly, his older brother was thoroughly done with Timothy's crap, which he had every right to be. And if he had to be brutally honest, so was Mikey.

He could appreciate that Tim wanted to help them, of course he could; it was pretty much what April had done for them before she'd been confined to the sewers, gathering info and tracking down the bad guys to help give the turtles a head start. But unlike April, who over the past few months had grown stronger during her training as a kunoichi, Timothy couldn't fight or defend himself in any way. And worse, he'd taken that little step too far when he'd decided to stay in the Foot Clan and 'spy' on them, knowing the dangers but disregarding them completely for the sake of adventure. Just like Donnie had said over and over, the poor sucker was going to get himself into some serious trouble if he didn't call it quits right now –

"Wait, wait, guys, gimmie another chance!"

Of course he wouldn't.

"I can totally find out more info about Shredder's mutation plan!" Timothy insisted, clasping his hands together pleadingly and batting his eyes up at Donnie, but his puppy face wasn't nearly as adorable as Mikey's. "Please, I promise I won't screw it up, Donnie! Come on…"

If Mikey had to describe the look on Donatello's expression in that moment as he looked up at his older brother, it would be a strange blend of exasperation, and that scary face he made whenever he wanted to strangle Raphael but couldn't because of morals. His left eye was twitching oddly, and a low growl was rumbling from his throat as he glowered at Timothy. Despite his own thoughts of how stubborn and foolish the boy was being, Mikey gulped, taking a single step away from his fuming leader in fear that he would burst a vein.

However, it was Raph who ultimately snapped him out of it as he reached over and grasped his shoulder. When Donnie whipped his head around to him, Raph shrugged. "Y'know, I hate to admit it – and I mean really hate – but the kid's got a point," he confessed begrudgingly with a flat look directed at the human. "With him still on the inside, he can at least tell us where the mutation experiment's gonna take place. And as long as we get him out of there before the Foot figure out what's going on, it's all good, right?"

Without batting an eye, Mikey had already thought of over a dozen ways Raph's plan could go horribly wrong at the drop of a hat. But still…he did have a point. After all, Tim hadn't been wrong about the Foot invading a hidden Kraang lab, and the only reason the mission bombed was due to their inability to fight with different weapons. If he could just tip them off one more time, really help them to put a stop to Shredder's plan…

Peeking up at Donnie, who's expression had turned from 'about to murder you in cold blood' to conflicted and thoughtful, Mikey watched as the dots connected within his brother's eyes, and finally, he sighed and shook his head. "Alright, alright, fine," he relented at last, much to the delight of the human boy as his eyes brightened. "But once you give us the info, we're getting you out of the Foot, permanently. Got it?"

"Oh yeah, baby!" Timothy cried, punching the air with glee, obviously ignoring the last crucial part of Donnie's statement. "The Pulverizer stays in the game. Up high!"

As he raised his hand in the air for a high five, the turtles stared at him flatly. After a moment, Tim got the message and lowered his hand; no high-fives for him tonight.

"Oookay then. I'm off!" he chimed, skipping past them before bolting into the streets, disappearing around the corner. "I'm practically invisible –!"

The turtles cringed and winced through clenched teeth at the sound of a car loudly honking its horn before crashing into a trash can, followed by Timothy's pained yelp. "Hrk – OW! I'm okay! Sorry, again – I'M GONNA GO SPY NOW!"

As all fell silent once more, Mikey stared after the poor guy, shaking his head in disbelief; and he'd always thought he was the loud-mouth of the team. Apparently he'd been beaten in that regard.

Raphael then scoffed, folding his arms confidently over his chest. "So what if Shredder's building an army of mutants?" he grinned widely. "They're still no match for my Sais! High-three!"

Unable to help himself or deny his brother a high-three, Mikey returned the grin full-force and slapped his hand against Raph's, laughing as the red clad turtle then slung an arm around his shoulders and drove his knuckles against his head in an affectionate noogie. However, he failed to notice the conflicted, almost remorseful look on Donnie's face as he stared off in the direction Timothy had left in…

After a moment, Donnie declared it was time for them to head back to the Shellraiser and go home, to which Mikey and Raph had little qualms with as they made their way out of the alleyway, still buzzing over their victory. Well, their sort-of victory.

However, Donnie froze mid-step, his mahogany eyes narrowed as he glanced over his shoulder, back the way they'd come. Noticing their leader had stopped, Mikey and Raph soon followed suit. "What's up, Dee?" Mikey asked.

Donnie raised a brow, still staring into the vacant ally. "…do you guys sense that?"

Folding his arms, Raph frowned in confusion, his brows furrowed. "Sense what?"

Donnie shrugged. "I dunno…something familiar? I can't really explain or put my finger on it, but…"

Blinking hard, Mikey and Raph shared a side-glance, their brows raised in perplexity; they had no idea what their leader was talking about. He sensed something familiar? What the heck was that supposed to mean?

Soon enough, Donnie just shook his head and waved it off. "Never mind," he said, turning back to his brothers and continuing down the road. "It's probably nothing. Let's get outta here."

However, as they boarded the Shellraiser and drove off into the night, the three of them had failed to notice the blue eyed, forest green figure crouching like a gargoyle at the edge of a rooftop, watching as the subway car vanished into the distance, his scarf fluttering in the breeze.

"Figures," he muttered.

When he returned to the Shredder's lair about half an hour or so later – towing Pulverizer by the back of his black hakama along with him had not been as easy a task as he'd hoped – Bradford was waiting for him at the front entrance. He had already informed Shredder of their successful mission, and now their master wished to speak with them both regarding tomorrow night's experimentation. So, after swallowing his anxieties, his boiling anger – and the revelation regarding Pulverizer's 'betrayal' – Leonardo followed the mutant canine back to Shredder's throne room, where he stood waiting for them in the center of the metal walkway. His eyes fixed on the floor, Leo bowed once before he and Bradford fell to their knees before their master. Regarding them both coldly, Shredder folded his hands behind his back and began his explanation, but Leonardo was only half listening, for his mind was elsewhere.

Now that he knew of what Pulver – Timothy – had been up to all this time, and how much his brothers, mostly Donatello, wanted him to get out of the Foot at all costs…what was Leonardo to do about it? Should he just let the poor kid go? Should he confront Tiger Claw or Karai on the matter? He knew that Karai would be on his side, for she'd give anything to be rid of the boy once and for all, and he knew he could go to his father for advice…but still, treachery within the Foot, regardless of their rank, was punishable by death. If Leo told anyone of this, Timothy would surely be executed before the entire clan, a fate he most definitely did not deserve.

He was annoying, he was far too excitable, and had the attention span of a squirrel on drugs…but he was still another innocent person who'd been swept up into affairs that had nothing to do with him. And at the end of the day, he was only doing what he believed was right, traitor or not…which was something, Leo realized, he could relate to.

He had to get Timothy out of the Foot Clan somehow. But after watching what had transpired back in the ally, it was clear the kid was either too stubborn or too air-headed to listen to reason. Perhaps he should go to Donatello personally? They could form a plan to make it look like a rescue mission and –

"Leonardo."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Leo looked up at Shredder, praying the ninja master hadn't noticed he'd not been listening all this time.

"I want you to lead a convoy of the Foot to the warehouse," he ordered. "Bring the fool known as 'Pulverizer'. We'll begin our mutation experiment with him."

Leo felt the blood drain from his face as his eyes flew wide open, time screeching to a staggering halt. "…w-what?" he stammered, his innards twisting and his blood running cold.

Had he heard that right? They were going to mutate Timothy? But why him? He was just a kid! An innocent, naïve kid who'd done nothing wrong to justify such –

"Kraang is giving that which is known as a warning."

The ninja master and the two mutants turned towards the Kraang, still chained up in the far corner of the room, as it spoke. Leo had forgotten all about the creature until now.

"The mutagen is unstable in this dimension," it continued. "The results desired may not be the results that result by the actions taken from the one known as Shredder."

Confused, Leo and Bradford continued to stare at it, their brows raised. Couldn't these things speak proper English at all?

"I believe this fool is saying the mutagen is dangerously unpredictable," Shredder elaborated. "See to it that fail-safe measures are put in place." With that, Shredder turned and began to walk back to his throne, further dismissing the mutants and bringing the discussion to a close.

However, as Leo watched him leave, his blood boiling too hot for him to quell any longer, he shot up to his feet, fists clenched tightly and a snarl hissing through his bared teeth. He knew what he was about to do would surely end in his death, but he simply couldn't stand idly by and let this happen. He hadn't let Xever get away with it when he'd threatened the life of the blind chef, and Shredder was no different.

"Shredder!"

The ninja master froze. He turned his head, casting dispassionate, discolored eyes at the young turtle.

Still kneeling beside Leo, Bradford stared at him as though he'd utterly lost his mind, and though Leo couldn't exactly disagree with the idea, he pointedly ignored him, his enraged gazed fixed solely on the Shredder. "Why him?" he growled, unfazed when the man slowly turned around and began to walk towards him. "How could you so dismissively sacrifice his humanity, his life, over an experiment?! He's just a kid! He's –"

"He is nothing but a soldier, Leonardo," Shredder snapped coldly, halting Leo in his tracks as he lashed out, grabbing Leo by his scarf, tugging him intimidatingly close as he bore his heated glare into him. And though Leo's heart was pounding against his rib-cage like a drum, his fists shaking at his sides, he dared not show any sign of fear.

"He is no more expendable than any other soldier in my army, just as you are," Shredder continued lowly. "And if you value your position, and your life, you will do as I say. Is that understood?"

Shoulders trembling with rage with every hissing breath, Leo narrowed his eyes at his master. This was wrong, all of this was wrong…and yet, he couldn't afford to make Shredder any more suspicious of him. He couldn't afford to die here and now, leave Karai and Tiger Claw behind…leave his brothers behind…

Leo shut his eyes, letting out a reluctant sigh of relent. He had no choice. Though he cursed himself over and over for his cowardice, Leo had to do Shredder's bidding…for now.

He would figure something out. He would find a way to free Timothy from his fate, something he should've done days earlier, before it was too late, before it had come to this. But until then…

"…understood, Master Shredder."

A/N: Oh no. Looks like things are really not looking up for the turtles.

This chapter was super hard to write, so I hope you like it, and more will be on the way soon :)

Next Chapter: Leonardo is forced to carry out Shredder's diabolical plan, and when things take a turn for the absolute worst when Timothy 'volunteers' to go first, the race is on to save his life and stop Shredder's mutant army from becoming a reality...but The Pulverizer has other ideas...