A/N: HELLOOOOOOO!

Hey guys, SO SORRY for the delay! I FINALLY got a job now as a waitress :D, so that's been keeping me busy, and also I've had a lot of other personal things going on, but nevertheless, here I am!

So this chapter was MUCH longer than I'd planned it to be, but don't worry, I promise it'll be a great chapter filled with love and fluff :)

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

...

(p.s: April Fools. I lied. This will hurt your soul :) )

Chapter 41

"Maybe there's more we all could have done, but we just have to let the guilt remind us to do better next time."

― Veronica Roth, Divergent

Leonardo had promised himself that he'd find a way to free The Pulveriser – Timothy – before Shredder's mutation experiment could take place. He'd vowed, as soon as the sun rose from behind the tips of the highest skyscraper the next morning, that he'd do something, anything, to make sure the boy escaped the Foot Clan with his life – with his humanity – and that he never got anywhere near the mutagen or the warehouse itself.

However, deep down, as the hours passed and the sun slowly began to sink behind the gargantuan man-made structures, he should've known that such a feat would be much harder to accomplish than he'd hoped.

He knew he couldn't possibly change Shredder's mind without ending up dead, and there was no way he could get Xever or Bradford on his side; they clearly wanted nothing to do with the human boy, and the last thing they would want to do was help him out. Hell, he doubted even Karai would be even remotely willing to lend a hand, purely due to the fact that she just really did not like the boy, not in the least. Worse still, he was – technically – a traitor to the clan. If Karai ever found out, Timothy's fate would surely be sealed, his short life coming to a terrible end by Shredder's very blades. And despite himself, despite knowing that he could trust his father with just about anything, Leo still feared that if he told Tiger Claw, the results would be the same. Whilst Tiger Claw understood the struggles Leo had to go through, not even he could forgive treachery within the Foot Clan –Leo had learned that lesson the hard way, even if that lesson had been taught with great reluctance.

It seemed the only possible solution was to grab Timothy and sneak him out of the lair whilst preparations for the experiment were still underway, make it seem like the boy had discovered what was going to happen to him and that he'd run away in fear. Sure it would make him look like a dishonorable coward, but then again, he hadn't been that much of a soldier to begin with, so no one would really care. And if Leo was lucky enough, no one would notice either.

As Leo had finalized his plan to free Timothy under the cover of night, whilst Foot Soldiers and mutants alike were bustling about the lair, the young commander literally bumped into the boy on his way to the dojo. He once again had that silly grin plastered across his face even as he stuttered an apology with an awkward bow. "Oh, jeez, I-I'm so sorry Commander Leonardo! I was just –"

Leo quickly held up a hand to silence him. "Don't worry about it," he said. Then he cast a quick glance about him to ensure they hadn't captured the attention of the other soldiers or mutants; to his relief, no one paid them any mind. When he was sure they were safe, he turned back to Timothy, reaching out to grasp his left arm. "Come on, we don't have much time," he said, his voice low and cautious, as he tugged Timothy along, heading down the hallway leading to the back entrance of the old church building.

"Wait, wait a sec, w-where're we going?" Timothy asked, looking behind him in confusion as the blue clad turtle continued to haul him along. "Shouldn't we be joining the others, Commander Leonardo –?"

"Never mind them. We're getting you out of here," Leo said, not once breaking his stride as they drew closer and closer to their escape. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't get anywhere near that mutation experiment. So just keep quiet and follow me, and then we'll contact Don–"

"But I can't leave! I volunteered to go first!"

There was a loud, deafening screech as Leo skidded to a halt, Timothy bumping into his hard shell from his abrupt stop with a strained 'oof!'

Eyes as wide as dinner plates, Leo whipped his head around and stared at Timothy. "…you…you did what?" he stammered, not quite believing what he'd just heard.

His smile never faltering, Timothy nodded, proudly pounding the fist of his free hand over his chest. "That's right! I, The Pulverizer, have bravely stepped up to the task of becoming a mutant, for the honor and victory in the name of the Foot Clan!" he declared with feigned haughtiness, clearly enjoying himself.

Leo continued to stare, dropping Pulverizer's arm and his mouth falling open in horror as his brain finally caught up with what he'd been told. No, no, this couldn't be happening right now. There was no way the kid had straight up offered to give up his humanity for the sake of a clan who's plans he was helping to foil, not help. Good god, what was wrong with this human?! He was no better than Shredder was with his blatant disregard for his own life.

"…why would you do that?" Leo muttered, still staring at the idiotic boy standing before him. "Seriously, I would very much like to know why in the ever-loving hell you would do something so freaking stupid."

His smile faltering, Timothy quickly looked left and right, making sure they were truly alone in the dark hallway, before itching closer to Leo, one hand cupping the side of his mouth discreetly. "Okay, please don't tell anybody about what I'm about to tell you," he whispered. "But I'm not actually with the Foot Clan."

His horror dissolving into aggravation as his mouth thinned out into a very tight, irritated line, Leo folded his arms over his chest. "No, really?" he droned sarcastically.

Grinning, Timothy nodded again. "Yep. You'll never believe this, but I'm actually a spy, and I'm working for the other turtles! I'm pretty sure you've heard of them; their names are Donatello–"

"–Michelangelo and Raphael?" Leo interjected flatly. "Yes, I know them; they're my younger brothers, in case you haven't already figured that out. And yes, I know that you're 'spying' on the Foot for them, which, by the way, is an act of treachery punishable by public execution."

Timothy blinked once, hard, as his hand fell to his side, finally succumbing to speechlessness for the first time since Leo had known him as he stared at the turtle. Not willing to take his rare moment of silence for granted, Leo promptly continued, reaching out to grasp timothy's shoulders firmly.

"Listen, Timothy. Donatello is right; you are in way over your head. This isn't a game, kid, it never has been. This is a war, a real war between two ninja clans, which has absolutely nothing to do with you. And if you go along with this mutation plan, you'll lose your humanity, your sanity, or worse; you will quite possibly die tonight, and it'll be for nothing," he said, praying that the kid, for once in his life, just listened to what someone had to say, and grab onto the lifeline he'd been thrown before it was too late. "Please, for your sake as well as mine and the others, don't do this to yourself. Get out of here while you have the chance."

For a moment, Timothy appeared as though he was actually thinking now, his eyes darting to the side and his mouth twisted into a thoughtful frown. And for a moment, Leo felt hope rising within the pit of his chest as he watched him ponder.

He's going to quit. He's finally going to listen, take our advice and run away, live to see another day –

"But what if I don't die?" Timothy reasoned with another bright smile. "What if I actually turn into a mutant strong enough to take down the Foot myself? Ooh, or even better, strong enough to take down Shredder?! Ohohoho, man! This'll be great, I know it!"

The fringes of a hopeful smile that had been growing across Leo's face soon dropped, his hands slipping off Timothy's shoulders and flopping uselessly at his sides as he gawked, dumbstruck, at the excited human boy. Why? In the name of the heavens above, why?

"There you are!"

Timothy whirled around with a startled cry to find a scowling, lumbering mutant canine approaching them from the mouth of the hallway, casting a quick glance at the turtle before looking down at the boy, his muzzle stretching out into a wicked grin. With his shorter bony arm, he reached out and grabbed the boy by the scruff of his uniform, effortlessly lifting him off the ground. "We're moving out. Let's make sure the 'volunteer' is safely secured for the trip, eh?" Bradford chortled before turning and walking back the way he'd come, taking Timothy with him, who didn't offer even a word of protest as he was carried away.

All the while, Leo remained frozen where he stood, watching as the dog took off with the helpless human in his clutches. He blinked once, twice, and finally –

"There is no god."

Back underground, the situation, whilst not yet as dire, was just as distressing for the three Hamato turtle brothers.

When they'd returned to the lair the night before, with Michelangelo and Raphael still buzzing from their victory over the Foot – well, apart from the fact that they'd managed to get away with two vials of mutagen with the intent of creating an army of mutants – Splinter had walked into the main room just in time to catch them with their own weapons again, despite his previous instructions. When Raph had argued that whatever lesson they were supposed to be learning wasn't working for them, Splinter had been less then pleased, declaring that they obviously had not understood the point of his lesson. What soon followed was, to say the least, a shock.

"You will learn how to adapt by having no weapons!"

Not wanting to see what would happen should they effuse to comply this time around, the boys had quickly done as they were told and had given up their prized weapons, handing them over to their master before he'd strode purposefully back into the dojo, ears folded back and the tip of his tail twitching with irritation.

Now, whilst Raph was practically mauling the punching bag in the corner of the room, and Mikey was sitting contentedly in front of the T.V watching cartoons, Donnie continued to nervously pace the steps of his lab back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back and his brows tightly knitted together in concern. However, said concerns had less to do with the loss of his beloved Bo staff, and more to do with the matter of their self-proclaimed spy.

It had been hours since Pulverizer had last contacted them. And with the knowledge of Shredder's mutation plan plaguing his mind relentlessly, Donnie began to fear the worst. What if Shredder had decided to mutate Timothy first, and had cut off all his means of contacting anyone for help? What if Shredder had finally discovered there was a spy in their midst? The latter was most likely, for the kid couldn't keep his mouth shut, but so was the former. After all, Shredder's insanity and cruelty knew no bounds, so of course he wouldn't hesitate to –

Donnie was quickly snapped out of his thoughts when his phone started ringing in the belt pocket, and he stopped his pacing as he took the device out and read the caller ID, though he really had no need to; April was the only other person that could call them, and she was currently training in the dojo with Splinter.

"Oh, it's our 'spy'," he announced with a sarcastic drone as he hit the call button, putting it on loudspeaker as Mikey and Raph hurriedly gathered around him. "Hello? Timothy?"

"…Donatello? Is that you?"

The blood froze in their veins as the three turtles stared down at the device in Donnie's hand, their eyes wide and mouths agape as they snapped their gazes to each other. That was not Timothy.

"L-LEO?!" Donnie screeched, then ducked his head down and cast a wary glance over at the dojo, where April and Splinter were currently having their training session. Crud. The last thing he wanted was to stress Splinter out further and give him reason to come out and investigate the rise of noise level. Lowering his voice, and doing his best to get his raging emotions consisting mostly of confusion, fear, anger and utter shock, Donnie spoke back into the phone, nudging back Raph and Mikey when they drew in too close. "Leonardo, what are you doing with Pulverizer's phone?!"

"…calling you, I think," said Leo, albeit hesitantly. He sounded so uncomfortable that it was almost laughable, and under different circumstances, Donnie probably would have laughed. "I have literally no idea how this thing works, so –"

"Where is he, Leo?" Donnie snarled, gripping the phone tighter. He truly didn't want to find a reason to hate his older brother again, not after everything they'd been through or how long it had taken them to get to where they were. But if Leo had so much as laid a hand on Timothy, if he had hurt that boy in any way, Donnie wasn't certain even Raph would be able to hold him back. "He'd better be alright, Leo, or I swear I'll –"

"Ochitsuite, Donatello," Leo said with a hint of annoyance. "Your friend is right here with me. The Foot confiscated his phone, so he asked me to call you instead. He wants to speak to you."

Donnie visibly relaxed, but only a little, as he shared a brief glance with Raph, who shook his head and shrugged in response. He turned to Mikey, who clung onto his free arm like a leech, and his response was just the same. With a defeated sigh and a roll of his eyes, Donnie mused he had no choice but to take Leo's word for what it was and trust him. After all, if he knew about Timothy's relation with the three of them, and about his 'secret mission', the fact that Leo hadn't already killed him upon the revelation gave Donnie more than enough reason for him to trust him. "Okay, well, put him on then," he said at last.

"Of course. Oh, and Donatello? Before I go, I'd like you to know that…I tried. I really did."

Donnie blinked once in confusion, brows furrowing once more in growing worry. "Wait, what? What do you mean 'you tried'? Hello? Leo?"

He received no reply from his older brother. Instead, after a moment of muffled shuffling, a new voice echoed through the speakers.

"This is Special Agent Delta-Niner calling from behind enemy lines!"

At that, all of their former worry melted away as the three of them shared a flat look. Yep, he was okay. "Spit it out, Timothy," Donnie groaned with yet another roll of his eyes. Seriously, at this rate, he wouldn't be surprised if he managed to see his brain from just how many times he'd done that.

"Okay, the mutation experiment is going down on Broom Street in the Bowery," Tim elaborated, "They're on their way there now. And that's not all. You ready for this?"

A short, tense silence ensued as the turtles listened intently.

"…Are you reeaaady?"

"YES," they all groaned impatiently.

"Oh for god's sake Timothy just tell them what you did!" they heard Leo snap in the background.

Donnie made a face, tendrils of worry locking around his heart. "Wait, what did you do?" he asked, his eyes growing wider with fear. "My god, Timothy, what did you do?"

"Shredder's gonna mutate just one Foot Soldier first, as a test. And guess what? I volunteered!"

Time seemed to stop as Donnie gawked down at the phone in his hands, the tendrils squeezing his heart so tight he feared it would burst. "WHAT?!" he bellowed in outrage, forgetting about his earlier caution concerning noise level, and making Mikey release his arm and jump backwards in surprise.

"I know! Isn't that cool?!"

"NO! Why would you think that's cool?!" Donnie practically pleaded through the phone, desperately praying to whatever higher power was listening to him that this was a lie, it was a bad dream, or just some twisted joke the universe was playing on him.

"This is my chance to be like YOU guys! Throw some mutagen on me, and BOOM! I'm a superhero!" Timothy crowed excitedly. "I'm taking Shredder down!"

"The mutagen is dangerous, you have no idea what that stuff can do to you!" Donnie argued.

"Once I mutate, I'll unleash my mighty mutant powers on Shredder!" Timothy interjected, still painfully ignorant of Donnie's desperate attempts to save him from the twisted fate he was soon to meet. "I'll be like whaacha! Efjhjphwa! Yeah, take that, pointy man –"

Before anyone could put a stop to his idiotic theatrics – seriously, never before any of them wished they could physically reach through the speakers and smack the lights out of the kid on the other line – the sound of a bike engine revving up resounded through the speakers. There was a faint vulgar curse followed by Leonardo's harsh whisper, "They're coming, turn that thing off now!"

"Ooh, gotta go, signing off," Timothy whispered in haste, and before Donnie could hope to stop him, before he could hope to change his mind even though he knew it was futile, he hung up the phone, leaving the three turtles staring at the lifeless device in growing horror.

"Oh boy," Mikey whimpered. "This is real bad, bros."

Donnie's left eye twitched. "Ya think?!" he cried, throwing his hands up in despair. "I knew we should've gotten that guy out when we had the chance!"

Looking distinctly guilty, for reasons not lost on any of them, Raph glanced from Donnie, to Mikey, and then to the Shellraiser parked just outside of the lair. His green eyes narrowed with determined anger, before he turned back to Donnie. "Well, what the hell are we waiting for?!" he yapped, grasping his brother's wrist and impatiently tugging him forward an inch. "Let's get him out already!"

Quickly pulling himself together with a firm shake of his head, Donnie nodded to Raph, slipping his wrist free from his grip, and the three of them loped to the Shellraiser, boarded it, and were driving off into the tunnels and onto the streets in record time, the tires screeching in agonized protest as they pelted it down the concrete road.

They'd gotten the poor kid into this mess – well, sort of –but if they hurried, they could still have time to get him out of it again before his time ran out.

At least, Donnie prayed they could, his knuckles turning white as he tightly clutched the wheel.

It was only moments after Timothy had ended the call – just barely, with his hands bound by thick ropes fumbling about helplessly as he quickly handed the phone back to Leonardo – that several Foot soldiers, followed by Bradford and Xever, mounted their bikes and revved their engines readily, waiting for their commander to give the word to set off for the warehouse. Since he couldn't drive, Leo had to hitch a ride with one of the soldiers at the front of the pack (though his insides were twisting with nausea and dread at the fact he was yet again forced to ride one of those death-traps, his only comfort being that this time around the driver wasn't Karai).

He knew they were on a time limit, and he knew his squad was waiting for him, but despite this, he spared a moment to look up at Timothy, tied to the back of one of the bikes and still looking as chipper as ever as he looked down at him in return.

He let out a sigh. Leonardo had borne witness to the deaths of several of his comrades in the past. Some he missed, some he barely remembered, but regardless, each loss left a mark on him in some way or another. And even though he hadn't known Timothy for very long, even though the kid had been a pain in his shell and the bane of Karai's existence, and even though a dark part of him – a very dark part of him that was usually best left unventured – felt that the idiot deserved whatever fate was to befall him on this dreaded night, his loss would be no different. In a way, thanks to his evident relationship with his brothers, however reluctant, it would be effectively worse.

Reaching up, Leo patted Timothy on the knee. "…nice knowing you," he muttered, before retracting his hand and making his way to the Foot Clan bike parked at the front of the pack. Whether Timothy had heard him or not, Leo would never know.

Reluctantly climbing onto the bike, sitting behind the driver and grasping his shoulders, Leo gave him a bare nod, which the soldier returned before revving the engine once more, and then they were away, the roar of bike engines blaring loudly within the obscured streets of the dormant city as they tore down the road. All the while, his teeth grinding together and his fingers digging into the shoulders of the Foot Soldier, Leo kept his eyes shut, his body tense and his heart pounding.

Despite his obvious discomfort, the soldier in front let out a chuckle. "Still not very fond of bikes are you, Commander Leonardo?" he probed teasingly.

Leo found the strength to let out a grunt, loud enough to be heard even over the rumbling of the bike engine. "Shut up," he muttered, ducking his head lower with embarrassment as the soldier let out another chuckle. He really did hate bikes.

Well, at least the warehouse wasn't too far. And the sooner he got off this wretched contraption that had no business existing, the better.

However, it wasn't long before the sounds of crashing and screeching metal echoed from behind, Soldiers crying out in alarm and pain, and Leo lifted his head and whipped around to find a very familiar brightly coloured subway car racing towards them. His eyes widened marginally.

His brothers had actually managed to catch up to them. And rightly so, for they were moving as though the devil himself was on their heels, ploughing through the motorbikes with little effort or regard. Despite feeling somewhat sorry for his unfortunate comrades, Leo couldn't restrain the slight hopeful smile that slowly claimed his features at the sight of the car. At this rate, they would undoubtedly catch up and grab Timothy before they ever reached the warehouse–

"Keep driving! I'll take care of this!" Xever shouted suddenly.

Leo's smile fell.

Or, maybe not.

Before Leo could hope to stop him in any way he knew how, being on the back of a speeding bike and all, the mutant fish swerved violently around, tires screeching and leaving thick black marks engraved in the concrete, before he sped off in the opposite direction, heading straight for the Shellraiser.

All the while, Leo could only watch helplessly, until his driver turned a corner, and both the Shellraiser and Xever disappeared from his sight. With a resigned sigh, Leo turned back around and resumed his hold on the Soldier in front of him.

Since becoming friends, Xever had roped Leo into doing things that the young blue clad turtle never even imagined he would, some things less legal than others, though he kept that between him and the fish.

And now, he could add 'praying that his younger brothers succeeded' to the very top of the list.

"Eat hot trash, fish boy!" Raphael bellowed angrily, activating the canon atop the vehicle and firing out several balls of foul-smelling compressed garbage at the fish-out-of-water, all of which the mutant lackey managed to dodge as he swerved his bike from side to side dexterously. However, the final ball met its mark, hitting the front wheel of the bike and sending Fishface flying through the air with a shout of alarm.

But before Raph could let out any sort of victorious whoop, there was a loud metallic 'thump' as, instead of landing somewhere on the curb in a pile of trash where he belonged, Fishface landed on top of the Shellraiser. Raph blinked hard, his smile promptly fading into a disconcerted frown. "Uh oh," he muttered, looking up and listening to the sounds of metal feet kicking hard against the canon in an attempt to rip it off completely.

"He's on the roof!" Donnie cried out.

"No, really?" Raph snapped back irritably before standing up, green eyes ablaze. "I got this!"

From his station in front of the map, Mikey craned his neck to watch anxiously as Raph climbed up and opened the hatch, the upper half of his body disappearing through the hole. But with a loud cry of alarm, he'd slammed the hatch shut as quickly as he'd opened it, and he fell back inside the van, dropping on his rear end beside Mikey…

…headless?!

"GYAAAAHHH!" Mikey screeched, his hands flying to his face as he stared down at his headless brother in utter horror –

With a grunt, Raph's head popped back out of his shell. He then cast Mikey a flat look that read 'are you for real?' as he raised a brow. Lowering his hands back to his lap, Mikey blinked. "Oh, right," he said. He'd just drawn his head into his shell before Fishface could chomp it off; Mikey forgot they could do that sometimes, despite the fact they were, y'know, turtles.

Outside, still on the roof, Fishface continued to bang his foot against the hatch, trying his damnedest to get inside and rip them to shreds. Standing up, Raph growled. "Alright, Plan B!" he said, rushing over to his station and grabbing the controls for the trash canon. Pulling on the handles, he swerved the contraption to the side, knocking Fishface right off the roof. Raph could've cackled, but he settled for grinning wickedly instead at his success. "What'cha gonna do now?" he mocked, though the fish couldn't hear him…

Or, so he'd thought. For moments later, Fishface, who was still hanging onto the very canon that had knocked him over, took the opportunity to return the favor by stabbing one of the tires with the spiked end of his metal foot. Instantly, the Shellraiser began to veer out of control, and not even Donnie's already white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel was enough to stop them from sliding down the road.

"Why do I ask these questions, why?!" Raph cried to the heavens above, before folding his arms over his chest and pouting sourly ahead of him.

Under different circumstances, Mikey would've found the look on Raph's face hilarious. However, he had no time to laugh this time as their vehicle finally gave in. With the loss of one tire plus the speed they'd been going at in their earlier desperation, it wasn't long before the Shellraiser toppled onto its side, skidding across the road, its occupants screaming and holding onto anything they could find for dear life.

When at last the ride finally came to a grinding halt, the three turtles released heavy sighs of relief and groans of pain. Doing his best to stand up since their car was lying on its side, Donnie blinked away the stars dancing across his vision as he turned to his team, sweaty hands trembling as he grasped the drivers' seat. "Guys? Are you okay?" he asked breathlessly.

From where he lay against the wall, his face pressed against the metal surface, Raph lifted his hand and gave Donnie a thumbs up. Beside him, upside down with his legs dangling in front of his face, Mikey managed to grin up at Donnie. "Yeah, Dee. We're all good down here," he said dizzily. "Woo. What a ride. Can we do that again?"

In spite of the direness of their current situation, Donnie couldn't restrain the relieved yet fond smile that graced his lips at Mikey's usual antics. Well, his precious car was totalled, but at least his brothers were alright. For the first time tonight, something had actually gone.

"I'll deal with you soon enough, freaks!" they heard Fishface shout, before the roar of the motorbike and the shrill shriek of tires faded away into the distance.

His heart sinking, Donnie managed to throw the hatch open and crawl out just in time to watch as the fish zoomed off down the road, following after his comrades to the warehouse. Mikey and Raph hopped out after Donnie, both of them sharing a disconcerted gaze before turning to their leader.

His fists clenching tightly at his sides, reddened eyes narrowing, Donnie ground his teeth together. The rest of the Foot had probably reached the warehouse by now, and within the time it took for the three of them to get there without the help of the Shellraiser, it would be far too late to save the Pulverizer.

It was over. Timothy was gone. It was all over…

"If you train him, you are responsible for whatever happens."

Donnie blinked hard, his father's words echoing within his memories. And once again, his fists clenched tighter. No. No, it wasn't over yet. It couldn't end like this, not for Timothy. Not if Hamato Donatello had anything to say on the matter.

"Splinter once told me that the Pulverizer was my responsibility," he said, moving to unhook the Stealth Bike from underneath the van. "I've gotta stop it!"

Within seconds of the bike landing on the ground, Donnie had thrown on his helmet, revved up the engine, and was pelting it down the road after Fishface, literally leaving Mikey and Raph in the dust trusting they would follow him on foot. His mask tails whipping violently behind him, not caring that he was breaking just about every single road law a mutant turtle could, Donnie grit his teeth together as he skidded around corner after corner, the smell of burning rubber filling his nose as he pressed onward, swearing that nothing, not even the fires of hell itself, would stop him from reaching that warehouse before it was too late.

I have to make it. I have to make it. I have to save him!

Standing on the side-lines, his arms folded over his chest and a dark glare clouding his features like a vehement tempest, Leo watched as Xever walked into the warehouse, hauling Timothy along with a firm grip on his arm. Beside the turtle, several Foot soldiers and Bradford stood by, waiting for their commander to give the orders. And by god, it took everything in Leonardo's power for him not to slice that wicked grin clean off Bradford's muzzle as he focused his attention on Xever.

"Get the 'volunteer' directly under the mutagen," he said, motioning the large, abhorrent contraption before them with a jerk of his head, and with a short nod, Xever complied and tugged Timothy towards the machine. Looking at it now, it was grander and far more complex than Leo had first imagined; wires hung from the roof, suspending the single, large tank filled with glowing mutagen, casting florescent green light across the darkened space of the warehouse. Hanging from the bottom of the tank, there was a long metal lever that Leo guessed was what Xever had to pull to pour the mutagen onto their test subject. He repressed a shiver at the thought of the alien substance pooling over whichever unfortunate soul happened to be standing underneath that hatch.

And of course, that unfortunate soul had to be Timothy.

Predictably, when the boy saw the machine for himself, rather than coming to the realization that his life as he knew it – or his life in general – was about to come to a most gruesome end, he beamed. "Wohoa!" he laughed excitedly as he turned to Fishface. "Yeah, let's get this show on the road! Hey those legs are cool, man, are they part of the mutation thing or is it like –?"

Growing agitated, Xever hissed at Timothy, bearing his long, jagged fangs for all to see. Timothy flinched backwards, but upon witnessing the row of teeth, his fear turned into awe. "Whoa! I can't wait to be mutanted!"

Sighing in despair, Leo slapped his palm over his eyes and shook his head. "There really is no god," he whispered to himself.

He should've known better than to hold on to false hope. He should've known, despite their best efforts, that not even the turtles of the Hamato Clan could've been able to stop the experiment, or stop the Foot from dragging the innocent, naive boy into the warehouse, placing him underneath a glowing tank of mutagen with his name practically written all over it. Both sides had tried so hard, and yet in the end, it had been futile –

"In a world, where evil runs rampant," he heard Timothy dramatically declare, ripping Leo out of his thoughts as he looked up, "one man had the courage to sacrifice his humanity –"

"Move!" Xever growled, roughly shoving the boy directly underneath the tank. As Xever lifted his hand to grasp the end of the lever, Leo turned his head away, closing his eyes tightly as he braced himself for what was to come, unable to watch. 'So long, kid,' he thought gravely.

Then a loud crash resounded within the warehouse, shards of broken glass showering down upon them, and Leo's eyes snapped open as he looked up to a long, very familiar black vehicle flying through the air.

Leo gasped sharply. It couldn't be…

Leaping off the seat as the bike descended and hit the ground screeching, several Foot soldiers darting out of the way just in time, Donatello tucked himself into a ball mid-air, rolling across the floor before he leapt at Timothy, grabbing him around the waist and flipping once more before landing in a crouch, the dizzy human held firmly against him with a long green arm around his shoulders.

As he stared at Donnie, who glared at all of them with murder in his eyes as he held Timothy closer, Leo was certain he had never felt such relief or happiness at the sight of his little brother in his life. It was truly an odd feeling, really, though Leo welcomed it piece by piece.

However, such relief turned into slight dread when Donnie's gaze drifted towards him instead. And the murder washed away, turning into confusion, then shock…he was looking at Leo's new attire, namely the emblem on his shoulder…

Oh no…

"Get them!" Bradford shouted, jarring Leo out of his growing dismay. Rather than point out the fact that he was the commander now and not the oversized dog man, Leo just narrowed his eyes, unsheathed his blades and charged at Donatello along with the rest of the Foot soldiers.

Snapping out of his own thoughts, Donnie reached up to retrieve his Bo staff, only for his hands to close around nothing but thin air. "Huh? Oh, Sewer Apples!" he cursed loudly, only now remembering that Splinter had taken their weapons the other day. Great, just great. How the hell was he supposed to get him and Timothy out of here before –?

'For a ninja, anything can be a weapon.'

The gears turning in his head, Donnie's eyes darted to his right, where he spotted a broom propped up against some crates. It was about half an inch shorter than his own staff, the wood not nearly as thick or durable, and could very well shatter the moment he hit something…

Well, if there was any time he had to put Splinter's wise words of wisdom to good use, there was no time like the present to do it.

Kicking the broom up, Donnie leapt up with a spin, grabbing the broom mid-air before swinging it down upon the head of the first Foot Soldier with the brushy business end. To his surprise, the ninja went down like a rock, not getting up again. Donnie blinked. Huh. Looks like Splinter was right after all; for a ninja, anything could be a weapon! Alright!

Making sure that the Pulverizer was still safely behind him, Donnie straightened up, spinning the broom over his head as he would his staff, he blocked a barrage of blades as more soldiers came running at him, before knocking them away with a hard swing, sending them crashing and bowling into crates or barrels of oil. Boy, who knew a broom could be ninja turtle's best friend in a life or death situation?

A shiver ran down his spine, and as he spun deftly on his heel, bringing up his substitute staff, he barely managed to block the twin blades that fell upon him, and ocean blue met mahogany red as Donnie stared into the eyes of his older brother. This close, Donnie could truly take in Leonardo's strange new look; the black tape, the leather straps, the metal padding…everything about him screamed 'Foot Clan', if the glaring red emblem engraved on the shoulder pad wasn't already a dead giveaway.

Though his mind was reeling with question in dire need of answering, such as why on earth his brother was wearing the crest of the clan he swore he hated with every fiber of his being, Donnie knew he had other things to focus on, like not getting sliced in half for example. But even so…

Grunting with effort to keep the blades a bay, Donnie managed to smirk. "Long time no see, big brother," he said, grunting again when he felt his feet slipping across the floor. Damn, Leo wasn't holding back this time, was he? "Mind explaining the dashing new outfit we're wearing today?"

Despite their current position, Donnie reveled in Leo's irritation as the older turtle growled, a deep, threatening sound rumbling from the pit of his throat like a tiger on the prowl. "How about this, Donatello?" Leo whispered harshly, low enough so that his approaching comrades couldn't hear, "Instead of focusing on my wardrobe choices, try focusing on the Pulverizer –"

"Now's my chance!"

Leo spun his head around, his eyes widening. "–who, for some reason, is running towards the giant mutagen tank of doom instead of away from it."

True to his word, as Donnie whipped his head around, he saw that the rounded boy was indeed bolting towards the giant mutagen tank he'd been pulled from only seconds earlier. Donnie's guts twisted. What…what the hell did he think he was doing?!

Turning back to Leonardo, who had the same look of bewilderment and horror on his face, Donnie stared at him for a moment, contemplating his options. He had to stop Timothy, but he couldn't exactly ask Leo to back off; it would look suspicious on Leo's part should his comrades catch him letting the enemy go without putting up a fight. So with an apologetic shrug, Donnie quickly said "Nothing personal," before jerking his knee upwards, hitting Leo squarely in the crotch. When Leo pitched forwards with a shrill squeak of agony, Donnie head-butted him, sending him crashing to the floor, before he bolted after Timothy.

"Sorry!" he whispered over his shoulder, only to have a strangled grunt of pain as his reply. Oh boy, he was so going to pay for that later.

To his liberation, Donnie caught up to Timothy just as the boy reached up to tug at the lever that would pour the mutagen over him. With a sharp gasp, Donnie's hand lashed out and grabbed the boy by the wrist. "Timothy, no!" he cried, pulling the human from underneath the tank and spinning him around to face him. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm gonna be a mutant, like you!" Tim replied, grinning eagerly, his eyes glittering with hope.

Donnie pinned him with a flat look. He'd known the kid long enough to know not to question the fact he really wasn't kidding. "Um," he began, holding up a finger, "doing the mutation thing is notoriously unpredictable…AND, REALLY STUPID – GYAH!"

A large bony hand grabbed Donnie by the back of his shell, pulling him away from Timothy before throwing him unceremoniously across the room. The purple clad turtle rolled across the smooth floor, his shell throbbing from the impact, and had barely enough time to jump out of the way before Dogpound's large fist came crashing down, inches away from crushing the young ninja beneath his paws.

"I'll save you, Donatello!" Timothy called, once again darting back underneath the mutagen tank.

"Wait!" Donnie cried, his voice cracking with desperation and frustration. "Didn't you hear what I – whoa!"

He was cut off when Dogpound came at him again, claws bared and dangerously raised. Teeth grinding together, Donnie parried the canine's fist with his broom staff, followed by a roll and kick to the jaw, earning a whine from the dog before he slammed his other fist down, to which Donnie side-stepped, then threw him off balance by hooking his foot behind his wrist, bringing the dog to his knees before flipping onto his head, stamping him into the ground. Vaulting off the mutt like a springboard, Donnie made a beeline for Timothy yet again, moving as fast as his tired legs could carry him.

"I'm. Saving. YOU!" he shouted as he rammed his shoulder into the boy, knocking him well out of the way of the mutagen tank, but leaving himself open for Fishface to come running in and deliver a solid kick into his chest. The wind knocked out of him, stars blazing across his vision, Donnie was sent flying through the air, his broom slipping from his fingertips.

As he flew, Donnie twisted his body around and grabbed hold of a hooked chain hanging low from the ceiling, swinging right back around with an unrestrained "Woohoo!" As he neared where Xever stood looming over Pulverizer's helpless form, he made sure to return the favor with three solid kicks to the face.

With Xever out for the count, rolling to the far corner of the room, Donnie landed back on solid ground, rushing over to where Timothy and his broom staff lay. "Okay," he said, grunting with effort as he hauled Tim to his feet before grabbing the broom. "Now we're getting out of here!"

The moment the words left his lips, he looked up, only to find they were surrounded by more Foot Soldiers. He gulped. "Hopefully."

At the front of the pack stood Leonardo, having recovered from the earlier blow, and had the honed tip of a single katana aimed at Donatello, and quite possibly the most murderous look in his eye the younger turtle had ever seen. This time around, Donnie was pretty sure he deserved that look, as well as whatever ass-kicking he was sure to receive. Oh well, as long as Leo somehow found a way to aid him in getting Timothy out of here, alive and still very much human, he supposed he could take it –

Mere seconds before the Foot could attack (or Leo could get his justified revenge), another crash was heard, glass falling from above as Michelangelo and Raphael made their entrance, landing protectively in front of Timothy and Donatello as they faced their new foes. A relieved grin found its way across Donnie's face at the sight of his beloved team, but it quickly fell once more as he watched them reach for their weapons only to come up empty.

"Aw crud, no weapons," Raph cursed, hands clenching into fists.

"Bummer, dudes," Mikey muttered, looking up from his empty belt to lock eyes with Leonardo for the first time in days. To say that he was shocked at what he saw would be an understatement, and his eyes widened as he took in his oldest brother's attire, his baby blues' quickly falling upon the shining crest on his shoulder that sent an unpleasant shiver running down the length of his spine.

But before he could even open his mouth to comment, the blue scarfed turtle pinned him with a warning look that Mikey could read as clear as daylight, a look which he soon extended to Raph; 'Don't freaking ask.'

"Guys, spread out!" Donnie called, capturing the attention of his team once more as they turned to face him, and he raised his broom in the air. "Remember, anything can be a weapon!"

Recognition dawned, and with confident smiles, they nodded at their leader before spreading out, the Foot Soldiers and Leonardo quickly closing in on them. Quickly, Raphael ripped off a piece of wood from a crate, and Michelangelo grabbed a long chain from one of the support beams, and with Donatello rushing to join them, the battle recommenced as the three Hamato turtles fought off the black clad ninjas, their newly acquired weapons proving just as effective as their regular ones.

During the confusion, Leo took the opportunity to head straight for Donnie whilst the young leader was busy knocking out two Foot Soldiers. With a deep growl an almighty kick, he sent the younger turtle crashing into one of the crates with a cry of alarm followed by a grunt of pain. As Donnie collected himself and looked up, at the sight of Leo's annoyed glare, he smiled sheepishly.

"…I did say I was sorry," he offered lamely, raising his hands in fake surrender.

The tip of his sword aimed at Donnie's face, Leo huffed. "Yeah, okay," he droned, not impressed in the slightest. However, after making sure none of his comrades were within earshot, he added, "Though I have to admit, the resourcefulness of your team is pretty impressive; never seen someone fight with a plank of wood like that before."

A well-timed crack of wood hitting flesh echoed from across the room, followed by Raphael's triumphant yell and a cry of agony from the unlucky Foot ninja. Whilst Leo winced through his teeth at the sound, Donnie smirked and shrugged, his hands still raised. "Well, that's Raph for ya," he mused. "Listen, as much as I'd love to sit and chat some more, we've gotta do something about Timothy. Any ideas?"

At that, Leo faltered, his katana dipping slightly. Of course, Leo had no ideas to offer; there was nothing he could do that wouldn't raise suspicion among his troops, Bradford or Xever, and should they report anything to Shredder, he was all but finished, for he very much doubted his master would still think of this as part of his 'master plan'…

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a feral canine growl as Bradford recovered, lumbering back to his feet and rounding on Pulverizer. His ears tipped back in anger, Bradford loomed over the boy, who for the first time since Leo had met him, looked genuinely afraid as he took a shaking step backwards. "O-Okay, big dog, man, thing," he stammered, striking his fists out uselessly. "You asked for it!"

In response, Bradford only chuckled, clearly thinking the same thing as Leonardo in that moment as he watched the scene unfold; he actually believed he could beat a mutant dog twice is size, three times his strength and four times his weight?

Evidently not, for instead of standing his ground, Timothy spun on his heel and ran in the opposite direction. "My mutation!" he cried.

Leo's eyes widened in horror, his body frozen to the spot, and beneath him, he heard Donnie let out a panicked gasp. Oh no. Without Donnie to stop him, and with the other two turtles preoccupied with fending off the rest of the Foot, Pulverizer was free to do as he pleased…and that involved standing directly under the tank once more, grasping the lever with both hands, and pulling it with all his strength.

"NO –" Leo cried, but quickly slapped a hand over his mouth at the last second. No, he couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything, not here, not with Shredder's eyes watching him…

"Pulverizer!" Donnie shrieked, scrambling to his feet and roughly shoving Leo out of the way as he sprinted towards the boy, his hand outstretched desperately. "NO!"

The hatch of the tank opened, and mutagen poured out. Below, Timothy was grinning, his arms spread out wide and raised in the air, as if to welcome the forthcoming mutation warmly. "Oh this is gonna be –"

The moment the mutagen splashed over Timothy's body, the boy started screaming.

"It burns! I didn't think it would burn so bad!" he cried, his voice muffled, choked by the mutagen that oozed from his face, dripping down his body as he stumbled unsteadily across the room. "Oh it really burns!"

From the side-lines, the turtles all watched in horror as the poor human continued to scream, reaching fumbling hands out to the Foot Soldiers that Bradford had shoved towards him. Instantly they ran in panic, Tim's hand barely grazing the fringes of one soldier's uniform. And from where he stood, Leo felt his stomach churn, his eyes going wide. He did it. The kid actually did it. And now he was suffering. He was changing…

No…he was melting.

"What happened?!" Raph barked, unconsciously moving to stand protectively in front of Mikey as the boy staggered closer to them.

"Pulverizer got his wish!" Donnie cried, his brown eyes filled with terror and immeasurable guilt as he stared at what remained of the slowly deteriorating human, who's screams and cries for help continued to be drowned out by the alien substance sizzling against his body.

I was too late. I couldn't stop him. I couldn't save him. This is all my fault. Oh god, this is all my fault…

Peeking from behind Raph's shoulder as the three of them slowly backed away, Mikey gasped. "That dude's straight nasty!" he cried, cringing fearfully as Timothy drew closer, too close. They could smell his flesh burning, see his clothes smouldering, tearing, his body slowly giving in, shutting down, crumbling little by little…

"H-Holy mackerel!" Donnie stammered, he and his two brothers scrambling onto a crate to get away from what was sure to be a mutagen coated corpse.

"Timothy is jacked up!" Mikey squirmed, latching onto Raph's arm. Raph didn't shake him off, keeping his eyes trained on the poor human boy.

Finally, Timothy's body could take no more, and the boy fell to his knees, splashing in a pool of mutagen he'd left behind as he'd stumbled. Steam radiated off him in waves, obscuring him from view for a mere moment. The warehouse suddenly became deathly silent, Timothy's screams fading to nothingness. All breaths were held as they all watched and waited…

…then, from out of the smoulder, something that was neither boy nor beast arose. And instantly, all within the warehouse, namely Donatello, wanted to retch at what they saw.

Timothy's flesh had melted away…but everything else, from his eyeballs and eye sockets to his brain and intestines remained, all floating within a giant blob mutagenized acid. Tentacles had taken the place of his arms, and his legs had been reduced to something akin to a slug's tail.

In a word, he was a monster.

Beside Xever, who backed away in fear and disgust along with the other Foot soldiers, Leonardo could only stare, his eyes wide, mouth agape, hands trembling at his sides as the creature that had once been a human boy screeched, a high-pitched horrible sound that rang deafeningly in his ears.

Oh god. The poor boy…what had he done? And why hadn't Leo done something, anything, to stop him before it was too late? Why had he been such a spineless coward? Why?

As the creature began to violently lash out on anything and everything in its path, behind Leo and Xever, Bradford let out a growl. "Make sure those fools don't escape!" he ordered, pointing to the three turtles still poised atop the pile of crates. Then, as the Foot soldiers – somewhat reluctantly in knowing that Leonardo was their commander now, not Bradford – rushed off to do as they were ordered, Bradford turned to one of the crates, installing a small mechanical device upon it and setting it to two minutes. "I'm gonna blow this place sky high."

Until now, Leo had been locked in a horrified trance as he stared at what remained of Timothy. However, that last sentence had caught his attention, and he whipped his head around to glare up at the mutant dog. "Wait, what?! What do you think you're doing?! I didn't authorize any of this, Bradford!" he snarled.

The canine only chuckled. "No. But Shredder did," he simpered. "He wanted fail-safe measures put in place, so that's what I did."

A growl rumbled deep from Leo's throat, his clenched fists shaking with rage at his sides. "You filthy mutt! First you mutate an innocent boy, now you're gonna blow him up?! Shut those things off, now!"

Bradford returned the growl, his ears tipping backwards as he bared his teeth at the turtle angrily. "First off, once they're on, they can't turn off. Second, that thing ain't a 'boy' anymore, kid, and it's impossible to contain without touching it and getting yourself fried! So yeah, we're blowing it up, and the other turtles with it. And unless you wanna stick around to watch the fireworks too, you're coming with us!"

Before Leo could react, Bradford grabbed him, lifting him off the ground and tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes with no effort. "Whoa, hey! Put me down!" Leo shouted, pounding his fist against the dog's armoured back, to no avail.

Ignoring the turtles' protests, Bradford bolted out of the entrance of the warehouse, closely followed by Xever and the remaining soldiers, who barely evaded being liquefied by the sweeping tentacles of the mutagen monster that continued to screech and wail. "Let's go! Lock 'em in!" he called over his shoulder.

Ceasing his struggles for a moment, Leo looked up just in time to watch as Donatello and Raphael, having side-stepped the screaming monster pursuing them, scrambled for the door. Leo met Donnie's fearful, guilt ridden gaze for a heartbeat, before two soldiers slid the metal doors shut, locking it with a padlock and chain, and sealing his brothers' fate as well as Timothy's.

Reaching the bikes still parked on the curb, Bradford unceremoniously dropped Leo onto Xever's bike, and the turtle let out a grunt of pain as he landed on the hard leather seat, before casting a hard glare up at the bigger mutant. Returning the glare with equal force, Bradford sneered down at him as the other soldiers mounted their own bikes. "Hey, you should be thanking me. I just hauled your sorry shell out of a future crime scene."

Leo moved aside slightly to allow Xever to quickly hop on and start the engine up, all the while keeping his glare pinned on the dog. "Ass," he hissed, just as Xever revved up the bike with a surprised smirk and started off down the road, the Foot soldiers quickly following after him.

Burning rubber filling his nose as they sped back down the road they'd come, Leo did his very best to ignore the violent explosion that resounded in the distance moments later. He tried not to think about the possibility that his brothers and Timothy hadn't gotten out of the warehouse in time. He tried not to dwell on the last thing he saw in Donatello's eyes being the look of pure guilt.

Instead, he focused on keeping a firm grip on Xever's shoulders, ducking his head down and squeezing his eyes shut as the motorbike roared down the eerily vacant streets of New York…

Later, when they'd finally reached the front of the old church building, fringes of sunlight reappearing beyond the horizon, Leonardo felt hollow. It was as if he'd entered a trance, that his body was on autopilot and his mind was floating elsewhere as he vacantly slid off Xever's bike, following Bradford up the stairs to report to Shredder of their failed mission.

Leo had very little doubt that his brothers were still alive; they'd survived worse things in the past, and exploding warehouse would be no different. But they were not the reason behind the emptiness the turtle felt now.

He'd broken a rule he'd always followed. He'd allowed an innocent to get involved. And now…

"Hey, Leonardo."

He barely registered that Xever had called to him until he was already halfway through the door. He stopped, turning to look over his shoulder at the fish as he got off his bike. For the first time since the day they'd spoken in Shredder's throne room several months ago, Xever's expression was solemn, though his eyes drifted from side to side with awkward discomfort. "…you alright? You look like crap."

Normally, such a question would've prompted a confused, almost hilarious reaction out of Leo, for the fish would have never asked such a question to anyone, let alone the turtle. But this time, Leo didn't even blink. "…feel like it, too," he muttered numbly in reply, before slipping through the doors and vanishing from Xever's sight.

That same numbness hovered over his head like a looming rain cloud as he moved through the winding hallways of the lair, until he finally arrived in the throne room, where Bradford and Shredder, his back turned to them both, were waiting for him. Dropping to one knee, his usual disdain and reluctance vanishing despite his overwhelming hatred for the man stood before him, Leo bowed his head.

"The experiment was a failure, Master Shredder," he said monotonously. "Hamato Yoshi's disciples showed up, and after the failsafe measures were activated, the mutagen supply was lost in the explosion." He then slid a side glance over at Bradford, noticing the downward tilt of his ears and the way his blood red orbs darted to the side. Leo felt some of the numbness wash away as he narrowed his eyes.

Guess the bombs weren't such a good idea after all, huh? He thought bitterly.

His back still turned to them, Shredder visibly bristled with anger, a growl rumbling from his chest. "They have dismantled my army, and thwarted my plans!" he barked in furious outrage, gloved fists clenching and shaking at his sides. Inwardly, as he watched the anger come off his master in heated waves, Leo mused that it was about time Shredder learned how futile his mission for vengeance was, how sacrifices such as the one he'd made tonight would only get him nowhere, gain him nothing, and would only continue to bring dishonor upon him and his clan. Perhaps the man would finally come to his senses –

"Kraang is in what is known as agreement."

Started out of his thoughts once more, Leo whirled his head around to stare at the imprisoned Kraang in the corner of the room. Again, he'd forgotten it was still there.

"The ones known as the turtles," the creature continued, "must become known as the turtles who are destroyed."

As it spoke, Shredder turned to face the alien, his discolored eyes narrowing down at it. But what disturbed Leonardo was that his gaze was not filled with frustration or rage…but with thought. And the longer he stared at the Kraang, the more Leo began to shiver with dread, terror, his eyes slowly widening as the remnants of numbness melted away. No…he couldn't…he wouldn't…

And then, his greatest fears were confirmed when Shredder finally spoke…

"…It seems we have a common enemy."

A/N: Oh no...

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that! Again, I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but I'll be sure to do more as soon as I can :)

Next Chapter: Donatello makes a vow, Leonardo must come face to face with the nightmares of his past, and both turtles learn something new about each other...