As a child I knew this girl named Mary.

She was not a very nice girl, this Mary.

One night a monster walked out of my closet.

The monster began to take off it's skin.

And there stood Mary, wearing the monsters hide.

Our childhood monsters are just humans in disguise.

"If I carry you the whole way Donatello this won't be much of a walk," Splinter snickered to Donnie who was sitting comfortably in his arms.

Don didn't even look up, the boy just examined the sewer floor rubbing the bottom of his devil's outfit in contemplation. "My robe will get dirty if I walk. Which is not good? Yucky stuff in the sewers. I need to keep cloths clean."

Splinter nodded suspecting an answer like this. Donatello had a strange need for cleanliness. Which, seeing as how easily the skinny child became sick, Splinter did not exactly discourage. But there were times when he had to tone down little Donnie's health worries, and have him see reason.

Luckily this son was easily persuaded as long as you managed to convince him that what you were saying was more logical than what he was. So far this has worked out well for Splinter, for even if he didn't completely think that what he said was always the 'logical,' choice, it appeared that Donnie was still young enough were just the words coming out of Splinter's mouth made them dripping with logic.

Unfortunately his other sons had no problem thinking he could be wrong.

Splinter was just about to suggest to Donnie that they tie his 'robe,' up around his knees when he sensed one of his sons make a wrong turn behind him.

He quickly snatched Rapheal with his tail, wrapping it around the small turtle's tummy. The turtle didn't even whine in protest at being tail handled back to his father's side.

At this point Splinter had taken his family out far enough were the tunnels of the sewer system was beginning to become narrower than the much wider tunnels near the lair. The sewer walls in this area were damper and the air chillier. But that wasn't the only reason this part of their underground domain made Splinter a nervous fatherly wreck. There were small run off tunnels just large enough for per say a little turtle child to crawl through. And the ground of this area was littered with trash and broken glass. The glass was common enough that Splinter made all of his sons wear thick fluffy socks to act as shoes.

Getting his sons to wear the socks this time had turned into a battle, for Splinter only had the socks in Pink and Blue. Apparently for everyone other than Michelangelo, who was already supposed to wear blue, wearing these colors was a grave offense to their outfits. But Splinter finally managed to get them all to agree after several very serious sounding threats about forcing them to remove their clothing.

So with a lot of pouting, Splinter put the two blue pairs on Michelangelo and Rapheal. And the two pink pairs on Donatello and Leonardo.

Usually this would be reversed.

Although Splinter felt better with his children properly clothed. He still couldn't shake this ominous feeling he had for these tunnels.

However as dangerous as Splinter believed this area was this grimy part of the sewers was part of their home. And sadly Splinter new from experience that this wasn't even close to the worst section of it.

It was just outside the boundaries that Splinter planned on setting for his boys once they turned ten. And he wanted his boys to know the area as much as they could before then.

But for now Splinter decided that safety was best. So he wrapped Donnie closer to his chest, hugging the boy tightly in his sudden newfound uneasiness. He removed his tail from Rapheal's shell only to wrap it securely around the strangely compliant turtle's arm.

Splinter glanced around him taking note of Leo jogging ahead of him in gleeful exploration, and Michelangelo picking up random pieces of chipped concrete as he walked beside him.

"Leo this is a dangerous part of the sewers my son we must be careful," Splinter said calmly to his presumable eldest son.

Leo stopped midstep and turned to Splinter, "I am always always careful Splinter. Always always," The little turtle said.

Splinter smiled warmly, "Yes my son, but why don't you come closer to your Daddy for this walk."

Leo frowned a little at this but walked obediently back to his father's side.

The little family walked like this for a little longer. The four year olds excited chatter becoming a little too loud at times for Splinter's liking, but it was a late quiet night, so he let it slide. Eventually the mutant family made it to Splinters original destination.

A destination that Splinter had been wanting to take his sons to for a long while now.

For painted beautifully to the curved darkened wall of the sewer tunnel was a sprayed graffiti picture of a peaceful looking woman surrounded by green trees.

The woman in the painting was dark of skin with her dark hair held back by a blue headband. Her eyes were closed and her chin lifted as if she was in total peace with who she was. The trees and grassy hills that surrounded her was a bright green that practically light the tunnel in a warm glow. The mixtures of different greens in the trees swirled around each other, creating a whirlpool effect as one's eyes tried to latch onto any one shade of green.

The whole piece was breathtaking, and allowed Splinter to participate in one of his favorite pass times that he used to frequently par take in back in Japan. Back when he was part of the sunny world above. It allowed him to appreciate art.

But to Splinter this painting in particular was more than that. It provided a beautiful persona of trees. Something Splinter dreamed his sons would be able to appreciate someday.

"Look my sons," said Splinter "this is art. See those are trees. And the green on the trees are leaves."

"It's pretty!" Mikey shouted touching the picture.

It may have been dark in the sewers, but the entire mutant family had natural semi night vision. And besides, even a human would be able to see that bright gorgeous green in the dark.

"Trees?" repeated Leo thoughtfully joining Mikey in running his small hands across the colored wall.

"Yes these are trees. They grow in the soil in the ground." Splinter explained slowly enjoying the innocently sad moment of two of his tiny sons touching a picture of something that they should have touched long ago in the world above.

"I know what trees are," frowned Donnie pushing his lower lip out in a pout.

Of course he knew what trees were, he read all about them. Father was talking to him like he was a baby.

Splinter bounced Donnie on his hip attempting to rid the frown from his face. "Yes my Donatello, but these are painted trees. This is art and should be admired."

"Like the art I make on the fridge," Mikey said turning his head away from the graffiti to smile up at Splinter.

Splinter chuckled warmly, "Yes my son, like the pictures on the fridge." Splinter turned away from Mikey to the only silent son standing stock still beside him. "And what about you Rapheal, do you like the picture?"

Rapheal studied the picture some more thinking about his answer. "Yeah is good," Raph finally said. His tone was one of indifference and spoke of boredom, but Splinter appreciated the child not entirely blowing his father's question off. Which wouldn't have been a surprising reaction from Rapheal if he was grumpy.

Mikey and Donnie were still studying the colors intently, but Leo was beginning to wonder off. And Splinter had a sneaky suspicion that Donatello was counting the trees, more than admiring the artwork.

But Mikey was running his hands over the different shades of colors as if he had the greatest of treasures at his fingertips. His little hands weren't gentle as he studied the painted over concrete with his touch. He moved as if he could actually touch the colors themselves.

What a little artist.

But they couldn't stay much longer, Splinter knew his other sons were getting restless, better to move on before boredom causes trouble.

"Come my sons, let us head home," Said Splinter turning to leave.

But it was too little too late. The boredom had set in. And as foretold by such a wise rat trouble was displayed as they began their walk back.

"Leo you can fly!" Mikey declared loudly earning himself a shushhhhhhhhing from Splinter.

Leo looked puzzled, "No I can't Mikey turtles don't fly."

"No Leo you's has purple wings. You're a bat turtle. A vampire turtle," explained Mikey.

Splinter flinched at the word vampire. Maybe telling his sons that story about the friendly vampire all those months ago was not such a good idea.

Raph laughed loudly, "You suck Leo. You should suck Mikey's blood."

Mikey light blue eyes widened in childish horror. "No not my blood! Raph suck Raph's."

"No Mikey's."

"No Raph's."

"No Mikey!"

Leo snarled playfully at his two brothers baring his teeth. He was thinking frantically about which brother he should go for.

The choice was made clear.

"I need Mikey's blood," Leo said deepening his voice and making it come out scratchy and strange. The way Splinter talks when he's pretending to be a monster during story time.

Mikey backed away from Leo covering his face with his hands, "NOOOOOOO!" the tiny turtle screamed with a smile on his face.

Splinter stiffened and turned to once again quiet his son. But he was too late. Leo had tackled Mikey trying to at least get his teeth to touch his brother's neck. Rapheal, not wanting to be left out, immediately joined Leo in trying to pin Mikey to the sewer floor so Leo could bit him.

Ears flattening to his skull at the unacceptable amount of noise his boys were making. And with horrible images of stray glass sticking out of his son's skin as they rolled across the ground Splinter quickly deposited Donnie onto the floor and raced over to his three wrestling sons whispering harsh Japanese words of anger as he threatened them to settle down.

Don stood stock still for a moment unsure if he should be moving around on such dirty ground with his red robe. But his thoughts began to wonder as his father kept on talking and talking and talking to his brothers about what they did bad.

Donnie was about to whine his bored frustration to his father, when something shiny caught his eye.

What could it be?

A toy?

A watch?

A diamond?

Donatello's eyes grew wide at this last thought. He just knew it was a diamond! Maybe a diamond ring. Ladies had diamond rings. And then he was going to be rich!

Don walked over to the shine. He swiped the object from the dirty floor without hesitation. And upon inspection it turned out to be a smooth polished silver loop earing.

Don studied the piece of jewelry intensely, rubbing his thumb against the metal. Then his eyes glazed ahead and he saw another identical shine. It was the other earing. It lay alone next to one of those small run off tunnels that Splinter always told Donnie never to go in. This particular tunnel looked even smaller than the others, and seemed darker than the others too.

But that earing.

…What if it was real silver? Then Donnie knew that someday, when he was allowed to use the big boy chemistry set that Splinter said he was making for him. He could use nitric acid to dissolve the silver, and that would be fun. He really really REALLY! Wanted to see that.

With thoughts of unrealistic bubbling metal in his little mind Don raced over to the other earing.

As he ran his foot caught on the bottom of his cut up red robe. The poor turtle fell forwards, sliding uncontrollably along the dirtied damp sewer floor. Little Donnie was so surprised he didn't make a single sound as he slide, plastron down, across the ground and into the tiny dark tunnel.

But the tunnel didn't continue forward like all the other small tunnels. This one slanted downwards increasing Donnie's speed as he slide helplessly on.

Now little Don did yell.

"SPLIN'ER! AHHHHHHHhhhhhh…!"

Splinter jerked his head towards his mispronounced name. Leo, Raph, and Mikey who were all lined up in front of their father. All jumped at Dons cry.

"Donnie?" whimpered Mikey.

With one last warning to the others to stay put Splinter turned and sprinted towards the scream. He skidded to a stop, clawed feet scratching against the sidewalk under him.

But there was no little turtle. Instead all Splinter saw was a beautiful silver earing, a small plastic fireman's hat, and a narrow dark foreboding tunnel that Splinter wouldn't be able to fit through even if he wanted to.

The slide down the tunnel didn't seem to last long. Almost as soon as Don started down the dark slope he stopped. Arms curled up in front of him Don just laid there on this strange new sewer floor for a moment and rested his head in the crook of his left arm.

He stayed like that, keeping his body completely still, waiting to see if his previous shouting would bring his father.

Don't move Donnie.

Don't move.

Don't move.

Don't move.

"Donatello!"

Donnie's head snapped up. His daddy, that was his daddy!

"Donatello my son!"

The voice was coming from the tunnel behind him. It sounded muffled and fuzzy. Even though Donnie knew his father was yelling as loud as he could. On hands and knees Donnie turned himself around towards the tunnel and yelled back.

"DAAAAAADDDDDDYYYYY!"

There was a pause, little Don started to wonder if he had yelled loud enough. But he didn't think he could yell any louder.

"Donatelllo!" the voice in the tunnel finally said. "Daddy's coming to get you, I need you to stay right there and I will come get you in just a moment! Do not move, do you understand me?! Do not move my son!"

Donnie's eyes widened, he felt tears start to form in his eyes.

'in a moment?' Why wasn't his father coming down to get him now!? His daddy was leaving him!

"NOOOOO DON'T LEAVE DADDY! I WANNA GO HOME!" Donnie shouted in dismay hitching his breaths as he tried to keep his crying from turning into full blown sobs.

"Donatello stop! Listen to daddy! I know you can understand this! I can't fit through this hole. I must go around. You stay right where you are and I will find you! Do you understand me!?"

Don slowed his tears thinking through what his father had just said. Splinter was right he would not be able to fit through that hole. Donnie felt himself flush with anger towards himself for not realizing this sooner. Of course daddy couldn't fit through that hole. What was he thinking!?

And when you're lost you should stay still. He was going to be fine.

Everything's ok.

"I understand," Donnie said softly into the hole. Then realizing that his father probably couldn't hear him unless he spoke louder he said again.

"I UNDERSTAND!"

"Good I will find you soon!" his father acknowledged. And then Donnie knew that he was gone.

But he'll be back. His daddy loves him, so he'll be back soon.

….

…

….

….

Soon turned out to take forever.

Don waited patiently at first. But his limited four year old attention span didn't allow this to last long. For a child Donatello was almost unnaturally good at staying still, and was able to stay silent for much longer than any of his brothers. But at this age that still didn't amount to much.

In his boredom Don started making shapes with the dirt on the floor. He made a circle, a triangle, a square, a polygon, a hexagon, a heptagon, an octagon, and so on. Inside these basic shapes he worked out impressively complicated multiplication problems. He made sure to make these math problems so that the answers would be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 in that order.

With this done he decorated the shapes with the appropriate limbs and appendages to resemble the animal in the zodiac that the math answer said it should be based on that animals order in the zodiac.

He wasn't the artist that Mikey was, but he could hold his own if he put his mind to it.

When he finished this Donnie started to get up and walk around to admire his work. He never walked far from the little tunnel he had fallen through, just enough to explore the area a bit.

He was about to make his third round about the area when he heard a voice.

"Dude-not a good idea- not cool."

The sentence was whispered and Donnie couldn't catch all of it. But that changed quickly as another voice joined the conversation and the two sounds got closer.

"You have a better idea Johnny-boy? I don't care how many teenagers could me gettin' busy down here. And if you had any goddamn idea who our boss was you wouldn't care either."

This voice was deeper, rougher than the first voice. And to Don it sounded funny. He hasn't heard many humans talk in his short sheltered life. But he has never heard a human who talks like that.

Human, those two voices are human, not family.

Donnie ran over his previous art project and crawled back into the small sewer tunnel that had gotten him into this mess. It was hard to crawl back up that slope, especially with his fuzzy pink socks still on, but he didn't have to climb for long. Once Don guessed that he was out of sight he stretched his little limbs out as far as they could go in tell both his arms and his legs touched the sides of the tunnel's walls. He held himself in place easily, his childlike light weight working in his favor to help his limbs keep him from sliding back down.

The voices kept talking, getting louder and louder.

"You keep saying that but you never tell me who our boss is! You can't blame me for not being a chickenshit like you when you don't even tell me why I should be afraid," said the quieter voice. He sounded nicer to Don than the second voice.

"Fine, you got me there. Just trust me huh? You've always trusted me. This guy is dangerous. Hell everyone in that little group of his is dangerous. I regret eva' meetin' them. But it's too late now, no use cryin' about it. Now if we don't find that reptile he will kill us. You getting me? You hearing me right Johnny-boy? He'll kill us both."

Donnie took a deep breath and tried to hold it. The voices were almost right next to him now. But that wasn't the worst part. 'Reptiles.' REPTILES!? He was a reptile, he knows this because turtles are reptiles. He read all about turtles, and Splinter told him so.

Splinter was right people won't be nice to him. They are looking for him!

The footsteps of the voices stop almost right outside Don's hiding place. From this angle the hidden turtle child can't even see the voice's feet. But Don had a feeling that he only had to slide down a little further and he'd be able to get a good look at their toes.

Donnie pushed harder against the tunnels walls with this thought. Hoping that his slippery socks didn't betray him and really make his slide down.

"R-really, he'll kill us. Dude, you didn't say anything about him killing us!" the first voice said, a tremble to his words.

Second voice let out a strange short bark of laughter before saying "You know I told you not to get involved. But now ya' are, and that's the hard truth."

"Ok, ok just give me a second."

Don listened as a pair of feet paced around outside his hiding place before the conversation continued.

"Ok, then we got no time to lose. I am not dying because of this! What does the thing look like, how big is it? You told me earlier that it is supposed to be small. Well how small is small man!?" The first voice sounded scared. But Don didn't know why. Why should he be scared, Donnie's the one who would get hurt. Whoever his 'boss' is must want to hurt him, poor guy.

"It's abou' this long," there was a pause and then the second voice continued, "I was told that there should be nothin' fer us to worry about. Just stay away from its teeth. I've wrestled real gaters before and they are twice this itty bitty things size. But I was told that it's intelligent. So we might get bit."

"Don't say that as if it's nothing man! I don't want to get bit by a gator!"

A gator? Donnie was confused. What's a gator? He wasn't a gator, he was a turtle. So what is a gator, some sort of reptile like him for sure but….

OH an alligator! That's a reptile. The voices are looking for an alligator, not him. Now that Donnie knew he wasn't what they wanted he allowed himself small breaths of air. Daddy would be here soon. He just had to hang on till then.

Daddy will be here soon.

"I'm not listenen' to your bitchin' the whole damn day. If ya that scared I'll wrestle the thing on my own. So just shut up and help me look fer it."

The human's feet began to shuffle around, the first voice still grumbling as they moved. Donnie looked down as he watched small beams of light from the voice's flashlights wonder in and out of his line of sight.

Donnie felt his arms start to shake with the effort of keeping him in place. He wished the voices would go away already. If they stayed here to long than when Splinter came to save him he was going to beat these humans up. But these humans were looking for an alligator, not him. So Splinter didn't have to beat them up.

Suddenly Donnie's train of thought was cut short as his eyes became blinded by a flash of light. And he found himself staring through squinted eyes at the rough face of a huge human male.

"Hey!" the man shouted pulling his head away and reaching a giant hand in for Don.

Don shrieked, loud and ear piercing. The man got a hold on his right leg and yanked.

The man's movements were quick and strong. As if he wanted to get Don out in the open as fast as possible. No doubt because of images of sharp little teeth dancing through his mind.

Don tried to keep a grip on the walls. But the attempt was less than futile, and all the little guy got for his efforts was scraps on his hands.

The man who sounded just like the second voice, held Donnie upside down by one leg away from his body. Donnie screamed and tried kicking the man right on his wrist with his left leg like he thought Splinter would want him to.

"Shit, the thing can kick," the human cursed.

Don put everything he had into his kicks. But the man just grabbed firmly onto his other leg and squeezed leaving Donnie feeling even more trapped.

"DADDY SPLINTER DADDY HELP HELP HUMAN HELP!" Donnie screamed.

"Shut him up!" second voice yelled struggling to keep Don still while he squirmed.

Something slapped against the side of Don's head and the little turtle fell silent and stopped struggling. Colors of green and blue swirled in his vision reminding him of that pretty painting he saw with the swirling trees.

His head hurt.

His face hurt.

Ow.

Daddy.

The first voice was panting heavily. "*Haaah* *Haah*, got 'im, I got 'im."

"Yeah, ya' slapped the shit out of him, nice job," second voice agreed.

Abruptly first voice laughed out loud. The sudden noise caused Don to whimper in terror. And now without the little turtles constant movement the red robe he was wearing fell down his body, bunching up around Donnie armpits. Displaying more of Donnie's shell and green skin to the humans around him.

"Hell yeah I did a nice job! I just can't believe! I mean can you believe it man!? We we're just talking about it and it just shows up!"

The owner of the second voice raised Don up until they were looking at each other eye to eye. He had a square manly face. With bright light brown eyes and what must be night black hair. Although he was shorter than first voice this man was much bigger and bulkier than the other human, his muscles bulged out from underneath his simple black shirt and jeans. In comparison, the first voice was very tall, thin, and just plain scrawny. His teeth were rotted and crooked, his skin pale and sunken. But despite his sickly appearance the human's whole body seemed to hum with constant energy.

Donnie didn't know who to be more afraid of.

Second voice continued to study the small turtle for a minute in the darkness, having dropped the flashlight after he needed both hands to keep Donnie still. "Johnny shut up for god's sake and pick up that flashlight. Didn't ya' hear this thing scream. Didn't ya' hear what it screamed!? It screamed Daddy. It's wearin' clothes! And pink fuckin' socks."

The first voice or Johnny shrugged, "Maybe it's a girl gator."

Second voice made a strange 'arrrrrg,' sound holding a shaken Donnie out in front of him and closer to Johnny. "Look at him dipshit, this aint no gator! But it fer sure ain't no human. But you're not listenin' to me. It said Daddy!? This thing has a dad! And his dad is about to be very pissed off."

Don, still a little jostled by the slap and second voice's sharp movements, felt a brush off hope rise within him.

These humans were, scared, scared of his daddy.

With no better options in mind Donnie decided to give it a go, but quietly, he didn't want to be hit again. "My d-daddy is very big, an-and he knows how to hit, and he has claws and teethies and…." Donnie paused trying to come up with something else about Splinter that resembles a monster or something equally as scary.

Above Don's upside down form the two men exchanged a horrified look.

"Let's get out of here man!" yelled Johnny pulling the others arm gently in the direction he desperately wanted so sprint down.

The second voice nodded, "Don' have to tell me twice. This thing may not be a gator. But hopefully He'll be happy enough with this kid to not slit our throats."

The two men sprinted away, their shoes hitting hard against the concrete floor. Donnie was now being held tightly against his captor's chest. He was still upside down, and the man held him in a way that trapped his arms against his body and prevented him from bending his head enough to bit the man's arms.

So Don used his only weapons. The small turtle boy screamed kicking his feet furiously, the pink socks making his futile kicks even less effective than they already were.

Unfortunately these efforts earned him nothing but another slap.

The walk to Donatello turned out to be excruciating for Splinter.

Splinter had a pretty good idea were his little Don ended up in this complicated sewer system. But what should have been a relatively quick trip to save his lost boy was taking way longer than it should have.

The problem was his other sons. Obviously taking the three young ones back to the lair was not an option. The mutant family had traveled too far out. It would take longer than Splinter was willing to wait to take his remaining sons back to their home then out again to search for Donatello.

And leaving them alone wasn't an ideal option either. The three could hardly behave for five minutes even with his presence. Without him the dramatic four year old fights and tantrums would be horrendous. Plus these sons were wonderers. Even Leonardo, if in the right mood.

Spinter just did not trust these three to stay alone. So the poor single rat father decided to take them with him. He gave Donnie's firefighter hat to Mikey, asking the boy to wear it for his brother in tell they found him again. The little turtle agreed eagerly, feeling important that he was given the job of watching the thing.

In the end, taking his boys with him slowed his pace considerably. But Splinter knew he could not blame them, their little feet did not move nearly fast enough for Splinter's liking.

In desperation to get to Donatello faster Spinter stopped his little party and picked up Mikey with his left arm and Raph with his right. Commanding Leo to climb onto his back and hang on for a piggy back ride.

Leo happily obliged, climbing up his father's back with stubby hands and feet. Splinter clenched his teeth together as Leo unknowingly dug his elbow and knees into Splinter's back, grinding the appendages painfully against the poor rat's skin.

This random set up quickly turned out to be another mistake.

"I wanna piggy back ride," Raph said turning in his father's arm in an attempt to follow Leo up Splinter's body.

"Me to, I get one to," Mikey whined pulling himself up with the help of Splinter's sleeve.

Splinter huffed in anger, lifting himself to his feet as Leo yelped in glee, which didn't help calm his brother's jealousy one bit.

Mikey started up a chant, "My turn, my turn, my turn."

While Raph just continued to maneuver his small frame up Splinter's arm.

Splinter did not have time for this.

Donatello did not have time for this.

"Rapheal, Michlangelo!" Splinter snapped in a sharp tone.

The two immediately froze staring at Splinter.

Splinter took that second of their childish shock to quickly calm himself. The boys did not understand the severity of the situation. He had to make them understand, but gently.

"Your brother is lost right now. No fighting, no moving till I find him. Anyone who does will be in big trouble do you understand me?"

There was a pause. Rapheal and Michalangelo had stopped their attempts at climbing and were just staring at Splinter.

Splinter tightened his grip on the boys threateningly, "I said do you understand me?" he repeated.

There was a chorus of 'yeses,' even from Leo who had stopped expressing any form of happiness his piggy back ride gave him.

Splinter continued on, happy with this faster pace. The weight of the boys, and the questionable hold Leo had on his back was still preventing him from all out running. But this was much better.

Splinter calmed himself as he walked with positive thoughts.

Donatello was arguably his most behaved son, when the boy wasn't wondering around trying to take everything apart. Out of all his boys Donatello was most likely to stay put after he'd been told to do so. Even if he was distractible, little Donnie didn't like getting in trouble, and once told to do something he usually obeyed.

So his son would be fine.

His son would be fine.

Be fine.

Be fine.

Oh, please be okay.

Splinter made it to the last turn until he was in Donatello's approximate location. It was a sharp turn. A sort of exit from the narrower slightly higher level of the sewers they were all in now. To a wider lower section of tunnels.

Splinter hugged the corner tightly as he rounded it. He felt his twitching tail hit the wall on his way around. He was feeling both happier and antsier now that he thought he was getting closer to his son. He was about to call out Donatello's name.

When he heard the scream.

The shrill unchecked shriek of a small child.

The sound was far off. And would probably barely have been heard by Splinter if he was human.

But he wasn't human, so he did hear it.

Very clearly.

Splinter bent down shakily, using every ounce of self-restraint he had to safely set his boys on the floor while Leo slide off of his back without being told to. Then Splinter bent down at the waist staring at his sons with what he hoped was his most threatening look.

"You boys stay here do you understand me? I will be right back. But you three better not move from this spot."

Mikey, Raph, and Leo all nodded murmuring tentative 'oks,' the three of them staring at Splinter with similar expressions of fearful confusion.

Splinter left them like that, taking off at a sprint down the tunnel on all fours. It hurt Splinter to leave them, but it hurt him more when he heard one last pitiful scream from Donatello, before he didn't hear another. Then he smelt something. With his heightened rat sense of smell he smelled.

Humans.

Said humans were racing down the tunnels, quickly coming up to the manhole that the two entered earlier that night.

And unbeknownst to them, a rampaging monster was barreling after them. The men were wrong, Splinter was not pissed. He was way beyond pissed.

And they had every right to be afraid.