Chapter 2 – Ice

The reason for Ice's unique collar is explained…

Soon, all present in April's apartment were looking up and down, under tables and chairs, cupboards, above shelves and even inside the kitchen for any hope to – perhaps – find a glimpse of a blue collar. Or even a certain fox cub.

Donatello went down on all fours and lifted the table cloth to take a look inside. He was greeted by a great amount of dust and got the feeling that perhaps April wasn't so keen on cleaning up just yet. But still no Ice…

He got up, looking around again. There was a slight possibility that the fox cub had already escaped from the shop and was already wandering on the streets. But that wasn't exactly what anyone would expect from a fox cub that had spent almost seven years with its owner.

Donatello ceased to forget that Conrad had implied Ice always wandering off. If Ice was always wandering off, then there must at least one place he always visited? There had to be...

"Hey, Conrad." Donatello spun around to face the young man, who had climbed on a chair to look over a tall shelf. Conrad looked as if he had almost lost balance, making Donatello feel much adrenaline in his veins. It was so close…yet Conrad caught himself so professionally. "Don't you think Ice could have gone somewhere he often shows up in?"

"What?"

"I mean, think about it. Ice is just a young fox. Usually they have instincts to go somewhere where they can, you know, do whatever they want to do. Doesn't Ice have that instinct?"

Conrad gazed at the floor, obviously thinking about it. No one spoke for what seemed to be an eternity. But Conrad looked up with eyes wide with an answer. "Liam…"

"You mean your brother?" Leonardo asked, joining them.

Conrad nodded.

Raphael jumped off the shelf and landed neatly beside him. "Didn't think findin' a baby could be so hard, did ya?"

"I'm used to it, don't worry." There was nothing disguising the humorous tone in Conrad's voice.

Donatello looked around for Michelangelo. He found him lingering among April's DVD and CD collection. Typical …

"Mikey, you shell-head, get over here," Raphael said.

Michelangelo – surprisingly – obeyed and walked over to join the rest. "I really don't see how I fit into this. I could be watching a cool movie by now!"

"Shut it, shell-for-brains…"

Leonardo cleared his throat to regain order and turned to Conrad. "If you think Ice is with Liam, then I think you should give him a ring."

Conrad looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, I think that's what I should do…"

Nobody said a word as Conrad picked up the phone and dialed a number he knew very well. If Liam really did have Ice with him, then there was nothing to worry about. Everything would be okay…

Except for one detail.

Donatello still wanted to know the reason for Ice's mysterious collar to stop the aging process. This was definitely something not easily disposed from his memory. If only he could learn more about that collar. Learn how Ice got it, how it works – everything about it.

"Liam?" Conrad started and then paused. "Yes, it's Conrad."

Pause.

"Is Ice with you?"

Pause. Conrad suddenly lightened up. "Oh, he is? His collar's with him?" Pause. "Good." Pause. "I kinda let him out of my sight for a second…"

This was the longest pause he made before nodding as if his brother really could see him do so. He bit his lower lip and nodded one last time before adding, "Okay, I'll be seeing you. Fifteen minutes. Thirty, possibly." Then he hung up.

"I can tell Ice is with Liam," Leonardo pointed out.

Conrad grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, he is. Good thing Liam had the door open or Ice would never have gotten inside. Knowing Ice, when he can't get in, he'll find another place to wander off." He sighed a sigh of relief. "Thanks a lot, though."

Michelangelo grinned. "No problem, Conrad! As long as you bring Ice over to the lair. Klunk needs a playmate!"

Conrad smiled. "Sure thing. I'll make some arrangements."

Donatello still wanted to know what the mystery behind Ice's collar was. "What makes Ice's collar his source of life, Conrad?" He asked so suddenly that Conrad froze.

"I think it would be better if Liam told you that himself."

"Why? Can't you tell me yourself?"

"Liam knows the story better and I'm not sure I can cough up the details myself. Care to meet him? I'm sure he'd gladly explain the story about Ice."

Donatello nodded, smiling. "That'd be great."

Conrad smiled and nodded. He turned to the rest of the group. "How about you three? Interested to know more about Ice and all that?"

Michelangelo shook his head, stretching his arms up as he made a fake yawn. "No thanks. If you guys are going to start talking geek, then I'll pass."

"Same here," Raphael agreed, walking over to the couch.

Leonardo raised his hands up innocently. Donatello laughed inwardly. Obviously, his brothers had no intention to learn anything more than someone's name and where they came from. But Donatello still wanted to go see Liam.

He thirsted for this kind of knowledge. He couldn't just leave something like it behind. He had to know about this mystery collar. And it had to be now.

"So, tell me, Conrad, how you met April," Donatello said as Conrad operated his car. Donatello thought he looked a little too young to be driving, but decided not to say anything just yet. "You must have known her for a long time if she trusts you to handle her shop just like that."

"Well," Conrad began as Donatello took his place by the passenger's seat almost hesitantly when he saw what an open glimpse people could get – of him. "Don't worry. The glass is tinted." He added. When the engine started up, he continued. "I didn't exactly meet April. We just bumped into her."

At this, Donatello was confused. What was Conrad going on about? It made little sense at how he had met April just on the street – or somewhere else, for that matter. But still, he nodded to show that he was listening.

They were already on the road when Conrad started talking again. "I know it sounds strange but it happened when Liam and I were still kids. I'm not sure if April was already handling the store that time, but I know it was her who found us on that Halloween night.

"Liam and I were just – well – fooling around inside this so-called haunted house. I'm sure you've heard of it."

Donatello nodded. Yes, he had heard of it. Who wouldn't know about it? "Go on," he told Conrad.

"Liam and I were scared out of our wits, we were having fun – but we were dead tired. The house wasn't haunted, just dangerous. But April just happened to pass by and told us that we shouldn't be hanging around there and asked us if we wanted to stay at her place for awhile.

"So, we did stay until Liam and I had the energy to go back out there and have a little more – and safe – fun. We were thankful, ever since then, we've been helping April out at the shop. And that's how it goes, I guess."

Donatello could see how that made sense. There was no wrong for repaying someone who had helped you. Knowing April, she must have not taken any second thought to asking a couple of kids into her apartment.

"Here we are."

They had been so engrossed in talking that Donatello didn't even notice how much time had passed. He hadn't even paid any attention to the road or which route they took to get there.

Donatello looked out the window and stared at the massive building right next to where Conrad had parked his car. Windows tiled one over the other for as far as Donatello could see. He could see quite clearly how the structure was built on its strong foundation. "Is this a condominium?" he asked.

Conrad had just slipped off his seatbelt and opened the door. "Yeah, it is. Come on," he said but suddenly came to an abrupt pause when Donatello flashed him an evident look. He smiled sheepishly at his mistake. He glanced around before pausing once more. "We'll get through from the boiler room."

"Good enough."

With much sense of agility and timing, Donatello had almost no problem getting to the eighth floor of the massive condominium. Conrad looked around before beckoning him that nobody else was there at the moment.

Donatello took a quick glance over his shoulder before nimbly joining Conrad to the door he had just inserted his key into.

"Liam and I live together. I guess because of Ice, we couldn't go separate ways." Conrad laughed at a silent memory, turning the key and pushing the door open with his shoulder. "So we chose to get a room for the both of us. You can imagine how lucky we are." There was no mistaking the fake sarcasm in his voice.

When they stepped into the room, it was like stepping into somebody's house. They were greeted by the slight noise of television and the sound of someone's footsteps descending from the stairs.

"Conrad!"

Donatello stared. The man that had come from upstairs had blond hair and wore what looked like house clothes to Donatello. He looked almost Conrad's height and looked as if he was the type to often exercise – and by often, probably a lot – by his slight muscular build.

Conrad smiled, raising both arms. "Liam," was how he addressed the man.

Donatello blinked, seeing almost no fear from the man when he had laid eyes on him.

So this was Liam.

Liam had the exact reaction Conrad had when he first set eyes on Donatello. His eyes seemed to ask so many questions but he remained so impassive that he gave nothing of these questions away. Donatello caught his glimpse of awe and felt a welcoming air from him.

Taking a sip from his coffee mug, Liam sat opposite Conrad and Donatello. "So, Conrad," he said, resting one of his ankles on his other knee and leaning back, "who's your friend?"

"We've only just met, actually," Conrad pointed out. "But even so, Liam, I'd like you to meet Donatello. Donatello,"– Conrad faced him this time –"this is my brother, Liam."

Liam nodded at Donatello, who nodded back.

"So," Liam said with a slight grunt as he adjusted in his seat, "what brings you both here?" As he spoke, an orange tuft of fur – Ice – suddenly came hopping toward him. Liam stroked him affectionately in between his ears and the cub curled up into a ball on his lap.

"Actually, Li," Conrad spoke up, his tone becoming unusual, "I owe Donatello here an explanation about Ice. His collar, I mean."

Liam raised an eyebrow, putting on a stony face. He didn't look at all amused but instead set his coffee mug down on the table in between them. "You always did count on me for the explanation. I just never thought that I'd have to tell the story a second time."

A second time. If Donatello was correct then nobody else had asked about the strange collar. But then again, nobody else probably knew about it. There was something strange about the way these two brothers talked to each other. It sounded strange but it was as if they weren't talking to a brother, but just some other person they knew. Donatello pushed away the thought. Perhaps he was only imagining the strange tone. Conrad and Liam were brothers. No one could doubt that.

"Alright," Liam said, breaking the odd silence that overcame them, "Donatello, I want you to tell me if this name sounds familiar."

Strange… Perhaps Donatello had only imagined it but when Liam looked at Conrad for half a second, his brother seemed to shudder.

Liam continued, "The name is"– he paused as if to add effect to his words –"J.E. Bishop."

Donatello froze, hardly daring to give his answer. Of course he knew who Bishop was. It was the one and only person he could never place his trust on. "Yes," he replied finally but the words seemed to dry out before they even came out. "I know that name – and the person that owns it."

Neither Conrad nor Liam said anything after Donatello's statement. Two black eyes stared at him without blinking. It made Donatello feel rather uncomfortable with their looks of surprise. It was as if they both turned to stone the way they didn't move like that. Even Liam who had been petting Ice this whole time stopped, obviously upsetting the cub.

"You've met Bishop?" Nothing could hide the surprise in Liam's voice.

Donatello could only nod. He still felt awkward and uncomfortable with the way they looked at him like that. "He's been after my brothers – and me – for quite some time."

Liam put a hand to his forehead and sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Amazing." He syllabicated the word, slumping down on the backrest of the couch. "No one I've ever met before has lived to see the light of day after meeting Bishop." He seemed to be happy and surprised all at the same time. Suddenly, he broke into a brief laugh, but it actually sounded more of something of relief than happiness.

Conrad couldn't hide it either. He grinned at Donatello, his eyes almost telling him a story. He looked so happy.

But Donatello couldn't understand why. "I…can't seem to follow."

Liam stopped laughing but that didn't keep him from looking as if he had won the lottery. "We were just getting to that," he said. "The story behind Ice and his strange collar is connected to Bishop's projects – and to our relief.

"You see, when Conrad and I were still kids, we snuck into…er, this place the neighborhood kids nicknamed Ice. It was like our own local Area 51, to be honest. It was highly off-limits and rumors said experiments were held there. Security was tight and they say that if you were caught inside, you'd never come out.

"Well, Conrad and I were two very mischievous – and curious – ten-year-olds. Mom and Dad were out of town for a few days and we thought, well, we thought that maybe we could use a bit of exploring to get our minds occupied.

"So we snuck out and found ourselves going to Ice – the place, that is. We didn't care about what others said about it. We wanted to know for sure what happens inside."

Donatello nodded with understanding. "And did you?"

"Yes," Liam continued, "and believe me, it was horrible. You should have been there to know exactly what I mean. Mutations of every kind were going on in every room. We looked into them. I just wanted to close my eyes and run out. And that was when we found our Ice."

Through all Liam's details of their so-called local Area 51, it didn't sound like a place anyone wanted to be in. Donatello could already imagine what experiments and mutations were going on inside. He could already see Bishop's men and whatever poor creature – animal, alien or human – suffering in his hands.

Yes, who did want to stay there?

"Please, go on," Donatello said, noticing how Liam had a brief pause.

Liam nodded and continued, "Ice wasn't really how you see him now when he was in that room. Conrad and I saw nobody there and snuck inside. The room was small and when you inhaled, it was like taking in a sort of poison. There were computers almost everywhere you turned. A table strapped Ice to it, but it wasn't like he could get away in his condition.

"So Conrad tried to free him while I went over to the computer, in the hope to find out what we were saving him from. I can still remember exactly what it read. Experiment no. 241, was the first thing written. Below it, everything was so confusing at first, but later on, I learned what it meant. The entire thing said, Experiment no. 241. Operation: Obliteration. Collar no. 58. Designed for maintaining subject to existence. Duration: Limitless. Status: Incomplete.

"I read them over and over until I was sure it was forever in my head. By the time Conrad had managed to release Ice from the table, the cub looked so weak. At that moment, I understood what those complicated words meant. I looked around desperately for that collar. If it could do all that it said on the computer, then maybe we could have saved Ice.

"I didn't even care about its status anymore because I knew that Ice was dying – and at a very fast pace, at that. I just clipped the collar on him without thinking. After that, we just…got out."

Donatello thought he saw everything flash into his mind. The room, the computer, the blue collar, the younger Conrad and Liam – everything. He saw their faces, either of fear or bravery, Donatello couldn't tell.

"Er, Liam, just one more thing," he said. "What did that computer mean by its status as being incomplete?"

Conrad spoke up this time. "We only figured that out after many long months with Ice when he wasn't growing no matter how much we took care of him. I think it was because of being incomplete, it has its own flaw. And that flaw was stopping Ice from aging."

"I see…"

Donatello already had nothing to say. He had accomplished what he came there for – and almost regretted it as well. Perhaps those old and wise ninjas before them were right: there is time for everything. And he feared he had pushed the time to gain knowledge to its full extent.

In other words, Donatello hadn't waited for the right time. He let himself go on without rethinking about the right time. The right time… How important that was to a ninja, he could never know.

But now that he knew, he knew. And what could stop him?