Author's Note: What's up, readers? :D Here I am, reaching my deadline right in the nick of time! Hooray for me! lol
Wow, I think this is the first time I actually took my time writing a chapter out and going over a few things. I have to say, it's a good feeling completing a chapter knowing there aren't any more changes you'd like to do to it AFTER it's already been posted. I should probably do this more often. lol
Anywho, before I forget, there's a topic mentioned more towards the end of the story talking about heat signatures and such that I'm clearly unfamiliar with. I tried my best making the techno-babble sound intelligent like I know what I'm talking about, but let's be honest here, I obviously have no idea whether the stuff I mentioned is accurate or not. But hey, we suspend our believes and kinda just roll with it. At least that's what I do when I'm watching a movie or reading a book, unless what they're talking about is totally and completely untrue. But for the sake of this chapter, just go with it, okay? lol And if I'm completely wrong about the concepts of heat signatures, by all means, correct me. It's always good to learn something new and I believe it also helps us grow as authors so we don't make the same mistake again if it just so happens to come up in another one of our works. :)
Okay, now before I get on with the chapter, I'd like to give my thanks to all the lovely readers who've reviewed for my story. Thank you so, so much to my awesome reviewers: k. alex c-well, The Equestrianidiot 2.0, MissCookiiie, NekoShard, BubblyShell22, Mewfem, Novus Ordo Seclorum, and GirlzRule312. You guys are awesome and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :D
ALSO! I'd like to mention that the 2013 Stealthy Stories Fan Fiction Competition nominations are up! :D If you'd like to indulge yourself in a variety of super awesome stories by super awesome authors, then go check out the site and vote for your faves. You won't be disappointed. :)
Okay, I think that's enough babbling. On with the chapter! Read on, readers. :D
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
"Sugar, Spice, and a Splash of Mutagen"
Chapter 5
Heat Signatures
Donatello never speculated a situation this magnificent would ever happen to him; fingers brushing over smooth, plushy cotton dyed a flirtatious, dusty pink.
Eyes roaming over the gorgeously sexy garment he held carefully in his small, trembling hands, the purple-banded ninja felt his cheeks rise in temperature as his mind quickly began to process the silk, red lace adorning the bottom part of April's bra. He couldn't speak. Could barely even breathe. But none of this registered as potentially hazardous as his hands continued to slowly take their time exploring and touching, putting Donatello in a trace he so desperately wished would mesmerize him forever. To think, this is what she wore underneath her clothing on a daily basis. The attire that held her brazenly exposed, supple breasts, like a neatly decorated present just waiting to be unwrapped. It was remarkable. A spectacle his eyes and his eyes alone got the privilege to admire. To touch. To hold. To take in while his mind wandered dangerously into the depths of his imagination, playing scenarios in his head of April lying perfectly spread out atop of his bed, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparked with desire, wearing nothing but the alluring, sensual bra he held in his hands while her legs parted open and exposed her sex.
He shuddered violently just thinking about it, unintentionally drawing his legs tightly together while a jolt of pleasure started building in his nether regions. It was a very foreign feeling and when Donnie opened his eyes he hadn't realized were closed, he glanced down to examine this behavior and noticed a moistness coating the area in-between his legs. It felt strange and unnatural and although the purple-banded ninja didn't quite fully understand the mechanisms of female genitalia, it didn't take a genius to understand that he was fully and utterly aroused.
Good thing the bathroom wasn't out of toilet paper.
"Yo, Don, you almost done? Quit drooling over April's underwear and hurry up," Raphael growled, banging mercilessly on the bathroom door to point where it rattled against the hinges.
Snapping himself out of his reverie, Donnie flashed a lazy glare toward the doorway before slipping his arms through the straps of the bra. "The fact that we don't wear clothes to begin with is a foreign task in and of itself, Raph. Wearing clothes targeted toward young women makes the situation even more difficult, so excuse me for not already being a leading expert on how to put on ladies undergarments."
"Yeah, whatever. Which bra did April give you? Is it a 32B?" He asked rather quickly, the speed of his words hiding the fact that he was exceptionally embarrassed asking such a thing.
Eyebrow raised in blatant curiosity, Donnie craned his neck as far as it would go, trying to look for the small tag connected to the hook used to clasp the bra into place. Noticing that Mikey had indeed been correct about April owning bras from Victoria's Secret, he spotted the tag that proved this fact and looked for the numbers that told him the cup size of the bra he was trying to put on. 32B, just like Raph had indicated.
He didn't know why, but just knowing that personal tidbit of information made his stomach churn both awkwardly and upsettingly. It was bad enough April had to lend them her clothes, but now him and his brothers were exposed to such private aspects of her body - information he was sure April wanted to keep private. He couldn't help but feel as though they were unintentionally violating her and that alone, made Donatello sick to his stomach.
"Donnie?"
"Y-Yeah," he stuttered pathetically, clearing his throat and trying to quell his nerves. "I-It's a, uhm, it's a 32B."
"Dammit," Raph swore under his breath, making Donnie raise his eyebrow in curiosity.
"Why?"
Rolling his eyes, Raphael grumbled and pushed himself off from leaning against the bathroom door. "In case you've forgotten, I ain't exactly packing much of anything. Even April's small rack is bigger than what I've got which, now that I think about it, is kinda disappointing."
The purple-banded ninja couldn't help but chuckle. "So in other words, her bras don't fit you."
He groaned in frustration. "Gah, do I have to wear a friggin' bra? I'm already two seconds away from slicing these frilly, lacy panties up with my sais." He tugged at the area where his butt was, grumbling miserably while hoping the stupid bitch who thought of the creation of underwear died a miserable and painful death. "Jesus, it's like goddamn butt floss."
"Maybe your butt's just too big. What do you and Mikey always say? Too much junk in the trunk?" Donnie snickered amusingly. He was already beginning to slip his legs through the holes of April's panties, now understanding what his brother had meant when he mentioned butt floss. Shifting the underwear and tugging at it from the back, he wondered if he too just had a larger posterior than April's own or if female underwear was specifically designed to ride up the crack. Either way, he didn't enjoy it very much.
"Screw it, bras are stupid. I ain't wearing one no matter what April says."
"Fine, don't wear one. It's your choice." Donnie shrugged. "That is, if you don't mind hungry infants staring at your chest like it's a variety-packed smorgasbord. Or creepy perverts. Either way, you're going to attract some attention, Raph."
"Uggh, this sucks!" Raphael roared, trying his best not to kick a hole in Mr. O'Neil's bathroom door. "Why the hell did you have to go tampering with the mutagen in the first place, Donnie? Whether you're human or not, April's feelings toward you ain't gonna change. Just 'cuz the outside of you looks different, that doesn't mean the inside is going to change for the better. Face facts, man. It's never going to happen."
"You don't know that for sure," Donnie spat acidly, hiking up April's excessively tight skinny jeans before he noticed they were both too small in length and wouldn't button up without him sucking his entire stomach in. Nevertheless, he continued to argue with Raphael, his eyes narrowed into irritated slits. "Our mutant form has always been a barrier that kept us separated from intermingling with humans. When you take down those shields, it leaves you open to new possibilities - to human interaction. April's already accepted us for what lies beneath our mutant exterior. Now that we're of the same species, she can engage with us on a completely different level. On a more personal level."
He could hear the snort even with the door separating him from his brother, a noise that pissed Donnie off even more than he already was. "Well congrats, Don. Not only are you and April the same species, but you share the same girly features that I'm sure won't be a complete and total turn off for her. Maybe later you two can stay up all night braiding each other's hair while stuffing chocolate down your faces and listening to shitty boy bands. I'm sure that'll totally make her want to just rip your clothes off and have her way with you."
Growling irritably, Donatello quickly threw on his shirt and reached for the doorknob, hell-bent on giving his hotheaded brother a piece of his mind. However, not long after he swung the door open did him and Raph hear a high-pitched, aggravated scream, followed by the sound of their baby brother's name.
"Mikey! Really? That was one of my favorite tops and you just ripped it down the collar!" April yelled from the other room.
"I told you it wasn't going to fit you, Mikey," Leo chastised. At that note, both Donnie and Raph were already exiting Mr. O'Neil's bedroom, slipping down the hallway and poking their heads back into April's room.
"Wardrobe malfunction?" Donnie asked.
"More like wardrobe disaster," April huffed, pinching the bridge between her eyes.
Mikey simply sat on the edge of April's bed, shirtless and also bare from the waist up, using his arms to cover up his exposed, ample bosom. "I'm sorry, April. The tag said it was a size medium, so I figured it would've fit me alright." He bowed his head in sorrow, baby blue eyes filled with sadness while Raphael looked down at his baby brother and raised a perplexed eyebrow.
"Uhm, why aren't you wearing a bra, Mike?"
"Because none of April's bras would fit him," Leo answered. "Mikey's, uhm ... physique, is shaped a little differently than April's own body. In fact, I think we're all shaped a little differently than April. I have to wear a belt every time I tried on a pair of her pants." He lifted up the powdered blue Hollister T-shirt he was wearing to concur this fact, revealing the studded white belt hooked almost to the last hole to keep April's pants from dropping straight down to his ankles.
Shaking her head in utter frustration, April tossed the ripped piece of fabric toward the corner of her room and sighed. She flickered her eyes to each of the brothers, her arms folded over her chest before shrugging her shoulders in sheer defeat. "Well, what do we do now? I mean, it's not like you guys can go running around the school with no bras and no shirts and pants that barely fit you. None of you have even tried on any shoes and I doubt all four of you are going to fit into a size seven. We're all stuck between a rock and a hard place and the mission hasn't even fully commenced."
"Don't assume we're all down for the count just yet, April," Donnie pointed out. He flashed her a reassuring smile, but when he got down to the situation at hand, he knew she was right about their mission being over before it even started. If Master Splinter had taught them anything, it was that infiltration worked at its best when a ninja camouflaged himself in an attire that blended in. Looking the part was only half the obstacle. If he and his brothers showed up at April's school only partly dressed with a few apparel pieces missing, not only would they draw attention to themselves, but it would signal red warning flags that something was up and both he and his brothers simply didn't belong, rendering the mission a failure.
Truth be told, they were shit out of luck.
Before anyone even had the chance to voice an idea, the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the silenced apartment. Hearing the muffled sounds of a young woman speaking from outside of the apartment, April raised a quizzical eyebrow before the realization suddenly dawned on her. "Oh, crap! It's Irma! I forgot she was stopping by real quick to give me back my trig book."
"Do you want us to hide?" Leo asked. His eyes were already shifting back and forth, taking in his surroundings and scouting out the better hiding spots.
"No, you all should be fine." She began walking out of her room and into the hallway. "Just, just keep a low profile, alright?"
The four brothers nodded in understanding before April let out a nervous sigh and walked down the hall. On the second ring of the doorbell, she quickened her steps, reaching the front door and opening it with a smile.
"Irma! Hey, what's up?" Her lips quirked into a forced smile, one that she prayed her friend wouldn't notice.
Flashing her a look of uncertainty, Irma shifted her weight onto one side, holding the trigonometry book rather loosely in her arms. "Uhm, hi?" She snickered. "What's got you in such an overly optimistic mood? Sprinkle a little too much sugar on your Cheerios this morning?"
"Oh, you know, just enjoying this lovely sunny day. Heheh. Oh, hey, is that my book? Awesome! Thanks for bringing it over. I'll see you tomorrow at school, yeah? Okay, cool, later!"
"Hold it, O'Neil." Irma kicked her booted foot in between the doorway, her lips quirked into a devilish grin. "You're hiding something. Something you clearly don't want me to see. What is it?"
"N-Nothing! My, uhm, my place is just really dirty right now. Haven't gotten started on the chores yet."
She peered between the split in the doorway, trying her best to look over April's head. "Looks pretty clean to me. C'mon, April, just tell me. Is Casey here or something?" Her eyes narrowed into a teasing goad, making April blush rather profusely.
"W-What?" She squeaked. "No, no, don't be silly. There's no one here except—"
"—Will you back off, already! Your boobs are practically molding into my back!"
"Well excuse me for trying to hear what's going on better!"
"Guys, will you just shut up already? April told us to keep a low profile."
"Tell Dolly Parton over here to put on a goddamn shirt then!"
Frozen in panic, April simply glanced down at her friend and chuckled rather nervously. At first, Irma didn't say anything, but when her eyes slid in the direction of her room, she glanced up at April and quirked her eyebrow curiously. "I thought you said no one was here."
"Uhm, well, you see..." Her shoulders sunk in utter defeat. Whelp, no use going around it any longer. "My, uhm, cousins are visiting from, uhh ... Pittsburgh! They're here to see the city and spend time with me and my dad for a couple of days. They're pretty shy, so I didn't want to spring strangers on them so soon."
"Dudes, I think finally found something that fits!" Mikey exclaimed. A series of shushes followed strictly after his outburst, causing April to flinch while Irma flashed her a rather perplexed expression.
"So, you guys are playing dress up or something?" She giggled while using her pointer finger to push up her glasses.
"Uhm, yeah," said April. She leaned against the door's edge, still trying to block Irma's view in case one of the turtles decided to walk out of her room for whatever reason. "They, uhh, lost their luggage on the flight over here, so I'm lending them a few of my clothes until they head back home."
The sound of something tearing quickly followed April's statement as Mikey let out a nervous chuckle. "Uhh, never mind. False alarm."
April emitted a frustrated face-palm, suppressing the urge to go strangle Mikey herself for ripping another item of clothing. Still standing at the doorway, the purple-streaked Goth chick placed a hand on her hip and shifted her weight, flashing April a rather genuine smile.
"You know, if your cousins are having trouble finding stuff to wear, I can probably lend a helping hand. My aunt sends me like a crap-ton of gift cards to prissy upscale trend stores that she prays I'll go out and do my shopping in one day. The stuck-up old bat can't stand seeing me in the ever colorful wardrobe you see me in today, so I have no use for these old things." She dug through the small bag she had brought with her and pulled out a variety of colorful, brightly-styled plastic gift cards. Waving them as if they were a fan of cash, she quirked her eyebrow and curved her lips into an inquiring smile. "If your cousins are up for it, we can hit the mall right now. I'm actually in need of some more nail polish, so if you want to go over and ask them, we could—"
The sound of more fabric ripping quickly cut Irma off from speaking any further, followed by the sound of harsh cursing coming from Donnie as well as giggling coming from Mikey.
"Hah! See, I'm not the only one ripping April's clothes!"
"Oh, man, I hope these weren't here favorite pair of jeans..."
Temples throbbing irritably, April wasted no time in snatching the gift cards from Irma's hand as she stomped her way down the hallway with the intent to kill gleaming in her eyes. "I'll have them ready in five minutes."
Karai had wasted no time filling in Master Shredder's position the day he had left to seek out reinforcements in Japan. Day after day, time was usually spent perfecting kata's and going through training modules with the active Footbot's. After all, one was never negligent in the undergo of training.
But Karai had different motives for both Xever and himself. The first task was retrieving Baxter Stockman. Being the incompetent little worm he was, his intellect still formed rather useful in the eyes of Master Shredder's daughter. That night proved unfortunate when the turtles decided to infiltrate Baxter's lab, dumping him in the cesspool of collected mutagen and transforming him into the powerful being he was today. Much to his chagrin, he owed it to the pathetic brat, Michelangelo, for being the cause of his providential accident. He was sick of walking around a bulky, clumsy dog. Now he felt agile. Cunning. A warrior fueled with the annoying dunderhead, just like he had felt back when he was human. When it was easier to sneak up on his enemies and strike with silent force.
It had been creeping up on a week since Master Shredder left on his journey to consult new hired guns and although Bradford had eavesdropped on his and Karai's argumentative conversations, he knew the ungrateful brat still went against her father's orders. She was advised not to make any contact with the Kraang, yet she sent one of their inventions to track down April O'Neil. She was ordered not to devise any ambushes in her father's absence, yet she managed to entrap Leonardo, but also lose him in the scuffle. She was an ingrate at best, throwing her weight around in the presence of both himself and Xever. But Bradford knew it was all just for show. The only one she really scared was Baxter Stockman, but then again, he didn't hold much of a spine when it came to talking back against anyone. The second 'daddy dearest' came back from Japan, he knew Karai would be at his beckon call at the drop of a hat, apologizing for her insurgence and going back to doing what he said. The two-faced little bitch.
As to when Master Shredder would be returning, that was information neither of them knew exactly. Bradford assumed it was approaching rather quickly and Karai must've presumed the exact same thing, which brought both him, Xever, and Stockman to the destination they were exploring at this very moment.
The sewers were a dank and horrifyingly disgusting underbelly of slime and malodorous fumes. It was a wonder the smell or freezing temperatures didn't kill the turtles and their malevolent rat master as Bradford could only imagine having to live down here for the span of nearly half his existence.
Turning the corner and avoiding stepping in the sewage stream, he looked up ahead of him and practically sneered watching Baxter fiddle around with his fancy toy. "How much longer, Stinkman? Karai has made it perfectly clear she doesn't want us coming back empty-handed."
Mechanical legs gyrating with each step, Xever hissed from behind Bradford, shooting daggers straight through Baxter's backside. "And since we are relying on your Mousers, we induct full responsibility on you if we do not find anything down here soon."
"Hey, this is a delicate process, you guys," Baxter whined, fiddling with his controls while following one of his Mousers that had been leading the way. "I'm taking a shot in the dark with little to no knowledge as to where this hideout could be, so it may take a while judging by how far these tunnels extend."
Bradford couldn't help the growl that escaped his mouth. While he wasn't exactly a well-renowned genius, he understood the process Baxter had explained to both him and Xever when they embarked on this mission travelling through the sewers. With Master Shredder due to arrive back in New York anytime, Karai wanted to appease 'daddy dearest' by providing him the capture of the turtles and Hamato Yoshi. With foggy details as to where their lair was located, Karai relied on Stockman's Mousers to utilize infrared homing technology, tracking their heat signatures in order to detect where they were hiding.
It had been an hour since their mission commenced and both Bradford and Xever were growing impatient.
That is, until Baxter's remote started going haywire and the Mouser they had been following immediately took off in a dash, screeching its high-pitched wail that seemed to bounce off the sewers walls.
"I think it's found something!" Baxter cried. He quickly trailed behind the speeding Mouser with Bradford and Xever following suit. Turning a sharp corner, what the three men were hoping to stumble across with flitting hope only turned into stark rejection as they ran into a pile of rubble and dirt – a mass destruction of chaotic proportions.
The Mouser quickly scurried atop the mess, scooping up chunks of brick and cement while Stockman and the others stood before the mess in stunned silence.
"W-What ... what happened?" Baxter was the first to speak, his head whipping in different directions trying to make sense of what had transpired.
"An ambush?" Xever asked, picking up a torn pillow that was tossed aside in the corner.
Bradford's eyes narrowed into slits, examining the ruins that had been scattered across the floor. He knew, as a warrior, that observation was the key in piecing together the transparencies of a battlefield and taking notice of the finer details was just as important as knowing the combatants who fought among the front line. "No," he answered, taking notice of the charred streaks on the ground leading out of one room, almost as though an explosion emanated inside. "There was an accident."
"So, where are the turtles now?" Baxter asked, the lilt of anxiety lining his words.
An abrupt crash quickly followed the end of his sentence, causing both Bradford and Xever to snap their attention in the direction of the sound. It had come from the room Bradford assumed held the cause of the mysterious accident and with cautious steps, he slipped inside with Xever following behind. He took in his surroundings, realizing that a lot had been damaged, including the walls that flaked over with blackened soot and singed brick. The room held the remnants of burning chemicals and scorched papers, causing Bradford to believe that a fire had taken place. Only question was, who had started it?
The sound of a crash ignited the fight-or-flight responses rushing through Bradford's skeletal frame and although both he and Xever were on high alert, Bradford couldn't help but feel a icy chill creep up his spine.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" The warrior demanded, a fierce growl edging the underlining of his words.
Coming from the corner way off in the distance, Bradford could detect a very faint, yet off-putting greenish glow followed by the squelch of something wet and mucky. Eyes squinting to get a better look, he noticed a slimy ooze was starting to trickle out of the corner – the sound of harsh grunting echoing through his wolf-like ears.
"Madre mía..." Xever breathed, watching as the mound of ooze shifted and contorted, compiling into one giant mass of green slime containing what looked like vital, functioning organs.
"What the hell is that?" Bradford asked while taking a step back, his body rigid just waiting for the attack.
A pinkish rope slick with glistening slime slithered out from the greenish ooze, the tip splitting open to reveal a pair of gross, saliva-coated teeth.
"Fiiiiirrrre burrrrn," it drowned. "Exploooosssion, boom! Leffft me to diiiiie, Donnnnniiie!"
"So there was an accident," Bradford whispered. His ears perked up when he heard a shriek coming from Baxter's Mouser, the scrawny scientist quickly running inside the room with eyes wide in excitement.
"I think I may have a lead!" Baxter exclaimed, slipping inside the room while holding on to his control device. "Judging from the scans my Mousers examined, there was indeed a chemical explosion that caused the turtles' lair to condense into shambles. However, their heat signatures are still scattered all across this space and not only that, but their emitting strong currents that also lead into the tunnels. If the turtles had perished in this unknown explosion, the signatures wouldn't be as powerful, nor would they disperse outside of their lair. They must've fled after the cause of this so called incident."
"Yet one question still remains: where are the turtles and their treacherous rat master now?" Bradford asked.
"The heat signatures," Xever piped up. "You said that they lead outside of the lair. Could you follow the trail and see where it leads?"
"It's not impossible, but it won't be easy," Baxter exclaimed. "It's a lot colder in the sewers than it is outside the surface, so it's easier for my Mousers to track down the heat signatures until they lead into the city. All those bystanders emitting different waves of body temperature – they could mix and intermingle, throwing the entire trail off and leading us somewhere completely off track. We'd be following a broken, twisted path."
"Great," Bradford growled, his eyes training down to the glob of organs and ooze still holding up its mouth like a slithering snake.
"Leffft me behiiiinnnnd. Leffft me foooor Apriiiiiiil, Donnnnniiiiie."
Ears quirked up, Bradford's lips tightened into a serious line before he snapped his attention back to Stockman. "Get Karai on the line and inform her about the accident." He glanced back down at the slimy blob, his fangs gleaming deviously into a pointed, scheming smile. "And let her know we'll be bringing back a friend..."