Chapter 5: Burnout
Three weeks later...
"Are you shitting me!?" A deep voice that sounded distinctly like Raphael flew through the Lair. "Mikey! Where'd you take them? Where are they you little shit!?"
Suddenly the hothead himself came flying into the main living room with arms bunched and shoulder muscles bulging in anger. Steam seemed to blow from his ears like a huffing train. Each step seemed to be an angry stomp as the red banded turtle stormed his way towards Michelangelo who had a game controller loosely gripped in his hands. The younger turtle jumped up when Raphael didn't stop his quick pace towards him.
Seemingly from nowhere Donatello jumped between Raphael before he could get to his brother.
"Calm down Raph," Donatello tried putting one arm up that Raphael ignored until he ran chest first into it then tried to push Donatello out of the way. But Donatello didn't move, he stayed solid between his brothers. "What happened? What's wrong?"
"My sai's are gone!" Raphael yelled in his face. A vein in the side of his head protruding fiercely. "And unless someone else decided to take over Mikey's chores and polish the weapons for 'em then he's the last one who saw 'em!"
Raphael tried to dodge around Donatello to grab for the orange turtle but between Donatello grabbing for Raphael's hand and Michelangelo skipping around the two he couldn't get a hold of him.
Now from across the living area Michelangelo felt more confident. "I polished them and put them where I always do. I didn't take them bro, I swear!"
"Lair!" Raphael yelled trying to unravel himself from Donatello's steal grip. "If this is another prank I swear to God Mike I'll -"
"Do you want to wake up Leo, Raph?" Donatello hissed in Raphael's face. The hothead stopped struggling for a moment but his breath still came fast and his body still shook with rage.
"Too late," came a small voice from the upper level of the Lair. Peering over from the balcony of the second floor Leonardo looked down at his brothers for a second before sighing and putting his hands on his hips. The other three stared at the oldest before Leonardo reluctantly turned on his heal to ascend the stairs.
"What time is it and what did Mikey do this time?" He asked when he had finished the steps and was walking towards his brothers.
Donatello started, "It's eight forty-five – "
"He stole my sai but I can handle this without you Leo," Raphael spat too angry to care.
Leonardo yawned and rubbed at his face again feeling a bit of skin flake under his hands. "Sounds like it." He said rubbing at his eyes and stifling another yawn.
"I didn't take anything!" Michelangelo yelled and Raphael growled like a wolf with his haunches up at the orange turtle. "Yer the only one who was in there-"
"Raph come on," Donatello almost whined still holding back his bigger brother.
Michelangelo stepped back again and put his hands up. "I promise bro I didn't take them!"
"You lying piece of –"
"Why don't we all just calm down –"
"Shuddup Leo! No one wants to hear from you right –"
"Don't talk to him like that, Raph you need to cool down –"
"You want some of this Donnie? Huh? You think you can –"
Then the lights flashed off.
The Lair, which was once alight with brightness in every corner was plunged into darkness, not even the small lights that Donatello's computer gave off shined. The four turtles were quiet as they looked around the darkness with wide eyes.
"Great," Raphael snapped shoving Donatello off of him. Donatello made as small noise as he stumbled but otherwise kept his composure.
Michelangelo felt his heart start to race and pound in his chest. He wasn't afraid of the dark but something didn't feel right. Something felt off. He took a step forward hearing one of his other brothers walking towards him. He heard steps on the cement ground where they didn't have carpet and waited for one of his brothers to speak. The sound of feet drew closer and closer until Michelangelo was sure they were right next to each other but then the feet didn't stop and the orange turtle felt someone brush past him and continue on their way.
"Leo?" He whispered looking back at where the footsteps walked off to. It was then the the lights snapped on all over the Lair. Every light took shine and all of the brothers hissed or cursed in their own way as brightness assaulted their sensitive eyes. When Michelangelo opened his eye he looked behind himself to see which brother has passed him and was surprised to see nothing. He turned back around and saw all three in the same spots they were in before the blackout. Michelango gulped feeling a chill run down his spine.
"Must be the power plant testing the grids. We're so far out they probably think no one lives here and they can test the power." Donatello said lightly while looking up at all the lights that peppered the ceiling.
Leonardo, who had stayed quiet throughout the entire ordeal finally spoke and when he did Michelangelo wished he hadn't. "Did you guys feel weird when the lights went out?"
Raphael smirked and folded his arms across his plastron. "What? Fearless Leader is scared of the dark now?"
"No," Leonardo shook his head before grabbing at his forehead. "Something doesn't feel right." He took a step on his foot that was now newly unbandaged since the fire and stopped when he heard a deafening crash from the kitchen. In an instant the four turtles were on alert. Leonardo opened his mouth to tell them they needed a plan but stopped when he saw his brothers already running towards the kitchen.
When Donatello entered the kitchen he gasped audibly but not as loud as the screech that left Michelangelo's mouth as he saw his perfectly organized and stocked kitchen in shambles. He didn't even have enough wits about him to start crying, he just gaped at the scene in front of him. The fridge door was open with all of its contents strewn out across the cement floor. The cabinets, once neatly organized and clean were now in shambles with their plates – some broken, others cracked – laying in piles around the mess that was now their kitchen. Pans that were once stored under the oven and in the drawers now lay strewn in random areas, some pans seemed to be bent at weird angles while other had handles missing. Food was everywhere slicking the ground.
"What the shell…" Raph breathed looking at the mess, his anger forgotten immediately as Michelangelo took a shaky step forward over the remnants of food and debris trying to get to the refrigerator. Donatello grabbed for his youngest brother's arm but Michelangelo jerked out of reach and took another step. Under his foot something snapped and Michelangelo wanted to cry.
It took a few minutes of small steps and refooting for the orange turtle to make it to the open refrigerator but when he did he wished he had never made the trip. There was nothing in or around the fridge worth saving. All of their food was around on the dirty ground, smashed or dirty beyond even what they would eat. Michelangelo wanted to scream or cry or both. He'd spent hours, days, on their kitchen, making sure their small family had something to eat. Making sure they never went hungry like when they had first arrived to the new Lair.
This was his job. This was like Donatello promising to making any technology they needed to function. This was like Raphael training to protect the Hamato Clan. This was like Leonardo vowing to look after the family. Food and nourishment was Michelangelo's job in the family, it was his place and now… now it was all destroyed.
They would go hungry. They would starve.
This was Michelangelo's nightmare come to life.
"Okay what?!" Michelangelo turned on his heel to face Raphael. He was so hurt, so angry, what would they do now? "Is this retaliation? Just because you think I took your sai you have to destroy my kitchen?" he spat, spittle flying from his mouth.
They were going to starve.
They were going to starve.
"I didn't do this," Raphael said fast with wide eyes.
Michelangelo look a threatening step forward. Anger made his muscles tight and shoulders bunch. His muscles bulged and his hands shook. "What have you done –"
"Michelangelo, calm down and come over here," Leonardo seemed to appear out of nowhere beside Donatello. His voice was all Leader Mode and no bullshit. "We need to get out of here. The Lair's been compromised." He finished quickly and calmly. Michelangelo gasped but nodded swallowing his anger for later. He took three big steps and didn't look behind himself at the kitchen.
Donatello turned to his brother, "None of the sensors went off."
Leonardo shook his head taking a step and leading his brothers from the kitchen. One hand was slightly bent, ready to grab for the knives in his belt at any time. "Something doesn't feel right."
"Hey," Raphael stopped walking and sniffed. "I smell smoke."
The lights above their heads flashed once before they brightened and brightened until the bulbs couldn't handle the power and they broke, shattering the bulbs and plunging the turtle's home into darkness once again. Leonardo opened his mouth to tell his brothers to hold their positions but a chill swept down his spine all the way to his feet and around the back of his neck.
Somewhere deep in the darkness something whispered.
"Can you see me?"