A/N: Here you have it. Enjoy!

WOLF - Boo, work. But I understand. XD

D - Desperate times, man. ;P

Sciencegal - Not quite...

Chapter 26: Dust Storm

Michelangelo stared into Zebb's mask, unblinking at its dead, black eye sockets.

"You," Zebb said through his voice changer, "you're a mutant?"

"See why I've been so pushy?" the unmasked hero questioned. "Then again, even if you were 'normal' or an alien, I would've acted the same."

"Why?"

Mikey flashed a crooked smile. "Because I can't help being a hero. Now will you believe I'm on your side?"

The Man Without Pain sighed, groaned, then ripped the mask from his head as if it'd bit him. His tanned, tattooed skin scrunched in disgust at the mask's reddened cheeks before he traced its lines, lifting his gaze towards Diamond Bank's damaged entrance. "Things weren't supposed to be this way," he noted in a hoarse voice.

"Your approach kind'a sucked," the mutant jested. "Chances would've been better if you considered a covert operation."

"That's not what I meant, Titan. I mean…having to resort to this."

"I've offered help."

"Unless you really are a billionaire, that offer's useless. To get the life we dreamed of—that my family deserves—this heist needed to go off without a hitch." Sighing, Zebb brought his intense dark eyes on his mask. "We aren't professionals. This was a one-time event, and we screwed it up."

"Maybe not. If we find a way out the back offices, past the bars, we can escape. We just gotta get the others first."

"That's why I needed the code—the time override code."

Glancing down at the unconscious Jennifer in his arms, Mikey frowned. "She said they were trapped."

"Unexpected secondary security measures," Zebb said, drear.

"Like the EPF installations?"

"We had no reason to expect them when we staked out the place. The timed lock is always open during the afternoon, so we needed only the initial access code. Besides, the owner was supposed to be here."

"Why grab Marina instead?"

"The cousin? She was our next-best chance."

"How?"

"She was the bank's previous manager. She knew the code, but when she led Ulla and Unna inside, the vault locked behind them. A little girl ran in as well, to help."

Mikey rose from the ground then gently dragged Jennifer's long form beside Starberry Girl by the sideways-turned desk. "Megan's in there too? How long has it been? D—do they have air?"

"As far as I know?" The robber's voice lowered. "No."

Kuso; Mikey felt like he was going to throw up, yet he pushed aside thoughts of the scared five-year-old so he could remain focused on Zebb's dour expression. "Is there a way to bypass the lock?"

"Do I look like a techie?"

The mutant sighed. 'It sure would help if Donny were here. But even if I called him, he wouldn't make it in time. Which reminds me, where the hell is Raph?'

"Cops are moving outside. We have to act now."

"R—right."

Nodding, Michelangelo jogged after Zebb down the hallway at the balcony's back. He passed at least four offices to reach its end: a black door spanning eight feet tall and six feet wide. It looked typical in Mikey's eyes—only shiner, with no knob, more metal, and a flat screen security console recessed into it.

"Dude," Mikey whispered, pointing towards a turtle-like logo on the screen's display. "That's Oswald tech. This is serious security."

"Because of the expensive, easy to hock valuables kept in there from high-profile customers."

"Like who?"

"Does it matter?" With a glare, Zebb shoved the hero aside and jabbed a finger at a blinking, red message on the security console. "See this? The damn thing alerted police ages ago. Now its rejecting my command to bring up the keypad."

"Is it just me, or is it talking to us?"

"Access failure," a feminine robotic voice chimed, causing Mike to stand at attention. "BIO scans invalid. Total vault lockdown. Code Dust Storm enacting in four minutes."

"Wonder what Code Dust Storm means," the mutant grumbled.

"Ulla, Unna!" Zebb cried out. It seemed like a pointless move until Mikey realized the tanned man held a thumb against a circular button on the screen's lower left corner. It was titled 'PA' and two distressed voices returned his call from mounted speakers along the hall.

"Zebb! Have you got the override code?"

"I told you, idiots; only Ivy knows it, and she's out of the country," added another female—an aggravated sound.

"Marina?" Michelangelo added (his voice a little high from hope).

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh, me? I'm, uh—"

"Another robber?"

"What makes you say that?"

"If you were a cop, the other guy would be arrested."

"Not necessarily. He wants you all out too."

"Is that why you're here? Are you a lock expert?"

'Is she mocking me?' Mikey thought while blanching.

"Actually, your husband called me," the mutant countered, eye ridges furrowed.

"Why would Hugh call anyone outside the police? It doesn't make any—" The woman stopped herself short and the speakers crackled with a loud snort when she drew closer to the vault's inner PA receiver. "If you're part of the same group that help his obsession with the Little Red Robberies, I swear I'll break through this door and—"

"Three minutes until Code Dust Storm enacts."

"As nice as it would be if you could do that," Mikey continued, "we have other problems. Like figuring out these codes."

"Dust Storm is a control measure," Marina added. "If the override code isn't imputed within the next two minutes, the vault will fill with smoke."

"Like SWAT uses for crowd control?"

"Possibly. It's never been used before, and was installed after I quit."

"Speaking of"—Mikey sent the frowning Zebb a sidelong glance—"you knew the access code. Why? Shouldn't it have been changed?"

"It was. Ivy told me the new one."

"That's odd."

"There are reasons. But I don't know the override code. Why"—Marina's stern tone grew breathy, broken—"why isn't Hugh here? Why'd he send someone else?"

"No one's letting him in, Marina," Mikey said through clenched teeth. "Believe me, if he could, he'd be here. He loves you."

There was no reply from the wife, not even a scoff or sob. Shuffling then sounded before Ulla or Unna spoke again.

"Zebb," she all but whispered, "we're cornered. Y—you should go."

"No," Zebb retorted, pushing his thumb harder against the 'PA' button.

"Barry and Rose shouldn't be alone. One of us should be there for them. They…they can't handle Lacio alone."

"Prison would destroy you, Ulla, Unna. I—I can't."

"We'd be taken to separate places anyway. You wouldn't be able to protect us. So leave. Please."

"Unna—"

"I've tried, Zebb. S—she won't listen. And she has a point."

"What about our baby?"

The vault's feminine voice almost drowned out Zebb's weak question with its two minute reminder. Michelangelo would've swore he misheard the tattooed man—only, Zebb shivered with a sob, leaning his forehead against the metal door separating him from his loves.

"Zebb," the blondes said in unison, "we're standing here, staring at a little girl who's too scared to speak. If that's how our baby's future starts, then we'll forever live in shame."

"How redemptive of you," snapped Marina in the distance.

"We never meant for things to go this bad," Ulla or Unna retorted.

"Now we're facing the possibility of choking out. Bet your baby is so proud."

"Uh, Marina," Mikey interjected, cringing at Zebb's growl, "antagonizing isn't going to help."

"No, contacting Ivy would. But she won't get off her flight for another six hours."

"There must be another way." With a glance at the digital clock counting down, the mutant hissed as if burned by its small number. "Less than a minute. And I bet the police are itching to enter."

"I got an idea; keep away from the door." Zebb released the 'PA' button to load one last magazine into the AK-47 once slung over his shoulder than backpedaled until the hero met him down the hall.

"Are you crazy?"

"If the lock loses power, it loosens its hold."

"You expect the girls to shift all the inside cylinders?"

"It's our best chance. Now move!"

Mikey stumbled into the wall when the rifle's barrel pushed him off balance. He covered his ears at the shrill cry of bullets, and ducked to keep his bare head protected from ricocheting shells. Of course the Man Without Pain needn't be mindful of such things (though he probably bled like any other mortal), so the mutant used him as a shield.

Once the onslaught ended, he then peered around the broad figure, eyes set on the sizzling control panel. Its cracked screen flashed green, gray, white, and stripes, yet the countdown continued between the glitches.

"Is it saying something else now?" Mikey asked while nearing the door.

Yup. The panel now displayed a smoke content whenever the screen flickered—just below the clock—and from what he could tell it entailed a concentrated amount of Carbon Monoxide and Dioxide—as apparent by the long green bars under their names.

"U—uh, Z—Zebb," the hero croaked, pointing at the words 'Dust Storm enacted'. "I think things just got worse."

Hugh sent Donna a hard look and pulled her further from the other police on Broadway. "Do I look like I give a fuck about how swamped Doughnut is in Hell's Kitchen?"

"I thought you'd be a little interested," the wide-mouth blonde replied, prying at his fingers around her arm. "Damien and Noah went to help and it's sort of a war zone right now."

"The Forty-Fours and PDs can destroy themselves. Right now, all I care about is getting Rina out."

"What about my family?"

Teeth gritted, the detective craned his neck towards Blaine behind him. Their glares met like a warm and cold front, though Donna broke up the storm by standing between the men.

"Bishop's sent troops," she announced. "They're mainly for Hell's Kitchen, but I overheard on the radio that he means to send a few here as well, in place of the negotiator."

"You're shitting me," Blaine seethed.

Slowly, Donna shook her head. "That's why everyone's standing their ground, despite the slowed activity inside."

"Mindless drones," Hugh spat as he hit a fist against the window of a car at the group's side.

"Figured you two weren't listening to the news, so here I am."

"We gotta get in there before the EPF arrives."

"I'm not fond of them either, Hughy, but—"

"You don't understand." Hugh shared a look with Blaine then stared down Donna's wide green eyes. "I called a friend. He's in there helping and…the EPF can't catch him."

"Could that be why things go so quiet?"

"Maybe."

"Is this the same friend we stole for in December?"

Knowing lying would be pointless, the detective nodded. "One of them. H—he's helping me take a stand against the EPF and—"

"I'll go."

"What?" Donna could be reckless—worse so than Blaine—yet Hugh wasn't prepared for the firm, determined look she flashed.

"You and Blaine stay here. If you're seen missing, you could get in trouble. But no one will suspect me. I'll sneak in, give you an overview of what's happening. Warn your friend."

"And if the robber still has leverage?" Blaine added, challenging.

"I'd like to see him catch me," the blonde teased with a sly grin.

"Donna, you don't have to—"

Donna shut Hugh up with a snort-laugh. "Have some faith. I can handle field work."

"Yet you're always stuck at a desk because of your big mouth…and rash behavior."

"Don't talk to me about rash behavior, Bling Blaine; you aren't any better."

"Still…" Hugh's heavy eyes drifted towards Diamond Bank, its silent, damaged façade crushing his chest.

"Remember when I was twenty-one?" Donna asked abruptly. She earned Hugh's quirked eyebrow, though he didn't respond since he knew she'd continue regardless. "I was a super green fledgling being forced into the NYPD. Parents weren't happy about what I'd done up until then and I thought the whole deal would be a drag. Until I latched onto you."

Hugh's eyebrow raised higher, his throat tightening as the woman sent a rare sheepish smile.

"I didn't always walk the straight path, but you did it with style. It gave me hope that it could be fun, and when we completed our first assignment together, I felt what you'd been preaching to me since day one: joy in helping."

"Hugh, style?" Blaine interjected. "We talking about the same afro boy?"

"Don't hate the curls, Bling Blaine." Hugh formed a smirk, but couldn't maintain it. Sighing, he met Donna's gaze again then fingered the wedding ring in his pocket.

"You're known for supporting underdogs," the blonde added softly. "From ex-gangers to simple thieves, you fight for them. You try to understand. I trust your judge of character. That's why I helped in December. It's why I'll help now."

"Are you sure?" Hugh whispered.

"Yup. So if you two could create a little distraction, I'd appreciate it."

Donna flashed a trademark smile before rounding the car that sheltered them from the other officers. She was surprisingly quick and quiet while approaching the bank, so Hugh faced Blaine, unable to frown as he said,

"Told you she'd make a good addition to our circle."

"That was six years ago."

"And she's been valuable since. Now how should we cause a scene?"

"Here's a thought."

Blaine shifted, pulling Hugh backwards by his trench coat until he shoved the detective's head against the hood of the car. Its cold bite numbed the impact, and yet something behind its ferocity left him unsure if the blonde meant his rage or was really good at faking it. Guess he was going to find out.

Although Michelangelo told himself not to panic, the gasps and coughs over the PA system made his head spin. "Kuso, kuso, kuso!" he cried, beating the cruel security console. "Open, dammit!"

"Everyone, stay low," Zebb screamed. Unfortunately, they no longer had a means of knowing if their voices reached the trapped quartet inside the vault.

"What now?" Mikey croaked.

His wide gaze shifted to the tanned man in black, and he inhaled sharply at the distant stare Zebb gave the metal door. 'For a man who isn't supposed to feel pain, he sure seems crippled.'

"Zebb!"

"Good luck, Figo; doubt his mind is home right now."

"Hoshi?" Mikey spun, slack-jawed. He watched the pink and black heroine gimp down the hall; however, his smile died the moment his eyes fell on what she gripped in her gloved hands. "I—is that?"

"Lose something?" Starberry Girl countered without missing a beat. She tossed him his black cowl casually—as if his green complexion was unimpressive—then glanced over her bare shoulder. "May want to put it on quickly. We have two bionde heading our way."

Shoving the head piece on, the hero asked, "Two what? And do—do you really have no questions about"—he cringed—"me?"

"I'll question you later. First, tell me what you did to this thing."

"It wasn't me; it was Zebb," Mikey defended while pointing a finger at the still man. "He thought his gun could open it."

"So it's indefinitely stuck?"

"Not sure. The lock's active, but the room's started some code called Dust Storm. It's filling with smoke, carbon dioxide."

"Damn amateurs," a new voice interjected. High, nasally, it sounded like it belong to a nerd—that is, if Mikey was the kind to stereotype. Good thing he wasn't because the fit woman who ran between the trio looked less like a bookie and more like a partier, even in her police uniform.

"Who are you?" Mikey questioned.

The honey blonde quirked the side of her large mouth. "Someone who's apparently going to save lives. Call me Donna. Now back off."

"For what?"

"On second thought, do you have anything to pry this panel face off with?"

"I have this," Mike offered after digging through his utility belt.

"What a weird knife," Donna grumbled. She poked it, shrugged, then proceeded to shove it under the metal frame around the security console.

"It's called a Kunai. It's—"

"Japanese," Starberry finished. Tearing her attention off Michelangelo, she crossed her arms, flinching. "How do you expect to open this thing, Biondina?"

Donna cracked her neck sideways and spoke as if on speed, "Class threes usually eat up a lot of time, but seeing as how I'm bypassing and not breaching, this shouldn't take any more than, oh, a few minutes."

"Is that so?" Hoshi was clearly unconvinced.

"Be thankful this is old Oswald tech and no grinding or lances are involved. I wouldn't have time to go out for tools."

"Old tech?" Mikey's eye ridges rose behind his cowl. "There's a BIO scanner on the inside, and you're calling this old?"

"The scanner must be a separate installation. Those are a recent development. Judging by this set-up, the main security must've gone online in, say, oh-five?"

"How would you know that?"

Donna didn't spare Starberry a glance, instead focusing on the slew of colorful wiring behind the cracked screen she'd just freed. She then reached towards its center and said, "I was interning there at the time. Got to see many things."

"You interned at one of the world's leading cybernetics organizations."

"Before I was fired."

"For what?"

Donna smiled over her shoulder as she produced a short switchbox from the wires. "They considered me a security risk," she said, pulling out the thickest wire from the box.

Instantly, the vault's noises ceased, silencing the weak coughs over the PA. The blonde unhooked another wire then placed it in the new empty hole. Mikey had no idea why, but a soft rumbling signified movement from inside. Donna backed up in time for the door to budge. Though the movement was subtle, it gave rise to hope—hope which resurrected Zebb from his shock.

"Ulla! Unna!" The tattooed man barreled by Donna to slip his fingers through the new gap.

He pulled with a ferociousness that bulged veins from his bald head until the several-hundred ton door met the wall. Dense smoke billowed out from the vault like a white veil, burning, poignant, as it filled the hallway. The group began hacking in seconds, and Mikey feared how the others were faring in the heart of it.

"All of this was in there?" he called out through the haze.

"I unlocked the door," Donna added from behind. "It's all I know about the system, so I couldn't stop the smoke."

"Meaning: it'll keep generating?" Starberry Girl yelled, her hoarse voice already far ahead.

Donna coughed deeply. "Yeah!"

'So we find the others and get out before we pass out ourselves. Easy enough. Least the smoke makes for great cover.'

Besides, he had special filters installed in his cowl's lenses (an unknowing present from Donatello). Pressing a button on the side of his head, Mikey skipped the various filters until he reach thermal vision. Then he could clearly spot three wandering bodies marked by yellow and red glows against deep blues.

"Zebb, you're closest. Take a few strides left; you should reach Marina."

"I'm here for my wives," Zebb countered with a growl and cough. Regardless, he did as told, kneeling down when his foot caught Marina's downed figure.

Mikey dashed forward along with Starberry and guided the man towards Ulla and Unna's body before he glanced down at Hugh's wife. The curvy woman curled herself around Megan, as if protecting the child from an explosion. They remained still—so much like the figures from Michelangelo's past.

Even so, he refused to freeze up like in July and checked their conditions by removing his glove to bring his naked hand to their mouths. 'Still breathing. Good. But they need immediate medical attention.'

"How do you know where everyone is?" Hoshi asked through slight wheezes.

Mikey's head jerked up to see her glance around. Maybe she was seeking him, since she apparently couldn't sense his quiet moves beside her.

"Thermal vision," he said once she ventured towards the day gate across the vault's center. "Come back this way. I'll hand you Megan then carry Marina. Jennifer and Donna can take them from there."

"And our would-be robbers?"

Mikey's gaze fell on the man who'd dragged Ulla and Unna away from the safe already. "We'll help them."

"Are you serious, Figo?"

"Trust me, Starberry. While this was the biggest mistake of their lives, they don't deserve prison. The smoke will coat the bank. That and the others will serve as distractions while we escape through the top."

"This whole mess is their fault!"

"But everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

The heroine remained quiet as she knelt by Marina—whether in anger, frustration, or acceptance. She huffed, yet allowed Mikey to hand over Megan. "Whatever, Figo. But come next Dust Storm, I'm taking point."

"Sure," the mutant said in an undertone.

He sent Hoshi a smile she couldn't see then lifted Marina from the ground, pulling her close as the duo exited the vault for their next move.

A/N: And safe! For now. *cackles* Next Chapter, "Phantoms" follows the aftermath of this endeavor. We say goodbye to some characters (for a while). Mikey begins to question how honest Hoshi is being. Don admits he knows the truth about Nightwatcher and Turtle Titan. And Hugh asks for a meeting that can change his life forever. Stay tuned, and don't forget to leave a review! :D