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A Journey begins with a thousand feet

Mikey could all feel it the council of heads looming over him disapproving, judgmental hateful, and yet the same scathing and demanding expectation. He could sense Mayhem and the others who spoke with them yesterday. "We are not so Heartless that will not give you a chance! Prove you're not a threat and we will spare you experiments. Fail and we will not hesitate to destroy you!"

Mikey yelped as he woke up he panted as he heard everyone groan. "They were in my head! They were in my head!" Donnie growled.

"Was that a mind meld!?" Leo asked incredulously.

"Yes it was we have one chance to prove ourselves! So don't do anything Stupid!" Splinter warned.

Mikey just curled up he felt responsible for this. "If I had just….I wish….why am I so awful?"

X X X

The Foot Clan would rise again! Right now they we're on their way to reclaim the Foot Shack. AND THEY WOULD THEN DESTROY THEIR ENEMIES HOPES AND DREAMS!
But when they Got there….

"Under New management…"

"It got sold while we were gone!? I thought the housing market here was crap!" Bebop groaned incredulously pulling his ears a little.

It was then Lieutenant got depressed. "Are we….Are we doomed to fail the Shredder?!"

Brute hung his head "I don't know. It's been one disaster after another. Maybe….maybe…this is an omen"

"Screw the omens!" Bebop declared jumping onto a box! "We've endured worse haven't we. We were so close before we can't possibly give up now! Not when Lord Shreder is counting on us! If we give up over this can we really call ourselves the core of the Foot Clan!?"

"No we can't." Lieutenant said brightening.

"Exactly so lets make him proud and keep trying!" Bebop declared vigorously rallying his comrades.

"YEEEEEEESSSSSSS!" Recruit screamed invigorated. Lieutenant suddenly gasped.

"We do have something!" He declared happily. Soon they had been driving for six hours to reach New Hampton. The distance wasn't so much the problem at this point, she and Bebop had mastered portals, and Lieutenant could always use them. No, for recruit it was more that she knew Some of the people here. That was a part of her life she left far behind and WOULD NEVER RETURN TOO! Eventually they had stopped in front of a small bakery.

"You had this on hand." Bebop asked in surprise.

Lieutenant shrugged. "We needed a couple back ups. Looks like it paid off!"

"Admittedly I was hoping we would do the bakery! I've even got some of my own recipes." Brute said a bit excitedly. "Let's get this set up!" They all headed in as Rocksteady looked at the Audience.

"Having an entire story segment devoted to showing how we bought a building would be boring as all hell. And the only ones that would do that are basically full of spite for the audience; pure, unadulterated, spite." He chuckled as he followed them in.

X X X

Tiger Claw was able to take Mikey this time, he wanted to make up for not keeping his promise before even if it wasn't his fault that it got broken. Mikey sat and waited soon Shannon called him in. He went and sat down as Carol smiled at him. "Hello, Mikey how have you been doing?" She asked.

"Umm okay, I guess. I don't have as many nightmares as I used to but; Going to see the heads what they said to us. About me almost melting New York. How much trouble Mayhem got into. I can't help but think it's my fault. And just going back to the Hidden City going to Yokai, that Draxum used to talk about all the time. It's made me think about how he constantly used to say. 'You would not be like this if not for me!' So, I've been thinking maybe I shouldn't exist at all maybe things would be better if I didn't."

Carol looked unsettled by this, "But you know that's not true right? That you have as much right to exist as anyone else?"

"I know. But I can't help but think, if I had just gone to you in the first place. If I hadn't been so angry with Splinter and the Hamato clan. None of that would've happened. Leo and Klunk wouldn't have gotten as badly beat up as they did. Raph and Donnie Wouldn't have gotten caught in the foot would've never completed the Dark Armor." Mikey began to sob. "I just….I just wanted my brothers to stop being miserable!" He sobbed as Carol sat closer to him out of impulse, he hugged her she returned it as he cried.

X X X

Bebop was hard at work opening portals to sneak their books and stuff left behind at the Foot Shack. Bebop pulled out the last thing a black simple and thin Crystal. "That's everything boss, So what's so important about this Crystal? Seems like any other Mystic Crystal to me."

"Keep in mind that mystic crystals don't usually come in black." Lieutenant said taking it from the warthog mutant before placing it in a small pedestal at the center of the cave they were in underground in the bakery. "This crystal allows connection to the mortal realm and the Netherworld. With it there may be hope of reaching out and contacting the Shredder's soul. The seal that little turtle fractured it's possible that it's now breaking down as a result."

"Oh I get it he might have an idea of where his body ended up right?" Rocksteady asked.

"That's What we're hoping," Brute replied.

Once that was done it was time to set up the store. Recruit With scrub and spray every single germ into Oblivion! One could even eat off the floors once she was finished with the counters, she readied the floor scrubber she grinned manically.

"FOOT CLAAAAN!" She shouted while scrubbing the floors incredibly hard so much sold it was almost looking like she was chipping away a small layer of the ceramic.

"Uh-"Bebop began as Lieutenant cut him off.

"Yes do something about that," He sighed exasperatedly. Bebop helped her calm down and Spare the Floor for now at least! But soon the war against filth had been won. They used Paper Ninja to quickly set up the sign 'Fire and Icing' a suitable Pun for the fire that burned in their souls and under their feet!

Brute was happily humming as he was pulling out some Coffee cupcakes, he made for samples to take into town. Recruit suddenly heard growling. "What is that noise!?"

Bebop sniffed the air "I smell Gold and sweat" he hummed quizzically. There was suddenly hissing Brute looked up to see him being pointed at by small trolls invoking the image of a mouse.

"Bobger Trolls!" He gasped.

X X X

"Mikey it's okay for you to be here. A lot of things in life don't make sense and they never will. And sometimes things will just happen because they happen. Yes, you made a mistake. But everyone makes them, you're a child it's okay for you to make mistakes that's what growing up is all about. But you need to remember that sometimes bad things will happen regardless of what you do." Carol told him rubbing the back of his shell. Mikey sniffled before taking a shaky breath. "Why do I think that way then?"

"Because Draxum put the idea in your head. Something very cruel and very wrong to do." Carol sighed sadly.

Mikey thought for a moment he took another breath. "Is it wrong that is some twisted way I'm grateful? He created us…But without that I wouldn't have Klunk, my dad, my brothers, Krysta, April, Tiger Claw or you."

Carol let him go and smiled. "It's good that you found something positive in your abuse. But keep in mind you're the one that made the decision to leave. You made the decisions that brought you to this point in time you owe nothing to Draxum."

Mikey nodded in understanding, he realized then and there that Klunk was what motivated him to run away he had no love for Draxum. But he loved Klunk with all his heart he loved his family with all his heart.

"It feels weird, remembering I have feelings. When I was told I was a weapon my whole life." Mikey muttered bitterly. "But I guess I always did, because hearing that every day. It hurt, it hurt more than any beating…" he sighed as Carol held him close again. It was then Mikey broke down.

"I'm sorry," Mikey hiccupped.

"There's nothing to apologize for sweet pea." Carol soothed.

X X X

"They're after my special cupcakes!" Brute shouted as swatted several that had dove for his Coffee cupcakes.

"Different bad, different bad!" They chanted as Bebop blasted several away with a burst of mystic energy.

"Hey I like his coffee cupcakes!" Bebop snapped.

"They're goin' for the recipe box!" Rocksteady gasped as they all picked up the small box Brute had set aside however Recruit had knocked them away.

"Nothing will stop us from rebuilding the Foot Clan and finding the Shredder! Not even CORPORATE HACK INCARNATES!" She declared diving into the swarm. "FOOOT CLAAAAN!" She screamed as she fought against them only to get tossed away.

Lieutenant growled sending a bunch of paper Ninja to attack the Bobger Trolls however they were quickly and viciously devoured in a way that made recruit freeze bug-eyed and horrified. "Oh my," she muttered.

"Well, I'm not sleeping tonight. Regardless it's time for Diamond Hide!" Rocksteady declared. He slammed a fist down getting their attention. "Try and bite me! I triple dog dare you!"

The Bobger trolls seemed to analyze him and chattered before getting nervous. "Excellent Rocksteady you were found their one weakness!" Lieutenant cheered.

"I did?" Rocksteady asked. As admittedly that was not what he was going for.

"WE MUST STRIKE NOW!" Recruit declared grabbing a large broom and spinning it rapidly. She quickly Spun it rapidly sweeping up the trolls and sending them flying towards Bebop who had a portal Ready.

"Have fun in the middle of the Atlantic Vermin!" Bebop declared as the broom and the swept up Trolls went through it.

"High Five!" Bebop said as Recruit and Rocksteady gave him one each. "How are the recipes?"

"A bit smudged but we're clear," Brute replied having gone through them. "Within a day or two Fire and icing will open, and then we can begin our real mission." He said with a sinister smile.

"Excellent soon we shall cleave the Turtles in Twain!" Recruit declared murderously with a crazed smile.

"TWIAN!" The two mutants happily added as Lieutenant sighed.

"You all really need a hobby." He huffed.

X X X

"You seem more at peace," Tiger Claw pointed out.

"I guess, cause I got a lot off my chest today." Mikey noted. "I do feel better but it's just sometimes…. I don't know..."

"It's an up-and-down process wanting to get better is a big step." Tiger Claw assured.

"I'm glad to hear that." Mikey sighed. He entered and found it Dark. "Umm guys did something-"The light suddenly came back on again revealing the room covered in colorful streamers and balloons with some confetti blowing out of small cannons with Donnie's genius tech insignia on them.

There was a cake and pizza on the table, standing round it were his brothers, Klunk, Shelldon, April and Krysta. Above them was a banner that said happy birthday Michelangelo. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKEY!"

"Huh!?" Mikey said very surprised. "Wait what day is it?"

"May fifth just like you asked little brother." Leo assured with a wink.

"Yeah I know that's what I chose but what's the party for?" Mikey asked surprised.

"We're celebrating you!" Krysta pointed out.

"Yup were always happy you were born Mikey." April declared.

"Yeah what they said." Donnie agreed.

Mikey felt an intense warmth in his heart. His eyes watered with joy as he dove into hug them. "Thank you. You don't know how wonderful it is to hear that." Mikey sniffled as they all hugged. Tiger Claw watched with a smile.

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