Thank you for the kind words and thoughts concerning my dad. He's doing better, my mother and I are caring for him, although he's very much a poor patient. He hates staying still, and wants to be out of bed and working outside.
Here we go with chapter two!
Leonardo gaped at his left hand, then his right.
A quiver stole down his spine, making the broad shoulders tremble. He was human? Turning the hands over and flexing his wrists, Leo marveled at the change. Stealing a glance down, the young leader noted that his bomber jacket was nearly swallowing him alive, uninhibited by the now missing turtle shell. Sapphire eyes widened, and the teen gave an anxious gulp. That's right, humans don't have shells, meaning that he was completely unprotected. Leo hunched in, the barest whisper of a phantom instinct to crawl into his shell, making his large frame only slightly smaller. Despite the layers of clothing, coat, hoodie, sweatpants and boots, the ninja suddenly felt naked without the reassuring weight of his shell. How did humans just go about their day so exposed?
A soft sigh to his left had Leo turning, sapphire eyes meeting a topaz gaze, "Yeah, I know what yer thinkin'," Raphael said with a mournful smile, "feels wrong, don't it? Not havin' our shell?"
"More than wrong," Leonardo muttered bitterly, "I feel so…defenseless."
"You're telling me," a soft voice whined dramatically, "I thought I'd like being human, but this body feels so fragile, I'm worried I'm going to break if I even sneeze wrong."
Leonardo turned, and for the first time since Donnie's shocking reveal, got his first real look at his brothers. In particular, Michelangelo.
Sitting on the floor, slight frame drowning in the orange hoodie, Mikey pouted at their newest predicament. Asian features similar to his brothers were framed by fluffy blond curls, making the youngest's signature sky blue eyes practically pop out from the altogether cherubic face. While Leo could tell that his baby brother still retained his toned frame, the definition in his pectoral muscles visible in the drooping neckline of the hoodie, Mikey certainly looked the part of the youngest ninja on the team. Not to mention, sitting spread Eagle on the floor, enveloped in overly large clothing as if he'd been playing dress up in one of his big brother's closets, it had to be one of the cutest things Leonardo had ever seen. Not that he'd say that out loud, or at least not in front of Mikey.
Heaven knows, he didn't need the encouragement.
"Mikey," the eldest spluttered, shock overruling the inane urge to melt at his baby brother's adorable curls, "what happened to your voice?!"
The dandelion fluff locks bounced as the ninja gave an unhappy shrug, "I don't know."
"I have a theory," Don sighed, bringing Leo's attention back to the genius brother.
The eldest examined Donatello, familiarizing himself with the new features. The scientist was, like them all, almost disappearing inside the extra layers of clothes flopping around him, but not nearly as much as Mikey. In fact, he seemed taller and leaner. Hair the same shade as his eyes, Donnie also sported soft curls, though they were shorter, and not nearly as wild as the baby's. A pale face held the chocolate brown gaze, though dark bags hung under Don's eyes, betraying stress induced fatigue. A flutter of worry beat inside Leo's chest, and the leader made a silent promise to keep an eye on the scholar.
"I think that when we…well, mutated? Transformed? Meta-morph-o-sized?" Donnie considered the correct verbiage for a moment before giving an impatient shake of his head, "Forget it, when we became human, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that our voices would change as well. Turtles don't talk, sure they can make a variety of noises, but nothing close to human speech. So, as mutated turtles our voices sound more mature, and maybe even rougher, due to the amalgamation of turtle vocal chords mutating to the point of being capable of coherent speech."
"Or as coherent as Mikey can manage," Raph smirked, giving a weak chuckle when the youngest stuck his tongue out in defiance.
Donatello rolled his eyes, "So, it would make sense that our vocal chords becoming human would also change our voices. That would be the most logical theory, though, I would need to do tests to verify it."
Leonardo gave a vague nod, not really listening to Donnie's explanation at this point, finishing his perusal of his brothers by turning his attention to Raphael. Out of all of them, he seemed to fit his clothes the best, but not by much. Thankfully, Raph still retained his intimidating figure, a defined jaw with equally chiseled muscles running across broad shoulders and down into a sturdy frame. The topaz eyes, already so expressive, looked almost wild now when accompanied by the oriental features and short cropped black hair. Even as a human, the brawler would still be a force to be reckoned with. Which was a relief, what with them so vulnerable now, he would need every advantage he could get to keep their clan safe.
"Leo?"
The leader startled out of his thoughts, gaze shooting back to Donatello, "Sorry, Donnie," he sighed, "I guess I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around it all. I mean, it's a lot to take in."
Mikey gave a morose nod, "No kidding. One minute I'm standing in front of the bomb, next thing I know, I'm waking up on the floor and just opening my eyes makes me feel like I'm gonna puke."
"I can empathize," Leonardo remarked drily, remembering his own experience with trying to wake up. The last thing he remembered was his father's face before blacking out. The memory jolted the young leader, jaw dropping as his heart skipped a beat in panic, "Father!" He shouted in alarm, "Where is Master Splinter?!"
Raphael's golden eyes widened, blood draining from his face as he realized he'd forgotten about their father, "I haven't seen 'im," he rasped, attempting to jump to his feet but getting tangled in their human clothing, falling back down to the ground, "last I saw, ya told him ta call April, but then…"
"Everything went black," Leo nodded.
Gritting his teeth, the turtle turned human clambered to his feet, swallowing back a wave of nausea as intense vertigo caused him to sway on his feet. Breathing deeply through his nose, Leo stumbled away from his brothers, who were struggling to rise from the floor as well, and began his search for their adopted father. He told their sensei to call April, but looking around, it seemed that Splinter took the time to pull them further into the lair and out of the door. So, what happened between now and then? A burst of revelation exploded in his mind, and the ninja began a quick shuffle towards the kitchen where their home phone hung on the wall. Master Splinter would have likely called April from their landline, as it was the phone he was most familiar with, and an emergency required efficiency without struggling with a shell cell.
Unsteady feet fumbled when Leo almost fell on his face due to his pants slipping off now bony hips, and began sliding down to his ankles. The young leader had never been so thankful for his ninja fast reflexes as he was in that moment. The last thing his brothers needed while recovering from a shocking, and painful, metamorphosis, was being mooned by their leader. Recovering his balance, and gathering as much of his clothing as he could in one fist, Leo was able to maintain his modesty and still achieve a stumbling trot across the lair. Upon reaching the kitchen, the ninja gave a strangled cry as the still form of his father laying on the floor came into view. However, it seemed that Splinter was not exempt from the strange transformation either.
The brown fur had been replaced by olive skin, with the exception of long brown hair streaked with lines of silver. The face was similar to his children in the Asian features, however he sported a mustache that flowed into a beard, also streaked in grey. His father's frame was well muscled, even covered by the maroon kimono worn by the formerly mutated rat. He lay sprawled across the kitchen floor, one hand outstretched as if he had collapsed while reaching for the phone hanging on the wall just a few steps away.
Brows furrowed in confusion, even as Leo knelt next to his father, checking the now human neck for a pulse, the teen wondering how Splinter could have changed when he hadn't been present when the bomb went off. Leo gave a firm shake of his head though, he could ask questions later, right now he needed to prioritize his family. Finding the steady throb from his father's heartbeat, a sigh of relief blew from the eldest's lungs in a rush. Leaning back on his heels, Leonardo dragged trembling hands down his face, unnerved by the sense of weakness afflicting his body. Bile pushed against the back of his throat, making the teen fight his gag reflex. Falling back to sit on the floor of the kitchen, bracing his back against a cabinet Leonardo folded his arms on top of his knees, then buried his face into his forearms. He was so tired already, and they haven't even begun investigating yet.
No doubt, Donnie would compel them to be subjected to a battery of tests.
Blood would be drawn, scans taken, measurements and God knows what else conducted. They were in for a long day, if the determined fire Leo saw smoldering behind the exhausted brown eyes was anything to go by. Not that he'd complain, Leo wanted answers as much as Donnie. The tests were a means to an end, not a pleasant one, but necessary. The blue ninja winced when his stomach gave an uncomfortable twist, the gag reflex growing stronger, but still Leo was able to force it down. He didn't have time to feel weak, he needed to take care of Splinter, who had not woken yet.
He also needed to call April so she can help with the science stuff, and so Donnie wouldn't try to bear the burden all alone. He needed to check on Raphael and Mikey, make sure they weren't dealing with any side effects from their change. He needed to double check their defenses, ensure that no other breaches were made while they were unconscious. He needed to go back into the southbound tunnel and retrieve the bomb so Donnie could examine it, and try to find any clues as to the identity of their attacker.
Agony sliced down his spine, arcing into a starburst throughout his nervous system, igniting every nerve ending, forcing the turtle turned human to bite back a groan. Despite feeling weak, despite being thrown for a loop, he had to push past his own pain and put himself between the raging storm and his loved ones. Another shiver shook the broad frame, and suddenly his chest felt like it was being crushed in a vise. Breathing became increasingly difficult, each inhale whistling into a constricted throat. Leo's eyesight faded into a swirl of colors and explosions of light, darkness eating into the edges of his vision. The young leader clenched his hands into fists, pressing them into his chest. He didn't have time for this. There was so much to do, too much. He hadn't even called April yet, he needed to call April, she would be able to help Donnie, and she'd be angry at them if they didn't tell her what happened. He needed to call her, and then he needed check on Master Splinter. He needed…
He needed to protect his family from this new and already dangerous threat. But…How was he going to do that?
True, they were ninja, but he felt so exposed without his shell. As delicate as a newly hatched baby bird. His body, though still chiseled and strong, felt much weaker than the muscles he was used to. Don had theorized once that their mutated forms had given them something of an advantage to humans. What with Raph carrying sometimes superhuman weights, or their ability to hold their breath for unbelievable amounts of time, or even the amount of damage or abuse their bodies could take before finally giving out. Leo had never given it much thought, not worried if it was true or not. Now though, he had to face the grim reality that Don's hypothesis was all too accurate. A terrifying prospect. As they are now, weak and vulnerable, any assassination attempt by their numerous enemies might very well succeed. They were helpless, he was helpless, as demonstrated by the bomb that got them into this mess. All of his carefully laid plans of defense dashed to pieces…he really was pathetic. Worthless. Incapable of leading and protecting his younger brothers.
No! He couldn't freak out. He needed to stay in control. His brothers needed him to be their leader, not a wimp. He needed to toughen up. They've been thrown metaphorical curve balls before, and they came out on top then, they would do so again. He just needed to stay in control. He could get them through this. He could still protect his clan as long as he didn't cave to the doubts and fears shrieking in the back of his mind. But…How was he going to keep his family safe if he was this weak? What if this was permanent? How would they cope?
They had no papers, or documents like birth certificates, much less a social security card. They knew nothing of being human, how would they survive? What was more important, who did this to them? What technology did they have to be able to achieve this, and what if this wasn't their end goal? What if they planned to finish the job now that he and his family were thrown off balance? Could he protect his family in this state? What if it was already too late? What if the transformation was only a side effect of a very real biological attack that was already killing them?
Sapphire eyes widened as horror gathered in the corners of his vision and dropped down his cheeks. The questions screamed through Leo's mind, the tears flowing down his face, even as the broad shoulders trembled pitifully. Soon, all the young leader could hear was the cacophony in his mind, drowning in a sea of worry, doubt, and terror. Leo's shallow breathing grew increasingly ragged, fists clenched so tight that his nails dug painfully into his palms, but that was not enough to stir the blue ninja. He was trapped, frozen in the depths of the flood drowning him in her cruel embrace. He couldn't even feel his body anymore, it was as if he were floating just above it, disconnected from reality. Air become much too precious, his breaths uneven and bordering on a panic induced hyperventilation. What were they going to do?
Suddenly, a hand fell on his shoulder, soft and delicate, carrying the scent of citrus and flowers, grounding the teen and dragging him back from the brink, "Leo, I need you to breathe, honey."
…..
To say April was shocked to receive Donatello's call would be a vast understatement.
Not that the turtle calling her was strange, not at all. In fact, April often found herself in separate conversations, receiving multiple texts from the entire mutant family, throughout the day. Not even including the group text that the family used to tag in on plans or just send funny pictures to each other. The woman loved her adopted little brothers, and appreciated the father figure provided by Splinter. So, any phone call or text she received was always welcome. Although, the ones she received late at night, often accompanied by the sounds of pained moans, or a frazzled teen warrior trying to save their brother and stay calm, despite being a child awash in fear and panic, those she never looked forward to.
This call though, this one would certainly go down in their family's metaphorical scrapbook as one of the weirder calls.
At first she didn't recognize Don's voice, something about it sounding off enough to make it almost unrecognizable. Then Donnie began talking, rambling about how they had intercepted a bomb in one of the sewer tunnels, and how it had gone off in their faces. April had panicked at that point, demanding if everyone was ok. The turtle was quick to reassure her that everyone was alive and, as far as he knew, uninjured. The woman then asked what had happened with the bomb. That was when she realized just how flustered Donnie was. Much like the night of the car accident, Donatello was hesitant to explain as his genius brain struggled to pull the words together to accurately define just what had happened. Finally, after many questions and halting explanations, she was able to pull from the turtle that they had been mutated by a biological attack, and somehow turned human. Yeah, shocked didn't even begin to cover her reaction.
The hardest part was listening to the normally calm and level headed turtle sniffle as he fought back tears.
The process of the transformation was so painful on their bodies, that coming back into consciousness was extremely difficult. Particularly for Leo. While April was on the phone with Don, Raph had roused himself, though barely able to move, and she could hear that Michelangelo was stifling back agonized whimpers as he woke up, but Leo was still lying on the ground and his heartbeat was faint. It scared Donnie, not to mention April. She had told the genius turtle to stay by his brother and that she was on her way. After she hung up the phone, the woman had scrambled through her apartment, gathering any supplies she thought she might need, before hitting the door and pelting down the stairs, then jumped into her car.
White knuckled, she sped through the streets of New York, cursing each red light, and riding the bumper of anyone impeding her progress. April wasn't an angry driver, but four teenage boys, who've laid claim to a large piece of her heart, needed her and God help anyone who got in her way. Another eternity later, and April was leaping from her car, and barreling into the abandoned warehouse the turtles used as their garage. An age of tapping her foot as she waited on the elevator, and finally, finally, she was with her little brothers.
Mikey immediately clung to her, his usually effervescent personality dimmed as sky blue eyes were clouded with fear. Of all the boys, she would have expected Michelangelo to be the most excited about the change, however, that was certainly not the case. At least not yet. The atmosphere of the lair was tense and heavy with anxiety over the unknown. April could palpably feel the shift from the confident family she'd come to love, to a group who looked very much like someone had pulled a rug out from under them, and they were struggling to find their way back up. The woman could empathize, her compassionate heart putting the pieces together on why they were behaving so differently than normal. While the boys were used to being attacked, even at home, this was so different from every other time. In the past they always escaped relatively unscathed, but today they had been hit and physically changed. In a way they never thought possible. It might have been easier for her boys to cope if they had been injured, if the bomb had simply been that, a bomb. They could handle physical injuries.
April wasn't sure how they would handle this.
Pale fingers carded through soft blond curls, Mikey's head firmly planted on April's shoulder as he hugged her, "I got you, sweetie," the woman murmured, dropping a kiss on an olive colored cheek, "I got you."
"I thought I'd be happy if we ever got turned human," Michelangelo mumbled against April's neck, "I thought it would be awesome, but all I feel is like I lost something important."
"It's because you were changed against your will, you didn't choose this," April replied, silently marveling at Mikey in his human state. "If you and your brothers had chosen to do this, it would feel much different. At least, that's my theory."
"It's a good one," the youngest sighed, eyes shut in contentment at the safety and security of April's arms, "I think I kinda dig having hair though, it feels good when you run your fingers through it."
The woman's heart gave a twist, her very being screaming with how sweet the orange ninja was being. With a giggle, April cuddled her baby brother, nuzzling the curls, "I could get used to it, myself,"
"Uh, April?" Donnie's hesitant voice brought her attention back to the rest of the family.
Just beyond the entrance to the lair Raphael stood solid like a statue, arms folded across his chest and looking to anyone else like a strong and intimidating figure, but to those who knew him best, his eyes were wild with panic. Anxiety making his hands clench his biceps with white knuckled grips. Behind him, hovering around the entrance to the kitchen, stood Donatello, his now lithe figure trembling while the brown eyes looked so tired. She still hadn't seen Leo, much less Splinter, and no doubt judging by Donatello's worried glances into the kitchen, they were probably in that direction. Giving Mikey one last cuddle, April extricated herself from the smallest ninja and walked towards the team scientist.
Donnie fidgeted where he stood, shrugging the overly large clothes into a more comfortable position, "I need your help," the genius murmured, voice pitched low, likely in a futile effort to not worry his siblings, "Leo won't respond to me. I followed him into the kitchen, and after checking our father's pulse, he went catatonic. I don't understand what happened, he seemed fine, but talking to him isn't working and I'm scared that…well, I'm just plain scared, and I guess he is too. I just don't know what to do."
April peeked past Donatello, brow furrowed in worry at the frozen figure of Leonardo, sitting on the floor against a kitchen cabinet with his forehead resting on his knees. Pale hands were clenched in tight fists, pressing into his chest, while the broad shoulders quivered. No wonder Donnie and Raph looked so panicked, their indomitable leader was giving a very rare show of weakness; an image so out of the ordinary that April could count on one ninja turtle hand how many times she's seen it herself. Not only that, though, but Splinter was lying on the kitchen floor, having inexplicably turned human himself and was still unconscious.
The human woman pulled Don in for a brief hug, letting the physical contact reassure the teen. The purple clothed ninja held on, much like Mikey had, the strangeness of the situation driving away the clinical scientist, leaving only the scared and confused child behind, "What if this is permanent?" Donnie whispered, voice shaking, "what if I can't fix it this time?"
"Then we'll figure it out like we always do," April affirmed, tightening her embrace, "you boys have always adapted to whatever is thrown at you, and this time is no different. Plus, no matter what you discover, whether this is permanent or can be reversed, you won't have to go through it alone. Remember, you have me and Casey, we got your backs, ok?"
Donnie gave a sniffle, bravely trying to maintain his composure as he nodded. Though about four inches taller than Mikey, he was still able to fit comfortably in her arms, the two standing cheek to cheek as April rubbed soothing circles into the shockingly thin and flat back. She had been so worried about how the boys would handle this transformation, but April was now wondering how she would handle it herself. The change in them was shocking, making the woman feel off kilter as anxiety filled her with dread. Granted, the boys weren't completely different. No, they were still them, with the various tics and quirks that made her boys special. However, she still felt a jolt of surprise every time she turned to look at any of them. This was going to take some getting used to.
Pulling away from Donnie, April patted the well muscled shoulder, "Why don't you go talk to Raph?" She suggested gently, "He looks like he's about to pass out. I'll see what I can do about Leo."
"Ok," A purple sleeve quickly swiped any moisture from chocolate brown eyes, then Don pulled in a steadying breath and walked towards his older brother.
April's heart sunk at the sorrowful scene, before turning back to the struggling leader. Not that he looked much like a leader at the moment. Sitting on the floor in overly large clothes, back braced against a kitchen cabinet, head on his knees, and shaking hands clasped to his chest, he looked very much like the child he was. A scared, overwhelmed child, who was desperate for a life raft in this emotional storm. April knelt next to the trembling form, her lips turning down into a frown at the sound of ragged uneven breaths being sucked into a tense constricted windpipe. She was not a doctor, but even she knew what a mental breakdown looked like. Or at the very least a panic attack. Poor Leonardo was neck deep in the middle of one.
Scooting closer to the distraught teen, April reached out to clasp the trembling shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze, "Leo, I need you to breathe, honey."
The teen jumped at the touch, the contact startling a hitched inhale, making Leo snap his head up and pin April with a tearful gaze. Twin sapphires sparkled from almond shaped eyes, framed by straight jet black hair that hung around his face. The overall effect was stunning to say the least. To be honest, all four teens would make any movie star jealous. What with Raphael's handsome looks, and rugged physique, Donnie's gentle features, not to mention that Mikey looked like a little cherub fallen to earth; and although in the middle of an emotional breakdown, Leo was no exception. The young leader had an elegance to his face, like something you'd see from someone playing a noble prince in a Korean drama, with high cheekbones and and a chiseled jaw. April was positively gobsmacked. Who knew that hibernating in their mutated bodies, were human genetics of supermodels? The human woman bit back the chuckle that wanted to bubble up her throat, knowing that now was not the time for levity, her boys needed her to emotionally anchor them, not tell jokes. However, when things calmed down, she was absolutely going to brag that her baby brothers were the best looking kids in town.
Pushing that thought to the side, April turned so to sit next to Leonardo and wrap an arm around his shoulders, "That's it, sweetheart," she praised, rubbing the teen's upper arm in an attempt to bring some warmth into the cold frame, "deep breaths."
Leo swallowed convulsively, his chest stuttering as he attempted the steadying breaths April requested, "I lost it, didn't I?" His voice was soft with shame.
"Only a little bit," April replied, pulling the teen closer, encouraging him to lay his head on her shoulder, happy that for once he complied, "but I don't blame you for freaking out. Even Raph looks a little worse for wear, I'm not even sure he's fully registered that I'm here yet. Poor guy, looked like a deer in headlights."
The blue ninja relaxed, seemingly comforted by the fact that even their resident hothead was shaken, "What if this is permanent?"
"Donnie asked me that same question," April sighed, "so I'll tell you what I told him. We'll deal with it. Regardless of what comes, we'll deal with it as a family."
Leo echoed her sigh, swiping his face free of tears with the sleeve of his hoodie. "I don't know what happened, or even what went wrong," he confessed, tone still barely above a whisper, "I have a theory, but that's all, and I can't help but think…"
The teen went silent, pearly teeth nibbling indecisively on his bottom lip. April ducked her head, trying to make eye contact with the eldest, "Think what?"
Another heavy swallow, tears rising to swell in the corners of his eyes, and a hitched breath, "We could have died, should have died, and it would have been my fault. Again."
"Why?" April wasn't trying to make him spiral, but she'd long learned that best way of helping Leo overcome the dark thoughts was by asking questions that made him truly examine his feelings.
"I told Donnie to disable the bomb,"
"And he wasn't able to?"
Leo chewed his bottom lip again, "No," he answered slowly, clearly puzzling through his answer, "he did, the timer turned off."
"So, what went wrong?" April prodded.
"It should have been disarmed, it shouldn't have exploded," Leo stated, his confidence in Donatello's abilities shining through every syllable, "but for some reason, it did. The only way I can explain it is if someone rigged it, almost, backwards? Like, if the timer hit zero, then it would blow, but disarming it would make it blow too? But that doesn't make sense."
The scientist leaned her head back, her brain running through countless variations that could produce that result. "Maybe it had a backup power source connected to the activator, one that would react if the wire meant to disarm the countdown was cut."
Sapphire eyes widened at the suggestion, his voice becoming considerably calmer as he talked out what happened with April, "That sounds really complicated, though, who would go to those lengths?"
"Someone who clearly had a bigger plan than to simply kill you." April replied, tone confident in her deduction. "If that is the case, there was no way you could have planned for that kind of attack. Not all bombs have two activators. Most don't. You can't anticipate everything your enemies will do, Leo, even as smart and capable as you are."
"I should have though," the self recrimination was back, but without the tears this time, just a cold flat tone of guilt and shame.
"And I'm saying you couldn't, no one can," April shook her head firmly, before reaching over to flick Leo on the forehead, "but the important thing is to learn from this. Nothing truly horrible happened, you're all alive and unhurt, so from now on you can be more careful. I'm sure Donnie is itching to take the thing apart, and then the both of you can add a new chapter in your household safety binder about bomb protocol."
Leo nodded, pulling in one last deep breath, then cuddled April's shoulder, "Thanks, onee-san," he whispered.
"You're welcome, otouto," she replied, pressing a tender kiss to the dark hair, "now, why don't we move Splinter? I doubt he'll appreciate waking up on a cold kitchen floor."
Leo nodded in agreement, bending to pull his father up into a sitting position and then, draping a lax arm around his shoulders, struggled to stand the two of them up. April took the other side, and the duo shuffled out of the kitchen, only to hear Mikey yelling angrily at Raphael. A massive crash echoed in the lair, and Leo tugged April out of the room, face tense with worry, to see what transpired. What he saw was both exactly what he expected, and not at the same time.
…..
Raphael was on edge.
Ever since Leo disappeared into the kitchen, and then wouldn't respond to Donnie when the egg head went to check on him and their father, plus finding out Master Splinter had also been changed into a human; it was all too much.
At first the brawler tried to muscle through the fear with his usual attitude. Teasing Mikey after helping Leo wake up earlier, before letting the cat out of the bag on their leader that they had all been turned human. Leo had looked how he felt. Fear, shock, revulsion, and then, that mind numbing terror that accompanied the realization that the natural body armor they'd grown up with, the same ones they'd often complained about when wishing they could be normal, had been stripped off their bodies. Leaving them weak, exposed, and feeling so intensely vulnerable that the thought of leaving the lair in this condition sent even the resident hothead into a spiral of panic.
Okay, on edge didn't even begin to describe his headspace right now.
"Hey, Raph,"
Donnie's voice appearing on his right startled the hothead, making him give a small jump before realizing that it was only his younger sibling, "Hey, Don," Raphael replied in a low rasp.
"April is with Leo, it looks like she was able to get through to him," the scientist reported, jerking his head towards the kitchen, "she sent me to check on you."
The red ninja heaved a sigh, his primal instinct to deny that he needed checking on deflating, "I didn't even know she was here," he confessed, "got lost in my head fer a bit."
"I figured," Donatello nodded, "I think we're all at a loss, to say the least. Even Mikey isn't sure how to respond. He wouldn't let go of April when she got here, I think he's a little freaked out by how we all look."
"He's freaked out?" Raphael asked with a dark chuckle, "I'm freaked out. I never thought I'd miss my shell, I've complained about how it doesn't fit in clothes or chairs as much as you guys have, but now I'd give anythin' ta have it back."
The scientist placed a consoling hand on Raph's shoulder, also ardently missing the safety and security of their natural body armor. "I understand, heaven knows Father is going to have a hard time adjusting to not having fur. He's probably going to be freezing when he wakes up."
The brawler nodded, but then dark brows furrowed, "How do ya think he got changed too?" He asked, topaz gaze cast down to the floor as he puzzled through his own question, "I mean, he wasn't even there."
Donatello pursed his lips, considering his answer carefully, "The stuff that sprayed out was really sticky, and kind of slimy, right?"
"Yeah?"
"So, one theory is that it wasn't supposed to be breathed in, but actually be absorbed through the skin," the genius concluded, "since we woke up inside the lair, I'm betting that Master Splinter drug us inside to safety first, and the contact with our skin and clothes rubbed the stuff onto him, thereby making him change too."
Liquid gold eyes paused, then raised to meet chocolate brown. Raphael pulled back the sleeve of his red hoodie, running a finger over his skin, "Ya may be on to somethin' there, Donnie. I don't feel it on my skin anymore, and when we got sprayed, it was everywhere."
"You're telling me," Don commiserated in a miserable grumble, "but in the meantime I'm hoping that this is reversible, and it very well could be. However, that doesn't take away the terrifying possibility that this whole mess might have just been an accident."
Raph groaned, burying his face into his hands, "Donnie, don't say things like that, yer makin' my anxiety worse. At this rate, I'll be turnin' inta Leo."
"Im serious," the scientist insisted, eyes growing wide at the revelation growing in the back of his mind, "they could have been aiming for a completely different result, possibly with the intention of regressing us back to normal turtles! Turning us human may not have been the plan at all!"
"Well, then that's our turtle luck runnin' true ta form, ain't it?" Raphael spat back harshly, "sure we ain't dead, and we ain't normal turtles, but we're definitely not us, either!"
"Don't talk like that, Raph! And you too, Donnie!"
Red and purple swung around at the bellowed command, staring wide eyed at the diminutive figure who'd said it. Michelangelo stood on unsteady feet, bottom lip thrust out in a defiant pout, "We are us," the youngest stated, though his voice was softer and sounded much younger than his usual tone, he was able to insert a level of authority into it, "yeah, so we're human, and we don't know for how long, and maybe we're probably lucky to be alive because this could have been an accident, but we're still us! The only thing that changed was our outside!"
"Technically, it was a lot more than that," Donnie coughed, "our very DNA has changed. I mean, we're human, we aren't cold blooded anymore, or-"
"I get it, Donnie," Mikey shouted, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the scientist ruining his moment, "but my argument still stands! Ok, so a lot more than our outside changed, but we're still us, right? We're still family, aren't we? We're still a team, and we still got each other's backs, don't we? That hasn't changed. So what if we look different, we're still brothers. Saying stuff like we aren't us anymore, or getting freaked out by imagining something a lot worse that didn't happen, isn't going to solve anything, so get your cynical butts out of your depressive rut, or I'll do it for you!"
Raph and Donnie exchanged proud smiles, both impressed with Mikey's fortitude despite how, not too long ago, he had been just as scared and worried as them. If Michelangelo had a middle name, it'd be tenacity. "That's a real upliftin' speech there, Mikey," the red ninja nodded before giving a wicked grin, "but it's hard ta take yer threat too seriously when ya can't even look me in the eye, short-stack."
The youngest's jaw dropped before lightening flashed through sky blue eyes, "I did not choose to mutate this SMALL, Raphael!" He yelled, giving a healthy stomp to the floor, blond curls bouncing around his face, "We're supposed to be the same age, so why am I so much smaller than you? It's not fair!"
"Aw, he's so cute when he's mad," Don snickered, "but be careful, Raphie, he might attack you in retaliation."
"And do what, bite my ankles?"
"Hey, I'm still ninja, shell for brains!" Mikey darted across the floor, hands reaching for his nunchucks, or at least he tried to.
Forgetting that he was still covered in clothing much too big for him, the orange ninja immediately tripped on the baggy pant legs, and fell flat on his face. "Mikey!" Leo called from the entrance to the kitchen, he and April appearing from around the corner carrying Master Splinter between them, "are you ok?!"
Desperate sapphire eye begged his younger brothers for help, and purple and red ninjas gave quiet huffs of amusement. In a quick trot, the younger siblings took their father between them, walking over to lay him on a living room couch, allowing Leo the freedom to run to the youngest. The sibling in question lay on the ground, sprawled across the cement, his clothing puddled around the now scrawny frame. A vague mumbling refrain, furious and frustrated, drifted up from the smooshed face. No doubt Mikey was already complaining about his crash, not even taking the time to raise his head to be heard properly. Leo knelt next to his little brother, carding slim fingers through the blond curls resting on Mikey's forehead, to give a gentle nudge in request that the teen sit up. Michelangelo complied, loudly.
"It's not fair, Leo!" He whined, nose red from where it slammed into the floor, tears gathering in baby blue eyes, "why do you get to be big and cool and I'm stuck looking like Momiji from fruits basket?! I can't even run properly anymore!"
"You're lucky you didn't break your nose," Leonardo clucked, giving a long-suffering shake of his head as he ignored his baby brother's rant, gently angling Mikey's face to verify no serious injury, "besides, you'd run a lot better if you wore clothes that fit."
"I can help with that," April threw in, "I just got a who truck full of surplus from local clothing stores. You can have as much as you need."
"Thanks, April," Leo smiled, turning back to Mikey, "Any teeth loose?"
"…no…"
"Feel like you're gonna get a nosebleed?"
The youngest sat up, pushing Leo away, "I'm fine, I just tripped."
"That was a pretty hard fall though," the eldest worried, combing his fingers across the blond scalp, double checking that Mikey hadn't hit his head, "plus we don't have our shells anymore, so falls like that could be serious."
"I said I'm fine," Michelangelo huffed.
Sapphire eyes rolled, before Leo stood up, stumbling slightly before he made it to his feet, "Another reason you fell may be because our center of gravity is off."
"Our what?" Mikey and Raph asked in unison.
Don, however, gave a sage nod, "That makes sense. We're used to balancing with a heavy weight on our backs, making us unconsciously lean forward in order to compensate. Without our shells, even something as simple as walking will be difficult."
"Not to mention ninjutsu," Leo sighed, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he usually did when he was making a plan, "we should avoid getting into any fights until we've acclimated to these new bodies."
"Good luck with that," Mikey snickered, "I bet Raphie is already planning how he'll sneak out tonight to bash heads with Casey."
The turtle in question winced, "Ya don't have to worry about me, fer once. I can't even spin my sai right now, it's too hard with all these extra fingers."
Don chuckled from where he sat on the floor near the couch, checking over their father, who was slowly starting to come around, "Yeah, the extra fingers are going to take some getting used to."
"While you're all hung up on fingers," Mikey broke in, readjusting his hoodie as he scooted closer to Leo, "I'm extremely weirded out by the extra toes. I mean, what are their purpose?!"
To emphasize his point, Michelangelo stuck a bare foot up into the air, wiggling said appendages. This prompted the room to break into laughter, "We can figure out these bodies tomorrow," Leonardo stated, using his leader voice, "today let's recover from what happened."
"By figure out these bodies, do you perchance mean-?"
Leo cut Donnie's question short, a satisfied smile brightening the once somber features, "I do," he nodded, "training. We're starting from the basics, guys."
A round of groans met that announcement with miserable gusto. April giggled, shaking her head at the teen boys' antics. Thankfully, her talk with Leo seemed to help him recover from his moment of panic, and all appeared that, for the moment, they'd shaken off the shock and concern that their transformation had caused. Looks like things were going to be a lot more interesting.
This isn't the end, I have a plan for this series, this was more like a prologue. I hope you all enjoyed it!