A/N: Hello again everyone, I have had this chapter wrote out for a while. Went back to read it over to edit it and added so much more to it. I am not completely happy with the way it turned out, but there are portions I absolutely love. Thank you Awareness Bringer for adding this story to your favorites and following.

-Awareness Bringer- Thank you for your review again. To answer your question, the events of season five have just been delayed till after this fic.


Raph groaned as he opened his eyes. Silence was the only thing around him. It was strange that months after they moved into the new lair, he still missed the noises of their old one. The gurgling of pipes from their childhood home or even the hum of crystals from their second home would have been welcomed. Turning to his side, his hammock swung lazily. The motion was soothing and almost lulled him back to sleep.

He wondered how long he could stay in his hammock before Leo came knocking for practice. His hands still stung slightly and the thought of holding his sais made them prickle. He was tempted to pull the bandages to look at the burns on his scales. "Hey, where is everyone?" Mikey's loud voice broke the silence. It was barely muffled by his door. A groan escaped the red-masked turtle. Once again his youngest brother decided to wake the dead with his voice.

Moving slowly, Raph sat up. His hammock tilted toward the wall. Slipping to the floor gracefully, he walked to his door. He was going to get to Mikey before the youngest brother decided to storm into his room. The door swung inches from his beak as Mikey opened the door. A bright smile greeted the grumpy turtle. The youngest was lucky that the door didn't hit his still groggy brother. "Heya Raph," Mikey said as if he hadn't just knocked his brother out, "I was just trying to figure out what everyone wanted for breakfast." The orange-masked turtle walked into the room. Blue eyes looked over the slightly messy room.

"We got bacon?" Raph asked as he pushed his brother out of his room. Mikey, being the nuisance he was, didn't move. The youngest brother leaned back, making Raph carry his entire weight.

"Yeah, we can make some eggs to go with it," Mikey said, leaning back heavily. His head was tilted back to give the red-masked turtle a grin. Raph huffed as he slid his brother across the floor. Without warning the orange-masked turtle stood straight, causing his older brother to stumble slightly. Raph growled as he regained his balance. "I just got an idea," Mikey said. Jogging quickly away, Mikey left Raph alone. The turtle stood in the hallway.

The lair was oddly quiet without his brothers milling around. Padding through the empty hall, Raph debated whether to help with breakfast. On one hand, it would be done faster; on the other, Mikey was too chipper this morning. It was a headache waiting to happen. Deciding against helping with breakfast, he went to the dojo. Leo had to be there. His older brother was predictable in that way. Unable to take a rest and had no life outside of training.

Raph could see that the paper door to the dojo was open from across the Lair. A surefire sign that Leo was in there. Silently, the red-masked turtle walked to the room. At the doorway of the dojo a blanket was in a pile. Pausing just enough to kick it aside, Raph was tempted to hide the material perhaps to wash it. He shook the thought away. Slipping past the partially open screen door, Raph entered the dojo. Leo was jogging the perimeter of the large room as Lita was keeping as close as she could. The albino was obviously breathing heavily as Leo looked very relaxed. The leaf green turtle turned to meet Raph's gaze. Leo asked his brother if he needed something without saying a word. Shaking his head in a silent reply, Raph left the dojo as the pair turned the corner. That was just what he needed: another Leo.

Deciding that he would rather help Mikey with breakfast than be with his leader and guest, Raph made his way to the kitchen. The smell of cooking bacon was slowly wafting away from the room. The red-masked turtle leaned on the kitchen doorway with his arm crossed. Mikey had his shell facing the door, not that it mattered in a house full of ninja. "Hey Raph, if you take over the bacon. I am going to make some muffins," Mikey said. Without waiting for confirmation, the sea green turtle left the stove.

"Sure, make them blueberry muffins and we have a deal," Raph bargained, walking easily to the stove. The smell of bacon filled his nose, making his mouth water. Absent-mindedly, Raph scratched his itching hands.

"Eh, how about half. The other half is going to be chocolate chips," Mikey said as he mixed the batter that Raph missed earlier.

Narrowing his eyes, Raph flipped the bacon. It was a little difficult with his wrapped hands. The heat from the pan made his stinging hands burn slightly. "Chocolate chips?" he repeated.

"Yup, you see. I am going to be our sister's favorite brother," Mikey explained as he poured the batter into the muffin tin. The sentence prickled against the red-masked turtle.

"She ain't our sister," Raph growled. It was better if she wasn't. Their lives were too dangerous.

A smacking sound followed a stinging sensation on the back of his head. Raph rubbed the back of his head as he looked at his youngest brother. He hit him; Raph gaped for a moment. He was going to return the blow before noticing his brother's face. Mikey was frowning and pushing him away from the stove. His blue eyes were stormy. "Of course she is our sister. Just like any other mutant we find," Mikey said as he put the muffin tray into the oven. "Well, they could be brothers too." Mikey smiled again, tossing off the dark expression.

Mikey took his spot in front of the stove. Expertly Mikey removed the bacon. "We don't have the space for everyone here," Raph said, crossing his arms. It was a lame excuse, Raphael knew it.

Blue eyes rolled in their sockets. "Are ya kidding me? The Lair is the size of a small mansion now," Mikey said. "There's plenty of room. We can even share one if we need to."

Raph frowned at the thought. "I ain't sharing a room with ya." There were enough memories of that growing up.

"You can always share with Leo," Mikey said with a grin as he started cracking eggs into the pan with the bacon grease. Raph shuttered at the thought of the early mornings that arrangement would bring.

"What's this about sharing rooms?" Don's voice asked as he entered the kitchen. He was rubbing his forehead. Peeking from below his purple mask were dark eye bags. The purple-masked turtle grabbed a mug for coffee.

"Mikey here is planning on adopting all the mutants we freed from the lab," Raph said as he took his seat. Don looked deep in thought as he poured the dark liquid into his mug.

"They need a place to stay. The safest place is with us," Mikey explained. A frown adorned his face as he stabbed the yolks of the eggs.

"It's the most dangerous place. How many enemies are after our shells?" Raph asked angrily. He focused on the table's wood grain, following the dark lines across its plane.

Don sighed as he placed his mug on the table. "I think it is up to Master Splinter. Father will be home in three more days. We can ask him then." Brown eyes watched the dark liquid in his mug. The three grew silent with the only sound being Mikey's spatula scraping across the pan.

Two pairs of footsteps entered the kitchen. Raph looked up and furrowed his brow. Mikey chuckled from the stove and Don tightened his hold on his coffee. With a small white hand in his larger green one, Leo entered the kitchen. Lita looked at the three older turtles nervously before focusing on the blue-masked leader. Leo gave her an encouraging smile before walking her into the room. Raph sighed; the girl had their leader wrapped around her little finger.


The mutant turtle stumbled once again as she tried to stand. Her legs were shaky under her. Weak and wobbly as they tried to hold her weight. A muffled grumble echoed deep under her plastron. She was starving. Her stomach twisted as it demanded something. Instincts told her to search for food. Appetizing smells wafted through the air from some distance away. But they were in buildings full of humans. She couldn't go in there. They would take her back. She won't go back. Can't go back. She'll be put down like poor H13. She could still remember the sad look in those pink eyes. Totally accepting of her fate if not a little frightened.

The turtle shook her head. She couldn't think like that. Those thoughts made her sick. Her stomach growling reminded her of the present. She may not be able to get into those buildings, but those buildings threw out food. It was disgusting with the flies and filth, but it would keep her going for another day. With a new source of strength she pushed herself to her feet.

She looked around the building she had found to rest in. It was abandoned by all but rats. Cans left behind by some other vagabonds were stacked neatly in a corner. She emptied some of those yesterday. Newspapers were tastefully gathered to form a sleeping mat. It was as neat as she could make it. Not the sterile floors and walls of the lab, but close enough. She missed the cleanliness, but she could make due.

She stumbled to the rotten wood of a door. Her heavy feet cleared the dust beneath her. With a gentle nudge, she pushed open the door. Sunlight flooded her eyes forcing her to blink rapidly. She stepped into the alley carefully. Closing the door behind her, she leaned on the wall to wait for the world to stop spinning.

She saw nothing but the doodles on the wall. Various symbols and words. Some with quite vulgar language if you asked her. A picture of a rose drew her attention; it contrasted against the refuge in the narrow alley. She wrinkled her beak at the smell of garbage and urine. How distasteful. Couldn't the humans relieve themselves where it wouldn't disturb others? Though the smell appeared to be the only evidence of a human nearby.

She couldn't get distracted. She had to gather food. She kept her shell to the walls of the alley to keep herself upright. Giggles and rapid chatter made her crouch behind a dumpster. Something cracked beneath her two-toed feet, but she didn't look down. Head swirling, she fell to her hands and knees. Peaking around the dumpster, she watched as three women walked by the mouth of the alley.

They stopped in full view of the turtle. They were laughing and smiling. They looked so at ease as they tossed their hair. Each was dressed so beautifully. The turtle leaned forward to watch them. Their brightly colored sundresses swirled around them. Floral patterns caught the mutant's eyes before they passed from view. It made her stomach twist in envy.

The turtle looked down at her feet with their little cuts and scrapes. Beside them sat a mirror, broken under her weight. Green eyes met the ones reflected back from a mint green face. Dark circles under her eyes made them look goulish. Black smudges peppered her face. She rubbed the grime off her face, it was tough smudging more than coming off. She rubbed her plastron, trying to remove the silt. She moved her arms and stopped. The black letter and number glared back at her. J31. J31 stopped her attempts to clean herself. With a sigh, she got back to her wobbly feet.

Food was more important for now. Not pretty dresses or a shiny shell. Her stomach growled agreeing with her. She looked to where the women disappeared sadly before hobbling toward the appetizing smells.


Raph wasn't happy. That in itself wasn't unusual. Mikey on the other hand was too pleased with himself. "See ya later, Raphie. You too, sis," Mikey called out from the door to the living room. His brother was just trying to be annoying. It was obvious from the cheeky smirk that Raph would smack if the youngest brother was closer. The youngest brother was smart enough to stay far from his brother's wrath. Raph just grumbled in response. He sat on the couch, not pouting. Prickles ran up his fingers and palm. He scratched at the bandages on his right hand, loosening them slightly. The burns on his hand from the ooze monster itched.

"Don't scratch, "Don admonished, "you'll just irritate your skin and it will slow the healing process." The purple-banded turtle had barely looked up from the duffle bag he was packing. Raph sighed, but listened to the smart turtle. Don pulled out a couple of granola bars out of the bag with a muttered 'Mikey'. Tossing them onto the coffee table, Don moved things in his bag.

"A little overkill, dontcha think?" Raph asked, motioning to his hand.

Don shrugged and said, "It's just a precaution. I am sure we can remove them entirely tomorrow or the day after." The smart turtle started to explain how fast they could heal due to their mutation. The hot-headed turtle didn't really listen to the explanation. He flipped the television onto a hockey game instead to drown out his younger brother. Of course, his irritating older brother had to interrupt him.

"We'll be back in a couple of hours," Leo stated to Raph, stepping between him and the game. Raph tried to look around his brother. Lita stood just behind him like she had been all day. She had been following after Leo since he woke up and went to the dojo. Raph wanted to ask Leo why didn't he just stay at the Lair because it was obvious that the albino turtle was more comfortable with him or have Mikey watch her. Raph shook his head. Mikey watching her would probably be a bad idea. "We'll call to check in every thirty minutes," Leo explained whether to his brother or their guest was up to Raph to guess. The smaller turtle at Leo's side poked his arm. The eldest turtle knelt so she could whisper in his ear. It took a while, but Leo was patient. Raph couldn't hear her soft voice, but from the direct look from her pink eyes, he could guess it was about him. The eldest turtle chuckled at whatever she said. "You'll be fine, Lita. Raph is really a big softy," he teased as he got to his feet. Though he gave his brother a pointed look.

Raph grumbled to himself, he wasn't a big softy. But the look that Leo gave him was not needed; he wasn't going to hurt the little turtle. He could hear his brothers say their farewells from the living room door. The trio's voices dimmed as they went to the Lair door followed by the door slamming shut. He barely gave a glance to his charge who still stood watching the door. "They're goin' ta be a while. Sit down," Raph said. His voice might have been a tad too gruff as the girl flinched, looking at him with frightened eyes. She did as he suggested. She picked her steps to the couch carefully as if scared of him. Keeping space between them as if he would snap at her. She eased herself onto the couch as far as she could and sat down. She wrapped the blanket she had been carrying around all day around her,covering her completely. Raph turned his attention to the game on the screen. He kept his eyes on the puck as it bounced between the humans on the ice. His team was doing well tonight.

He could feel a pair of eyes on him. He turned to face Lita who looked away quickly. She was looking at the television, but he could see pink looking at him. "Ya need somethin'?" he asked. She flinched again. The girl looked him in the eye before her pink gaze moved to his bandaged hand.

"D-d-does it hurt?" she asked, pointing at the appendage as she tried to shyly hide her face.

"Nah, Donny's just being a worrywart," Raph replied with a shrug. It was a little lie, but she didn't need to know that. The girl nodded slowly; the older turtle figured she didn't believe him. Her eyes were still on his hands. He rolled his eyes before holding out his hand to her."Look it ain't bad," he said, "the bandages can probably come off before Master Splinter comes home." Two white hands gently cradled his larger one. Her fingers barely touched the bandages. Pink eyes scanned the tightly wrapped bandages. She tilted her head before lowering her face to his hand. The tip of her beak barely touched the bandages. "Hey, whatcha doing?" Raph exclaimed, jerking his hand away.

The girl flinched back, eyes darting around. She held her hands close to her chest, fingers curled tightly. "L1 s-s-said that it m-m-makes w-w-wounds feel b-b-better," she stuttered, hiding once again in her blanket. Raph froze at the statement. He stared at the shivering bundle of blanket.

"Thanks," he begrudgingly said. He could feel shame curdling in his stomach. She was just trying to make him feel better. Even if he was weirded out by her trying to kiss his wound to make it feel better. He wasn't a kid anymore; he didn't need someone to worry about such a minor injury. But his brothers weren't here to tease him, so he didn't need to put up his tough guy act. He looked at Lita. She still looked a little despondent, but was pointedly not looking at him. "I think it feels better already," he added, flexing his fingers slowly. The scales on his fingers tugged a little, but he kept the straight face.

She perked up a little, eyes looking a little brighter. "R-r-really?" Bright eyes looked up at him. It made Raph feel a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah. Just go to sleep. Leo will have a cow if ya are not sleeping when they get back," Raph ordered, willing his voice to be a little softer. She nodded, laying down on her side of the couch with her feet toward him and her shell to the television.

Raph sighed in relief. He didn't have to figure out how to navigate any conversation with the smaller turtle. His shell cell vibrated and he answered. "Hey Raph, everything is going well. We stopped a couple of muggings and are currently well," Leo reported. "How's everything at the Lair?"

"Peachy. She just went to sleep," Raph replied. He looked over at the other turtle to see that she was indeed sleeping. Deep breaths caused the blanket to rise and fall. A peaceful look was on her face.

"I will call in another thirty minutes," Leo replied before hanging up.


Leo hung up the phone after his brief call with Raph. He could practically hear his younger brother rolling his eyes at him. The leader didn't mind, the call-in was a precaution that he wouldn't do away with. He put his phone back into his belt. "So how was Super Nanny?" Mikey asked with a grin. A single nunchuck twirled in his hand. Don snickered from his perch on the water tower above them. Leo smiled as well.

"He said she fell asleep already," Leo responded as he motioned for the brothers to follow him. The leader knew they had to find the mutants they released and the muggings they stopped already had them behind his scheduled patrol. It was his idea to search near the bay. Betting on instincts, he hoped that the mutants would search for water. He could practically smell the water from their position.

The trio ran across the rooftops, Don and Mikey racing each other. The eldest watched as they broke ahead. Mikey had an edge on his older brother. Feeling a little competitive himself, Leo pushed himself faster. He brushed past Mikey. Giving his younger brothers a smirk as he passed, the eldest jumped to the next rooftop. He landed with enough momentum to continue forward. Leo heard a noise of protest from Don and the stumbling of normally even steps. The eldest, knowing the two brothers, called backwards, "Don't push, Mikey." Leo didn't look back to check his assumption.

"What? I am innocent," Mikey replied, his voice higher. Leo knew that meant his brother was lying.

"Sure you are," Don replied sarcastically. The trio cleared another alley as they headed closer to the bay. Leo stopped to admire the view. His brothers slowed quickly beside him. The dark water reflected the lights of the skyline. It was quite beautiful and peaceful. Mikey leaned on the edge of the roof. The orange-masked turtle looked at ease.

"Maybe we should cut tonight's run a little. You know how Raph is with kids," Don suggested as he caught up. He leaned on his bō staff as he looked over the water.

"Yeah, remember when that kid started crying last Halloween when he saw Raph," Mikey agreed. Don chuckled at the comment. Leo rolled his eyes as he kept the smile off his beak; he remembered the incident well.

"Raph is fine. Besides, his hands are burned from the ooze monster you fought last night," Leo explained.

"Ah, Seymour Gutz," Mikey said, "That's what I decided to call him." The youngest grinned proudly. Leo rolled his eyes.

Don sighed, "He had a name. You can't just renamed someone because they got mutated. And besides that is a cruel pun." The purple-masked turtle looked unamused at Mikey who shrugged.

"Says the one who wanted to name Lita, Shelly," Leo cut in with a smirk, "After the author of Frankenstein." Mikey gave the purple-masked turtle a wide grin. Leo held out his hand for his youngest brother to high-five. Which Mikey was quick to oblige.

The genius slumped a little. Brown eyes looked down at the bay. Don frowned, "Yeah, I didn't think that all the way through. The last thing we want is for her to think she is some sort of-"

"Freak," a shrill voice from below cutting off Don's sentence. The three brothers stood at attention. Leo held his hand up to silence the purple-banded turtle as he peered down the alley way. His brothers followed the motion as well. The moonlight was faint, hiding behind the clouds and just a waxing crescent. The leader had to squint to see the dark shadow running down the alleyway. It stumbled from one wall to the other. Trash cans were knocked over, clattering and spilling their contents through the alley.

"The freak went this way," another voice called out from the street, a male one this time.

In the halo of the streetlights, Leo could see a small crowd forming. There were at least ten humans. More than half were wearing black. "It went down this way," the man in the front said, waving down the alleyway.

"You don't think that it's one of the mutants from the lab, do ya?" Mikey asked as he perched dangerously on the edge. He worried his bottom lip, blue eyes looked in the direction that the first shadow ran.

"I would say that is very likely," Don replied, readying his staff.

"Even if it's not, it may be a friendly alien," Leo said, "We can't let whoever it was get hurt." As the brothers were speaking, the crowd grew louder. They jeered as they readied their weapons. Leo could see that they were mostly bats and other sporting equipment. Three bats, a hockey club, and four golf clubs. It should be easy to disarm the group.

"Mikey, I want you to follow whatever they are chasing. Keep to the shadows to not spook him or her. Don and I will handle the crowd," Leo ordered as he watched the human walk into the alley.

"Roger, Roger," Mikey said with a salute and a grin. He stayed on the rooftop but ran the same direction as the first shadow. Leo only watched as he hopped to the next rooftop. Orange mask tips disappeared into the darkness.

Leo looked over his shoulder to Don. "Do you have any smoke bombs or flashbangs?" he asked his younger brother.

Donatello shifted the bag across his shell to hang at his side. "I came prepared today. I have two smoke bombs and one flashbang." Plans were forming in the leader's head.

Leonardo nodded, "Disorient them with the flashbang and then we will disarm them." He shifted his weight to the balls of his feet. Don nodded his compliance as he pulled the pin on said flashbang. He tossed it in front of the crowd that was poking through the trash that littered the alleyway. Leo looked away before it hit the ground. The light flashed in the corner of his eyes.

Leaping down from above, he landed in a crouch. A man stood in front of him rubbing his eyes with one hand. Leo knocked the bat from the man's hands. It clattered to the ground where the turtle kicked it away. He grabbed the human's wrists before sending him tumbling into another man. The men fell over. Keeping his momentum, Leo slammed his shoulder into another human's stomach before tossing him over his shoulder. They landed with a solid thud. Another step and a sweeping kick, knocked a woman to the ground. She let out a startled yelp as she was hit. Her golf club clattered to the ground.

Leo looked to Don who was surrounded by downed enemies. They made soft moans of pain that went unheard by Don. He was knelt by one of the men. His olive head was tilted to the side as he looked at another man. "I think these three are part of the same gang," Don replied as he pulled something off the man's chest. The genius turtle turned to hold out the patch to his leader.

Leo looked over the symbol. It was a rose with a ring of thorns. He looked down at the first man he knocked down. Pinned to his chest was a rose patch as well. The blue-masked turtle frowned. A ringing phone broke the brothers' inspection.

Don looked sheepish as he pulled his phone out. The genius put his shell cell to his ear. "Hey, Mikey. You still got eyes on our target?" Don asked. Nodding, he motioned for the leader to follow. Don ran down the alley. Expertly he weaved through the fallen trash. Leo kept on his brother's heels careful not to step into the trash on the ground. Don rapidly reached a chain length fence. He barely stopped to pole vault his way over the chain length fence. He paused to turn to face his leader. Leo picked up speed to jump from a trash can that didn't wobble under the force and over the fence itself.

"Mikey said we have to hurry. He said that the men in black are after whoever our 'friends' were after," Don explained as he continued his run. Leo could feel his hands itching to reach for his katanas. He kept his cool and kept his eyes on Don's purple bandana. The younger turtle skidded to a stop before reaching the street. Leo stopped beside his younger brother. "It's dark," Leo commented as he looked across the street. Most of the streetlights were out except for the one directly across the street. The darkened streets raised Leo's sense of danger. It made his skin prickle in anticipation.

Sensing a presence nearby, Leo looked above. Empty roofs lay above the pair to the untrained eye. But Leo was well trained; he could see a shadow perched at the edge of the roof to his left. Said dark shadow leapt from the rooftop above to the fire escape. Swinging on the railing in a dramatic fashion, the shadow dropped to the ground. A near soundless landing beside the brothers. "Whatever we are chasing is over there," Mikey said as he waved to his brothers. He stood to his full height to point at the far alley. Across the street, in the dim light of a single bulb in the alley, a bundled up silhouette was picking through the garbage. "And the black vans are that way," Mikey pointed down the street. " and that way. They killed the lights."

"They are creating a kill zone," Leo commented, "We have to be careful." He could feel the looks from his younger brothers. Both younger turtles were looking to their leader for orders. Leo peeked around the edge of the building. He counted the vehicles quickly. Two blocked the east and two to the west. The three of them could get to the roofs, cross the street unseen and catch their quarry. But it would leave the three of them cornered. If one turtle disarmed the men to the west and east each and the third attempted to catch whatever they were chasing, they risked capture themselves. "Okay, this is what we are going to do. Mikey, get a smoke bomb from Don. We'll take the men to the west. Don, you take the east. We have to be quick before the smoke dissipates."

"And the dude runs away," Mikey added as he was handed the small smoke bomb. He juggled it in his hand. Leo edged to the west side of the alley, watching as the men exited their vehicles. He held his hand up to stay his brothers' movements. There were four humans on Mikey and his side. Each man was wearing completely black body armor.

"Leo, maybe we should call Raph for backup," Don suggested, rolling around the smoke bomb in his hand.

Said turtle shook his head, "It would take too long for him to get here." He watched as the soldiers marched forward, evenly spaced apart. With a quick order, he watched as a smoke bomb flew over his shoulder. It landed right at the men's feet. Thick gray smoke curled around them. Startled cries sounded from the smoke.

"I always knew I had a wicked pitch," Mikey boasted as they charged into the smoke. He whooped as the brothers ran forward, their footsteps nearly silent. The shuffling of their prey was loud in comparison. Leo could see the dark shadows of the humans even through the smoke and darkness. He dove to the side as the sound of gunfire cut through the air. The muzzle flashes made the human's shadows more pronounced. "Wow, I think I have seen Stormtroopers with better aim," Mikey joked before a single thud sounded alongside a grunt. Leo chuckled to himself as he sliced through a barrel of a gun before ramming the pummel of his sword into a man's head. The helmet on the human's head protected a little, but the man still crumbled. Another round of shots rang out. "That was a little better," Mikey continued to tease.

"Focus, Mikey," the eldest reminded his brother as he sliced through another gun. Leo knocked out another man with an uppercut. The human fell to the ground with a thud. He sheathed his swords as he felt Mikey bounce beside him. His twirling nunchucks swirled the thinning smoke.

"Let's check on Don," Leo said. He crouched next to one man who was lying very still. Putting his thick leaf green fingers on the human's neck to check for a pulse, Leo noticed the white rose patch on the human's front. With a thoughtful expression, the leader stood to his full height and turned away from the fallen soldiers. Mikey kicked at one gun before turning to face the alley as well. "Race ya to Donny," he challenged moments before the orange-masked turtle ran away from the fallen soldiers.

Mikey ran ahead of Leo, grinning the whole way. Leo followed quickly but let his younger brother win the race. The smoke that had shielded them was thinning slowly. A slight breeze took it away from the alleyway that the pair ran to. A single rounded shadow stood at the entrance of the alley, slightly exposed as the smoke drifted away.

The purple-banded turtle held his bō staff in his right hand while his left hand was pressed against his upper right arm. Leo could feel his stomach flip nervously. He took a step closer to his brother as his eyes searched Don. In the faint light, Leo could see blood through olive green fingers. "You okay, bro?" Mikey asked as he also looked at Don's wounded arm.

The brother's panic must have been obvious because Don gave them a smile. "It's okay. The bullet only grazed me. Barely any epidermal damage," he explained in a calm tone. Leo narrowed his eyes, not believing his little brother. Once they got home, Don wouldn't be able to hide.

So Leo would let it go for now. "We have to get the other mutant, so we will discuss this later," the eldest brother warned.


Raph placed his shell cell on the couch's arm rest and turned his attention to the game. It was a peaceful quiet with the volume turned down low. A faint purr interrupted the stillness. "Hey, Klunk. You decided to stop hiding?" Raph asked. He quickly found the cat. The orange ball of fur slunk into the living room silent like his ninja owners. Padding softly to the couch, the cat stood on his hind legs to sniff at the sleeping turtle.

Deciding that the smaller turtle was safe, Klunk hopped onto the couch and into Raph's lap. Absentmindedly, Raph stroked the soft orange fur as he focused on his game. His attention was stolen by a kick to his side. It wasn't hard, but it was enough to start to irritate him. Klunk rumbled with irritation. Raph soothed the cat as he looked over at Lita who was still sleeping. If it was Mikey, the hot-headed turtle would have woken him up roughly. But it was Lita, and Raph didn't really want to deal with a crying kid. He chose to ignore it. Another kick to his side made him furrow his brow. Klunk sat up, looking at the turtle. A third kick was all Raph could take. He turned suddenly to shake the girl awake when he caught sight of her face. She wasn't sleeping peacefully; her face was twisted in fear. Her white three-fingered hand were clenching and unclenching with every ragged breath.

Raph reached toward her shoulder to gently wake her when with a gasp she opened her eyes. She blinked them rapidly before digging the heels of her hands into them. She stopped moving and just wrapped her arms around her plastron. Raph wished it was someone else here right now. His brothers all could handle this better than he could. Maybe he could just wait and she would go back to sleep.

Klunk slunk off Raph's lap and gingerly stepped toward the albino. The orange cat bumped her arm gently. She didn't respond immediately. Klunk, not taking no as an answer, tried to squeeze himself between her arms and plastron. Lita limply loosen her arms. The cat curled comfortably against her. Deciding that Klunk had that situation handled, Raph looked at his game. He tried to watch the game, but he could feel his stomach turn uncomfortably. The humans on the screen were not entertaining at all. A quickly stolen glance and he could see that the girl was still shaken up. Her white fingers barely brushed the cat's orange fur. Pink eyes looked miles away, not seeing the cat or the couch. No tears were on her face; it was a little unsettling. "Bad dream?" he asked, finally breaking the dark atmosphere.

Lita looked up at him and nodded. She sat up slowly. She kept Klunk close to her body. To the cat's credit, he didn't startle. She settled her shell against the armrest to face Raph. She curled up, tightening her hold on the cat. Klunk wiggled away from the stifling hold, but sat himself by her pink eyes looked past Raph, looking at something that wasn't there. "Didja want to talk about it?" Raph asked slowly. "Donny says that sort of thing helps." Her pink eyes focused on his amber ones.

The little turtle looked so tired and Raph finally noticed how dark the skin under her eyes were. She just sat there staring at him without moving a muscle. "T-the bad man w-w-was th-there," she answered softly. She brought her hands to her plastron. "H-he had th-the little kn-kn-knife." She gently touched the skin right above the hardened plates. Raph could feel his blood starting to heat up. His injured hands curled into a fist. It stung slightly. "He-he-he cut me l-l-like H3," she stuttered, starting to shake. Her pink eyes looked past him as she curled up tighter.

Raph slammed his fist against the armrest on his side. It made a pathetic thud. She didn't react to the sudden movement; she was too far away. He knew awful things happened in that lab. He saw the way Don would look at the little turtle with a guilty expression and he was the one reading the files. Raph had been avoiding facing the fact. He didn't want to know because he knew he would be shaking like he was right now. Wanting nothing more than to run to Bishop and slice him to pieces. And while he was at it Stockman and the Dr. Nance guy too.

A sniffling sound broke that train of thought. Lita rubbed her snout with her hand. "Hey, the bad man ain't gonna hurt ya again. I promise," Raph said, putting his hand on her smooth head. He felt the cool scales under his fingers.

"Y-y-you swear on your h-h-honor?" Lita asked. Her pink eyes focused on his own.

Raph smirked and chuckled. Of course Leo already was teaching her about honor. "Yea. Cross my heart and hope to die. Stick my sai in my eye."

"Ouch," Lita replied, crinkling her beak.

"Yeah ouch," Raph chuckled in agreement. This seemed to help the girl relax a little. She scooted away from her position against the arm rest to sit closer to the emerald turtle. Just inches from his side, the girl settled.

Near silence grew between them. Raph would steal glances at Lita whose head would bob low only to jerk roughly up. Gritting his teeth, the red-banded turtle got to his feet. "Hey, get up and follow me," he ordered. "Oh, leave ta blanket before ya trip on it."


The leader jerked his head to the alley where their prey hid. He walked point while Mikey took his left side and Don his right. The trash can that the runaway was searching before hid no one. With ears perked, the three ninja padded quietly through the seemingly empty alley. Leo could hear rats digging through the garbage. Then there it was; the sound of a metal can falling. The three ninja turned to the sound. The rounded shadow was on the ground backing away slowly.

"Hey dude, don't be scared. We're the good guys," Mikey called out, putting away his nunchucks. The orange-masked turtle stepped forward, passing Leo. His sea green hands were up in a nonthreatening manner "We're just like you," he tried again. The shadow kept moving backwards, scooting across the ground. They struggled to get to their feet. Their feet stumbled slightly around the litter on the ground. In the dim light, it was hard to see their expression.

"We have H13," Donatello said, putting his bōstaff away as well. He also stepped forward, closer than Leo. Leo grit his teeth at Lita's specimen number, but said nothing.

There was a scoff from the shadow. "H13 is dead. How despicable of a creature must you be," a female voice said,"You believe I can't see through your charade." With that she tipped over a trash can, rolling it toward the three brothers. They jumped over it easily, but she turned around and ran away. The can rattled down the alley as the three ran to catch up.

"Please don't run away. We have a safe place for you," Leo called out. She kept a good clip only pausing to tip more cans. The brothers jumped off the walls to avoid the obstacles as they rolled by.

The noise level was going to start drawing attention. Leo could feel imaginary eyes starting to look at them. Leo pushed himself back to the point position. Slowly he was gaining on the mutant. "That's a new tag," Mikey commented from further behind. "Looks like a flower to me."

"Mikey, that looks a lot like the symbol we saw on those guys in the alley ," Donatello said. Leo caught sight of what his brother's were speaking about. A piece of graffiti sprayed in white. It was a symbol that the eldest turtle never saw in this part of the city. They passed it as they ran after the other mutant who made a sharp right turn.

"I thought the Purple dragons owned this part of town," Leo said out loud. He kept an eye on their fleeing target. She was starting to slow as her knees started to wobble.

"Maybe someone new is entering the game," Mikey said with a shrug.

"Or Mr. Turtle-man, someone wanted a seat at the table," a familiar male voice said with an audible grin. Leo stopped suddenly, holding his arms out to stop his brothers. A white blur landed in front of the trio.

"Mr. Go," Mikey squeaked, "Where's the other guy?" The man stood straight, hands clasped on the cane in front of him. The human smirked. Leo tilted to the left to watch the mutant's shadow stop to look at them.

"Mr. Touch is busy with business, but I assure you, I am more than capable of taking you three on," boasted, squaring his stance. Leo focused on the threat. They'll find the other mutant after they dealt with the criminal in front of them.

Leo unsheathed his swords, pointing one directly at the man, "We don't want any trouble." His brothers readied their weapons as well.

"Ah, but it is trouble you will get," the man replied, speeding toward Leo. The eldest turtle swung his swords toward the man who naturally danced out of the way. "A little slow, Leonardo," the man teased. Don, who had stepped forward, attacked with his bō. The frenchman hopped into the air, flipping off the purple turtle's shell. Don took a step forward to keep his balance. The human landed on his feet gracefully.

Michelangelo was there in an instant. He kicked as the man dodged quickly. The Frenchman landed a kick to the youngest brother's plastron. Mikey staggered slightly, huffing to catch his breath. Leonardo shouldered Mr. Go away, making contact. The man backed away, turning to avoid a bō staff. Leo had to dive to avoid being hit by the staff as well.

Mr. Go kicked Donatello's feet from under him. The turtle used his bo staff to flip upside down following the movement. Leo sent a kick toward Mr. Go who barely moved out of the way. "You're looking a little tired there," Mikey teased as he came in, nunchucks whirling.

The white-dressed man moved back and forth, barely dodging the swinging weapons. His face was becoming drawn. Before the man could reply, Leo cut in. His swords cut two red lines along the man's side. White fabric turned red. The man stumbled, holding his side. "Ah, it seems that I have met my match," Mr. Go said, his breathing heavy. The Frenchman tipped his head before speeding away. "We shall meet again, turtles."

"You should get that checked," Mikey called out to him. "Peroxide works great on blood stains." The orange-masked turtle relaxed his stance. "I think you got him pretty good, Leo."

"It was nothing vital," Don added, checking his arm that started to bleed again.

"He'll live," Leo stated to himself, "I just needed him to retreat so we can keep looking for that mutant." Leo swung his swords to knock off the blood before resheathing them. He made a note to clean them off when they returned to the Lair.

"Speaking of which, did any of you see where she went?" Don asked, as he squinted in the dim light. The streets were empty beyond their alley battleground. Even the rats grew quiet. Leo looked up and down the street, seeing no other living thing.

"It looks like we lost her," he growled, "We shouldn't have gotten distracted with Mr. Go." Taking a couple of breaths, the leader calmed himself.

Mikey shrugged ,"I don't know, bro. This other mutant didn't really sound like she wanted to come with us. Probably frightened by my good looks." He flipped his orange mask tails with a cocky grin.

"Oh, is that what we are calling it now?" Don teased with a chuckle. Leo chuckled as well though his heart wasn't in it. They couldn't just leave her out here with Mr. Go and Mr. Touch. She could be in real danger. As much as it bothered him, Leo there wasn't a way to track the mutant. He looked at the empty street. He shut his eyes to sense where she went, but there was nothing.

Two hands landed on his shoulders. Leo looked to his little brothers. "Hey, we did the best we could," Don said.

"At least we know she is around here somewhere," Mikey added," Maybe we should bring food or something next time."

Leo smiled at his brothers' motivating words. They were right, at least they helped the mutant escape the small mob and now knew a general location. Wordessly, they turned back to the Lair. "You're right. I wish there is more we can do, but for now we got to get Don's arm checked out."

Don groaned, "I was hoping you forgot about that." Mikey poked at the injured arm. Hissing in pain, the purple-masked turtle flinched. Leo raised a brow ridge. Don chuckled sheepishly. Wishing the mutant luck, the three brothers retreated down into the sewers.


Near silence grew between them. Raph would steal glances at Lita whose head would bob low only to jerk roughly up. His brothers were going to be here soon and she was stubbornly trying to keep awake. Gritting his teeth, the red-banded turtle got to his feet. "Hey, get up and follow me," he ordered. Flinching at the sudden noise, the girl startled Klunk who was on her lap. Silently the cat slinked away, giving Raph a dirty look. Lita got to her feet wrapping her blanket around her.``Oh, leave ta blanket before ya trip on it."

Reluctantly, the albino turtle dropped the blanket on the couch. She paused for a moment before draping it over the orange cat. Content purrs came from the little bundle as Lita followed after Raph. The short journey was quick and silent.

Raph stopped in front of his punching bag. Curious eyes looked up at him. "Ya still scared, aren't ya?" the red-masked turtle asked. Lita looked down at her feet and gave a short little nod. "Well, I'm goin' to teach ya how to punch." Huffing, Raph squared his stance and threw a solid punch at his bag. It swung on its chain wildly.

"Why?" Lita asked as she watched the bag settle slowly.

"So you can get some payback if those scientists try to touch ya," Raph responded, "before I teach them a lesson."

"W-w-what do I do f-f-first?" she asked, clenching her hands into a fist.

"Ya gonna break yer thumb like that," the older turtle said. Gently he moved her pale fingers into a more proper position. "Now, ready yer stance," Raph instructed. He stood beside the younger turtle to show her.

Mimicking his stance, Lita looked up for more instruction. "Keep your wrist straight and elbow tight," Raph punched the air slowly to show the motion. Lita did the same. Nodding to the smaller turtle, Raph stepped back.

Lita swung her small fist at the bag. A soft thud sounded from the bag that didn't move. Raph chuckled, "Ya hit like a girl."

A small frown crossed Lita's face. "I am a girl," she muttered. Raph rubbed the top of her head as he continued to laugh.

"I sorta forgot about that," Raph said. Lita focused on the bag and swung again. Another small thud sounded. The red-masked turtle started to debate whether to stop the smaller turtle. Another thud sounded, followed by another. Her white brow was starting to shine with sweat and furrow. She swung again and the chains jangled a little. "Good job," Raph complimented, noticing that her arms were starting to shake.

"R-r-really?" Lita asked as she started to huff. Raph looked down at her pale knuckles. They looked okay for the moment.

"Ya bet. Throw a couple of those punch's at a guy's sternum and ya'll wind 'em," Raph explained.

"W-w-where is the s-s-sternum?" Lita asked as her breathing leveled slightly.

Raph pointed to the center of his plastron. "If that doesn't work, there are other weak spots on a human," Raph explained, "The crotch is probably the most sensitive. Just one good kick and ya can put a man to his knees." Lita tilted her head curiously. The red-masked turtle looked down at the smaller turtle, remembering how young the albino was and stopped his explanation. Though the young mutant looked more drowsy now than curious to ask questions. A yawn passed her beak as she slumped. "Let's get ya back to bed," Raph said, nudging the sleepy turtle away from the punching bag and back to the living room.


J31 was stumbling away from the sounds of conflict. She had looked back only once. Conflict split her attention. Should she go back to the turtles? Stand against the human with them? J31 shook her head. As far as she knew, they worked with the scientist. Trained like what the scientists were trying to do with J50.

Pushing down any hint of guilt, J31 continued running as fast as she could. Her eyes searched for the abandoned building she claimed. Everything looked the same in the dark of night. Her feet pounded against the pavement, smarting a little. Some of the warehouses she passed had light within. She couldn't stay out exposed too long. Relief filled her chest as she saw a sign she recognized. Three more buildings and she would be home free. She passed the first building lung and legs burned at the exertion. As she ran past the second, a door slamming open reverberated behind her. J31 yelped as a large hand grabbed her wrist.

The ground beneath her vanished. Her feet swung in the air as she was lifted up by the arm. Kicking her feet pitifully, she was turned to face her captor. He had to be the largest man she ever saw. With short brown hair and a smirk on his face, the man looked her up and down with his glowing eyes. "Which of the turtle-men are you?" he asked. His giant fist squeezed around her wrist.

J31 panicked, her heart raced under her plastron. This was it; she was going back to the labs. She was going back to the tests and death. She'll go back to the bland white walls and floors. "Don't take me back," she pleaded. It was pointless. How many times did one of them begged the scientist to stop? How many of group H cried with childlike fear to be ignored?

She was rattled slightly by the large man, breaking the spiral of thoughts. "You're not one of them," the man said. He chuckled. Her feet met the ground as she was lowered. J31 tried to catch her breath. "Follow me," the man commanded as he pulled the mutant behind him. Her mint green feet stumbled as he pulled her into the warehouse.

Bright lights caused her to squint as she tried to see where she was. Crates were stacked along the edges of the warehouse. J31 could see humans milling about counting crates. They ignored the pair as the large man pulled her to a secluded corner. "What are you going to do to me?" she asked the man, she was trying to sound commanding.

"I'm going to wait for my partner and then we will decide," the man replied. With a sharp tug, she was set on a crate. Splinters bit into her green thighs. She looked around her seat to see that she was hidden on every side by crates. "Just sit here and stay quiet." The man straightened his dark suit as he stood in front of her, blocking the only exit.

Minutes ticked by slowly as she waited. She opened her mouth once or twice to speak with the man, but decided against it. "Mr. Go, you appear to have run into trouble," the man called out.

"Ah yes, the little turtle-men were a little aggressive today," a smooth voice replied as another human walked closer. His footsteps were heavy, accompanied by a tapping sound. Entering into the mutant's view was a man dressed in white. It was a nice suit in J31's opinion. Though now it was ruined by the red blood that soaked the side. "What do you have here, Mr. Touch?" the man asked. He tapped closer with his cane.

"A turtle-woman," replied. "Should we dispose of her?"

The smaller man hummed to himself as he began to circle the turtle mutant. J31 kept her eyes on him but didn't flinch. "Perhaps she can be of some use to us, Mr. Touch," Mr. Go suggested.


A/N: I completely forgot to mention last chapter that in case it isn't obvious. The characters I add to this fic from other iterations of TMNT will be a bit different from their original counterparts. As always constructive criticism is welcomed.