Hello my fabulous readers!

I wanted to let you know that my update schedule may got to every other week. With my new job, I don't have as much writing time as I did with my old one, and I'm very busy on the evenings in planning my wedding.

I pray you'll be patient with me?

At any rate, here's the new chapter!

"This is Eagles Nest to Squad Leader, over," Anthony's voice came over their new com system, the crystal clear quality making Leo smile, "Ya read me, kiddo?"

"This is Squad Leader," Leonardo replied, "we read you loud and clear, Eagles Nest."

"Perfect," the man's answering grin was audible through the headphones, "now I've been watching the camera feed, and there's been a whole lot of movement through the night, all the trucks are gone. I think you may have the place to yourselves."

The azure ninja exchanged a look with his brothers, already aware of the changes as they had reviewed the feed earlier that morning, and all due to the unexpected foresight of Raphael.

After their shopping trip, the second oldest sibling came to his leader with a shocking idea way out of Raph's usual modus operandi, a plan that Leo immediately, and enthusiastically, approved. The idea being that on his motorcycle ride the brawler would subtly set up the cameras that they'd pick up from the army surplus store all around the warehouse property, which would grant them several angles of visual they could use to spy on the base. The plan was a hit, more than making up for the added expense on the extra cameras. Raph had even gotten an aerial view, claiming that he used his ninja skills to stealth his way up a really tall tree, and place a camera as close to the top as he could manage.

When Donnie pulled up the feeds, they all made sure to exclaim and praise the hotheaded turtle for his ingenuity. By the time they were done, Raphael's face matched his mask, but a fierce pride glowed behind joyful topaz eyes. Needless to say, it was a very good idea. The cameras were imperative for keeping an eye on who was going in and out of the facility, and it was thanks to this moment of inspiration that gifted the brothers with a rare opportunity.

The night after Raphael's motorcycle ride, the facility came alive, with the few windows being shuttered, lights being doused, and countless trucks rumbling out of the warehouse and down the road, leaving the building utterly silent. Now, what it was that would send an entire facility into a midnight evacuation, Leo wasn't sure and it had him more than a little on edge. However, if they wanted a stealth mission that would allow them to snoop around Bishop's business, and subsequently sabotage his schemes, without being caught, this was their one chance. Not ones to look a gift horse in the mouth, they agreed this was the best way to complete their mission, even though Michelangelo still seemed to fidget in discomfort. The youngest had been uneasy about the mission from the get-go, stating he had a bad feeling about it. Leo had acknowledged Mikey's discomfort, promising the utmost of caution, but clarifying that they needed to investigate the reasoning behind Bishop sending the mutagen bomb to their home.

The youngest had heaved a sigh, but acquiesced, in spite of his personal feelings about the operation.

The young leader was quick to reassure his youngest brother that they weren't alone, reminding Mikey that in an RV park less than a mile away, Anthony sat in a retrofitted motorhome watching countless screens and keeping an eye on the brothers with military grade night vision goggles. To the casual observer, it was just a camper like any other, and Anthony even hung party lights on the porch canopy, but if you looked inside it was a different story. The human and Donatello had tore the inside out and turned it into an RV version of the battle shell. Complete with a wall of cameras that were piggy backing on every security feed from the warehouse to the highway. Anthony's job was to watch the highway and ensure they had the facility to themselves. If he saw even the slightest hint of headlights on the road towards the warehouse, he'd be able to warn them so they could escape with time to spare.

The war veteran was more than eager to help out on their mission, and the turtles couldn't turn down his offer to guard their rear, especially after how much money he spent getting them top of the line, military grade, gear.

"Thanks, Eagles Nest," the leader said, tapping the com wrapped around his throat, "let's proceed with the infiltration, we're trusting you to keep an eye on our backs."

"Ten-four,"

"He's having way too much fun with this," Mikey grumbled.

Raph chuckled, rubbing the youngest's head in a consoling gesture, "Don't worry, squirt, everythin' will be alright."

Michelangelo shrugged his older brother off, giving the turtle a pout, "Don't call me squirt, Raphie."

"Then, don't call me Raphie…squirt,"

The orange ninja groaned, even as his older brothers laughed at his displeasure, "I swear, ever since we were turned human, you guys treat me like a baby."

"It's not that we treat you like a baby," Donatello soothed, pulling Mike in for an affectionate side hug, "but you have to admit that seeing you so small made it harder not to treat you as our baby brother. I guess the visual kinda stuck?"

"What Donnie said, Mikey," Leo agreed, "you're still a capable ninja in our eyes…"

"For the most part," Raph grunted teasingly.

"And you're still a vital part of our team," the leader continued, wrinkling his beak playfully at the brawler, before turning back to the youngest, "but I'd be lying if I said that our time as humans didn't change my view of you as a brother. So, if we dote on you a little, or show a little preferential treatment, it's not because we think less of you, it's because I realized how precious my little brothers are, okay?"

Michelangelo continued to pout for a few more seconds, but then gave a roll of his eyes, "Fine," he huffed, "I'm not going to say to stop, but just try not to treat me like I'm a little kid? I am the same age as you guys, you know?"

"We'll try to remember," Leonardo laughed, ruffling Mikey's mask for good measure, "now, shall we sneak into the bad guy's base now?"

"Let's," Donnie nodded, snickering evilly as he hacked security, "I'm about to open the side door right….now!"

The security lights flooding the loading dock behind the warehouse suddenly cut out, an audible whine as countless machines and cameras powered down. Silent as ghosts, the terrapins sprinted across the concrete, ducking behind various moving equipment and heavy machinery, until they made their way to the side door. Donatello's fingers flew as he attached several wires to the keypad, then accessed his wrist gauntlet. In seconds, the keypad glowed green, and they heard the dull thunk of the lock disengaging. Leonardo opened the door, holding it as he gestured his brothers to scurry inside, then quickly followed behind. Just as the door closed, the lights flickered back on, and the cameras resumed their post, unaware of the breach of security.

"You boys get in safe?"

"Yeah, Anthony," Donnie replied, creeping quietly down a dizzyingly long hall with white walls, "we're good. How about on your end?"

"All quiet, but I'll stay on alert in case anything changes," the veterinarian stated, "by the way, did ya'll know that your gear shows me your vitals?"

Donatello perked up, eyes brightening with the new information, "Really?" He chirped, "What all does it show?"

"I can see each of your heartbeats," Anthony replied, "I can't see much else, but it's nice to see your monitors keeping steady, and I made sure to color coordinate each line so I know who is who."

The boys all chuckled at the image of blue, red, purple and orange heartbeats on a screen, and shared happy grins. "Alright, Doc, we're signing off for now," Leo said, "we need to stay quiet as we go further into the facility."

"You got it, kiddo,"

The young leader pulled in a deep breath as if he were sucking through a straw, allowing the oxygen to fill his lungs until he could feel every cell in his body tingle. The eldest held it there for several seconds, eyes closing as he fell into a slightly meditative state, intensely focused on the task ahead before slowly exhaling. Leo could feel his brothers standing near, each on high alert, and ready to carry out any orders given. He was certain, that if asked, Anthony could probably confirm that in this moment their hearts beat in perfect unison. Such was their bond. They were ninja, but more than that, they were a clan of brothers. They'd endured more horrors and hardships than most, and they'd not only survived, they'd come out stronger. Leonardo's chest swelled with pride, even as a small smirk quirked his mouth.

Bishop has no idea what he brought on himself this time.

Sapphire eyes, glowing with determination, flicked open, and turned to the team, "Let's go, guys,"

The younger siblings nodded, and quickly flanked their leader, soundlessly running down the hallway. Leo jerked his chin at the scientist, gesturing for him to run closer, "We're going to find the control room first," he instructed, "when we get there, you do your thing and pull up any information on what's been going on here."

"Got it," Donnie nodded, pulling his wrist gauntlet out so to project a holographic schematic, "based off the blueprints I was able to download from the internet, I may have an idea of where it might be, but this is Bishop…"

"So, the blueprints may not be entirely accurate?" Leo finished with a wry grin.

"Exactly, aniki,"

"That's fine," the leader nodded, "just do your best and we'll improvise from there."

"Got it," the scientist confirmed.

"What about me, an' Mike?" Raphael rumbled.

Leo paused, carefully considering how to answer as they came to a three way intersection in the corridor, "I want both of you to scout out the facility." He replied, turning serious blue eyes to the brawler, "Start down that hall and see what you can find. I'll stick with Donnie to see what the main control room holds. Use the coms to stay in contact at all times, and if you see anything the slightest bit suspicious, tell me."

"Ten-four,"

…..

Raphael turned, beginning a slow trot down the opposite hallway. Michelangelo followed behind, jogging so to catch up, before slowing down to his older brother's gait, "Raphie?"

"What, squirt?"

Mikey growled at the brawler, pouting when Raphael chuckled, "I'm really not sure about this, I've got a bad feeling."

The hothead pursed his lips thoughtfully, taking in the baby's concern. In the eight months since the caves, Raphael had worked to become more sensitive to his brothers' needs. More apt to listen, and striving to be more patient, instead of always immediately exploding. In the time since their journey through their leader's darkest fears, Raphael had found a sense of peace, allowing him to embrace his role as family protector in a way that was more fulfilling than bashing heads with Casey ever was. Which led to his outbursts of temper being fewer and farther between these days. So, with all that personal growth, it wasn't a surprise anymore that Raph would take Mikey's concerns more seriously. While the brawler was all for dealing out some justice to Bishop, he wasn't so arrogant as to ignore the youngest's fears.

"A bad feelin' like what?"

"It's hard to explain," Michelangelo pulled in a breath, piecing together his feelings and molding them into words, "ever since Leo said we'd sneak into the warehouse, I just got this sinking feeling in my stomach, like something bad is going to happen."

The orange ninja reached out, grabbing Raphael by the bicep and tugging him to a stop in the hall, "It won't go away, and I'm not gonna lie," Mikey's features pulled into a deep frown, "I'm scared, bro,"

All was silent for several seconds, Raphael carefully thinking over Michelangelo's words, before heaving a sigh, "I can't promise ya that nothin' bad will happen, what with our luck an' all," the brawler stated, topaz eyes firm with conviction, "but I can promise that I'll do everythin' in my power ta make sure we all make it home in one piece. Sound like a plan?"

Mikey paused, clearly weighing the value of Raph's promise versus the roiling fear in his gut, then gave a hesitant nod, "Fine," the youngest rasped, "I'll hold you to that."

Satisfaction burst in Raph's chest, warming his heart all the way down to his soul, "Ya'd better," he smirked playfully, "because if everythin' goes ta shell, I'm gonna need ya ta back me up."

"Ugh," the youngest scoffed, rolling his eyes at the brawler, "why do I gotta back you up, what about Donnie or Leo?"

Raphael cackled, "Ya kiddin' me?" He sighed with a shake of his head, turning back so to continue walking down the hall, "what happens every time we're on a mission? Don will be stuck behind a computer trying ta stop some end of the world countdown, and Leo will probably be busy in a life-or-death fight with some monster, while we get strapped with tryin' ta manage waves of God knows what so that neither of them get killed."

"True," Michelangelo huffed, but then drooped with a frown, "we always get stuck with cleaning up the messes, but I guess I'd take that over anybody getting hurt."

The youngest paused, once again making the brothers stop in trek, before throwing his hands up so to wail at the ceiling in aggravation, "Fine," he groaned after his outburst, proceeding to angrily stomp down the hallway, "let's get this over with so we can go home. There's cheesecake in the fridge, and I call first dibs. Now hurry up, Raphie!"

Raphael's shoulders rolled with the amused chuckle that shook his frame, "Alright, alright, I'm comin'."

The brawler grinned as he followed his baby brother, hands reaching up to clasp behind his head. Countless doors passed by as Raphael continued at a more sedate pace than Mikey, his liquid gold gaze absorbing the environment, the long white hallway dotted by closed doors making his vision blur. Why Bishop enjoyed making his bases either dark and foreboding, or mind numbing in their generic design, Raphael wasn't sure. However, he hated both versions of the man's decorative tendencies. It was too easy to get lost here, what with everything looking exactly the same, and maybe that was its purpose. Leo had once explained it as a tactical advantage, that only people intimately familiar with Bishop's facilities would be able to find their way around, forcing intruders to wander around aimlessly until they could be properly dealt with. It made sense in a way, but considering their team was the intruders 99% of the time, it was more than a little annoying.

Raphael gave a shrug. It wasn't his problem, and soon enough Donatello will have all the information they need on this place, and Fearless will let him light the wick of his favorite kind of candle. The 'splodey kind.

A wicked grin stretched the red clad features but it withered when something suddenly caught the brawler's attention, a flickering shadow in his peripheral that made every instinct inside of him scream. The red clad terrapin froze, pupils shrinking as he went on high alert, before the topaz eyes widened, "Mikey!" Raphael grunted, a short command riding on a tone that demanded immediate obedience, "Don't move."

The youngest stopped mid stride, his body falling completely motionless, "What?"

"Thought I saw somethin'," Raph growled, "somethin' weird,"

"Aw, shell, I knew something bad was gonna happen," Mikey's frame trembled with apprehension, "Dude, I really hope you're pranking me," He whispered, "I'm even willing to forgive you if you are, because I really don't want to star in my own horror movie."

"Ya might already be," Raphael murmured, slowly turning his head to find the source of his unease.

For a minute or two, nothing moved, the only sound being the soft whimpers coming from Michelangelo. However, Raph's patience paid off when, once again, the shadowy figure flickered in his peripheral vision. This time though, he got a better look, and to say it freaked him out would be an understatement. "Mikey, run!"

The duo burst into an explosion of movement, sprinting down the hall, and skidding around a corner, "What's going on?!" Michelangelo shrieked.

"Find a door," Raph ordered, trying several knobs, snarling when they wouldn't budge, "we need ta disappear, now."

Mikey hesitated, but only for a fraction of a second, briefly nodding before taking the other side of the hall and frantically turning doorknobs, "What's after us?!"

"Ya don't wanna know!"

"Uh, dude, my shell, my choice," Mikey retorted, "so tell me!"

"Michelangelo," Raph replied in a rare use of the youngest's full name, "trust me when I say, ya don't wanna know!"

On and on down the hallway went the hotheaded sibling, teeth bared in a desperate snarl as green hands jiggled and shook every doorknob he could reach. None were unlocked, and Raph could feel his heart leaping in his throat with fearful urgency. That thing was right behind them and he needed to get Mikey somewhere safe! The scrabbling of claws on the tile floor echoed around the corner, and Raphael could only tense as he turned towards the sound. Liquid gold eyes slowly peered over the well muscled curve of the brawler's shoulder, watching as a shadowy figure rounded the corner, and made its way into their stretch of the corridor, and suddenly, the world seemed upside down. Not in the literal sense, but more in the fact that Raphael couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.

It was huge, a strange monster made out of pitch black mist with a long whip like tail, that was somehow solid and yet also intangible, almost gaseous. Like it was not of this world, and stuck between frequencies. It walked hunched over, on bent legs that reminded Raphael of a goat, but with webbed feet, tipped with sharp claws that splayed across the floor similar to duck. Its arms were short, kind of like a kangaroo, but that didn't take away from its reach, because a tangle of tentacles flicked and flowed down its spine from its neck down to its tailbone. The head was terrifying, though, because as far as Raph could tell it had no eyes. However, six large nostrils, three on each side of the head, that flared a blew like a horse, seemed to be what it used to navigate its way around. The head was long, oval like, and at its jaw were spindly teeth that reminded Raphael too much of the skin walker.

Raph's jaw dropped, even as his heart lurched in fear, "Holy….shell!"

Desperation once again took over, and the brawler struggled with the locked door, never taking his eyes off the monster, when he felt a hand grab the back of his belt. Raphael was unceremoniously drug across the hall, and flung through a door, only to stand in a dark conference room, shell braced against the door. Michelangelo stood close by, his ear pushed up against the door, both brothers holding their breath as the creature drew near. Raphael found himself staring in wonder at the youngest, the one normally shaking in his boots, suddenly acting like their leader by taking charge. However, that wonder was cut short when he heard the large feet settle by their door. The room fell quiet, both turtles waiting for it to move on, hearts thudding in their chests. The scariest part for Raph was the dead silence. Beyond the scraping of its claws on the floor, the creature made no sound. No growls, no snarls, not the slightest noise came from its mouth. The brawler couldn't quite understand why, but suddenly he found a whole new brand of nightmare fuel in this thing and the silent way it stalked its prey.

"Leo, this is Mike, you read?"

Raph jolted at the strangely calm sound of the youngest's voice, quickly sending a scolding glare to the orange ninja, and putting a finger to his lips in a silent command to be quiet. Mikey, however, waved him off, "I don't think it can hear," he explained in a low whisper, "not the way we can at least. With all the racket we were making in trying doorknobs, it should have found us a lot faster than it did."

Once again, the red ninja found himself gobsmacked that Mikey was the one with a level head in this situation, even as the younger sibling tapped the com again, "Leo, bro, this is Mikey, you hear me?"

Static crackled through their headphones, and Michelangelo gave an unhappy cluck of his tongue, "It was working just a minute ago!" He growled.

The brawler moved his head to make eye contact with the youngest, and Michelangelo quirked an eyebrow ridge at his older brother, bemusement on his features, "What are you doing?" The orange clad ninja whispered.

"Tryin' ta see if you and Leo switched masks," Raph replied in a low rasp, "yer actin' so weird, what happened ta ya bein' so scared?"

Mikey rolled his eyes, "Seriously, Raphie?" He growled, "I'm still scared, but staying alive takes precedence!"

The brawler merely shrugged, "Jus' sayin',"

"Besides, what's so weird about trying to call in some backup?" The orange ninja asked incredulously, wincing when the monster seemed to shift towards them.

"Nothin'," Raphael pitched his voice even lower, still unsure about Mikey's theory that it was deaf, "but last I checked, you're the one that screams first and lets Leo make the escape plans."

"Well, Leo ain't here, thus the call for backup, dude!" The youngest shook his head with a scoff, "Now, shut up so I can hear when it leaves."

Raphael heaved a sigh, but remained motionless, the only sound being the static over their headphones and the terrified thumping of his heart.

…

"Well, I know one thing for certain," Donatello groused, "Bishop absolutely lied about the blueprints. The ones he uploaded to the courthouse absolutely do not match this facility."

Leo chuckled at his brother's frustration, "Did we really expect anything else?" He asked with a shrug.

"No, but," the scientist huffed out a sigh, "I was hoping it would be at least somewhat accurate. I'm going in blind, here, and you know how much I hate not having all the data I require. Especially for a mission!"

"I know," the leader nodded in understanding, "but regardless, we've got a mission to complete."

Donnie groaned, "Do we, though?" He asked with a wince, "I don't feel comfortable with this, Leo. Even Mikey is concerned. Why don't we call Raph and tell him that we're pulling out?"

Silence as Leonardo pieced his reply together, then cast serious eyes on his brother, "Donnie, I hear you, I do. Just like I know that Mikey is uncomfortable with this mission, and you're not wrong, because I have my own reservations."

"Then why are we here?" The genius pled.

"Because, we need to know what Bishop was doing that would justify such a radical decision like turning us human," the eldest replied, "I need to know what he's planning, because the thought of leaving without the data I need to protect my family terrifies me.

"I don't want to push you into this mission," Leo continued, placing a consoling hand on Donnie's shoulder, "but I need your help, Don. We are in the perfect place to get intel on Bishop's plans and hit him where it hurts at the same time. I can't let a chance like this pass us by when we can do so much, right now. Yes, I'm scared. Yes, I also have a bad feeling, but my wish to protect you and our home is stronger than my fear. I have to act, do you understand?"

Donatello looked deeply into the sapphire gaze of his leader, searching for any hint that Leo was deceiving him, or operating under less than honorable intentions, however, as always the orbs were clear. They were strong, confident, wise and compassionate. The eyes of the leader that the scientist loved and was loyal to, the leader he'd follow to the very pits of Hell if it came down to it. "Fine," Donnie stated, voice firm and succinct as he finally made the commitment within himself to fully cooperate, "let's go see what we can dig up, and then I'm leaving the mother of all viruses in Bishop's mainframe."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Leo grinned, clapping Don on the shell with an approving grin.

"Let's try down this hall?" Don suggested, jerking his thumb down the adjoining corridor, "The smell down that way changes a little bit, and I'm curious as to why."

"Sure, let me check in with Raph and Mikey first, though," the eldest tapped the com on his throat, "Mike? Raphie? You read me?"

Leo paused as nothing but static crackled through the headphones, a frown marring his features, "That's strange," he murmured, turning to the genius sibling, "Donnie, did I come through on your headset?"

Donatello straightened up from where he'd been fiddling with his gauntlet, "Yeah, I heard you just fine, why?"

The leader hummed thoughtfully, then tapped the com again, "Michelangelo, Raphael, come in!" He repeated, dread curling in his gut, "I mean it guys, someone answer me!"

Once again, static was the only reply, and now the dread had morphed into a burning anxiety. Leonardo turned to stalk down the hall, "Donnie, let's go, we need to go find Mike and Raph."

"Is somebody out there?!" A feminine voice suddenly shrieked from down the hall, making the terrapins jump, "Please, if you can hear me, get me out of here!"

"What the shell?" Donatello gasped, neck arcing as he craned to look further down the hall, "Was that a person?"

Leo huffed as a wad of frustration lodged in his throat, even as his conscience railed that he save the damsel in distress. However, he wasn't sure if he should listen, as the last time he did so, it landed him in a heap of trouble. Besides, his brothers weren't answering on the com, surely the mystery girl could wait, right? "No time, Donnie," he snapped, reaching out to grab the scientist by the belt and haul him down the corridor, "Mikey and Raph need us,"

"Please, I can hear your voices!" The female voice screamed, desperation evident in her tone, "I'm begging you! Get me out of here! I need to save my sister! Please!"

The leader shook his head, deliberately turning away, "Nope, not falling for that again," he growled, "not until I have all my entire team with me."

"Leo!" Donnie gasped as he tugged against the eldest's pulling, jaw hanging agape in astonishment, "She obviously needs our help!"

"And she can wait until I know my team is safe and accounted for!" Leonardo shot back.

"She may not be able to wait!" The genius retorted.

"And what if she's a decoy and we end up neck deep in trouble?" The leader asked, pulling even more fiercely on his younger brother's belt, "I'm not taking that chance, Don!"

"Please," the voice begged, "I need to save my baby sister….she needs me…please, help me!"

Leo's heart gave an audible crack, listening to the sound of an older sibling desperate to save their family, and powerless to do so. He understood that feeling, but he also didn't want to take any chances. This could so easily lead to a trap. However, the leader wasn't given an option, when suddenly the belt he'd been holding went slack. Leonardo whirled around and saw Donnie running down the hall towards the voice, leaving his belt behind. The eldest gave an aggravated growl, and sprinted after the scientist, arms pumping as he rushed to catch up.

"Donatello!" He roared, "I told you to wait until we found Mikey and Raph!"

"And I told you that she needs help!"

In an unexpected burst of speed, Donnie pelted down the corridor, disappearing around a corner, and then continuing his desperate race down the hallway. Leo followed closely behind, skidding around each corner as he fought to keep up, "Geez," he groused, "why can't you be this fast during training runs?"

Donatello didn't answer, instead he careened around another corner, but came to a sudden stop when he saw the hallway turned into an open doorway that led down into a large room lined with cages. The chamber was huge, circular, with a winding balcony going down to a ground floor, and the walls completely made of of different room. All locked with thick metal bars. Leo jogged to a stop next to Donnie and shuddered in apprehension at the sight. No doubt this was where Bishop hoped to put them, should he ever succeed in capturing any of the ninja turtles. That thought alone, paired with the sight of the countless cages, sent a chill down the leader's spine.

"I knew I heard voices!"

Leo jolted at the feminine tone, reminded of their current predicament. Following the voice to its source, the eldest turtle found one lone cage was inhabited, but by the last thing he'd ever expected to see.

She was female, but she was a humanoid reptile with skin made up of cobalt colored scales and looked to be around their age as well. A slightly protruding nose accented the lizard like face, but her lips and eyes were almost human, with almond shaped eyes the color caramel. A waterfall of carrot colored hair was mixed with feathers that fell down her back where bat-like wings flared at either side. An angry tail, tipped with sharp spikes, lashed the air furiously, even as she gripped the bars with glistening claws. Sharp serpentine teeth were bared, but the intense snarl was undercut by the moisture glistening in the amber gaze. Leonardo could see a deep pain within her eyes, accompanied by a raw desperation, making the strong face shift between being on the verge of tears and snarling in wild abandon. Her muscular form rippling under the thick leather armor only accentuated the fact that she was certainly formidable, no doubt being captured by Bishop's men was causing the emotional break that Leo could see hovering on the edges of her features.

"You, up there!" She bellowed, wings flaring as wide as her cell would allow, "humans captured me and my baby sister! Let me out, please, I need to find her!"

Donatello turned to look at Leo, as if to say I told you so, then rushed to the cell, "Don't worry, I'll have you out in a jiffy!"

The reptilian woman watched with bated breath as Donnie hacked the cage door, her sharp fangs biting her bottom lip until the large lock gave a clank allowing the door to swing open. With a trilling snarl, the female dove through the opening, immediately stretching her wings as wide as they could go, until they trembled from the strain. Gulping down heaves of air, the prisoner turned to her saviors, bowing low in gratitude, "Thank you," she said softly, "I don't know how I can possibly thank you."

"Don't mention it," Donnie smiled gently, then held out a hand, "my name is Donatello, but my friends call me Don."

Straightening up, the reptilian woman glanced down at the proffered hand, hesitation plainly written on her face. However, a look at the sincerity shining through Donatello's features seemed to make up her mind, and she eventually grasped the turtle's hand in a tentative shake, "My name is Mona," she replied.

The eldest sighed, then stuck out his own hand, "My name is Leonardo," he grunted, "I'm sorry to rush you, and I don't mean to be insensitive, but my little brothers are in danger, and I need to get to them."

"I'm not going to stop you," Mona acquiesced, "I just need to find my baby sister. She's somewhere in this facility, but I don't know where."

"Why don't you come with us?" Donnie suggested, "We're going to find our brothers, and then we need to find the main control room. From there I can hack into the facility records and run a search for your sister."

The young female nodded enthusiastically, opening her mouth to agree, but was cut off when the turtle's headsets sprang to life.

"Leo, ya read?!"

Leonardo whirled around, tapping his com even as he turned his shell to their new ally, "Where the shell have you been!?" He barked, "What happened?! I tried contacting you but all I got was static!"

Mona snickered next to Donatello, caramel eyes brightening in amusement, "He sounds just like me when Venus disappears without saying where she's going."

"Trust me," the scientist smirked, "you haven't seen how bad he can get, this is just phase one of mom mode."

Leo sent a fierce pout at Donatello, glaring when the genii snickered at the eldest's displeasure. "Sorry, bro," Mikey's apologetic tones broke in, "but we were a little preoccupied with a problem of our own, plus, we tried to contact you too, but something weird happened to our coms and we couldn't get a signal."

"Yeah, not until that thing left," Raphael grumbled.

"You're right!" Mikey gasped, and Leo could imagine the baby blue eyes brightening with an idea, "You think it might be connected?"

"Actually," Raph's voice turned thoughtful, "that might make sense."

"Yeah, cause it's all weird, like flickering in and out, an-!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Leonardo cut in, stopping any further discussion, "What do you mean thing? Where are you, and what happened?"

"Uh," Michelangelo's excited rambling slowed, "well, it's a lot to explain."

The young leader heaved a sigh, one hand massaging the bridge of his beak, "Fine," he snapped, "you can give me your report when we meet up. Donnie will give you directions to where we are."

"You got it, dude!" Mikey chirped brightly.

…

To say Raphael was on edge as they made their way to where Leo and Don were waiting for them, would be a massive understatement. The brawler was jumping at shadows, eyes roaming every corner of the corridor they were walking down, body staying on alert should that creature come back. Mikey was much the same, the youngest practically attached at the hip to his older brother, their shoulders brushing as they made their way to rejoin with Leo and Don. Neither mentioned the source of their unease, much less acknowledged their discomfort to each other, however, their concern was palpable. The air thick with fear and confusion, to the point Raph almost thought he could cut it with his leader's katana.

It wasn't just the existence of the monster that put them off. It was the fact that they couldn't recognize what it was that made them uneasy. Being the well traveled terrapins that they were, both Raphael and Michelangelo were well aware that other dimensions, parallel universes, and planets existed. They had plenty of friends who lived in those places, whether it be a samurai rabbit from another dimension, or an alien dinosaur that once saved them from a gladiator pit. However, this thing wasn't like any of them, and it had this feeling of wrongness that made Raphael freeze in his tracks, and his heart race with fear. The brawler didn't understand it, and that in itself was even more terrifying.

Rounding the corner into a large room, Raph was still lost in his thoughts when he heard Mikey exclaim, "Hey, who's that?"

Then the red ninja's world came to a screeching halt.

She was gorgeous. A strong body, lithe as a whip, with a Mohawk of ginger hair and feathers that fell like a waterfall down her back between leathery wings. Raphael could only blush when an inane urge to run his fingers through it flashed across his brain, and sudden nervous anxiety burst in his stomach, making the normally gruff ninja fidget. However, he couldn't move, not when caramel colored eyes, warm and melting, met his and made his heart rate skyrocket. The newcomer crossed muscular arms across an ample chest, and the brawler's mouth went as dry as the Sahara Desert. The liquid gold gaze of the red clad ninja jumped back up to her face, desperately trying not to think the thoughts that were screaming in the back of his mind. He was a gentleman, just like Dad taught him to be. Promise.

"My name is Mona," she replied, "Your brothers, Donatello and Leonardo, rescued me from one of these cells."

Even her voice was gorgeous. Low, and throaty, with just a hint of a serpentine hiss. Kind of like those old time movie stars in the black and white films Leo and Donnie liked to watch. Michelangelo was oblivious to his older sibling's predicament, bouncing over like the shameless baby brother he was, "Let me guess," he asked with a sympathetic shake of his head, hands on his hips, "Bishop got you?"

The newcomer sighed, then nodded, "I believe that was his name, yes," she replied, "He captured me and my baby sister."

"Your baby sister?!" Mikey jolted, his compassionate nature already worrying for the stranger, "Is she here?"

"She has to be!" Desperation provoked a growl on Mona's lips, "Bishop was trying to break through the barriers between dimensions, that's how he grabbed us. One of his attempts worked and we were sucked through the rip as a result."

"Wait, what?!" Leo exploded, sapphire eyes wide with horror, "Bishop is trying to go into other dimensions?!"

Mona nodded, "He wanted information on my home, what kind of weapons we have, that sort of thing."

"So, he's trying to expand his inventory," Donnie hummed thoughtfully, "it's understandable that he'd want to try to get into other dimensions, especially after the Demon Shredder incident, and the almost getting wiped out of existence with our dimensional alternates. I can see why he wants to be proactive and get as much of an advantage as he can, should something like that happen again."

"It may be understandable," Leonardo hissed, anger making his frame taut, "but that doesn't mean it's allowable. We shut down this facility, permanently, tonight."

"How?" Mikey huffed, waving his arms dramatically, "It's not like we can just blow it up, or something. Besides, I'm willing to bet they have everything backed up somewhere, even if we tank the warehouse, we can't promise they won't just build it all over again!"

"Mikey's got a point," Donnie murmured, tapping his chin.

The eldest smirked at their resident genius, "Isn't that where your mother of all viruses comes in? Surely, you can program it that if anyone tries to access those files, it will automatically corrupt their hard drive?"

"Well duh," Donatello scoffed with a roll of his chocolate eyes, "that's child's play, but it hinges on if the backup is on a wireless system like the cloud or something."

"Knowing Bishop, that's likely," Leo shrugged, then turned back to his team, "alright, we find the main control room and Donnie can get to work on bugging the system with his virus."

"After he finds out where my sister is being held," Mona threw in.

Leonardo gave a succinct nod, "Right," he agreed, "during which time, Mikey, Raph, and me will be sabotaging the machine Bishop used to rip dimensions."

"But how will Venus and I go home?" The newcomer asked, a suspicious glare suddenly being thrown their leader's way.

"We have friends with the ability to open dimensions," Leo reassured, "we can get you home with their help."

"We don't have to go to those lengths," Donatello vetoed with a firm shake of his head, "it'll be easier just to look on the computer and pull up the program used when they snatched Mona and her sister. I'm sure they recorded the event. After we send them home, we can trash it."

"Fine," Leo acquiesced, "everyone good on the plan?"

"I unfortunately do have one problem with your plan, dude," Mikey broke in with a raised finger.

Leo groaned, "What now?"

The youngest paused, opening his mouth to pull in a short breath, before stating, "There's a monster loose in the building."

"A…what?"

"I understand your skepticism," Michelangelo nodded to their leader, raising his hands in a helpless shrug, "however, Raphie and I came face to face with it, and I can assure you…it is ugly."

"Ugly, like how?" Donatello's tone was somewhat incredulous, "We have a lot of history with ugly, is it ugly like Bishop's mutants, ugly? Or ugly like zombie Stockman, ugly?"

"Ugly, like the aliens from Alien and Independence Day had a baby, ugly," Mikey replied.

"Ew," Donnie grimaced, "that's ugly."

"Is it dangerous?" Leo asked seriously.

"I mean, maybe?" The youngest shrugged, "It was weird, it was almost flickering, kinda like when the television can't get a signal and is stuck between channels."

"Fascinating!" Don exclaimed, eyes brightening, "I wonder if it's also from another dimension?"

"I wonder," Mona murmured, "I think I might have a hunch of what it could be, but I need to know what it looked like. If it is what I think it is, then you can bet that it's dangerous, and we need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Shell," Leonardo swore, the turned to Mikey, "can you describe it?"

"Yeah," Mikey shook his head mournfully, "but honestly, Raphie got a better look at it, I was too busy trying to break into a conference room so we could hide."

Leo turned to the brawler, unaware that he was still struggling to breathe, "Raph, can you describe it for Mona?"

Wait…was he supposed to talk? The hotheaded sibling tried to string together a thought, but wasn't able to put two coherent words together.

"Raph?" Their leader asked again.

"Dude? You okay?" Michelangelo leaned in, trying to meet the brawler's gaze.

Suddenly Raphael became aware of full lips under a reptilian nose pursed in confusion, and that was when the red ninja came to the awful realization that he was standing with his mouth hanging open like some kind of idiot. Oh shell, what should he do? What does he say?! How could he talk to his brothers like normal when his heart was going faster than a formula one racer, and his mouth unable to work properly?! He should have had more talks with Leo about his and Glimmer's relationship, because his usually calm and quippy brain was stuck in the mud, and there was no one to help him pull it out. Oh, shell! What does a turtle do in the presence of a beautiful girl?! Why did he even care?!

It was then that Raphael knew that he was well and truly sunk.

Oops! Poor Raphie ran face first into the fact that he's very much a teenage boy? What's a poor ninja turtle to do?