Better Genes

Takes place during the episode 'Outbreak' in Season 4 of the TMNT '03 series. What if Mikey had been struck by the Mutant Cockroaches tendrils instead of Donnie?

Some time ago I learned that during season 4 of the 2003 TMNT series that Mikey was originally supposed to be the one that got infected by the alien outbreak but then it was changed to Donnie by Laird. So here's my take on how I think it would've happened, with the helpful insight from my friend, fellow TMNT fan and talented writer BrightLotusMoon

I don't own TMNT nor the characters.

'''''

I really don't know how we keep getting into these messes but somehow we do. I'm a firm believer in karma, the whole 'what goes around comes around' thing, but I often ask if we did something in a past life to invoke the wrath of some cosmic force or something and the answer is... more or less helpful. But right now, I have a feeling that our troubles are only just beginning.

'''''

It was supposed to be a night of scrounging for things for their new home. Nothing more, nothing less. But then it turned into a scene right out of a horror movie. They were attacked by giant tick creatures then forced to run for their lives when it became too much, but just when they thought that they were okay they were confronted by three giant mutant cockroaches.

"Hey tentacles off!" Bellowed Raph while struggling to free himself one of the three giant mutant cockroaches that held a firm grip on his arm with its tentacles, "I said," He growled dropping the sai in his hand before grabbing the tentacle, "Tentacles off!" He used his other sai to slice through the tentacle holding his wrist then jumped away.

The mutant cockroach jerked back shrieking in pain. Raph used the distraction to charge at the mutant cockroach with two powerful punches and a round kick, throwing the mutated insect back towards the tunnels. The giant cockroach steadied itself then retreated up the water tunnels to escape.

"Yeah you better run!" Raph shouted after the fleeing insect.

On one side of the tunnel Leo was dodging and avoiding the second mutant roach. Narrowly dodging the whip-like tentacles, Leo managed to strike the giant insect with his katanas but to no effect. His blades had barely scratched its exoskeleton.

Meanwhile Mikey and Donnie had their hands full with the last mutant roach. Mostly because they didn't want to hurt it. Unlike the other two roaches, this one had more humanness like features. Not only that but it was wearing a torn plaid shirt plus it could talk. Sort of.

Donnie tried to talk to the poor creature to calm it down but that didn't work.

Mikey was busy avoiding and blocking the spear like tentacles but one of them had caught him off guard. It sideswiped him hard into the wall of the tunnel.

"Mikey!"

Donnie tried to reach his little brother but the mutant roach intercepted him and attacked. Donnie fended off the attacks with his staff until one of the creatures tentacles grabbed his bo staff then threw him to the ground on his shell.

Seeing his younger brothers in trouble Raph charged at the mutant roach to keep it away from his brothers.

Donnie sat up with a groan, rubbing the back of his sore head. He heard someone approaching him, he looked up to see Raph standing over him and gently take hold of his arm.

"You okay bro?" He asked helping the brainy turtle to his feet.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Don! Raph! Watch out!" Mikey shouted.

Both turtles looked over their shoulders behind them, spotting the mutant roaches whip-like tentacles coming at them at incredible speed.

"Move!" Raph roughly pushed Donnie out of the way before jumping back.

Unfortunately the force of the shove caused Donnie to lose his footing on the wet slimy floor of the sewers that he slipped and fell. Donnie landed hard on the ground, taking a face full of water. Pushing himself onto his hands and knees he began coughing and spitting out water.

"Ugh nasty." He grimaced.

The mutant roach growled, it's red eyes fixed on the fallen turtle. Mikey saw that the mutant roach was preparing another attack, aiming for Donnie.

"Donnie!"

Without hesitation Mikey rushed over to his fallen brother, nunchucks in hand. When he reached his brother he swung his nunchucks upward, deflecting the tentacles away. Mikey was soon dodging and blocking the razor sharp tentacles away from him and Donnie with his nunchucks until...

"Ahhh!"

"Mikey!"

Donnie watched in horror when the last tentacle's razor talon struck Mikey's right forearm. Creating a long deep gash. Pushing himself to his feet, he raised his bo staff up then brought it down on the tentacle, dislodging the claw from his brother's arm.

"My arm!"

Donnie turned to his little brother, "Are you alright Mikey?"

"Yeah... I think so." Mikey nodded pressing down on the cut on his arm, "Shell that hurt!"

Before Donnie could inspect Mikey's injury the mutant roach growled as it charged at them. Both turtles leapt over the monstrous insect when it tried to grab them. Donnie swung his staff at on of its legs causing the creature to stumble.

Ignoring the pain in his arm Mikey spun both of his nunchucks at the mutants roach, hitting it in the face and torso, then Raph came with a flying sidekick. The monstrous insect stumbled back before Leo struck it in the back with a flying kick of his own, sending it skitting face first in the murky sewer water.

When the mutant roach regained its bearings it noticed the four mutant turtles surrounding it, each holding their weapons at the ready, before it ran away from the ninja turtles. Fleeing up the water tunnels.

"C'mon!" Yelled Raph, "We gotta go after that... whatever that thing is!"

"Let the poor thing go Raph." Donnie said, making his way towards Mikey.

"We need to head back so we can figure out what's going on." Said Leo, "I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of these things."

"All the more reason to go after it!" Raph argued urgently.

"No." Donnie said while tying his bandanna around Mikey injured arm, "Leo's right, we need to regroup so we can figure out what we're dealing with. Besides Mikey's hurt."

Seeing the blood seeping through the make-shift bandage on his baby brother's forearm was enough for Raph to drop the argument. As much as he wanted to go after those... things, his brothers health and safety was top priority. They started heading back to their new lair.

"Donnie? I'm not gonna lose my arm am I?" Mikey asked his immediate older brother while following their older brothers. His arm hurt really bad. He was really hoping that he wasn't gonna lose his arm.

Donnie paused for a minute. The question had triggered a memory of an older colder version of Mikey from that horrible alternate future.

'No! No, don't think about that.' Donnie shook his head.

"Donnie?"

The genius turtle blinked out of his daydream, he turned to his little brother then put an arm around Mikey's shoulders, "You're not gonna lose your arm Mikey." He smiled reassuringly, "Now let's get home."

''''''

"Ow, watch it!"

"Mikey if you'd hold still it wouldn't hurt as much."

"That's what you think."

"Look you need to relax okay. You flinching while I'm trying to stitch is not helping."

"Well I'm sorry but I can't help it." Mikey cringed when he felt the prick of the needle again, "You know that I hate needles, on top of that we've got a monstrous bug infestation crawling around in the sewers and one of those ugly roaches stabbed my arm!"

"I know that Mikey, I was there. That's why I'm stitching you up. At least I'm trying to." Donnie said calmly, "Now hold still."

As soon as they returned to their new home, Donnie immediately brought Mikey to his makeshift lab/infirmary to treat his arm. After carefully removing the spike that had broke off the mutant roaches tentacle from his baby brother's forearm, Donnie began his diagnosis. The good news was that the cut wasn't as bad as they all thought. It hadn't gone too deep into the skin so there was no muscle damage. The bad news was that Mikey needed stitches, much to his utter displeasure.

Donnie had already cleaned and disinfected the cut. He also, once again, reassured his baby brother that he wasn't going to lose his arm. Much to his own relief. Right now he was stitching it up.

The sea green turtle was trying his best to not look at the needle but even that was hard to do when he felt the needle enter his flesh. It was no secret that the orange clad turtle had trypanophobia or a fear of needles but Donnie was doing his best to be as gentle as he could. If only Mikey could stop flinching.

"Man, what the shell were those things?! They looked like something out of a Resident Evil movie!"

"I thought Resident Evil was a zombie movie."

"It's a zombie/monster movie, so it has both."

"Right." Donnie finished stitching the cut then went to covering it with a bandage, "Look I don't know exactly what those things were but I'll run a full scan on a sample I got from one of the creatures in my lab when I'm done with you. Once it's complete I'll have a better idea of what these things are and where they came from." He sniffed.

Mikey took in everything that Donnie said then nodded. He trusted his genius brother. If anyone can figure it out, it's Don.

"By the way, thanks for the save back there Mikey." Donnie smiled.

Mikey returned the smile, "No problem bro."

Donnie finished wrapping his brother's arm. "Okay I'm all done." Donnie smiled, then he began coughing.

"You okay Donnie?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Some water got in my throat when I slipped during the fight." He smiled reassuringly while clearing his throat, "I'm still trying to get that nasty taste out of my mouth."

"You'll need a couple tubes of toothpaste and a full bottle of mouthwash to accomplish that task dude." Mikey grinned. Donnie chuckled which triggered another coughing fit, "You sure you're okay bro?

Donnie nodded, "I'm fine. It's just... a little cough..."

"That doesn't sound like a 'little' cough to me."

"I'm fine Mikey." Donnie insisted clearing his throat one last time, "I'll take some cough medicine and it'll clear up."

Mikey wanted to argue that Donnie didn't sound fine but he knew it wouldn't do any good. Stubbornness was definitely a family trait in the Hamato clan.

After patching up his baby brother, Donnie quickly popped a cough drop into his mouth. His throat was getting sore from coughing but he couldn't worry about that now. He had to get the security systems set up around their new home. It would help pass the time while the computer finished the diagnostic scan. Whatever those thing are, he didn't want them getting into their new home.

When the scans were complete he informed his family that his tests showed that the creatures DNA has been contaminated by an ooze similar to the one Bishop had created a while back. To make matters worse, it was spreading.

'''''

Don's POV,

"There that should do it." I said putting the last camera in place.

I then climbed down the ladder then went straight to my computer. After a few minutes the systems came online, giving me video feed everywhere I had the cameras.

"Yes. Security Systems are synced and operational. Not bad considering what I had to work with." I said proudly to myself, before a tired yawn escaped from my lips followed by a coughing fit, "Stupid cough."

I'd spent the last couple hours installing security cameras all over our new lair. Needless to say, I'm exhausted. To make matters worse, I was coming down with a cold. I knew that it was from the water that I'd swallowed in the sewers. Not what I needed right now. While I'd been working on the security systems my cough hadn't improved at all as I'd told Mikey, in fact it's gotten worse. My throat was completely sore, it hurt to swallow and talk, and now and on top of that I had the sniffles.

"Achoo!"

"Gesundheit."

I glanced over my shoulder, finding my eldest brother standing behind me holding a box of tissues out to me.

"Thanks Leo." I sniffed, taking a few tissues before blowing my nose.

"You feel'n okay there Don? You don't sound so good."

"Yeah I'm fine." I sniffed while rubbing my beak.

Leo raised an eyebrow ridge, "You sure? You've been coughing and sneezing for a while now."

I rolled my eyes, "It's just a runny nose and a little cough. Really I'm fi..." But I was cut off by another coughing fit.

I felt Leo's hands rub my upper shell. I felt his hand on my cheek then my forehead.

"You feel a little warm. You should get some rest, it's been a long night."

I shook my head, "I can't rest now, I have to make sure that all the security systems are working properly before I... I... Hachoo!"

"Gesundheit."

We both turned and found Mikey standing behind us. Actually it was more like he was leaning against a table behind us. Even in the dimly lit room I could see just how bad he looked. His knees were shaking and he was paler than usual."

Leo immediately rushed over to Mikey, reaching out to steady him, "Are you okay Mikey?"

"Not really."

He sounded terrible, like me. Leo felt his forehead.

"You feel hot too. How long have you been feeling like this?"

"Since I woke up." He groaned, "I had a slight headache before I went to bed so I took some Tylenol. When I woke up my head was throbbing, I'm hot and cold at the same time and my arm hurts like shell."

Leo led Mikey over to the chair next to me, "I'm gonna make you both some herbal tea." He said before walking to the kitchen.

"I thought you said it was a 'little' cough."

"It was." I sniffed before grabbing another tissue.

I quickly forgot about my own ailments as I shifted into doctor mode. I could tell that Mikey didn't look good but I checked him over anyway. I rechecked his temperature, this time with a thermometer, checked his throat, and asked him standard questions before Leo came back with two hot mugs of herbal tea. Lemon and ginger with a spoonful of honey. Mikey had the same symptoms as me but his were worse than mine. He had a fever and he was nauseous. My guess was that he probably got it from the fight with the mutant cockroach like I did, probably when it scratched him since those tendrils were in the water. Who knows what kind of germs are growing in the the sewers.

I mean we've lived under ground our whole lives, and make no mistake we do get sick from time to time, it just takes longer for us to get sick because we've adapted to our living environment. Plus our mutated DNA helps us fight off any germs that we're exposed too. Though Mikey's immune system is a little weaker than mine, Leo's and Raph's. He always got sick quicker than us and it takes him a while to recover.

For piece of mind I checked the cut on his arm, it was red and hot too. It looked like he was having a reaction from the scratch. Not good. I recleaned the cut then rewrapped a fresh bandage around it. After he finished his tea, I gave Mikey some Benadryl and laid him to bed in my lab.

"Get some sleep Mikey."

After taking care of my little brother, I of course was instructed, ordered really, by Leo to get some sleep as well. I didn't have any strength to argue because I was dead tired, from working and staying up all night and from this cold that I have. Sleep actually sounded really good right now. I went to bed in my lab after taking some NyQuil.

Before reaching my bed I spotted Mikey eyeing me from his futon. His little cat Klunk curled up at his side.

"Don't say anything Mikey."

Mikey made a zipping motion across his lips before grinning at me followed by a soft chuckle. I couldn't help but smile at the gesture. Even when sick Mikey still knew how to make anyone smile. We both drifted off to sleep.

'''''''

April's POV,

"There we go, nice and clean." I smiled at the now cleaned countertop.

It was closing hours at the '2nd Time Around' store and I was doing my nightly routine of cleaning before turning in for the night.

Today had been busy as usual, which was good, but lately my mind was preoccupied with other things rather than the antiques in my shop. I was thinking about my friends the turtles and Splinter.

Ever since Karai came to my shop a week ago to deliver a message to Leo about his family, I've been worried sick about them. Though I knew in my heart that they were still alive. Call it instincts or woman's intuition, but I just know that they're alive. After all they're all highly skilled ninjas... but still, how could I not help but worry? They were my family and I loved them dearly. To add to my worry, I hadn't heard a word from any of them in a long while, neither had Casey. As much as I wanted to I knew that I couldn't risk calling them, incase that bitch Karai had her people spying on me.

I swear the next time I see her...

I took a deep breath to calm myself, 'I hope they're okay.' I prayed

I picking up the duster and started dusting. Not only was I cleaning to get the shop ready for the next day but it's also my outlet for when I'm feeling stressed or worried about something. I've done it since I was a little girl, my mother called it 'stress cleaning' and my sister often teased me about it.

'Well it's better than 'stress eating'.'

I started humming a small tune while I dusted until I heard a 'thud'. I froze, then I heard it again. It was coming from the basement. I made my way over to the door leading to the basement before opening it.

"Who's there?"

There was no answer but I could hear movement. I quietly made my way down the stairs, along the way I could hear hushed voices.

"Ya sure that dis is the right place? Check the map."

"This better be the right place. Or else we've got some s'plainin to doo."

'Those voices... can it be?' I quickly turned on the light, "Guys?" It took me a few seconds to register that the guys were standing in my home, all four of them alive and well.

"April." They all chimed happily.

I was so happy to see them all, I almost cried as I hugged each turtle. Then I noticed the giant hole in the wall of my basement. Leo had explained how Donnie found a map of some abandoned tunnels and they just dug their way here.

Normally I'd be very upset that my wall's been demolished, but I'm not. If you knew the guys for as long as I have you get used to things like this. Plus I'm just so happy that the guys are here.

We went up to my apartment to sit and relax. The guys explained to me what happened and that they've been trying to find a way to get into contact with me without raising suspicion, meaning Karai. Which I completely understand. I've been keeping an eye out for her myself. More importantly I'm really glad that they're all okay.

"Mikey stop scratching it."

"But Donnie it itches."

"I know it does but you're gonna make it worse if you keep scratching it."

I looked over at Mikey and Donnie by the chair, I noticed that Mikey's right arm was all bandaged up."

"What happened to your arm Mikey?"

"He kinda got bit by a bug." Donnie explained.

"A 'really' big bug." Raph added.

I wasn't even going to ask. Mikey kept scratching his arm despite Donnie telling him not to. Poor guy. I've been through that myself.

"Hang on a second, I might have something that can help." I got up from the couch and headed towards the bathroom. It took me a few minutes before I found what I was looking for. A small jar of Aloe Vera cream. I walked back out in the living room and stood next to Mikey and Donnie, "Here try this." I handed Donnie the jar.

"Aloe Vera?"

"Yep."

"Don't people usually use dat for sunburns?"

"It's mostly used for sunburns but it also works for bug bites and bee stings, among other things as well." I grinned.

Just then there was a knock on the door which made all of us freeze. Who could that be? I wasn't expecting anyone.

"Uh you guys better..." I turned back to the guys but they'd already vanished, "Hide." I sometimes forget that they can do that.

I opened the door and there stood my sister Robin. It's been a long while since we last saw each other but I was really happy to see her. I steered her inside towards my room, making sure she didn't see the guys. I looked over to watch as they quickly and quietly went down the stairs, Donnie was the last one, he waved goodbye to me before following his brothers.

I smiled. I wish our visit didn't have to be cut so short but I really wanted to spend some time with my sister. I knew that the guys understood and that's why they left. I just hope that I'll get to see them again soon.

'''''''

TBC... Read and leave a review, thanks.