A huff leaves me as I spin in Dr. Rockwell's chair. My bros, alongside Slash, Casey, and Muckman, are currently on their way to designated areas that the doc chose to test his shiny new toy. I don't think I've seen Donnie this excited to test a new piece of equipment since we came back from the future.
I don't think Don even slept last night, I think warily as I stop my spinning to stare at the screen before me.
The screen has a graph on it with the typical Y-Axis and X-Axis stuff and I was told, that once the bracelet things come online, I should see a line that represents each one. Leo and Donnie have one on the eastside of town. Casey and Muckman are on the westside of town. And Slash and Raph are on the northside of town. From what I could gleam from the doc's excited talking is that, if everything goes right, each group should be able to activate the I.D.G and come straight into the train station.
Which sounds WAY more exciting then just sitting here staring at a boring screen the entire time.
Pouting, I rest my chin on the back of the chair. I know that this is everyone's way of letting me help without having me leave the safety of the sewers, but it doesn't make it any less boring for me. This type of stuff is right up Don's area. Shell, maybe even Leo's. I remember him being pretty good in math and stuff when Sensei was teaching us that stuff. It never stuck with me, but Leo and Don seemed to grasp it pretty well.
"Team 1. Check in," Rockwell says into a small microphone attached to his computer console.
The audio crackles once before a small blip appears on a map of the city that the doctor has pulled up in front of him.
"Team 1 checking in," Leo's voice says. "Donnie and I have made it to the checkpoint, doctor."
My lips twitch into an amused smile as I watch the doctor. He's acting like a kid in a candy shop. My eyes flicker over to Leatherhead, who is standing nearby with a tablet in hand. I think he's looking at the I.D.G's readings but I didn't understand half the words the two genius mutants spewed at me when Sensei and I arrived. I shoot Sensei a look over my shoulder. He is sitting in the TV area, sipping a cup of tea but his ears are twitching toward the three of us, giving away his anxiousness of the situation. Tucking my head, I hide a grin as I turn back to the doctor.
Even when we're almost 20, Sensei is worrying about us.
A large, excited grin spreads across Rockwell's face as he presses a red button to respond.
"Very good. Stand by while I check on the other two teams."
"Standing by."
Rockwell taps another button.
"Team 2. Check in."
Once again, the speaker on the computer's console crackles and the four of us fall silent.
"How do I…" Casey's voice grumbles. "No. I got dis, man. Just give me a sec."
I snicker into the chair when Rockwell shares a look with Leatherhead. The monkey mutant sighs quietly and taps the button again.
"Team 2? Are you all right?"
"Team 2 here!" Casey shouts causing all of us to jump. I cover my ears, wincing.
"You'd think this was Case-man's first-time using technology. Sheesh."
Rockwell nods, rubbing his own ears as he presses the 'Talk' button.
"You do not need to shout into the device, Mr. Jones," Rockwell states calmly. "We all can hear you. I am merely checking to see if you are at the checkpoint."
"Oops," Casey says sheepishly, his voice lower. "Sorry, doc. And yeah. Me and Muck are here at the checkpoint."
"Wonderful. Standby while I contact Team 3 and then I shall give all of you instructions."
"Sure thing, doc."
Leatherhead glances over at me and shakes his head when we make eye-contact. Shrugging, I spin in my seat once more.
"Too bad April couldn't be here," I comment as Rockwell ques up the last group. "She'd been all over this science stuff with you."
Rockwell nods.
"It is slightly disappointing that Ms. O'Neil couldn't be here, but it was a rather last-minute request and with her having a potential client, I wouldn't want her to miss that."
Humming, I scoot my chair a little closer to the older mutants. April really does enjoy going on those treasure hunts for people and I know that she hasn't gone since the 'Incident-That-Rhymes-With-Binters' where she went looking for Leo, so it'd be unfair for us to hold her back from such an adventure.
Besides, I'm sure Donnie will be more than happy to share everything with her once we're done here.
I spin in my chair again.
"Michelangelo. You are going to make yourself sick if you keep that up."
Sensei Translation:
Stop spinning in that chair before I come over there.
I pout but stop my spinning.
"But Sensei," I whine. "I'm bored."
"Patience, Michelangelo," Sensei says, sipping his tea with his eyes closed. "Good things come to those who wait."
I roll my eyes. Yeah, well, everyone knows that patience isn't one of my strong suits. Rockwell smiles back at me as I grumble.
"Just a few moments longer, I promise, Michelangelo. I just need to make sure that all of our groups are in position. Slash and Raphael had further to travel then the rest and once we begin, then your role will come into play."
Huffing, I rest my chin in my hand as the doctor presses the 'Talk' button once more.
"Team 3. Check in."
There is a slight pause and just as Rockwell reaches to try again, static comes through.
"Yeah, we're here," Raph states gruffly. "Checkpoint and all. What now, doc?"
My shoulders relax at the sound of my hotheaded brother's voice as Rockwell opens the channels to all three comms.
"All right. Now that each of the groups has reached their designated spot, we shall begin testing the Dimensional Bracelets. Donatello, Mr. Jones, and Raphael. The three of you remember what to push to turn the bracelet on, correct?"
"Yup."
"Uh…"
"…Sure…"
Leatherhead hides his mouth behind his tablet, amusement twinkling in his yellow eyes as Rockwell pinches the bridge of his nose.
"Casey? Raph? Do you see a green button on the bracelet?" Donnie's voice crackles through until two affirmatives chime through. "That button there will turn the bracelets on."
"All you have to do is press it once," Rockwell adds before turning to me. "On the count of three, I want the three of you to turn the bracelets on while you, Michelangelo, will watch that screen there and inform me when you see three different colored dots appear."
"Sir, yes, sir!"
I scoot my chair back over to my assigned spot and stare at it.
"1. 2. 3."
Instantly, a yellow dot, a green dot, and a blue dot appear on the graph. I hold up a thumb's up for the doc when he turns to look at me. He nods once again and Leatherhead documents something onto his tablet. I tilt my head to the right when the three dots morph and each create a single line across the screen.
"Hey, doc? The dots are lines now."
Leatherhead steps up behind me as Rockwell claps his hands excitedly.
"Oh, good. That is the second step. Letting the bracelets warm up enough to start providing us with a strong energy signal. Okay, now that the bracelets are warmed up, tap on the screen to bring up where you must type in your destination." Rockwell pauses until three affirmatives pipe in. "Good. Now the first section you see there is the dimension you want to be in. According to my research, our Earth is in dimension U. Next, I want the three of you to type in these sequences of numbers: 03-23-20-07. These coordinates are the ones for this portal here and will be your homing coordinates. Now. Tap the green button and that will lock everything in. Underneath should be more empty slots. This is for your destination. Merely type in the exact same thing from the line above and once you are finished, tap the green button again."
There is a beat of silence and I faintly hear buttons being pressed. My eyes flicker to the screen once more and tiny blips of activity spike the lines. Reaching back, I tap Leatherhead on the leg and point at the screen. LH nods and types something down. Sighing, I turn back to the screen, drumming my fingers on the metal.
Man. This blows.
'Michelangelo.'
The back of my neck prickles, almost as if someone is breathing on it. Hand snapping up, my eyes widen and I glance around wildly. What was that? My stomach swoops as a sense of déjà vu washes over me and I wrap my arms around my torso.
No. No way. I'm not sleeping. There's no way that U.P. could be contacting me right now.
Reaching up, I scrub at my eyes and force myself to focus on the graph. As long as I don't think about it, it'll be fine. He's not down here, he's at the Foot Tower with Karai and I'm sure she has tight security on him. Anything to keep him out of the Shredder's hands.
And FAR away from me.
'Michelangelo. Come to me, little one. Come to your protector, Kyūkyoku no buki.'
My hands fly to my chest as my heart pounds, stomach rolling. Just ignore the voice. Just ignore it. I've learned my lesson. Follow creepy noises, whether inside my head or in real life, and you will only get in trouble. It's how all of this started in the first place.
"Michelangelo?"
I jump when a large warm hand lands on my shoulder and I glance up at Leatherhead. His eye ridges are furrowed as his yellow eyes study me behind his glasses. A frown tugs on his lips.
"Are you all right, my friend?"
Wetting my lips, I realize that the room is now silent. Rockwell is glancing at us, concern swirling in his brown eyes and I can't see Chichi but I can sense his concern from over here.
"Michelangelo?" Father calls out softly and I wince.
I'm taking too long in answering.
Laughing nervously, my fingers flex on my arms.
"Oh, uh, actually, I kinda need to use the bathroom. Could I run before we start?"
I hear Sensei hum while LH and the doc exchange a look. Rockwell nods slowly as he looks back at me.
"Very well. Everyone is ready, so we can spare a moment."
"Just hurry back, my son."
Grinning, I nod and jump up from my seat. I keep my eyes forward but I can feel three sets of eyes watching me the entire way to the bathroom. Once safely behind the bathroom door, I press my shell against it and press the heel of my hand to my forehead.
In. Hold. Out. In. Hold. Out. In. Hold. Out. Everything is fine. This is why Leo wanted you to stay in the sewers. Because for some reason the U.P. can't come down here or just hasn't come down here and it's gonna stay like that.
My head falls back against the door and I stare up at the ceiling, wariness hitting me. But just how long will my life have to be like this? Hiding underground? My lips purse into a thin line as heat builds behind my eyes.
It's just not fair. All my life, my brothers and I have had to hide here in the sewers in fear of being discovered. But these past few years, we've been given a sense of freedom that we never thought we would be able to enjoy. And now it feels like I'm losing it all over again. All because I had to touch a stupid shiny orb.
My body trembles as my hands curl into fists at my sides.
And now my brothers are topside without me and I'm hearing weird voices in my head calling out to me.
A chill blankets my skin.
'My Kyūkyoku no buki.'
"No!" I whisper harshly, clutching at my head. "No! Get out of my head. I'mnot your Kyūkyoku no buki. I'm MIKEY. Hamato Mikey. Battle Nexus Champion. Justice Force member. Protector of Earth. Prankster. I'm not a weapon! I REFUSE to be a weapon! I've already risen my family's worst enemy. So, just LEAVE ME ALONE!"
My chest rattles as I gasp for air, falling to my knees, blinking rapidly as I refuse to let burning tears to fall. I'm stronger than this. I'm not gonna break so easily. I've done enough crying! I'm not weak.
'Little one,' the U.P.'s voice calls out softly and I squeeze my eyes shut as I curl into myself, pressing my forehead to the cool tiled floor. 'Please. Listen to me.'
"Why? Why should I? You didn't listen to me all the times I've asked you to let me go. Why should I listen to you if you won't listen to me?" I croak out, my fingers digging into my skull to keep from sobbing. "Give me ONE good reason."
Silence follows my words and for a moment, a blissful moment, I'm sure that the U.P. is gone. My body tenses when I feel something warm brush against something deep within me. It's both foreign yet familiar and I almost shove it away when the U.P. speaks.
'Little one, please. I am currently trapped in hibernation. Much of my power was used back when we raised that evil from his grave. When I wake, I would like to make amends for my actions, but for now, there is a more pressing matter to address.'
Frowning, I lift my head and glare at the tiles that line the walls around me.
"What kind of matter?" I ask cautiously. This better not be some sort of trick. I'm young. Not stupid.
A breathy chuckle echoes around in my head.
'I never said you were stupid, little one. And this is no trick. As I told you, I am currently trapped in a hibernation, waiting to wake when I fully regain my power. However, I sense a great foreboding. It blankets the entire city but much of it is pointing directly at you, my Kyūkyoku no buki.'
I twitch at the possessive use of 'Kyūkyoku no buki' but decide to let it slide. Dropping my hands to my lap, I lean back onto my heels.
"All right, I'll bite. What 'great foreboding' are you talking about? And how do you know that it's pointed at me?"
Another chuckle has me wrinkling my snout. While the chuckle itself is warm and inviting, the way it feels, as if someone is standing too close and breathing on you, leaves much to be desired. Especially when it's, ya know, INSIDE MY HEAD.
'I was created to be a protector, little one. My master crafted me so that I would always be able to sense the great evils of the world so that I may reach out to my Kyūkyoku no buki and warn them of the dangers to come. Even in my hibernation. As long as I was able to bond with my Kyūkyoku no buki, I would be able to communicate with them no matter where they were or how drained I become. The shell you see me in is merely that. A shell. It helps channel the energy that my master used to give me life. While I could survive without it, it takes much concentration and I would much rather use that concentration to protect my Kyūkyoku no buki.' The U.P. pauses and I sense his mood darken. 'As for the great foreboding that I am sensing. Much of it is radiating from that corpse that we raised. And much of it is pointing directly at your chi, little one.'
I blink in confusion.
'Your chi burns brightly, Michelangelo,' the U.P. clarifies. 'Even without me releasing it, it burned bright. A strong chi like that is bound to draw attention but even more so now that it is no long inhibited by walls and restraints. And the human we raised, the Shredder I believe you called him, his chi is the opposite of yours. While your chi is bright and warm and full of life, this Shredder's chi is dark and cold and full of death and it is pointing directly at YOU, my Kyūkyoku no buki. But, not all of it.'
Icy fear ripples down my spine as I fiddle with my fingers. I SO don't need the Shredder pointing his chi at me. That's just…unsettling. And weird. Like, can he use it as a weird compass to find me?
"What…" I swallow thickly. "What do you mean by 'not all of it'? Not all of his chi is pointing at me?"
'That is correct, little one. While most of his chi is directed toward you, there are smaller portions that are not.'
Dread fills me and I worry my bottom lip.
I'm so gonna regret asking this but…
"Who…Who is the Shredder's chi pointing at? Those small portions?" I ask, rubbing my sweating hands on my thighs.
'Your brothers, little one.'
My heart shatters to the floor and my mouth falls open. I stare unseeing as the U.P.'s words bounce around my skull. The Shedder's chi. Is pointing at MY BROTHERS. Panic claws at my chest as I stagger to my feet, knees nearly giving out. I knew it. I KNEW IT. There was no way that the Shredder wouldn't try something like this. Sure, when we made the plan on keeping me down here, the Shredder wasn't alive, but all the same! And my brothers are currently topside. Testing an experiment and scattered across the city with only one other person with them.
'The Shredder himself is not going after your brothers, little one,' the U.P. says softly. 'His chi is merely directed toward them. However, I regret to inform you that there ARE some dark chis heading in their directions. The very same ones that were holding us captive.'
Okay. If I wasn't panicking before, I certainly am now! My hands fly to my belt, touching my nunchakus as I frantically look around the bathroom, as if it will provide me with the answers that I need.
"Like, right now? They're heading their way NOW?" I ask, voice high and shaky. I nearly stumble when the U.P. answers in the affirmative without using words. "I need to get to my brothers now!"
'Just be safe, little one. There is dark intent behind these dark chis and there is many of them.'
"Nobody tries to harm my family and gets away with it," I snap, rushing for the door before I pause. My fingers flex on the door handle and I stare at my reflection in the polished brass. "And, uh, U.P.?"
'Yes, little one?'
I exhale shakily.
"Thanks. For the head's up."
'Of course.'
The U.P.'s presence vanishes and I hurry out of the bathroom. Master Splinter is pacing the floor while Leatherhead has taken my seat over, staring at his tablet with Rockwell staring over his shoulder. The three older mutants glance up when they hear my approach and Master Splinter's ears flatten when he sees my face. He meets me halfway, catching my shoulders as I stumble over my feet.
"Michelangelo? What is wrong, my son?" Chichi asks, his brown eyes flickering over my face. "Why are you so pale? Are you feeling ill?"
Shaking my head, I catch Sensei's hand before he can touch my forehead and clutch it.
"We need to get everyone back here, Sensei," I plea, holding his hand to my chest. "Leo, Raph, and Don are in danger being out there!"
Master Splinter blinks at me and glances at Rockwell and Leatherhead over my head. I keep my gaze steady but I know he can feel the pounding of my heart under my plastron. Confused brown eyes return to my face and Sensei uses his free hand to cup my cheek.
"Danger? What kind of danger?"
"It's the Fist, Sensei! And Tiger Claw, and Hun, and Rahzar, and Fishface! They're on their way to them right now."
Sensei's eyebrows skyrocket upwards and he once again glances over toward the other two males in the room with us. I tug on Sensei's hand.
"I'm not crazy, Sensei! Honest! The U.P. contacted me in the bathroom and warned me all about it. We need to warn them so that everyone can get to safety!"
Master Splinter's eyes widen at the mention of the U.P. then narrow before nodding.
"All right, my son. I believe you." Sensei's gaze snaps over to LH and Rockwell. "How fast can we get everyone back here?"
Rockwell flies over to his comm station, already pressing 'Talk'.
"Only a matter of minutes," the doctor states, his voice determined. "Leatherhead. I'll need you to monitor the I.D.G's readings. We won't be able to have a cool down period until all three groups are back here."
"Of course," Leatherhead says, rushing toward the metal gate.
I bounce on the balls of my feet, my grip tightening on Sensei's hands. Sensei squeezes my hand back gently, smiling down at me when I look up at him.
"Calm yourself, Michelangelo. We shall make sure that your brothers return safe and sound."
Nodding, I force myself to stop bouncing but I shuffle in place. I want to believe Sensei, I really do, but there is this deep-rooted dread in my gut that I just can't shake. Sensei is almost never wrong about these things but Don always says that nothing is absolute. And Leo is always telling us to expect the unexpected.
"Everyone," Rockwell calls out. "We are going to activate the portal. Donatello, you and Leonardo will be first. Let me know that you are ready."
Silent static.
My heart leaps into my throat as Rockwell frowns, glancing down at his comm. He presses the button again.
"Donatello? Come in Donatello."
More static.
Alarm crosses Rockwell's face as he looks at all of us before trying again.
"Everyone? Will somebody respond? Raphael? Casey? Garson? Slash? Come in!"
Silence.
"They're in trouble," I whisper, staring up at Sensei with wide eyes. "We've gotta go help them, Sensei!"
"But they are all over New York," Leatherhead states, anger vibrating deep in his voice. "There is no way we will be able to reach them in time."
Rockwell flies over to a small table near the I.D.G. and scoops up three more Dimensional Bracelets.
"Then we shall use the I.D.G. I specifically designed the bracelets to be able to hone in on one another so that if someone ever gets separated, we will be able to find them easily," the doctor states, handing one to LH, then me, and keeping the last one for himself. "Leatherhead, you shall go get Slash and Raphael. I will go get Garson and Casey. Yoshi, you and Michelangelo will go retrieve Leonardo and Donatello. Just double press the red button quickly and when you see the three different colors appear, choose the correct one. Leatherhead, you need the yellow color. I need green and the two of you need blue."
I swallow thickly, fingers trembling as I slide the bracelet onto my wrist before turning it on. It flashes orange for a second before turning on and I quickly double tap the red button. Six colors appear: red, orange, blue, yellow, green, and purple. Not entirely sure on what I'm doing, I tap the color blue with my finger. The blue light covers the entire screen for a second before coordinates appear automatically in the spaces on the screen.
"Wonderful," Rockwell praises. "Now, we will need to space ourselves out. Since we are using the bracelets to travel, we don't need to worry about the I.D.G. at the moment. The four of us are going to different locations, so we can all travel at once. Call one another when you are ready to return here, just to make sure that we aren't trying to use the portal at the same time."
LH, Sensei, and I nod and we quickly fan out across the room. My heart jackhammers in my chest as I press the green button down and count to three in my head. The bracelet vibrates against my skin and the small light starts to glow a pale blue. A beam of light shoots out and a blue oval the size of a door appears. Sensei places a hand on my shoulder, his eyes shining with determination.
"Let's go help your brothers."
Nodding, I let Sensei run through the portal first before I rush after him.
Don't worry, bros. Chichi and I are coming.
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Hello everyone!
Hope everything is going well :D. Sorry about not posting here for a while. I've been struck with other story ideas that I've been trying to get down before I lose them .. But! I finally got chapter 21 done! It's not as long as some of my other chapters but I kinda liked where it ended (which doesn't happen often for me XD). The wait for chapter 22 won't be as long, I promise. I am determined to get us to the finish end no matter what. I will NOT be quitting on this story. I will mention, however, that if any of you want to see updated versions of the chapters, I regularly update the chapters on AO3 ( ). It's under the same name as here on . I just find it easier to edit over there because I don't have to upload a whole new word doc. I can just hit 'Edit Chapter' and fix it right there.
And, again, to everyone who has stuck with me this far, who has given this story a follow, who has favorited, who has commented, THANK YOU! It means a lot to me. It really does. So, thank you.
But enough blabbering from me :D.
Happy reading!
