Present day:
Donatello's head hurt and he felt slightly sick, he also noticed the floor was moving and something metallic was sticking into the side of his face, it was only when he put a hand up to feel what was there a pair of glasses fell to the floor, his glasses. He went to reach for them and nearly jumped out of his skin as a pink hand came into view. Then he remembered. It was supposed to be pink. Though on closer inspection his looked more pasty than pink.
"Good you're alive again - put these on - don't wanna catch a chill up here.." A small, slim red headed boy threw him a pile of clothes and then took a step back and grinned broadly sweeping his arms full length from head to toe: "Don't I look awesome?"
Embarrassed by the sudden exposure Donatello pulled the sweatshirt over his head and nearly fell over as he changed the trousers. Luckily the clothes supplied by Casey Jones seemed to fit good although Michelangelo looked a little drowned in his sweater as it fell to his knees. His younger brother was delighting himself by spinning round and round.
"The one and only human Michelangelo has landed for your viewing pleasure...man we could have so much fun with this!" He slipped his over sized sunglasses onto his face and they promptly slid off and onto the floor with a clatter.
Donatello straightened up and inspected himself in the screen of his phone. Squinting he bought the phone closer to his face. Obviously taller than his brother he had long dark hair which framed a long thin face. He looked better than he thought he would and a lot less like a geek. It was so strange though. Having spent a lifetime being an oversized turtle, suddenly becoming human was releasing some unknown feelings and thoughts. He smiled at his photographic image and pushed back his hair.
"Quit admiring your fine self and let's go down there!" exclaimed Michelangelo excitedly as he pointed down to the streets "We can go and sit inside a bar, have a drink, schmooze with some ladies.." He made his eyebrows dance.
Donatello couldn't help but smile and even though a part of him was tempted to be amongst humans, especially females, he had to stick to his plan so he shook his head "No Mikey we are not schmoozing anything, you know why we're here and what we're here to do". He packed up their things into the rucksack and picked up the tracker. Luckily it had an adjustable fitting so didn't swamp his arm too much.
"No way" whined Michelangelo, lowering his bottom lip "C'mon D, it'll be fun, we can do the whole 'find the whatever it is' another time. I am so ready to circulate my human fineness".
Again Donatello shook his head:
"Not a chance brother, we made a promise to April remember?"
At the mention of April Michelangelo dropped his bottom lip. Donnie was right, they had agreed to do this for April so he had to agree to stay on the current trajectory. For a moment he allowed himself to wonder if April would love him more than Casey... Donatello knew his younger brother would do anything for April, and he also knew the temptation of walking amongst humans as a human would be so attractive to his sibling that he would start trying to lead them off course so he had allowed himself to pre-plan for this scenario.
Checking the signal on the tracker he was aware of Michelangelo attempting a few tricks on his hoverboard and then moaning that his arms were too short.
"How are we even gonna get inside of this place?" he asked "It looks kinda solid"
"It's a building Mikey, it's supposed to be solid" Donatello scanned the rooftop which allowed him to see inside "Three floors, one basement and.." he made the image bigger using his fingers "A lot of science equipment...Scanners, accelerators, infusion pods.."
"Scientists live here?" began Michelangelo jovially "I guess you hit the jackpot with that one then, they could be your new buddies!"
"This is 'unexpected'" muttered Donatello. And it was. He was beginning to think that this was not an apartment block after all.
There were different sized rooms and basic amenities on each floor. And the strong heat signals showed a number of different people moving about the space. The tracker was homing in on one figure who was laid out on a bed.
"That's our target" he pointed as the figure moved and rolled over.
"Who are those guys?" asked Michelangelo. Four men all with what looked like guns strapped across their bodies were talking in a group just outside the room "Your scientist brothers are bad ass" the youngest un-crossed his arms and then let out a huge sigh "And I really don't think I'm built for fighting D".
He hated to admit it but Michelangelo could be right. Being human could mean being much, much weaker.
"In fact, I'm not sure I can even spin one of these babies" He gripped a nunchuck in one hand and giving it a little momentum tried to pass it to the other, the stick instead smacked him on the leg "Oh hell no, I can't even do a trick!" He turned to look up at Donatello "Donnie I think we are going to die".
"No we won't" reasoned Donatello as he watched the gun loaded men circle the bed where their target lay.
"Yes we will, we are toast which will be hopelessly well-done on both sides"
"We're human Mikey not hopeless, and to fight like a human you have to have human weapons" He opened the smaller bag he'd been carrying and after sticking his hand inside he pulled out not one but two handguns and a selection of knives "We are still ninja's Mike. We have the skills - you just have to be adaptable that's all. And you have to believe in yourself".
Michelangelo looked slightly aghast as he took hold of the gun and flicked open the middle. Donatello had thought he would need instruction. Apparently not.
"Came from Mr Jones, all courtesy of the confiscated items cupboard. I have a few couple of other surprises too."
The youngest suddenly snapped out of his trance "Ooo, I like surprises! Can you not share?" He put the gun into his waistband and inspected it's stability by jumping up and down.
"No. Not yet. You have to show patience remember" Patience wasn't Michelangelo's strong point.
"Does it have anything to do with how we get in?" Donatello shook his head but showed his brother the scanner.
"I'm using this to locate the easiest way and it looks like the air vent goes all the way to this store cupboard. We could sneak through and I can pop the lock"
Michelangelo smiled broadly "So let's do this thing!"
Donatello re-housed the scanner and after putting the smaller bag on his back and strapping it across his waist he followed the youngest over to the vent.
"It's narrow. So I guess we wouldn't have got in as ourselves" Michelangelo nodded and helped his brother lift the cover off the top.
It took them less than 2 minutes to get inside, down the shaft and into the cupboard. Glancing at his smaller sibling Donatello smiled as he spied two off white lab coats "I think these will come in handy" He handed one over and watched as Michelangelo appeared with two extra long arms.
"Why am I so small?" he whined. Donatello smirked and proceeded to roll up the sleeves.
"Adapt brother, adapt" He grabbed a clipboard and a few sheets of paper before releasing the tension in the lock and hearing it click. Glancing the scanner he noticed one of the figures had hoisted their target over the side of the bed and was standing very close. It didn't take a genius to work out what was happening or what would happen if they didn't move now.
"Do we go?" whispered Michelangelo as he moved away from the door "I hear voices" Usually that would have called for a quip but this was not the time. Having checked the scanner again he placed it back in the hold.
"Oh we definitely go. 3 on the left. Cover me"
Upon opening the door his brother sent three rounds of fire out to the left which hit each person in the leg. Upon hearing their cries more people emerged - including a group armed men. At first they all stood and looked at each other.
"What happened?" A woman in a lab coat not dissimilar to theirs stood next to the brothers, her face white. Michelangelo moved over to the people he'd shot flashing the gun in their general direction but keeping it hidden from the others.
"Oh intruders" announced Donatello "They went that way" He pointed towards a stair well.
The woman nodded at the armed men before turning back to Donatello "And you are?"
"Work experience" he replied coolly.
In that moment one of Michelangelo's injured victims shouted "It's them, he shot us!" To which Michelangelo shot him again in the other leg.
"I told you to be cool man" He stood up and turned to face his brother who gave a single nod of the head.
A leg sweep sent the woman down and with one pull she joined her colleagues over the other side of the hallway. More armed men burst into the room brandishing their weapons as they looked from one person to another trying to establish what was going on.
"Kill them!" shouted the woman pointing a finger in the direction of Donatello.
Michelangelo sped forwards and jumped over the top of their heads, in confusion the men fired at the ceiling whilst the youngest knocked one out with the butt of the gun and knocked the heads of the other two together.
Opening a closet door Donatello looked at the three remaining lab coats who simply mouthed that they'd go in as he slammed the door firmly.
"See, you lot, you should have done that" announced Michelangelo as he shook his head. A second group of gun men raced into the hall, took in the sight before pulling their guns forward ready to fire. "I got this" began the youngest, smoothing out the air around him "I fear I didn't give this body the credit it deserved".
"Mikey!" Donatello tossed over the nun-chucks which the red head snatched into his hand and started to spin at record speed "Oh yeh! I still got my skills!"
Smiling the genius took it on himself to bust the lock into their targets room where the four men were still residing...or was that hiding.. The four of them were standing together, all guns drawn and pointing in his direction.
One by one Donatello relived them of their weapons using his staff, hooking them forward, upwards and throwing them in a pile behind him. He aimed the gun at the first man, finger on the trigger. One of the others stepped forward and held up his hands:
"Look man, we don't want no trouble"
"No" agreed another "We don't want any trouble"
Donatello looked at the bed. The target was still and quiet. Too quiet.
"Why don't you try her?"
From the second the suggestion landed in his ear Donatello realised he had been right on both counts. Their target was a female and these animals had forced themselves on her. He clenched his jaw. "Oh don't worry.." continued the man "She's out. No way we'd do it otherwise. She's scary as f_" Before he could finish Donatello shot him point blank in the forehead. The others watched him fall forward as Donatello snapped the gun back into position.
"Who's next?"
Michelangelo was standing over a pile of humans still holding his nun-chucks when Donatello joined him carrying the female.
"They felt sleepy" began the youngest as he laughed to himself "Whoa, a girl? Are you serious right now?"
"Very" answered Donatello stiffly "We have to get out of here, now...This place will be crawling with cops in no time. Take her from me, go." He didn't know why he hadn't noticed it before but there it was four letters which said it all: TCRI. Since Sacks had been jailed and the company had been taken over they had assumed a cleaner, more responsible image.
"Obviously not" muttered Donatello as he gave the girl to his brother "I want to finish this"
"But we said..."
"I know" They had agreed no loss of human life unless absolutely necessary.
"You stay here you die" Donatello removed a metal device from the bag and attached it to the wall "When I set this you have 10 minutes to get out. I am giving you a good chance here" The woman in the lab coat was watching him "You want to save yourself, your colleagues, whatever, you have time for that...but not everything, something has to give" He set up a second device on the wall two feet away from her "And if I were you I'd switch to a different employer" He pulled out his phone and moved his fingers over the screen "10 minutes".
"Mikey!" He noticed the youngest was still there "I told you to go"
"Wouldn't leave you brother" mumbled Michelangelo "We have to stick together"
Patting him on the back he led him towards the stairs as they headed towards the exit. There were no guards, no men with guns and no lab coats as the two of them blasted out of the door and onto the street.
"Let's find somewhere off grid" announced Donatello as he spotted a manhole cover. Michelangelo nodded and silently hoped they'd be able to lift it. Jones had tried once and failed once.
Once underground, the dark dampness of the sewers felt comfortable and safe. They both relaxed as they trudged along the tunnels, the only sound were their footsteps and the occasional noise from a nearby train or car. And it was down here, 10 minutes later, where they heard two explosions. Donatello paused for a couple of seconds.
"You gave them a chance" reasoned Michelangelo.
"I know" breathed Donatello "It isn't just that... I'm thinking that Leo will have heard our little explosions and with us being on East he'll be blowing up the speaker any moment now.."
As if on cue his phone vibrated against his skin: "Pop her down there for a moment" he nodded towards a ledge before sliding the phone up towards his ear "Oh hey brother" began Donatello "Yeh, we heard it..no, we're fine...what, Mikey, no he's here". Michelangelo left the girl on her side and raced over "Hey Leo!" he added cheerfully.
"See, all good...Oh, have we? Sorry, didn't realise" He mouthed the word 'tracker' to the youngest "Yeh, sure I'll check when we get back.. No. It's all good. See you soon, okay.. thanks" He ended the call and let out a breath "I got the feeling he believed it but I don't know how long that'll last"
"Specially when we go back with her.." Michelangelo turned round and looked at the ledge where he'd put her so gently onto her side "Err, Donnie...Where'd she go?"
The ledge was empty.