Chapter 1: Prologue: The Useless Screw Up
Chapter Text
SET IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE AT THE START OF THE CROAKING
Poor Michelangelo was having a rough day. He was just trying to have fun with his pet, but now he found himself standing in the middle of a messy living room. His angry brothers were glaring at him, clearly at their wits' end with their youngest sibling.
"This is the third time you've messed up the place in a week!!!" Leo shouted at Mikey as he and their two other brothers glared fiercely, like they wanted to murder him.
It wasn't long before Raphael shoved a mop at Mikey and bellowed: "CLEAN UP! NOW!!!"
Mikey flinched down before Raphael glared at the hissing Ice Cream Kitty below him:
"And as for you!"
Ice Cream Kitty just angrily yowls and throws ice cream flakes at his face, to which Raph furiously grabs her roughly and throws the mutated kitten into her freezer like she was nothing but a piece of useless material to him
"And stay there!" Raphael snapped as he slammed the freezer door closed.
Mikey was shocked by how Raphael handled his pet before the red-masked turtle snapped, "It better be spotless by the time we get back!"
Mikey looked down in shame and sadness as he noticed the furious looks from his brothers walking past him.
But what broke his heart the most was Raphael's next comment: "Some ninja! You're just a big screw-up!"
Michelangelo missed April's look of pity before she left with the others. Alone and upset, Mikey angrily sniffed, "Am I such a problem for them? Fine! I was just having fun, but I'm not going to stay where I'm not wanted."
However, just as he was about to leave, he glanced at the mess he had made and sighed, "Still... the least I can do is clean this up for them."
As the young turtle sadly cleaned the living room, he recalled how he had often been treated like a joke by his family, and today was no exception. In some families, there are people referred to as the "black sheep," a phrase used to describe a relative who doesn't quite fit in or is seen as a disgrace.
Lately, in the Hamato Clan, Michelangelo felt like the black sheep. The poor turtle had been feeling useless and depressed at home. His brothers constantly teased him, ignored him, pushed him aside for better things, or got mad at him for his antics.
While Mikey might not be perfect and did enjoy pulling pranks, he tried his hardest to be a great ninja and a good student for his father and brothers. Yet, he could never seem to please them or make them happy and proud as his other brothers did for Splinter.
None of the other brothers was perfect; they made mistakes too. Yet, when it came to Mikey, they always seemed to push him down for his errors or treated him like a useless tool within the team.
Despite all the accomplishments he had achieved for his family—rescuing his brothers from dangerous situations, including battles with mutated wasps, Squirrelanoids, and Pizza-Face, as well as helping them escape from Dimension X—he felt undervalued.
He had always acted out of love and bravery for his family, but in return, he received little acknowledgment. Sure, they might praise him occasionally, but it didn't reflect his worth of him being in the team. Even when the turtles tried to cheer him up or offered positive feedback, which was a rarity for Mikey, they eventually resumed being the distant brothers who didn't want to be around him.
It felt as if he were poison to them, a worthless parasite—an undesirable virus in their hard drive that they would prefer to flush out of the system altogether.
Eventually, Mikey finished cleaning the place up until it was as tidy as it was before he had made the mess, yet he still felt miserable and heartbroken. It pained him that his family saw him as useless. He went up to the bedroom and began writing a note, apologizing for ruining everything, but then he paused to rethink his decision.
"If I do run away, where would I go? What would I do?" Mikey sighed sadly. He crumpled the finished letter and tossed it onto the ground before lying down in an attempt to relax, trying his hardest not to cry or show any sign of weakness.
Deep down, he feared that he would remain nothing more than a useless screw-up for the rest of his lonely life.
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Deep in the darkest part of the woods, a tall, mysterious figure loomed over a pile of dead, mutated frog corpses that were melting into green goo from a strange gun the figure held.
The figure looked at an unusual device that displayed a 3-D map, showing a signal on what appeared to be a tracking device for mutagen.
"A few cases down and a few more to go... soon, I will have my revenge," the figure hissed. "But first, I need a test subject... and I'd better find one soon."
Chapter 2: Dysfunctional Brothers
Chapter Text
Later that night, the gang returns to a surprisingly clean house. Leonardo examines the living room in awe.
"Wow, he actually did it," Leo smiles happily.
"Huh! Serves him right," Raphael chuckles, finally glad that Mikey managed to do something right for once, in his opinion.
"Everything's spick and span," Donnie points out.
"Don't get used to it; he'll just mess it up again, as usual," Raphael replies.
April stares at the turtles sternly, still upset about how they treated their little brother earlier. Although Mikey isn't innocent and shouldn't have trashed the living room while playing around, that doesn't excuse the cruel way they treated him—especially Raphael's behavior.
"Hey, where's the little dude anyway?" Casey asks, looking around to see that Mikey isn't there.
"Mikey?" Donnie calls out.
"In the kitchen," comes the simple response. However, something about it makes April feel worried for the young turtle. The gang enters the kitchen to find Mikey quietly making dinner. He appears casual, as if nothing happened.
The lack of expression makes Leo concerned for him, but Donnie quickly asks, "What's on the menu tonight, Mikey?"
Mikey knows that what happened earlier will likely be brushed aside as usual, but he has given up fighting it. He softly says, "I'm making chicken soup."
"Cool," Leo nods.
"You okay, Mikey?" April asks.
"I just want to say that... I'm really sorry," Mikey apologizes sincerely. "For trashing the living room."
"Damn right you should be," Raph scoffs. "You're lucky we didn't give you a kick up the ass."
"Raph, please," Leo interrupts Raph.
"Look, let's just let bygones be bygones and move on," Donnie shrugs, causing April to glare at him in frustration, though he didn't catch her glance.
"Okay," Mikey quietly agrees.
"Just don't make a big mess in the kitchen now, ya hear?" Raphael sternly warns.
Mikey stands there, slowly nodding as if his entire body is numb to the pain. He can't let the hurt get to him, but the cracks are beginning to show.
"We'll be in the living room when you're done," Donnie says before the boys leave the kitchen. April stays behind.
She anxiously approaches Mikey and asks, "Are you alright, Mikey?"
Mikey grins. "I'm fine, why?"
"Are you sure? I can tell you're not happy," April presses gently.
"Why would I not be happy?" the young turtle shrugs.
"Because your brothers were jerks to you back there, and I can tell it's hurting you," April replies.
"It was my fault, April; I trashed the place, and they had every right to be mad at me," Mikey brushes off the incident as best as he can.
"Still, they shouldn't have been so harsh on you," April points out.
"It doesn't matter, April... what's done is done. I learned my lesson," Mikey sighs.
"Mikey," April tries again.
"Just please!" Mikey pleads, letting a bit of his misery seep into his voice before he quickly regains his composure and forces a grin. "Let's not worry about simple mistakes; dinner's done."
Mikey sets the soup bowls on a tray and is about to head to the living room, bringing his usual smile to mask his sadness and pain, until he hears his brothers arguing about something.
"Seriously?! Why the shell do we have to apologise to Mikey?!" Raphael demanded as if it were the worst idea ever.
"Maybe we were a bit too harsh on Mikey earlier," Leo said firmly to Raph. "He looked very depressed when we returned."
"So he should! He deserved it for wrecking the place like the idiot he is," Raph retorted.
"He has a point, Leo; ever since we arrived at the farmhouse, we've been putting up with Mikey's antics, and I'm getting tired of it," Donnie added.
"Exactly! When has he done anything right lately? All he does lately is being a pain in the ass!" Raph agreed with Donatello.
"You didn't have to call him a big screw-up," Leo growled at Raph.
"Because that's what he is!" Raph snapped back, losing patience. "I don't care if it sounds harsh — it's the truth! Mikey never does anything right or helpful, and he'll always be a big, useless screw-up."
"He can't even focus or even bother to learn things as we can," Donnie nodded. "And he wonders why no one wants to be with him."
"Thank you for agreeing with me, Donnie," Raphael replied as Leo looked at his brothers rather lividly.
"I mean, one time when I was in the lab, I asked Mikey if he knew what 'foible' means, and he said it's 'that little dangly thing in the back of my throat,'" Donnie firmly mocked Mikey's answer before groaning out,
"It's hard to grasp that someone like Mikey has an IQ the size of a pebble. Sometimes I wonder why we're stuck being related to him."
"That's enough! Do you two even hear yourselves right now?!" Leo vehemently snapped at the duo and then chastised them:
"How could you talk like that about him?! Mikey may not be perfect, but he's still our little brother, and I will not allow you two to speak so vilely of him like that."
"This, coming from the guy who beat him up because you thought he used your precious comic book as toilet paper," Raphael snapped back.
Leo looked down, embarrassed by that memory, before he cleared his throat. "Well, at least I apologized to him for that."
"No, you didn't," both Raph and Donnie shook their heads.
"Wait, I didn't?" Leo gawked as his brothers shook their heads.
"W-Well, that doesn't matter! What matters now is that even though Mikey's not always perfect, we shouldn't be too harsh on him," Leo started before he exhaled and frowned a bit.
"I admit his antics frustrate me as well, but maybe once we resolve this mess in New York City and find Splinter, we can keep Mikey in the dojo with him until he learns to properly train himself as a ninja with a sensei. Perhaps, once he matures enough, we'll allow him back into the team," he added.
"That will take forever," Raphael scoffed.
"Not forever, maybe a year or two, but all we can do is try to help him," Leo suggested.
"We've tried so many times, but nothing seems to get through to him," Donnie groaned.
"Face it, fearless; he'll never be a good ninja like us the way he is, ever!" Raphael shook his head.
"You don't mean that, Raphael. None of you do," Leo said angrily.
"Of course we do!" Raphael snapped back. "Our lives would be much better without him anyway!"
"No offence, but I sometimes wish Mikey was never our baby brother, at all!" Donnie lashed out as well: "None of this mess would've ever happened if he didn't mess up in that Kraang ship."
"He's right, Leo! He's the one who caused the mutagen to spill over the city, and now we're stuck in this mess because of him!" Raphael angrily agreed.
"Now you both listen here—!" Leonardo began to hotly confront the duo up close to their faces.
"Uh... guys," Casey gulped, pointing toward the entrance of the living room.
The boys turned to see Mikey staring blankly at them; no words or expressions could describe the look on Michelangelo's face, but a cold chill ran down Raphael's spine as he realized Mikey was heartbroken and deeply upset.
Without saying a word, the young turtle slowly placed the dinner tray on the table before turning back and heading straight upstairs.
"Mikey, wait! Mikey!" April cried out, trying to stop him from leaving, but all she heard was the bedroom door slamming shut.
"I think he heard you guys," Casey whispered to the trio.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Donnie said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Casey.
April suddenly glanced at the trio, her anger radiating as she marched straight to the living room and screamed, "Haven't you three had enough?!"
"April—!" Leo started.
"No! Just shut up, Leo!" April yelled at the leader, making the boys flinch uncomfortably. They hadn't seen April this furious since the incident when they unintentionally spilled mutagen canisters from the Kraang ship, resulting in one of them landing on April's father and mutating him.
"Do you think you three can just go on treating Mikey like this forever?!" April demanded.
"Calm down, Red." Casey tried to diffuse the situation.
"Casey... back off..." April warned dangerously.
The boy quickly nodded and sheepishly stepped aside from the turtles, leaving them in awkward silence until April continued her rant.
"Don't you think Mikey feels horrible enough as it is without you speaking poorly about him behind his back? How could you?! No, how DARE you?!"
"April, let us explain—!" Leo began, but April immediately shut him up and confronted the turtles:
"No! You three are just horrible to Mikey. No matter what he does, it's never enough for you! First, you selfishly interrogate him like a bad guy for trying to protect me from that thing that looked like my mother, and now this?! And yeah, I'm no better; I snapped at Mikey for what happened that night, but at least I apologized deeply for my shameful actions!"
April pointed an accusing finger at each of the boys as she raged on.
"You guys never appreciate him, or listen to him, or even stop to realize that Michelangelo has feelings just like you do. You may think he can't understand or feel the same things you do, but he feels a lot more than you ever could."
She took a breather, and while her voice softens, the disdain in her voice remains,
"You all see Mikey as nothing but a piece of trash, a moving target, or a punching bag. But I see a kind and noble mutant who's trying so hard to make you guys proud and happy. Granted, yes, he can be annoying and gross with his antics, but so can you! Even so, that's no reason to act like ungrateful and selfish jerks toward him."
"April, we're sorry," Donnie said sadly.
"No, you're not!" April scoffed harshly. "You're only sorry because I'm mad at you. If you were truly sorry for how you acted around Mikey, you would go up there and fix this mess you started!"
April then went upstairs but paused at the middle of the steps when Raphael grumbled:
"Well, if you live with Mikey 24/7 as we do, you'd feel the same way too."
"Shut the shell up, Raph!" Leo shouted at the hothead, exasperated by Raph's toxic attitude.
April glared back at the turtles and said angrily:
"Oh, really? All I know now is that if anyone is the big screw up at the moment, it's you three..."
April soon went upstairs to check on Mikey while Raphael looked down angrily, arms crossed. Donnie felt awkward about the situation and wasn't sure what to do.
Leo was the only one who glanced up at the stairs where April had just gone, feeling deeply ashamed of his actions and wanting to check on Mikey too, but he feared that he would only make things worse.
Meanwhile, April approached the bedroom where Mikey slept. She knocked on the door and gently called out, "Mikey, are you alright?"
When there was no reply, she tried again, "Mikey, I'm really sorry about what you just heard, but I promise you, what happened back there is not your fault and what they said is not true, alright?."
Still, there was no answer, and her worry grew. She gently turned the doorknob, discovering that the room was unlocked, and she cautiously opened the door.
"Mikey?" she called out.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw an empty bedroom except for an orange mask on the bed. Her heart sank when she noticed that the window was wide open.
"Mikey?!" April gasped, fearing the worst.
She picked up the mask from the bed and went to the window, spotting dust footprints leading from the window onto the roof tiles, then down to the ground and into the woods.
April's fears intensified as she realized that Mikey had run away from the farmhouse for good.
"MIKEY!" she cried out into the night.
Chapter Text
Leonardo was about to check on Mikey and apologize when he suddenly heard April calling out his brother's name frantically. Fear surged through him as he barged into Mikey's room and saw April by the window.
"April? What's wrong? Where's Mikey?!" the eldest turtle cried.
April turned to Leonardo, panic in her eyes. "He's gone! He ran off into the woods!"
Leonardo noticed the orange mask April was holding, then glanced out the window at the tracks. His heart sank. "Mikey, no!"
Just then, April spotted a crumpled piece of paper near the bed on the floor. She picked it up and unfolded it, realizing what it was.
"Leo," April gasped.
"What is it?" Leonardo asked, confused.
April held up the letter that Mikey had started writing when he first planned to run away. Together, they began to read it.
My family...By the time you read this, I am gone; I'm so sorry I ruined everyone's lives, I never meant to hurt you, nor did I ever mean to hurt anyone, but it's clear that you don't want me around anymore...
You guys were right about me...I'm just an idiot, a screw up, a disappointment; so that's why, for the sake of this family's happiness, I'm leaving forever...
I hope my decision will bring you happiness and peace forever, as I know I can never be the brother or ninja you all want me to be. I'm truly sorry.
I wish you all the best in saving the city and finding Dad again. If you do find him, tell him that I am sorry for failing him as a ninja... and as a son.
I would say goodbye, but no...This is farewell, for good
Michelangelo
"I can't believe he did this," Leo shuddered.
April glared at the turtle, still furious about what he and his brothers had done to Mikey, before she shoved the letter and mask toward him and hurried downstairs.
"April? April, wait!" Leo called after her, then followed.
As she went downstairs to get her coat, Leo stopped her and asked, "April, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to find Mikey," April replied firmly.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Red! Calm down, what's going on?" Casey intervened, stopping her from heading out the door.
"Mikey has run away," April announced loudly to the gang.
"What?!!" Raphael yelled.
"Mikey has—what?!" Donatello gasped in fear.
"Yeah, because of you guys, Mikey's gone! So I'm heading out there to find him before anything happens to him," April angrily explained.
"Let us help you," Leo replied as he stood next to April, ready to accompany her.
April merely glanced at the turtles, as Mikey's top priority was avoiding his family right now, and she shook her head firmly.
"You guys have done more than enough. I will find him on my own."
"Are you kidding, Red? It's dangerous out there at night," Casey protested, holding her left arm.
"Yeah! That could be dangerous animals out there! We'll come with you to protect you" Donatello also protected, holding April's right arm.
Annoyed at how clingy they were, April shoves them off and snapped: "I can protect myself!"
Suddenly, the gang heard loud meowing coming from the freezer. April quickly went to open it and saw Ice Cream Kitty, meowing sadly after hearing everything that had happened.
"Don't worry, Kitty; I'll find Mikey," April promised, as she gently petted the mutated cat.
Ice Cream Kitty then notices Raphael before she hisses angrily at him, causing the boys to jump a bit.
"I think she's still mad at you, Raph," Leo said to the red-masked turtle.
Ice Cream Kitty then shows ice on her paws, confusing everyone, before Donnie asks, "Why does she have ice on her paws?"
"Yeah, come to think of it, they look like—!" Raphael begins, then pauses, realizing something.
Ice Cream Kitty growls at Raphael, revealing that she has icicle claws that are like cat claws, which made Raphael gulp: "Oh crap!"
With one leap and a furious shriek, Ice Cream Kitty lunges at Raphael and starts scratching his face with her icicle claws
Raphael screams in agony, desperately trying to remove Ice Cream Kitty as Donnie and Casey assist him.
"AH! OW! OWWW!!! GET HER OFF!!! GET HER OFF OF ME!!!" Raphael cried in pain.
April seized her chance to leave the house in search of Mikey, unaware that Leo was stealthily following her. The young woman entered the woods, flashlight in hand, trailing the footprints Mikey had left behind as she called out his name, but received no response.
Suddenly, she sensed a presence watching her. Taking a wild guess, she called out, "I told you not to follow me, Leo."
Sure enough, Leo leaped down from one of the trees, looking baffled. "How did you know I was following you?" he asked.
"I guess it's my half Kraang instincts. I felt like someone was watching me, so I figured it might be you," April replied.
"Right," Leo nodded.
"I told you I don't want your help," April sighed.
"I know, but Mikey is my little brother. Before you say anything, yes, I messed up royally tonight with the others, big time. You have every right to be angry with me, just like Mikey should be," Leo admitted. His determined expression shifted to one of misery and regret.
"That said, I want to find him and apologize for what I've done. I know you think Mikey doesn't want to see me right now, but I can't just stay back and do nothing. I'm going to find him, even if I have to search for him without you."
April watched Leo, understanding that he genuinely felt guilty about how he had treated his younger brother and wanted to make things right, just as she did. With a sincere smile, she nodded and said, "C'mon; let's go find Mikey together."
"Let's hope he hasn't gone too far," Leo added.
"Do you think the guys back at the house are alright? Ice Cream Kitty really got into attacking Raph like that," April suddenly questioned.
"I'm sure the guys have gotten everything under control," Leo stated as he and April continued looking for Mikey.
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Back at the farmhouse, things were not so under control as Kitty was on the living room table, hissing and shrieking angrily at Donnie and Casey, who were trying to calm her down.
"Gees, she's pretty tough for a cat made out of ice cream," Casey gulped, clutching his hockey stick.
"We gotta get her back in the freezer, or she'll melt to death," Donnie said, awkwardly holding a small cooler near her.
Soon, Ice Cream Kitty threw a baseball that bonked Donnie on the head, knocking him down. Casey laughed at Donnie's misfortune, which was quickly cut off when a book whacked Casey in the jaw.
"Ow, what the hell, Kitty?!" Casey exclaimed.
"Yeah, who's laughing now?" Donnie grumbled, rubbing his sore head.
Raphael soon entered, applying bandages to the scratches on his face from the hot-headed Kitty: "She's still throwing a tantrum?!"
"No kidding, Sherlock!" Casey snapped at his best friend.
"It's basically your fault she's like this," Donnie told Raph. "If you hadn't roughly tossed her into the freezer earlier, she wouldn't be here attacking us."
"How was I supposed to know that mangy thing would attack me?! It's just a cat made of ice cream," Raphael retorted.
Suddenly, the TV remote hits Raph on the forehead, causing the hot-headed one to yelp in pain when the three see Kitty holding one of the T-Phones and a spoon in her paws.
"Nice kitty, let's just calm down." Donnie sheepishly attempts to calm Kitty down.
Ice Cream Kitty growls at Donnie and chucks the spoon at him, hitting his snout with little to no harm to the turtle.
"OK, I understand you're really mad at us," Donnie exhaled. "But let's not make a mess here, please."
Kitty aimed the T-Phone at Donnie, who suddenly pleaded, "No, no, no, no—!"
The mutated cat threw the T-Phone at Donnie, who dodged it just in time, only to see the device shatter upon hitting the wall.
"Oh, come on! That was my T-Phone!" Donnie whined.
"OK, that's enough," Raphael groaned impatiently. He snatched the cooler from Donnie and made his way towards the angry cat. "Alright, you little freak; get back in that freezer."
"Bro, I wouldn't—!" Casey shouted, trying to stop Raphael.
Suddenly, Kitty angrily hurled one of the untouched bowls of cold soup that Mikey had prepared right at Raph's face. The bowl stuck to the turtle's face like a whipped cream pie, covering him in cold soup, which was soon followed by a loud growl from Raphael.
"OK... That... DOES IT!!" Raphael shouted as he threw the bowl down and lunged for Ice Cream Kitty.
The mutated kitty leaped out of the way just as Raphael crashed into the table, breaking it in half.
"Raph!" Donnie squawked in bewilderment.
Raphael immediately jumps back up, eyes darting everywhere until he feels another spoon hitting him in the back of the head. The hotheaded turtle wiped his head to see Ice Cream Kitty on the cabinet, snarling and aiming the items she was holding from the cabinet at Raphael.
"Dude, don't make things worse," Casey warned frantically.
"Well, I could use some help to stop her!" Raphael snapped at the duo.
Donnie and Casey tried to intervene, but with one furious shriek, Kitty threw a candlestick and a vase at them. The two got hit on the heads, making them fall back on their butts, before they huddled together in fright.
"You're on your own," Donnie said, shaking his head.
"You cowards!" Raphael groaned angrily.
An old trophy soon struck Raph on the shoulder, further fueling his anger. He attempted to hit Kitty right where she was, but the mutated feline leaped out of the way again.
In the process, Raphael punched a hole in the cabinet and through the wall, leaving Donnie and Casey in shock.
A wild chase ensued in the living room as Raphael tried to trap Ice Cream Kitty, but the feline kept evading him, causing Raph to trash the room more with each impulsive attempt to get Kitty back into her cooler.
"For goodness' sake, Raph! You're making an even bigger mess in the living room than Mikey did!" Donnie cried out.
"April's gonna kill you for sure," Casey nodded.
Raphael suddenly slams the cooler down on top of Kitty, trapping her inside as he laughs maniacally, relief washing over him. With a devious grin, he taunts, "Ha! Not so tough now, are ya? You mangy little turd!"
However, just as Raph leans in to gloat over his victory, Kitty swiftly jabs her cold paws toward his eyes, splattering them with ice cream. He lets out a painful cry, dropping the cooler and freeing the mutated feline once again.
Donnie and Casey watch the scene unfold, both deeply annoyed. Donnie grumbles, "Who's the screw-up now?"
"Pretty sure it's still you guys," Casey replies with a smug shrug.
Donnie was about to retaliate with a comment when he could see Ice Cream Kitty, surprisingly and out of nowhere, lifting a wooden chair behind Raphael. Then, with a furious yeow, she hits Raphael on the shell with the chair, breaking the wooden item apart on impact.
As the hothead got knocked down to the ground, Donnie and Casey watched in terror and confusion at just how strong and fast Ice Cream Kitty really was.
"How can she do that?!" Donnie exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"You tell me; you're supposed to be the genius," Casey replied sarcastically.
Raph quickly got back up like a raging bull and soon spotted the mutated feline mocking him from the top of the couch.
"You little--!" Raphael raged and wildly punched Kitty in the face, making her fly and hit the wall, sinking to the ground.
"Dude!" Casey gasped and rushed to the mutated cat.
When the boys noticed Kitty wasn't moving, Raphael immediately went from fury to panic as he realized what he had just done.
"Oh, shell!" Raphael gulped.
"Kitty?! Are you okay?! Say something!!" Donnie frantically shook the seemingly unconscious feline.
"What the hell, man?!" Casey exclaimed angrily at Raph.
"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt her like that! I just—!" Raphael panicked, approaching the others.
Suddenly, Ice Cream Kitty lunged forward, with one of the broken woods from the broken chair, and she then swung it at Raphael right between his legs.
Raphael let out a howl of agony as Donnie and Casey cringed in horror, letting out uncomfortable whines.
Kitty lunged back up onto the shelf above the fireplace and mocked the agonized hothead who growled at the mutated feline, "Now THAT... was below the belt!"
He attempted to confront Kitty once more, only to find she had vanished. The trio looked around, but all they could hear was her slithering about like a horror movie alien or killer.
"Nice, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty," Donnie whimpered.
"If we survive this, remind me not to get on her bad side ever again," Casey panicked.
"When I find her—oh ho, ho, ho—I'm gonna make her wish that she just stayed in that freezer when I'm done with her," Raphael hotly snarled, infuriated that he was being bested by a mutated cat.
"Dude, at this point, you're asking for a death wish," Casey pointed out.
Unbeknownst to Raphael, Kitty was perched behind him on top of a couch, surprisingly holding a wooden baseball bat in the air with her paws.
Casey and Donatello noticed this and whimpered to Raphael to look behind him.
"What? What is it?" Raphael complained as he turned around.
Ice Cream Kitty let out a simple "meow" and swung the baseball bat down, bonking Raphael right on the head. Casey and Donnie cringed again uncomfortably as Raphael saw nothing but stars in his eyes.
"Oh... crud..." he groaned before collapsing to the floor, knocked out.
Kitty drops the bat and waves her paws in the air, celebrating her victory. The two remaining boys looked at one another before they began to argue over who was going to stop her next.
While they bicker and argue, Kitty quickly returns to the kitchen and jumps back into the freezer to restore her body temperature to normal.
She soon looks out at the window, showing the woods at night before letting out a sad meow, hoping that her owner/best friend is alright out there.
Notes:
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IMAGE IS COPYRIGHT TO NICKELODEON ANIMATION STUDIOS
Chapter Text
Meanwhile, deep within the woods, Michelangelo was walking aimlessly through the dark forest, his mask stained with tears streaking from his eyes. The pain from his brother's cruel words—especially at the fact that they wished that he were never their little brother at all—made the young turtle heartbroken as he felt hopeless, lost, and all alone.
Before long, he noticed he wasn't completely by himself. From a short distance away, he saw a mysterious figure holding a canister of mutagen. With one click of a button, the mutagen vanished into thin air, almost as if by magic.
"Another canister found," the mysterious figure hissed in a strange, snake-like tone.
Mikey attempted to back away slowly, but even the softest noise seemed to echo in the silence of the forest. The figure spotted him with glowing green eyes that shone like a spotlight.
In a panic, the young turtle fled as fast as he could, but the mysterious figure leaped effortlessly into the air, landing right in front of him. Mikey cried out in fright as he was grabbed by mechanical fingers and lifted off the ground.
In the darkness, he couldn't make out the attacker's face, but he could see those bright emerald eyes glaring at him.
"P-Please," Mikey choked out through the grip.
The attacker soon used its other mechanical hand to activate a red searchlight from a circular orb in the palm. The light scanned Mikey's body before the creature spoke in a guttural snarl.
"So, another mutant created by the mutagen, and yet..."
It paused, looking at a wristband that displayed 3D images—readings of the mutant turtle before it, translated into an alien language.
"Yet your body shows potential and strength..." it purred, intrigued. The glowing eyes focused back on Mikey: "You... are perfect."
"P-Perfect for what?" Michelangelo gulped.
Suddenly, a voice called out, "Mikey!!!"
The villainous figure turned to see April and Leonardo rushing toward them. Leonardo, filled with anger, drew his twin katanas and lunged at the figure.
"Get your hands off my brother!!"
The figure leaped aside, still holding Mikey, and opened a portal using a strange device from its wrist. It turned to Leo and April as they charged in to save Mikey.
"I'll be back for you," it growled before vanishing into the portal, dragging a struggling Mikey along.
"Mikey!" April shouted in fear.
"Hang on, little brother!" Leo cried out, reaching for his brother's hand.
April and Leo pulled desperately at Mikey, trying to draw him back from the portal, but a sudden wave of energy from the other side knocked them both to the ground.
The figure reappeared, striking Mikey unconscious before hoisting him over its shoulder and carrying him into the portal.
"No!" April cried, scrambling to her feet to stop the villain.
"Mikey!!!" Leo screamed, lunging for the portal, but it was too late.
As Leo landed on the ground, the portal vanished, and the two fighters realized they had lost Michelangelo to his kidnapper.
"Mikey!" April gasped in horror.
"No! NO!!!" Leo bellowed, hitting his fists on the ground in distress. "Otōto, No!"
April leaned down to comfort Leo, holding him tightly as the eldest brother wept in despair, feeling he had failed to protect his family once again, fearing what would become of his little brother, who was now kidnapped by an unknown enemy.
"What are we going to do now?" April shuddered.
Leo had no idea what to say; he had no clue where his baby brother was. But one thing was certain—he won't lose Mikey the way he lost their sensei back in New York City.
--------
Michelangelo woke up a while later, trying to get up, only to realize that he was strapped to a metallic table. The room he was in looked like something out of a science fiction movie; it was completely gray and eerie.
"Leo?! Donnie?! Raph?!" Mikey cried out.
"So, you're finally awake," a voice replied.
The trapped turtle turned to see his kidnapper for the first time. The creature had a reptilian head; its color was titanium white mixed with neon green scales, making it look otherworldly. Its body was fully cybernetic, resembling an android, with no discernible features on its head.
"Wow, you look like that Star Wars villain from Episode III," Mikey pointed out.
"I don't watch Earth junk, so I have no idea who you're talking about," the villain coldly responded.
The creature's snake-like voice sent shivers down Mikey's spine. But what terrified him the most were its eyes—completely black like ink, with glowing green pupils that resembled emeralds marred by oil.
"Who are you?! Where am I?!" Mikey demanded.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Demanding answers isn't going to get you anywhere," the villain mocked.
"Um, pretty please tell me where I am and who you are?" Mikey asked awkwardly.
The kidnapper rolled its eyes and slowly circled the mechanical table, saying, "I am not a mutant, if that's what you're thinking. Your kind has a name for my species... and if you can't guess it, I'm an alien."
"You're from another planet?!" Mikey asked, bewildered.
"I come from another universe where my kind once thrived. It's been so long since I learned the name of my species and what I was once called—all because of a mutual enemy of ours: the Kraang."
"The Kraang?" Mikey gasped.
"Yes, they destroyed my world and my people eons ago. Ever since then, I've been tracking them, destroying them whenever I can. Now, I'm about to achieve my revenge after so long," the villain growled, glaring at the turtle. "And you will help me with that, along with the mess you created."
"W-What do you mean?" Mikey gulped.
"I know it was you and your brothers who caused the mutagen to spill everywhere in your home city," the villain snarled.
"How do you know?" Mikey asked.
"While you were unconscious, I hooked my equipment up to your head," the villain explained, tapping the metallic helmet attached to Mikey's head. "This device allows me to see your memories like an open book, and now I've found the source of why the mutagen was lost from the Kraang's ship."
"You don't understand; it was an accident, man! We didn't mean to spill the mutagen everywhere!" Mikey protested.
"An accident, hmm? Well, little mutant, I can cause accidents too... Such as this!" The alien snapped, pressing a button on a console beside the table.
Suddenly, electric shocks coursed through Mikey's body, causing him to scream in agony. After a moment, the alien pressed the button again, ending the torture.
"I know exactly who you are and who your family is from your memories," the creature hissed, lifting Mikey's chin with its robotic finger before continuing:
"Michelangelo Hamato; mutated by the Kraang along with your brothers and your adoptive father, Hamato Yoshi. Less loved and unimportant to your father, your brothers, and without a friend in the world."
"That's not... I mean—!" Mikey grunted bleakly.
"What? Am I wrong? Didn't you recently try to run away? Didn't you leave your family because they didn't want anything to do with you anymore?" The villain pressed on, targeting the vulnerable turtle.
Mikey fell silent as the kidnapper typed a few keys on an otherworldly computer. Suddenly, three-dimensional images began to play through Mikey's point of view, showcasing all the painful memories of his brothers getting angry with him, ignoring him, and hurting him, along with his father's disapproval and unintentionally hurtful remarks made behind his back.
Mikey looked down miserably while the villain scoffed, "I thought so; you're what humans call the 'black sheep' of the family—a disgrace to the family name."
"You... you said I was perfect, though; perfect for what?!" Mikey demanded.
The alien displayed more 3D images of Mikey's body with readings in an alien language. Then the villain explained, "Your energy and life force are exceptionally high, which tells me you are stronger than your memories suggest. You have a remarkable amount of brute strength that you don't even realize yet. You possess the ideal life force to be part of my experiment."
Mikey, unaware of his potential strength, shook his head, "I'm telling you, dude; I'm not as tough as you think I am. If you want to know who's stronger, scan my brothers; they're stronger and smarter than I am."
"True. I have scanned your memories of them, but their life forces and energy levels are not as optimal as yours. My experiment needs a host with great energy and strength—and that would be you," the villain stated.
"I won't be part of your sick experiment! Never!" Mikey angrily rejected the idea.
"I think you might reconsider once you realize what I have planned for your family after I retrieve every single mutagen canister," the alien hissed.
"Why do you care so much about the Kraang's mutagen? It's not even yours," Mikey questioned.
The creature laughed loudly, "You think the Kraang created the mutagen?"
"Well, yeah; didn't they?" Mikey asked, puzzled.
"Of course not!" the creature snapped, narrowing its eyes. "Sure, they may have created a few weapons here and there, but they're nothing more than thieves, taking credit for what other planets have accomplished—including mine!"
"What are you saying?" Mikey inquired, confused.
The alien glared at Mikey and growled, "It was I who created the mutagen, not the Kraang."
Mikey's eyes widen at that reveal as he over-dramatically gasped:
"Wait! If you created the mutagen, does that mean...you're my mother?!"
"Wait, what?" The creature spoke out.
"No! That's not true! That's impossible!!" Mikey wailed out.
"Don't be foolish! I'm not your mother; I'm just the creator of the mutagen," the alien groaned loudly.
"Oh, right, sorry," Mikey awkwardly apologized before shaking his head. "So, wait, is that why you're after my family? Because we lost your mutagen? Like I said, dude, it was an accident."
"Maybe. But do you have any idea how hard it is to track my canisters in this world? It's very difficult, and the fact that I have to cause some collateral damage without getting caught makes it even harder," the villain snapped, getting face-to-face with the trapped turtle.
The cybernetic alien went to the main console of the room and typed in a few buildings to scan for more canisters. Then it spoke again: "Alas, there's not much left to find. Once I get them all back, that's when the real plan will come to fruition, and you will help me with this, one way or another."
"Just... who are you?" Mikey asked sadly.
The villain turned back to Mikey and replied, "The Kraang had a name for my kind in one of your languages, and since then, I have taken it on as a reminder of what they did to me and what they—and the rest of the universe—will soon fear once my whole plan comes to be..."
With its emerald glowing eyes, the villain approached Mikey with a wicked sneer and added:
"They call me...Virus"
Notes:
NOTES: THE FOLLOWING IMAGE IS COPYRIGHTED TO ITS ORIGINAL OWNER
New_York_Times_Books on Chapter 1 Mon 15 Dec 2025 07:24AM UTC
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Fantasy_to_paper on Chapter 2 Tue 16 Dec 2025 02:24AM UTC
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AG_The_Writer on Chapter 2 Tue 16 Dec 2025 04:50AM UTC
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Fantasy_to_paper on Chapter 2 Tue 16 Dec 2025 02:39PM UTC
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txtforlifehueningkai on Chapter 3 Thu 18 Dec 2025 09:58AM UTC
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AG_The_Writer on Chapter 3 Fri 19 Dec 2025 04:13AM UTC
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