Super long One-Shot for a contest on dA, hosted by Sampsonknight! Rated M for sexual content (nothing graphic) and language. 2003'verse

Prompt: Pandora's Box

Warning: Some things may be incorrect, but tbh I have a day left to submit this and don't have the time lmao


"Okay, guys," Leo said, putting a finger to his lips as he and his brothers stood on the rooftop across from the museum. "There's been word of someone planning to break in and steal this weird box Don was talking about-"

"It's said to be very similar to if not the exact Pandora's Box from Greek mythology. It's said that Pandora, whom Zeus sent down to Prometheus' brother after he stole fire from Heaven, opened it, unleashing all the evils in the world, including the Seven Deadly Sins," Don interrupted. At Leo's glare and Mikey's stricken face, he chuckled. "It's only a myth, though," he reassured them.

Raph rolled his eyes, spinning his sais. "C'mon, who cares about all this? Let's just do it!"

Leo rolled his eyes, taking out a sword. "On my signal," he said. He looked around, making sure no security cameras were functioning still, then made the signal with his hand. They made their way into the building, Don with night vision goggles on.

"Okay, I see the box. Nothing else though-"

He let out a loud grunt as he was tackled to the floor, and the lights were turned on. Slow clapping filled the room and the brothers all groaned, blinking as their eyes adjusted. Don yelped, taking off his goggles immediately. That stung!

"Who's there?!" Leo called, his vision clearing. He dodged the next attack, flipping his assailant over his shoulder and stepping on their chest. His eyes widened.

Mikey, finally getting a good look, started laughing hysterically when he saw who it was. "Hun?! O-Oh my God!" He turned to Don, pointing at him. "You took a hit from that guy?! He weighs like a thousand pounds; how did you not hear him coming?"

Don growled at him, standing. "If you heard him, why didn't you warn me?"

Mikey sobered quickly and looked away with a pout.

Raph came over to Leo to help hold the man down, only to discover he was apparently unconscious. "What da…?"

Leo shrugged, getting off of the man. "So, this was a bust?"

Don nodded with a shrug of his own. "Although he may have triggered an alarm on his way in." He turned away from them all, scanning the room. His brothers crowded around him, wanting to see.

Unbeknownst to them, Hun was silently standing, walking over to the box and grabbing it. Leo's ear slits 'perked up' (for lack of better terminology) and he turned around, throwing a kunai at Hun, forcing him to drop the fragile box.

It fell to the floor, shattering, and Hun ran the other way. Seven different colored mists came from the box; black, orange, yellow, dark green, light blueish grey, red, and purple. They circled around the turtles, and that was the last thing they saw before they blacked out in unison.


"Oh, gosh…" Leo groaned as he came back into consciousness, rubbing his head.

He glanced at his left wrist with wide eyes; there was a purple mark on it, and it kind of looked like a triangle with an eye over it. He remembered what had happened and smirked, standing. He'd come up with the plan, and they'd stopped Hun. He looked at the broken remnants of the box, and grimaced lightly. It had worked enough.

Although they had lost Hun…

He shook his head, smirking again. They always lost Hun. No big loss.

He looked to his brothers, who were still unconscious. Don was stirring, and Leo saw orange and red marks on his wrist, the orange one looking like a Japanese pavilion, almost, and one like a skinny Yin & Yang sign, without the dots.

"Man, I'm hungry…" Don mumbled as he sat up, and blush covered Leo's face as he realized there was a bump in Don's lower plastron. Don seemed to notice and gasped, covering himself with blush covering his face as well. "What the heck?!"

Raph groaned as he woke up, and immediately snarled at them, getting up. "Man, why are we still here? This is stupid." He looked at his wrists and saw a black star in a circle and a yellow circle with other circles on it. "An' what the hell are dese? Tattoos?"

Leo rolled his eyes, keeping them off Don, who was scrambling for something to cover himself. He glanced at Mikey, who was awake and just hadn't said anything. He had a light blue circle with a smaller circle touching it and a green one with a circle made of an arrow. He glanced at his brothers' tattoos and crossed his arms.

"I want an orange tattoo! No fair!"

"Shut it, Mikey! Just color over it in orange marker!" Raph groaned, rolling his eyes. He looked around the museum and smirked. "Hey, while we're here… Let's snatch somethin'. Sell it for some money."

"Wh-? No!" Leo said indignantly. "Let's just get outta here before someone sets off an-"

Mikey, who had stood up suddenly to examine Don's 'tattoo', squinted at a red light as it started making a loud noise.

"-alarm."

Raph groaned again. "Can we leave if we're not gonna grab anything? I don't feel like getting wheeled off to some lab."

Leo grabbed Don, who was looking at the more mature paintings and had twitching fingers, and nodded at Raph. "We should, before someone comes. C'mon, Mike."

Mike rolled his eyes, not moving. "Fiiiiine…"

When he realized that Mikey had no intention of moving still, Leo looked at Raph, not saying anything, not wanting to ask for help but not wanting to carry two turtles.

"What?" Raph asked, faking stupid. Leo glared at him, and he groaned once again. "Only if we can at least take the box. That's gotta be worth somethin'..."

"Fine! Just grab him and let's go!" Leo yelled, already pulling Donnie, who was mumbling under his breath and making squeezing motions with his hands. "Stop it, Don!"

Don whined as they all rushed out, Raph scrambling for pieces of the box as he dragged Mikey out of the museum.


Leo sighed as they walked through the sewers. He didn't usually feel this good about himself. Don wasn't usually this… He didn't want to think it, pervy… Or hungry.

"Mikey! Mikey Mikey Mikey! You brought snacks right?" Don asked his little brother, who was being carried while he was dragged on a makeshift leash, an idea Leo had come up with when he almost started drooling when they went past a strip club.

"Yep," Mikey said boredly, not even pretending to help Raph. "And you got an orange tattoo. Wanna trade?"

"As much as I'd love to…"

"Shut up, will ya?" Raph demanded, trying to figure out how much he could get from each piece of the box. "'Ey, Don, how much ya think this thing's worth?"

"Uh…" Don was obviously trying to think, but the bulge he contained was preventing it somewhat. "A lot. I dunno."

"C'mon, Don, yer supposed to be the smart one!" Raph sighed.

"Can you guys be quiet for a second? Jeezus," Leo groaned, yanking on Don, whose hands were twitching again.

"Shuddup, Leo, 'fore I smack some sense inta ya."

"Excuse me?" Leo demanded, stopping. "Say that again!"

"Shuddup, Leonardo, before I smack some sense inta ya!" Raph repeated, dropping Mikey, who whined on impact but was also watching with interest. Don was put against the wall and he let out a low moan, before realizing nothing was happening and trying to undo his leash immediately.

"Why can't we get through one mission without you starting an argument, Raphael?" Leo demanded again, not noticing Don as he stepped closer to Raph.

"'Cuz ya always gotta say some stupid shit to us and degrade us because we ain't as good as ya!" Raph retorted immediately, snarling.

"Well, maybe you aren't!" Leo yelled back, and his eyes immediately widened.

Even in their infected states, his brothers got the full effect of what he was saying. "That's… That's not what I meant. I didn't… I…"

The tattoo on his arm flickered, something none of them noticed.

He crossed his arms, and the tattoo came back, almost more bold than before. "Well, maybe you're not. Raph's always rushing into things, Mikey's never paying attention, and Don-"

He almost did a double-take as he saw the spot where he'd put Don empty. "What the hell- Donatello!"


Don's mind was a mess as he tried to remember where Cinnamon was. He remembered saving her a few months back and she'd said she owed him.

No time like the present, as he liked to say.

He looked down at the alley below and smirked; lucky break, but it had worked. She was on a smoke break.

Silently, he jumped down, landing near her. "Cinnamon?" he asked carefully.

"Who's there?" she asked, and he paused to examine her. She was leaning against the wall, one of her thick legs bent and touching the wall. Her chest stuck out immensely and he knew her ass was round from last time. Her pouty lips went around the cigarette and puffed out as she blew.

"Donatello, from a few months back? I saved you-"

"From that weird pervy guy! Oh, yeah!" she smiled, crushing her cigarette under her shoe. "How you been, Donnie?"

Relieved, Don stepped out from the shadows, hardly trying to cover his lower plastron. "Remember how you said you owed me a favor?"


"Goddammit, Don!" Raph groaned as he tried to track his brother's Shell Cell. Leo had refused to go, saying he'd stay with Mikey. Raph knew he just thought he was too good to do such 'menial' work.

He didn't want to go any more than Leo did! He had a box to pawn!

Or… Box pieces.

He halted as he heard a familiar voice from below him. Except…

"Oh, God!" he groaned quietly, covering his eyes and falling backwards on the rooftop, the image burned in his head already. "Donnie, Jesus fucking Christ!"

Donnie moaned from below, and Raph heard a feminine moan and he gagged as he heard the sound of liquid splattering the alley. After waiting a few minutes, he looked back over the rooftop and saw the woman gone and Donnie-

"No! Not in an alley, Don!" Raph called down, and Don jumped a good foot in the air, pausing his stroking.

"Really, Raph?" he called back up, tucking himself back in, half-hard but able to manage it.

"Let's just get home!" Raph sighed, jumping down and opening the manhole cover, gagging once more as he felt something wet on his hand. "I gotta box ta sell!"

Don rolled his eyes, jumping down the manhole. "As long as there are snacks at home I'm good."


When the red- and purple-clad turtles arrived back in the Lair, they were immediately greeted by Mike, who held out a bag of chips, eye half-closed. "I want an orange tattoo," he stated simply.

Don took the bag and opened it, immediately started to chomp on a cheddar and sour cream chip and reaching for another. "I'm going to my room first," he said, sprinting to his room and slamming the door, and Raph's face turned a deep red.

Mike peered at him, confused. "Why are you-"

"Nothin'!" Raph exclaimed, walking to Don's lab where the laptop was, and grabbing it, sitting on the couch and logging in.

Leo was in their master's room, trying to explain what had happened to them. Mike collapsed on the couch next to Raph, flipping the channel. Raph glared at him, snatching the remote and putting on something else.

"Hey!" Mike yelled indignantly. "Put that back on!"

"Mmm… Nah," Raph smirked, going back to his 'research'. "Pandora's Box…"

"You-! You're not even watching!" Mike yelled again, grasping for the remote with only his arm, not willing to move otherwise.

"And?" Raph snarked, not looking up.

"Leo!" Mike called, but nobody came. Raph glanced back at Splinter's room and almost grimaced as he heard the yelling start.

"Master Splinter, I really don't think that's what happened-!" Leo was yelling, but he was interrupted.

"Leonardo, I do not appreciate how you are talking to me-"

"And? Who cares? You don't have any control over me-"

The door was opened and Leo stomped out, grumbling to himself. Splinter was behind him, obviously not done with the conversation yet. "Leonardo, I will not tolerate this!"

"Tolerate what? Me finally speaking for myself instead of just obeying you blindly?" Leo retorted, not turning backwards.

Mike watched in minor interest, momentarily forgetting about the TV. Raph went back to the laptop.

Splinter's tail was twitching, a sure sign he was mad. "Leonardo, you and your brothers were affected by the Seven Deadly Sins. From what you have told me, you were likely affected by Pride-"

"No, I wasn't! I'm fine! They got affected, not me! Raph probably got Pride!"

"Leo, ya got a tattoo, too!" Raph called back, snarling at the accusation.

"Wh...?" As if having forgotten, Leo looked at his wrist and, once again, discovered the purple mark that resided there. "Someone drew that there!" he cried indignantly.

Splinter rolled his eyes to the heavens, and in one swift movement, hit his eldest son on the head with his walking stick.

"Ow! What the-? Ow!" Splinter hit him again, and Leo growled, fists clenched.

"Oohhahhgghh~!"

Everyone froze as the awful sound came from Don's bedroom. Raph bowed his head, turning red again, trying to block it out.

"Donatello!" Splinter called, and they could spot traces of red under his fur.

"...Yes, Master Splinter?" they heard, and Mike sniggered.

"Come out here, please!"

There were a few tense seconds while nothing happened, and then Don's door opened. He was wiping himself with a tissue, blush covering his face. Leo covered his face, and Mikey burst out laughing. Raph ran towards the bathroom.

Splinter groaned lightly, smacking his son on the head. "Ouch!" Don cried, grabbing his head, his pouch almost expanding again already. Why was this happening to him?

"You will not be so indecent in this home!" The rat looked at the tattoos on Don's wrist and grabbed it, hoping it wasn't the hand Donatello had been using in the past few minutes. He looked at the tattoos and hummed. "You must have been affected with Lust and Gluttony."

"Oh, yeah, by the way, I finished those chips, so can I…?" Don asked.

Splinter sighed. "Wash your hands before you touch anything."

Don nodded and rushed to the kitchen.

Splinter looked back at Leonardo, who was obviously trying to decide whether or not to take his hands off his face. He then looked at Michelangelo, who looked away immediately. "Michelangelo, come here!"

"...Nah."

"Michelangelo…" Splinter said testily.

"Master…" Mike whined, rolling over.

"Michelangelo!" Splinter snapped, slamming his walking stick on the ground.

"Fiiiiinnneee…" the youngest turtle groaned, beginning to stand up, only to collapse on the floor. Leo looked over and immediately started chuckling under his breath, hardly trying to hide it. Splinter glared at him, but it did not deter him.

Mikey slowly started dragging himself toward them, groaning the whole way. Splinter looked to the side as Raphael came out of the bathroom, stopping him as he walked past them and grabbed his left wrist. "You have Wrath and Greed."

Raph growled. "Do not!" he cried, then looked to the couch, where the laptop was sitting. "There's no way…"

"Dude! You're literally trying to pawn the box that caused this!" Mike called, his shell scraping on the floor and making Splinter's ears flatten on his head. He glared at Raph, who smiled sheepishly.

"Ow!" the red-banded turtle yelped as he was hit in the head, and then again. "But… It's worth a lot of money!"

"And could very well be the key to getting you and your brothers back to normal. Where is it?" Splinter asked, silently daring Raphael to defy him.

"Um…" Raph hummed, rubbing the back of his head. He really didn't want to give it to Splinter. "Fine…" he sighed, taking the broken pieces out of the pouch in his belt and holding them out. Luckily for him, the box had been small, so he could fit (he thoughts) all the pieces in the pouch.

Splinter's eyes widened, and he looked at Leo. "You did not say it was broken!" he reprimanded. Leo just shrugged and walked away, uncaring. Taking the pieces gently from Raph, he walked to the coffee table in the living room, Raph dragging Mikey back over. Mikey groaned.

"I crawled all the way over here for nothing?" he whined as he hooked onto Raph's leg.

"Shuddup, you didn't even crawl, you dragged yerself."

Mikey whined again, sitting and looking at the pieces Splinter put on the table. "Leonardo!" he called, and Leo came over slowly, sitting down heavily.

"Shouldn't we get Don?" Raph asked, arms crossed at the fact that his 'fortune' was not going to come to him.

"I do not believe he will be very helpful in his current state," Splinter said hesitantly.

"No duh," Leo muttered under his breath, leaning back on the couch next to Mike. "So what are we supposed to do with these? We can't just magically put it back together."

Splinter grabbed a bottle of glue from one of the drawers in the coffee table, something Don had insisted on years ago so he could have some smaller tools at hand. "We will try, at the very least."

"Okay, so we build the box again. Then what? They just… Put the sins back?" Leo asked, rolling his eyes. "How's that gonna work?"

"We, including you, Leo," Raph snarled.

"Mmhmm," Leo hummed boredly.

Splinter glared at Raph, who didn't press.

"We will see what happens."

Sighing, Leo leaned in, not wanting to but somewhat willing to help. "This is still gonna be impossible…" he muttered, grabbing a few pieces.


When they took a break, having made almost no progress, they went to the kitchen, Raph carrying Mikey, who had been hit in the head twice for not helping. When they got there, they were greeted with a mess. There were chip bags all over the floor, pizza boxes on the table, and the fridge was still open, almost half of its contents gone.

"Don!" Raph cried indignantly, dropping Mikey, who groaned. "What did you-!?"

Don burped, groaning. "Oops," he said, hardly even pretending.

"Jeezus, Don, you already put on a good 2 pounds!" Leo groaned, facepalming.

"I'm hungry," Don said to them, putting the last pizza slice in his mouth.

"DONNIE!" Mikey cried, crawling over to where his brother sat. "My pizza!"

"It's… mine now," the purple-clad turtle said, burping again. "Ano (Excuse me)."

"Y-Yours?!" Raph asked, looking in all the boxes as Leo started chuckling again. Splinter whipped Leo with his tail.

"Well…" Leo chuckled breathily, "you're definitely not getting it now, anyway."

Raph sputtered indignantly, letting out a yell and storming out.

Leo stopped him at the Lair door, arms out. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, eyeridge raising.

"Out," Raph stated, crossing his arms. "Gotta pro'lem wit' dat?"

"You were affected by the sins, you could be going out to steal an old lady's necklace for all I know!" Leo retorted, stepping in the way again as Raph tried to get around him.

"L-Leo, you were affected too!" Raph yelled at him, getting closer to his face.

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"Was n-! OW!"

"OW!"

Splinter was standing there, tail lashing and his walking stick hypothetically smoking. Leo rubbed his head, growling, Raph doing likewise.

"You will stop!" Splinter commanded. "Raphael, you will not be leaving the Lair until you are all cured. None of you will be! Do you understand, Leonardo?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

Leo rolled his eyes, saying nothing.

"DONNIE!" was shouted from the kitchen, and they all looked over as the shell scraping sound reentered their poor ears as Mikey slid himself out of the kitchen as fast as he could. "HAVE SOME DECENCY!"

Leo fell to the floor in laughter, not caring about his punishment to come. Raph was turning more green than normal, and Splinter groaned, ears flattening on his head. Don ran to his room with a piece of cake Mike had been saving, his man part bobbing about shamelessly.

"Oh, God…" Raph gagged, running to the bathroom. Leo covered his eyes, screeching, and Mikey had given up on moving, mumbling into the floor incoherently. Splinter covered his eyes with a groan of displeasure, and you could detect hints of red under his fur again.

"Ignoring that…" Splinter sighed, taking his hand off his face as he turned to Mikey, "You heard what I said about not leaving the Lair, correct?"

Mikey looked up, propping his head up on his arms. "I didn't want to anyway."

Raph came out of the bathroom, wiping his mouth and groaning again. "I need food…" he muttered, going to the kitchen, only to remember what had happened. "Son of a motherfucking bitch!"


Things were getting worse as the days passed. The box was laying in the living room, barely making any progress, and the kitchen was almost bare at this point.

"Hey, guys?" a feminine voice called from the entrance of the Lair, red hair getting in April's face as she tried to see over the grocery bags she held. "A little help?"

SCREECH

April cringed as she heard the scraping of a shell on concrete once again. "Mikey…" she groaned, "Anyone but Mikey's help?"

The screeching stopped, and then started again, going back in the direction it had come dejectedly.

"I gotcha, Ape!" Raph said, coming in and taking a few bags.

"Thanks, Ra-" Before she could finish, Raph was hauling them off to his room, to hoard them just like he had everything else in the Lair.

There was everything to food, small things like the remote and some of the trinkets Don had left lying around before the incident 4 days before, and spare weapons, something Splinter hadn't discovered yet.

"Um… Splinter?" April called, and he walked out of his room, rubbing his head from the longest headache he'd ever had. He took the other bags from her silently, mumbling for her to get the ones Raph had taken, and went to the kitchen.

April sighed, walking over to Raph's room. She opened the door, peeking in. Raph had most of the Lair's belongings on the floor in a pile, sitting in front of it, arms protectively around it.

"Raph…" April asked, stepping a few inches forward, "can I please have the groc-?"

"No!" Raph hissed at her, squinting, almost like a dragon guarding his treasure.

"Everyone needs them, though-"

"MINE!" Raph hissed at her, eyes flashing and the yellow tattoo on his wrist grew bolder.

April sighed, stepping out to go get help, only to be almost knocked over by Donnie, who was flushed and panting hard, crumbs around his mouth. "FOOD!" he screeched, diving into the room.

April ran out of the room, helping Mikey off the floor and half-dragging and half-carrying him to the kitchen, where Leo was sitting at the table, not helping Splinter as he tried to put away some of the groceries.

April sighed, flicking him on the head and dodging out of the way of his elbow. She went to help Splinter, earning a thank you. Leo glared at her, going back to the newspaper that was on the table so he didn't look like some old guy from a TV show.

Donnie ran in, the grocery bags in hand, chips already in his mouth. He collapsed on the table, right in front of April. His eyes travelled upwards to her chest, and she crossed her arms, glaring at him. He smiled sheepishly. He opened another chip bag and went to town.

Raph came running in then, an insane look in his eyes as he spotted the grocery bags. "MINE!" he screeched, diving for them, only to collide with Leo, who was knocked backwards.

Don had gotten out of the way just in time, but had bumped into April in the process, and his mind blanked immediately. He stared at her, his plastron starting to swell again as he groaned lightly. He grabbed a bag of chips and ran off before Splinter could nail him.

April blushed, going to help Leo up, but he refused, almost shoving her away. She made a frustrated sound, walking around Raph, who was scrambling to get anything he could off the table, including the newspaper Leo had been reading.

"Give that back!" Leo commanded, but Raph just ran out, mumbling to himself. "Goddammit Raph!" Leo yelled, running after him.

Mikey was laying on the floor, somehow not having been stepped on. He put his hands up, wanting to sit up but not wanting to do it himself. April helped him up onto a chair, and he lay on the table.

"I want to hoard stuff, too…" he muttered.

"No!" April chuckled, sitting next to him as Splinter made himself some tea.

"It's no fair Raph has literally everything in the Lair, though… He even took the weapons!"

Splinter froze, and April slowly went under the table, Mikey sliding down with her.

"Snitch!" Raph called from his room, somehow having heard.

"RAPHAEL!" Splinter yelled, walking over to the hallway and opening his son's door. He dragged Leo out and then walked in, slamming the door.

"What the hell…?" Leo muttered.

April chuckled nervously.


It had been an hour, and Raph and Splinter were still in the former's room. The Lair was quiet, only the TV producing noise. Don was in his room, and April and Mikey were on the couch watching a show. Leo was nowhere to be found.

Finally, the door to Raph's room opened, Raph looking like he had been leveled and the weapons in his hands. He walked towards the dojo, head hanging in slight shame. His tattoo was flickering, but was persistent.

Splinter walked out of the room after, not looking like he had even broken a sweat. He went over to the living room, sitting in his chair. He looked around. "Where is Leonardo?"

"Umm…" April muttered. "He went to the bathroom a while ago when we were watching the news…"

Splinter sat for a second, and then his eyes widened. "Leonardo!"

"What?" said turtle asked from the door, blood covering his plastron and making his skin look greyish.

"Leo!" April yelped, jumping up and running over. "You're bleeding!"

"No, the other guy is," Leo snarked, a deranged smirk splitting his features. His tattoo grew bolder.

"O… kay…" April muttered. "Then go take a shower."

"Yeah, whatever," Leo muttered, walking off.

"Come back here when you are finished!" Splinter called.

"Uh-huh!" Leo called back noncommittally, slamming the bathroom door.

Splinter sighed, leaning back in his chair and his ears coming down and falling on his head tiredly. April patted his shoulder. "Would you like some tea Master Splinter?" she asked kindly.

"That would be nice, thank you, Miss O'Neil," Splinter responded, a kind smile on his face.

April walked into the kitchen, sighing as she started to make the tea. This was starting to get ridiculous.

"Oohhahhggoohh~!" rang through the Lair, and she heard Splinter let out a strangled screech.

Definitely getting ridiculous.

She finished the tea a few minutes later and walked out, giving it to the old rat. He accepted it with a composed smile and a grateful nod, but April could see something in his eyes. "Are… Are you okay, Master?"

He turned to her, and April could see the insanity creeping behind his eyes. "Yes, Miss O'Neil. I'm fine."

April was about to interject, but he kept going.

"My sons have been affected by the Seven Deadly Sins. Leonardo does not know what he is doing, Raphael is a dragon, Michelangelo hasn't moved 5 feet on his own since this happened, and Donatello is a moaning glutton! They could be killed if they are not cured soon! I'm sorry if I'm a bit 'off of my game', Miss O'Neil, but I am simply fed up and, quite frankly, worried!"

April saw the insanity still building up, and he scowled. Before she knew it, he was ranting loudly in Japanese, and she could hear multiple swear words out of it. She cringed a bit.

When Splinter finished, he was breathing heavily, face red.

Mikey looked over, eyes impossibly wide. Raph popped out from the dojo, hands behind his back, and was 'OOOOOOOH'ing. Leo was coming out of the bathroom, a smirk on his face and his Shell Cell in hand, camera activated. When Splinter was done, he ducked back into the bathroom.

Donnie opened his door, peeked out with wide eyes, and then went back into his room, locking the door again.

Splinter sat back down, sighing. April sighed as well, rubbing the back of her head. "How about… we go back to putting the box together? It's bound to come together if we try."

Splinter looked at the box, and then nodded. "Yes, that will let me get my mind off this for awhile…" he said getting up and kneeling in front of the table. Mikey slid down from the couch and sat up, almost miraculously.

They worked on the box for about 20 minutes, each concentrated as much as they could be in their individual states. Leo joined them about ten minutes in, Shell Cell no longer on him. He was getting the most done, April right behind him. Mikey was mostly tapping two pieces together, and Splinter was… trying. The only sound was the TV, Jessica Jacklyn giving the news.

"...Everyone is still wondering about the break-in at the Museum of Natural History the other night. The cameras were mysteriously cut, so we could not get a good look at the thieves."

Leo grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

"They only took one thing - or, parts of it. The before-legendary Pandora's Box was smashed, and they missed a few pieces, leaving them on the ground. It seemed to have been opened, but nobody is sure if there was anything inside." The dark-skinned woman smirked and leaned into the camera as if telling a secret. "Some speculate that parts of the Seven Deadly Sins reside in there, that can affect people. It's said that those who are even of the purest of heart can be affected, and even consumed by it."

Mikey's eyes widened and he looked at Splinter, who sighed.

Jessica leaned in again, stage-whispering. "It can even kill them." She went back to her normal posture, smiling her TV smile once more. "Back to you, Andy."

Leo stood, ready to walk out of the living room.

"Where do you think you are going, Leonardo?" Splinter asked.

"To get the other pieces," the blue-clad turtle stated simply.

"No, you are not!"

"Why not? It's dark, and police headquarters is a piece of cake!" Leo retorted, arms crossed.

"Leonardo…" Splinter warned, and April shook her head at Leo, signalling for him to stop. He didn't.

"I just don't understand why you suddenly don't trust me to go above! I'm not the one that got affected, they did! I'll be in and out!"

Splinter grabbed his bridge, squeezing to try and fend off the headache coming back at full force. "Go to your room…" he muttered, waving towards the hallway.

"What?! No!" Leo argued indignantly.

"Do it, Leonardo!" Splinter yelled, teeth bared.

Leo growled and muttered to himself as he did so. As he walked past Splinter, though, the rat's tail shot out and whipped him in the leg, causing him to cry out. He snarled and stomped to his room, banging on Don's door on his way over, and slammed his door.

"Why did he…?" April muttered, then looked over as Don opened his door, a liquid covering his plastron as he shovelled another chip in his mouth, hanging out unabashedly.

"Oh, my God," April muttered, putting her face in her hands. "Dear God, why?!"

Don saw her and almost choked, hardening again as he went back into his room.

April made a sound that seemed similar to a dying bird, laying on her back. Mikey was squinting, still processing. Then his eyes widened. "Wait, this can kill us?" he asked, turning to his father.

"Based on legend, yes, you can. If one is affected by the sins for too long, it can very well kill them from the inside out-"

"Sucks for you guys!" Leo called from his room, and Mikey groaned.

"So that is why I am stressed about this," Splinter finished with another sigh.

"Well, that's understandable," Mikey said, leaning in and trying to get his two pieces to fit together again.

April peeked out from behind her hands, sitting up cautiously. "So… Someone does need to get the pieces, then. It just… Can't be Leo?" she asked, making sure Donnie wasn't present.

"Correct, Miss O'Neil. I just do not know how it will be accomplished. Michelangelo refuses to move, Donatello is… out of the question, and Raphael will likely get distracted from the mission. And Leonardo is…"

"Also out of the question," April finished for him with a small chuckle, none of them noticing Leo sneaking out the door behind them.

Well- that was a lie. Mikey did. But Leo knew this and shushed him, and Mikey just shrugged and watched the two adults try to figure out what they would do.

"How about Casey?" April asked. "He can be… Stealthy. If he wants."

Splinter sighed. "I guess he is our only option…"


Leo ran across the rooftops, reveling in having this freedom again. Of course, it had only been a few hours, but still. Before that it had been days, though.

He came up to Police Headquarters and smirked. This would be a piece of cake.


Leo ran out of the building with the box pieces, into the dark alley.

And bumped into Casey.

"What the-?" Leo demanded, rubbing his head from its impact with Casey's chest. He didn't like being short.

"What the hell're ya doin' here, Leo?" Casey demanded from behind his mask.

"Uh…" Leo muttered, hiding the box behind his shell.

"Jeezus, they said you weren't allowed to be up here! Yer like… Prideful or somethi-"

"Just because they think that doesn't mean it's true!" Leo exclaimed, then remembered to keep his voice down.

"Mmhmm. Can we jus' get back to the Lair?" Casey asked, putting his mask up. He sighed. "I was lookin' forward to bashin' some heads."

As Leo opened the manhole cover, he looked up. "This was a stealth mission, Case. You weren't supposed to- They were cops!"

Casey rubbed his head sheepishly. He jumped into the hole after Leo and closed it just as an officer came to investigate the alley.

As the pair walked through the sewers, Casey took out his flashlight, fumbling with the switch. "Leo, when Splinta an' April tell ya not ta do somethin', you should probably listen ta them!"

"I'm fine; they can't touch me!" Leo retorted as Casey turned on the flashlight.

"...Leo."

"Hm?"

"Yer leg is bleedin'."

Leo looked down at the back of his calf, hardly bothered. "Hm. A bullet must have grazed me."

"Wh- Leo! When were they shootin' atcha?"

"I think it was like… A security system? They didn't see me," Leo assured him. He looked down at the water behind him and saw the trail of blood following him. "I, uh… should get that checked."

Casey groaned, taking out a bandage from his bag and stopping Leo, wrapping it around his calf. Leo sighed, crossing his arms.

"You're welcome," Casey said, not taking offense when Leo didn't thank him. He knew the turtle was too lost at the moment, and Casey knew that.

So he didn't say anything.


Leo was staggering a bit when they finally arrived back. He opened the Lair door and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

Raph was on the floor, struggling underneath Splinter and somehow holding the weapons tightly. April was curled in a ball on the couch and Mikey was… actually working on the box a little. Don was slamming his door, more food in hand.

Leo was about to say something, but fell face-down on the ground, finger still raised as he fell. Casey looked down at him, not surprised. "Yo!" he called, making everyone freeze. "We got a man down, 'ere!"

Splinter got up, glaring at Raph and walking over to his eldest son. "Mr. Jones, if you would…?"

"I gotcha," Casey assured him, picking up the limp turtle and carrying him to the lab, his bag and weapons left by the door to be retrieved. Raph looked over in interest.

Leo was carried to a cot in the lab, and Casey went to go get April, figuring Don wouldn't be much help.

Then again… Neither was April, they soon figured out, as she shakily tried to get the thread through the needle.

Splinter was too distressed to do it, and Casey absolutely wouldn't be allowed to.

Which left Donatello.

Splinter sighed, grabbing a few Diagra pills and storming to Don's room. He waited outside for a few seconds, for the splattering to stop, and then opened the door. Don was laying on his bed, panting, and chip bags littered the room. Splinter covered his nose and almost gagged. He held his breath, grabbing his son's arm and dragging him out of the room, stuffing the pills in Don's mouth.

"Hey, what-?" Don asked after he'd swallowed, his legs jiggling a bit from the weight he'd gained. He was tucked in, and as they arrived at the lab, he was surprised that he still was. "How did you-?"

"No need. Just wash your hands thoroughly and stitch up Leonardo's leg, please," Splinter requested, but it was more of a demand in a softer tone.

"I… Okay…" Donnie muttered, still confused, but went over and washed his hands very thoroughly, his thoughts clearing a bit for the first time in a few days.

He worked quick, stringing the needle quickly and sewing up the wound efficiently, although his movements started to get shaky at the end. When he was done and was sure the wound wouldn't get infected, he left, running to the kitchen and then back to his room, the pills obviously having worn off faster than they should have.

Leo was still unconscious, dead to the world. Splinter, as well as probably most of the other people in the Lair, hoped he would stay that way for a while.

"Leave him here, but leave the door open in case anything happens," he instructed, walking out.

April and Casey looked at each other, shrugged, and followed.

Casey went to the door to pick up his bag, only to realize it wasn't there. "What the-?"

SLAM

"Raph!" Casey yelled, stomping over to his friend's door and knocking on it.

"...Yea?" the red-banded turtle asked from the other side of the door.

"Gimme my gear!"

"No!"

"Raph! It's mine!"

"Mine now!" Raph called back, and Casey growled. He opened the door and closed it behind him, and a few seconds later he was thrown through it.

"Jeezus!" Casey snarled.

"Just leave it," April called to him. "He has the weapons again, too."

Splinter mumbled something to himself, not moving as he went back to the box. Mikey was giving him the pieces, and Splinter was gluing them where they went. They were around half done.

"So… how is this gonna help again? We just hope the sins go back into the box?" Mikey asked as he gave Splinter another piece.

"We will see what happens," Splinter said, concentrating on the box.

April's phone rang as she came over. She opened it. "Hello?... This is she… I didn't… What? No, I… I… Thank you."

April snarled as she hung up. Her face was red in anger, and she looked like she was about to murder someone. A certain someone.

"DONATELLO!" she screamed, racing to said turtle's room. "DID YOU PURCHASE $800 WORTH OF JUNK ON MY CREDIT CARD?!"

"It's not junk!" was all they heard as April slammed Don's door behind her. Casey cringed as he heard a bunch of noise coming from inside and April's screaming.

"No way he-" Casey cut off, digging his phone out of his pocket and flipping it open. "Yes?... Oh, thanks." His eyes narrowed as he listened to the woman on the other side of the line. "I'll be sure to. Thanks."

His teeth were gritted as he slammed his phone shut, stuffing it in his pocket. "DON!" he yelled, slamming open the door and slamming it closed behind him. Mikey and Splinter cringed as they heard the screams of distress from the hungry turtle's room.

"What da-?" Raph asked, coming out of his room. He saw the box, half put together, and smirked. He charged over, intent on having it.

"No!" Splinter yelled, hitting a pressure point on Raph's shoulder, causing him to collapse to the ground, unable to move.

"Thank God," Mike muttered, handing Splinter another piece. This was coming together, definitely.


Raph walked out of the Lair silently, closing the door silently behind him. He smirked, his yellow tattoo almost glowing as it overcame his sense of morale.

He needed… More… Things…

He was almost twitching, pupils dilating and getting smaller repeatedly as he got to the surface. He got to the rooftops and started running, looking in every alley below.

"Give us the purse, lady!" came from below a few alleys ahead of him. He smirked, landing on the rooftop above and looking down.

"Leave me alone!" the woman demanded, around 50 to 60. She had a cane already, and Raph figured out she was blind quickly. Better for him; no freak outs when he took her… purse…

Wait, what?

His tattoo flashed, and the doubt vanished from his head immediately. He smirked, eyes flashing. He jumped down, knocking over the punk, successfully knocking him out.

The lady sighed in relief as she head the punk groan. "Thank you… Thank you so much, sir."

Raph smirked, taking the purse from her hands.

Or, he tried to.

She snatched it back and hit him over the head with it. "Ow! Watch it, lady, I saved you!" he yelled, backing up so she didn't touch him and discover his scaly skin.

"You - You tried to rob me, too! You're no better than he is!" she yelled at him, using her cane to smack him in the arm.

"I'm… What?" he asked, not realizing he'd stepped into the street. He was the good guy, not… he wasn't a thief. He helped people, he didn't rob them...

The blind woman's milky eyes widened as she heard the car honking, and immediately reached out to try and help him, only to watch as he got struck and flew into the street.

"Jeezus…" Raph muttered, then lost consciousness.


Leo growled to himself as he ran over the rooftops, tracking Raph's cell. He'd had to sneak out again for that dumbass. And he was probably-

BAM

"Raph!" he yelled, as he saw his brother fly across the sidewalk, car driving away without even looking at who they'd hit. He grabbed a smoke bomb and jumped down, throwing it down and hauling ass out of there.


Raph groaned as he awakened. Where was he?

"Hey, bud," a familiar voice said, and his eyes slowly pulled themselves open.

"C-Case?" he muttered, waiting for the blurry figure to clear. Indeed, it was his crazy vigilante friend. "Heh. Wassup?"

Casey blew out a sigh of relief. "He's okay, guys!" he called, and Raph's eyes widened as he saw everyone storm in.

Or… like half of them. Splinter, April, and Leo, carrying Mikey on his shell, obviously to his disdain. Don walked in with multiple pills in his hand.

"Don, whatcha got?" Raph asked, not really wanting to take any pills right now.

"They're for me…" Don muttered. "Thankfully, with all the food I've been eating, I can take as many as I need."

"Wh… Y'know what? Nevermind. Now let me just…" he said, starting to sit up, only to be pushed down.

"Nuh-uh," April scolded. "You broke a few ribs and your right arm. You aren't getting up."

"Ain't Leo supposed to be in bed, too?" he asked, remembering having seen his brother pass out the day before.

Leo squinted at his brother. "I'm fine. And I'm the one who saved you, so you're welcome."

"You… passed out."

Leo glared at him, but said nothing.

"Good news, though. Box is almost done!" Mikey said from Leo's shell.

"Well, das good. 'M done bein' a greedy moron. Tried to rob an old blind lady last night, Jesus Christ," Raph sighed, using his good arm to rub his face.

However, the tattoo had other ideas, flashing on his arm, and this thought left him. He muttered something the others couldn't hear and stayed silent, waiting for them to leave.

They eventually did, after talking a little bit about his condition and then standing in awkward silence.

"C'mon, Mikey," Leo had said first, carrying his brother out to where the almost-completed box sat on the table.

The others followed, leaving Raph alone. He looked around the room, at all the stuff he could take. Somewhere inside, he knew he didn't want to take it. But all that was crushed, overtaken by the sins. He was mad he couldn't get up and take this stuff. He was mad he was in bedrest. He shouldn't have hesitated last night. Now he didn't have that purse, and he had a bunch of broken bones.

"Goddammit!" he yelled. He turned and started to stand up, and any pain he felt immediately disappear. He knew it was the sins, he knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he didn't care. He didn't have the peace of mind to deny this. The only thing on his mind was rage.

It was growing inside him. His vision turned red. A deranged smirk twisted his features and he knocked over a few things off Don's desk. It felt… good.

He was knocking things over in a frenzy within seconds, not caring what they were or if they broke or not. It felt good to let all this anger out.

"...phael!"

Hm? Who was that?

It doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter.

He ignored the voices, continuing to smash things. He felt hands on him, trying to stop him, but he didn't want to stop. They were wrapped around him now, yelling in his ear, asking what was wrong. Asking why he was doing this. Why? Because he wanted to.

He heard Leo groan, and a swear as the blue-masked turtle slid off his shoulders onto the floor. Wait, what? Was he unconscious? Was he okay?

They're trying to sedate you.

He didn't want to be sedated.

Leave. Take what you can and leave.

He looked around for anything to take. He saw his brother laying on the floor, unconscious, the others trying to wake him up, or maybe get him out of the way. Why had they sedated him? Or was it meant for him?

He felt a prick in his neck, and he yelled out in rage. No! He was going to get out!

He grabbed something off the counter, maybe a beaker or a syringe. He tried to break through the wall of beings he continually ran into.

He was getting tired. No, no, he couldn't give up. He needed this stuff.

His eyelids started to droop, and he growled. "No!" he yelled, lashing out, and he knew he made contact with something. He heard a cry, and he fell to the floor, yelling as he was held down, and April's bruising face was the last thing he saw before he was engulfed in blackness.


Don rushed around, taking another pill as he got his brothers on their own respective cots, hoping the sedatives would last for a while. He was helping with the box now, and they were getting it done faster with his puzzle skills and nimble hands. They only had a few pieces to go, and then they could hopefully go back to normal.

He made sure they were out and then went back to the box. Between him, Splinter, Mike, and April (Casey was looking for his stuff in the pile in Raph's room), the box was completed within 20 minutes.

"Oh, thank God…" Donnie sighed. He was gonna need to pump his stomach or something after this; no one was ever supposed to take this many pills, even with all the food he needed to burn off in his stomach.

"So… Sins didn't go back in…" Mikey said after a minute of nothing happening.

"No dip," Don muttered, examining the box. "Maybe a mantra? What are these?" he asked, looking at the markings.

"Here, let me see. I know a little Greek," April offered, taking the box. She examined it and nodded. "Yea, I'm pretty sure this is a mantra or a spell or something like that."

She muttered something under her breath, and Mikey watched her. He wished he could do it.

"'Leave them alone, don't do this. Your debt will be payed, but for now we dismiss,'" April read. "That's a weird mantra." She looked around, expecting to see some kind of flashing lights or something. Maybe… she didn't know.

"...Did it work?" she finally asked.

Mike shook his head. "You still can't get me to stand to save your life."

April sighed, looking for any more markings on the box. "Here! It says… 'Those affected must hold the box and think of something that contradicts your sin.' Well, that seems easy-"

Don snatched the box from her, closing his eyes and thinking of vegetables and Diagra pills. The tattoos faded, and a red and an orange mist-type thing flew out of him and back into the box.

"Thank God…" he muttered, then looked down at himself. "Jeezus Cricket, I'm gonna have to do a lot of extra training to burn this weight." He sighed, sitting down next to Mikey. "Your turn buddy."

Mikey's blue tattoo flashed, and he sank down. "Don't wann' move…" he muttered, head almost rolling.

"You have to physically hold the box, Mikey," Don persisted, and April chuckled into her hand.

"But… I don't wann'..." Mikey muttered.

Don sighed, grabbing each of Mikey's hands and putting them face-up on the latter's lap. "C'mon, bro. Just for a few seconds. Just think of… exercise and giving to others. It's easy."

Mikey barely moved his fingers, just enough for him to be considered 'holding' the box, and did as he was told.

Within seconds, the tattoos were flying off his arm and back into the box. He jumped up immediately, making different positions with his arms and legs. "I am BACK baby!"

Don sighed, standing. "Dojo, Mikey. We need to burn some of this."

"What about Leo and Raph?" Mikey asked as he was pushed to the dojo.

"They can't do it while they're unconscious, since they can't really actively think about certain things. We'll fix them in the morning."

"But-" Mikey started, then resigned, letting himself be dragged by his purple-clad brother to the dojo.

April smirked into her hand, and Splinter sighed.


Leo's eyes snapped open, and he sat up. "Wh…?" he asked, looking to the cot next to him. Raph lay there, wide awake, arms crossed across his plastron, looking like he was about to explode.

"Don…?" Leo asked, seeing his purple-clad brother at his computer, the fixed box next to him.

"Oh, you're awake!" Don cried, grabbing the box and running over. "Just hold the box and-"

"Haha, nope. I wasn't affected, I told you-" Leo started, jumping up, only to be shoved back into the cot.

"I am not going to deal with you like this for another second, Leo," Don said to him intensely.

"I'm not infected! This is just me!" Leo retorted, trying to push past his brother.

Don squinted at him, thinking. Then he smirked. "Prove it."

Leo, mid-retort, stopped short. "What?"

"Prove. It," Don repeated simply. Raph was watching in interest, having calmed a bit.

Leo squinted at him. "How?"

"Go to the dojo. Hold the box, and meditate. Those affected with pride don't have the right state of mind to meditate. Sound simple enough?"

Leo was still squinting, but he got up. "Fine," he said, walking out with the box in hand.

Don made a 'yes!' gesture with his hand, following him. He grabbed Splinter's crystal on the way over, hiding it behind his back. He wasn't sure Leo knew about Splinter's magic crystal, able to put anyone in a trance; Splinter had told him about it for medical purposes, to calm his brothers or numb them if he was out of anesthetics.

He'd never used it, out of disbelief and preparedness. He sure hoped it worked, because he needed to fix his brother somehow.

Leo sat on the dojo floor, immediately settling in to meditate. He held the box in his hands, closing his eyes and breathing in.

Don blew out of his nostrils; he needed Leo's eyes open. "Bet you can't do it staring at this thing," he snarked at his elder brother, who glared at him.

"Bet I can," Leo said back immediately, and Don inwardly sighed in relief as he realized his brother didn't know what the crystal was. He placed it in front of his brother, and Leo stared at it as he started to meditate.

Leo blew out of his mouth softly after a minute or so. He felt weird; dizzy, almost. He didn't stop staring, though; he would do this, and prove Don wrong.

But… darkness slowly crept into the edges of his vision, and he wanted to pull away, but he just… he had to look at the crystal.

Don watched in fascination as Leo's eyes slowly glazed over, and he was unaware. He was almost convinced it wouldn't work, but once again, coming to Splinter's magic, he was proven wrong.

"Sensei!" he called, walking out to get his father from his room. "Can you come, uh, figure out how to fix Leo now?" he asked, opening the rice door his father had.

Splinter, who was meditating, nodded, standing. He walked into the dojo, taking in his son's prone form. He went over to a cabinet, grabbing some incense. He lit it, sitting in front of his son and breathing deeply, making sure not to look at the crystal. He closed his eyes, and entered a meditative state. He soon was on the spiritual realm, and Leonardo was there as well, not really doing anything, just… there.

"Leonardo!" he called, and Leo looked up at him. Tears streaked his face as a purple shield formed, separating him and Splinter. Splinter growled, walking up to it. "Leonardo, you must listen to me!"

"I-I can't! It's so loud! It doesn't leave me alone! There's just more and more sin! It… It's blocking everything else out, Sensei!" Leo cried, leaning away from the shield but looking at his father.

"You are better. You don't need them. They are below you."

Leo whined, a high noise that came from his throat. His arms came up over his head, trying to block out the voice. He fell to his knees as the shield got bolder, obscuring Splinter's view of his son.

"My son! You must look at me!" he pleaded.

"He is useless. You are better."

"Stop!" Leo cried.

Splinter was at a loss, a rare occurrence. This thing… It was consuming his son.

"Leonardo, please! Think of all the times you have put others before yourself! This sin cannot win!"

Leo groaned as the shield became bolder. He tried to do as his father said, tried to block out the voices and think of his brothers. Of the city. All the good he'd done.

"I'm… I'm not a selfish person. I protect the city… I protect my brothers," Leo said, and Splinter could see the shield start to weaken. He watched his son in victory.

"I help people that need it. Not for my own gain, but because they need it. No reward. Just because it's the right thing to do!" Leo continued, starting to stand. The shield flickered now, although it tried to stay in place.

"You can't get something out of everything. You can't do everything for yourself! Not everything is about you!" Leo shouted, ad the shield dissipated completely.


Don startled as the tattoo flew off Leo's wrist and into the box, and Splinter awakened. The rat blew a sigh of relief and took the crystal from his eldest son's line of sight. Leo blinked as he became aware again, looking around, dazed.

"Wh…" He shook his head, and before Don knew what was happening, Mikey had barreled into the dojo and practically tackled Leo, who barely was able to get the box out of harm's way in time.

"Leo! You're not a huge jerk anymore!" Mikey smiled into Leo's neck, and Leo glanced at Don in confusion before everything seemed to come back to him.

"Oh, geez," the leader muttered to himself. "I was a huge jerk, too. I'm sorry, guys."

"Nah, you good!" Mikey smirked, sitting in front of him. "We were all pretty bad. Ask Sensei; he'll complain about it for hours if you let'im, I bet."

Leo glanced at Splinter, who nodded with a small chuckle. "I will not unless prompted, however. Perhaps a visit to the Daimyo in a few days…" he hummed, and Leo helped him stand.

"Wait, where's Raph?" the blue-clad turtle asked, looking around.

"Probably either hoarding something in his room or tearing apart my lab again," Don sighed.

Leo stared at him, and then remembered their brother's rampage from the night before and cringed. "Yea, we should… help him."

He grabbed the box and they went to the lab, only to find it empty, the mess hardly having started to be cleaned. Don sighed depressedly, and Mikey patted his shoulder as they went to Raph's room.

Leo knocked on the door, and then opened it, only for it to be shut on him. "...Raph?" he asked, trying to push the door open. He silently signalled his brothers to help him, and together, they managed to pry the door open. "Raph?" Leo asked again, and Raph, sitting in front of his pile, hissed at them, his tattoos glowing brighter than they had been.

"Out," the red-masked turtle growled at them, and Leo looked like he was about to retort, only for Don to tap his shoulder and shake his head.

"Why don't you take the box, Raph?" the genius asked his brother, who squinted at him. The expression immediately turned to one of greed and he held his hands out. Don handed him the box gingerly, and Raph snatched it with his good hand.

"Leave now!" Raph yelled at them, and they started backing out. At Leo's confused look, Don shook his head again, then nodded at Mikey.

The youngest grabbed something from behind his shell and held it up, then threw it at his brother. "May as well take that back too. It's the teddy bear you gave me when I was little. Your greedy ass probably needs it more than me anyway."

Leo's eyes widened as he started to understand their plan. A smile crept into his features and he gave his brothers a subtle thumbs-up.

Raph's eyes widened as he caught the teddy bear in the hand the box wasn't in. He groaned at the contact on his broken arm, but pushed it to the back of his mind. The memory came back to him.

"W-Waph!" the 4-year-old sea green turtle cried, running up to his brother. "I had a nightma'e!"

The dark green turtle glared at his brother, holding his bear close to his chest. "Tha's not my fault," he said to his brother.

Mikey, tears streaming down his face, immediately stopped running and froze. Sobs started to tear through his throat and he looked down. "C-Can I stay wi' you, Waphie?" he asked shakily.

Raph sighed, but nodded. "Only tonight, though," he said, and Mikey nodded, a smile starting to creep into his features. He climbed into his brother's bed, snuggling into him.

Raph smiled softly, patting his brother's shell. He then tapped his shoulder, and Mikey looked up at him. He held up his teddy bear. "Why don't you take this? For when you have a nightmare again?" the bigger turtle suggested. Mikey's eyes widened, and his smile looked too big to fit on his face.

"T'ank you, Waphie!" he cried, throwing his arms around his elder brother. Raph chuckled lightly, patting his brother's shell again.

"No problem, little bro."

Raph's eyes widened, and his tattoos flew off his wrist and into the box, and Don immediately grabbed it, walking out to find a place to hide it.

Raph blinked, looking around. His eyes widened as the past few days came back to him, and a deep blush immediately covered his face. "Shit, shit, shit," he muttered, looking at the pile behind him. He grabbed a few things off of it, and started handing them to his brothers silently.

"Raph, how did you get my candles…?" Leo asked, taking the offered 10-pack of candles.

Raph shrugged, giving him his spare swords, as well. "A lot of me taking stuff is a blur, ta be honest. It was just… this need to have all these things. I can't really explain it."

Leo nodded, understanding. They had all experienced that to some extent, he figured.

He walked out of the room, taking the candles and spare swords with him. His eyes then narrowed as he remembered two nights before.

"Wait, Raph, get back to the lab, you got hit by a car!"

"An' you got shot!"


Leo and Raph were put back in the lab, despite their protests. Don kept a close eye over them as he cleaned up, and Mikey, April, and Casey worked to get rid of all the stuff in Raph's room. Things were put in separate piles, depending on who they belonged to. Splinter had gone to the Battle Nexus dimension to visit the Daimyo, taking the box with him, hoping that his friend would be able to keep it contained and away from anyone.

There were certain qualities that remained within the turtles. Raph's temper was a little more hair-trigger, though he tried to control it better, and he sometimes grabbed something he wasn't supposed to, although he usually put it back.

Mikey sometimes needed more prompting to train, and complained a bit if something was given to something instead of him.

Don ate a bit more, which was probably the only positive, considering how many meals he'd used to skip while working on a project. He also was in his room a bit more often for his alone time.

Leo sometimes made decisions that weren't completely beneficial for others, most only for himself. He revised these mistakes when they were mentioned, blush sometimes flowing into his face.

Overall, though, things got better. The public soon forgot about the box being stolen and it was safe in the Battle Nexus dimension. Leo was released from the infirmary, and Raph, too, eventually.

Raph would start to give people their things individually, apologizing every time. April and Casey had to bring down everything that Don had ordered on their credit cards, unable to return them. They made good use with most of them, and promised to pay the humans back.

Splinter came back from his trip to the Battle Nexus a week and a half later, and everyone could hear his sigh of relief when he found everything back to normal.


Epilogue:

Around 10 years later, the turtles were lounging around the Lair. Not much crime, with the Purple Dragons disbanded and the Foot no longer a crime organization.

A portal suddenly opened, and the Daimyo walked out, along with his son, who was around 20 now. "I am sorry to come into your home so suddenly, my friends, but I have very bad news that I must share with you."

Leo sat up immediately, as did his brothers. "What is it, Daimyo?" the blue-masked, current Battle Nexus Champion asked.

"Do you remember the box that Splinter-san gave me? The one with the-"

"Deadly sins?" Leo asked with a cringe.

Daimyo sighed, nodding. "Yes. We have a suspicion of who stole it, but we are in need of your help to get it back. So, if you would like to keep this great evil out of the wrong hands, will you help us?"

Leo looked at each of his brothers, and they all nodded in silent agreement. The leader turned back to the Daimyo and nodded solemnly. "We will help in any way we can," he promised, bowing.

Daimyo nodded, bowing as well. "Thank you, Leonardo-san. Come. We have no time to waste."

Leo nodded and turned to his brothers, making sure they all had their weapons. They took a collective sigh in preparation, and then they followed the Daimyo through the portal.


This has to be... The longest One-Shot I've ever posted. 11,000 words! Thank you to anyone who read the whole thing, even if it isn't that great! :D Review, if you'd like?

Shadow