May I again stress the point of what a relief Infection can be? It's like, I don't feel like I'm letting anyone down if I keep it under ten pages. Ten! Good chappie! Whereas in Cork, if I don't get at least twenty I freak out. But that's actually never happened- for some reason, despite how long that story takes I never reach a chapter's end until about that point, if not longer.

Anyways, here I am again! (waves) Have I mentioned how insane I've been going? My Internet access is so limited at my father's (and I have none at all at my mother's), that everyday is driving me nutso! We don't even have cable- and I can't drive yet, so if I want to go somewhere, I have to walk to Wal-Mart! I think that's why I've been getting sick.

Well, enough ranting. Time to write. It's like the only thing I can do now.

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: The TMNT do belong to me! Ah, forget it. No one believes you when you're kept in a padded cell anyways.

&&&&&

Mikey knew that Raphael was developing the power. Maybe he wasn't as good as he was yet, but he was definitely on his way. But as he watched him, the young turtle became frightened. Yes, Raph was developing the power- he obviously had a voice now. But it wasn't one like his. How he knew this… Mikey wasn't sure. He didn't even understand how there could be different types. But it was something he just knew- like something written into his blood.

There's a shadow in everyone, His voice explained. You can't always fight it, even if you're a good person.

So when Raph announced he didn't want a cure, for what he didn't know, Mikey wasn't at all surprised. And when a group of men with guns came in and demanded that he come with them, it wasn't a shock to hear the ninja in red call them shitheads. For some reason, that felt normal under any circumstance.

Seeming to recognize the hostility radiating from him, the man in the lead raised his weapon and those behind him followed suit. Don raised his hand and shouted. "Wait!"

It wouldn't have done any good. Before any of them had a chance to fire, Raph was charging forward, sais ready. With a strong kick, he hit the leader in the face, sending him to the ground, and then threw his sai to the left while tackling the nearest man to the right. Mikey could see the blood before it was shed and it sent chills through his bones. The power flowed through him just barely in time to stop it, an inch away from the soldier's liver. Raph, done with the second man, seemed to realize his prey hadn't been killed. With a growl, he turned around and punched the intended target in the jaw and the man toppled over like a sack of potatoes. "Stay out of this Mikey," He snarled.

On the chair, Mike swung his legs. "Uh, okay." As it turned out, he didn't have to do anything more. Raph didn't bother to use his sais again, instead knocking out the last two men within ten seconds. With a grin, he sheathed his weapons. "That was fun." He listened to his own voice and chuckled, turning for the door. "Sounds good to me."

"Raphael!" Splinter commanded, moving himself out of the meditation he'd kept himself in throughout the duration of the short-lived battle. The rat winced upon hearing his own words and Mikey mourned for his Sensei. It was sad to see others hurting. Maybe Splinter hadn't yet learned how to control his senses- hadn't he also once had difficulty with that? Mikey was certain that that was what the problem was; Splinter was shaking, fighting it, almost. Yet he struggled on, eventually giving up on standing and instead fixing Raph with a pointed glare. "What are you doing, my son?"

The other ninja seemed willing to entertain him. "To find Agent Bishop, Sensei," He said smoothly. "I'm kinda curious to see if the guy has a heart. Only way to figure that out is to carve a whole in his chest, ya know."

"Not really," Mikey put in quietly. "I can hear it from here."

Raph snickered, not amused. "Well let's see how much it bleeds then."

"No, Raphael," Master Splinter said, then closed his eye, turning his head and gritting his teeth. As if vanquishing his demon away, he exhaled and looked at the red-clad turtle. "You must not."

"Yeah?" Raph asked sarcastically. From the look on his face Mikey could tell a storm was coming. It made him think of actual thunderclouds and he wondered why they made the sky turn gray. His brother's contesting step forward however brought him out of his distractions. "Why not?"

Donatello spoke in Splinter's place. "Because like it or not, we still need him to help us find Leo."

Mikey looked around the room. Leo was gone? He'd forgotten that. Raph apparently hadn't though; he waved a hand, unimpressed by this defense. "No we don't- hell, if it weren't for these assholes, we'd probably have him back by now. Last we know he was with Karai, right? How many places could that bitch be?"

"A lot," Don stated, as Leatherhead kneeled down to speak to Master Splinter. "She's become a very prominent figure around the world since she's occupied Shredder's place in the Foot Clan- there's more to that than coming after us. She-"

"She won't be hard to find, Donny," Raph said roughly. "You'll see. And the sooner we get rid of Bishop, the sooner we can go after her."

"And what after that, Raph?" The purple-clad turtle exclaimed. "You forget, even if we find Leo, he doesn't have much time left- and neither do Mikey, or Sensei, or you! There's no way we're getting back in here for the cure if you've killed Bishop. Are you willing to kill everyone, Raph? Because that's what you're about to do."

Raising his hands in mock enjoyment, Raph backed up closer to the exit. "You just don't get it, do ya, Don? This infection- it ain't a bad thing; we were wrong to think it was. Heck, how do we know that we even die? Maybe it just takes some time to adjust to an alien virus."

"My friend," The crocodile started. "You do not comprehend what you are saying-"

He pointed a finger at all of them. "You'll see. It'll all make sense soon." His scowl turned into a grin, and like the first bolt of lightning in the storm, he ran out of the room.

"Raph!" Don shouted, darting after him. The doors parted again, giving him room to exit, but his brother didn't leave. Mikey could tell why- Raph had gone down another hallway in that brief period that separated them from each other's sight and now Donny was debating which route their sibling would've taken.

He wondered if he should tell him. Raph had said something along the lines of 'stay out of this', but then again, he'd probably been listening to his shadow. You must use the power for good when others use it for selfish gain, His voice told him.

About to open his mouth, he closed it when Splinter spoke. "I could not stop him," the rat said, one hand clutching at his head.

"It's not your fault, Sensei," Don assured him. "I don't think any of us could."

Leatherhead nodded in agreement. "Are you all right, my friend?"

"I will be fine," Splinter told him. "I have just been concentrating on my mediation in an attempt to block out the… next stage of this infection. But we cannot worry over myself at this time; we must stop Raphael."

Reluctantly, Don walked back over. "No, Sensei. You have to stay here and rest. The cure's ready; I'll go find Raph. In the meantime, LH will get everything prepared." The crocodile again nodded in accordance. "You just rest here, Master."

Hopping off of the chair, Mike caught his brother's attention. "Can I come, too- who, sue, new?"

Don nodded. "I suppose so- I could use your help. But Mikey, you have to stay focused."

"Sure," Mike said, though he wasn't entirely positive what Donny meant by that. He started for the door before his sibling had moved. "He went this way."

&&&&&

Leonardo seemed to be trying to gag on his own lungs as he slept, Karai observed. All but her trusted aides were in the rapture of unconsciousness, though several of them were arguably less comfortable than others even if they didn't know it. The turtle was one of these, twitching constantly and muttering incoherent whispers. His fever, she assumed, must've increased for the daughter of Oroku Saki could now make out a thin sheen of sweat lining his temple if she looked close enough.

As she inspected the conditions of her other soldiers, Karai found herself wondering what stage her father's enemy was at. As this matter had only come into the light of the public eye so recently, he clearly had to be one of the first to be infected. But when she compared his symptoms to her own warriors, Karai found herself confused. She had quickly caught on that the afflicted suffered their condition on a set timeline, almost. Those who could use their newfound abilities the best were a little past the median of their sickness, while those who didn't were either starting out or finishing the rest of their lives in such a state. If they were dying, the physical decline to their health was of course more apparent.

But while Leonardo was clearly among the sickest of those she had seen in this room, his power still surpassed anyone else's by at least tenfold. It was so strange.

Turning her head towards the balcony, she overlooked the sky. Big gray clouds had swallowed up the space out there. Realizing she had lost all track of time, Karai walked over to her desk, upon which sat a small ticking clock. At nearly four in the afternoon, the woman found herself surprised; for some reason, she had felt as if it were evening.

Shaking her head, she sat down, her legs crossed neatly. Whilst the shorter of the two aides continued to attend the soldiers, the second approached her, kneeling at the table. "Do you require anything, mistress?" He asked her.

"No," Karai responded. "I am well. But thank you for your concern."

"Perhaps you should rest as well," The man suggested. "You will need all of your strength for your next foray into the lower levels of the tower."

She smiled. "That is kind of you, but I do not require such repose at this time. There are far too many things I am obligated to oversee." Nodding, her aide turned around to watch the soldiers, taking a similar position at her side. Ignoring the visual odor of death that seemed to be increasing, Karai turned her neck and found her father's portrait. She studied his features, forever frozen in that strong pose, and longed for his guidance. "He would be so displeased by my actions," She reasoned.

"How so, mistress?" Her aide questioned, acknowledging her without glancing back.

Not having intended to voice that thought, Karai nevertheless answered it. Perhaps it was merely a portrait, but the Shredder's eyes were still penetrating. "I am harboring one of his greatest enemies, the one responsible for his exile. I should have had Leonardo killed at his points of weakness which he has displayed countless times in my presence. Instead, I continue to use him and care for him as best as we're able in his time of malady. For my father's honor, he should be dead by now."

"I do not think you've made the wrong decision, Mistress Karai," The man voiced. "While you may be keeping the turtle alive to further our goals, I cannot see it as a sign of weakness on your part. Likely, your father would've made a comparable decision himself. Long had he wanted to destroy his enemies from within. Turning one against the rest would have no doubt given him great satisfaction. And the death this creature is doomed to suffer I feel will be more painful than any we could dream of bestowing him. If anything, you are extending his anguish and relishing in the vengeance for Oroku Saki."

Looking back, she followed the aide's train of sight to Leonardo's form, which had doubled in on itself. A pained look on his sleeping features, he wheezed irregularly. "You may speak true," She said quietly. "But I feel such a choice may have been dishonorable on my account."

The tall man was silent for a few moments, collecting his thoughts. "To your father, or to yourself?" He asked her.

She glanced at the back of his head sharply. When he didn't continue, she knew that he wasn't expecting an answer. On the floor, clutching his chest, Leonardo screamed; still asleep and incompletely aware of his agony. Raising her chin, Karai whispered. "I deliver you your reprisal, father."

&&&&&

Every noise filtered through his mind like life itself. It was a fast-moving stream of water going down over the falls and Raphael could make out the sound of each individual molecule as it filed against those next to it and each variable it stumbled past on its way down.

He wondered why he'd ever thought this infection could be a bad thing. He felt invincible at this moment, and he hadn't even developed the power yet. What was it he'd be able to do? A sonar and telekinesis; the turtle in red could do some serious damage with those.

Far away, he could hear a man talking to someone about altering certain codes to convert one device into another. As the man went on, completely unaware that Raph was listening between ten different walls, the ninja was more surprised that he understood what was being said. But a high IQ was also part of the package, right?

And there it was- in response to the man's explanation on how he was completing the project he was working on, the voice of Agent Bishop gave acknowledgement. Raph grinned wickedly.

He's nothing compared to you, The voice told him. And yet he holds the fate of your family in his hands? You could break those hands so easily- along with his neck.

Raph rubbed his palms together. "Oh, wouldn't that be fun." He pondered over his situation. "Should I wait? I mean, I think I could send a bigger message once I know how to use the power." How he longed to have it for himself- the voice had been whispering sweet tales of it into his head all along the way now, telling him how it would only be a matter of time before it was his.

Indeed but why wait? There's no time to sit around. And don't worry- there's plenty of fish in the sea for you to fry- enemies that will never harm you again soon.

"I like your thinkin'," Raph laughed. "But let's make it quick. It won't be long before they find out where I'm at."

His poor family. They just didn't get it yet. This thing was a blessing, not a curse. Well, they'd realize the truth sooner or later. All Raph had to do was make sure they didn't find him, which was simple to do when he could hear their every movement.

As he drew closer to Bishop, he encountered a guarded door. With a powerful kick that the first man didn't see coming, and swift cuff to the back of another soldier's head, they were on the ground and he was free to figure out his way in. The doors didn't just open as you walked up to them, like most of the entries in this place. Rather, Raph quickly spotted a place to slide a key card and a panel to place your hand on.

Humming, he fished around in the first man's shirt pocket and found a little piece of plastic. Dragging him over to the panel, he slid the card through, then placed the limp palm over the scanner. The words 'ACCESS GRANTED' flashed over the screen and dropping the limb, Raph strolled in and the shadow trembled within him.

The room was placed further away from all of the other happenings in this closed off section of the place. Good, The voice spoke as they drew closer. This door, and he assumed all of the others in this section, were like those of the rest of the base. "What a design flaw," Raph mumbled. "Bishop's gonna kick himself." The doors parted as the ninja drew his sais. "Guess who?" He announced, launching one weapon at the government agent's throat.

Moving aside with the unusual quickness they'd seen in him countless times before, Bishop placed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Ballenger," He said to a large, redheaded man; "Remind me to fire the security."

"I've been wantin' to do this for a long time, Bishop," Raph said, pointing his sai at him. After all the shit you've put us through, you're long overdue."

"Clearly the infection has gotten to you, Raphael," The man responded. "Because I know if you were in your right mind you wouldn't be so foolish as to choose this course of action."

"That's the beauty of it. See, it makes you think. I just suddenly remembered the part where you're our enemy, you son of a bitch. And I don't work with my enemies."

"You do if you want your family to live."

Raph snorted. "We don't need you. Hell, you're better at making messes than cleanin' 'em up anyways. We stick with you and we'll all end up as one of your little experiments- somethin' to be featured on a news special a few years from now." His eyes narrowed. "And why should I let that happen when I can kill you right now?"

Movement came from the side- the redhead. A large fist nearly caught Raph in the beak as the scientist tried to tackle him. Focus! Yelled the voice. With a quick dodge that sent him behind the man, the turtle fell into a spin kick, his foot connecting evenly with the redhead's back. Raph could hear footsteps echoing hurriedly from the rear and performed a back flip to avoid getting hit. Bishop stopped on the dime and pivoted around, ready to face him. Now having switched places, reaching back, Raph pulled his sai from the wall and made a zigzag motion with the tip of it, drawing invisible scores into Agent Bishop's head and chest.

His eyes never leaving the turtle's, the man tugged on his tie and pulled it from his neck in one solid motion. With both hands he pulled the garment taut.

Raph smiled. This was going to be more fun that he'd expected.

&&&&&

Between the veils of consciousness and nothingness, the space within Leo's lungs began to boil. No matter how hard he tried to breathe, the air settled like a thick dust in his mouth and chest while his organs tried to swell past the barrier of his rib cage. Pounding; constantly pounding, it seemed.

If that hadn't been irritating enough to begin with, the lightning strikes in his brain certainly made the icing on the cake. It wasn't anywhere near as relentless as his chest pain, but it was slowly driving him to the breaking point.

With the power, he wrapped the blankets tighter around his cold frame and willed himself to dive further into the blackness of sleep, if only to escape this agony. Rather, his heavy eyelids separated to reveal to him his location- a strange room with wood floors that he knew should seem familiar. To his right, the teacher sat- its faceless front glowing as luminously as he'd seen it before. "What's happening?" Leo forced the words out of his mouth, choking on the words as they tried to travel up his throat.

Something is wrong, The teacher's voice echoed in his head. Can you sense it now? Its presence dwelled with us earlier… but how could we have known? The figure seemed to shudder along with the turtle at the violent attack on his chest. Something is wrong.

The coughing prevented Leo from speaking. It hurts… He whispered to the voice. The sonar folded within and examined his body, trying to sense the source of his torture. There was something strange in his lungs, he could see, but he'd long known it had been with him all this time. And dangerous or not, there was an aura of foreboding around it- he was forbidden to touch it with his power.

Behind the white figure, he could see a woman watching him. Did he know her?

Something screamed from within his soul, hurting him more than his physical ailments had done thus far. She is letting us suffer! She wants you to die! Kill her! Kill her now and your problems will be over!

A name flashed into his head, provided by the shadow. Karai. Such hatred for this woman he'd felt before but he still couldn't understand why-

Hush! The teacher screamed at the darker mentor that lay inside him. You have no place here.

The shadow's anger was intense but it still had no way out at this time. And as it collapsed in on itself, the shockwave of pain that next traveled through his lungs caused Leo to do the same.

It was, in itself, a relief.

&&&&&

Agent Bishop had dealt with the infected countless times by now. He had seen, firsthand, the results when insanity finally set in so he could easily recognize it now in the turtle before him. And it was becoming evident that Raphael was one of the violent variety, unlike Michelangelo.

He'd have to consider firing the security and the men who were supposed to have taken the red-clad ninja into a holding cell when he started exhibiting this symptom.

The man had his tie wrapped around his knuckles, held out in a firm line at shoulder-length. Even with his genetically altered DNA, there was no telling what the aftermath would be if he came into contact with Raphael. It was possible he could survive the infection, maybe even without any side effects. On the other hand, there was reason to believe he'd die just like all the others- or faster than the others. They'd learned, however, that the infection could only be spread through direct contact; thus, it wouldn't pass through cloth. "Don't make this mistake, Raphael-"

His opponent's eyes lowered. "Quit stalling, Bishop. I came here for a fight, not a commercial." Not even giving the government agent time to respond, Raphael broke into a run, setting up a powerful kick aimed for his midsection.

That was definitely one advantage to his abduction; the change to Bishop's genetic structure had ultimately made him faster than the average human. His reflexes, in particular, were at the peak of human potential. Dropping down, he immediately transformed his defensive move into a mule kick that sent the turtle over his head. But Raphael was quick to recover, landing evenly on his feet for a few brief seconds before coming at him again.

The sais were out and the ninja slashed them at Bishop's neck and arms. Leaning back, he was able to avoid getting his throat slit open but the metal did manage to cut through his suit and into his right shoulder. The wound was no matter; he was a quick healer. However, that jacket had been rather expensive.

Next the sai came down, he was ready for it. Wrapping the tie over Raph's arm, he twisted it around until the wrist was behind his shell. Spinning his body around, Bishop kicked him in the shin while simultaneously letting him go. Before the ninja had a chance to hit him again, Bishop struck him in the jaw with his covered fist.

Raph reeled from the punch for but a second before tackling him. The attack was strong enough to knock the breath out of Bishop when he hit the ground; he hated that feeling.

But instead of delivering the final blow, Raphael turned towards the door, halting those who were entering before they could take another two steps in. "What do you want now?" He asked, his tone exasperated. "You," He quickly barked, pointing a finger at Ballenger who'd started to move from his position on the floor; "Stay put."

His two brothers faced him, Donatello quickly scanning over the situation before allowing himself to make eye contact. "Raph, wait."

"I'm still killin' him, Don- and I ain't about to let you stop me. So just turn-"

"No, no- that's not what I mean," The purple-clad turtle said. Air started flowing back into Bishop's lungs. Shaking his head, he quickly stood. "We aren't here to stop you; we want in."

Michelangelo blinked, but made no other move. Raph folded his arms over his plastron, seeming skeptical, but pleased. "Wanna run that by me again?"

"We're here to help you," Don stated. "I started thinking about what you told me, and well, I realized I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. You're right. This all really would be much simpler with Bishop out of the picture."

Raphael grinned. "That so?" He placed his hands down and turned slightly. "Then come on, brother. Show him what ya got."

Don hesitated only to draw his bo staff. While Mikey remained where he stood, his brother marched closer towards Bishop, Raphael following. The government agent raised his fists again, still wrapped in the tie. "I can handle the lot of you," He reminded them. His new opponent didn't answer; he simply raised his staff.

Inches from his body and seconds before Bishop launched into an attack aimed to break the ninja's legs, the bo staff immediately changed directions. There was a resounding crack as it connected with Raphael's head, making the infected turtle stagger backwards, clutching his skull. "Mikey," Don said quietly.

Bishop looked up to see Michelangelo respond to his name. His eyes flickered back to Raphael and understanding appeared to dawn on his features. His eyes glazed over and with that, Raphael's body flew into a wall. The turtle slumped down and did not get back up.

There was nothing but a sense of sorrow in the way that Donatello walked over to check on his sibling. After a few seconds, he glanced up at Mikey. "Don't worry- he should be okay."

Uncoiling the tie from his hands, Bishop closed the distance between them. "Clever," He remarked.

Taking his brother's arm, Don pulled Raphael with him into a standing position and glared at him. "Believe me; I wish that blow had been for you."

Bishop grinned darkly, adjusting his sunglasses to the customary position they held on his nose when he wasn't battling freaks. A team of his men came in then, showing battle scars from a recent fight. "Sir," The first said, standing at attention.

Turning to them, Bishop allowed his grin to fall from his face. "Gentlemen, if you wish to keep your jobs, I suggest you escort Donatello and his brothers out of here. And keep an eye on Raphael, for if this happens again, your deaths will be a greater mystery than Area 51 itself."

&&&&&

His brother's arm suspended over his shoulder, Don supported Raph as they made their way back to Leatherhead. The cure was waiting, the turtle in purple reminded himself over and over again. Soon this would all be done with.

Their escorts were keeping a tight eye on them, guns trained. Donatello had the feeling it wasn't just because of Raph. When they'd arrived at the base, they'd been given a short overview of everything there. This hadn't been on the tour. "We weren't supposed to see this, were we?" He asked the soldier to his left, who was now sporting a black eye where Raph had hit him.

"Keep walking," The man said, face stoic. Perhaps he'd gotten what he'd deserved.

Most of the doors here were like those of the rest of the building, Don noticed- they opened when they recognized a presence waiting for access, like the swishing entries to a grocery store, though more advanced. However, there were some parts where the security was significantly more beefed up; Don recognized retina scanners among other things in some places and knew these were places where only the ones higher up on the food chain could get in to. "This is where you kept Leo, isn't it?" Through his swollen eye, the man glared. "You don't have to answer," Don told him. "I already know."

Mikey was laughing. "Well, when you put it like that… Yeah, they are pretty silly, aren't they?" He spoke to his voice, which seemed to be visible to his right. His little brother had been fairly upset ever since the appearance of Raphael's shadow and just now seemed to be settling down.

Unfortunately, Bishop's men weren't enjoying it one bit. "Mikey," Don called out to his sibling, having to say his name twice to get his attention. When the ninja in orange turned, he smiled. "Can you give me a hand with Raph?" He asked in hopes of distracting him. Besides, carrying their other brother by himself was slow in progress. "The faster we get back the better."

Grinning, Mike gave him the 'Okay' sign with his fingers. "Sure- fur, sir, her-, dude." Instead of coming over and taking Raph's other side, however, Mike instead passed a look of intense concentration on his face.

"Oh," Don said, just as Raph was lifted into the air. Immediately the men trained their weapons on the youngest of the turtles. Raising his hands to show they weren't going to do anything, Don lowered the gun of the nearest soldier. "Hey, the faster you get rid of us, the quicker you can move on to other matters, right?" Though still wary, they seemed to allow it. And Don was glad for the relief.

Past the main access door they went, the two unconscious guards they'd encountered upon coming through now gone. From there, it was straight to Leatherhead and they went in near silence, accompanied only by the random rhyming mumblings and giggles of Michelangelo.

The doors opened and Don, feeling a little easier now with his family present, moved away from Bishop's men. Master Splinter was still trying to resist the infection's progress inside of his body; the old rat was sitting on a metal table at the far left of the room. Leatherhead was preparing the cure whilst overlooking every detail a team of doctors went through at his side, clearly guarded at all times. This faded from his countenance, however, when he saw his friends entering. "Donatello! I'm pleased for your safe return, my friend." He quickly glanced up at the turtle in red, not apparently disturbed by his levitation. "I trust Raphael is uninjured?"

"He's fine, Leatherhead," Donny assured him, hoping his brother wouldn't recall what happened when he woke up. "But we really didn't have a choice," He said regretfully. "This was the only way to get him back."

The crocodile nodded. "I understand." Asking no further questions, he gestured to a table next to Splinter. Leatherhead began to gather what Don presumed to be the cure. "If you will set him over there, we can begin shortly."

He examined the medicine closely as Mikey placed Raph down on the table. The youngest ninja grinned. "Wanna play- say, ray, bay- a game?" He asked.

"Maybe later," Don told him. "First, I need you to do something for me, Mikey."

The turtle cocked his head. "Like what?"

"Can you sit over here?" Don tapped a table. "Right next to Raph."

Hesitantly, Mikey walked over. Immediately, Don noticed his apprehension. "That stuff smells weird. I don't like it," He said.

Nodding sympathetically, Don placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know, Mikey. But it's going to make you feel better."

He blinked. "But I feel fine."

His brother rubbed his forehead. "Right…" He thought aloud. "Well, just trust me then."

There was that look in his eyes that let him know Mike was listening to his voice. "I don't know…" The ninja finally said.

From the corner of his eye, Don could see Leatherhead preparing three injections. He sighed and tried to smile, wondering what the finished project looked like through his little brother's eyes. "Can you do it as a favor for me, then?"

Mikey crossed his hands together and glanced at the needles. The infected felt three emotions stronger than any other- pleasure, anger, and fear. From the look on his face, Donatello knew his sibling was experiencing the latter of the three right now.

But bravery had to be in there somewhere. With a gulp, Michelangelo looked up at him and nodded. "Okay," He said quietly.

Patting his shell, Don again attempted a grin. "Thanks, bro. I promise it's going to be all right." As Leatherhead approached, he stepped back. "I think we should start with Mikey. He'll just get more upset if he has to watch Raph and Splinter."

LH nodded. "I agree," He turned to the nunchuck-wielding turtle and gave him a toothy smile. "Michelangelo, my friend; would you care to lie down on the table for me?" Shrugging, Mike rested on his shell. "This may hurt some," Leatherhead said, being only fair in warning him; "But I will attempt to be as gentle as possible."

If he was shivering from the cold or from fear, Don supposed he would never know. But he sat perfectly still as LH inserted the needle into his neck, emptying the contents of the cure into his system. With his extremely perceptive sense of touch, it obviously hurt much worse than it should have. He grit his teeth and his fingers dug into the table, a whimper escaping his mouth; Don couldn't help but grab onto his leg, if only to let him know that he was there. He didn't let go until after his brother's body had relaxed, afraid that Mikey would think that he'd left him.

He hadn't been aware he'd needed such comfort until Leatherhead's hand fell onto his shoulder. "He will be all right, my friend," The croc said. "We shall keep a close eye on him- do not fear. Let us move on to the rest of your family."

Don nodded. "Right," He forced the words from his mouth, slowly following Leatherhead and reminding himself that this was progress.

&&&&&

Another chapter done! (celebrates) And hey, I got in two fight scenes.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed! And guess what? I just graduated from high school! So… a really nice graduation present would be for you to drop me in a little review!

Thanks for reading!