Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fast Forward: Generation

Chapter 5: Playtime's Over

Mike was spending time with his great-grandfather Michelangelo, and they were thoroughly enjoying a game called Helix, which had roused everyone in the house except for Cody and Donnie. The two of them were busy in the lab, working on a secret project they wanted to keep under wraps.

Michelangelo and Mike were having a blast, with their laughter filling the room. "That's right, come to Mikey!" Mike shouted, taking down the last enemy before another one appeared beside him, which Mikey also shot, eliminating it. "In your face!" he yelled triumphantly. Just then, Mike noticed another opponent charging straight at him. "Duck!" he shouted, warning Mikey in time for him to avoid danger. Shooting the enemy before it could strike, Mikey stood up with a grin. "Thanks! You're doing great," he praised, putting his hand on Mike's shoulder with pride.

Meanwhile, Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello were unable to sleep due to the commotion, so they decided to investigate. As they descended the stairs, they overheard Mikey's loud cheer: "Oh yeah, my 21st-century skills still rock the digital domain!" Mike erupted in laughter just as the lights flickered on. He quickly removed his gaming goggles, relief washing over him when he saw it was just his three other great-grandfathers.

"This better not be a nightmare, or someone's going to pay," Raphael grumbled as he entered with Leonardo and a yawning Donatello. "Mike!? What are you doing awake? Shouldn't you be in bed with your cousins?" Donatello asked, surprised to find Mike still up at such a late hour. "Yeah, Mike, what are you doing? It's seriously past your bedtime!" Raphael added, still in his pajamas. "Mikey, did you wake him up?" Leonardo asked, arms crossed and a serious look on his face.

"Actually, I asked him if I could play," Mike admitted honestly. "You know you should be in bed," Leo sighed, taking a deep breath. "You need to get some sleep before training tomorrow with your cousins." Mike pouted. "Aww, but I want to play more with him!" he pointed to his great-grandfather.

"Mike, you need your rest," Donnie reiterated. Defeated, Mike sighed, "Okay," and began removing his gaming goggles. "Wait, he can stay up a little longer with me, bros," Michelangelo interjected, but his brothers weren't convinced. "Mikey, Mike needs sleep. He has training in the morning," Leo insisted.

Mike complied, taking off his gaming gear and placing it on the floor. "It's alright, maybe we can play again tomorrow... goodnight," he said as he walked upstairs. "Goodnight, Mike," chimed all four brothers in unison.

They redirected their attention to their little brother, who was still engrossed in his game. "Now, Mikey, tell me you're not still playing that helix game," Leo said. "After 47 straight hours, this helix goodness is finally about to pay off, bros—I'm tearing through the final level. Call Cody and Don." His brothers approached him, and Leo remarked, "Cody and Don are asleep like we all should be, just like Mike." Mikey shook his head. "Uh-uh, they're in the lab," he said, shooting another alien. Just then, Donatello walked over to the computer but paused to look at Mikey. "Wait a minute, Donnie's awake too?" he asked his younger brother. "Yeah, he and Cody are working on something," Mikey replied, focusing back on his game. "If that's true, you three are crazy," Donatello said, pressing a button to call Cody and Donnie.

Meanwhile, Cody and Don were busy welding Cody's battle armor, goggles shielding their eyes. "Okay, Cody, this should be good to go before we do a test run," Don stated as he removed his goggles and checked the computer for data on the armor, looking for upgrades. "Don, I'm telling you, this armor is going to be amazing! I can't wait for everyone to see it!" Cody exclaimed with enthusiasm. Donnie chuckled. "Alright, but let's not get ahead of ourselves until we test it first," he said, still typing furiously on the computer. "Okay, Don," Cody replied, putting his goggles back on and getting back to work on the suit. "Just a few more touches, and you'll be seriously upgraded, Servant Tron," he joked while welding, prompting Don to shake his head with a smile. Yet, a feeling of unease washed over him. He couldn't help but wonder, 'What would Venus think about this?' Groaning, he buried his hands in his head, frustrated. 'Oh man, she's really going to flip.'