Non-Mutation (Book Four)

Chapter 5: Neon

A chemical element that, when used, emits bright, glowing colour.

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Raphael stands in the kitchen, watching Leonardo and Donatello pore over a makeshift map of the city. Michelangelo bounces around behind them, asking questions rapidly.

"What's that?"

"That's the lair," Donatello answers.

"Okay, what's that?" Michelangelo points to another spot.

"That's TCRI," Leonardo says, propping his head on his hand.

"What's that?"

"A street."

"What's that?"

"The drawing of you eating pizza that you drew on our map even though I told you not to."

"Oh oh-oh! What...is...that?!"

"That's Destiny."

Michelangelo blinks, his finger aimed at Destiny's chest. The wolf-raven arches an eyebrow and gently pushes his finger down as he lets out a sheepish laugh.

"Sorry," he says.

Her eyes seem to yawn as she sighs. "I think you're getting way too excited over a map, Mikey," she says. Her wild green eyes flicker to the other turtles. "Have you got anything?"

"I can't find any connections between the recent Purple Dragon robberies at all," Donatello frets, elbows resting on the table as he runs his hands over his head.

"Maybe because there isn't one," Raphael huffs. "Maybe they're just robbing places because they can."

"Don't be so sure, Raphael," Sarina says as she walks into the kitchen, t-phone in hand. Her eyes flash as they narrow. "The last five places that the Dragons have robbed all contain either cash or important equipment and information relating to scientific discovery. Examples include laboratories studying animals and their biology, another less-official lab obsessed with aliens, and then banks and places with materials such as metal, wiring, and other machinery."

"What would a bunch of thugs need with science stuff?" Destiny asks. "That doesn't make any sense."

Donatello groans and slumps forward, forehead on the table, hands sandwiching his head. Sarina reaches out and rests her hand against his shell as she sighs. "Unfortunately, I am unaware of the answer too," she says.

Leonardo furrows his brow and spins a marker between his fingers as he taps his foot. He stops, uncapping the marker and inking giant black stars on all of the previous Purple Dragon attack spots. He leans back, hoping that the markings will bring something else to light.

Destiny leans over his shoulder, elbows resting on his shoulders. "Well, they're all in the same general area, right near the lair."

Donatello perks up a little at that, but one look back at the map makes him frown again. He slumps over, sighing a lot more obnoxiously than is needed. Sarina hugs his neck and presses a soft kiss to his cheek.

"We'll figure it out, darling," she murmurs.

He nods as he continues to stare at the map, forlorn. "I sure hope so."

Raphael hooks his hands behind his head and sighs. "Same here, brother."

A loud beeping sounds from the laboratory and both Donatello and Sarina lurch upwards, eyes wide. "That's one of the spy drones," she mutters.

She hurries from the kitchen and heads for the lab. The turtles and Destiny follow, lingering in the living room while the cyborg disappears into her and Donatello's workspace.