Retromutagen Fallout

Fight at Kraang Facility

The Krang facility was a fortress of steel and alien tech, hidden deep in the industrial wastelands of New Jersey. Michelangelo, his brothers, and Splinter had fought their way through waves of Krang droids and Foot Clan soldiers, the sound of clashing weapons and battle cries echoing through the cold, metallic halls.

Shredder stood at the heart of it all, a towering figure in dark, spiked armor, surrounded by his elite warriors. His eyes, visible through the slits in his helmet, burned with a hatred that sent a chill down Mikey's spine. But there was no time for fear. They had come too far, fought too hard, to back down now.

"Stay focused, my sons," Splinter's voice was calm but firm, cutting through the noise. "We must defeat Shredder and destroy this facility before it's too late."

Mikey nodded, gripping his nunchucks tighter. They moved as a unit, attacking Shredder from all sides. Leo was all precision and discipline, his katanas striking with deadly accuracy. Raph charged in with raw power, his sai glinting as they clashed against Shredder's armor. Donnie used his bo staff to keep the enemies at bay, his quick thinking and tech savvy keeping them one step ahead. And Mikey—Mikey did what he did best, using his speed and agility to keep Shredder on his toes.

But something was wrong. The whole facility was rigged with retromutagen, not the usual mutagen they'd encountered before. Donnie had warned them, but none of them really knew what it would do. All Mikey knew was that they needed to get out of there before something went horribly wrong.

"Guys, we've gotta move!" Mikey shouted as he dodged a swipe from Shredder's blades. But Shredder was relentless, pushing them back toward the center of the room where the retromutagen was stored.

Then, without warning, the world exploded.

A massive blast rocked the facility, the shockwave knocking everyone off their feet. The sound was deafening, a mix of metal twisting, glass shattering, and the roar of flames. Mikey felt himself being lifted off the ground, thrown through the air like a ragdoll. He crashed into something hard—maybe a wall, maybe the floor, he couldn't tell. His vision blurred, the edges going dark as pain shot through his body.

The last thing he saw before everything went black was the silhouette of Shredder, still standing amidst the chaos, and his brothers being hurled in different directions.

***

The cold water of the Hudson River lapped at the edges of the dock where April, Karai, Casey, Shinigami, and Irma stood, scanning the murky waters. They have been searching for hours, very desperate to find any sign of the turtles after the explosion. The facility was a smoldering ruin, and the thought of what could have happened to their friends weighed heavily on them all.

"There!" Shinigami's voice breaking the silence as she pointed to a floating figure in the distance. They all rushed to the edge, pulling Michelangelo's limp form from the water. He was unresponsive, his body bruised and battered, but he was alive.

"Is he...?" April's voice wavered as she crouched next to him, pressing her fingers to his neck.

"He's breathing," Karai confirmed, relief washing over her. "But we need to get him out of here, now."

As they hurried to get Mikey onto the boat, April noticed something strange. His skin, normally green and tough, felt different—softer, and pale. But before she could say anything, the boat's engine roared to life, and they sped away from the burning wreckage of the facility.

None of them noticed the faint glow of the retromutagen residue clinging to Mikey's skin, slowly taking effect.

As they sailed into the night, the city lights of New York growing closer, the question hung heavily in the air: What had really happened to Mikey?

The answer would have to wait. For now, all they could do was hope he was fine.