Non-Mutation (Book Four)

Chapter 17: Ladybug

The ladybug symbolizes good luck and protection, blessing you with safety and prosperity.

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Raphael fiddles with a shuriken in the living room while he watches Leonardo pace nearby. The blue-masked turtle mutters under his breath every now and then, running a hand over his head repeatedly as if trying to pull answers right from his brain.

"Sorry, Leo," Donatello says as he leaves the lab, Sarina at his side. "All the information about Mutacorp that we could find online is blocked with special security codes."

"And you can't hack them?" he demands.

"We both tried. Even I couldn't, and I tried plugging myself into the system itself," Sarina says with a tired, defeated look. "Whatever is going on over there, they want to keep it hidden from the public eye."

"Keep trying," Leonardo says. He waves their hand at them and turns away, muttering again. "There has to be something..."

"Leo, we've tried everything! We're working our shells off just to—" Donatello starts.

"TRY. HARDER!" Leonardo bellows. Sarina steps behind Donatello as he takes a step back, one arm extended in front of her body.

Michelangelo pokes his head out of the kitchen, a bowl full of Ice Cream Kitty in his arms. The frozen feline mews in concern and Michelangelo turns around to return her to the freezer.

Donatello narrows his eyes, maintaining his protective stance. "We can't, Leo. We've exhausted all the options. We've tried computers, we've tried investigating, we even tried to question a Purple Dragon—"

"Raph failed that. We can still do that," Leonardo says, his tone gaining an air of panic. "We have to."

Destiny moves into the room, bobbing her head to the music streaming through her earbuds. She looks up from her t-phone to see three nervous looks aimed at Leonardo and shuts off the music without a second thought.

"We don't kidnap people, Fearless," Raphael says. "That's a line we can't cross and you should know that."

Leonardo spins to face his brother, teeth gritted. "You should be working too, Raph. Keep digging with Taylor and try to get everything you can out of her!"

Raphael's eyes narrow. "Sorry, but I don't exactly want to spend the time I get with her like that. She doesn't know."

"That's what you think. She could be lying, or...or the Dragons paid her to keep quiet! Force it out of her if you have to!"

"Leonardo, are you even hearing yourself?" Sarina whispers. She steps closer to Donatello's shell, one hand resting on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"She's told me everything she can!" Raphael shouts, getting to his feet and storming towards Leonardo. "What are you doing to help, huh? Sitting around and whining about it? Maybe you should move your shell and get working too!"

"Dudes, can we—" Michelangelo starts.

"I am working! If we've got more Kraang wannabes on our hands, we need to exterminate the threat. I can't have anything bad happening again!" Leonardo retorts, bordering on a scream.

Destiny reaches out and touches Leonardo's shoulder, opening her mouth to speak, and he whirls around with his fist raised. She flinches hard, hands flying up to protect her face as her knees buckle, ears flattening against her hair, and Leonardo stops in an instant. He looks at his fist, then her, and lowers his arm as if it isn't his to control anymore.

"I...I..." He sucks in a shaky breath, shoulders slumping as he clasps his hands around his head. "I don't know. I don't know."

Michelangelo hears something move at his left and looks up at Master Splinter. The rat's face is troubled as he stares at his family. Destiny takes a hesitant step towards Leonardo as he sinks to the floor and when he doesn't move, she brings herself to her knees and wraps her arms around him. He buries his face against her shoulder and she extends her wings to surround him, giving him privacy from the staring eyes all around them.