Michelangelo takes a staggered step backwards, his hands trembling as he keeps them held up in front of him. "Don't do it, Bebop," he says, unable to look away from the retro-mutagen aimed at him, unable to think of anything more than how much he doesn't want to be a regular old turtle again.
Bebop oinks, stamping his foot against the ground. "Stop calling me that name, fool! I hate that name! I hate that name!" He lets out a sad sob for a moment before it dissolves into maniacal laughter. His finger slips to the trigger. "Time for the next mutation, turtle."
Michelangelo whimpers as Bebop applies pressure. For a split second, there's utter silence, and then it's shattered by Leonardo's voice.
"Mikey!"
Leonardo leaps down, trying to slice the retro-mutagen from Bebop's hand, but Rocksteady intervenes before he can even nick the canister. Michelangelo bolts.
"Nyet!" he shouts, knocking the turtle from the air and sending him sailing into the ghost house. Leonardo groans and Bebop prepares to shoot him only to have Rocksteady tug his hand down. "Bebop, wait. Think with the brain for once. Retro-mutagen can turn us human again," he explains, an edge of urgency in his tone as he taps his forehead.
"Wow, I didn't even think of that! Let's do the dizzle!" the warthog says. His face falls into a frown and he jabs an accusing finger at the lumbering rhinoceros. "And stop calling me Bebop, yo!"
He aims the nozzle towards himself as if preparing to put on perfume, but Rocksteady's beefy hand snatches it away.
"Nyet. Why do you get to be using it?"
"You did not just—"
"Give it back!"
"I had it first!"
"Nyet, nyet, nyet!"
They keep tugging at the precious resource, literally butting heads. Nearby, Leonardo and Michelangelo converge behind a row of trash cans, unable to do much other than watch the mutants nearby shriek and clamour at one another.
"We need a better distraction," Leonardo utters.
"Yeah, but what? The other half of our team is gone," Michelangelo whispers.
Karai and Destiny appear as if out of nowhere, dropping down in front of Bebop and Rocksteady. Karai hisses and Destiny snarls, her furry shoulders heaving, and both mutants stop quarrelling over the retro-mutagen for a split second.
"Huh?" they mutter.
Karai unleashes a spurt of venom into Rocksteady's eyes, making him yelp and drop the retro-mutagen. He stumbles back blindly, crushing the jar in the process, and she hisses and launches herself at Bebop, making him scream too as she knocks him to the ground. With both of them momentarily subdued, the elusive mutant disappears around a corner.
"Get back here, snakey snake!" Bebop shouts, chasing after her with his lasers flying.
Destiny dashes to the van, ripping the door open easily before switching back to her normal form. Leonardo and Michelangelo appear behind her. April grins.
"Guys!"
"Sorry it took so long, April," Leonardo apologizes, helping her sit up. "I'll have you free in no time."
YOU ARE READING
Forest Mutation (Book Two)
Fanfiction"In Saskatchewan, when I couldn't fall asleep, I'd watch the moon and think about how across the country and over the border, you were probably out on a rooftop beneath the same moon. You were the first person I enjoyed the moon with. Every other ti...
