Chapter Text
Michelangelo glanced at the main console, and through the eyes of the Parasite, he could easily decipher the language. Eventually, he safely freed his family from the grasp of the mechanical arms.
"Mikey!" cheered the brothers, going up to him and congratulating him for defeating Midnight and saving their lives.
"You did it, Mikey! You really did it!" Raphael chuckled.
"I didn't want it to end this way, but..." Mikey said, glancing uncomfortably back at the body of Virus.
"You did what you had to do, Mikey," Leo assured him.
"If you hadn't stopped him, he would have killed us and destroyed humanity out of revenge against the Kraang," Donnie pointed out.
"You're right," Mikey nodded.
"So, um... how are you going to get rid of this suit now?" Casey asked, regarding the parasite mutagen.
"I'm pretty sure you can use those high-frequency noises on it again, and it should come off," Mikey replied.
"Right, and after that, we destroy it," Leo said, giving Donnie a firm look. "Right?"
"Right," Donnie nodded. As much as he wanted to study it, he knew it would be too risky to keep.
"First things first, we need to get out of here," said Splinter.
Suddenly, the entire ship rumbled as doors and windows were barred, trapping everyone inside, much to their shock.
"What just happened?!" April exclaimed.
"I think the ship has locked itself in," Donnie replied.
"You mean we're trapped?!" Casey panicked.
"Looks like it," Karai cautiously replied.
"Foolish...fools...."
The gang turns to see Virus, alive but only barely, as he weakly grins evilly and growls: "The show is not ... over... until I ... say so..."
He soon pressed a button on his cybernetic bracelet, and a loud siren began to blare suddenly. Strange symbols flashed on the main screen of the console room.
"Can you... fools... guess... what's going to happen... now?" Virus gasped weakly, a wicked laugh escaping him. He laughed louder, growing more frenzied until, in a final moment of madness, he succumbed to his injuries and died, an evil grin still plastered on his face.
"Countdown?" Casey gulped nervously.
A voice suddenly echoed from the ship, but no one could understand what it was saying; it was in a language from Virus's world.
Fortunately for Mikey, his suit translated the words for him, and he gasped in horror. "Oh no! No!!"
"What is it?!" Leonardo asked, alarmed.
"Virus has activated the ship's self-destruct sequence!" Mikey cried out.
"WHAT?!" the group exclaimed in unison.
"How long do we have?!" Donatello shouted.
"Only three minutes," Mikey gasped.
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!" Casey panicked, looking at Raph for confirmation. "Right?"
"Right," Raphael grumbled, his annoyance evident.
"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!" Casey repeated himself, screaming.
April slapped him and snapped, "Get a hold of yourself!"
"There must be something we can do!" Leonardo exclaimed.
Mikey glanced at the console and began pressing a few buttons, much to everyone's confusion.
"Michelangelo, what are you doing?" Karai asked.
"This suit helps me understand Virus's language. I'm trying to find a way to get us out of here," Mikey replied.
Soon, he spotted a system that could restore the bracelet Donnie had, and he pumped his fist in triumph. "Got something! This system can restore the bracelet you had on, Donnie! If I can use it to repair it, you should be able to create a portal and get us out of here!"
"Great idea, Mikey!" Donnie replied happily.
"C'mon, bro, we're all counting on you," Raphael desperately encouraged.
Eventually, Mikey managed to use the system to repair the bracelet Donnie had, cheering, "It worked! Donnie, grab it and use it!"
Donnie snatched the bracelet from the ground. After using the blood sample from the needle to activate the system, the smart turtle activated the bracelet, opening a portal outside the waterfall of Taughannock Falls.
"Alright, let's get out of here!" Donnie cheered.
One by one, the family stepped through the portal to safety, with Mikey going last. Suddenly, something grabbed him and pulled him away from the portal.
"Mikey!!" Raphael shouted in fear, grabbing his little brother just in time.
The family, along with Mikey, soon realised that Virus's symbiotic mutagen was still alive and trying to seize Mikey to kill him. It roared, attempting to pull him back.
"No!" Leonardo cried, starting to pull Mikey away from the portal to save him.
"Hold on, Mikey!" Donatello exclaimed.
"We've got you," Splinter grunted as everyone pulled as hard as they could to free Mikey from the monster's grasp.
Amidst the chaos, Mikey noticed the monstrous Parasite was too strong and was actually pulling everyone closer back to the ship.
He quickly realised there were only twenty seconds left until the ship self-destructed, and he found himself at an impasse.
If he didn't let go, the giant Parasite would pull them all in, killing everyone in the self-destruction.
But if Mikey let himself go, he would save his family and end the Parasite Mutagen threat altogether, even if it meant sacrificing his life.
It was a difficult decision, but deep down, he knew what he had to do. After one last sad look at his family—perhaps for the final time—he smiled sadly and softly said, "I'm so sorry, guys."
The family looked at Mikey in confusion, but Splinter quickly realised what he meant.
"No, Michelangelo! NO!!!" he cried out
With one final push, he shoved everyone back, letting go of his hold and allowing himself to be pulled back into the ship's portal, where Virus's Parasite took him just before the portal closed.
Suddenly, there was a loud rumble, and the ground began to shake as the rocky walls behind the waterfall exploded. Everyone hit the ground, shielding themselves from the flaming boulders flying past them; luckily for them, they were protected by April's psychic powers.
When the explosions subsided, the group looked on in horror as Raphael tearfully screamed, "MIKEY!!!!"
He started running toward the ruins of the destruction, with everyone following him, desperately trying to see if Mikey was still alive.
They cried and shouted for Mikey until the three brothers noticed something that filled them with pure horror. There lay Michelangelo, back to his regular self, with the symbiotic suit destroyed. However, the destruction of the ship had caused him a terrible amount of damage.
"Mikey!!" the brothers cried out in despair.
They rushed frantically to their baby brother, whose injuries had worsened from the explosion. Donnie checked his pulse and realised that he was barely alive.
"He's still alive, but his pulse is weak," Donnie gasped.
"We need to get him back to the camp!" Leonardo cried out.
"Musuko!!" Splinter cried out as he found the others and was shocked to see his youngest son in such a state.
Soon, the others caught up with them and were horrified at Mikey's condition. Donatello opened a portal to the campsite, and everyone hurried back, with Raphael carrying Mikey.
Kirby, who was waiting at the campsite, saw what had happened when the others returned and loudly asked for details. As April tearfully explained the situation, the turtles and Splinter frantically placed Mikey on the hospital bed in the tent and helped Donatello tend to his injuries.
Mikey soon opened his eyes and weakly rasped, "Guys...?"
"Mikey!" Leonardo gasped.
"Just lie down, little bro; we're going to fix you," Donatello panted as he hooked Mikey up to an IV and began cleaning his wounds.
Raphael, both angry and tearful, cupped Mikey's face firmly but gently and cried, "Why did you do that, Mikey?! Why?! How could you even think of doing that?!"
"Raphael," Splinter tried to calm his son, but even he was scared for Michelangelo's life.
Tears streamed down Mikey's face as he replied weakly, "Because... if I didn't... You all would've died..."
"But you could've died too," Raphael sobbed.
"It was... a risk... and maybe... It's better this way," Mikey weakly said.
"Don't you say that! You're going to be okay, you're going to live, and we're going to go home. Things will be better for all of us, I promise," Raphael tearfully shook his head.
"Just hang in there, Mikey," Leonardo urged, trembling.
"Guys... in case I die..." Mikey rasped.
"Don't say that! You're not going to die," Raphael vehemently cried, his red mask stained with tears, his eyes red from sobbing.
"I'm sorry... that I... I was... a... a horrible little brother," Mikey coughed violently.
"No! You are not, and never were, a horrible little brother, do you understand? It's us who were terrible brothers to you as of late, but I promise we're going to fix this up together because you're our wonderful baby brother, and we love you so very much," Leonardo miserably sobbed.
"I... was never... a great... b-brother... or ninja..." Mikey weakly gasped.
"Mike," Donnie whined.
"I'm...so.....sor...." Mikey whispered before his eyes closed and his body slowly went limp.
"Michelangelo?!" Splinter shuddered out in fear of the worst.
"Donnie, something's wrong." Leo panicked as he noticed Mikey going cold.
"Hold on, little brother," Raphael sobbed as he held Mikey's hand close.
Donatello frantically checked Mikey's pulse, but there was nothing much to his horror. Immediately, he went into action to prevent Michelangelo from dying on the spot.
"His pulse is gone! We're losing him!!" Donnie frantically bellowed.
Everyone's hearts drop a beat, feeling their blood drained cold, for this couldn't be happening! They got Mikey back, and now they're at risk of losing him for good this time.
"Mikey, no!!!" Leonardo tearfully screamed.
"MUSUKO!!!" Splinter cried out.
"Hang on, little man!" Casey panicked from outside the Shellraiser.
"Save him! Please!" April frantically pleaded with the others.
Donnie presses his hands on Mikey's plastron and starts to push on it as hard as he can a few times while performing CPR.
"Come on, Mikey! BREATHE!!!" Donnie screamed, frantically continuing the CPR.
"Don't you die on us, Mikey! Please don't die!!!" Raphael howled out in tearful anguish.
"Musuko, please hang on!" Splinter cried, nuzzling Mikey's head.
"Come back to us, little brother!" Karai shrieked in despair.
The family watches with growing terror as Donatello desperately tries to save Michelangelo from death. Suddenly, the intelligent turtle halts, realising that in their distress, they have lost the young turtle.
"No...Donnie, please...Please don't tell us!" Leo hopelessly cried out.
"M-Mikey..." Donnie whimpered, his lips trembling and eyes gleaming with fresh tears.
Letting out an anguished howl, Donnie throws himself on Mikey's body, clinging onto him and loudly crying out for the world to hear.
"He...He's gone!!!" He screamed out in despair.
April wretchedly screamed and clung to her father, sobbing heavily at the sudden realisation that had befallen everyone.
"N-No...NO!" Karai miserably growled, covering her face with her palms.
"No, he can't die! HE JUST CAN'T!!!" Raphael screamed out in distraught before grabbing Mikey by the shoulder and trying to shake him awake.
"MIKEY!!! NOOOO!!!" he tearfully screamed out.
Leo cups his baby brother's face and wails out: "Little brother...please...please don't do this, PLEASE!!!"
The family wept at the lifeless body of Michelangelo...
Splinter cradles his youngest son's body, and the turtles soon sorrowfully wrap their arms around. Together, they wept for their loss, mourning both their father and their baby brother.
"Mikey!!" Raphael loudly wailed.
"Come back, Otōto," Leo cried.
"Please don't die," Donnie wept.
"Please...come back, my baby boy," Splinter sobbed heavily on Mikey's forehead.
"I love you...We all love you...come back to us, please," the father miserably cried.
The family mourned the loss of their beloved member, weeping together as Kirby held his crying daughter closely. Casey and Karai bowed their heads in sorrow.
Michelangelo Hamato, a cherished brother, son, and friend to many, was sadly----
*Cough* *Cough* *Gasp*