Donatello followed Leo around the lair, trying to stop him. He needed to talk to him and badly, but it was obviously his leader was purposely ignoring him.

"Leo are you even listening to me?" Donnie said, mimicking every step of Leonardo's to the main living room. Leo huffed.

"Donnie you need to let this go." Leo walked into the kitchen, his destination was the fridge. Donatello stood in front of him just as he reached for the handle. Leo looked up, seeing the chocolate orbs staring down at him with fear.

"He told me, that I would pray if I never found out. Does that sound like anything Mikey would say?" Leo stood up and just smiled. He placed a hand on Donnie's shoulder and chuckled.

"I think Mikey is pulling your leg bro and you're letting him." Leo turned his back and walked over to the table and picked up the glass of water he brought out earlier. Donatello was growing impatient with Leo's sudden blindness to the problem at hand. He growled and quickly knocked the drink out of Leonardo's hand. The glass crashed to the ground, the water splattering into patterns across the floor. Leo crooked a brow, looking down at the mess.

"Well that caught my attention." He looked up at Donnie. "What's wrong Donnie?" Don brought his hands out in front of him, trying to think of the words to say, allowing his fingers to clench and unclench in a repetitive rhythm.

"Somethings...wrongs Leo. I don't know how to explain it but something is wrong with Mikey that's what I'm trying to tell you!" The strain was enough to convince Leo to investigate slightly with this.

"Okay. Let's go see." Leo took Donnie's wrist and lead him down the hall to the bedrooms. They stopped in front of Mikey's door before Leo opened it.

"Mikey?" He called. Mikey looked up. He sat crossed legged on his bed with sketch book in his lap. His eyes were wide and confused.

"Yeah?" he asked. Leo flicked his eyes at Donnie before looking back at Mikey.

"Are you feeling okay?" Mikey shrugged.

"Yea I feel fine why?" He asked. Before Leo could respond, something ran passed his feet. Looking down, he saw little Klunk running out of the room as quickly as his little feet could take him. Donatello noticed the strange behavior of the small animal and kept a mental note of it. Leo looked back up at Mikey.

"Just making sure." Was all he said before shutting the door. Leo faced Donnie and motioned for the door, showing that their little brother was perfectly fine. Donnie shook his head.

"That doesn't prove anything Leo and you know it." Leo crossed his arms.

"You know what I think? I think you are becoming a little obsessed with this whole Foot thing and I think Mikey is going through some things because father is away. You know how he worries." Leo quickly passed Donnie with his brother right on his heels.

"This isn't some act of depression Leo this is something else!" Donnie roughly grabbed Leo by the shoulder to turn him. Leo huffed with annoyance, growing frustrated by his brother's determination.

"Leo, I don't know what is keeping you so blind but there is something going on." Donnie felt he was talking to a wall. Leo just stared at him like a parent would when their child was telling a fantasy story. Leo was about to respond but his eyes looked around the room to see they were the only two.

"Where's Raph?"

In the garage the music blared as high as it could.

Raphael was on his knees next to his bike, tinkering around with some of the body work. This was Raphael's time. To be able to relax and focus on what he enjoyed. He called Casey earlier to see if he wanted to stop by but he said he was out of town working with his uncle. Raphael didn't mind being alone though, it allowed him to clear his head a bit. With the strangeness that has been happening it was starting to get to him. He felt like he needed to remain on his toes for absolutely no reason. It was starting to suffocate him. It was making him more confused than he already was. So he stayed in the garage and listened to his favorite music.

The oil on his hands was slick and the wrench slipped from his hands.

"Shit.." He slurred. Reaching down to pick it up. The second his finger tips brushed against the metal, the click of the stereo caught his ears. The music was turned off for a moment, then another track began to play.

Tiptoe through the window

By the window, that is where I'll be

Come tiptoe through the tulips with me.

Raphael looked up and took a few breaths. He slowly brought his hand down in his belt to pull out one of his Sais. He bit his bottom lip before quickly turning around. As he stood he froze.

Oh, tiptoe from the garden

By the garden of the willow tree

And tiptoe through the tulips with me

A boy in his late teens stood by his stereo, playing around with Raphael's CD's. He would pick one up before placing it back down. Raphael relaxed slightly, only to be confused as to why a teenager had gotten into the garage and why he was playing with his music. Before Raphael could say a word, the boy cut him off.

"You have a terrible taste in music." He picked up another CD. "Old metal? Does that even exist?" He tossed the CD to the ground.

"Hey kid no one said you can be playing with that! And how the hell did you even get in here?" Raphael barked. The boy kept his hands on the table, still never facing Raph. In this moment, Raphael took the time to look over the clothing the boy wore. His slacks, black and torn. The shirt he wore was a white flannel, muddy and stained. His hair, long and brown but looked like it was brushed in days.

"The door was open." The kid said. He turned the music down slightly.

Knee deep in flowers we'll stray

We'll keep the showers away

And if I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight

Will you pardon me?

And tiptoe through the tulips with me

"Ain't you afraid kid?" Raph asked, twisting his body trying to get a better look at the kid's face but failed.

"Of you? You're not that scary to look at. I've seen worse. I Guess I'm a little surprised." He said. Raph smirked.

"Yeah? What that my music ain't as nearly bad as yours?" He pointed his Sai at the stereo. In an agonizingly slow movement, the boy moved his head from one side to the other, echoing a light crack from his neck.

"No, that she wants you and your brothers." Raphael felt ice go through his veins.

"How did you know I had brothers?" It was a dumb question he knew that. But his mind couldn't seem to come up with anything else.

"She told me...She wants you...your brothers..She wants to look at you." Raphael's ears picked up on the sudden dying of the music. He instinctively tightened his grip on his Sais and watched the boy closely.

"Who's she?" He almost growled. The body of the boy started to turn. When they were face to face, Raphael dropped his weapons in an instant. The boy had no eyes. The sockets were empty, blacker then Raphael has ever seen. The skin on his cheek rotting away, showing the white of the jaw and the rotted away teeth.

"Salin. Salin. Salin." He chanted. The tension began to rise and Raphael's confusion began to grow. The room grew cold as the lights started to flicker around him.

"You better run. Boy." A eerie laugh passed through the air as the lights flickered out. Raphael had no time to respond when he felt his body being thrown across the floor, banging against his bike hard. He laid sprawled on the floor. He felt the assault, the pounding fist the the touches on his body but could see nor feel anything around him. He yelled out and fought with all he could, all his senses clouded with the cold hands and the screeching laughter. He felt like he was drowning under this pressure that didn't even feel existed.

"Get off! Get off'a me!" He hollered. After what felt like a lifetime, the lights suddenly were one, exposing what ever was in the room. The moment the light turned on, the wandering hands disappeared. He opened his eyes, body covered in a thin layer of sweat and his heart pounding against his chest. He looked up to see Leo looking down at him.

"What happened Raph?" He asked with worry. Raphael's eyes drifted past Leo and looked at Donnie. He looked back at him with concerned eyes but the knowledge behind that look stood out. Donnie knew what was happening. He looked back at Leo. He gulped before trying to speak.

"I'm fine. I saw a roach and it freaked me out is all." He lied. Leonardo gave him a confused look before helping him stand up. Raphael listened to hear the last part of the song play.

Knee deep in flowers we'll stray

We'll keep the showers away

And if I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight

Will you pardon me?

And tiptoe through the tulips with me

Leo smiled and quirked his eye.

"Didn't know you were into this kind of music." He commented. Raphael finally relaxed and took a breath.

"Yeah? Neither did I." He walked past his brothers and went straight to his room.

***

The night fell easily, with all but Donnie tucked away safe and sound. Donnie was determined to find out this mystery but found that the internet did not possess the information he needed. He stood up and walked out of the lab, heading for the kitchen for a glass of water when he stopped to see the living room. Michelangelo was on his knees, crouched over slightly. His upper body moving at a fast pace as his arm came back and forth. He was drawing something on the floor. He walked a little closer.

"Donnie." Don jumped and looked to the side to see Raphael standing by the far wall. Don looked back at Mikey then at Raph.

"What is he doing?" He asked in a whisper. Raphael shrugged.

"I don't know bro. He's been doing this for a couple of hours." He admitted.

"And trying to stop him didn't come to mind?" Donnie asked, walking closer to Michelangelo. He was slow with his movements. As he approached his brother, he saw he had a white solid in his hand. At first he had mistaken it as a rock as Mikey rubbed it against the concrete floor of their home. Donnie looked over the squiggles on the floor, seeing it was forming the star they saw when they went into the apartment.

Donatello crouched down next to Michelangelo getting a better look at his face. Mikey's eyes were wide, following the movements of the rock as he drew.

"Mikey?" He said quietly but got no response from his brother. He was mumbling something but he could barely understand.

"Sa...Sa, sal-l-l-l...Sa.." None of the words were coming out clear. Donnie tried to call his name once more but didn't receive a response. He quickly grabbed Mikey's hand to stop him from drawing. Donnie got a better look as to what was in his brother's hands. A red flag went off in his head when he saw the marrow. It was a bone. Where did it come from? Mikey's eyes shot straight for Donnie's, as if being knocked out of a trance. His body was tense and he started to tremble under Donnie's hold.

"Mikey what's wrong?" Donnie asked in the calmest voice he could muster. Mikey choked on his words and whimpered when the tears formed in his eyes.

"Sh-she won't let me sleep." He sobbed. "I just wanna sleep. She won't let me sleep." He babbled. Donnie looked at him confused.

"Who Mikey?" His jaw started to tremble.

"S-S-Salin. S-Salin." he said quietly. Raphael straightened out lightly from that. The name, the same name that the boy said earlier. Donnie noticed the look on Raphael's face but knew it would have to be put on the side for now. Right now his focus was on Mikey.

"Okay Mikey, you wanna sleep right?" He asked slowly. Mikey slowly nodded his head. Donnie gave a small smile.

"Okay, were gonna go in my lab. And you're going to sleep okay?" For a moment Mikey hesitated, flicking his eyes around the room, watching, making sure there was nothing else. He looked back at Donnie and gave a slight nod for approval.

Donnie slowly led Mikey down the hall and into his lab, where he placed him on the table while he went to prepare a syringe of a sedative.

"What are you doing Don?" Raph asked, standing next to Mikey who was flinching every few seconds.

"I have a theory Raph. One I can't really explain right now." He looked over to his brothers after he filled the needle.

"But first Mikey needs to be asleep." When he walked over to Michelangelo, He suddenly jerked away from Donatello. Donnie felt goose pimple appear on his arms looking into his brothers eyes. They weren't the terrified orbs that begged for help he saw earlier. They were burning with fury and anger. A dangerous look.

"Sede a tergo." He growled. Donatello stood as he heard the crackled voice of his brother. It was deep, and sheered. Before any of them could respond Michelangelo suddenly flung a fist over to Raphael's face. Raph quickly dodged the assault, grabbing hold of Mikey's wrist.

"Hold him down!" Donnie called, Raph's face shot up.
"What?"

"Hold him down now!" Donnie called, taking hold of Mikey's shoulders and pushing him down. Mikey began to thrash and yell, throwing his body around against their hold. Donnie tried to grapple at the needle but it was hard to pull it close without losing his grip on Mikey.

"Ut ego te necasso!" Mikey screamed pulling against his brothers. Raphael and Donatello tried to keep him down.

"You're all going to die!" He growled, arching his body to face Donnie. Mikey's body went down hard and he sucked in some are.

"Leo! Leo help me please! Help me! Leo please they're hurting me!" He screamed as loud as he could. Donnie and Raph looked at each other but looked at the door when it was suddenly slammed open.

"What the hell is going on?" Leo roared. Raphael and Donatello quickly reeled back, allowing Mikey to sit up. Mikey was panting and started to cry.

"Leo.." He wallowed. Leo pushed past Raphael and quickly wrapped his arms around his youngest brother. His eyes fell on Donatello who was still holding the needle.

"Leo it's not what it looks like.." Donnie tried to convince.

"No, it looks exactly what it looks like. Donnie I told you to leave Mikey alone and what ever little ghost shit you were doing. Now you got Raph involved in your little scheme?" Leo looked back at Raphael who was lost for words.

"You both stay away from Michelangelo until your little spirit fetish wears off. Am I clear?" He asked. As much as Donnie wanted to sit there and argue with his brother about what really happen, the sob story that Mikey was putting up was more than convincing.

"Yes." He mumbled. Leo nodded his head before leading a very terrified Mikey out of the room. As they walked out, Donatello did not miss the smirk on his little brother's face as they walked out of the room. This thing was smart, so Donnie needed to get smarter. And the one clue they did have was a name.

Salin.