"Aw, yeah! Take this, and this! Oh, and how about three of these?"

On the lair TV screen, an old-school video game plays. Raphael, Taylor, and April watch Donatello and Casey face off, mostly silent. The gameplay isn't exactly high-energy. Casey's character takes down Donatello's character and, with a victorious beep, Casey gets to his feet.

"Yes! And the winner is...Casey Jones!" He waves his controller in the air, pumping his fist. He turns to Donatello and laughs. "Cha-ching!"

Donatello throws his controller down with a huff. "Aw, these kinds of games are stupid," he complains. "I'm more into a modern, fully-immersive 3D experience." He presses his finger to the side of his head, still eyeing Casey's smug smirk.

"I'll give you a fully-immersive P-D experience!" Michelangelo hollers from the turnstiles, a stack of pizza in hand.

Taylor cringes. "Tried it already. Not a fan."

"Hold on, Tay-Tay, you gotta give this one a chance!" Michelangelo laughs. "P as in pizza, and D...as in delicious!" He tosses a pizza to Donatello, another to Casey, and another hits the floor and slides over to Raphael. "Yeah, boyyy!"

Raphael scoops up the pizza, brow furrowing as he eyes the four other boxes in Michelangelo's hand. "What, this is all we get, Mikey? And you keep the rest?" His frown deepens. "What about the others? They need to eat too."

Michelangelo flops down, smirking. "You're right, bro. I'm being greedy."

He opens up the top box, pulls out a slice of pepperoni pizza, and tosses it. It lands on Raphael's face, making Taylor snort into her hand, and Raphael glares at him. He pulls the pizza off his face and sits back, scowling.

"Remind me to smack you later," he says, going to take a bite of the pizza.

A cockroach crawls onto his hand as he's about to dig in. April's eyes widen.

"Uh, Raph?" she starts.

Raphael glances at her, then at his hand, and he lets out an ungodly shriek as he sends the pizza and the cockroach flying into the nearby pool. Taylor jumps, eyes wide, and Raphael clutches his chest as he pants a little.

"Ay! What was that?!" Taylor demands. She looks at the others, then at her boyfriend again. "Wait...uno momento..."

"Still scared of bugs, huh, Raph?" Casey asks, starting to grin.

"When they're touching my food, yeah," Raphael huffs. He shudders a little. "Creepy little buggers."

Taylor bites her lip against a smile. "You're...scared of bugs?"

He shoots her a glare. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"That!" He points at her face. "You're about to laugh! Don't laugh!"

"Okay, okay!" she says, trying to school her expression. A tiny sputter escapes and Raphael groans, turning away. "I'm sorry, mi amor! It's just...you're so big and tough and a tiny bug—"

"I'm allowed to be scared of stuff!"

"But a bug?"

"Hey, sorry I'm late! My shift ran—what are those two arguing about?"

Annalise stops just as she makes it through the turnstiles, work bag on her shoulder, hair still tied back in a ponytail. Raphael and Taylor look up. Casey, April, Donatello, and Michelangelo do the same.

"Lisey! I saved some pizza for you!" Michelangelo says. "Also, Raph is scared of bugs."

Annalise tilts her head. "Really?"

"It's not that big of a deal!" Raphael repeats. "Seriously! You'd be scared of bugs too if you went through what I have!"

"Like what?" Annalise asks.

"Giant mutant cockroach that tried to kill him, for one," Donatello pipes up.

"Oh, well now I've got to hear this," Taylor says.

"Or..." April cuts in. "We should eat some pizza before it gets cold. Mikey, you need to share. There's eleven of us."

Michelangelo sighs dramatically and hands over two more pizzas. He leans his head back, sucks in a long breath, and shouts, "LEO! DESTI-BEAR! SARINA! THERE'S PIZZAAAA!"

Destiny and Leonardo emerge from the dojo, hurrying over to join the group. They grab a pizza box and dig in, too hungry to think of anything else. The lab doors stay firmly shut.

"Yo, Don, where's your woman?" Casey asks, flopping down next to April and flipping his pizza box open.

Donatello eyes the doors, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, she's been trying pretty hard to finish Timothy's retromutagen. We've been tag-teaming on it."

"You really think you can unfreeze him?" Leonardo asks.

"For the longest time, I didn't," Donatello admits. "Sarina's processing power really helps keep everything in line. I think we're getting close."

Annalise raises her hand a bit. "Who's Timothy again?"

"The jar of frozen guts in Donnie's lab," Leonardo answers.

She blinks a few times. "Okay, I noticed that, but...that thing has a name?"

"It's actually a teenager. He got himself mutated back before Donnie figured out retromutagen for the first time."

"He went on a rampage and the only way to stop him was to feed him bad mutagen," Michelangelo adds. "But now Donnie and Sarina are fixing him!"

"Oh, gotcha. That's good," Annalise says, although she seems a little stunned.

Donatello perks up a little, clearing his throat. "Annalise, that reminds me, we have the retromutagen for Pepper ready. We synthesized it into a dog treat so she can take it orally. Easier for everyone involved."

She seems to brighten. "Thank you! I think my mom will appreciate not having to clean up pizza sauce and melted cheese all the time." She laughs and looks at Michelangelo. "You know, she started sleeping in the oven."

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"No—"

There's a shrill beeping noise that slices through all conversation and turns every eye to the laboratory doors. Donatello is on his feet in an instant, but the doors open just as he reaches them and Sarina bumps into him, startling.

They grasp each other's arms, steadying themselves.

"What is that?" Donatello demands.

"Our drones," Sarina says. "I've never seen a mutagen reading this high! Something is amiss." Her eyes flash and she casts a quick look to the rest of her family. "I have the location already."

She pulls out her phone, types something in, and everyone's phones go off. In an instant, they all have them out, screens lighting up their faces. The turtles inhale sharply and look up at one another.

"That's..." Michelangelo says.

"Stockman's old laboratory," Leonardo says, eyes narrowing, "and if we know anything about that bug, he loves to go overboard with mutagen."

"Overboard?" Taylor repeats. "Like how?"

"Like gigantic vats of it, just to mutate one person," Donatello says, lip curling a little. "He likes dropping them into it from above."

"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" Raphael demands. "Let's go check it out!" He turns to Annalise and Taylor. "You two can stay here if you want."

"Is it gonna be dangerous?" Annalise asks.

"Hard to say," Donatello says.

Taylor and Annalise exchange a look. Taylor purses her lips. Annalise shrugs.

"I mean, we can just...stay out of it if it gets hairy," Annalise says. "Don't want to cut our date night short."

"What she said," Taylor says.

"Okay, it's settled. Let's head out."

----------

At Stockman's old lab, they find the giant vat of mutagen that was expected. The thing that makes it worse is the trail of mutagen leading away from it, sprayed across the floor like something large was dripping with it.

"Holy cow," Annalise whispers. She elbows Taylor lightly. "This is wild, isn't it?"

Taylor shrugs. "Eh...you've seen some mutagen, you've seen it all."

"Do you get excited about anything? Honest question."

"Ssh, you two," Leonardo says. "Whatever this is, they could still be around. Don't let your guard down."

Taylor and Annalise fall silent, lingering near the door as the turtles, April, Casey, Destiny, and Sarina spread out to search the place. Sarina and Destiny fly into the air, searching the rafters and hard-to-reach places, while the others stick to the ground.

"Geez, so uptight," Taylor says under her breath. "Loosen up, azul." She rolls her eyes. "I'd go crazy if I had to deal with him all the time."

Annalise giggles softly. "Aw, he isn't that bad. He's just more...lawful."

Taylor glances down at her. "Have you been on many missions with him?"

"Nah, just the cyberverse one." She shrugs, looking out at the room. "He's cool though. Kinda like the big brother I never had."

"Huh...I've never really gone on a mission with them," Taylor admits. "I was either against them or rescuing them."

Annalise elbows her lightly in the ribs. "Cool! First time, then. Don't worry, we'll show you the ropes."

Taylor laughs softly at Annalise's bright smile. "Sure thing, chica."

"I'm getting nothing!" Destiny calls from the ceiling. "No scents, no tracks...just mutagen stink and rust."

"Unfortunately, my results are similar," Sarina agrees. Both girls touch down in the centre of the room as the group reconvenes. "Whatever was here has fled. Leonardo, what is our next plan of action?"

"Let's split into groups," Leonardo says. "Spread out and search the city for strange activity." He places his hands on his hips and eyes the mutagen vat. "This looks like Stockman's work, but it could be anyone. Stay alert."

"Should we pair off?" Donatello asks, eyes darting to Sarina for a quick second.

"Yeah," Leonardo says. "Donnie and Sarina, me and Des, April and Casey..." He pauses as he looks between Annalise and Taylor. "On second thought..."

"What?" Raphael asks, eyes narrowing. "Mikey and I can't go with our girls?"

Leonardo sighs. "They're not as good at fighting and, should something happen, I'd feel more comfortable with you having extra muscle."

"¿Disculpe?" Taylor asks, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can fight."

"Yeah, okay, but you're rusty. Have you been practicing? Keeping up your skills?" Leonardo asks. Taylor's eyes narrow but she doesn't say anything. Leonardo steps closer to her, starting to glare. "Well?"

"How about Tay and I take Casey?" Raphael cuts in, stepping between the two and trying to look relaxed. "April can go with Mikey and shrimp."

"I'm okay with that," April pipes up.

"Let's do that, then," Donatello says. "Let's go."

He and Sarina head for the doors. Michelangelo hurries over, grabs Annalise's hand, and pulls her after them, April following. Leonardo tears his gaze away from Taylor only once Destiny nudges him and they, too, disappear.

"El cabrón," Taylor mutters. She notices Raphael and Casey looking at her and swipes her hand at them a few times. "Ay, stop looking at me like that. Can we just go?"

"Whatever you say, Tay," Casey says, hoisting a hockey stick onto his shoulder.

----------

You would think that a mutated monster would be easy to find, but New York is huge. Needle, meet haystack.

Maybe Taylor would be having a better time if she wasn't so pissed off. She keeps picturing Leonardo's stupid face, his voice telling her that her skills are rusty. She's not rusty! She survived in a literal gang full of men for years. She can kick ass any day of the week and she'd gladly kick his to prove it.

Dumbass. She'll challenge him the second they figure out this whole mutagen situation.

"Taylor."

She looks over at Raphael and reminds herself to take a deep breath. Out of the four brothers, she thinks Raphael and Leonardo have the most resemblance, and for a split second her anger remains because of it. Michelangelo's face is too round, too freckled, and Donatello is too tall and lanky. Raphael is buffer than Leonardo, though, and a hell of a lot cuter.

Yes, she's biased. No, she won't revise her opinion.

Raphael lifts his eye-ridges at her. "Try not to let it get to you too much," he says. "He meant well."

She clenches her jaw. She isn't going to question how he could tell what was bothering her. He's a lot more in tune with feelings than he likes to admit, especially with her. She crosses her arms over her chest and kicks a rock across the pavement.

"Whatever," she mutters. Sure, now you're all calm and rational, she thinks. I see how it is.

"Look, Tay," Raphael says. He steps in front of her, grasping her shoulders, and she meets his eyes. "You haven't dealt with the kind of things we end up fighting. It's pretty different than fighting people."

"I fought you, didn't I?"

"I'm human-sized." She pouts and he rolls his eyes. "I'm trying to help you!"

"Then defend me or something. You know I can fight."

"Well, yeah, but how long has it been since your last brawl?" he asks.

She groans. "Okay, okay, I haven't fought anyone in a while. Months, maybe a year. It's not that big of a deal."

He just stares at her for a few long seconds, and she stares right back. She isn't about to let him soften her up, even though his thumb is starting to rub circles against her shoulder and he's doing that thing where his lips pout a little—

Damn him.

"Just...try to see it from our perspective. I don't want you getting hurt. Okay?"

She sighs. "Ay...okay."

He leans forward, kissing her forehead. "Te amo, babe."

It makes her heart leap a little, hearing him say that. She's never corrected him, but there are two ways to say "I love you" in Spanish—te amo and te quiero. The one he uses is the more romantic one, the more affectionate and serious one. Te quiero is more casual. Still, she likes hearing him use te amo. It more resembles just how much she feels for him in return.

She shoves him lightly. "Sí, sí, también te amo."

Alarms ring out nearby, startling the pair back to the present, and they hurry to catch up with Casey.

----------

The alarms cut off, but not before Taylor, Casey, and Raphael find where it's coming from. As they round the corner and move into the street, they find a police car, two unconscious policemen, Stockman-Fly, and four of the creepiest-looking bug creatures that Taylor has ever seen.

One is a gigantic creature that doesn't look like any one type of bug. His skin is orange and green and yellow. There's an extra mouth on his neck, giant pincers coming from his forehead and multiple claws and malformed hands sticking out all over his body. In her head, Taylor hesitantly refers to him as a spider mutant. The other three are just giant purple ants, although seeing an ant so enlarged is giving her the heebies. Each of them carries multiple bags of cash in their arms.

Taylor pales a little at the sight of the cops more, backing up a bit. Raphael makes a strangled noise in his throat and does the same, although she doubts it's for the same reason.

"Okay, so it was Stockboy!" Casey says, flipping his hockey stick off his shoulder. "Gotta say though, these insect dudes look pretty cool." He steps forward, tapping his stick against the pavement. "But just because you have a sweet thorax doesn't make you too cool to squash. Right, Raph? Tay?"

Raphael still doesn't react, eyes wide with terror, but Taylor snaps to attention. She moves forward and pulls a baseball bat from Casey's back, swinging it once.

"Totally," she agrees, cracking her neck. "Let's go."

"GOONGALA!"

Taylor and Casey race forward, each taking on one of the ant mutants. Taylor smacks one over the head, but it shrieks and snaps back at her, forcing her to hop back. Casey fends off the other two, knocking one aside and catching the other in the mouth with his stick.

"Woah, look at this one!" he shouts as the ant's gaping jaws drip gunk onto the street. "Those dripping mandibles are so cool and deadly-looking!"

Raphael backs away from the looming spider-mutant, breathing heavily. "R-Right," he says. "Mandibles! Great!"

"Call me the exterminator!" Casey says, propping one foot up on a downed ant. "'Cause I'm here to swat some bugs!"

Taylor's glad that Casey is having so much fun, but she's quickly realizing that she isn't. She hates to admit it, and she won't ever say it out loud, but Leonardo and Raphael were right. Her skills are rusty, and they definitely aren't working against a giant ant, an ant with none of the same joints and weaknesses as people.

"Ay! Get away from me, insecto!" she shouts.

She keeps smacking the damn thing, but it won't back down. It keeps lunging, snapping and biting at her relentlessly. Her panic rises as she darts around, searching for an opening. Just as she's about to shout for help, another ant shows up, and then another.

Her stomach drops into her feet. "Weren't there only three of you?!"

"THEY'RE MULTIPLYING!" Casey shouts, fending off three of his own while another two crowd Raphael. "So cool but so not cool!"

"Raphael!" Taylor screams as she finds herself surrounded. One of the ants clamps down hard enough on her bat that it snaps in half and she yelps. "Raph!"

Raphael stands in the middle of a swarm of bugs, screaming, and doesn't respond. An ant lunges at her and she kicks it, but its mandibles latch around her ankle and she finds herself upside down, face against the pavement. She thrashes desperately as another ant grabs her arm, chomping down on her sleeve.

"Snap out of it, Raph!" Casey calls. "We kinda need your help, dude!"

Raphael screams and, to Taylor's growing horror, runs away, bursting through the crowd of bugs and disappearing into the nearest alleyway. Casey groans.

"Totally not cool!"

The ants pin Casey and Taylor down, both still struggling against their holds. Taylor searches around her, part of her still hoping Raphael will appear and help them, but he's nowhere to be found.

"Ex-zzzz-ellent!" Stockman says. "Thezzze human alliezzz are part of our haul now! Bind them!"

"With pleasure, Dexter," the spider mutant says.

"Ew, even his voice is gross," Taylor cringes. "So...throaty." It's like he's gargling something.

The spider mutant turns around, two flaps near its rear end opening to reveal a blue-lipped mouth. Taylor chokes back a gagging sound as Casey's eyes widen. With a belch, the mouth spits green mucus-like fluid all over the two humans, and Taylor dry heaves.

"Aw, gross! It's seeping into my undies, man!" Casey says.

"T-M-I, Jones!" Taylor retorts, swallowing back another wave of nausea. "Ay, Dios mio..."

More of the fluid rains down and the two of them can do nothing but scream.