Outside the city, a pair of violet eyes studied Mikey and Todd from a tree branch. They narrowed when they eyed them watching Meat Sweats's cooking vehicle in an open area.
Mizuki was about to take another leap at a different branch when a voice from behind caught her off-guard.
"Mizzy?"
She yelped and fell backward, her arms waving around, but a pair of arms grabbed her in time before she could even hit the ground.
Donnie looked at her with a raised eyebrow, while Mizuki blushed. She quickly jumped out of his arms and placed her hands behind her back cooly.
"Oh, D-Donnie," she said while trying to keep calm. "I-I was not expecting you here. I was...just out for a walk."
"I highly don't believe that, because it seems like you are spying on Mikey and Todd," Donnie countered, raising a flirtatious eyebrow at her.
Mizuki sighed in defeat after trying to come up with a different explanation. "Alright, here's the thing. Mikey and Todd are trying to get something from Meat Sweats, and I've followed them here to investigate."
"Uh-huh," Donnie nodded at her.
"And whatever they're doing, I'm keeping an eye to make sure they don't get hurt," Mizuki finished.
"You know, you could have called me," Donnie added. "And I would have complied."
She quickly placed her hand over her boyfriend's mouth when she noticed Mikey and Todd moving in and pulled him down behind the bushes. They followed their eyeing direction and spotted the pig mutant pulling out a blue chunk of some sort from a small bag.
"What in the world is that?" Mizuki pondered.
Donnie pulled down his goggles and studied the blue chunk. "I believe he is wielding the shadow moon truffle."
Mizuki blinked when she heard him mention the truffle. "That's why Mikey and Todd are spying on Meats Sweats? They're trying to get a mystic ingredient from him?"
"Apparently so," Donnie nodded.
"But what's a shadow moon truffle?"
"It's a super rare mystic truffle that only grows when the Jupiter planet eclipses the full moon," he explained to her.
"And they're going to try and get it why?"
"No clue, but we're gonna find out."
The two watched Mikey and Todd sneak up to Meat Sweats' truck and tried to get the moon truffle. Donnie bit his lower lip nervously.
"Oh, don't be so stupid, Mikey," Mizuki mumbled.
Todd suddenly slipped forward and he and Mikey hit the truck in the process. The moon truffle was flung off the counter and caught by a nearby hawk.
Donnie and Mizuki gasped in horror when Meat Sweats finally spotted the two mutants and chased after them.
"We have to help them!" Mizuki pulled out her fans and went to attack the pig mutant.
"No! Wait! We'll get caught, too!" Donnie pulled her back in the bushes.
Meat Sweats had eventually cornered Mikey and Todd against a brick wall. The mutant chef went to grab Mikey with his tendrils, but Todd jumped in the way and was caught in the tentacles instead.
"Todd! No!" Mizuki yelled and reached out to him.
"There's nothing we can do right now!" Donnie helped her back tenderly behind the bushes.
After he had sucked Todd's power, Meat Sweats suddenly laughed and let him go in the process while saying some friendly sentences.
Donnie and Mizuki blinked in astonishment while watching him confront Mikey, who was holding up Todd from the ground.
"Did he just..." Mizuki asked.
"He must have sucked in Todd's friendliness, which is his superpower," Donnie realized deadpanned.
When Mikey revealed that the shadow moon truffle was gone, Meat Sweats towered over him and raised his hand over the younger turtle. Donnie and Mizuki gasped terrified at what is about to happen next.
"We'll have to go and get a new one tonight, chum," Meat Sweats patted Mikey on the shoulder.
"Tonight?" Donnie and Mizuki both said in unison.
They then remembered the shadow moon truffle.
"The shadow moon," Donnie exclaimed practically. "We've got to get the truffle before Meat Sweats does."
"But what about Mikey? We can't leave him alone with that mutant," Mizuki reasoned.
"Good point," Donnie tapped his chin in thought and typed on his arm computer. "I'll call in Shelldon to keep an eye on them while we find the shadow moon truffle."
A message appeared on the screen, indicating that Shelldon is on the way.
"Alright, let's go find the truffle," Donnie declared and took Mizuki by the hand.
*****
For the rest of the day, Donnie and Mizuki searched for the shadow moon truffle, while the genius tech occasionally checked on Mikey and Meat Sweats with Shelldon through his arm computer.
The pig mutant and younger mutant seemed to be getting along well, since Meat Sweats had sucked in Todd's niceness superpower.
"I'm honestly worried for Mikey. What if Meat Sweats is actually getting close to use him?" Mizuki had asked.
"Trust me, if he messes with Mikey, he's gonna deal with us," Donnie had smirked before continuing to walk in the forest.
*****
Night had fallen, and Donnie and Mizuki are getting close with where the shadow moon truffle could be.
Carefully stepping over a fallen tree, Mizuki held her boyfriend's hand while he led her through the dark woods.
"I'm getting a really bad feeling about this, honey," she confessed.
"Same here, Mizzy," he nodded in agreement. "But we can't let Meat Sweats get his hands on that truffle."
They soon came across a clear area in the woods, where the mystic ingredient would be.
"I see it!" Mizuki whispered, pointing at the shadow moon truffle.
True to her word, the truffle is stuck in a tree.
"Let's go get that truffle," Donnie smiled and pulled out two gas masks.
Handing one to Mizuki, he allowed his robe shell to open up and carried her around her waist. They flew over the challenging parts of the swamp and soon landed on the ground where the truffle is.
"Oh, we made it," he sighed relieved. "And with one step ahead of Meat Sweats."
They heard grunts from a different side of the swamp and noticed Mikey and Meat Sweats already making way for the truffle.
"Oh, no!" Mizuki whispered. "We've got to go!"
"Hold on, let's just get a small piece first," Donnie pulled out a small knife and plastic bag.
"Donnie, we don't have time! They're coming!" Mizuki said desperately.
The genius tech turtle finally sliced off a little piece of the truffle and placed it in the plastic bag. Getting up quick, he grabbed Mizuki gently by the hand and they both hid behind some bushes, just as Mikey and Meat Sweats are approaching the truffle tree.
"There she is," Meat Sweats pointed at the shadow moon tree. "The shadow moon truffle."
"It's beautiful," Mikey tearfully said.
"It sure is," Meat Sweats nodded in agreement. "And you know what would make this day perfect? If my best mate would pluck it himself."
Mikey gasped in happiness. "Best mate? Say it again! No. Say it when I get that truffle."
The younger turtle walked towards the truffle tree, while Meat Sweats smirked darkly.
Donnie and Mizuki's eyes shrunk with horror. "Oh, no..."
Mikey went up on the tree to grab the shadow moon truffle.
"Mikey, look out!" Mizuki reached out to him.
"Mizzy, what are you—Whoa!" Mikey screamed when the tree he was on suddenly moved on its own.
Donnie looked up and gasped terrified. "The shadow moon!"
The tree creaked as it came to life, forming its arms and legs. Mikey screamed and fell down to the ground, just as a face appeared on the tree.
"Angry tree," the tree growled angrily.
"What are you—" Mikey was cut off when two arm-like branches grabbed him and held him up in the air.
Meat Sweats chuckled devilishly as the box turtle was thrown around and slammed onto the earth by the truffle tree.
"Must protect truffles!" The tree said in a low tone.
"Oh, I'm sorry, matey," Meat Sweats laughed evilly. "There is one thing I forgot to mention. The truffle is protected by a mystical were-tree, you know, full moon and all, but thanks for being the distraction."
Mikey grunted when he was slammed on the ground again. "But I thought you were being nice now."
"Oh, that wore off hours ago," Meat Sweats admitted. "And by the way, you play a lousy mandolin."
"Oh, you did not just say it to him," Donnie growled angrily at the pig mutant.
"What?" Mikey stuttered sadly. "You said it sounded like a choir of angels dipped in honey."
"Well, things look a little different once the Todd goggles come off, innit?" Meat Sweats smirked.
Mikey was pulled back by the were-tree's branches again and yelped.
"Hold on, Mikey!" Mizuki unfurled her weapons and charged at the tree.
Donnie pulled out his bo-staff and ran alongside his girlfriend, battling the alive plant.
"I'll be taking that truffle," Meat Sweats went to pick up the moon truffle, only to find it gone. "Wait, where is it?"
"Is that what you're looking for?" Todd held up the truffle and laughed triumphantly.
"Todd!" Mizuki yelled relieved.
"You're okay!" Donnie added happily.
"Todd, how did you know I was in trouble, and that Donnie and Mizzy were here?" Mikey asked him.
"My squirrel friends told my bird friends to tell my puppy friends to tell me," the capybara mutant replied.
"Paprika!" Meat Sweats shouted and charged at Todd.
"Watch out!" Mizuki cried.
Todd avoided the chef's hits with ease, leaving her and the two turtles stunned.
"Hold still, you critty little thing!" Meat Sweats snarled when he tried to hit him again.
"You're no match for me..." Todd grunted while dodging the punches. "I'm a master of Passive Fu...It's where I take your energy...and do nothing with it..."
"Todd, get his glove!" Mikey shouted as he tried to fight off the were-tree with his kusari-fundo.
When he evaded Meat Sweats's punches again, he took his glove right off in the process and laughed.
Mikey threw the end of his kusari-fundo at his tendrils and pulled him towards the tree. The pig mutant landed on the tree's face, unintentionally feeding its powers to him.
"I don't feel so good," the tree groaned, releasing Mikey.
Donnie flew up and caught him in time, smirking down at him.
The blue-haired girl saw Meat Sweats getting bigger and his body mixed with the tree's due to having sucked in the powers.
"Run!" She ordered, pulling the two brothers and Todd along with her.
"Time for a little midnight snack," Meat Sweats roared and chased after the four.
"Todd, you're a woodchuck! Chuck him!" Mikey shouted to Todd.
"Okay, you keep saying I'm a woodchuck. I'm a capybara!" Todd yelled back.
"Pretty sure you're a woodchuck!"
"Can we talk about this later?!" Mizuki cried.
The giant pig mutant repeatedly slammed his fists on the running four, missing them every time.
"Buddy, Todd, I'm really sorry I treated you so badly and ditched you for the psychotic lunatic!" Mikey apologized to Todd.
"You ditched him?!" Donnie and Mizuki glared at the younger brother.
"I thought you were kidnapped!" Todd stated.
Meat Sweats's last hit sent the four screaming and flying into a pile of bushes.
"I'll take me truffle now and use it to cook me some scaredy-cat stew!" He pulled back the bushes to find the four not there.
"Huh? Where are you?" He looked around the forest, searching for them.
The two mutant turtles, Mizuki, and Todd hid behind the leaves while trying not to let the pig mutant find them.
"Oh, man. What would Raph do?" Mikey whispered and pondered about what the snapping turtle had taught him.
His eyes lit up when he remembered one of the lessons he had taught him. "Silver! That's it!"
"But where are we going to get something silver?" Mizuki asked him desperately.
"Oh-me-gosh—my BFF mallet," Mikey pulled out a mallet with the words 'BFF' on it. "It's pure silver, baby!"
"Nice!" Donnie pumped his fist in the air.
"And I'd be happy to return it," Mikey smiled.
They looked over the top of the bushes just as Meat Sweats turned around, revealing a hole in the chest.
"All right, we gotta get him right in the hollow," Mikey said.
"Okay, get on my shoulders," Todd suggested.
"No, Todd," Mikey shook his head and smiled. "This time, you're the periscope."
"Really?" Todd sniffled happily. "I'm the periscope?"
Donnie and Mizuki beamed proudly at the box turtle.
"Hey, tree chef," Mikey called, catching Meat Sweats's attention. "You are officially unfriended!"
Todd threw the silver mallet through the hole in the chest, prompting the chef mutant to grunt in pain.
"Right in me knothole!" He groaned agonized.
He screamed loudly as electric bolts surrounded him and engulfed him completely.
Donnie protected Mizuki, who yelped when an explosion came off, with his body from the blinding lights of the electric lines.
Meat Sweats was soon back to his original size and knocked out by the silver mallet. "Oh, shallots."
"It worked!" Mizuki cheered victoriously.
Donnie laughed and spun her around bridal-style.
"Yes!" Mikey and Todd whooped and danced happily.
"Couldn't have done it without you, bud," Mikey beamed at the capybara. "Hey, still got that truffle?"
*****
The next day, Donnie and Mizuki came by Todd's puppy rescue place just as Mikey filled two plates for himself and Todd.
"Here we go—two best friend specials," Mikey set the plates down on the table.
"Mmm, forest truffle pork chops," Todd sniffed the dish contently. "Ohh, they smell divine!"
"I gotta admit, Mikey, you did pretty well back there, fighting off Meat Sweats with Todd," Donnie remarked, smiling down at his brother.
Mikey smiled back at him and prepared to eat his pork chop. A horde of puppies sped by him and ate the pork chop clean.
"Huh?" He gasped.
Mizuki laughed, half covering her mouth.
"Ah, well," he shrugged. "Can I have a bite of yours, best friend?"
Todd snarfed down his meal while glaring at him.
"Oh, Todd," Mikey chuckled.
Donnie and Mizuki both sniggered.