Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue:

The invasion took a toll on New York. The past few months had been hard on the residents with many buildings destroyed and homes lost. Numerous people lost loved ones and had to rebuild a sense of stability within their lives. 

This was the same for the local heroes dwelling under the chaos that was now New York. It was rough for the boys and their family as a whole. 

Raph had essentially lost all sight in his left eye due to the Kraang’s control. His arm had nerve damage and was not as sturdy as it was before the attack. He had a large chip in his shell from when the Kraang landed its sneak attack on him, although he does not enjoy talking about it. Luckily, Donnie had made some adjustments to his ninja gear which greatly helped his recovery process. Raph’s mask now included a clear lens covering in his left eye socket which displayed a type of heat tracking sensor. He was also undergoing strength training for his arm alongside his youngest brother. 

Donnie had trouble with his senses and struggled with touch. He was very overwhelmed for a large portion of his healing process, worrying his family. Over time he got better with touch, although still reverted back to old habits, such as shying away from physical interactions to the point where he barely left his lab. Donnie had been going none verbal a lot more since the invasion, talking only when absolutely necessary or to reassure his family that he was fine. Each person dealt with trauma differently, so if he wanted space his family would give it while also providing a space when he was ready to open up. 

They got there eventually, but it was a tough journey for the whole family. He also had trouble controlling his newfound mystic capabilities. Draxum had offered to train him and Mikey so they would not overcharge their abilities which the two brothers quickly agreed to after a rather large, unexpected explosion occurred during a movie marathon.

Leo by far had the worst of the injuries between the brothers. Various ribs were broken along with his right leg and a fracture in his left arm. His shell was also a sorry sight. He had a few pieces of his shell missing and a large crack right down the middle. Numerous bruises and cuts covered his body. He was placed in an induced coma during a major part of his healing process which scared his brothers to no end. 

Over time, however, he awoke from his coma and healed to a degree that allowed him to traverse around his home and eventually go out on patrol with his brothers. He had a permanent limp in his leg and had trouble with phantom pains much like his twin Donnie. One of them seeks out the other when the pain got too much. In fact, the twins seemed to have a strengthened connection ever since Doomsday. They were often found annoying each other bringing a bit of life back to the lair. 

Mikey could tell that the two opened up about the hardships they faced during the invasion to each other. He could tell that they were not opening up fully in Mikey’s sessions, so he is glad that they had each other to rely on.

Mikey got the least of the injuries from the invasion or at least that is how he sees it. His arms are messed up, but he is generally fine. Lighting bolt-like scars decorate his arms and glow with mystic energy at random points in time. Sure the pain is intense during flare-ups, but Draxum got him some special medicine from some Yokai doctors which greatly subdue the pain. He also experiences bouts of energy bursts like his older brother Donnie, thus why the training with Draxum was so important. He put his doctorates to good use during the entailed healing process. His brothers were not easy nuts to crack, but he made due. 

The rest of the family had major healing to go through as well. April had to leave the turtles in order to care for her other family for a few months. Unfortunately, April’s home was not one of the lucky households to make it out unscratched and was mostly destroyed during the attack. Her mother and she had to find new lodgings, thus most of the time was spent searching for supplies and home necessities while they looked for a new home. She thought about moving in with the turtles when they inevitably found out about her situation, although she did not what to put her mother through that whole ordeal just yet. 

Cassandra and Junior were also in the same boat of finding new lodging, although accepted the turtles' invite to live with them. Junior was not yet ready to pursue a “normal teenage life” as his sensei wanted him to. He preferred helping the turtles fight for the sake of New York, although was taking some classes online at Donnie’s insistence. 

Cassandra was in no place to really complained about moving in with her enemies turned allies, for she had to find a new purpose in life after her betrayal to the foot. Draxam had offered her a place at his work as a lunchroom assistant, although she decline in favor of pursuing her earlier career of taking over the girl scout brownie world (Don’t ask). 

Lastly, the relationship between Splinter and Draxam had taken a turn for the better. Draxam was reluctant to leave his kind-of-sons (he is not sure) after the hardships they faced and stuck around a lot more. Splinter was reluctant to let him help, although needed all the help he could get with four injured children. After months of recovery, the two got on more friendly terms, and a spare room was even created for Draxam when he wanted to stay the night.

A full year passed since the recovery and rehabilitation of the turtles and New York. Weirdly enough the residents of New York were more accepting of the mutants and various yokai roaming the streets. The states were even considering moving forward with citizenship for the honorable deeds that the creatures performed for the human race during those trying times. Although with the new state of New York, crime was not decreased in the slightest, only proving to increase from the numerous new yokai threats. 

All this combined led to this very bizarre situation Mikey now found himself in.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 1- Oopsie Daisy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV Shift- Rise Mikey

Mikey knew he was not the smartest turtle in his family, no that title was strictly reserved for his immediate older brother Donnie, although he did know certain things about his home and family. 

He knew that Raph was stupidly over-protective of him and his brothers, even more so after the whole self-sacrifice roulette that was the invasion. 

He knew that Leo was a massively gay idiot who was in love with a certain white-furred rabbit boy who worked at Run of the Mill (although his older brother would rather deny the fact, stating that he just “admired his commitment to his line of work”). 

He knew that Donnie was secretly working with April to repair his robot son Sheldon despite his father’s demands that he rest more before working on his tech.

He knew that, despite New York still being under construction, the city was a lively hub of humans and Yokai alike. The streets were practically decorated with bright colors and interesting smells of delectable cuisine. 

He knew for a fact that almost every building in New York had a piece of his beautifully done graffiti artwork plaster on their walls. 

So why do the buildings surrounding him look so bland and bleak? There were no people as far as he could see on the streets, although he knew for a fact that he was indeed in New York from the various advertisements littered around.

Deep breaths, Mikey. Deep breaths. He needed to recall what happened that lead him here. He needed to find out where he was so that he could get back to his brothers and help them- That’s right! They went out on patrol for the first time since the invasion. Everyone was finally feeling well enough to head out. Thus when a crime alert chimed, they thought this would be the perfect time to get back into the thick of things. 

Some stray members of the foot clan were causing mischief down by Little Tony’s Pizza Joint. Donnie had said the fight would not have been too difficult, even with their disadvantages, since the members looked to be grunts at best. 

What the turtles could not have known was that the ruffians had taken some mystic do-dad of some kind and were creating random portals to transport stolen goods. Mikey and Leo’s mystic powers reacted to the increase in energy. One thing lead to another and Mikey was thrown into one of, what he assumes was, Leo’s portals. 

That's right, he must have been transported to another side of New York where everything is warped? He doesn’t know. Despite his earlier attempts at calming down, he is still quite panicked. He needed to think and breathe. What were all those psychology classes for if they could not help him when he needed them most?

Ok, in and out. In and out. He was going to be just fine. He would find out what the shell was happing and get home. He was most likely just in a part of New York that he was not familiar with or maybe he was in a new district that was under construction. That’s right, everything was going to be fine. 

With his nerves now calmed, Mikey was feeling a lot better about his situation. Maybe he could even add this experience to his list of reasons why he should be allowed out by himself more. If he got home unscratched, safe and sound, then he could rub it in Raph’s face. Speaking of scratches, there was a slight stinging pain in his left calf. 

Looking down, he noticed that he had a long cut on his leg. Not good for his “getting home safe and sound plan”, but maybe he could work up his signature baby brother/ puppy dog eyes and blame the cut on Leo? Eh, the plan needed some work, but hey he needed a bit of a distraction right now anyway. 

Once again, Mikey looked around his surroundings. He should probably take a better look if he what to figure out where he was. As luck would have it, Mikey had landed on a rooftop, hidden away from the public eye. It seemed that he was all alone which was good since he was apparently injured. He also just now noticed some bruises forming on his arm from the attack and his head hurt too. The landing must not have been very soft then. Not good. He should take care of that. 

His ninja gear had built-in pouches that carried a variety of trinkets which Donnie forced him to carry around because in his words, “You are prone to accidents Angelo. I just want to make sure you can take care of any injuries you sustain if you are ever separated from us.” He was not pleased with the addition at first, feeling as if his brother was baby-ing him, although he is now very grateful Donnie did so. 

Mikey reached into all his pockets and took out every item he had on him. The items were as followed: a pack of orange-flavored gum he got from April, a small flashlight Donnie made for him, two twenty dollar bills for emergency spending Raph gave him (He is still surprised he didn’t spend it yet), a few pencils and pens for crafts, and a turtle-shaped cloaking broach. Wait, why’d he have a cloaking broach on him- Oh ya! Leo was gonna take him to this super cool graffiti park, but they never got the chance to go with the invasion and then recovery. Maybe they could still go if he ever got back home… That’s a sad thought! No sad thoughts, Mikey! Stay on Track! 

Keeping his head in the game, Mikey noticed two things that were deeply concerning. 

One, his weapon was missing. He must have dropped it in the attack because he does not see it on the roof. Of course, the possibility that it fell off the building was also a fact he had to think about, but he did not have time to go look for it. His injuries were more important right now. 

Two, his phone was also nowhere in sight. Although to be frank, he was not sure he even took it with him on said mission. As Donnie had said, the fight was not supposed to be hard and Mikey was under the impression that they would be home quick for victory pizza and a movie marathon in less than a few hours. That clearly was not the case. Good going past Mikey!

So he had a collection of random trinkets and some money, but no band-aids or bandages. He also didn’t pack his mystic flare-up medicine for his arms either. He hadn’t had a flare-up since two days prior, so maybe he could last until he got home. It’s a problem for future Mikey to worry about. Great. Donnie can not find out that he didn’t listen to his previous worries. He was not painting his “I’m thirteen now and can take care of myself” image in a very good light. I mean come on! He’s a teenager now by human standards, so a bit of trust from his family would be nice. Whatever. 

He had money and a means of travel with the broach. He was not sure how the humans in this district would react to a mutant turtle, even with relations growing between the two species, so using the broach was a must. He could just find a 7-Eleven and get some necessities and then fix his injuries. The store would have a map and he could find a way home! After his injuries are taken care of and he has a map, he could come back and look for his weapon, as well! He is on a roll now that he was clearly thinking through his situation. He can do this! He might be the youngest Hamato sibling, but he can get through this little mishap just fine, thank you! Now to put his plan into action!

Chapter Text

~~~~~~~~~Chapter Two- The Heist and Realizations~~~~~~~~~~

POV Shift- Rise Mikey

So maybe jumping around while injured was not Mikey’s smartest idea, but hey, he did find what he was looking for. The 7-Eleven across the street looked a little run down in his opinion, but his leg was starting to really bug him. He would make do with anything right about now if he could just get the pain to stop! 

Mikey jumped down into an alley across the street from the building so as not to cause suspicion. He did not want people inside the store to notice his soon-to-be magical girl transformation into his human self. He knew the broach gave off a bit of light when performing the magic from previous experiences, so he hid behind a large trash can before letting the magic take over him. Clipping the broach onto his ninja gear, he could feel his more reptilian features being masked behind the flow of magic. 

His body changed to allow for a more human-like appearance taking features from his father. He now had long curly black hair that flopped all over the place with sharp baby-blue eyes. His skin was a warm brown with milk-like splotches of vertigo where his yellow spots once were. He still kept his tooth gap from his turtle form as well as his dimples. His brothers always stated that he had a gleaming smile thanks to the addition of his dimples, but he was not sure if he even had them for he never saw them when looking into the mirror. Who Knows. He also had a bit of baby fat on his cheeks and limbs that he never seemed to grow out of, much to his dismay. His stature was only a little bit smaller than a normal thirteen-year-olds ! He did not look like he was twelve! He was not short! He was still growing! 

His human outfit was very colorful like he liked it. He wore a solid black long-sleeved shirt under the jacket from his 80s montage scene when he and his brothers fought with Hypno. Fortunately, the jacket was just long enough to cover his golden scarring from view, aside from the scars on his hands. Not much he could do for them. His pants were blue jeans with rips and tears in them for fashion purposes. His pants had various patches of dried paint on them too (A bit of a tie-dye look if you will). His injury was soaking into his pants just a tad, especially since he aggravated it. Hopefully, no one would care enough to notice or simply think the blood was dried paint. There was not enough blood to leave a heavy smell, so he thinks he is in the clear there. He was also rocking a pair of black sneakers with hand draw doodles on them (He needed to keep his shoes simple for his ninja job. Sad.) 

His shell had disappeared completely, leaving a sling-on backpack in its place. Looking inside, Mikey noticed that all his trinkets were safely put inside. The last thing he needed was to lose his money in the transformation and have to steal his needed necessities. It's not like he hadn’t stolen before, living in the sewers for the majority of his life practically came with the go-head for stealing stuff. He was just not very physically able with the injury to his leg. 

Lastly, in his human form, he had his ears pierced with cute little orange star-shaped earrings. In fact, each of the brothers had space-themed earrings in their human forms. Leo started the trend with Donnie, but Mikey was a bit jealous and roped Raph into matching with him. This led to a sibling rivalry to see which team could pull off the best combination. The victor was never really determined, although each of the brothers still wore space-themed earrings to remember the bout. Mikey would claim that he and Raph wore them the best, but was happy with the outcome nonetheless. Pizza Supreme, He already missed his family.

Back on track, Mikey! Stay focused! Since he was now in his human form and could blend in with the store’s environment, Mikey took his chance and crossed the street. Weirdly enough, there was very little traffic and an even smaller amount of people in the store. Good for him, just weird to see. 

From what he could gather, there was a total of four people in the small store and that was including the employee working at the register. There was a small clock above the register station that read 8:00 pm which was even more concerning. More people should have been on the streets, but there was barely anyone out. His previous thoughts of being in a warped reality just might be true or he was just in a newly constructed part of New York. No, the building was too worn down for that… Is he in Jersey? Leo would never let him leave the lair again if Mikey was! He needed to find answers… He also needed to actually walk into the store and stop looking like a lost child. The store employee was already side-eyeing him.

Taking a quick scan of the store, Mikey noticed that the things he needed were hidden nicely in the back corner away from prying eyes. Aside from the cashier, there was a mother and her child near the slushy machines and an older woman browsing the candy aisle. The other occupants seemed busy with their own shopping so Mikey was less likely to draw suspicion. Things were in his favor and he was not looking to change that fact, so he went straight for the back corner and immediately found some decently priced first aid materials. 

He got a small kit that cost roughly 5 bucks. A good price, he thinks since the package only had one bottle of disinfectant, one roll of gaze, and a couple of bandaids. He would have liked to get some bruise cream as well, but he would be home soon enough and could get some there. He did not want to waste money after all. Currency was a bit hard to get after the invasion and their main source of income from Donnie’s machines was not as great as it once was. After a full year of recovery and reconstruction of their home, the small family was lacking in the financial department. Mikey did not want to add to that stress even if his brothers would disagree. He was also hungry and needed a drink, not to mention he still did not know how far he was from home. One thing at a time Mikey.

Turning from his little secluded corner, Mikey looked toward the various food aisles for some snacks. He did not want to interact with any of the patrons of the store, so he had to do a bit of weaving to avoid them. Luckily, the chip aisle was deserted, so he could pick out a treat before heading out. Grabbing a random bag of chips and snaggling a water bottle, Mikey was now down to about 30 dollars which was enough to get a bus ride home and a map from the front. 

Just then a rather loud voice interrupted Mikey and his thoughts- “Why, hello young one. What are you doing out so late at night?” It was the older woman that was in the candy aisle previously. It seems that while Mikey was in his head, he didn’t notice the lady approaching. Nervously, Mikey responded, “Oh, just grabbing some snacks on my way home. Thought I’d restock on some necessities while I’m at it. Don’t want to waste a trip, you know?” Smooth. Very smooth. Look he didn’t get out much during the past year due to reasons, namely the recovery process and the oldest Hamato sibling, so his social skills were lacking. 

Whether the woman noticed his nerves or not, is hard to say. The woman went on, “Well you best hurry home, then! There have been some strange happenings going on around these streets. Something about gang duels and a group of weird cosplayers. I heard something about some rogue government tech conspiracy or whatnot, too. Your parents must be worried dear, so head home as soon as you can. I don’t know what I’d do if I found my granddaughter alone on these streets at this time of night. Oh, I’d tell you, she would be grounded for a long long time. Well, I’m not your guardian, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful, you know. Although if I had to say- '' Mikey responded quickly and stated, “Of course, Ma’am! Thanks for the warning. I’ll be right on my way now. Take care!” 

Mikey felt a bit bad for interrupting the older woman, but some of the things she said were concerning him. It sounded like she was talking about his family, what with the cosplayer excuse Leo had given on occasion when the brothers were spotted. Although that thought did not make much sense to him, for they went out on their first outing since the invasion just tonight. It wouldn’t make sense for her to be confused by Yokai and mutant exist either since relations between the two races were already out in the open. The government was considering citizenship for the non-humans as well. Maybe this woman was not from New York and hadn’t heard the news of the mutant and human connection just yet. No, that was impossible. The media was practically bursting with articles and photos of his kind since that horrible day. The brothers were barely in hiding anymore, too. Mikey was glad that he wore his cloaking brooch, though. From the way that woman was talking, he was afraid of what would have happened if he did not have it. 

The other things she said were also confusing to him. The gang fights could have been the Foot, although their ranks were almost fully disbanded. The stray attacks here and there were still seen, such as the fight that got him here in the first place, but Cassandra had helped round up the majority of the remaining members. He doesn’t think that the few members left could have started a rumor so great that random people on the street were concerned enough to warn others of their existence. The government tech conspiracy, on the other hand, was not something he was too sure about. He would have to inform Donnie when he got home…

Wait, did that woman think Mikey was a girl? She mentioned her own granddaughter and related his midnight adventures to her. Maybe she was just a bit confused by the lighting? It was rather dark in the store. Mikey did have more delicate features from his Japanese ancestry, although he was certain he looked fairly boyish. He was dressed in more colorful clothes than average, but nowadays anyone can dress how they want. The woman was just old-fashioned then. It was just another weird interaction he had since getting here. 

I mean it’s not like he didn’t mind being called a girl. He never really thought about that whole spiral of sexuality and gender before. His brothers each have their own ranges of gayness and he was pretty sure he was on the spectrum too. He never really had a crush before though, so maybe not… Now, is not the time to be questioning his gayness! He had stuff to do and problems to solve and lots of other things to worry about! Everything was gonna be fine… He wanted to get out of this store and eat. Some food would do him good right about now.

Mikey swiftly turned to the front of the store, scanning the front for a map. One good thing about New York was that it was a favorite travel destination for the rest of the world. Maps were located in just about every store due to the increase in tourists and travelers. Mikey easily found what he was looking for and opened the pamphlet to reveal that he was near Chinatown.

As he had assumed, he was on the opposite side of New York, far from home. Just great. Well, now that he had everything he needed, he could buy his things and leave. Maybe if he was lucky the last bus was still running and he could be back home before late morning. Roof jumping was not a good idea with his leg injured. Speaking of which, his leg hurt still and was leaking more blood than normal. He needed to hurry and treat his injury.

Or at least that was the plan but turns out Mikey had used up all his luck. The mother and her child from the slushy machine were done with their shopping and causing a commotion at the only available register. He looked up at the clock above the cashier and noticed that it was now 8:45 pm. 

Now he could wait for the woman to calm down from her temper tantrum or he could sneakily go into the bathrooms and leave through the old worn-down window he saw when scouting the place out. He knows he said he was not going to steal, but that was before he knew that he was a long way away from home. He needed to keep as much money as he could for travel while he healed and the duo at the front were causing a perfect distraction. If he stuck to the shadows, then he would be home free. Bathrooms it is.

With his mind made up, Mikey made his way back to the bathrooms, although on his way something caught his eye. He was passing by a long row of magazines and comics, tailored to kids when he saw a display of newspapers. Maybe the papers would have some intel into what that woman was talking about earlier with the government tech. It wouldn’t hurt to look so Mikey picked one up curiously. 

He almost dropped the paper when he saw what was written on it. Right under the header of a news article showed the paper dating back from 2012. The paper was just old, Mikey thought. The store had put out older versions mistakenly, but when he looked through the other papers on display, all of them had the same year displayed. The magazines and comics also looked older than what he was used to. Now that he thought about it, a lot of the products in the store looked older. He replayed his conversation with the older woman and found more oddities in the way she presented herself. It would make a lot of sense, but Mikey did not want to believe it. With all the evidence right in front of him, Mikey had to come to terms with what he now knew.

Mikey had somehow traveled back in time.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~~Chapter Three- Panic Attacks~~~~~~~~

POV Shift- Rise Mikey

With the way Mikey was panicking right now, he was not sure if he got out of the store without getting spotted. The whole escape plan he had was a blur to him, but he does remember bits and pieces. He remembers jumping out the window and bolting from the alley behind the store. He thinks he remembers someone yelling as well, but again his thoughts weren’t clear. 

The stinging from his leg keyed him into his hurried attempt at a getaway which he should have thought through better. Mikey had scaled various buildings after running for what felt like miles and his leg was even worse than when he first started his shopping spree. A heavy amount of blood was left in his wake which could have led someone to his now hidey hole.

Mikey had wedged himself in between two rectangular metal boxes on top of an apartment building. He was shaking and on the verge of tears. He just couldn’t believe it! How was Mikey back in time? Junior had said his abilities had developed greatly in the future and that he could open gateways between time and space. Mikey, himself, had even successfully opened a gateway to save Leo, but that was with the help of his two older brothers. His abilities were not at that level yet! It’s ok, just think Mikey! What happened that night? He needed more details. 

When he was fighting back home and those goons had randomly started opening portals, everything was fine until some mystic energy intercepted the portal’s flow. He remembers feeling some of his powers reacting as well and, from the way Leo was freaking out, his brother’s had activated too. So the portal he came out of was not just Leo’s, but a combination of all the mystic energy in the air… and that portal brought him back in time? Oh shell, what should he do!?

Would he even be able to get home? Would he be stuck here forever? Will he be able to see his family again? He’s never been this far from home before! He is all alone without any means to contact his family and struck in the past! Wait, if he was really in the past then maybe he could still see his family. All his brothers would be little tots, but his father could help. He could go find him! They would be living in their old home in the sewers, but he could easily find them. They could go to the Hidden City and find some books or something and do some magic and get him home before anyone got too worried. 

Ya, ya. He had a plan. He couldn’t cry now. He could later at home wrapped up in his brothers’ arms listening to a Jupiter Jim movie in the background. He had to be brave. Ya, everything was fine. He was fine. This is fine. His leg was not fine.

Focusing back on his injury for the last time, Mikey collected the small stash he had stolen from the 7-Eleven. It looks like he lost his bag of chips in his mad dash, but everything else survived.  He would have to find a food substitute soon, though. He had not had dinner before the fight and was really hungry. 

Now, Mikey was not the best at applying bandages, but Leo had taught each of the brothers basic first aid in case they were injured and he was not there to help. Once again, he thanks his brother’s over-protectiveness for saving his butt right now. He ended up using half the bottle of disinfectant and the whole roll of gaze. Not very efficient in keeping his supplies down, but he tried the best he could. His injury still stung pretty badly, but at least it was bandaged now and had a smaller chance of getting infected… The bandage was a bit loose but would have to do for now.

His stomach was growling again, but oh ya, no chips. Looks like he would be going hungry for a bit longer, but at least he had water. He practically downed half his water supply, for the overexertion from his run had left him dehydrated. Mikey would have to survive like in one of Donnie’s zombie games, on rats and waste. Maybe his luck would return and he could steal some food from a rundown apartment in this hellscape he now found himself in. A little dramatic he knows, but sue him! He has had like six billion panic attacks tonight and was not at his best. 

He went to put away the remaining medical supplies and water he still had when he remembered that he still had a pack of gum from April. Orange-flavored, his favorite. The gum was a welcome reminder of his older sister and he readily chewed the sweet treat. It wouldn’t stave off his hunger for long, but it would do until he could find some real food.

His mind was a lot clearer now and he was ready to face reality again. The map had also survived his hurried escape and he could somewhat tell where he was, so finding the sewers was just a matter of time. Luckily, it would appear that he was really close to his old home! Actually, if his calculations were correct (Donnie would be proud), the spot he had woken was near his home too. He still had to go back to look for his weapon, so this worked out perfectly for him. He would go look around the portal drop spot first, find his weapon, and then descend down into the sewers. That was a pretty solid plan, he thinks. Mikey just had to be careful of his injury on the way.

– – – – –Later that Day – – – – – 

Staying true to his promise of not worsening his injury any further, Mikey carefully made his way to the roof where he first landed. The barren town was starting to get some life back to it with the lightning of the sky, so Mikey had to be quick. The last thing he wanted is a human to see him snooping around or for someone to call the cops on him. He still has not taken off his broach, so his human disguise was still in place. He looked worse for wear, what with all his breakdowns, but did not want to risk it. If a human saw him like this, they would think he was a street urchin or a lost teen. Mikey really did not want to have that conversation, so he speed up his search. 

He looked around the entire building and alleyways beside it, but had no luck. He was sure he had his weapon when he was forcefully pushed through the portal, so it should have been here… Mikey had a mystic connection to his Kusari-Fundo, so pin-pointing it should have been easy for him. 

The demon inside of it had made a deal with Mikey. The demon got to cause destruction as long as Mikey got to use the weapon. Mikey fed the demon with his mystic energy so that it could harness his mystic fire and untapped potential. Draxum had explained the exchange in a more scientific way, but most of it had gone over Mikey’s head. In simpler terms, the weapon acted as a catalyst for his powers. It was much easier to call upon his abilities when he had his weapon with him. The whole mystic hands' situation from the portal was a great example of what happened when he did use his weapon. He could still use his mystic abilities on his own, but without the catalyst, dire harm could come with the extreme power increase. Mikey was not too keen on doing that again, so finding his weapon was necessary. 

Fortunately, No one else can use his weapon, so long as the deal he made is active. He didn’t have to worry about someone causing a fire but still was concerned nonetheless (Well, his brothers could technically access the weapons’ abilities, although none of them could control it besides him, something about mystic typing. The weapon would burst into flames in order to keep them from using it, much like a lock screen on a phone. None of them were here, so he doesn’t really have to worry about that). After hearing all those stories about gang fights and rogue government tech, Mikey was worried about his safety. He was lucky to have not encountered any fights until now, but how long would that peace last? 

Mikey thought about using that connection to locate his weapon, but something was wrong with his powers. This is just what he needed right about now! A lack of control in an unknown part (or at least an older part) of New York all on his own… Although, now that he thought about it, his mystic powers were wonky ever since his arrival. That stupid portal must have done something to his connection! Or someone had found his weapon and put it in some kind of force field that negates mystic follow. That thought was a bit of a long shot, but who knows? That portal must have been very unstable if it was able to transport him back to the past! 

Maybe the portal did other things too, like giving him this unnerved feeling whenever he stopped to really look at his home state. Mikey had a hard time believing that the city surrounding him was really his home. The lights, the people, the smells, everything was just a tad off from what he knew. It was almost like he was in a different-

Just then a loud honk echoed around the street that nearly startled Mikey off the ledge of the building he was perched on. He must have been in his head a lot longer than he intended since the sky was a lot brighter since his first look around. It was very clearly morning time and Mikey did not want to stick around for much longer. Again, the threat of being spotted by a human was too great to bear, so Mikey had to retreat for now. 

He would find his weapon later when his mystic powers were stronger and when he was well-rested. The exhaustion from his nightly adventure had him completely drained. Sneakily, Mikey jumped to the closest manhole cover and started his descent down below. 

The sewers were murkier than he remembered. Donnie had made various improvements to their home and the sewers surrounding it throughout the years, so it was weird seeing it so dirty. Well, sewers were supposed to be dirty, but not this dirty, not his home. It was just another reminder that he was not home and that thought made his skin crawl. Things were harder when the boys were younger, scarier too. His father never told the boys much about what lay past their home’s walls when they were young. The only stories he could recall where of nightmare including monsters and tales of his father’s experience from scavenging. Even then, the stories were few and far between. Their father didn’t stick around much to tell them nicer, happier stories. He had a lot on his plate, rising and taking care of four mutant children… 

When the boys got older, it became clear their father was trying to scare them into staying inside the lair in order to protect them. Some little part of Mikey, way back in the deepest parts of his head, keeps bugging him that maybe some parts of those stories were true. Mikey knew he shouldn’t listen to that voice, but quicking his pace never hurt anyone… besides Leo. Eh, A story for another time.

Mikey had walked for what felt like hours but still made no progress. He may be a little lost. The sewers were not how he remembered them in the slightest. He would go one way and think he knows where he is but would be proven wrong when faced with a dead end. The twists and turns were starting to get to him. 

Ya, no he was most certainly lost. Great, just great. Everything was going his way today, wasn’t it? This was totally what he wanted! He absolutely wanted to be separated from his brothers, injured, and alone. He totally wanted to be super hungry and exhausted! It was endurance training, that’s all. When he got home he would be super buff or something and maybe get a cool new scar to really tie in that hardened bad-boy image. He could compete for the title with Donnie and win! It didn’t matter that he was stinky and in need of a shower! No, he loved the smell! He loved the serval piles of sludge he stepped in on his way here. His injury just might be infected now, but who cares? Not Mikey! He was as cool as a cucumber! He loved the creepy darkness that was actually getting a bit… brighter?

Mikey all but bolted towards the source of light coming up to an old train station. It looked like the place had been repurposed to be a home. The place was rugged but well taken care of. A lone train car sat abandoned on the tracks. Parts of the train car were torn off, leaving a big hole where a wall once was. This hole allowed Mikey to see into the space. 

There was a big pile of blankets off to one side and an area that looked like a kitchen of some sort on the other. He also saw a record player and some old machine parts along with a small safe. The light illuminating the space came from a string of fairy lights hung up high on the roof of the cavern. Aside from the train car, a small seating area and an inside garden were nearby. The garden had things like tomatoes, pumpkins, and corn with various other crops. It was a bit weird seeing plants in the sewers. 

Mikey wondered how they kept the crops alive without them wilting. Donnie for all his scientific glory was not much of a green thumb and had failed to make a garden when the boys were young. He never tried again, but maybe in the future, he did. Junior had many stories from the apocalypse, so maybe Mikey could ask when he got home… The table next to the garden was large and had some claw marks on it which was not boding well for Mikey. He decided to not think about it for now and focused his attention on a wall covered in art. The graffiti was too sloppy and dull to be in his style. Even when Mikey was young, he used a variety of bright colors in his work. He felt like the sewers were so much brighter and more welcoming with the colors, so he kept using them throughout the years. 

Unfortunately, from the art style, garden, and the fact that the home looked to house one person, it was obvious that this was not one of Splinter’s previous homes. Mikey was a bit dejected to find this out, but maybe whoever lived here could give him some directions. Unfortunately, it looked like no one was home-

Or not the loud growling coming from just behind him was a pretty strong indicator that someone was indeed home. Mikey was a trained ninja. Even if he was injured, he could handle himself if a fight occurred. Although Mikey is jumping the gun with that kind of thinking, he should see if this person was friendly before fighting them. 

Mustering all of the vibes Dr. Postive could spare, Mikey slowly turned around to reveal a massive mutant alligator… or maybe he was a crocodile? Mikey was not too sure. The mutant was so tall that he barely missed the top of the cavern by a head or two. He was much taller than Mikey’s oldest brother and was very intimidating. He wanted to avoid a fight at all costs seeing that it was going to be a tough fight with the stature of his opponent and the state of his injury. 

Mikey brought his hands up in a sign of peace and nervously stated, “Umm, I am sorry to intrude on”- The mutant swang at Mikey with his tail, almost nicking him if it wasn’t for Mikey’s quick reflexes.

“Ok, so fighting it is”, Mikey mumbled taking a step back from the mutant. His opponent rushed toward him like a bull to a red flag and aimed a punch in his general direction. Mikey jumped as high as he could up the mutant's arm using the limb as a walkway. The mutant was confused and off balance due to Mikey’s weight, so the turtle used the wobbly movement to his advantage. He scaled his way to the alligator’s shoulders and pushed off his body causing the mutant to stubble and fall back. 

Now in the air, Mikey aimed his landing near the presumed home of the alligator and scaled the train car that housed it. Mikey then run to the farthest spot away from the mutant as he could. Remember when Mikey said he was exhausted, well now he was completely pooped. He didn’t have that much time to think and prolonging this fight was not what he wanted. Mikey needed a plan.

With a moment to think, Mikey took in the appearance of the mutant once again. Let’s just say he looked absolutely… pissed (It doesn’t count as cursing if it’s in his head, so Raph can’t get mad… unless mind Raph heard him). Even though the mutant was very tall, Mikey had wedged himself far back on the top of the train car, so the alligator could not reach him. 

His eyes were whited out like Raph’s when he got in his savage mode. Maybe the mutant was going through something similar or was just mad that Mikey intruded on his territory. He knows that mutants could have strong urges from their more animal-like characteristics coming from his own experiences, so maybe he was overthinking here. Talking didn’t seem to work last time, but he still needed a way out of fighting. Looks like all he could do for now was run… except he was now trapped with the mutant right in front of his safe space. Great going, Mikey. He was not looking forward to this one bit.

Mustering up all his mad skills, he leaped towards the alligator. The mutant was flailing its arms to reach Mikey, so luckily he was able to wedge himself out beneath its left arm when it was distracted. Unfortunately, a sharp pain blossomed on his right arm indicating that he got a new injury. He didn’t have much time to worry about that though, since the ground was coming in hot. Mikey braced himself for the landing, just barely managing to land in a tuck-in roll and- 

Ok, wow! His leg was on fire! His bandages had come undone from his impromptu landing and had reopened, spilling blood out onto the floor. Wait where was the alligator- bang! The mutant’s tail had landed the hit this time, colliding with Mikey’s chest. 

The last thing Mikey saw before he passed out was the white glaze leaving the alligator’s eyes and a concerned look overtaking the mutant's face.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~~~Chapter 4- Mutant Mayham~~~~~~~~~

POV Shift- 2012 Mikey

Today was going great! Mikey woke up with tons of energy and made a spectacular breakfast for his family (Doesn’t matter that no one besides him ate his latest creation of jelly bean-filled waffles topped with mustard and pepper flakes. He thought it was yummy). He got to spend a bit of time with Ice Cream Kitty before training, which he totally rocked! He lasted a grand total of eight more minutes than usual against his hot-headed brother Raph. 

Sensei had even spent time after training to watch a movie with the boys, although he thinks his dad didn’t get it. Crognard is great in tv show form, but when converted into a movie was just plain rushed. After the show, the boys went to do their own thing. Fine by Mikey, he was able to work on his rad skateboarding skills and got to read three new comics before lunch. Everyone did their own thing for lunch, but Mikey enjoyed some leftovers from the previous night. He then went around annoying his brothers to hang out with him. 

Using his youngest sibling charm, Mikey roped all his brothers into a skateboarding competition that Leo, unfortunately, won. A few hours later, Donnie came and told the boys that something was tripping up his sensors topside, so they went to investigate. Mikey really wasn’t paying attention to Donnie’s sciencey mambo jumbo during patrol, but he did find a super cool magical weapon. For some reason, the weapon nearly set his brothers on fire each time one of them tried to pick it up but didn’t react to him. It was super funny, but Donnie wouldn’t let him keep it saying it was probably something Kraang related which was a total bummer in his opinion. Mikey would just have to steal it later!

After patrol, April and Casey came over to have a movie marathon with the boys since they didn’t have school. They both brought over some pizza and treats which was super nice. Mikey even got to have first picks on the movie despite Raph’s complaining and by the fifth movie, almost everyone was asleep in various positions (Donnie left at some point to tinker in his lab). 

So, ya, Mikey was having a pretty good day, or at least he was until his T-phone awoke him from his slumber. Not cool. He was having a totally awesome dream about exploring an underwater cave with Ice Cream Kitty and- OMG, LEATHERHEAD WAS CALLING HIM! Mikey quickly picked up the phone and stated quite loudly, “BUDDY, YOU FIGURED OUT HOW TO USE YOUR PHONE! I am so proud of you! All those lessons really paid off and now we can send memes to each other at ungodly hours! This will be so fun-”

“SHUT UP EGGHEAD! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP,” Raph yelled at the top of his lungs, successfully waking up the others in the room. Rubbing his head sheepishly Mikey gave a soft apology, “Sorry Raph, but LH just called me and I was really excited. I mean, do you even release what this means? We can hang out even more now!” Raph rolled his eyes in response, sleep still in his eyes, and stuffed his head back onto his pillow roughly. Glancing around it looked like the others we doing the same thing. Mikey didn’t mean to wake the others up. 

He would have to make it up to them later, maybe make them the best breakfast they have ever seen- “My friend are you still there? I am in need of your help,” LeatherHead quickly rambled. He sounded worried and scared with a mix of concern in his voice. Mikey didn’t like it one bit. “Ya, sorry. I got lost in my head again. What’s up, dude? Not that I am not happy to hear you, but it is late and my brothers need their beauty rest. Ha, ha.” Mikey could hear shuffling on the other side of the phone followed by a long silence. “Dude, you can tell me anything. I’m here for you… Did you have another blackout?” Mikey whispered that last part quietly (or at least as quietly as he could) so his family couldn’t hear. He didn’t like how this conversation was turning out. Maybe Mikey should leave the room. If what was bothering LH was something private, he didn’t want his family to hear it. 

He didn’t get that chance though because LeatherHead continued. “Well, yes, my friend. I did have a bit of a… “blackout” as you call them. I was out scavenging for parts and come back to my home to find that a human was there. I got frightened and went into a spiral. My mind is a bit blurry after that, but I believed I had attacked them. I came to, but the damage was already down. There is a lot of blood and I am not sure what to do.” Leatherhead finished his summarized tale with a shaky breath. 

As he told his recap, Mikey could tell that the gator was moving to and from the phone, probably checking on the human. In total honesty, Mikey was unsure what to do himself. Something like this has never happened before. He would do anything for his friend though even if that meant burying a body… Wow, that was dark. 

Almost like he was sensing Mikey’s worry, Leo spoke up, “Uh, otouto, are you alright? You look quite pale.” Mikey glanced over to his older brother and could see the concern written on his features as the oldest adjusted his position to better see Mikey. Man, he must have really been freaking out if Leo resorted to speaking in Japanese. He only ever does that if one of the boys is scared or in trouble. “LEATHERHEAD, I’M PUTTING YOU ON SPEAKER!”, Mikey screamed, ignoring Leo’s question and efficiently waking the others up once more. He got another stink eye from Raph and a glare from Casey, but this is more important! 

Donnie had also rejoined the group from his lab after hearing the communication. “Alright, why are you dumb-dumbs, besides April, screaming at 7:00 in the morning? I’m trying to figure out how that weapon we found works and would like to get back to it.” “LH KILLED SOMEONE!-” LeatherHead quickly stepped in, “The child is not dead, just injured Micheal. I would like some assistance, please. He has an injury on his leg and it is bleeding profoundly. He is currently unconscious, but I am not sure how long he has been like that. I do not what him to freak out and hurt himself more when he wakes again.”

… “WHAT?!”, everyone hollered at the same time. Collective chatter erupted from the room and everyone began speaking at once in varying levels of concern. 

“LH, you never said they were a child-”, Mikey was shoved away from the phone by Raph, falling off the couch in the progress. “YA, HOLD UP. A HUMAN GOT INTO THE SEWER SYSTEM. DONNIE, I THOUGHT YOU BLOCKED OFF ALL THE EXITS AND PUT SENSORS AND CRAP AROUND!” Donnie had an annoyed expression on his face but was hunched over his phone looking over the sewer's camera feed to try and figure out how the human got there undetected. 

He responded, “Bold of you to question my intelligence, dear brother. I made sure that all my sensors were up to date last week. They most likely wandered in from a tunnel further down by the maintenance entrance, although I’m not seeing any disturbances from the cameras-” “OH SURE THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY A HUMAN CHILD WAS ABLE TO WALK ALL THE WAY TO THE GATOR’S HOME. I’M CALLING BULL!” Tensions rose between the two after that comment and they proceed into a screaming match. Neither one was letting up, but Mikey didn’t really care at this moment. They were probably agitated from a lack of sleep and were taking it out on each other. The two would make up later when the situation was dealt with and Mikey would step in if he had to. 

He thought it weird that Leo had not told Raph off for that swear, but they were all panicking right now. On that note, Mikey turned his attention to his oldest brother in hopes of getting some insight into what they could do, but it looked like he was occupied calming April down and raining in Caesy. 

Off to the side, April looked really freaked out, even more than Mikey when he heard the news. She frantically ran to the phone, ignoring Leo’s attempt to calm her down, and said, “Did anything else happen big guy? Does he have any other injuries? Do you have a first aid kit? Is the kid alright? How much blood did he lose? Never mind, don't answer that. Keep pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding…” She continued to list medical advice off the top of her head. Some facts were not helpful in the current situation, but it looked like it was calming her down. 

Ever since April’s dad had disappeared, April and Donnie had been learning more about medicine to help lessen April’s worries. Mikey could tell that LH was overwhelmed by the number of questions and facts April was telling him but appreciated the distraction nonetheless. With that conversation underway, Mikey turned back to Leo and Caesy.

“Dude, I had no idea the big guy had it in him! I know a great place for dumping bodies if he needs one. This is just too great!” Casey then dissolved into a fit of laughter which was rude in Mikey’s opinion even if he did have the same thought only moments prior. Leo must have thought the same as he smacked the boy much like Raph does to Mikey. “Alright, everyone! Let’s all calm down and assess the situation. April, stay on the phone with Leatherhead. Casey, get your head in the game and stop laughing. I need you to go wake Sensei and tell him the situation.” 

Still laughing, Casey went towards the rat's room with little complaint while April left the room to get some peace. Leo then turned towards the feuding brothers addressing them while shaking his head, “Donnie and Raph stop fighting already! Donnie go prepare the med bay with anything the child might need. Raph, Mikey you're with me. We are going to go see how the kid is doing and if needed bring him back here for safety.” The hot-headed brother was not having that and angrily whipped his head to Leo. 

Raph chose now to interject, “What? We are not bringing a human into the lair! What if they're dangerous? How are we going to explain the whole, I don’t know, mutant turtle thing if they wake up? This plan is stupid, Fearless. We should get April to take them to a hospital!” Mikey thought that was a fair point, but the child was hurt and they were trained ninjas. How much damage could he do? He had already seen LH, too, so their secret was already out. What if the child told someone about them? Plus, new friend! He was always down to hang with someone new. He was an extrovert after all. 

Leo explained himself with a hint of sass in his tone, “Well, Raph. The sun has risen by now and we can’t just bring them to a hospital. How would April explain this situation? She was pretty shaken up as is and I didn’t think she would be able to calm herself down enough to carry the kid all the way there. This is not to mention that we would have to come up with a plausible excuse for why the kid was injured in the first place. So, yes. Unless anyone has a better idea we will be bringing the human here and helping them recover. We can figure out the rest from there.” 

No one else spoke up after that and a heavy silence took over the room. Raph grumbled under his breath after a while but stayed quiet. The silence was interrupted by Donnie leaving for the med bay nervously. Mikey doesn’t blame him. He would leave too if he could, but they had a child to save. The bit of raised tension didn’t stall them for long and the boys started the long walk towards LeatherHeads. 

Ya, today was going just great.

~~~~~~~~~~~To the sewers!~~~~~~~~~~~

The walk toward LeatherHead's was filled with high tensions between Mikey’s older brothers. He tried to help brighten the mood, but his attempts were shot down. Whenever Mikey tried to crack a joke or ask questions about the kid, Raph would glare at him and Leo would tell him to be more serious. Mikey has worked with tougher cowards before but knew when to hold his tongue. 

Without a conversation or some form of amusement, the walkover was long and boring, in Mikey’s opinion. He would usually listen to music or practice his parkour skills when visiting his friend. Since his brothers refused to talk to him and were being stick-in-the-muds, He would just have to entertain himself until they got there. 

Mikey thought back to the human child. It wasn’t common that the mutants got to talk with humans besides Casey and April. In fact, now that Mikey thought about it, both instances where the boys became friends with the two were purely coincidences. Any other conversations with humans didn’t go as smoothly. Usually, the human would scream and run away, sometimes calling the police in the process. His family would have to hurry home after that, so as to not get caught. 

Other times, the humans would want to take their pictures to put on the internet, but that was a deal breaker in friendships. If they can’t respect boundaries and keep life-changing secrets, then they don’t get to be friends with Mikey (He doesn’t want to think about Bradford). He hoped this human was different. His brothers could use someone new in their social lives. He had LeatherHead and Ice Cream Kitty, but his brothers only had April and Casey… Oh, Murakami too, but he wasn’t the talkative type. He was starting to get worried that his brothers would be hermits forever! Plus, if they had a new friend maybe Mikey wouldn’t be babied as much.

Mikey was pulled out of his thoughts as the trio made it to LeatherHead’s train station. Before LH even noticed the turtles' arrival, Leo was already by the child's side. Raph rolled his eyes in response and Mikey let out a little giggle as they walked over. Jeez, this place looked like it had been through a war. There were new scratch marks on the top and side of the train car as well as a big gash near the entrance of the station. The seating area by the garden had been knocked over in the fight and some crops were squished. 

If Mikey had to guess, LeatherHead probably entered through the tunnel the boys came through and knocked over the seating area in his panic. The crops were smashed in the process, thus overwhelming LeatherHead and causing his blackout. With the largest claw mark near the entrance, the altercation must have started there. The claw marks on the train looked more frantic which lead Mikey to think the child somehow got up onto the train. If so, the kids got mad skills. Respect! Judging by the amount of blood in the center of the station, the child must have jumped off the train and got injured. There was a lot of blood. Hopefully, the kid was ok-

“Hey Mikey, stop spacing out and get your butt over here! We’re taking the child back to the lair,” Raph yelled unenthusiastically. Mikey jumped a bit at Raph’s shout and jogged towards his brothers and friend apologetically. 

LeatherHead had situated the kid inside his train car on his makeshift-bed. The kid looked young, like really young. They couldn’t be older than twelve with how tiny they were. The child was pretty cute with his spotted skin and curly hair but was banged up. Mikey could tell LeatherHead had done his best bandaging him up. The kid has various bruises on his body whether from the fight or not, Mikey was not sure. He had bandages covering his left calf and right arm, no doubt from LH’s hasty first-aid attempt. 

What was most concerning to Mikey, however, were the thin, lighting bolt scars that peeked out from the kid’s jacket. The scars covered the entirety of the kid’s hands with an almost gold-like hue and looked to travel up further. They were too thin to not be man-made. Looking towards his brothers, they shared the same concerns as Mikey. Raph had crossed his arms in deep thought, glaring at the kid as if he would wake up. Leo was frantically looking over the child in case they missed some injuries. 

Surprisingly, the two weren’t fighting about bringing the kid back and instead looked oddly focused. Maybe seeing how young the kid was, had activated some big brother protectiveness within the two. Nevertheless, the lack of a fight just proved how serious the situation was.

LeatherHead spoke up, having hung up his phone call with April at the boys' arrival, “I am glad to see you all and welcome you into my home. I would offer refreshments in better circumstances, but I will skip the pleasantries and get on with it. The child is not as injured as he looks. I believe the cut on his leg is an old wound that reopened during out… altercation. It is deep, however, and I am not sure if he needs stitches. Unfortunately, the added buries and arm injury are my fault. I have done the best I could but would suggest you get Donatello to check on his well-being. Once again, I apologize for this. I did not mean to inconvenience you, my friend.” That last part was directed at Mikey. The gator looked stressed which did not sit well with Mikey. “Hey, it’s ok, dude. You didn’t mean for this to happen. The kid will be fine! Donnie will get them patched up and then we’ll take them home. You have nothing to worry about. I’m sure they won’t hold this against you once we explain the situation. Although, I’m not sure if they’ll understand everything that’s going on with the whole mutant thing. We’ll fix that problem when get to it. You’re good, dude. It’s ok,” Mikey consulted his friend. 

LH didn’t brighten at Mikey’s encouragement like he was hoping but gave him a small smile anyway. Mikey patted the gator’s arm in support as LH continued, “Nevertheless, I believe it would be in our best interest to move the child while they are still asleep. They should not be here when they awake. I might frighten them further and I have caused enough issues for one day. Thank you all once again for the help.” LeatherHead’s words snapped his brothers out of their daze states and they quickly jumped into action. 

Leo instructed Raph to carry the child back since he was the strongest out of the bunch. He fussed over how Raph should carry them and complained to be more gentle when he picked them up. Raph roll his eyes in response but still followed orders. 

They both carefully made their way back to the tunnel leading to the lair, while Mikey stayed back and gave his friend a quick hug. He whispered, “We will be talking about this later, dude. I can tell that it is still bothering you. I’ll text you when the kid wakes up. Give you updates and stuff. I will be expecting more calls from you too! I wasn’t kidding about sending memes to you. Expect a wonderful collection of Ice Cream Kitty pictures while I’m gone as well. I have a feeling the kid won’t be waking up anytime soon.” LH gave Mikey a pat on the head and a grateful smile in return. 

With his friend now comforted, Mikey turned back to his brothers and they made the long walk back to the lair.

~~~~~~~~~~~Back Home <3~~~~~~~~~~~~

The boys ended up dragging a bed into Donnie’s lab along with the needed medical supplies. The med bay had not been used in a while and Donnie claimed it was not up to his cleanliness standards. Although, if you asked Mikey, he thinks his brother wanted to keep a closer eye on the human, especially when he saw how small they were and how frail they looked. They cleared out an area by the entrance of the lab for the bed and kept all hazardous material far from it. 

While cleaning, Mikey’s eye caught a soft glow coming from Donnie’s work table. On closer inspection, he saw the strange weapon they found earlier on patrol. He could have sworn the weapon had glowed, but nothing seemed out of place now. His eyes were probably playing tricks on him. It had been a long day, after all. 

When the boys finally had the space clear, Raph laid the child on the bed, taking off his bag in the process. “Hey, Don. Where are the pest and your girlfriend? They head home or something,” Raph spoke, rolling his shoulder to alleviate his sore joints. Now that Mikey had a moment to think, ya, April, and Casey were not here. It was kind of weird since April at least was very concerned. 

“Ok, first off. April is not my girlfriend. We just share some of the same hobbies and are very good pals. Second, yes she went home after her call with LeatherHead. Her aunt called and asked her to help with something. Her aunt was very adamant that April leave and, unfortunately, she could not get out of it. She said to update her on the child’s condition which I will be doing later. Third, Casey left soon after, saying he got bored. Now, will you give me some space to work?” Donnie grumbled. He had a bit of blush on his cheeks from Raph’s comment but got straight back to checking on the kid.

There wasn’t much to do while Donnie worked (He had made true to his promise and had already sent a dozen pictures of Ice Cream kitty to LeatherHead, but wanted to give him some space after his stressful morning). It turned out that the kid indeed needed stitches for his leg injury, although his other injuries were not as serious. They were worried the kid would wake up from the pain, but they slept soundly through the treatment. Another red flag in Mikey’s opinion, but maybe they just had high pain tolerance. 

Throughout Donnie’s thorough examination, they found out that some of his injuries were indeed old, as LH suspected. The cut was clean, not jagged. This notion lead Donnie to believe that the kid got into some other altercation before running into LeatherHead which left Mikey with more questions. How did this kid get so injured and how did he get into the sewers in the first place? It must have been a feat if even Donnie’s scanners couldn’t detect him. 

Could the kid have been running from someone? Mikey hoped not. If another human was lost in the sewers and they were dangerous, then the boys would be in trouble. They can’t have anyone finding out about them. They have a whole secret life and home to project, after all… Shaking his head, Mikey cleared his thoughts. They would have to deal with that problem when it came. All they could do right now is make sure the kid was safe. Besides, he’s sure that Leo will come up with a plan if that thought became a reality. 

On that note, Leo had left at one point to talk in private with Sensei. When his father came to check on the child, he looked just as worried as the rest of them. His dad had a soft spot for kids, so Mikey knows he’ll do what’s best for them. Once they find out his situation, maybe the kid could even come visit them! He would have to be cool with the whole mutant thing, but the kid looked nice enough, so Mikey doesn’t think that will be a problem. 

He could be a big brother to them which would be pretty cool. Finally, he could be the older one with all the knowledge and do super cool older brother things! He would totally be a better big brother than his bros. He would take them skateboarding around the sewer tunnels and out to eat pizza whenever they want! They could set up pranks, read comics, and have so much fun together! Ya, Mikey would be the coolest big brother around!

The sound of a zipper broke Mikey from his train of thought. Mikey’s gaze swept the room and landed on his older brother Raph. “Hey dude, not cool. You can’t just look through the kid’s stuff like that! What’s he gonna think when he wakes up!” Mikey voiced his disagreement with his brother’s actions. While no one was looking, Raph had opened the kid’s bag and had started pulling out their things. “Chill out. I just want to see if they have some ID on them. We can get them home sooner that way,” Raph grumbled. He didn’t stop pulling things out of the bag at Mikey’s disapproval and carried on. Not cool. The kid would think they are total creeps and his big brother fantasies would never come true! He had to stop Raph… 

Well, he was a tad bit curious to see what the kid had and what if there was something dangerous in there. It’s their job to help peoeple, so maybe a little peek wouldn’t hurt…

Mikey strolled over to the table they had set up near the bed to house Donnie’s medical supplies. Raph was using the table to set the kid's things on which caused Donnie to grumble his disapproval. His brother was blocking his view, so Mikey had to stand close to Donnie to see over him (Donnie grumbled further and shifted closer to the kid). “I thought you didn’t want me to look through his things,” Raph replied smugly. Mikey stuck his tongue out in response, because how dare he, and glanced at the items on the table.

Honestly, there wasn’t much to look at. The kid was just caring around an assortment of random things like a purple flashlight and art supplies. Nothing that was pulled from the bag really stood out to Mikey, until they got to a bottle of used disinfectant and a box of bandaids. “Do you think the kid was trying to patch himself up before his fight with LH?” Mikey questioned with a slight tilt of his head. No one responded to Mikey’s question, but thoughtful looks graced his brothers' faces. It added another layer of concern to Mikey’s mental list. 

No kid should carry around first aid materials. When everything was out of the bag, it became clear that the kid did not have any ID or even a phone to help the boys out. “I swear if we somehow found another runaway, I’m gonna lose it. Jones was one thing, but we can’t take in a literal human child!” Raph angrily rose his hands up with his statement, showing off a map of New York that was crumbled up. 

And, wait what, runaway? Donnie and Mikey shared a glance before he went back to looking over the kid. It did make sense if the kid was a runaway what with the injuries, lack of ID, and detailed map. They had found Casey in a similar situation, but the boys only housed him for a short time while he got his life together. He doesn’t like talking about it and Mikey doesn’t really know his full situation. Mikey thinks Casey told Raph about it at one point and he won’t push his friend for details. It’s enough that he has a support system and besides, the boys made sure Casey had a stable life after that. He and his sister both had a safe place now and a home in their lair if they needed one. 

Mikey knows that despite Raph’s earlier statement, he would do the same for this kid, too. In fact, all of his family would be more than happy to help the young kid out. They were just cool like that… 

He was thinking too far into the future. They didn’t even know what this kid’s deal was. It seemed like his brothers had the same train of thought as Mikey as they all returned to their previous activities. Raph sighed and started putting the kid’s things back into their bag, laying it beside them on the bed while Mikey went back to the waiting game. 

Leo came back into the room after Donnie had finished patching up the kid’s leg, seemly done with his conversation with their father. “We have decided it would be best to keep them here until night falls again. I’d rather not risk injuring them further or getting caught trying to get them home during daylight. We all need the rest anyway,” Leo spoke while stretching his arms out. The boys were mostly nocturnal due to their lifestyle, so they were all tired after their early morning rescue. Raph was even lightly dozing to the side until Leo walked in, crossing his arms once more. Mikey was having trouble keeping his eyes open too, being the one who was awake the longest but was keeping it together from small boosts of energy. He always did have trouble keeping still, but that habit seemed to be helping now.

 Donnie shifted and cracked his knuckles, “Well, I have treated the majority of the boy’s injuries, he is male by the way, but would like some assistance with his arm. His leg is fully patched up and I have applied bruise cream to his hands and legs. I would like a closer look at the… um… scars on his arms as well as treat the injury on his right arm, however, his jacket is in the way. I don’t want to accidentally aggravate his wound, so Leo will you adjust his jacket for me? Your hands are much steadier than mine.” Leo looked a bit taken aback by Donnie’s statement but quickly agreed to help. 

It wasn’t often that Donnie asked for help with something, so this wasn’t in character for him. Guess, it just proved how deeply the kid’s situation was bothering his brainy brother. Nevertheless, Leo got right down to business and very gently (And Mikey means super gently, how much slower could the dude go?) pulled the kid’s jacket down far enough to reveal his injury and golden scars. Each of the boys let out a collective gasp at how far the scars went, traveling from the kid’s hand to just past his elbows. They didn’t get long to stare, however, as Leo pulled his arm back, knocking the small turtle-shaped broach off the kid’s jacket.

A bright, blinding light emerged where the kid was causing his bros to shield their eyes. Mikey could just barely see Leo grab Donnie and shove him away from the boy as Raph came to block Mikey from the glow as the light became too much to bear. Mikey ended up closing his eyes as well. The light was warm and orange in hue but felt more comforting than threatening in Mikey’s opinion. After a few minutes, the light faded and the boys lowered their arms only to see that the boy they thought was a human transformed into a mutant turtle. 

The room then erupted into complete chaos with each of Mikey’s brothers talking over each other. “FUCKING HELL, LEO WHAT DID YOU DO!” Raph yelled glaring at their leader. “Langauge, Raph and I didn’t do anything, calm down. I’m sure there is a reasonable exclamation for this. Right Donnie?” Leo responded back nervously, glancing over at their purple brother. He took a step back from Raph and raised his hands in a sign of peace as Raph towered over him. 

Leo’s attempt to get answers from Donnie landed on deaf ears as it seemed Donnie was lost in his own head, muttering under his breath. Donnie walked over to the human-turned-turtle and picked up the fallen broach, turning it over in his hand. He stood there a long time before pacing to his lab’s computer on the other side of the room seeming to have forgotten his brothers’ presence. Leo and Raph continued to argue in the background as Mikey made his way over to the turtle.

Man, he didn’t think the little guy could get any smaller, but here he was. He was differently smaller than Mikey, now. The little guy probably only came up to his shoulders if he was standing. Mikey was the smallest of his brothers with Donnie being the tallest, so it was weird that this new mutant was so little. It really showed that he was a little kid. Mikey and his brothers had just turned nineteen this year and judging by how small the turtle was, maybe Mikey’s earlier thought of him being twelve was true. The stickers on his chest and stomach furthered his belief. 

His skin was darker than Mikey’s and he looked to be a different breed of turtle than he was with the way he had yellow spots all over him and his shell shape. Mikey and his bros were diamondback turtles and were a bit bland in comparison to this kid. In fact, the dude had foreign features when he was a human, so maybe his turtle genres came from somewhere besides the US as well. Looking around further, it seemed the little guy had on a brightly colored mask much like Mikey’s own. The orange hue was brighter than Mikey’s and looked more yellow-orange, but was still similar in their knot-tying. Bows for life! He could respect the fashion statement. 

It seemed his backpack had also transformed into a shackle of sorts. It kind of looked like one of their old ninja belts from their earlier years. The belt had a strange symbol on it that looked like a fancy “V” and had pockets which Mikey believes has the kid’s things in them. 

Glancing back at the child, Mikey noticed something strange. The kid’s arms had well-worn bandages on them that were coming undone, showing off the child’s scars. The kid’s scars were even more profound against his dark green skin tone, however, they looked more… alive, brighter too. In fact, they seemed to be glowing a soft golden light that was getting brighter the longer Mikey stared at them.

“Uh, dudes. The kid’s scars are glowing,” was all Mikey got out before the kid’s eyes shot open and let out a blood-curdling scream, effectively drawing all attention back to them.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~~Chapter 5- Moving Forward~~~~~~~~

POV Shift- Rise Mikey

Consciousness came slowly to Mikey. Although maybe that wasn’t the right term to use, because when Mikey opened his eyes he was surrounded in a thick black smog. There were streams of light dancing through the space that reflected rainbow-colored light around him. This space was familiar. He had been here before when meditating and practicing his mystic abilities with Draxum. It looks like when Mikey passed out during his fight with the gator, he had subconsciously activated his mystic arts and entered his mind! 

This was amazing! Whatever had caused his abilities to falter from the portal was finally wearing off. Mikey spun to sit in a cross-legged position with a bright smile on his face. 

He let out breaths of air to slow his breathing and focused on reaching out to his abilities. Mikey could just barely feel a spark of energy running through his veins. His powers were weak and probably needed rest, but he was improving. Mikey slowly opened his eyes and smiled even brighter at this realization. 

He was feeling more like himself what with being a turtle agian. The cloaking magic from the broach doesn’t work inside one’s mind, so Mikey felt more at peace. When he wakes up, he would have to take a break from wearing the thing. The magic that covers his body feels similar to waking up with makeup on after a while. It was starting to irritate him.

Mikey glanced around the space, eyes moving to the various colors that made up his mind. He needed to find a way to wake up. He left the waking world in a less-than-decent way and didn’t want to get squashed by a giant rampaging gator. Mikey needed to get back home to his brothers in a better condition than he found himself in if he didn’t want to get grounded for eternity by Raph. Leo and Donnie would even start watching his every move if he came back black and blue. 

He didn’t want to deal with his brothers being overly productive so soon after finally getting some peace after the invasion, so he had to think. If he remembers correctly from his lessons with Draxum, the rainbow-colored lights were fragments of dreams and memories. Mikey recalls his dad telling him that each person’s subconscious were different and that Mikey had a deeper connection to light and emotions which reflected in his space. Thus, his subconscious was filled with glowing memories of his past and dreams for the future. Perhaps one of the light blobs could wake him up! Mikey just had to find one that would get the job done.

Mikey slowly pushed his way through the gleaming lights peering into any that caught his eye. He saw an assortment of scenes ranging from past childhood memories to nightmarish moments from his time facing the Kraang. 

Mikey eventually found a pattern in how to tell the light streams apart. The scenes that fostered memories had more colors representing the emotions behind them while the dreams were less tangible and glowed a soft white. All of the more nightmarish scenes centered around darker hues and had a dimmer saturation, so Mikey stayed away from them. He didn’t want the reminder of the invasion even if those memories could potentially shook him awake… 

He decided it would be in his best interest to shift through his memories rather than dreams. Mikey doubted he could wake himself up with his dreams since they were less tangible and hard to see into. He eventually came across a glowing stream of light blue and bright orange in color. It gave off a comforting feeling with a small spark of determination and braveness that felt so similar to Leo’s spirit that it had Mikey drawned to it. 

Mikey looked into the memory, the light over taking his body, and was greeted with his old home in the sewers. Well, more like one of the tunnels a bit further down from his home, but it was close enough anyway. He could see that this scene was from before Donnie had made the sewers more livable and clean, so it was a fairly old memory. “It’s ok, Mikey! Your favorite big brother knows these sewers like the back of his hand! We’ll be home in no time at all!” Leo said confidently pulling a smaller vision of Mikey behind him. His big brother was so little and he was even smaller. If Mikey could guess, he would say that Leo looked to be about eight which made Mikey five since they had a three year age gap. Both the tots were dressed in their favorite clothes from back then with Leo in his bright blue apparel and Mikey wearing his beloved orange hoodie. 

He doesn’t really remember this event all that well, so it just proves that he was young when it happened. “Bu’, Lee Lee. You said tha’ a while ago an’ we still are no’ home. I want’a go home. I’m super duper hungie!” Little Mikey whined with a slight lisp from his missing front teeth. The small guy looked like he was on the verge of tears and Leo quickly tried to calm him done. Leo turned around and grabbed Mikey by the shoulders, shaking him slightly. “Hey, have I ever let you down before? I’ll answer that for you. I have not, becasue I’m super cool and so are you! I got this little, bro, and with you here to help me, we’ll get home before Raphie even knows we were gone! Besides, I would never let one of my little brothers starve in the sewers and I really do know where we are, pinky promise! We’ll be home soon and get to eat some yummy dino nuggets, ok?” Little Leo said with a hug grin on his face, sticking out one of his fingers in a pinky promise gesture towards little Mikey. 

Little Leo’s words seemed to catch little Mikey by surprise and he giggled in response, sticking his own finger out to complete the ritual. Little Mikey giggled even harder when he said, “But Lee Lee, I’m your only little brother!” Little Leo let out an offended gasp and dramatically placed a hand over his heart. “It doesn’t matter how many choco-bars Donnie has bribed you with! He is still two whole minutes younger than me which means I have two younger brothers, not just one.” Little Leo exclaimed with all the sass an eight-year-old could muster.

Suddenly, little Leo’s face turned serious as he glanced at little Mikey. He gently patted little Mikey’s head and took his hand back. “Now, come on Mikey. I need you to be super brave right now. Can you give me your brave face?” Little Mikey looked back at little Leo and gave him a big toothy smile. “Ya, Lee Lee. I’m gonna be super duper brave ju’ like you!” Little Leo looked pleased with Mikey’s statement and turned around to start moving forward. “Right, you are little brother. Let’s go! I’m sure we are-” He didn’t even get to finish his sentence when off from the distance a loud voice could be heard calling their names. 

“LEO! MIKEY!” Raph’s voice could be heard with a worried tone. Both the boys glanced at each other with differing emotions. “WE OVER HE’ RAPHIE!” The younger of the two screamed, beaming at the realization that his brother was near, while the older looked nervous. Just as the memory was fading Mikey could hear a small mumble come from little Leo. “Oh, Shell.”

Back in the color-filled space, Mikey let out a laugh as the warmth from the memory overtook his senses. Hearing his brother’s voice again was just what Mikey needed to feel more at home. He let his worries subside for a bit as he thought back to his second-oldest brother. Leo never really changed from back then it seemed. He was always trying to lighten the more serious situations the boys got themselves into with jokes. 

As they got older and got into more fights, Leo upped his act, proclaiming himself as the face man of the group. Mikey was worried that Leo took the role too seriously and masked his emotions behind his jokes. It became clear when Leo was given the title of leader by their father that he was dealing with a lot more than Mikey knew. Mikey doesn’t like to think about that time too much, however. Raph and Leo were always fighting and it put a damper on the team’s moral… 

After the invasion, that aspect of their lives improved strangely enough. His two older brothers worked on communication more, with the help of many lectures with Dr. Feelings and Dr. Delicate Touch combined, and got along a lot better. He was proud of his brothers progress. Now, if only he could get Donnie to light up more as well… That was a problem for when he got home, however. Mikey needed to get back on track.

So that memory didn’t wake Mikey up, but he wouldn’t let one step back ruin his mood. He just had to keep going… Maybe he could find a memory with Donnie next. He missed his purple clad brother. Maybe it was ok if Mikey took a little break. He had been so focused on his mission that he was starting to fall into negative territory. He didn’t need that mindset right now and who knows when he will be able to come back here again. It was his mind after all. What could go wrong? 

With that thought in mind, Mikey turned away from the the glowing ball of light blue and orange in search of another stream of light when he noticed something strange. Lifting his arms up, he glared down at his lighting bolt like scars. They were giving off a faint light with small tingles of pain. Not good. He instantly regretted jinxing himself. When was the last time he had a flare up again? He vaguely remembers before he went out on patrol he had a slight incident, but he had applied his medicine before it got to bad. 

The medicine was supposed to keep his mystic powers at bay, sealing them back in, and allowing his arms to heal back up for a few days once applied. Donnie and Draxum had worked on the medicine together, creating a vail specific to Mikey’s needs. Draxum had explained that when Mikey opened the portal, his mystic arts had gone haywire and his body wasn’t able to get it under control. Thus, his mystic arts tried to fix the lack of fuel themselves taking the extra energy needed from Mikey’s physical body. 

In simpler terms, Mikey’s body was like a jar full of water. The jar had outside presure applied to it which caused the jar to crack and the water to spill out. On top of this, Mikey also had serve nerve damage as a side effect from opening the portal which caused occasional tringles of pain to spread throughout his arms. 

On Mikey’s worst days, his arms could stop working entainly and he would need to ask his brothers for help with the most simplest of tasks. It drove Mikey insane for he didn’t want to bother his brothers with his needs. They had their own tramas to deal with and Mikey was grown now. He didn’t need to be babied.

The light and pain only grew, causing Mikey to snap out of his thoughts. It’s ok, Mikey. Just breath. You’ll be ok. This was all that stupid portal’s fault anyway! It seemed to be the cause of all his issues right now! It just had to transport Mikey away from home and tamper with his meds! He didn’t even pack his medicine too, so it’s not like he could alleviate the pain! He would just have to sit through it… all on his own… without his siblings there to comfort him. 

He was tearing up, now. The pain was just too much and he was alone and scared. The space around Mikey was brightening as the pain in Mikey’s arms grew. The swirls of light were combing into a messy array of colors and overwhelming Mikey’s senses. 

It was all too much, so Mikey curled himself into a ball. The short-lived adrenaline he got from seeing his brother again was long gone as he closed his eyes in pain. A loud whooshing sound picked up as the swirls of light spun around Mikey. The sound only got louder and louder as Mikey was shocked awake, letting out the loundest scream he ever heard leave his lips. 

Mikey was sure he had awaken from the sheer amount of pain he was in, but he could care less at the moment. He just wanted the pain to stop. Mikey slowly turned onto his right side feeling a sharp pain as he put pressure on his injured arm. He gently curled up, pulling his legs close, and vaguely sensed that his cloaking broach was not on. 

In the back of his mind, a voice reminded him of the fact that he had passed out from fighting a giant mutant gator and should take note of his surroundings. Mikey ignored the voice, however, curling up tighter. Over the overwhelming pain, he mentally cheked on the rest of his body. His leg was feeling a lot better and gave off a slight tingle. His bruised body was also feeling better, so he didn’t get squashed by the gator. Maybe his earlier thought of the gator being similar to Raph was ture and he patched him up. 

Mikey tried to open his eyes to get a better handle on the situation, but they wouldn’t budge. He was letting out quiet whimpers and whines now instead of all out screaming which was a plus in his book. Mikey could feel tears falling heavily from his eyes. He tried to stop them in order to not show weakness and tried to shift his body to hide further. He couldn’t move that much, however. 

Suddenly, he felt a comforting hand land on his shoulder, gently rubbing it. He could just barely hear voices around him through the blood rushing to his ears. The voice closest to him was familir in a way Mikey couldn’t put his finger on, but still felt slightly off. Mikey couldn’t open his eyes, but he could use another ability he had to feel out the room. He had been holding off on using it in fear of what he might find, but felt like it was his only option now. He didn’t want to active this ability in fear of not sensing his brothers. He still wasn’t sure what all that portal did to him and his abilities and he didn’t want to risk it. 

Desperate times call for desperate measures, however. Mikey concentrated on activating his ninpo, the magical connection he had to his family and the world around him. Since the invasion, Mikey had been honing all his magical abilites including his ninpo. He advanced his understanding of it to the point where he was able to sense things in the world around him without using his eyes including a person’s aura. It was kind of like echo-location, but with mystic senses instead of sounds. 

Draxum was surprised by his increase in ability over just one year, but he wasn’t gonna be a super cool mystic warrior by twiddling his thumbs. Mikey just had a talent for all things mystic which he was gonna use to his advance. 

Mikey gently let out a wave of orange energy, taking in the room around him. The first thing he realized was that he was not in the abandoned train station any longer rather in a poor excuse of a lab, similar to his older brother’s when they were kids. The bed he was laid on was clearly a hasty put together medical bed of some kind. It was just a metal table with a white sheet on it, but was a step up from the hard ground from before. His wound had left a blood stain in the white sheet. 

The second thing he noticed was that he was bandaged up asides from his arm (in fact his wrappings were falling off, almost like someone had tried to remove them to see his mystic scars) and his ninja gear was laid close to him on a separate table. The table had some pain killers and materials needed to give stitches. That explains why his leg was giving off a stinging pain. Whoever had patched him up had gave him stitches which was not boding well for him. Hopefully, he would be able to hind the severity of his injury from his brothers when he got home. He didn’t think his injury was enough to need stitches. He had been through worse and his advanced healing would take care of it eventually, but clearly whoever patched him up didn’t know that. 

The third thing he noticed was someone else’s spiritual energy, or rather a few someones, but that didn’t make any sense. The energys he was sensing were that of his brothers. For a split second, Mikey was overcome by joy but that feeling left as quickly as it came. His brothers’ energys were different from the ones he was picking up on. 

The blue coming from the person closest to him was much darker than his Leo’s light blue. The red coming from across the room was more of a blazing red and not a comforting one. The deep purple that was his brother’s was much lighter on the figure hunched over a laptop. He could even sense an engry close to his own yellow-orange, but it was more of a… Cheeto color? (He could even sense an energy further down from this room similar to his father’s murky silver.) He wasn’t sure how to describe each of the occupants in the room for they felt so familiar and yet so foreign.

Mikey must have let out too much of his ninpo when he sent his arts throughout the room since he now noticed all the noise from earlier had died down. The hand rubbing his shoulder had slowed it’s movement as well. Oops. Hopefully, the mutants (they were definitely mutants from the way their energy was presented) weren’t too mad that Mikey had invaded their inner chi. Draxum informed him it’s considered rude to look into someone’s arts without their permission like Mikey just done. From the way the mutants were treating him, he didn’t think they would flip out on him. They probably just thought he was a lost and scared little kid… 

Come to think of it, what were other mutants doing down in the sewers in the first place? Mikey knows there weren’t any other mutants near his home growing up. He and his brothers would go off on trips around the sewers to find others like them when they were old enough but had no such luck. Maybe he was further than his home than he had thought. Well, Mikey would just have to see for himself. 

The pain from his flare-up had greatly subsided now, leaving small tremors in his hands. They still hurt, but not as much as before. Mikey could feel more of his body now that the pain was bearable and felt ready to open his eyes. He slowly did as such releasing the last of his tears as he peeked up at the figure rubbing his shoulder. It was another turtle mutant wearing a dark blue mask around his eyes. The turtle was more boxy than Mikey’s brother and didn’t have his signature red bananas and yellow crescents. He was taller than his brother and looked older, too. If Mikey stood next to him, the mutant would be a few heads taller than him. The blue-cladded turtle wasn’t looking at him but rather turned whispering to the other mutants in the room. 

The other mutants were turtles too, it seemed. Each of them had on masks much like his brothers but in the color of their chi. The purple turtle was still hunched over his laptop with the red turtle next to him. The purple turtle was the tallest in the group, being smaller than Mikey’s eldest brother. The red turtle next to him was the second to smallest in the room and had many scars littering his body. In fact, all of the turtles had various scars on them, but the red mutant had the most. They seemed to be talking to each other in a frantic manner. The blue turtle was talking to them as well, although not contributing as much as his red counterpart. 

The last turtle left Mikey baffled. The turtle was taller than him (rude) and was wearing an orange-colored mask much like his own, but off-colored. He had a light green skin color with freckles decorating his body. While the other turtles were distracted discussing and hadn’t noticed that Mikey was awake, this turtle had and was staring right at him. The same shade of baby blue eyes greeted his own as the mutant across from him gave him a lopsided smile.

Mikey’s breathing picked up as it had done serval times that day. He broke eye contact with the orange turtle mutant and quickly shifted his body away from the blue-cladded turtle, alerting the other occupants of the room in the process and hurting his arm further. Mikey pushed himself through the pain away from the turtle and jumped into a seating position against the wall near the medical bed. He brought his legs up close to his body and rocked himself side to side. 

Mikey had to face the facts. He thought back to the off New York and his strange conversation at the 7-Eleven. He thought back to getting lost in the sewers and finding the huge gator mutant. He thought back to the strange energy he felt from the turtles in the room with him. He thought about how similar they were to his brothers. 

It all made sense now. Mikey was wrong. He had not traveled to the past. He had traveled to another dimension.

Mikey had done this before what with opening a portal to the prison dimension to save Leo, but that was a one-time miracle! He wasn’t strong enough to open another portal since his powers were drained from the first time. Even after a year of recovery, his mystic arts were not at full capacity! He differently would have died if he even tried to open another portal! He was bedridden (and grounded for three months) after he tried to experiment with portal making and he wasn’t even able to create a spark! Whatever happened that night during patrol really messed everything up! Now, he was all alone with no way home! He couldn’t create a new portal, so he was stuck here! He would never see his family again! Mikey had tried really, really hard (and that’s two reallys) to be brave like Leo wanted, but he just couldn’t do this anymore. 

All day Mikey had been trying to keep it in and not break down, but he just couldn’t take it anymore. Mikey let out all his frustrations and finally allowed himself to cry. He was full-on sobbing and shaking from the force of his tears. He didn’t care that the other mutants were in the room. He needed this. He just wanted to get home! Was that too much to ask?

POV Shift- 2012 Leo

The little turtle’s whipmers and cries filled the room causing the other mutants to give him their full attention once more. It seemed everyone was at a lost on what to do. Ever since the small child had let out that horrible scream, Leo had been in mother hen mood (as his brothers like to call it). Had he caused this? When Leo knocked that broach off the child, had he somehow mutated the kid? Is this how their father felt when he underwent his transformation? Leo wasn’t sure about the details, but he knew this was his fault. 

When the turtle had first let out screams of pain, Leo had been the first one there to comfort him. The little guy sounded like he was in so much pain and it broke his heart. The leader ushered his brothers away from the boy to give him space. This was Leo’s fault, thus his responsibility. He didn’t want to hurt the kid further, but he had to do something. Leo gently rubbed his shoulder like he did when his brothers were younger. He had spoken words of encouragement that seemed to calm the small turtle down, although he wasn’t sure if the child could even hear him since his eyes were still closed. 

He had asked Donnie a million questions as to what had happened, but his brother didn’t have any answers for him. Raph had added his own input, although that had only caused another argument between the three brothers. It was than that the child jumped away from Leo and gave each member of the room another heart attack as he started shaking and whining.

The kid had let out the most heart wrenching sobs Leo has ever heard. His big brother senses were screaming at him to get the kid to stop, so he crept slowly towards the kid. Leo crouched down to the kid’s eye level to make himself smaller. He had noticed that the kid was having a panic attack and he didn’t want to startle him. Donnie had panic attacks as well when he got overwhelmed, so Leo tried to use that knowledge to help him now. 

Luckily, all his brothers had quieted down from shock, so he didn’t have to use his big brother voice to get them to be quiet. Leo stopped a few feet away from the boy. He remembered that Donnie didn’t like being crowed and would shy away from touch when panicking. He slowly brought his hands up in peace and sent a gentle smile to the panicking boy. “Hey, it’s ok. We are not going to hurt you. Everything is alright. You're safe. It must have been very scary waking up in an unfamiliar space especially after being attacked like you were. No one is going to hurt you here. My brothers and I just wanted to make sure you were banaged properly and got some rest. You looked pretty beaten up, so… um, ya.” Leo left off less than gracefully. Was he doing this right? The kid wasn’t screaming and his cries had died down a bit, so maybe he was. 

The kid’s eyes where now fully on him taking in his stature. He was probalry curious, having never seen a mutant before. Well beside LeatherHead, but he doesn’t count. Leo inched forward a little bit when the kid didn’t react to him moving closer. “That’s it. You’re doing so well. Here, take some deep breaths like this. In and out. In and out.” Leo said as he showed the kid Donnie’s breathing exercise. He did the exercise with hand motions and exaggerated his breathing to help the kid through the movements. The kid didn’t let on that he was listening to Leo, however, just staring at him. 

Something changed in the kid’s eyes and a look of resolve crossed his face. Suddenly, the kid closed in the remaining distance between the two and for a split second Leo thought he was going to attack. He was surprised, however, when instead the kid tightly hugged him sobbing once again.

The kid fit perfectly in Leo’s lap. Now that he was holding him, Leo could really see their height difference for all it was. “It’s ok. It’s ok.” Leo mumbled to the boy repeatedly as he rubbed his shell soothingly. The way the kid was sitting was most definitely irritating his injures, but Leo didn’t have the heart to move him. In fact, Leo pulled the boy closer. It seemed to be helping the boy calm down, although he was still sobbing. 

Leo looked towards his brothers for some support, but they all just stared back at him. Raph shrugged his shoulders, Donnie turned back to his laptop avoiding his eyes, and Mikey looked back at him while swaying side to side. Leo rolled his eyes at his brothers unhelpfulness and was about to tell them off when their father rushed into the room. 

“My sons, what is going on here? I heard yelling and there was an influx of energy spread throughout the lair-” The rat’s lecture was cut short as his eyes landed on the small turtle in Leo’s arms. His father’s eyes widened as he froze in the doorway. “Donatello, what have you done?” Splinter exclaimed, slowly approaching the two boys on the ground. Donnie let out a squeak of offense, “Sensei, I didn’t do anything! I am an innocent bystander here! I have never done any unethical experimentations in my lab and I can’t believe you would think otherwise!” All his family members turned to Donnie after that statement giving him a look, including their father. Donnie blushed as all attention was on him and turned back to his laptop, grumbling under his breath. 

Leo shook his head at his brother, but was quickly distracted by the small turtle shifting in his arms. Now that his father was sitting close by, the kid had noticed his presence and turned to get a better view of him. The kid had a look of confusion on his face, but it changed once the boy looked at his father’s chest. It seemed like the child was seeing something Leo could not and realization dawned on his face. 

Suddenly, the kid was crying again and leaped out of Leo’s arms. The kid smashed into his father’s arms and called out, “Papa!” 

Ok, what? That was weird, but Splinter reacted quicker than Leo could question the statement. His father gently brought the boy into his arms and rocked him back and forth. He patted his shell and whispered into the turtle’s ear. The boy was mumbling incoherently, hugging his father tight, and was still crying, although his movements were dying down. Leo felt a bit sad that he was unable to provide the same amount of comfort his father was giving the boy, but was glad he wasn’t crying as much. 

While his father was occupied he turned to his brothers, although they were all looking at the scene before them with various expressions on their faces. Mikey had barely left the small turtle’s line of sight since he woke up and was clearly very worried about him. The youngest was bouncing on his feet now, trying to sneak a peak at the boy over Leo’s shoulders. Raph hadn’t spoken throughout the whole ordeal which was starting to worry Leo. He didn’t want to bother him though, since he looked like he was in deep thought. 

Instead, Leo stood up and went over to his second youngest brother, Donnie. He glanced at the laptop over his brother’s shoulders. It looked like Donnie had been trying to run some experiments on the broach they had found the child with. It was hooked up to some wires running through his laptop. Leo spook softely so as not to distrub his father’s actions to calm the child, “Found anything yet, Don?” Donnie glanced at Leo, still slaty from before, and sadly shook his head no. “I have run many tests, but have not found any trace of mutagen on the broach. I honestly have no idea what it’s chemical makeup even is! The outside is coated in a thin metal, most likely a mixture of silver, but the gem is nothing I have ever seen. In fact, the material from the weapon we found eariler is giving off a similar energy signature, but I am positive the makeup is different. It’s exciting, but at the same time, I am getting frustrated because I have no idea what they-” 

Mikey interrupted Donnie’s speech at the mention of the fiery weapon. He turned his attention from the boy for the first time that day and exclaimed, “Oh, ya! The weapon toatlly glowed a bit when we brought the boy in earlier. Maybe they are connected somehow!” Donnie snapped his head so quickly that Leo went to hold his own in sympathy. The purple brother was glaring at Mikey with a fiery gaze. “My beloved brother, WHY DID YOU NOT MENTION THIS SOONER? WHAT IF THE WEAPON REACTED IN A BAD WAY-” Raph slamed a hand over Donnie’s mouth and shushed him harshly. He held a hand up to his mouth and pointed over at their father. 

All the boys turned their heads as they followed Raph’s movement and noticed that the child had fallen asleep in his arms. They also noticed that their father was glaring at them which was scary in its own way. Leo had an inkling that training tomorrow was going to be tougher than usual. 

Their father stood with the boy in his arms and turned to address the boys, “Well, I think this has been enough excitement for the night. I will be expecting an explanation over what happened in the morning, although for now, we should all get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” With that said their father turned from the room taking the child with him. 

The room fell silent once more before Leo spoke up, “Alright, you heard what he said. Let’s get some shut eye, you too Donnie. I don’t want you staying up all night trying to decipher all this stuff. I know there is a lot going on, but we need everyone at their best if we want to get any answers. I advise everyone to turn in early for the night as well.” Donnie huffed in annoyance, but didn’t talk back. Mikey gave a small pout and Raph walked out of the room. He muttered a quiet “goodnight” before he left. Leo would have to check on him later. 

“Goodnight bros! Love ya. I’m gonna text LH the situation. He's probably worried and stuff, so ya. I’ll see you all at breakfest?” Mikey said uncertainly. It seemed he was worried about Raph as well. Leo and Donnie nodded at Mikey’s question and he skipped out of the room. “I should text April and Casey to inform them as well. I am sure April has texted me at least six messages asking questions about the situation. I will see you in the moring Leo. Goodnight,” Donnie said rather bluntly turning back to his laptop. Leo let out a sigh and wished his brother a “goodnight” as he left the room. 

Leo just knew that none of them were getting any sleep that night. It was going to be a long day.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 6-The Bomb is Dropped~~~~~~~~~~~

POV Shift- Rise Mikey 

Consciousness came slower this time as Mikey peeled his eyes open. He had a restless sleep and was now in an unfamiliar room once again. Mikey was getting tired of waking up in strange places. This was like the third time this happened and it was getting annoying real quick. Although, a small part of him did kind of hope that when he woke up, he’d be back home with his family, especially after what happened last night. 

It would be easy to write this off as some dream he had that was more realistic than normal, but he knew that wasn’t the case. He had to be brave, face the facts, and come up with some kind of action plan. That meant no more running and no more panicking. He had to keep his head on straight if he wanted to get home after all!

His first course of action should be to find out where he was so that he could better understand his situation! Taking a look at his surroundings, Mikey found that he was in a bedroom laid on a traditional Japanese bed, or a futon, which was pushed up against a wall near the only exit. The covers were tucked up to his chin and soft pillows were behind his head. It was quite cozy and the leer of sleep was trying to keep him prisoner, but he had to say on task so he patted his cheeks to stay awake. 

Rubbing the last bits of sleep from his eyes, Mikey sat up and noticed that the room was very traditional in nature and simplistic. There was barely any furniture in the room with a few miscellaneous items here and there. There was a closet off to the left, a dresser next to it, and an area for mediation. The mediation area had its own zen garden and burning sticks while the dresser and closet had a simple design. The room had a color scheme of green, silver, and dark brown. It gave off an earthy tone that was foreign to Mikey. There was also a small shine off to the side with a picture and incense candles lit on top. He couldn’t see what was on the picture from here and didn’t want to snoop, so he stayed put… Wait, was that a phone shaped like a cheese wheel? Nope, not the time! 

It became clear that Mikey was alone in the room, although he could sense that someone was with him recently. The aura was faded so they had just left, but he could still pick up on hints of silver and rust brown. Their aura was the same as the one he had sensed before, the one like his dad’s. This room must belong to the Splinter of this world then. Mikey must have fallen asleep in his arms when he barreled into him last night and the rat had taken him to his room to rest. It was embarrassing to think about, but at least he wasn’t in any danger. 

Knowing that this was Splinter’s room was strange, however, since it was so bland and had a serious tone to it. Mikey always envisioned his dad’s room to be more chaotic and cluttered. Maybe it would have a few posters of himself from his movie star days and trophies from his dojos. The Splinter here must be more traditional, unlike his much more laid-back dad. Although it’s not like Mikey could tell if their rooms were similar or not since he had never entered his pop’s room before. 

His father wouldn’t allow the boys into his bedroom when they were younger and would often lock them out for long periods of time. His father had his own stuff to deal with back then, so Mikey could understand. He and his brothers weren’t much help either, always causing trouble and whatnot. Sometimes his dad just needed extra downtime… Ugh! This was not the time to be dwelling on those memories. He had bigger fish to fry! 

He is stuck in another universe and has no idea how to get home! He also ugly cried in front of this world’s versions of his brothers which probably freaked them out. He has a lot of explaining to do, doesn’t he?… Although, should he even tell them about this? What if they are not as nice as they seem? No, they helped patched him up and saved him from that gator guy… probably. 

Actually, now that he thought about it, his arms had new bandages on them covering his scars. He could smell a faint medical scent coming from his hands which he thought dulled the pain since he couldn’t feel any tingles. Luckily, he could still move his arms around freely thanks to the medicine. He wouldn’t have to worry about his hands giving out on him for a while. The injury on his arm was patched up too. They were definitely good guys then! Maybe they could help him get home! He should still find a weapon just in case things go south, though. Mikey had too many close calls since he got to this dimension for his liking. He also needed to be more responsible now that he knew he was farther from home than he initially thought.

With his mind made up, Mikey threw back the covers and stood up with a confident smile on his face. Although when he did, he noticed that someone had put him in a large oversized nightgown (It was more like a t-shirt, but with his short stature the shirt engulfed him). It was light blue with a cartoon turtle on the front. The gown was big on him and fell off one of his shoulders, but was cozy so he kept it on. Maybe this Splinter was more silly than he thought. 

His orange bandana and knee pads were set beside the bed. He quickly tied the bandana to his head and shoved his protective pads on being mindful of his injury. The knee pads were a gift from Donnie when he was in his “I have to baby-proof the entire lair because Angelo keeps hurting himself on every surface” phrase. He couldn’t help it if he was clumsy! He didn’t even hurt himself that often, but his brother didn’t listen to his protests. 

As Mikey grew, Donnie upgraded the knee pads to be more sturdy and adjustable so that they could fit his legs more snuggly (He even made a black pair when the invasion came around. He couldn’t use that pair anymore since they brought up bad memories). Over time, Mikey grew to love the orange knee pads and made them a part of his ninja outfit. It had nothing to do with the fact that whenever Donnie saw them he’d smile just a tiny bit. Nope, not at all! Unfortunately, his leg wrappings were too damaged to be salvaged, so Mikey had to go without them. He could find a replacement later. For now, he had to focus on his mission!

The room only had one exit, what with it originally being a sewer tunnel, so Mikey went over to the door and pushed it open. He thought about snooping around a bit more to find a weapon or something useful, but if he wanted these turtles to help him, he would have to be on his best behavior… 

Plus the closet had a lock on it and the dresser wouldn’t budge even with his enhanced strength. He did pay his respects at the shine before leaving, however. He wasn’t a savage. Raph taught him right! The room exited into a hallway that branched out in two directions. Mikey heard quiet mumbling coming from the left, so he turned toward the sound. It was important to find out where the other turtles were in case he needed to fight again. He could just sense them with his powers, but he didn’t want to overexert his abilities and cause another flare-up. 

As he continued down the way, he came to realize that the layout of these sewers was identical to his old home. The walls weren’t decorated with his art and there weren't any cracks in the walls from their turtle tot days, but the walls surrounding him were definitely home. It made him feel calmer knowing that at least his surroundings were the same even if it was a tad different. If the layout was similar, then he would have an easier time escaping if he needed to as well. Hopefully, it didn’t come to that.

Eventually, Mikey came to the end of the tunnel which led out to a large, open space that was repurposed into a living room/hangout area. Unlike Mikey’s home, the room had a lowered-down section in the center of the room creating a pit of sorts. Inside the pit sat a large couch, coffee table, and tiny T.V. The pit also connected to a water gate that looked like it traveled down into the sewers. It was blocked off with a metal gate, although there was a latch that could open it, currently locked. Connected to the space was a dining area and kitchen, he assumed, which was blocked off by a wall and only had one entrance. 

Mikey heard the voices from earlier coming from there and could sense three presences nearby. A fiery red, Cheeto orange, and silver with rust-brown colored auras flooded his senses. His mind supplied that they were this world’s Raph, Mikey, and Splinter. A smell of burning eggs clued Mikey in that the occupants were trying to cook breakfast, but failing horribly. The chef in him wanted to help, but he hadn’t found what he was looking for yet and still had unexplored areas of the sewers so he turned back to the room. 

Off to the side of the room was a set of turnstiles, like the ones you’d see lead to train tracks in movies. Looking down the way, the exit indeed led further into the sewers. Mikey could use this as an exit if need be. Although, he could sense some hidden sensors nearby that were poorly hidden along the route. He could tell that this world’s Donnie must have set them up with how they had a purple hue surrounding them. 

Unfortunately, they looked less advanced than his brother’s. This universe wasn’t as advanced as his dimension with it being a few years in the past, so maybe it would be hard to rely on science to get him home. Shaking his head, Mikey looked back at the living space. He didn’t need to think about that right now. The room was much dirtier than Mikey’s home and he is not saying that just because they live in the sewers. Various empty food containers litter the floor as well as piles of trash and scatter comic books. If Donnie was here, he would go into a cleaning frenzy with how messy it was. Mikey, himself, didn’t like the mess all that much. It was messing with his head and his hands itched to organize it, but this wasn’t his home. It would be disrespectful to touch their things. 

Scattered around the pit, there were a variety of activities around the room. Off to one side, there was a skate ramp that was smaller than his with skateboards laid around it. Various knee pads and helmets were dropped around the ramp as well. Close by there was a pinball machine with a punching bag next to it. It looked well-used and in need of patching up. A few piles of sand were decorating the floor underneath the bag which made Mikey think that the bag had been exchanged for a new one numerous times. Comic books were also spread throughout the room giving it a homey feel. 

Mikey then noticed that the large living area had other tunnels branching off of it that most likely led to the other turtles’ bedrooms. Each of them had wooden doors instead of curtains and had name plates above them. There was also a huge sliding door that took up an entire wall. Mikey was just about to see what was behind the sliding doors when something caught his eye or well ears. Voices were coming from one of the bedroom doors which was slightly ajar. Reading the nameplate above the door, Mikey found the room belonged to this world’s Donnie. Closing his eyes, Mikey leaned on the door and focused on the voices. 

“Leo, I’ve told you so many times already! I have no idea how the child turned into a mutant. I still have not found anything remotely close to mutagen on the kid’s things. It is more likely that they were already a mutant and had some kind of device that turned them human, maybe the broach. I’m not sure. None of my tech is able to decipher the broach’s makeup, so I’m grasping at straws here! I only know that it is somehow connected to that weapon we found from Mikey’s observation. It’s fascinating really, but frustrating because I haven't made any progress-” This world’s Leo quickly jumped in interrupting this world’s Donnie (He would need to come up with better names) from going on a tangent, “I understand that Don. I just don’t get how any of this makes sense. We would have realized if there was another turtle mutant running around. And, as far as I’m aware, we are the only turtle mutants in New York! We have never come across any of this stuff before either. None of this adds up and I’m worried about the kid! They looked pretty banged up and had old wounds. I don’t want to add on top of whatever they are dealing with if I really did turn them. I know you said it was unlikely, but what if I did?” A sigh left the turtle’s mouth and silence fell as both mutants were in thought. 

Mikey thought about coming in and explaining right then. He didn’t like seeing his brothers sad even if these were alternate versions of them. Maybe he didn’t have to find a weapon after all. They had seemed nice- wait, didn’t this world’s Donnie say something about a strange weapon! Mikey quickly let out a small amount of his ninpo, just enough so that no one could sense it. Sure enough, he could sense his Kusari-Fundo! He knew he didn’t lose it! This was great news! It seemed his other stuff was in the purple turtle’s room as well and- 

The door swung open as Mikey added more of his weight while he was lost in his excitement. Mikey fell forward as the door opened, landing on his stomach. So much for being a trained ninja, he completely blew his cover.

The turtles in the room had turned towards Mikey now that it was clear he was listening in on their conversation. They were wearing pajama sets, similar to Mikey’s gown, with their signature colored masks on display. The turtles must have woken up recently as well. They all just kind of stared at each other in shock, not knowing what to say. This was pretty embarrassing. It seemed Mikey just kept embarrassing himself since he arrived at this dimension. First with his crying fit and now with the whole eavesdropping thing. He would have to use the old younger brother charm to smooth this situation over. Pushing down on his embarrassment, Mikey slowly stood up and dusted himself off. 

He made himself smaller, puffed out his cheeks, and tugged on the brim of his nightgown, looking downward. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation. I just woke up alone and I’m not sure exactly what happened. I was trying to find some people and you guys were right there, so um ya…” Mikey mumbled, putting his acting skills to work. This world’s Leo took the bait (Works every time!) and came over to Mikey. He placed a hand on his shoulder and softly spoke, “It’s alright kid. You did nothing wrong. I would have done the same if I was in your situation. This must be very confusing, but you’re safe here. Nothing hurts anymore right?” Mikey shook his head “no” and smiled at this world’s Leo. 

He was about to explain further and ease the turtle’s worries, but a loud grumble erupted from his stomach. Oh, ya. He hadn’t had anything to eat since before the whole portal mishap. His cheeks grew darker in shade and Mikey covered his stomach. The other turtles in the room had the gale to laugh at his misfortune! Mikey would remember this betrayal! 

“Looks like it’s time for some breakfast. Let’s go see what the others were able to put together,” This world’s Leo stated as he patted Mikey’s head. He ushered the two out of the room, taking hold of Mikey’s hand. Mikey let him. This world’s Leo didn’t know that Mikey had already explored their home. He didn’t want them to know he had snooped around, especially with his less-than-friendly intentions.

This world’s Leo led him to the family’s kitchen. It was small, but cozy with a simple seating area. There was a mismatched array of chairs around the table and burnt eggs and toast at each seat. Mikey wouldn’t be surprised if the family didn’t eat in here often or cook for themselves for that matter. The discarded mounds of takeout in their living space just proved his point further. The other occupants of the sewers were in the kitchen just like Mikey had sensed earlier each wearing a different pajama outfit. 

Splinter (He would just call them by their names for now) was wearing a pink frilly apron that looked out of place on his body. He must have been the one doing the cooking then. Raph and other Mikey were setting the table and joking around with one another. As his group approached the dining area, Mikey could see Splinter twitch his ear. 

“Ah, you are all awake. I hope you are hungry little one. Breakfast is ready,” the rat had said as he turned to Mikey and his posse, taking the apron and hanging it up on a hook nearby. OMIGOSH, he did NOT just call Mikey small! Mikey tilted his hip to the side, crossed his arms in an offended manner (letting go of Leo’s hand in the process), and stuck out his bottom lip. “I am NOT small, nor little! You all are just stupidly tall!” Mikey pouted. He huffed as he was greeted by assumed faces from the other turtles at his statement. The other Mikey even giggled at him! 

Splinter looked at Mikey with enjoyment in his eyes and ushered him toward the table. “I’m glad you are feeling well again. Come, come. Breakfast will get cold and you need some nutrients. Your body is still healing.” Mikey was pushed towards the seating area and sat beside Splinter. The rest of the turtles took this notion as an invitation to the table and sat down as well. Leo sat next to Mikey on his right while Donnie and Raph sat across the table facing them. The other Mikey sat at the end of the table and imminently started munching on his eggs. Light conversation graced the dining area as the family ate their food. 

No one complained about the slightly burnt and off texture of the eggs and toast. Was this quality of food common in their lives? Mikey would not stand for it! He would have to make them something tasty for the next meal they ate! It was the least he could do for them after all the trouble he caused…

The meal continued with each family member enjoying their food and talking about random things. Each member pointedly ignored the elephant in the room but kept sending glances Mikey’s way. He could tell that they were all waiting on him to speak up first, but he didn’t know how to start his spiel. It was a lot to take in and he didn’t want to cause more trouble. With the way Donnie was twiddling with his fork and the concerned looks he was getting from Splinter and Leo, he knew he had to say something soon. 

It looked like the other Mikey had picked up on his reluctance to speak, however, and decided to break the ice. “It’s neat to meet you, little dude! I don’t think we actually told you our names what with all that happened last night. I’m Michelangelo, but my bros call me Mikey! The turtle sitting next to you is Leonardo. He is a stick in the mud most of the time, but we still love him. The red mask fellow is Rapheal. He might act all tough, but he is really sweet once you get to know him. Donatello is the turtle in purple. He is the one who patched you up and is a huge nerd! Lastly, we have Sensei! He’s our father and is strict when it comes to training, but is super nice,” Other Mikey explained as he gestured to each member of his family with his fork. He didn’t seem fazed as the occupants of the room glared at him and kept his eyes solely on the little turtle. “So, what should we call you? We can’t exactly keep calling you “the child” or “kid” forever.” 

Oh boy. Looks like Mikey would have to explain his situation after all. He was so not ready for this. Taking a deep breath, Mikey sat his fork onto his half-eaten plate and nervously smile at the family around him. All attention was on him once again and he waited for a dramatic pause (Leo would be proud) before saying, “It’s nice to meet you all. My name is Hamato Michelangelo, although most people just call me Mikey.”

…

The reaction wasn’t immediate as confused looks graced the residents of the dining table. Mikey couldn’t blame them. He didn’t even think he was in another dimension at first, rather just traveled back in time… Although time travel was just as insane as dimension travel, it was Mikey they were talking about. He technically did both those things in his lifetime or was going to do them? Does future Mikey’s time travel count since Junior is in their timeline now? I mean he did kind of time travel since this dimension was currently in the year 2012 according to that newspaper… 

Nevertheless, he was a pretty powerful mystic warrior and he wasn’t even at his full capability yet! Anything was possible at this point! 

Suddenly, pure chaos took over the deafening silence that once filled the room as various voices spoke over each other. “No way, dude! We got the same name! We can be twins!” Other Mikey exclaimed excitedly, shaking his hands. Raph reached across the table and slapped the other Mikey on his head as he rejected his claim, “Don’t be dumb, Mikey! That’s not how that works. He’s got a head injury or something. Donnie, you were supposed to check him out thoroughly! Get your shi- I mean head in the game.” Raph corrected himself quickly as he got a look from Leo. Mikey could see the rising tensions in the hot-headed brother’s shoulders as he glared at Donnie. 

Donnie glared back and rebutted, “I did check thoroughly, RAPH. He had some mild bruising on his temple, but it wasn’t enough to cause a concussion! He’s confused is all.” Raph rolled his eyes at Donnie, “Well something has to be up if he thinks he’s Mikey!” The two brothers got into a heated argument while other Mikey tried to step in and de-escalate their fight. Leo shook his head at the feud and pitched his eye ridges together in annoyance. 

A loud “YAME” echoed throughout the room as Splinter glared at his sons. The turtles imminently stopped fighting and looked downward in shame while Splinter let out a deep sigh to regain composure. He then turned towards Mikey with a gentle smile and questioned his previous statement, “I am sure the is more to your story young one. Please explain this time without interruptions.” Mikey shook his head in agreement and continued recalling his tale. 

He told the family about his travels starting at the beginning. He told them what he recalled from patrol to his powers going haywire and creating a portal here. Splinter, Leo, and Raph shared a glance as he talked about The Foot soldiers and the fight he and his siblings got themselves into. At the mention of his mystic arts, stars gathered in both other Mikey’s and Donnie’s eyes. Did they not have mystic abilities here? That wasn’t good. He told them about his trip to the 7-Eleven, although left out the part where he stole some supplies. Mikey didn’t know what their policy for stealing was and didn’t want to be seen poorly. He told them how he thought he was in the past and how he decided to find help in the sewers, leaving out the part about his breakdown. Mikey discussed his hopes of finding his past family and exaggerated his troubles of walking in the endless slug that covered the sewers. He was still mad about the gross texture that covered his legs the night prior. He told them about his run-in with the giant gator mutant and what he remembered from his loopy state. Mikey did his best to explain that part of his story, although was very out of it near the end, so he didn’t remember much. 

As he finished his story, he looked around the table once more. Donnie was practically vibrating in his seat from excitement, other Mikey was mirroring his older brother’s mood, Raph looked deep in thought, and Leo looked relieved. 

Splinter was the first one to speak up, however, “That must have been quite the journey. I’m sure your family must be worried about your disappearance. I can assure you that we will do whatever we can to help you on your travels. You may stay in our home however long you might need.” Splinter patted Mikey on his head as he said his piece. Mikey couldn’t believe his ears! “So you believe me? You’ll help me get home?” Splinter smiled softly at him and nodded his head. “I do confess that this story seems unbelievable, but I could sense your “ninpo” reaching out to mine yesterday evening. It felt similar to my son’s aura.” 

Tears gathered in the corners of Mikey’s eyes. He was so happy! They believed him! He would definitely get home soon with help from his alternate family. Wiping his eyes Mikey gave a big bright smile, “Thank you so much!” He bounced out of his chair and hugged Splinter tightly surprising the rat man. 

“Cool, cool, cool. Now that that is out of the way, let’s move on to the interesting stuff! Dimension travel and mystic powers, how does it all work? Is the broach really for cloaking one’s identity? How does it function and what’s it made out of and-” Donnie rambled on as he moved closer to Mikey’s space. All the questions he was asking were making Mikey’s head spin. It seemed like this world’s Donnie was more like his brother than he thought. “Can it, Don! You're making him uncomfortable,” Raph stepped in pulling Donnie out of Mikey’s space. “Ya, Donnie! I want to show little me all the amazing stuff we got!” Other Mikey added. He bounced over to Mikey and picked him up out of Splinter’s embrace. Mikey let out a squeak of surprise as he was lifted up and held by his alternate self. Leo let out a sigh as he too walked over to the group and said, “Stop crowding him guys. We need to check on his injuries and redo his bandages.” Each of the brothers looked sheepish for they forgot about the kid’s injuries in all the excitement. 

Donnie cleared his throat gaining the attention of the room, “Yes, of course. I was just about to mention that. Let’s go to my lab and get a more thorough checkup of little Mikey. If it is all right with you, I’d like a blood sample as well. It might help me understand the properties of your mystic arts.” Mikey stopped his struggles as he tried to get out of other Mikey arms and glared at Donnie. 

“I already told you! I AM NOT LITTLE!” The three brothers laughed at Mikey and started walking towards Donnie’s lab, breakfast forgotten. Leo shook his head at the sight with a fond smile and was about to go after them when his father called out to him.

POV Shift- 2012 Leo

“Leonardo, my son, come here for a moment.” Splinter gestured for Leo to come close so that the other turtles could not overhear their conversation as they left the room. “I would like for you to keep an eye on the child for me. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned for him. He is much too young to be fighting dangerous foes like The Foot. The scars on his hands concern me the most and I feel as if there is much he has not told us of his circumstances,” His father mused combing through his beard. 

Leo looked on in thought and asked, “Sensei, do you doubt the boy's words? You said you sensed his “ninpo” calling out to you. Was that a lie? Should I be worried?” He didn’t think that the child was lying to him. If the kid was really his youngest brother’s counterpart, then there was no way he was. Mikey had the most obvious tell out of all his siblings when lying. The youngest would wiggle and squirm around when lying and end up telling the truth out of fear that he would end up hurting someone’s feelings. The child told his tale with a straight face, although added exaggerated movements to get his point across. His story was airtight, too… Leo had also felt the kid’s mystic powers last night when they sent that burst of energy throughout Donnie’s lab… 

It is possible that this was all a ploy by the Kraang. The child could be a drone sent by then, but Donnie’s sensors would have picked up on outside interference. Leo’s confident that LeatherHead would have been able to tell the difference between a Kraang drone and a human, too. The gator had lots of experience with the race since he was once held captive by them. Leo was brought out of his thoughts when his father continued.

“No, my son. I believed what the child said and hold true to my previous statement. There are too many factors that align with his tale to not believe him, even with how crazy it might seem. My worries come from what you do not know. Last night after I brought the child to my room to rest, I fixed up his injuries the best I could. Although while healing him up, I noticed that he had various scars littering his body. Some were older and faded while others were more prominent, like the golden lines decorating his arms. When I laid him down to rest, he tossed and turned, muttering as if he was facing an invisible foe throughout the night. I worry that the enemies of his world may be more vail than the ones we face here. I hate to say it, but it seems he has faced his own share of hardships despite his age,” his father finished his speech with a downhearted expression. 

This must have deeply shaken his father. Leo and his brothers were not let out of the sewers until they were fifteen, so seeing a version of his child so injured early in his development had to hurt. It bugged Leo to no end that a version of his youngest brother was hurting so bad too, but they would just have to do what they can for now. “Thank you for telling me, Sensei. I am sure everything will turn out fine. Donnie has already started running tests on the kid’s things, so I know he will find a solution soon. Meanwhile, the others and I will keep the kid distracted and safe. You have everything under control.” Leo gave his father a thoughtful smile to help ease his concerns. His father smiled back at him.

“I have no doubt that you boys will do everything you can to help him. Just know that if it gets too much to bear, you can rely on me. I am the adult here, after all. Now, I believe it would be in our best interest to cancel training for today while we get the boy situated. I will try to reach out to our ancestors through the spirit realm and see what they know about this. In the meantime, I want you to watch over and care for the child in my stead.” Leo bowed his head, “Hai, Sensei! You have nothing to worry about. I’ll keep the others at bay and try to find out what I can.” His father nodded his head and left the room, heading towards his chambers. 

Leo felt a great sense of relief wash over his body. With a moment to himself, he could finally think and take in this new information. He did not cause the boy to mutant as he had originally thought. The child would be fine, although they had much to do. He would have to work with Donnie on figuring out a way to get the boy home. Although, Leo couldn’t help but worry about the more blurry and mystical parts of the kid’s story. He wasn’t sure how much they could help the boy with the magical aspects of his tale since they have not dealt with magic much. 

Maybe they could construct something from some old Kraang technology to get a portal working. The brothers had come across the Kraang working with portals before, but he hadn’t thought they were in functioning order yet. They were not working with much information on how the portal was created, since the kid said his memory was blurry from that point. 

How much of the child’s story was accurate? If what the kid said was true and he had somehow been mistakenly thrown into the portal, then could someone have followed him in? What were they really dealing with here? Leo would have to find out for the safety of his family and new found ally. 

“Hey Leo, you coming?” The youngest of his brothers yelled from down the hall. Rolling his eyes Leo responded, “I’m on my way!” 

Ya, everything was going to be just fine.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~~~~~Chapter Seven- Similarities and Differences~~~~~~~~~

POV- Rise Mikey

Ok, maybe Mikey had jumped the gun earlier in his excitement in finding a way home. He had just gone on a whole spiel of how he should be more responsible and stuff, so he probably shouldn’t trust these strangers so quickly. It was a bit strange that they accepted Mikey being from an alternate dimension so easily. If this was his home, his family would question him more like they had done for Casey… 

He was just happy that he was finally making progress! At every turn he took since arriving at this place, he was met with setback after setback. A lot had happened and he promised himself he wouldn't run anymore, but he still had to keep his head on straight! With that in mind, Mikey had to be a bit more selective of what he told these mutants about his life. It didn’t matter that they were alternative versions of his brothers, they were still strangers. 

Mikey could keep a secret! Probably… Maybe… If he really tried… 

“-And this is where I keep all the topic quality comics and my favorite pizza boxes-” Other Mikey continued with his ramble. Oh, ya! Mikey was so lost in his head he had forgotten that the other Mikey was showing him around the lair as they walked to Donnie’s lab or rather, the three others walked as other Mikey carried him. It was a good idea to keep pressure off his injured leg, but that didn’t mean he had to like being babied. Mikey was a bit surprised at the amount of strength his alternative self was displaying, however. 

Even with Mikey’s attempts to struggle out of his arms, the older boy held strong. This was the second time Mikey’s strength had failed him since arriving in this dimension. First with Splinter’s dresser and now with other Mikey (He really needed to make a better naming system). It was possible that the portal altered his abilities, but maybe this dimension had different physics at play. He wouldn’t be sure until he tested his theory, however.

Mikey was brought out of his musing when other Mikey loudly proclaimed, “And this is Donnie’s lab! You technically have already seen this room since this is where we patched you up but were pretty out of it, so I’ll still show you around.” They had arrived back at the room that Mikey assumed was Donnie’s bedroom. Upon entering the space, however, it became clear that the room was the rundown lab that he had seen the previous day. 

Glancing around, Mikey got a better look at the messy space. Various machine parts were littered around along with many different sciency-looking vials and papers. Unlike his older brother’s lab, the room was chaotic and didn’t look like it had a system to it. Maybe this world’s Donnie was more like Mikey in the sense that he organized his space in an “organized chaos” fashion. The room didn’t have numerous monitors like his brother’s either. It did have a computer set up next to the medical bed he was placed in yesterday, but it was very small and unimpressive. 

Mikey could see his ninja gear on a small table by the bed and his beloved weapon laying on one of the lab tables across the room. He would have to find time to check his supplies and weapon’s durability later. For now, he had to sit through the very boring progress of a medical check-up.

Donnie pulled a chair next to the table, which was now cleaned of blood stains, and gestured to the metal bed. Other Mikey took the hint and stopped his rambling, which Mikey was only half paying attention to, to set Mikey on the table. Before Donnie got to start his examination, however, a ringtone interrupted him. 

Raph grumbled as he pulled out his phone from his pajama pants, “It’s Casey. I gotta take this. Don’t explode anything while I’m gone.” He marched out of the lab and other Mikey stuck his tongue out at him as he left. That last statement must have been for other Mikey, then. Maybe he was clumsy, too? Mikey, himself, had accidentally broken several of Donnie’s things before, so he understood where he was coming from. 

Other Mikey turned to the remaining turtles and a confused expression greeted them. Realization then dawned on other Mikey’s face as he said, “Oh, ya. We forgot about Leo! He needs to be here for this! I’ll go get him!” Other Mikey bolted out of the room knocking over a breaker in the process. Donnie let out a sigh at the loss of his equipment, “And then there were two.”

Mikey giggled at Donnie’s statement. Were he and his brothers this silly as well? A soft smile graced Donnie’s face at the younger’s laugh, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get started on your examination. There is much I want to ask, but we should clean your bandages before getting into the nitty gritty. Does anything hurt currently? It has been a while since you were given pain medication.” Mikey shook his head “no” to answer Donnie’s question and smiled back at him. Donnie nodded his head at Mikey and got started on exchanging Mikey’s bandages for new ones. 

As he worked, Mikey let his mind wander. He wasn’t one for these types of examinations. Leo, being the resident doctor, would always tell stories to Mikey whenever he was hurt to help him take his mind off things. He loved the way his brother would go into detail and make the stories seem real as if they were experiencing them right there in the room. It would always surprise Mikey how quickly Leo would get through the treatment while he was distracted. Mikey was grateful that his brother took the time to consider his feelings and make the process easier for him. 

Although his brother wasn’t here, so Mikey couldn’t listen to an engaging tale to entertain him…

As if sensing the mood change, Donnie spoke up, “If you are comfortable explaining, I would like an explanation as to why you were screaming in pain and glowing last night as well. We had originally thought that Leo had somehow mutated you when your broach had fallen, although we now know that is not the case…” The purple turtle traveled off, mumbling under his breath and glancing at Mikey’s golden scars. Mikey’s head fell to look at his scars that stretched just past his elbows. Donnie had moved on from re-applying his leg bandage to his arms. He had taken off the previous bandages and his lighting-blot-like scars were on full display, giving off a slight bit of light. 

Should Mikey tell him about the invasion and Kraang situation his family had faced? Ya, no. That was too personal and again, these turtles were strangers. Who knows, the Kraang might not even exist in this universe and that is a whole story he does not want to think about anytime soon! He still had nightmares… 

Mikey could tell Donnie was getting concerned at his silence, so he quickly settled on telling him, “They are just old wounds that never really healed probably due to a mystic overload. It happened during a huge battle about a year ago. I get flare-ups every now and again with random spurts of pain. The glowing is from my mystic powers leaking out. Draxum would be able to explain it better, but I didn’t really listen that closely the first time he told me about it. I usually take medicine to help, but of course, I forgot the vial at home. Silly me! Ha, Ha!” Mikey gave a nervous chuckle and crooked smile to Donnie in the form of an answer, hoping he wouldn’t ask any more questions. 

Donnie paused his movements at Mikey’s explanation. Did he leave out too much? He wasn’t getting anything else out of him. Donnie must be more attuned to the emotions of others in this dimension as he stirred the conversation to a lighter topic, “I see. While I’m not sure what medicine you speak of, I could potentially make another vial, but I would need a sample. Hopefully, regular pain medication will sustain you for now… Who is this Draxum fellow?” Mikey tilted his head in confusion. Did they not have his second dad here? How were they created then? “While he is-”

“WHAT’S UP PARTY PEOPLE! WE HAVE ARRIVED!” Other Mikey screamed as he barreled back into the lab with Leo in tow. Another beaker was knocked onto the floor as the duo entered. “MIKEY!” Donnie exclaimed stomping over to the orange turtle, forgetting about Mikey entirely. “That is the sixth beaker you have broken this week! That is it, out! I can not have another piece of broken equipment! You know it is hard to come by this stuff in decent condition!” Other Mikey stuck his lip out and whined, “But Donnie, I didn’t mean to! I want to find out more about mini meeeeeeee!” It looked like an argument was about to form between the two when Leo spoke up, “Mikey, how about you go set up some snacks and blankets in the living room? Training was canceled today, so I was thinking we could have a bit of a movie day with Junior here.” 

Other Mikey lit up at Leo’s suggestion. “Oh ya! No training and movies! Best day ever!” Other Mikey yelled in excitement as he once again ran out of the lab almost knocking over another breaker if Donnie wasn’t there to catch it. Donnie grumbled angrily as he set the beaker down while Leo chuckled. “Sorry about that, kid. What were you two doing?” Leo questioned as he walked over to where Mikey was. “I was just patching his arms up with fresh bandages when I was interrupted by your arrival. I am almost done,” Donnie responded as he got back to work.

Silence filled the air between the three turtles. It looked like Donnie was too focused on Mikey’s hands to say anything and Leo was in thought. Mikey was getting tired of sitting still and needed something to distract himself, so he might as well ask some questions while he waits. He could also feel his nerves rising again and would prefer to not have another meltdown. “So about the whole name situation. What do you guys want to do about that? I have just been calling you all by my brother’s nicknames, but I can’t exactly do that with other me and it is a bit weird. Are there any names you guys prefer to be called?” Mikey mused. 

It was getting really hard to keep track of everyone and Mikey didn’t like calling them his brothers’ nicknames. It made his heart hurt at the reminder that they weren’t here with him. Leo perked up at the question and scratched the back of his head, “Oh um. Ya, I can see how that could be confusing for you. I don’t really mind what you call me. Leo is fine, but if that doesn’t work, you could always call me Leon or Fearless. As for Raph and Mikey, that might be a bit hard as they don’t have that many nicknames besides those. What about you Donnie?” Donnie finished up Mikey’s wrapping and stood up saying, “Donnie is fine or just Don. If you have any more suggestions then I wouldn’t mind listening to them. I am sure that Raph and Mikey wouldn’t mind you calling them whatever you wanted either.” 

That didn’t really help Mikey all that much. All those names were used frequently back home as well. Looks like he was back to square one, but he could make do. “I’ll just use nicknames when I’m talking with you all and refer to my brothers with their full names. As for the Mikey situation, how about using “Mikey” for your version of me and “Angelo” for myself? That’s what my brothers call me sometimes and it’d be easier for you guys.” Leon and Donnie both nodded their heads in agreement with Angelo’s notion. He could live with using the nicknames. I’d only be for a short time after all. Right?

“Well with that settled and your bandages now changed, I would like to move on with your examination. I am going to ask some simple questions regarding your health and background so that we could better help you if you get injured in our care. For starters, how old are you and what is your gender?” Donnie listed off as he grabbed a tablet from his lab desk and sat back in his chair. Leo had also pulled over a spare chair to sit in while the examination was underway. He gave a smile and patted Angelo’s arm to offer support. 

Angelo didn’t need it, however, it was a simple enough question. “I just turned thirteen three months ago and I am… um, male?” Ok, maybe the question was a bit more complicated than what he thought. Donnie was probably asking for his sex (that one little letter on his birth certificate that dedicated his stance on whether he got to be associated with pink or blue), but he had said gender instead; two very different terms. It confused Angelo why he didn’t confidently respond with male. 

He thought back to his previous thoughts about gender and sexuality that were brought up from his conversation with the older woman during his trip to the 7-Eleven. He had not minded the way the woman referred to him as female, but he knew he was male… 

Ok, maybe he felt like he was a girl sometimes, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a boy either. He can’t be both! Can he? Ugh! Now was not the time to be having these thoughts! Don didn’t even mean it that way!

Angelo tuned back into his surroundings to continue answering questions but realized that Leon and Don were having a silent conversation with each other. He could still hear small snippets of their talk since he was sitting right there. They were talking about him, something about his age. Angelo didn’t see how that could matter so much that they felt the need to secretly converse right in front of him. Rude. He crossed his arms in offense. “Did I say something weird?” Angelo questioned, snapping the two turtles’ attentions back to him and halting their conversation. “Oh, no. Sorry, let’s continue. Are there any other health issues that we should be made aware of besides the glowing hand thing?” Donnie said as he not so subtly tried to distract Angelo from his secret conversation with Leon. 

He huffed and responded, “No. Other than my hands and recent injuries, I am in perfect health. No allergies or anything. We were created with advanced healing, so I’d be surprised if I was hurt worst from that little fight. Now that you mention it, the stitches were a bit of an over-exaggeration don’t you think? The wound wasn’t that deep. I’m sure it will heal up within a few days.” Angelo shook his leg to showcase the bandage around his calf and test to see how well it was healing. The wound didn’t hurt at all and the stitches were itchy. He wanted them off but doubted that he could convince the others to take them out. If they were anything like his brothers’, then they wouldn’t budge when it came to injuries. 

“What do you mean you were created?” Angelo looked back at the two turtles and saw slightly horrified faces. Strange. He squinted his eyes and responded, “Ya, were you not?” Leon and Donnie both slowly shook their heads at Angelo and continued to look disturbed. “No,” Leo rebutted, “We were accidentally mutated with Sensei when a vile of mutagen was splashed onto us.” Angelo was a bit surprised by Leo’s statement, but it did make sense. They were all the same breed of turtle after all. 

“Oh, well um, that is a bit surprising. My brothers and I were all created by Draxum. He wanted to destroy the human race to keep Yokai kind safe and was gonna make us warriors to do that. Obviously, that didn’t happen because our dad saved us. Draxum isn’t evil anymore though and is our second dad. It’s a bit complicated… I don’t really remember much from those days since I was a baby when it happened. If Raphael was here, he’d be able to tell you more cause he is five years older than me and remembers more. We are all different breeds of turtles because of that, though.” Angelo ended his speech, kicking his legs back and forth. The looks of horror on the others' faces only grew as he rambled on. Angelo could tell they had much to ask him, but he was starting to get restless. 

He hoped this examination thingy would be over soon… He felt like he was forgetting something though. A promise of some kind that he made to himself? Eh, it didn’t matter. He’d remember if it was important!

Leo was about to ask him another question, but before he got the chance a loud yell rang throughout the lair. “GOD DAMMIT, CASEY! YOU’RE BEING A FUCKING IDIOT!” It was Raph’s voice and he sounded mad. Angelo had never heard his big brother curse before, so it was strange to hear it coming from his alternate self. The Dr. Feeling’s in him was pushing Angelo to go defuse the situation, but he didn’t want to overstep. It looked like he didn’t have to when Leo quickly rushed towards the door instead. “I’ll go deal with that. Donnie, finish up quickly and met us in the living room. We can continue this conversation later,” Leo said before he left, leaving Donnie and Angelo alone once again. 

“Right, well. Let’s just skip the other questions for now. I still want to get a blood sample before we leave,” Donnie mumbled turning to his lab table and producing a small syringe. He looked quizzically at Angelo for a moment before stating, “Your chemical makeup might be different from ours. I doubt that the mutagen used to transform you was the same as our own… It might take me a bit to find a good spot to inject you with your scars like that as well.” 

Angelo rolled his eyes and grabbed the syringe from a startled Donnie. “I- WAIT!” Angelo quickly jabbed the needle into his arm. He had needed several blood transfusions from battle wounds before, so he knew where to stick the syringe safely, especially after the invasion. Leonardo had held many first aid lessons after everything settled down which involved blood transfers. 

Angelo wanted to get this done quickly and rather not have to sit here any longer. He filled the syringe with blood, wiped off the excess, and handed the needle back to Donnie with a toothy smile. Donnie stared at him shocked, but took the tool back. “I guess that is one way to do it,” he nervously whispered. The purple turtle then placed a smiley face band-aid onto Angelo’s arm. “Let’s go meet up with the others,” Donnie exclaimed as Angelo giggled at his surprised face, racing out of the lab.

Angelo left Donnie behind as he ran into the living room laughing all the way. He had been sitting still for so long that he now had massive amounts of energy built up (plus a little extra from his giggle fit). He was very excited to see all the new and strange things this dimension had to offer! The promise of a movie marathon was the perfect start for his sightseeing journey. Angelo was excited to see all the different shows they had here. Maybe he could even convince these turtles to let him watch some R-rated films, as well! 

Yes, that was the right mindset! No more bad thoughts and just fun! Think of it like a holiday, Angelo. A nice little vacation from all the bad stuff you faced during the invasion!

When he arrived in the living space, however, no one was there. The couch was littered with various soft blankets, pillows, and sheets. Two bean bags were pushed up next to the sitting area across from a huge stack of old movies with the tv turned on. There were a few snack bowls already placed on the table, but no Mikey in sight. Angelo was sure that Leon had told Mikey to set up in the living room, so he should be here. A clanging sound erupted from the kitchen. Target acquired!

Now, Angelo could do the sensible thing and announce his presence like a normal person, but he was a trained ninja and troublemaker at heart. It would be a crime if he didn’t take this prime pranking opportunity when it so perfectly set itself up for him! With his mind made up, Angelo masked his presence by sticking to the shadows and slowly crept into the kitchen. It looked like Mikey had knocked over a pan while he was off collecting more snacks which caused the clanging noise. Luckily, the pan fell in a way where Mikey’s back was turned from the door. Perfect! 

Softening his footsteps even more, Angelo took his chance and loudly yelled “BOO!” while hopping onto the taller’s back. Mikey startled and his ninja skills took over as he flung Angelo off his back dropping the pan in the progress. Angelo, however, used the momentum to flip in the air and land on top of the counter, laughing all the way. 

“OMIGOSH! You should see the look on your face. I totally got you!” Angelo giggled at Mikey’s shocked expression. “Dude! You can’t sneak up on people like that! How’d you do that anyway!? I couldn’t hear you at all… Can you show me? Wait, you’re not hurt, right? I threw you pretty hard.” Mikey rambled on as he looked Angelo over for new injuries. When he didn’t find any, he smiled up at Angelo, “That was rad, mini-me, but maybe you should cool it on all the flips and jumps. Your leg is still healing. You wouldn’t want it to re-open, right? How about you help me find some quality snacks for movie day, instead?” 

Angelo pouted a bit but understood Mikey’s concerns. He wanted his leg to get better quickly, so his brothers wouldn’t worry when he went home. “Fine, but only because I’m hungry and not because you told me to!” Angelo exclaimed as he hopped off the counter and looked through various cupboards to find some tasty treats. Mikey laughed at him as he too turned back to the task at hand.

With many treats now collected in different brightly colored bowls, the boys made their way down into the pit where an exasperated Raph sat next to a concerned Leo on the couch. Donnie had also joined the pair and sat on one of the bean bags tinkering with the purple tablet from before. “Wow, what’d we miss?” Mikey questioned setting two bowls on the coffee table to join the rest. “Can it, Mikey. Not the time.” Raph grumbled as he got a side eye from Leo. “Nothing to worry about Mikey. Just a bit of a disagreement between friends. I’ll tell you later,” Leon vaguely explained. 

Despite the way Leo was trying to lessen the tension in the room, Angelo could still feel a heavy fog hanging in the air. He knew just what to do to fix this gloomy mood! With a bright smile on his face, Angelo squished himself in between Leo and Raph on the couch and placed his bowl in his lap. He cuddle up to the red turtle and offered the bowl his way. With a playful expression on his face, Angelo gleefully stated, “You're not you when you’re hungry! Have a Snickers!” 

…

After a long silence, a snort emerged from Leo as he covered his mouth in amusement. Raph groaned, “Oh gods, they’re two of them now!” He got an agreed-upon hum from Donnie and an eye roll from Mikey. The red turtle did smile at Angelo and took a piece of candy from his bowl, so he counted that as a win. “If you think that was bad, then you should hear what my brother calls a laugh-worthy pun! Leonardo is pretty funny at times, but he does go too far when it comes to jokes. He used to go for days trying to make us all laugh at puns he found on the internet. They were always the worst, but it was fun. He doesn’t joke around as much anymore. I kind of miss it… Oh, ya! We decided to call my brothers by our full names and use “Angelo” to refer to me, just so you guys know,” Angelo informed the sunset duo of this realm as he recounted old memories. The unspoken notion of his tale didn’t pass by the other residents of the room as they all shared a glance unnoticed by Angelo. 

He popped a couple of jellybeans into his mouth and savored the sweet treat. He continued, blissfully unaware of the worried glances he was getting, “My brothers are pretty great, although they can get on my nerves sometimes. They are super over-protective just ‘cause I’m the youngest. I mean I kind of get it since Leo and Donnie are older than me by three years and Raphie by a whole five, but I am a growing boy! I need my space.” A Kit-Kat was Angelo’s next victim as he broke the candy bar in two before eating both pieces. 

“At first, Raphie wouldn’t even let me out of the lair without one of the twins, but he lightened up after my first solo mission! The twins were more willing to let me out, probably because they had to deal with the same thing from Raphie when they were younger.” He consumed a handful of popcorn next. 

“I understand that they just want to look out for me and make sure I stay safe and all… I get that now. It just goes to show how worried they must be with me gone. They always had my back in these types of situations…” Silence, bloody silence. It consumed the room again just when everything was lighting up, too. Angelo didn’t want to dwell on past memories, but it seemed he didn’t have a choice in the matter. His brain was working against him, not listening to what he wanted. 

It wasn’t fair! This was meant to be a vacation! It was supposed to be fun and he tried to make it fun, but he couldn’t stop thinking about his family. He knew he need to get home fast, but didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to keep secrets or distance himself from these people that were clearly trying to help, but that was what he was supposed to do. It’s what his brothers would do. He had to be responsible, but he needed to know the truth.

“I’m not really the brainy guy, but I do know stuff. I just don’t get-” Angelo started tearing up a bit and choked on his sentence. He rubbed the hem of his nightgown between his fingers to ground himself and gently swiped at his eyes to stop the tears now falling silently down his face. “Why’d you guys believe me so easily when I said I was from another dimension? I know my family would ask more questions and interrogate me more. Heck, we did all that to Casey when we first met him.” 

Angelo cleared his throat before continuing, “I thought that maybe if I just pretended to be ok with all this that it’d be easier, but I just don’t understand. This- this isn’t some kind of trick, right? You all aren’t gonna like use me to fight in some battle showdown or something, right? I don’t know-” Angelo choked up once again, although this time he wasn’t sure he’d be able to continue. He couldn’t lie to himself anymore. He couldn’t pretend that everything was alright because he had so many insecurities swimming around in his head. Angelo didn’t want to keep secrets or bottle up his emotions anymore. He just wanted one person he could rely on right now! He was just a kid. He shouldn’t have to deal with all this! And, and…

Angelo’s eyes widen as a thought came to the forefront of his mind. There wasn’t any coming back from this. He just laid his heart out to these strangers and is a crying mess. He shouldn’t be doing this! What was he thinking? What if they reacted badly to him thinking they had hidden intentions? What would he do if they did? What happened to being brave, Angelo? You were supposed to be BRAVE!

Suddenly, he was pulled into a tight embrace. He felt a pair of strong arms engulf his tiny form as he snuggled deeper into the hug, hiding his face. The familiar aura of a calming, but fiery red covered his bright orange. “I don’t know about other dimensions or whatever, but it wasn’t that hard to see that ya’ needed help. Heck, we found ya’ covered in bruises and bleeding out, although that might have been mostly from the Gator. We wouldn’t have just left ya’ out there. Plus, ya’ look like Mikey and have that same dopey smile-” “HEY!” “-Ya’ may not be my younger brother, but you are still family,” Raph grumbled as he pulled Angelo impossibly closer. 

The candy bowl that Angelo had in his lap was knocked over in the progress, but Leo quickly shot his arm out to grab it and scooted closer to the pair on the couch. “You heard what Sensei said earlier about sensing your magic stuff, right? It is pretty hard to dispute your claims when we seen the king of magic stuff you can do… Personally, I don’t really understand it. I don’t think the fact of other versions of well us has really hit me just yet, but I do know that we are here to help. That’s what heroes do after all,” Leo added to Raph’s comforting words. He gave a pat on Angelo’s head which made the younger shed more tears at all the unconditional love he was receiving. 

Donnie moved onto the couch taking Leo’s previous space, “I already had theories of interdimensional travel. Your presence just confirms them. Even if you weren’t from another reality, I would still have taken you captive to study your mystic powers. Uh, no offense. It is an opportunity that the science field could not have missed! I have already started studying your genetics from your blood and it is fascinating-” Mikey quickly jumped into the conversation before Donnie could go off on a long tangent as the turtle fiddled with his tablet, “And I knew immediately that you were super cool! I mean we both have adorable bows and just look at your little spots!” Mikey cooed at Angelo receiving a tiny pout from the latter. 

Mikey bopped Angelo on the snot now that his face wasn’t hidden from view, gaining a giggle from the younger. “Although I wouldn’t mind listening to stories from your dimension if you felt comfortable telling some that is. We need all the information we can if we want to build something to help transport you back,” Mikey said with a big hopeful smile. 

Angelo knew what Mikey was doing, having used this method to help with his therapy sessions with his brothers. He was trying to redirect the conversation to a lighter topic to take Angelo’s mind off the more serious issues at hand. Angelo took the bait happily. 

He shifted his position on Raph, now sitting in his lap fully facing the others, and recounted various tales from when his brothers were younger. He stayed on the lighter side of his past, leaving out the more scary and dangerous bouts they had gotten themselves into including the whole invasion. He told them about how he used to explore the sewers with his brothers, how they had a yearly Olympic-like sport event, how they first got their powers, and how each of his brothers vary due to their different species. 

The mutants surrounding him got big wide-eyed looks when he mentioned that his Rapheal was not only twice their size but also the eldest. He laughed loudly when he told them Leonardo had only just been appointed leader a year ago and saw Raph give Leo a smug look. He recounted some of Donetello’s machines and went into as much detail as he could about Shelldon at Donnie’s request. The purple-clad turtle then told Angelo about his own robot that he was constructing which led the other mutants to share their own stories.

He learned that Raph was the artist of this dimension and that he was the one who had painted the graffiti he had seen previously at the Gator’s home. Hearing this news, led Angelo to go into a small art rant with the red turtle. Mikey jumped into their conversation at some point and offered for them to go paint at the Gator’s station. Apparently, the big mutant was friends with the turtles and had mistakenly attacked Angelo in fear. Mikey went into detail about how sorry the gator felt and gusted about how cool his friend was. Angelo listen intently and was excited to meet the gentle giant despite their former altercation. 

After a while of talking, Leo reminded the group of the movie marathon they were supposed to be having which led to a heated discussion over which show was better: Space Heros or Jupiter Jim. Seeing as how neither had watched the other’s show, the arguing was more like playful banter with hints of intrigue toward the two program. Halfway through the series, Angelo finally conceited to the arguing and declared the two shows too different to decide one as supremer much like Star Wars and Star Trek. 

The evening progressed with many more laughter-filled conversations and corny flicks. At one point, Splinter even joined the boys in the living room for a movie or two before offering to order something called pizza gyoza. When Angelo stated that he never had some before the meal was practically ordered at the speed of light. 

The steaming pot stickers were so good that Angelo had listed it at the top of his “Best Eats in all of New York” list. He would have to get the recipe so he could make some for his brothers! A bitter-sweet taste entered his mouth covering the delicious food at the notion of home… 

He wouldn’t lie and say that all his worries were gone from spending the evening with his alternate family. Angelo enjoyed the company and was honestly having a great time, but his heart was still heavy. He didn’t think that gloom overtaking his usual sunshine attitude would disappear until he got home, however, he was content with knowing that. He had people that were honestly and whole heartily trying to help him. Things would work out!

As he cuddled closer into Raph’s arms and smiled at the warm atmosphere surrounding him, he was sure that he’d make it home and have one hell of a story to tell.

Chapter Text

POV Shift- Rise Angelo

Angelo was warm, like very warm, and cozy. It was morning now, but he didn’t want to get up. The day had gone by with numerous movies and fun conversations that turned into a sleepover in the living space. All the turtles were laid throughout the room in different positions and were fast asleep. Angelo was curled up on Raph’s chest lying underneath a fluffy blanket. The red turtle had his arms wrapped securely around the younger’s shell and he was snuggling Angelo’s head while he slept. Maybe he thought Angelo was a teddy bear? 

On reflex, he let out a happy chirp at the affection and blushed a bit at the realization of what he just did. He glanced around the room to see if anyone woke up from his chirping. Angelo noticed that Mikey had fallen asleep on the bean bag he claimed as his own the night prior and was mumbling about ice cream. The turtle shifted at Angelo’s chirp but didn’t awaken. Leo slumbered next to Raph and Angelo on the couch with one of his legs failing to kick Raph off the surface. He giggled quietly when Raph let out a grunt from the disturbance. Thankfully, it looked like Leo was in deep sleep, so he doubted that the turtle heard him. Craning his neck, Angelo looked for the last turtle in their family but found no Donnie in sight. Angelo was sure Don had fallen asleep with them... 

He could faintly hear tinkering coming from the genius’ lab, so it looked like Donnie was already awake… The purple turtle did go to sleep, right? Angelo wasn’t sure since he was the first to doze off. He made a mental note to go check on him later. Splinter was also gone from the room, although Angelo could sense that he was in his bedroom, perhaps mediating? It looks like Splinter was an early riser, unlike his father who slept in as late as he could. 

He let out a sigh of relief now that he knew no one heard his child-like chirp. It wasn’t that he hated the noise just embarrassed by it. He was the only one in his family that made a chirping sound, so his brothers would always coo at him when he did. 

His brothers’ made animal-like noises when they were overcome by emotions as well, but the sounds were different. Donatello and Leonardo would hiss, although Donatello’s were more aggressive and Leonardo’s were playful. Raphael would let out deep churrs and growls depending on his mood. Angelo’s chirps were more lighthearted in nature and often made him sound younger which would cause his brothers to be overly affectionate with him. It was sweet in the moment, but still slightly embarrassing nonetheless… 

All this thinking and worrying was making Angelo hungry, so maybe it was time for some breakfast. He didn’t want to wake anyone since they stayed up pretty late last night watching movies. He wasn’t sure what time it was anyway and didn’t know if any of the turtles were grumpy during morning hours. 

Back home, if he tried waking Donatello before twelve, his brother would hiss at him until he left the room. Raphael could be pretty grouchy in the morning as well, but only if he didn’t get enough sleep the night prior. Leonardo was the only one in his family that enjoyed the gold hours with him, although he wasn’t sure if that was because of the older’s insomnia or not… Now that Junior lived with them, maybe he would join the early riser group as well. It would be nice to have the extra company. They could all shit-talk Raph and Donnie while cooking together. Ok, maybe just Angelo would do the cooking. Leonardo and Casey were banned from cooking after setting his kitchen on fire… five times! 

Shaking his head, Angelo focused back on the task at hand: breakfast. He could still feel some of his nerves from last night lingering about and he didn’t need another breakdown… 

Maybe he could wipe up something nice as a surprise for the family! He could make a thank you meal showing his gratitude for all the group had done for him. Angelo had cooked by himself since he was five, so he was certain he wouldn’t need any help in the kitchen. It couldn’t be too hard finding all the ingredients he would need. Angelo did get a basic look-through of the cabinets while searching for snacks the day prior, so he was pretty confident he could make a decent meal. Now, he just needed to somehow get out from beneath Raph’s arms without waking him.

Angelo shifted his position ever so slightly, gently pulling the sleeping turtle’s arms just enough so that he could wiggle himself free. When Angelo’s feet landed on the ground, he accidentally knocked the blanket covering the red turtle onto the floor causing the older to stir. Raph’s arms moved around to find the blanket and nearly smacked Leo’s face in the process. 

A cold panic grasped Angelo’s nerves at the movement. He quickly pushed Raph closer to Leo causing the red-cladded turtle to snuggle up to the latter. He smiled at the cute scene in front of him and softly set the plush blanket onto the mutants. 

With that catastrophe settled Angelo turned triumphantly towards the kitchen and started to plan what to make for breakfast. Maybe he could make a quiche or some french toast? Egg tarts sounded pretty good as well… They did eat a lot of candy last night, however, so maybe he should stick to something lighter like blueberry buckle muffins… He had to consider everyone's taste preferences in what he decided to make as well. The meal was supposed to be a thank you after all, so maybe a family recipe. Would they like his family’s breakfast casserole? They might have different taste buds… Ugh! He would just have to see what ingredients he had first and then decided!

Angelo entered the kitchen ready to start his culinary endeavors when he realized the state of the room. He didn’t notice yesterday due to all the excitement and confusion of being in an alternative dimension, but dang their kitchen was filthy! Dishes were piled high in the sink, mystery stains littered the counters, and various trash bags were piling up by the trash can. The plates they used from yesterday’s breakfast were even still out on the table, half eaten!

He couldn’t work like this! Nope! The kitchen is a sacred place and to see it so nasty was appalling! Clearly, these heathens didn’t know proper hygiene! They may live in the sewers, but that didn’t mean they had to be disgusting! He turned a blind eye to the messy living room, but the kitchen was his turf! How was he supposed to cook in the nasty environment? Surely, he had enough time to clean up a little while the others slept and still have ample time to cook a scrumptious meal!

With his mind made up and a fire in his eyes, Angelo set forth on his journey to make this kitchen the cleanest place on earth! He located a floor cleaner and mixed it with a cleaning solvent to create a cleaner so powerful it left the floors sparkling. He also found a bottle of half-used dish soap and used the remaining amount to wash nearly a third of the dishes in the sink (Apparently, these mutants didn’t have a dishwasher! What was their Donnie doing with all his free time). Unfortunately, he ran out of the soap before he could finish, but would have to restrain himself for now. He could always go steal some new cleaning supplies later. 

Furthering his advance, Angelo washed the counters the best he could. Some stains still remained, but the surfaces at least looked presentable. Angelo couldn’t take the trash out since he didn’t know where their dumping grounds were, but he laid the bags outside to rid the room of the smell anyway. He cleared off the table next and wiped down the furniture as well as the chairs surrounding it. A thick layer of grim covered his rag when he was finally done, making Angelo gag a bit. Gross! When was the last time these mutants cleaned their home? With how proper their Splinter was, Angelo assumed he’d be stricter on cleaning, but maybe not. It was still gross either way.

After what seemed like an eternity, Angelo finally got the kitchen looking spotless! His leg was hurting a bit from the over exhaustion, but it was all worth it. The lure of sleep was back again, but he couldn’t rest now. He still had a meal to make! Angelo had already rifled through most of the cabinets while looking for snacks yesterday, so he knew this family didn’t have many persevered ingredients. Most of the food they did have stored away was either junk food or some kind of candy. 

Looks like Angelo’s hopes lay in what was behind the fridge doors, although he was afraid of what he might see. Bracing himself, Angelo slowly opened the door and was greeted with an almost empty fridge. Not good. Some eggs and milk were stored in the back behind a package of half-eaten tomatoes and lettuce. There was also a package of ham, cheese, and a mysterious sauce that he wasn’t even gonna entertain the idea of. They had a whole stockpile of preheated meals and easy-to-make foods as well, but that wasn't what Angelo was here for. Lastly, a bowl of green goop was covered with a thin layer of saran wrap. Ew. 

Sadly shaking his head, Angelo thought the freezer would have something he could work with, maybe some cold chicken or fish of some kind, but nope! Just preheated meals and popsicles awaited him. Strangely enough, there was a large tub of ice cream just sitting in the middle of the cold space with its lid nowhere in sight. How strange…

These mutants were weirder than his family and it looked like none of them knew how to cook properly, or clean for that matter! No wonder no one complained at breakfast yesterday! They didn’t have any proper food! How did they live? Angelo’s earlier exhaustion completely left his body when he realized he had to put everything he had into this meal! He needed to show these mutants the beauty of a home-cooked meal that wasn’t burnt to a crisp! 

Omelets? Ya, he could make some omelets. He had eggs, cheese, ham, tomatoes, lettuce, and some milk. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make personalized meals for each of the turtles, but he could still make some worthwhile grub. 

Angelo set all the ingredients he needed on the contour and acquired some basic cooking utilities which he thoroughly washed before using. He did the same with his hands and grabbed the frilly apron that Splinter was wearing yesterday. The apron was a bit big on him, but he didn’t want to get his clothes all dirty. He should probably change out of the nightgown he was wearing soon since he wore it throughout last night’s fiasco, but it was comfy! He had more important things to do anyway! Turning his attention back to the task at hand, Angelo started preparing an egg mixture. It wouldn’t be the same as his omelets from home since he was missing a few ingredients, but it would still be tasty nonetheless!

After a while all his preparations were complete and he was ready to start frying the eggs. He had cut up some tomatoes, ham, cheese, and lettuce to add to the eggs as they cooked and had cleaned out a frying pan to start the process. When he tried to fire up the oven, however, the appliance wouldn’t start up! Turtle luck in all its glory was really putting a damper on his mood right now. 

Deep breaths. No reason to get mad. He can do this. Angelo could just use his mystic fire to force the oven to heat up! Ya, perfect plan… 

Wait, his mystics were still on the fritz. Would they even work right now? Angelo did get a small energy boost when he first meant the turtles, but would that be enough to use his fire abilities? Only one way to find out! Taking a deep breath, Angelo focused on building up energy to create a fire. He felt a surge of magic flow through his arms slightly aggravating his scars and causing them to light up through his bandages. Squeezing his eyes in discomfort, Angelo pushed the energy out through his hands and was greeted by a cloud of smoke… Ok, that was embarrassing. He was glad no one was here to- “Wow, what happened in here? It's like a tornado came and made the place super clean!” 

Jumping off the ground slightly, Angelo turned his head towards the entrance of the kitchen, blushing as he saw Mikey standing in the doorway. The older was looking at the kitchen with wide surprised eyes as he took in their new dining area. He didn’t see Angelo’s failed attempt to use his mystics right? He was gonna die of embarrassment!

Angelo quickly turned back around to the stove and nonchalantly mumbled, “Oh ya, your kitchen was… pitiful, so I cleaned it up a bit… I didn’t think you’d be awake so soon.” He wanted to use different words to describe the mess he found but didn’t want to be rude so early in the morning. Angelo was still recovering from the jumpscare as well. 

Mikey strolled up to the younger smiling brightly, “You didn’t have to do that mini-me. We weren’t really expecting guests, so it’s a bit messy around the house. Thank you, though! I’m sure Donnie is gonna appreciate it loads! He always goes on about how we should tidy up more, ya know?” Angelo could relate. His big brother would also go on long tangents about proper hygiene and such, but Angelo had to agree with the purple-cladded brother here. Their home was not just messy. It was downright awful with the amount of trash and filth laying around. Not that he would say that to Mikey. That’d be mean and he didn’t want to bring out Dr. Delicate Touch when he didn’t have to. 

Mikey then let out a loud gasp when he glanced over to Angelo’s cooking setup, “No way! Do you like cooking too?! My bros hate cooking and won’t ever join me when I try to make something! Do you need any help? I could totally help! What should we make? Oh, wait, duh! You already got something cooking-” Mikey then went on rambling about different cooking recipes he had tried recently, some Angelo was a bit disgusted by, and flailed his arms around as he explained. Angelo couldn’t get a word in but tried to get the older’s attention anyways.

“YES, YOU CAN HELP! Calm down!” Angelo raised his voice and shook Mikey’s arms. That got the orange turtle to giggle and sheepishly rub his head. Angelo let out a small laugh at the mutant’s antics and said, “I’m making omelets. I thought it’d be nice to surprise you all with a super yummy meal, but you caught me before I could start. It seems we have more in common than we thought which is cool, but we need to focus! I don’t know how long we have before the others wake up and I don’t know how to get your oven to work!” Angelo let out a tiny huff and crossed his arms dramatically! Mikey rubbed Angelo’s head and grabbed the frying pan filled with the egg mixture. He set the pan on the oven, turned the knob to the right temperature (if not a little too high for Angelo’s liking), and banged the side of the appliance as it screeched to life. 

Angelo’s jaw dropped because that is not how ovens work! They should be concerned that their oven had to be beaten like a broken tv to function properly! He is pretty sure that it is a safety hazard! Mikey laughed loudly at the small turtle’s face, “Dude, chill! This happens all the time. We had this baby since we were little and she hasn’t died on us yet… Am I doing this right? I have never made omelets before.” Angelo had so many questions. 

He started mixing another batch of egg batter before stating, “You’ve never made omelets and you call yourself a chef! Shame! You are doing great for a first-timer though. When you hear sizzling and the outside gets crispy brown, fill the middle with a handful of the cut ingredients, and flip the outside part on top. I’ll tell you when it’s done! Anyway, I can’t believe your Donnie hasn’t made a better quality oven or dishwasher, for that matter! We couldn’t get my big brother to take a break from all the upgrading he did around our home when we were tots. He would work himself ragged trying to get his hands on any available scrap. It got harder to get him to take a break as he got older. We would have to pull out all the turtle piles known to turtle kind when he refused to sleep. I think Raphie -er, Raphael made a chart for him at some point, but Donatello hated following it. He would say that it cut his tinkering time down too low. After the invas- … recent events, Donatello got back into upgrading again. He made me a super handy oven that uses my voice to set temperatures and stuff since I couldn’t use my hands much.” As Angelo rambled, his voice got quieter as he went. The light atmosphere was rapidly turning gloomy as the orange turtle continued talking.

As if sensing the sensitive topic, Mikey steered the conversation back to a lighter point even if he didn’t really know what little him was talking about, “Turtle pile? Is that why I found Raph and Leo cuddled up on the couch this morning? I totally took a picture to show them later and potentially use as blackmail! Man, we haven’t had a turtle pile since we were like six. We should definitely all have one together again soon!” The duo moved the first omelet to a plate and started on the second. 

Angelo let out a gasp at Mikey’s statement. “You guys don’t do turtle piles anymore? That is a crime! They are for all age groups, not just little kids much like cartoons! You are robbing yourselves of some prime cuddle time! It helps team building and morale as well!” Mikey laughed nervously as Angelo got more heated about the conversation topic. The kid was starting to scare him a little. “Well, since we turned nineteen, Raph just didn’t want to anymore, Donnie is always busy in his lab, and Leo isn’t all that touchy so there is really no point?” Angelo huffed at the older’s excuse as they started preparing the third omelet. This is outrageous! Angelo had to devise a plan to get his alternate family in the best turtle pile ever during his stay! It didn't matter that they were- 

“WAIT, YOU GUYS ARE NINETEEN AND ARE QUADRUPLETS! You said “We turned nineteen”, so I’m assuming that means your quadruplets, right? That’s crazy! You're even older than Raphael! That is so cool! I bet you get to do some pretty awesome stuff now that you are practically an adult. Do you ever sneak out? Do you got a job? OMIGOSH, do you have a pet? I always wanted a cat, but Dad wouldn’t let us get one. Not after Pieblad,” Angelo said as he glared into the distance. 

Should Mikey ask? Nah, it’s probably fine. He succeeded in brightening the mood and wouldn’t risk touching a sensitive topic again. Mikey then beamed a huge smile at Angelo and happily exclaimed, “I am so glad you ask! While I haven’t done any of that other stuff… Ok maybe sneaking out, but everyone does that so… Anyway, I do have a precious little kitty, whom I love very much! Once we finish up these eggs, I can show you her if you’d like.” Angelo vibrated in his spot as he shook his head swiftly. He turned back to the mixture he was stirring and quicken his pace much to the older’s amusement.

They got the rest of the omelets made almost perfectly (one of the eggs was slightly burnt since Angelo wanted to hurry up, but he would just eat that one). Angelo demanded that they clean up after themselves and set the table before they go see the kitty to Mikey’s displeasure. He stopped complaining once Angelo gave him a stink eye and soon enough, the kitchen was ready for dining… Not before he got to see the kitty though! The others were not awake yet anyway and the eggs needed to cool so… 

The little turtle was buzzing as he followed Mikey around the kitchen island. He couldn’t wait to meet the little fluff ball! He loved all types of cats including April’s cat Yokai, although they didn’t like Angelo much. He wondered what type of breed the cat would be and if the kitty was friendly or not. Angelo was snapped out of his musing as Mikey stopped next to the fridge. Did he want a snack? They just made breakfast, though. Shouldn’t they be heading to his room to see the kitty? His confusion only grew as Mikey opened the freezer and pulled out the large tub of ice cream Angelo saw earlier. Mikey held the tub out to him and smiled brightly. Angelo was just about to voice his confusion when the tub started to move and out popped the head of a cat made of ice cream! 

The cat meowed out to him and stars appeared in his eyes, “OMIGOSH! Your kitty is made of ice cream! That is both the coolest and saddest thing I have ever seen! How do you pet her?” Mikey laughed at Angelo’s surprised face and responded, “Isn’t she the sweetest! You can just pet her normally, although you will get ice cream on your hands.” Mikey showed Angelo how to pet the cat and the younger glowed as he showered her in praise. 

Mikey continued his speech, “Her name is Ice Cream Kitty for obvious reasons. She accidentally got mutated when she knocked over a vile of mutagent. I do my best to care for her even though she doesn’t really need to eat or drink anymore. She doesn’t really like my bros, but I hang out with her plenty to make up for it. She seems to like you a lot, though! Maybe she can tell that you are a different version of me? Anyway, we can’t hang out for long since she will start to melt, but feel free to play with her all you want during your stay.” 

That made sense, although Angelo was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t hang out with the kitty longer. Oh well, at least he could play with her lots while the others slept- A high-pitched shout rang out from the living room, “Raph, get off me!” Or not.

Soon the two orange turtles were greeted by a blushing Raph and Leo. A cat-like smile graced Mikey’s face as he asked, “Had a good sleep, you two?” Raph pointed a finger threateningly at Mikey, “NOT. A. WORD.” Mikey held his hands up in a sign of peace. 

Angelo giggled off to the side as Leo went over to the table followed by Raph. Mikey picked Ice Cream Kitty up out of Angelo’s arms and placed her back in the freezer before he and Angelo went to wash their hands-free of ice cream. 

“Did you guys make breakfast? This looks surprisingly edible,” Leo stated as he sat down. “I take offense to that, Leo! I make wonderful food all the time! But if you had to know, yes, we did. It was mostly Angelo, but I helped,” Mikey defended as he patted Angelo on the head and took a seat followed by Raph and a pouting Angelo. Pleased hums left the older turtles’ mouths as they all started digging into their eggs. 

Angelo frowned a bit and asked, “Shouldn’t we wait for Donnie?” It was a family tradition for everyone to eat together (excluding their father. He preferred to dine in his room) so it was weird that the purple turtle wasn’t there. 

“Oh, Donnie doesn’t really leave his lab until just before training. With all the mystic magic stuff you gave him, I’m surprised he stayed with us as long as he did last night! He’ll probably run and grab some coffee before training, but we can leave his omelet out for later,” Mikey said, trying to get the younger to stop looking so sad. Raph and Leo noticed what Mikey was doing as they glanced at Angelo. Raph jumped in, “Ya, don’t worry about him. He’ll join when he gets hungry. I mean just by the smell coming from the kitchen, my mouth was watering, so I’m sure he’ll come soon.” A fair point, but Angelo was certain the older won’t leave his lab so easily. It never worked on his brother, so why would it be different here?  

His frown deepened at the lack of concern the brothers seemed to have for Donnie not eating with them. He may be in another dimension, but no one would be excluded from family time on his watch! 

Leo spoke up, noticing that Raph’s words failed to hit their mark, “Angelo, you really don’t have to fret about this. Donnie gets plenty of food on his own time. We are cool with his schedule and make sure he gets all the necessities he needs, alright? Now, how about we talk about how good these omelets are instead? You're a better cook than any of us, especially Mikey. I can tell you cleaned the kitchen up, too. Thanks for that by the way. I can’t get either of those two to care much about cleaning.” Both Raph and Mikey glared back at Leo and tried to defend themselves, but Leo wouldn’t have it. The three then leaped into another conversation and a playful banter graced the table, although Angelo’s mind lay elsewhere. 

The turtles’ efforts to convince Angelo to leave Donnie alone failed. It just didn’t sit right with Angelo that the purple turtle wasn’t here with them. It hit too close to the time when Leonardo and Raphael were constantly at each other’s throats…With a determined look on his face, Angelo sprung from the table and was about to go drag Donnie into the kitchen for breakfast when Splinter made an appearance, stopping him in his tracks.

“Ah, good morning little one. You made breakfast, I assume? My boys don’t know the first thing about cooking, besides my youngest. Thank you. I am sure you put great effort into the task,” Splinter said as he glanced at the dining area. 

He continued, stroking his beard, “Training will start in thirty minutes and you are free to join us if you wish. If you could tell Donatello that would be a huge help.” Splinter sent a wink Angelo’s way as if he knew what the boy was about to do and Angelo appreciated it. He smiled at the older as he grabbed both his and Donnie’s plates. He rushed out of the room and left the family to dine in peace. 

Angelo could hear tinkering sounds growing in intensity as he got closer to Donnie’s room. He knew if Donnie was anything like his brother, that the older wouldn’t want to be disturbed while working, but the purple turtle needed to eat! It was important to start your day with a healthy meal and Angelo would not stand for the older neglecting his needs. Not if Dr. Feelings had anything to say about it! 

Honing his younger sibling energy, Angelo arrived at Donnie’s room and promptly kicked the door open with his foot. “DONNIE, I BROUGHT BREAKFAST!” Angelo screamed as he rushed into the lab, completely catching the turtle by surprise. Donnie screeched as he dropped a screwdriver onto the floor and turned to glare at Angelo. “Sorry,” Angelo muttered sheepishly, walking closer to Donnie. The older let out a sigh and gestured for him to come closer. 

When Angelo was close enough, he could see that Donnie was working on something to do with his cloaking broach. The accessory was hooked up to various wires all connecting to the genius’ computer, much like the previous night. The screen on the tech was going through a series of code that Angelo was unfamiliar with. His big brother had taught him some code, but this was like nothing he ever saw before! It was very impressive, but Angeo was on a mission and didn’t have much time to discuss numbers. 

“Hey, Donnie! You weren’t at breakfast this morning, so I brought you some! Thought we could eat together and talk about science stuff… What are you doing by the way?” Angelo pondered. He wanted Donnie to eat but knew that the older needed some form of bait before he would oblige to his demands. Angelo was a bit curious about what he was doing and wanted to see if he made any leads on how to get him home yet. It had only been like a day or two since his arrival, so Angelo wasn’t that hopeful but you never know. 

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked! I’m trying to see how your broach is constructed with your mystics by running various simulations on it. I haven’t been able to determine much yet since Mystic seems to avoid most of my interference through tech means. For some reason, I can only get it to react to your weapon which I have run the same simulations on to no avail. I can’t get the tool to respond much, however. It just bursts into flames whenever I touch it. The data isn’t matching up either, but is slightly similar. I thought if I could understand more about mystics that it would be easier to construct a portal of some kind, although I have hit a standstill! Nothing I do seems to be working! IT. IS. FRUSTRATING!” Donnie rambled as he fiddled with numerous machines on his lab table. 

Ok! Donnie needed a break! Angelo gently, but firmly pulled Donnie away from his tech and led him over to a cluttered bed… Wait, this isn’t just Donnie’s lab was it? He use the space as a bedroom too, didn’t he? That wasn’t good! No wonder Mikey said Donnie didn’t leave his lab much! He didn’t have to! Ugh! Angelo had to make sure Donnie got more sleep, however, right now he needed to get some nutrients!

Angelo pushed Donnie onto the bed and plopped down beside him as he shoved Donnie’s plate into his hands. The older turtle was studded into silence as Angelo huffed, “I’m really happy that you're doing all this for me, but that doesn’t mean you can neglect your needs! You need at least eight hours of sleep and three meals a day to function! I woke up early to make a scrumptious meal for you all as a thank you, so eat up! Splinter also said that training was in thirty minutes, so let’s eat quickly!” Silence followed Angelo's speech as the two started eating their omelets. 

As the silence grew, Angelo started to worry. Did he go too far? Maybe he shouldn’t have overstepped and listened to Leo’s advice. Looks like his bleeding heart was getting the better of him. Donnie cleared his throat as he cut his omelet into fourths, “I am sorry if I concerned you. I have been told I tend to hyper-fixate often and it can get pretty intense sometimes, although I can assure you I know my limits. It may not seem like it from an outsider's perspective, but I do have a system. I am just frustrated because nothing I do can crack this mystic magic surrounding your equipment. Your magic is something I have never seen before, but I want to learn more about it. The possibilities are endless regarding the advanced tech I could make if I can somehow crack the concept! I want to help you in any way I can as well, but to do that I need to find a common ground between your magic and my tech. You said that the portal you came out of was a mixture of energies created by your brother’s arts, your own, and an outside force, so if I can somehow replicate that combination-” Donnie left off as he quietly started mumbling to himself. 

So from what Donnie was telling him, they didn’t have mystic arts here. That was not something Angelo had considered since it was second nature to him. No wander Donnie was acting like a kid with a new toy… No, wait! Angelo was supposed to be getting him to rest, not overthink!

Angelo quickly stopped Donnie’s train of thought as he exclaimed, “I’m sorry for forcing you away from your work, but you were pushing your limits! You are doing it even now! I know you said that you can handle yourself, but you look really tired and didn’t come to breakfast. It’s ok to ask for help when you need it, you know? You actually remind me a lot of my Donnie when you say that. He does the exact same thing when it comes to mystics! When we first discovered our powers, he drove himself ragged trying to uncover all its secrets. I’m gonna tell you the same thing I told him: You are not alone in this! You have a super badass mystic warrior here to help you!” Angelo smiled proudly as he stuck a thumb out, pointing to his chest. Sure, his mystics were going a bit haywire right now, but he could still help the genius! It wouldn’t be too hard right? 

“Besides,” Angelo continued, “I don’t really have anything else planned and I’m sure my brothers must be super worried right now! I need to do my part, you know? So anything you need help with, I’m your guy… Maybe after training, though. Not sure what that will entail exactly, but we should hurry up if we don’t want to be late.” At the mention of training, Donnie’s eyes grew wide and he rushed to eat the rest of his eggs. Angelo followed his explanation and quickly ate the rest of his meal as well. 

When the two were done Donnie informed the other, “I will be taking you up on your offer later. I can’t believe I didn’t think of testing your abilities before doing tests on your equipment! It will help tremendously! On another note, I still have your gear placed by the medical setup if you want it back. I have thoroughly cleaned the gear, so if you’d like to wear it, you can.” Angelo excitedly shook his head at the offer and ran to get his things as Donnie went to get ready himself.

The orange turtle threw off the nightgown he had been wearing and rapidly changed into his ninja gear. He got done fairly quickly since he didn’t have much to put on. Although It didn’t look like Donnie was ready to leave yet, so maybe Angelo should change his bandages while he waits. They didn’t really need to be changed since his wounds were already closed, but the injuries on his leg and arm were still fresh. Angelo didn’t want the other turtles’ to see his scars either. They didn’t have pleasant expressions the last few times they saw them and he didn’t want to bring up back memories. 

Reaching into his pockets, Angelo was delighted to find that he still had all his items including his roll of gaze. He ended up using the remaining amount on the roll, although when he went to close his pocket something caught his eye. Donatello’s flashlight! 

That’s right his brother had always made Angelo carry it around and right now that was a blessing! Why, you might ask? Well, the flashlight was made by his older brother personally and anything his brother makes was special in one way or another. Donnie had said he needed something to connect his tech to Angelo’s magic, so maybe the flashlight could help! 

“Donnie! Donnie! Donnie! The flashlight, Donnie! You can use it for your techie stuff! It is genius-built apparel made by my Donatello, so I’m sure it can come in handy! My brother has been using his mystic powers to bind his technology together a lot more recently too, so there might be some residue left over!” Angelo excitedly stated as he rushed over to Donnie with the flashlight in hand. 

The purple genius was surprised and had a skeptical expression on his face, but accepted the tool nonetheless. “Fascinating, I didn’t know your brothers had mystic powers as well. Does everyone from your dimension have them or are they specific to your family? Are there different types? What can you all do? I never got the pleasure of asking during the confusion, but it would be a good idea to have a basic understanding of your capabilities in case something goes wrong, especially with your flare-ups. I am sure the others wouldn’t mind waiting a little longer, so please tell me everything you know!” Donnie excitedly mussed as he grabbed his tablet and opened up a notes page.

Angelo was delighted that he had found a potential lead for the older turtle but was a bit concerned about going to training late. Donnie looked like he knew what he was doing, so maybe it’d be ok. Angelo shook his head and brightly smiled at Donnie, “Well firstly, yes, every Yokai and mutant has mystic powers. Some humans even have the potential to learn mystic arts like April and Casey, although that is very rare. Yokais are made purely from magic, so it comes easier to them. Mutants, on the other hand, are mutated by a special combination of mutagent and mystic energy which allows them to hone mystic arts. Unfortunately, mutants are not as equipped to handle the energy from mystic arts because they are not purely made, thus are not as powerful as Yokai. However, my brothers and I are special cases since we were mutated animals mixed with human DNA. I don’t really understand the specifics of why that is. If Donatello was here, he’d be able to explain it more…” Angelo didn’t know what else to say on the topic of mystic arts and hoped that was enough of an explanation for the purple turtle. Maybe he should have paid more attention when Draxum was explaining this all… 

Angelo jumped when he realized he forgot to explain something very important, “Oh! But we do have a secondary mystic art which I referred to before called Ninpo! Ninpo is a type of mystic art that only the Hamato Clan has. It allows the bond between our clan to take physical form and strengthen the connection we have with each other. My brothers and I couldn’t use it right away due to family reasons, but unlocked the ability after proving our loyalty to the clan. Our ninpo allows us to do some pretty cool things such as the ninja mind-meld and presence search. Mind-meld lets my brothers and I talk to each other in our heads and presence search is self-explanatory!” Donnie looked surprised as Angelo talked about the various species in his dimension and grew very excited when Angelo mentioned Ninpo. 

Angelo himself was getting pumped up by the other’s expression and couldn’t help himself from flapping his hands. He was a bit sad that he couldn’t provide more information on the topics, but the purple turtle didn’t look disappointed in the slightest.

Donnie quickly typed away at his tablet seemly unbothered at Angelo’s lack of knowledge, “And what powers do each of you have specifically? I already know of your cloaking broach and weapon, so anything besides those?” Angelo let out a tiny laugh and shook his head, “No, silly! Those are mystic-related items. They are not a part of my powers. My weapon acts as a catalyst for my fire abilities and the broach cloaks on its own. My kusari-fundo was specifically made for me. I made certain adjustments to its activation so that if I ever lost it, no one would get hurt. It does react to my brothers' ninpo, however, which I assume is why it bursts into flames when you guys touch it. The broach, on the other hand, is activated by a connection through a person's mystic arts. It’s basically like a magical girl transformation and only cloaks the user's form. It isn’t user specific so you guys could potentially use it as well!” Donnie perked up at Angelo’s explanation. Since Angelo’s weapon was reacting to the brothers, that must mean they have a little bit of mystic abilities in them. They probably just didn’t know it yet! They had to try using the broach on the older turtles later! It would be so cool! 

For now, Angelo continued, “As for what I can do, fire mostly? I can also make glowy, floating chains that can make objects weightless. I haven’t got the chance to dive deeply into my full capabilities, but from what I heard from Junior, I can also float and make portals across vast distances. My brothers also have special powers! Leonardo can create portals too, although they are for interworld travel. He can make a sword out of any handheld object which also works for his portaling abilities. Donatello can create any kind of machine or weapon as long as he knows how it works. The better he understands the object, the more realistic and functional it can be. It does take a lot of energy, though. Lastly, Raphael can create energy base force fields that are super strong! He usually makes larger versions of himself, although he can make barriers with the energy as well.” Twiddling his thumbs, Angelo swayed in place side to side. 

His adrenaline boost was quickly wearing off and nerves energy was taking it’s place. He didn’t know how far he should go in his explanation and was starting to worry about angering Splinter. This conversation was taking a bit longer than he thought it would…They should hurry this up. 

Donnie picked up on Angelo’s fidgeting and cleared his throat, “Ah, my apologies. I shouldn’t keep us much longer. However, I have one last question for you: How does the flashlight come into play here?” He picked up the tool and glared at it as if the gadget would tell him its secrets. 

Angelo giggled at the scene and smugly said, “I don’t want to ruin the fun! That’s for you to find out anyway! I’m not the tech guy. I’m positive it can help though! It can do some pretty nifty things!” Donnie huffed at the younger in exasperation, “Fine, I will inspect it later and see if it can prove useful. For now, let's head to the dojo. The others are waiting.” Donnie set the flashlight on his table along with his tablet and grabbed Angelo’s hand, pulling him out of the lab. Angelo’s laughter only grew at the older’s annoyance. He couldn’t help himself and started to swing their connected hands as they walked. He knew for certain the purple turtle would be surprised at the tool’s capabilities. Angelo had once seen the flashlight turn into a pocket knife, so the genius was in for a treat. 

Chapter Text

POV Shift- Rise Angelo

Donnie led Angelo out of his lab, and back to the living area. He went over to the massive sliding doors Angelo saw the day prior and held them open for the small turtle. The doors were decorated with a beautiful cherry blossom design that looked out of place next to the plain sewer walls. Angelo’s nerves were growing slightly from the intimidating atmosphere, but he pressed on with a small smile on his face. 

Upon entering the room, Angelo was shocked to see a fully functioning and pristine dojo equipped with various training equipment. The room was not only bigger than his family’s but decorated in a traditional Japanese fashion as well. Off to one side, Angelo could see a shine dedicated to the same person from Splinter’s room and a meditation area close by. A large sparing mat was placed in the center of the room that looked well used. 

A weapon rack filled with the turtles’ signature weapons was hung high near the entrance. Their weapons were not mystic like his own and some were different in style. Donnie’s bo was not made from highly advanced tech but rather wood, Raph’s tonfas didn’t look as study, there was only one of Leo’s katanas, and Mikey’s weapon was a pair of nunchucks rather than Angelo's kusari-fundo. There was also one more weapon: a tessen, from what Angelo could tell. It was strange since no one in his family fought with the fan-like tool, but it didn’t look like it was used frequently… 

Turning back to the large space, Angelo noticed that all the other turtles were kneeling in front of Splinter sitting under a beautiful cherry blossom tree. How they got the tree to grow in the sewers, Angelo didn’t know, but it was breathtaking nonetheless.

Angelo walked over to the others but was unsure what to do. It look like they were waiting for him to sit with them, although he wasn’t sure if he should kneel as well. Angelo learned only so much from his father about Japanese tradition in a student-teacher relationship before he stopped training him and his brothers. They had never done this type of greeting before, so Angelo just plopped down beside Donnie applesauce style. He got a strange look from the others and twiddled his thumbs nervously. Seems that was the incorrect way to go about this… 

Splinter spoke up addressing them all, “Well, I’m glad everyone is here although a bit late. I will overlook this behavior this time because we have Angelo with us today, however, do not make this a habit. I will remind you all that tardiness will result in personal sparing with myself as your opponent.” 

Angelo let out a sigh of relief at the teacher’s words. He was worried he’d gotten Donnie in trouble because of how long their talk took, but Splinter was thankfully lenient. If this was Angelo’s father, then the purple turtle won’t be let off so easily. When Angelo’s dad did put in the time to teach him and his brother, he was always strict when it came to training. They learned to never be late after the first few instances… Recently, his father started getting more involved with the boys training after the whole Shedder situation, although he wasn’t as stern as he was when they were kids. Draxum’s appearance probably had something to do with it. They were good for each other, although they still fought from time to time… 

Snapping out of his head, Angelo tuned back into Splinter’s speech, “Since we have a guest with us, today’s training will be a bit different than normal. My sons, you will be doing one on one sparring with each other to showcase your abilities. I am sure in the coming days, your foes will only grow stronger. Take this time to hone your abilities and reflect on your shortcomings.” The others all bowed to Splinter and said in unison, “Hai, Sensei.” They all moved onto the training mat and started warming up before their duels after the weird interaction. Should Angelo do that as well? Was he included in the sparring or not? He was very lost, but before he could voice his confusion Splinter turned to him with a warm expression, “Come sit with me, young one. You are still injured and need rest. I am sure you will learn something from the others.” Oh, so Angelo wasn’t gonna fight? He was a little disappointed, although he should have guessed as much since this family was very adamant about him resting his leg. His brothers would have done the same.

Angelo moved to sit next to Splinter and gave him a smile despite his earlier complaints. These mutants were older than him, thus more experience. They had to have had some moves he could learn, so he wasn’t too hurt about being left out. “Let’s commence the first duel. Donatello, Michelangelo, please step into the ring and ready yourselves,” Splinter announced. 

The two turtles grabbed their weapons and headed onto the mat. They both bowed to each other and Splinter called out, “Hajime!” Both turtles immediately went on the defensive and circled the other. Mikey threw the first hit, but it was easily blocked by Donnie. The purple turtle then tried to knock the other off his feet, but Mikey jumped out of the way. Blow after blow the two continued to attack each other while blocking hits. The fight eventually came to an end with Donnie as its victor and Splinter praised the two, “Well down, my sons. You both have significantly improved and I’m impressed with your progress. Donatello, work on your stance. You need to be flexible and yet sturdy. Michelangelo, you need to focus more on your surroundings. Your opponent was able to tell that you were distracted, thus got the upper hand.” The orange and purple turtles both bowed once again to each other and then to Splinter at his advice. 

“Raphael, Leonardo, you are up. Hajimie!” The two turtles took to the ring fast and started their match quicker than the previous bout. Raph immediately attacked Leo, quickly closing the distance between them. Leo was prepared for this, however, and parred Raph’s attack with his katana. Much like the fight previously, both boys attacked repeatedly, exchanging blows… 

As the fight progressed, Angelo couldn’t help but feel bored. He was not impressed with what he was seeing from this version of his family. Maybe it was because they were not trained in the same way he was, but they all looked so stiff. Leo especially looked like he was following a script rather than fighting from the heart. Angelo knows from experience that fighting could take a turn for the worse at any given time, so you needed a sense of space as well as a practiced form. His brothers learned this through their fight at the harbor where they had to use ladders and fish as their weapons. Unfortunately, these boys didn’t have that experience and were focusing too much on the traditional side of fighting. Where was their razzmatazz? 

Angelo was brought out of his mussing from a disgruntled huff from the training mat. Raph had lost the fight and was reluctantly bowing to Leo before they addressed Splinter, “Well done. You both fought skillfully and have proven your efforts. Raphael, train more with meditation and practice patience. You can’t always rush to attack without a proper defense. Leonardo, expertly done, however, do not underestimate your opponent. Your confidence will be your downfall if you don’t get it underway.” They bowed towards Splinter and then walked back over to Mikey and Donnie to compare notes. 

One thing that was different from his dimension it seemed was Splinter’s readiness to help and guide his children…

Angelo was getting the jitters from staying still for so long. He wondered if maybe Splinter would allow him to fight one of the others. First-hand experience was more beneficial than just watching after all. Yes, the perfect learning experience! He had no other motives at all! He didn’t want Splinter to compliment him and get his advice as well. He wasn’t looking for parental approval like his big brother. Nope, not at all! He needed to better understand these turtles’ fighting styles if he was gonna help them during patrol (if they let him). What better way to go about that than learning in action?

Angelo needed to go about this using his best method of persuasion if he wanted to get his way. He knew that Splinter would not be easily deterred, so he needed the perfect plan of attack. Luckily, he was a professional at asking for things that others did not want to give him being a younger brother and all, therefore he knew just what to do. Taking a deep breath, Angelo put on his best puppy dog eyes and tugged on Splinter’s robe. He pouted just a bit, not so much that it looked like he was whining, and quietly asked, “Can I try, too? I want to learn how to fight like that and first-hand experience is the best way to go about it! I promise to be careful so my injury doesn’t get worse, too. Pretty, please?” 

Splinter looked at him with a disheartened expression, but before he could voice his opinion, Raph spoke up, “Why not let him, Sensei? The kid needs some exercise anyway. I’ll go easy on him.” The red branded turtle gave a smug look Angelo’s way. Oh, ho! Raph has a competitive streak here? Well, two can play that game! Not waiting for the father’s response, Angelo jumped down onto the mat and motioned for Mikey to hand over his chunks. “Aw, ya! Wipe his butt, mini-me!” Mikey exclaimed as he threw Angelo his weapon and excitedly bounced in place next to a nervous Donnie. Raph cracked his knuckles and stepped onto the mat, ready to start the match. Leo set him a glare and Raph responded by shrugging his shoulders and rolling his eyes at the older. 

Splinter let out a sigh and said, “Alright, I will allow it, but take it easy. Angelo, you are still injured, remember this, and don’t push too hard. Raphael, I expect you to take this fight seriously but do not go overboard. Now, bow to your respected opponent, and let’s begin… Hajime!” 

The turtles bowed to each other like the previous duels, although Angelo stubbled a bit, not used to the motion. At Splinter’s call, Raph once again rushed forward, but Angelo easily dodged him. The redhead was more aggressive than his Raphael, although they did have similar fighting styles. He had practiced with his Raphael a number of times since the older liked sparring and wrestling, so Angelo was prepared for his heavy hits. 

What he did not account for was the difference in his parallel’s weapon. He had not fought with nunchucks since he got his kursi-fundo which put him at a slight disadvantage during the fight. While dodging the older’s moves, Angelo had almost hit himself with his second pair of chucks three times. Ultimately, he decided to go without the second pair and use one of the chucks instead. This improved his fighting capabilities greatly and a spark lit up in Raph’s eyes. Angelo’s improvement was firing Raph up and his attacks started to get more frequent. The orange turtle was also feeling the excitement from the movements and went on the offense. 

He started his own flurry of attacks as he pushed Raph back. Angelo laughed in enjoyment as the fight continued. He quickened his pace, flipped, and dodged expertly as Raph struggled to keep up. This was fun, like really fun! He had missed sparring with his brothers! Ever since the invasion and recovery process, his family didn’t train together that much. They all were too worried about worsening each other's injuries, but here he could really let loose! Well, he couldn’t use his mystic abilities and was not at one hundred percent yet, but who cares?

This was fun and he wanted to go faster!

Angelo quickened his pace rapidly, feeling a slight ping in his leg, but refused to back down. His heart was pumping adrenaline straight into his veins and it was great! He could feel a build-up of energy in his arms that carried his attacks through the movements! He was practically glowing from his enjoyment and was ready to attack once more- wait, glowing?

Stopping his advance, Angelo glanced down at his arms and noticed that ya, he was glowing. Like a lot! And- Oh, ok! OW! OW! OW! That was a lot of pain!

Angelo dropped the nunchucks he was using and fell to the ground, tightly pressing his hands to his chest. He curled up hoping to condense the pain, but to no avail. He felt a hand land on his shoulder and he looked up through tear-lidded eyes at Raph. He was saying something, although Angelo couldn’t hear him. 

Surprising the older, Angelo moved closer to the red turtle and cuddled up to his side seeking comfort. He sat there with Raph for what felt like forever as his arms died down enough so they weren’t producing light. Raph patted Angelo’s shell softly as he calmed down. This attack was much shorter and hurt less than his previous flare-up, although he was still pretty beat. He flexed his arms out to see the damage but was stopped by Leo. 

The blue turtle had joined the pair on the sparring mat and took Angelo’s hands in his, “Hey, don’t do that. It’s ok. You're ok. Donnie went to get some pain meds, just wait a little longer, ok?” Leo gave a smile and Angelo wobbly gave one back. He wanted to explain that he was doing fine now and didn’t need the meds, although Splinter beat him to it.

The rat man came and sat near the trio followed by a worried Mikey. Gently, Splinter glanced over the child to look for any more injuries and sighed, “You sure know how to worry others to no end, little one. Your fighting stance and techniques were impressive for someone your age, however, I believe I told you to take it easy. It may not seem like much to you, but you are still injured and shouldn’t overexert yourself so soon. Please, understand that we don’t mean to underestimate you because of your age. We saw that you are a capable fighter and can take care of yourself, but lean on us when you need to. It has not been that long since you arrived at our home, but you are family nonetheless. We will tell you however much you want till you believe that fact… We do not like seeing one of our own hurt and in pain. Please, tell us the next time you experience one of these attacks.” Angelo nodded at the older man's words, a bit embarrassed that he let his condition get this bad in front of the others. 

He hadn’t meant to worry them. He was just having fun but understood where they were coming from. They don’t know anything about mystic energy besides what Angelo has told them, so they must have been startled by his sudden outburst. 

Just then, Donnie rushed back into the dojo, with medical supplies in hand, and settled down beside Angelo. “Let me see your arms. I can’t do much, but I want to reapply your bandages tighter and coat your arms in some pain reliever gel I found. I’m not sure if it will have much effect, but something is better than nothing. Perhaps I could make you some compression gloves. That might help keep the pain at bay… I thought you said your mystic flare-ups took a few days before they reappeared. Were you telling the true earlier? Please, be honest with us,” Donnie said with a pointed look toward Angelo. 

The small turtle shifted his position so his back was facing Raph and held his arms out to Donnie. Raph wrapped his arms around the younger in a loose hug while Donnie took his arms. Angelo grumbled, “I didn’t lie! The outbreaks usually don’t happen unless I have an overflow of energy, but I had been taking lessons to fix that. I didn’t think it would be such a problem. They barely overflow anymore anyway! It's been a full year since I got the injury and they haven’t gotten this bad since I first got them… Although, I have noticed that my powers have been unstable ever since I went through that stupid portal. Sometimes I can use them perfectly, like with my ninpo, but other times I can’t. It’s like they are going on and off…” Angelo turned his head down as he talked. He really hadn’t meant to keep this information from them. Angelo didn’t think it was important, but clearly, it was.

Silence encaptured the room as each occupant was deep in thought. Angelo felt like he had to say something to lighten the mood, but what? He should soothe their worries for now at least. The flare-ups were really not that bad and, now that he thought of it, maybe this was a good thing. Angelo picked his head up and gave a hopeful smile to Donnie, “But, look on the bright side! My mystic powers overflowing could mean that they are trying to reconnect to my ninpo! They are trying to stabilize! I could definitely get home quicker with my powers at top performance! We should go and do some tests in your lab, Donnie! I’m sure you can-”

“NO,” Leo rushed to cut Angelo off before he could continue. The orange turtle’s head snapped to the blue turtle at his firm tone. A serious expression was on the older’s face as he set a hand on Angelo’s shoulder, “I know you are worried and want to go home as fast as you can, but we are not putting your safety at risk to do that. Whatever is affecting your powers might be dangerous in ways we don’t understand. What would your family say if they heard you talking about harming yourself to get home? How would you think they’d feel if you came home hurt and in pain? I am sorry Angelo, but as the leader and eldest sibling, I am putting my foot down here. We will not be entertaining this idea, do I make myself clear?” 

Angelo huffed at the older’s words. He didn’t want to waste this opportunity! So what if he was in a little pain, he could take it! Angelo was about to tell Leo off when Donnie cut in, “I have to agree with Leo on this one. I do not feel comfortable experimenting with your powers knowing you will be in pain during the process. Even if you can challenge your powers through your kursi-fundo to lessen tha pain, my conscience will not allow it. When your mystics have fully recharged then we can test them, however, until then we will wait.” A shared agreement traveled throughout the dojo as each member of the family let out a hum. Looks like Angelo didn’t get a say in this which furthered his frustration. 

It should be up to him if he wanted to use his powers or not! They were his powers! Ugh, this was just like when he first opened that portal to save Leonardo from the prison dimension! His brothers wouldn’t let him train his arts since they thought he would hurt himself after the whole fiasco. That’s why he trained in secret! He got better at using his powers and improved so much! Although he might have bitten off more than he could chew when he decided to practice making portals and got badly injured… 

But he got better! Draxum helped him and everything was fine… 

He isn’t helping his case, is he… Leo was right. His brothers wouldn’t want him thinking like this. Leonardo had used the same reasoning to explain his actions for trapping himself in the prison dimension and here Angelo was trying to do the same. He loved his big brother, but he didn’t want to think like him. Each member of his family was equally as important and he was sure they thought the same about him! Angelo couldn’t worry his family more than he already has! Besides, he was supposed to come home unscratched, so he could prove how mature he was. How could he forget that?

Angelo let out a sigh and grimly hung his head, “Fine, I won’t try and mess with my powers. I'll tell you guys if they act up too. I just really wanna get home. Not that you guys aren’t great, I just miss everyone…” Donnie patted his arms as he finished wrapping them in new bandages, Raph gave Angelo a tight squeeze, Mikey smiled warmly at him, and Leo patted him on his head. What right did these turtles have being so kind and understanding? Angelo was gonna cry again just from the amount of love he was receiving! 

Splinter cleared his throat, making his presence known as the boys turned to look at him, “I believe that everyone is now tired after an exhausting training session, so let’s cut training short today. Perhaps it would be best if you rested young one? That energy bust looks like it took a lot out of you.” What no! Angelo did not need a nap! He wasn’t a little kid and they had literally just woken up! Before he could voice his defiance, however, Mikey spoke up, “Let's do a turtle pile! Come on, it’d be fun guys! Donnie, I know you didn’t sleep last night, so don’t try and get out of this! Raph and Leo already got some cuddle time this morning anyway, so it is only fair!” 

The mentioned turtles both flushed at the remainder and Raph glared at Mikey. The orange turtle giggled at Raph loudly at his aggravated expression before jumping at him trying to grab Angelo. Raph reacted faster than him, however, and smugly picked Angelo up before Mikey could. “Hey, no far!” Mikey said as he stuck out his lip. “Snooze you lose squirt!” Raph yelled as he quickly ran with Angelo in his arms, Mikey hot on their tails. The smaller turtle yipped in protest, but was ultimately ignored as the two raced out of the room. The cool-colored turtles warmly smiled at the scene before them as they two went to join in the fun.

Eventually, the group of reptiles settled back into the living room, having tired themselves out. This time, however, the group was snuggly wrapped around each other with various pillows and blankets spread around them. The arrangement resembled a nest and it was very comfortable in Angelo’s opinion. The older lot was carefully curled around Angelo in a protective manner which furthered his sense of safety and warmth. In a way, it reminded Angelo of home with how his brothers cuddled him in the same manner. 

The smaller turtle let out a sigh as he cuddled close to Raph. The redhead had been glued to Angelo’s side since his flare-up and he didn’t have the heart to move him. Looks like Angelo wasn’t getting out of this nap anytime soon, but he didn’t mind too much if it meant he could get some cuddles. He was a bit tired anyway… Maybe a little nap wouldn’t hurt too much.

POV Shift- 2012 Raph

From the way Angelo’s breathing evened out, Raph could tell that the kid had finally fallen asleep. The child had been on Raph’s mind all day. He acted strangely throughout breakfast and during training. Raph could tell that Angelo was still distraught from the night prior, despite his joyful facade. The child was holding himself well, regardless of the situation he found himself in. Still, It was obvious to see their mind elsewhere, and that concerned Raph. Whenever he looked away from the kid, he would glance back to see them lost in thought with a longing expression on their face…  

He wanted to help the child however he could, thus invited the boy to spar with him. He thought that the kid would play around like he and his brothers did when they were young, although Angelo proved him wrong when the fight began. The kid fought like a seasoned warrior instead of a thirteen-year-old child. The small turtle hit hard and knew just where to aim to get Raph off his game. It was honestly really impressive but at the same time concerning. Raph had just wanted the child to have some fun, but he was starting to wonder if challenging him to a match was a mistake. 

How hard did the kid have to train to reach that level? It took years for his family to even learn basic stances and proper sparing manners. It looked like Angelo didn’t know much about the courtesies that came with sparring or the greeting between master and pupil, though. He was still young so maybe he didn’t understand the regulations, although Raph doubted that. It was more likely that his Splinter didn’t train him on rules and focused more on battle tactics. 

From the scars decorating the younger’s body, Raph won’t put it behind him that the rat did otherwise. That thought made him pull the sleeping turtle closer to his chest with an overwhelming urge to protect him. 

Other things started to stand out about the child when that thought came to the forefront of Raph’s mind. This morning Angelo made a simple dish taste like a high-quality meal. Raph knew they didn’t have many ingredients since he missed a few grocery runs, so it was a breathtaking feat for the younger to accomplish. Did he not have enough food back in his dimension? The child was scrawny and very tiny for a thirteen-year-old in Raph’s opinion. Hell, they thought the boy was younger than he actually is when they first found him due to his short stature. 

Another concerning instance was when the boy had woken up early in the morning to clean their kitchen. He did a fantastic job that even Donnie wouldn’t be able to accomplish! The kitchen was so thoroughly done that Raph could see the floors literally sparkle in the light. What kid loved to clean that much?  

No, no. Raph was thinking about this too deeply. He didn’t know much about the boy, so he really shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Maybe the kid just loved cooking and cleaning was a pastime of his. It wouldn’t be strange for the child to love practicing since he was a ninja just like they were. Leo also loved training a great deal, so the kid could be the same… 

But what about when the child let out a relieved breath when Splinter said he wouldn’t give Donnie extra training for being late? The movement didn’t go unnoticed by the red turtle and he couldn’t think of an excuse for the action. Did the small turtle think that Donnie would get in huge trouble for being tardy? Why? 

…Did Angelo’s Splinter give out harsh punishments for being late to practice? If so, what had the rat done to result in the child’s worried expression?

A kick to Raph’s leg broke the turtle out of his stupor. “Dude, I can hear you thinking from all the way over here. You doing ok?” Mikey mumbled and crawled so he was perched on Raph’s shell. Raph let out a grumble at the disturbance and shifted Angelo away from his younger brother. He didn’t want to let the small turtle go but didn’t want him to get squished all the same. “I’m fine, just thinking… Have ya noticed anything weird about the little guy? I’m probably just overthinking here, but I can’t stop thinking about some of the stuff he does… It’s concerning me,” Raph pondered. 

Mikey’s face twisted in concentration as he thought over Raph’s words, “Well, I guess he was a bit down in the dumps when we were cooking together this morning. We talked about his brothers for a bit which made his mood shift, but I changed the conversation to distract him. Ice Cream Kitty really cheered him up, too… Now that I think about it, he did mention something about an “inva”? “Insen”? I don’t know. He didn’t finish what he was talking about before we got distracted. He did say his arms were out of commission for a while due to his scars. Apparently, his Donnie made him a whole voice-activated oven 'cause it got so bad!” 

A pit formed in Raph’s stomach at Mikey’s words. Raph spoke up, “That’s concerning in its own way… Did ya notice his flinch during training with Splinter? Or how he fights like a veteran? That’s not normal. We weren’t anyway near his level when we were his age. He is also tiny for a thirteen-year-old and covered in scars-” Raph’s rambling was cut short as Mikey jumped in, “What are you getting at here Raphie?” 

As Raph glanced at his brother from over his shoulder, he saw an uncharacteristic serious expression dawn on his face. The red turtle let out a sigh as he said, “I’m just saying it’s weird, ok? We found him hurt and alone. He had no ID or phone in sight… I know he explained himself and I believe him, but what if he was lying about his circumstances? The scars, his weight, his reactions to certain situations… He hasn’t brought up his version of Splinter. He was dead set on dragging Donnie out to eat with us this morning, but he didn’t say anything about Sensei. From the way he fights to the lack of manners for sparring, it isn’t painting a pretty picture.” The two were left in silence after Raph’s words. 

Raph could tell his little brother was thinking over every instance he had interacted with the little turtle to find oddities in his mannerisms. His younger brother was great at dissecting the more emotional aspects of relationships, although he could be a bit dense at times. Right now, Raph was grateful that Mikey was here with him. He would have worried himself into a spiral if the orange turtle wasn’t here to lend his ear. 

Cautiously, Mikey spoke up, “I understand what you are hitting at, but what about when he first woke up? Once he saw Sensei, he ran up to him and hugged the daylights out of Pops. He screamed “Papa” desperately! People who are abused don’t react that way to their abuser.” 

That made sense, but something still didn’t sit right with Raph. His protective instincts were acting up and he learned to always trust them, especially when it came to family members. “Ya, but what if he doesn’t know? Like what if the abuse isn’t just physical, but mental as well? It’s not like he would have an example to go off of, what with us being mutants and all!” Raph grumbled. A longer silence stretched between the two after Raph’s statement. Mikey tried to ease his brother’s worries, however, he didn’t know how to respond to that realization. Luckily, it seemed he didn’t have to as a third voice joined their conversation.

Causing both warm-colored turtles to jump in surprise, Donnie cleared his throat, “I wouldn’t go as far as to say Angelo was being abused in his former dimension since we do not have enough evidence to go off on. His dimension is vastly contrasting to our own including aspects we have that are similar. Our world structure is completely different with human and mutant relations as well, so he would have a decent example to go off on…” Donnie paused as he glanced over at the sleeping boy.

“However, I too have noticed some strange oddities in his behavior. He was able to correctly locate a vein and draw blood from his arm without help from myself. When I expressed my surprise, he laughed and didn’t seem bothered by what he just did. It was like a normal occurrence for him. He briefly discussed how he and his brothers were created to be soldiers and apparently trained from a young age. Thankfully, he was too young to remember much from that time, but the mental effects could still be present. Lastly, he mentioned that something happened to his clan. Apparently, his ninpo is a family art that only allows users from the clan to wield it, and he wasn’t able to harness it at first. This notion leads me to believe that perhaps his family left the clan or that their clan was torn apart much like our own…” The purple turtle mushed as he turned back to his lab, revealing his T-phone.

“As for his weight and height, I wasn't able to finish my examination. After he awakes, I can complete my tests and jot down any oddities that could shed some light on this theory. It would be wise to find out his height, weight, and any allergies he may have…” As Donnie said his speech, he fiddled with his phone typing away while a purple glow lit up his face. 

Both Raph and Mikey drew in a breath when Donnie mentioned the clan. It was a sore subject that only furthered their growing concern for the younger. What could have possibly happened to Angelo’s clan? How did it affect his home life and was he safe going back to his dimension? These thoughts grew and festered in Raph’s mind. The red-branded turtle could tell that his brothers were thinking along the same lines as Donnie’s typing picked up and Mikey’s grip tighten on his shell. Before any of them were able to question Angelo’s actions further, their oldest sibling entered the conversation.

“And here I thought the purpose of a turtle pile was to destress and relax. Who knew I could be so wrong! You all are terribly bad at sleeping, you know that? I’m surprised Angelo hasn’t woken up from all the noise. All jokes aside, I understand that everyone is concerned for Angelo’s well-being, but we can’t keep him here. What about his brothers? They clearly care from what Angelo had told us and it wouldn’t be right to keep him from his home. He desperately wants to go back too… Besides, as Donnie said, we don’t know for sure if he is being abused or not. We can decide if it would be best to send him back or bring his family here once we have more evidence. There is no point in worrying about something that isn’t confirmed yet anyway. In the coming days, everyone should pay more attention to his behaviors and we can share notes or something.” Leo let out a yawn and sleepily continued, “For now, let’s get some sleep. You too Donnie! I can see your eye bags from here!” Leo smirked. 

Mikey giggled at Leo’s words and Raph grumbled in response. Donnie let out an offended gasp and flicked Leo on the head, “I do not have eye bags and that is rich coming from you! You don’t sleep just as much as I do from all the late-night training! The pure slander I get from this family! I swear-” An alert pinged on Donnie's phone, causing the other turtles to quietly shush him. 

Raph glanced down at the sleeping turtle in his arms as the younger shifted at the noise, but remained asleep. The group let out a sigh of relief before Donnie looked back towards his phone, “Huh”. Raph could see his older brother’s shoulders tense up as Donnie started quickly typing on his phone. 

The blue turtle questioned Donnie frantically, “What do you mean “Huh”? Is it a crime alert? We can’t leave Angelo here on his own, but we can’t take him with us. He needs to rest his injury and his arms are out of commission. Splinter could watch him, but we’d have to move him somewhere else… Donnie wants happening?” Donnie’s expression turned to one of confusion as he ignored Leo’s comment and fiddled with his device. The tension only grew as the purple turtle left the group in bewilderment until he looked toward Leo with a serious expression.

“Good news, my program was finally able to depict mystic energy signals, so I am one step closer to constructing a portal for Angelo. Bad news, the interference that we thought Angelo was emitting when we first found him was in fact from a different entity.” Leo froze at Donnie's words and his eyes went big. Raph shielded Angelo from view as the notion sunk in. 

Mikey, however, had a confused expression on his face and asked, “How is that possible? Angelo is the only person that can do that mystic stuff! No one from our dimension should be able to use magic… Maybe the Kraang could, but that is different. Isn’t it?” Donnie opened his mouth to explain, but no words came out as his phone lit up like a Christmas tree. 

Leo took charge instead, “It means that something or someone came through with Angelo. We are dealing with a lot more than just a lost kid. Dammit, I thought this might happen sooner or later, but didn’t take it seriously. Sensei even told me to keep an eye out! Fuck!” Leo took a big, deep breath and held his head in concentration. The other turtles in the room shared a look at Leo’s curse. It went to show how serious the situation was if their eldest sibling cursed since he had a vendetta against the use of such language. They had a silent conversation with their eyes that lead to Mikey scooting over to Leo and placing his hand on his shoulder in comfort.

Leo gave Mikey a grateful look and puffed out his chest, “I’m sorry for my language. I should have taken everyone aside and voiced my concerns sooner, although the right time never came. We can only do what we can for now and unfortunately, that means some restrictions are in order. Until we find out what exactly is causing the disturbance in Donnie’s system, Angelo will remain in the lair. We don’t know what this person could be capable of or how they would react to him. I believe it would be in our best interset to not mention to this to Angelo as well. Save him some heartache.” Each of the brothers gave a nod in a silence agreement. No one wanted the small turtle to be in pain any longer and if that meant keeping a small secret from him, so be it. The kid had so much on his plate anyway, best not to stress him out more than he already is.

Hanging his head, Leo continued, “I don’t want to say it, but we shouldn’t bring April or Casey into the lair for the time being too. We don’t know if this person can track signals like we can and for Angelo’s safety, we need to cover all our bases. We can still keep them updated about the whole alternate dimension, but not bring them here just in case.” Leo let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his eyes, “I’ll inform Sensai about this later, but let’s get some rest for now. We have much to do and will need the energy.” Leo then threw a blanket on the others and curled up to sleep with stiffness to his features. 

Donnie grumbled a bit but reluctantly closed his eyes to join Leo in slumber. He silenced his phone after pressing a few buttons that activated the lair’s defense protocol. Mikey curled up next to Leo, trying to comfort his brother. By the way, Leo’s shoulders relaxed, the action had done its purpose. Raph pulled a big fluffy blanket closer covering the small turtle in his arms and squeezed him protectively in the tightest hug he could muster without waking the younger. A fire lit in the red turtle’s eyes as he came to a realization.

Raph would do everything in his power to protect his family from this newfound threat! He had already failed his friend. He wouldn’t make the same mistake with his newfound baby brother.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~~~Chapter Nine- The Doctor is in~~~~~~~~~~

POV Shift- Rise Angelo (Time Skip)

Two weeks. Two long grueling weeks of boredom and entrapment. Angelo was not having fun and was getting more and more frustrated with these turtles as the days go by! After their turtle pile weeks ago, his alternate family have been suspiciously overprotective of him and it was starting to get on his nerves. 

At first, Angelo didn’t think much of it. He was still injured after all and the family had proven that they took injuries very seriously. Angelo felt like with his flare-ups, the worrying only got worse, although the attacks only happened twice during the two weeks he was there. 

At one point, Donnie had insisted that they continue Angelo’s examination, so he could better understand what kind of medicine Angelo would need for his arms. If Angelo could, he would go back in time and tell himself not to go through with it to save himself from the endless boredom that now plagued his daily life.

The examination consisted of mainly medical-related matters surrounding Angelo’s health and well-being. Donnie noted things like his eye color (baby blue), food allergies (He had a tree nut allergy which is not the same as a peanut allergy. He couldn’t eat nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts), and species (Eastern Box Turtle). When they got to his height and weight, however, things took a turn for the worse.

Apparently, he was just a tad bit underweight for his height which was also small for someone his age. Angelo had already known this fact, but what was he supposed to do about it? His family lived in the sewers for the majority of their lives and were mutant turtles! Sure, mutant relations with humans have taken a turn for the better, but that doesn’t change the fact that food was hard to come by when they were younger! Years of living off half-eaten take-out really does a number on your health!

Anyway, the family wasn’t too happy once they learned Angelo was not too standard and treated him like a fragile piece of glass ever since… Or at least that is how it felt to the orange turtle. They didn’t even find a substitute for his medicine, so in Angelo’s opinion, the whole examination was a total bust!

The family went out of their way to make sure Angelo got enough nutrients. It was like a switch flipped and suddenly everyone was trying to stuff food down his throat every chance they got. 

Angelo thought it was sweet that they cared so much about him, but he already had three overprotective brothers that did the same thing back home. He had thought he was finally over the whole “poor sweet injured baby” phase of the recovery process but looks like he was wrong. Leo and Splinter especially were nitpicky about how much he rested and how much he ate.

It wasn’t all bad, though, since the kitchen was always stocked with various ingredients in order to cook well-balanced meals for him. Angelo got to cook various meals for the family with the help of his alternate self, too. He taught Mikey different dishes and learned that some of the things Mikey cooked actually tasted good! The older turtle just had unique taste buds which turned cooking with him into a fun competition. Whoever made the weirdest dish won!

After a more rowdy duel, Leo was reluctant to leave the two in the kitchen together. They made some questionable tacos that Leo deemed banned from the dining table after more than one turtle got sick. The pair would not stand to have their hangout time ruined by the blue turtle, however!

Much to Leo’s dismay, another thing Mikey and Angelo had in common was pranking! They got Leo back with a few well-timed water balloons which led to an all-out war. In fact, the water-filled battles became a favorite pastime of the family that ended with the entire lair drenched more times than Angelo could count. 

Unfortunately, they had to end their fun when Splinter said enough was enough. The lair did become cleaner after their fights which greatly improved the moods of the sewers' occupants. Donnie especially was elated over the change and made an effort to spend more time out of his lab.

Angelo didn’t just spend all his time with his alternate self, though. The others also did their part in cheering him up. He was often found watching Space Heroes with Leo in the living room, playing pinball with Raph, or working with Donnie in his lab. 

On that note, the purple turtle had been tinkering away with Angelo’s flashlight ever since he found out some of its capabilities. It was funny watching Donnie become more and more expressive when they discover something new about the tool. So far they discovered that the gadget can turn into a switchblade, screwdriver, and mini flamethrower (Classic Donatello stuff). Sadly, there wasn’t much mystic energy left on the flashlight, but Donnie was still running tests on it! Angelo had hope!

The orange turtle was sure that he could find something of worth if the others just let him help with the research! He had offered to help with the initial testing, although Donnie was still hesitant to let him assist further. He promised that he wouldn’t use his mystics since that was still a sore subject and the main reason he wasn’t allowed to help, but the genius would have none of it. After many refusals, Angelo suspected that wasn’t the only reason he was kept from the lab.

It became clear that the genius had an ulterior motive for keeping Angelo away from his workspace. Every once in a while Donnie would get some kind of notification which would cause the other mutants to be on high alert. If he was in the lab, Angelo would get moved elsewhere in the lair while the others talked in secret. 

When the one-week mark came around, Angelo started noticing things that were peculiar about the family’s behavior. Thanks to his advanced healing, both his leg and arm injuries had healed fully, although the family was still reluctant to let him do anything by himself! He thought maybe they were still iffy about his fast recovery since they don’t have that handy ability, but he was wrong. So very wrong!

Almost everywhere he went one of the turtles was close by! He wanted to go cook a nice meal? Mikey was there ready to help him. He wanted to relax in the living room? Leo pops out of nowhere and invites him to play a game. He wanted to exercise a bit? Raph offers to be a training partner (He was still benched from group training sessions, but Splinter made an exception for solo sparring when Angelo pulled out the old puppy dog eyes). He tried to find a space for some downtime? Donnie somehow finds him and offers to hang out for a bit.

At this point, he wouldn’t be surprised if they placed a tracker on him like his brother… He would check for one later just to be sure.

It is nice that they were looking out for him, but he would like some time to himself every once in a while! It didn’t help that they didn’t have a guest room either. 

Their lair was smaller than Angelo’s which meant no extra bedroom. Although instead of sleeping on the couch, his alternative family took turns hosting Angelo in their rooms. Splinter had even offered his sleeping quarters as well, although Angelo declined. He didn’t want to overstep and was more comfortable sleeping in the other’s rooms.

Ugh! Angelo hadn’t dealt with this amount of attention since the invasion! Even then his brothers gave him space when he needed it!

Although, the turtles’ unwillingness to leave Angelo alone was not the only thing that Angelo found strange about their behavior. Every night the turtles would go out on patrol and every night Angelo would ask to go with them. As he had internally thought, none of the turtles were enthused with him leaving the lair due to his flare-ups. Angelo did try to convince them he was fine but to no avail. His attempts were met with firm denials no matter how he pleaded his case. 

Ultimately, they would leave Angelo in Splinter’s care which resulted in rather awkward movie marathons. Initially, Angelo didn’t really know how to interact with Splinter despite his attempts to lighten the atmosphere. After many nights of the same static routine, Angelo was starting to warm up to the rat man. 

He learned that the mutant liked to watch soap operas and play board games. He was actually more chill than Angelo gave him credit for, but there were only so many times Angelo could play Monopoly before his head exploded!

You can’t blame him for getting fed up with all the coddling and secrets. He knew something was up with the others that they weren’t telling him. The orange turtle got so frustrated with all the back and forth that he eventually decided to take matters into his own hands and see what the big deal was. 

However, all his endeavors to find out what they were keeping from him failed. 

The others picked up on his not-so-sneaky snooping and now he had at least one of the turtles with him at all times! Saying he was infuriated would be an understatement! He really didn’t want to, but maybe a visit from Dr. Delicate Touch would set their minds straight! 

A soft meowing broke Angelo from his train of thought. In his fit of rage, Angelo forgot he was playing with Ice Cream Kitty and had petted her head too hard. The orange turtle whispered, stroking her back, “I’m so sorry, precious! I have a lot of bottled-up emotions right now and I didn’t mean to take it out on you… You don’t mind listening to me ramble for a bit, do you?” 

The kitty licked Angelo’s hand in a sign of acceptance and softly meowed back at him.

Angelo gave a smile and sighed, “At least you're on my side! I mean how sad is it that I can’t even have five minutes to myself! Even now I have to hide in the kitchen with you just to get a breather! I just wanted to know what got the others in a tussle! I can’t be the only one that thinks their behavior is strange, right?” He got a head tilt from the kitty and huffed down at her.

“I know they only want the best for me, but that doesn’t excuse their constant surveillance. I may be younger, but I do not need protection! Whatever is troubling them I want to lend a hand! Donnie has been working his shell off for me and the others are doing everything they can to make my stay as comfortable as it can be despite the annoyances. It’s only fair that I return the favor! I know I can help! I can make portals through space and time for Pete’s sake!” Angelo frowned while the kitty hit him in the face to try and calm him down.

He giggled at the cold sensation and continued, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get mad again. I am in a funk is all. I haven’t been out of the lair since I arrived here and it’s taking a toll on my psyche. We box turtles don’t do well in confined spaces for too long. Turtle instincts can be a pain, but I’ve learned to deal with them. The others won’t let me out of the lair anyway, so it’s not like I can do anything about them…” 

A Cheshire-like smile crossed Angelo’s face as a thought appeared at the forefront of his mind, “But they don’t have to know that I left! I could always sneak out. I’m a trained ninja after all and no one is here to stop me! You wouldn’t tell anyone, would you?” Ice Cream Kitty playfully meowed back at Angelo which he took as a sworn oath to secrecy! Angelo gave the cat a pat on the head before he carefully put her tub back into the freezer and silently washed his hands of the sweet cream.

He quietly tipped toed over to the kitchen entrance and peaked around the corner. Angelo had ditched Mikey to get some alone time about seven minutes ago, so he was certain the orange turtle was looking for him. He didn’t want his plans to be foiled, therefore the careful approach towards the turntables was a must! 

When he finally got past the opening, Angelo gave a tiny fist pump in excitement and started walking forward! Nothing would get in his way to freedom! He would just find a ladder leading to the surface and parkour a bit before coming back. If the others suspected his disappearance, then he would play the innocence card and say he was playing hide-in-seek with Mikey! 

Yes, perfect plan! He was so excited to finally get some space! This was so easy! Why didn’t he think about this before- A shout of anger rang out from the lair that made Angelo’s heart skip a beat.

Oh ya, that’s why! 

He didn’t want to get in trouble and potentially get even less time to himself than he already did. Angelo also didn’t know how this world’s Splinter dealt with disobedience and he wasn’t in a hurry to find out. He should turn back and apologize before it was too late!

No, no. Calm down, Angelo! Deep breaths. He needed to think about this logically.

Mikey couldn’t have possibly realized he left the lair and that yell was one of pure frustration. There was no way anyone knew he had snuck out! He wasn’t even that far down the tunnel yet, maybe a few feet at most. Plus, why would the shout have a mad tone? Shouldn’t it be a worried one instead? With that logic, he shouldn’t be in trouble yet, thus he could continue his outside adventure! He really needed this, no matter the consequences!

Shaking his head in agreement, Angelo picked his foot up and continued on his merry way! Any minute now, he would be jumping from building to building… Razzmatazzing it up… Having the best time of his life in a new dimension… With no sense of guilt eating away at him for leaving during a potentially taxing time for the others…

Oh, who is he kidding? He couldn’t do this. 

Whoever let out that yell was clearly distressed and it was Angelo’s duty to help out those in emotional turmoil! He was proud to be his family’s self-appointed therapist and would provide his services to whoever was in need… 

It had nothing to do with the fact that he was stressed about being caught after his worry spiral! Nope, not at all… Besides, he could always sneak out later when he knew that it wouldn’t cause more problems.

Letting out a sigh, Angelo turned back to the lair’s exit and silently crept back into the living space. Just because he was no longer sneaking out didn’t mean that he wanted Mikey to find him. Angelo loved his alternate self, but the turtle was probably either upset that he left or worried caused he couldn’t find him. Maybe even a little bit of both… 

Nope, not entertaining that train of thought! Angelo had bigger fish to fry here! He had never heard the orange turtle get mad anyway, so he was sure that the yell hadn’t come from him. In fact, the only person that he has seen enraged to the point of shouting was Raph.

Making up his mind, the orange turtle crept over to the red turtle’s room. Angelo could hear feint aggravated grumbles through his shut door. Looks like he was right! 

It wasn’t much of a surprise to hear Raph’s angry tone, however. During the two weeks that Angelo spent with the family, Raph had been having on-and-off conversations with someone on his phone… It was Casey or maybe Junior. Angelo didn’t know significantly which of the Jones it was, but from the slightly gruff voice, he was certain it was one of them.

It wasn’t really a secret that the two had been at each other throats about something. They practically had screaming matches every day which caused some awkward moments with the other sewer occupants. He only wished their conversations were more clear so that he could make out the reason why they fought so frequently.

Angelo could tell that Leo knew what was going on while Donnie and Mikey were just as clueless as he was. Leo would always deflect any questions the others would ask him and claimed that everything was “fine”. Whether he wanted to solve the issue himself or not worry his brothers, Angelo wasn’t sure.

He did know that since one no was making a conscious effort to mediate the situation, the fights only escalated. Angelo didn’t step in to help because he thought the matter would solve itself given time. Perhaps Leo thought the same? However, due to their negligence, the fighting was becoming a real problem… 

Now that Angelo thought about it, maybe the fighting was the reason why he hadn’t seen this world’s April, Casey, and Junior yet. Perhaps there was some kind of divide between his human family members and alternate brothers?

Ya, Angelo wasn’t gonna stand for that! 

He couldn’t help with whatever secret the others were keeping from him. They made it pretty obvious that they wouldn’t let Angelo even though he wanted to. What he could do, however, was use his doctorate to assist Raph with his emotions. 

Looks like Raph was gonna get an impromptu therapy session whether he liked it or not!

Taking a deep breath, Angelo channeled his mystic arts giving off a faint glow as he concentrated. He thought deeply about what kind of image he wanted to create and summoned a light screen covering his body. Suddenly the light faded and Angelo had on his signature brown turtleneck and round glasses. A clipboard with various sheets of white paper and a sparkly pin appeared in his hands as well. 

He wasn’t supposed to be using his powers since his mystics were still acting up, but it was for a good cause. Looks like today was a good hands day too which only fueled Angelo’s determination!

With not a moment to lose, Angelo barged into Raph’s room and cheerfully stated, “Good afternoon, Raph! I hope you are ready for your session with the doctor! We have much to discuss!” 

Before Raph got a word in, Angelo quickly closed the door behind him and hopped over to Raph’s bed. He also took in his surroundings to see if he could find any information as to why his patient was distressed.

Now, Raph’s room was much like you’d expect from the red turtle: a neat type of cluttered. He had various weights, a few comics, and art supplies skewed around the space. Angelo spotted a knitting set off to the side with a half-finished project connected to it. A way to destress after a potentially maddening conversation, perhaps? Angelo jotted down a quick entry about this on his clipboard. 

Looking around further, Angelo glanced at a large terrarium placed on one of Raph’s dressers. The orange turtle had been informed of Raph’s pet Spike who was a small alligator snapping turtle, during one of his past visits. The reptile was a comfort buddy for the older mutant much like Ice Cream Kitty was for Mikey. Raph was very overprotective of the small creature and didn’t let his brothers near him. However, Angelo was an exception to this rule. He wasn’t sure why, but he wasn’t complaining. The little guy had already stolen his heart! Spike was currently placed on top of Raph’s chest crawling around. Another note was added to Angelo’s list.

Nothing in the room was majorly out of place from the last time Angelo visited, so the reason for Raph’s anger was most likely due to the phone calls from Casey! Judging by the T-Phone wedged into the back corner of Raph’s room, Angelo could infer that he was indeed correct.

Raph took Spike in his hands and sat up, placing the small turtle onto his lap. He looked towards Angelo with an annoyed expression and exclaimed, “Look kid, I’m not in the mood to be playing doctor. Weren’t ya playing with Mikey? Where’s he at?” Angelo puffed out his cheeks at Raph's statement. How rude! Angelo wasn’t playing.

Angelo cleared his throat and crossed his legs, trying to look professional, “I can assure you Raph that this is no game. I have two doctorates and am well-equipped to assist you with these repressed emotions you have. This is a safe place! Deflecting the conversation to Mikey is only hindering the healing progress.” Raph rolled his eyes at Angelo with a small smile. It looked like he didn’t believe Angelo one bit, but that was ok. He was here to help, not fight.

The red turtle’s smile grew as he noticed Angelo’s shift in demeanor. He gave a snout and said, “Ok, I’ll bite. What is it ya wanted to talk about Doc? Do I have some kind of incurable disease that only a hug can heal or something?” Raph picked up Spike and cuddled him close to his chest to further his taunt and grinned at Angelo. 

“Har har, but no you are physically healthy, or at least that I am aware of. I am here for a different reason. Do you know why that is?” Angelo paused to allow Raph to answer his statement, but the older mutant just looked at him as he lowered Spike back to his lap. 

Angelo nodded his head, “It is perfectly fine if you don’t Raph. That is why I am here!” The orange turtle made a note of this on his board before continuing, “During the past two weeks that I have been residing in your home, I have come to the realization that you and a dear friend have been having troubles as of late. Often times you can be seen yelling into your phone and retreating to either your room or punching bag to let off steam. From my understanding, the fighting has not reached a solution even though it has been a while since it began. It is starting to affect you in a negative light. Everyone is worried about you and I think it is time to talk about it.” Angelo glanced at Raph after his speech was done and gave him a warm smile.

Raph did not look that thrilled at Angelo’s lecture causing his smile to falter. In fact, the red turtle’s expression turned from playful to closed off faster than Angelo thought was possible. He patted Spike’s head as he grumbled, “I’m fine, kid. Sorry if the yelling has been troubling ya. I’ll try to keep it down. Ya don’t gotta worry about me. It’s adult stuff.” Angelo gave a sigh and shook his head.

“That right there is what I’m talking about, Raphie! You are closing yourself off and it’s harming you. You shouldn’t have to yell to get your point across or hide away to calm down. I know I might not be the person you want to discuss this with, but I’m here if you need me, ok? Please don’t bottle all of this up,” Angelo pleaded. Raph looked uncertain at the kid’s words and gently played with Spike. The orange turtle sat there patiently waiting to see if Raph would speak up. It was perfectly fine if the older didn’t want to disclose his struggles with the younger, but Angelo wanted him to know he didn’t have to deal with it alone.

After a few grueling moments, the red turtle huffed, “Fine, ok. All you have to know is that Casey is doing something really stupid and isn’t listening to reason. It’s really a personal matter so I don’t feel comfortable telling the guys. That’s why I’ve been running off when I get a phone call. I don’t want to add more stress on top of the whole dimension travel situation and foreign entity-” Raph paused his rambling, glancing Angelo’s way before he shook his head. 

The older turtle continued pitching his eyes together, “Nevermind… Look, kid. It’s really not something you got to concern yourself with. I’ll figure something out.” Angelo didn’t like that Raph was closing himself off once again, but he would have to deal with it for now. 

Angelo was elated that Raph told him a bit about his problems, although he was conflicted about what to do from here. It was clear that Raph wasn’t gonna tell him anything more judging by the finality of his tone. He was treating Angelo like a kid and still wasn’t taking this talk seriously, but there wasn’t anything Angelo could do to change that… Raph had told him some useful information, however.

From what Angelo had gathered, he was right in his assumption that Casey was the reason Raph was mad, but that left many questioning swarming in the young turtle’s head: Which Casey was Raph talking about? What issue was the human (humans?) dealing with and how serious was it? Was it similar to Angelo’s Casey’s and Junior’s problems with the foot or was it something different? How could Angelo help the duo?

Shaking his head, Angelo focused back on the mutant in front of him. He could only do what he could for now and that was providing the best life lesson he possibly could!

“Raph that is not physically possible! Of course, I’m gonna worry about you! Whatever is causing these problems is really affecting you. It’s ok if you don’t want to talk about it fully with me, but please at least discuss it with Leo. He knows too, right? It’s not healthy fighting all the time… Anata wa hitori ja nai , you are not alone.” Angelo’s words soften as he neared the end of his statement.

He couldn’t help thinking back to the time his brothers’ fought constantly over the leadership role. This instance was most likely not like his experience, but it hit too close to home for his liking. His family was able to overcome that hardship, although it left lasting effects, especially on Donatello. It had been years since Raphael and Leonardo fought as intensely as they did then, but Angelo could see his purple brother recoil whenever a small argument happened between the two. After the invasion, that sense of fear receded in place of a new dread… He didn’t want that to happen to this world’s Raph and Casey. Not if he could still do something about it.

Noticing the swift in the small turtle’s mood, Raph groaned, “If I promise to talk about it with Leo will you stop with the kicked puppy expression.” Angelo looked up at the red turtle with a glint in his eyes and happily nodded his head. This therapy session, if you could even call it that, wasn’t as thorough as Angelo had hoped it be, but it was decent for a first time. Raph would talk with Leo and their family wouldn’t fall apart! Dramatic? Maybe, but that’s all Angelo could really ask for.

Angelo quickly jotted down notes from their small talk and made a suggestion for a follow-up appointment on his clipboard. He also quickly doddle a tiny version of Spike just for the fun of it and handed the paper to Raph. The red turtle looked over the paper with a slight laugh and set it on his bedside table. “Here, hold Spike for me for a sec… Ya said ya like art, right?” Angelo quickly took Spike from Raph’s hands and patted the turtle’s head. He nodded enthusiastically at the older and watch as he went over to his dresser.

Raph opened the bottom drawer and picked up a large duffel bag covered in brightly colored paint stains. Angelo’s eyes light up at the bag because he knew where those stains came from. By the way, the bag was clinking with every movement, and Angelo’s excitement only grew. Raph glanced over to Angelo and questioned, “Ya ever done spray painting before? I think we both could use a break and I need to clear my head.”

The orange turtle jumped off the bed and ran up to Raph, “Yes! OMIGOSH YES! You have been holding out on me good sir! I can believe this! I haven’t done anything art related since I got here! I didn’t know you have a place for spray painting in the lair. This will be so much fun!” Angelo’s smile grew impossibly wide as he wiggled in place. Raph gave the kid a smile back and gently picked Spike out of the younger’s hands. The poor thing was shaken up by Angelo’s movement which cause the younger to feel bad. 

Raph waved him off and placed Spike back into his enclosure, “Well, we don’t exactly have a place for painting in the lair. Sensei can’t handle the fumes, so we’ll have to go out.” Angelo’s excitement dimmed at the older’s words, “But I thought I wasn’t supposed to leave the lair?” It was an unspoken rule at this point, even if Angelo had broken it a few moments prior.

The red turtle grinned back at Angelo and shrugged, “Leo doesn’t gotta know we left. He’s helping Donnie in the lab, so I’ll doubt he’ll notice if we head out for a few hours. Still don’t feel comfortable taking ya to the surface, but there are some abandoned tunnels that we can tag further down the way.” Like a switch being flipped, Angelo’s excitement was back tenfold. He hopped a bit and ran to hug Raph, “You are the best turtle in the world right now!”

Angelo couldn’t believe it! Looks like he didn’t have to sneak out after all… Well, kind of. 

He is still technically sneaking out with Raph, but who cares. The red turtle said it was fine, so he counted that as a win. Angelo also learned that Leo was the one who made that stupid unspoken rule that forced the orange turtle to stay within the lair. He would have to give the older a piece of his mind when he got back from his epic adventure with Raph!

Speaking of the red turtle, Raph gently pushed Angelo out of the hug and grabbed his hand, “Ya, ya. I’m cool. We all know this, now let’s head out before the others catch us, alright?” Angelo beamed up at Raph and held a finger up to his mouth to signal for silence. Raph took the hint and repeated the gesture towards the younger before quietly opening his door and-

“RAPH HAVE YOU SEEN ANGELO? I CAN’T FIND HIM ANYWHERE AND- Oh, there he is… wait, what are you two doing and why does Angelo look like a mini therapist?”

Things were just not going his way today, were they? In Angelo’s excitement he not only forgot about Mikey but his getup as well. He wasn’t getting out of the lair anytime soon, was he? 

Sighing, Angelo snapped his fingers and his outfit disappeared into sparkles. Both Raph and Mikey jumped a bit at the display as Angelo pouted. Raph took note of this and shook his head before addressing Mikey, “Look, we were just gonna head out for a bit and have some fun. It's been feeling a bit stuffy in the lair as of late and we could all use the fresh air. We’re not going far, so there is no need to freak out… Now, are you gonna snitch or are you coming with us?” 

Mikey looked between Raph and Angelo in consideration and huffed, “Of course, I’m coming with you! Is that even a question? I didn’t get to have my big brother hang out time with little me, yet!” Raph gave Mikey a grateful smile and patted him on the shoulder. Angelo’s smile grew that much wider at the older’s approval as he vibrated with excitement. It looks like they were gonna overlook Angelo’s mystic usage and take him out on a super cool graffiti adventure after all! Angelo wasn’t gonna pick favorites, but it was kind of hard not to with these two around.

Mikey giggled at the younger before continuing, “I do think it’d be better if we went to Leatherhead’s instead of a random tunnel, though. It’s more safe and he has been dying to meet Angelo properly. He wants to apologize for your initial meeting. Ah, only if that is ok with you, Angelo? He’s really sweet! I swear!”

Angelo thought for all of two seconds before he nodded his head quickly. The orange turtle was always down to meet new people and he did feel bad for invading the other’s home. Mikey had talked about Leatherhead previously and he sounded like a pretty chill mutant. Angelo knew they’d get along just fine despite their earlier altercations… He kind of reminded him of Raphael, too.

Raph gave a grunt at the mention of the gator, “His station is pretty far from here and I don’t feel like walking all that way. I think Donnie finished maintenance on the bikes, so let’s take those.” Bikes? Angelo didn’t know the mutants had any type of vehicle. He hadn’t seen a space for them and they never came up in conversation before. All he got from his confusion was a “you’ll see” from Mikey, though.

Before they started on their way, Mikey went to his room to pick up some spare clothes and fabric. The turtles didn’t usually wear clothes, but Mikey liked to collect random things from the surface. It helped in moments when the turtles needed disguises as well. He said that if they wanted to come back home without getting caught, then they would need something to protect their bodies from the excess paint. The orange turtle also ran to the kitchen to pick up some snacks for their trip. You know, for the munchies! Lastly, He stuffed all his supplies into an orange colored backpack.

When everyone was ready to leave, the older mutants pulled Angelo towards Splinter’s room. They silently snuck past and continued down the tunnel going away from the lair. Angelo was sure that the rat had noticed their departure from the way his aura shifted, but didn’t say anything about it. He was extremely grateful for that and would have to make Splinter a tasting meal as a thank you!

Angelo haven’t been able to see what was down this tunnel due to one of the others blocking his way and now he understood why. The space opened up to a garage stocked with various motorcycles and a large tank. The large vehicle reminded Angelo of his brother’s turtle tank, although a bit less technologically advanced. On the other hand, the motorcycles looked nothing like his brother’s. They were more colorful and normal looking then he was used to.

Raph pulled him over to a red bike and turned to Mikey, “Damage one of my bikes and you’re dead, got it?” The red turtle then pick Angelo up and placed him on the back of the bike, not waiting for a response. Mikey gave him one back anyway with an eye-roll, “Please, Raph! I haven’t broken one of your bikes in like two weeks! I’m on a roll!” The orange gave a wink to Angelo while he went over to an orange-colored bike and climbed on. Angelo laughed at his statement and turned to Raph, “While this is super cool and I’m only a little bit concerned about Mikey’s safety, shouldn’t we take a more silent approach to our adventure? I don’t know a lot about motorcycles, but from what I hear they can be pretty loud.”

A helmet was placed onto Angelo’s head as Raph explained, “I had Donnie make an altercation to my bikes, so they are silent as a whistle and travel faster than regular ones. Leo was pretty against the idea since he knows I use them to sneak out, but they help with missions that are further from home. He couldn’t say no after they proved their worth.” The red turtle gave a smile as if remembering a funny memory and tightened the strap connecting his helmet.

With a quick once over towards the bikes, Raph hopped on and turned the handle. The vehicle hummed to life but then quieted down to a low hum. Mikey did the same and gave a thumbs-up. The red mutant looked over his shoulder at Angelo. “Hold on tight” was the only warning he got before the bike jutted forward down a darkly lit tunnel.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~Chapter Ten- Friend or Foe?~~~~~~

POV Shift- Rise Angelo (He -> Her)

Ok, so Raph was officially the coolest turtle in this dimension! Angelo felt like he was in an action film with the way the red turtle maneuvered the bike. He was sure they were going faster than normal speed limits too which made the trip even cooler in his opinion. How Raph was able to go at such high speeds through the dimly lit and tightly packed sewers was lost to him. Surprisingly, Mikey was keeping up, although he was a hefty distance away from the pair. So, ya. This was awesome!

If his brothers ever found out about this he was sure he would be grounded for like six weeks for his recklessness, but it was totally worth it! When he got back home, he’d have to convince Leonardo to take him out on a joyride with their bikes. He was more likely to comply with Angelo's whims than her other older brothers if they involved risky behavior. He was just cool like that… Of course, she could always beg Donnie to do the deed instead. The ride would be more safe and speed limit-friendly, but fun nonetheless. 

On the other hand, Raphael would never let her do something as dangerous as this. She was the baby of the family and thus needed protecting in her brother’s eyes. Her oldest brother wouldn’t let her anywhere near their motorcycles if he knew what she had planned for them. However, since the invasion, he was more willing to let her try new things… Well if one of her brothers was nearby to make sure she didn’t injure her hands further. 

Sometimes, her brothers’ overprotectiveness got in the way of her fun, but it was not all bad. They only had her safety in mind, so she couldn’t be too mad at them… Unless they take it too far, of course. Dr. Delicate Touch was more than happy to lend her a hand when she needed a break.

Suddenly, the bike hit a snag in the ground causing the vehicle to bounce. The bag holding their spray paints went flying off the bike while Angelo’s mind was elsewhere. Luckily, Raph stuck a hand out quickly grabbing the bag before pulling the strap around his body. He then shoved the bag around so the bulky side was between Angelo and his shell. “Sorry about that. Forgot that part of the pavement was broken. Mind keeping a hold of the bag for me till we get there?” Raph said, breaking the silence. 

“Oh, ya! Of course! Sorry, I was distracted,” Angelo replied letting out a nervous chuckle. She should really get her head in the game! If she lost their paints, then this whole journey would be for nothing. She really wanted to relax and show off her rad spray painting skills, so she had to hold onto the bag with all her strength. She wasn’t sure when she would get another opportunity like this again, therefore had to make the best of it… Wait, she? 

Angelo hadn’t realized, but she… he had been referring to himself with female pronouns since they left the lair. That was weird. He was most definitely a boy . Angelo had already come to this conclusion earlier, so what was up with him? 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t felt this feeling before, but he had never just randomly started using female pronouns to refer to himself out of the blue. Has he tried out different pronouns from the confines of his room? Yes, of course. He assumed everyone at one point in their life has done as such, but he had never felt at peace with using just one set and that wasn’t normal… or at least he didn't think it was.

None of his siblings or other family members used more than one set at a time, so he must be the weird one… Well, Donnie uses them/they alongside him/he pronouns… But, Angelo didn’t want to use just one or two, he wanted to use them all… That didn’t make any sense. He couldn’t be all genders! 

Well, maybe he didn’t want to be all the genders at once, but at different times? Like he was a boy one day and was ok with using he/him pronouns, but felt more like a girl the next and wanted to use different ones? But he also wanted to use they/them sometimes… Ugh! Why was this so confusing? 

He should just stick to using he/him pronouns since it was easier. Everyone he knows calls him using those pronouns anyway… But it’s not like his family wouldn’t support his decision by using more than one set. They all have different positions on the gender spectrum, so he was sure they wouldn’t mind if he followed in their footsteps… Well no, that wasn’t the correct way of thinking about this. Angelo wasn’t following their example like how a child would copy their parents. This was purely his own decision. Even before his brothers came out, he had questioned his own gender and sexuality. This realization was a long time coming, but it felt weird that it was hitting him so suddenly, especially since his whole life has turned upside down… 

Ugh! Whatever! All this back and forth was making his head spin! He didn’t have time to be worrying about this right now anyway! He needed to get home, ease his family's worries, and keep a level head! Hamato Michelangelo was just a boy, nothing else, and that is final!

…

Although, it felt kind of right to refer to himself with female pronouns right now and the feeling wasn’t going away… But, he wasn’t a girl. He was a boy, so he shouldn’t be deluding himself like this… However, his gut twisted every time he called himself a boy and it was really messing with his head.

Ok, fine! Maybe he could do some research on the topic later. If this strange feeling was going to stay, then he could at least try to find a way to fix it. He needed his mind to be focused on his task getting home, so a gender crisis on top of his whole situation really wouldn’t help anything!

However, maybe it was ok to refer to himself as a girl for the time being. It’s not like it was hurting anyone and she would be able to focus more with her mind at ease… She wouldn’t tell the others though. They had enough on their plates and Angelo would solve this issue by herself.

“Hey, look! The lights are coming up! Leatherhead’s is right around that corner,” Mikey yelled in excitement. Clearing her head, Angelo tighten her hold on the bag and Raph’s shell as the older picked up speed. It didn’t take long before they crossed the entrance of the Gator’s home and were greeted by the cozy subway station. The area was clear of the destruction caused by Angelo’s less-than-graceful fight weeks ago. The garden was missing a few plants and the slash marks were still there, but the room was clean otherwise.

Raph and Mikey parked their bikes close to the entrance before getting off. Raph stayed behind to help Angelo off the vehicle, while Mikey ran towards the subway cars. The orange turtle loudly exclaimed, “Leatherhead, we have arrived! Did you get my texts? Angie came with us and we wanted to hang out for a bit! Before you ask, no Leo does not know!” That was all that could be heard from Mikey as he disappeared into the car, leaving Raph and Angelo by themselves.

The red turtle laughed fondly at his younger brother before turning back to Angelo, “He’s been down in the dumps since he didn’t have the time to visit LH recently. He needed this just as much as we did. It’s probably why it was so easy to get him to come with us.” Angelo smiled softly towards the subway car while Raph turned to Mikey’s bike. Raph’s eye ridge twitched, “Ya, knew he was gonna scratch it. Why do I do this to myself again?” The orange turtle giggled quietly at the older’s misfortune as silence then fell over them.

“Ya know we don’t have to stick around, right? Mikey just kind of forced this decision on ya. With the way your first meeting went, I wouldn’t be surprised if ya don’t want to meet the gator. He roughed ya up pretty badly. Ya don’t have to force ya’self, ya know? Just say the word and I can drive us off somewhere different,” Raph said, adjusting the bag filled with their paints so that the bag was loosely hanging off his body. He went over to Mikey’s bike and picked up the orange backpack Mikey left behind, as well. Raph slung the bag around his shoulder before turning back to Angelo avoiding the younger’s eyes.

Angelo was surprised that the red turtle had noticed that she was lost in thought. Her mind was still going back to her earlier discovery, but she thought she was hiding it well. Her silence must have given her away. She wasn’t nervous about seeing the gator again. No, far from it! Sure, they had gotten off on the wrong foot, but that hadn’t stopped her before. Angelo was just not all there right now. 

She smiled up at Raph and shook her head, “No, I’m alright! I have faced scarier opponents in battle, so Leatherhead doesn’t even phase me! I was just lost in my head is all. It isn’t every day I get to have an action-packed bike ride through the sewers! It was super fun and cool. My brothers would never let me do that!” The excitement from earlier took over Angelo’s thoughts once again. There was no point in worrying about her gender crisis right now anyway.

The orange turtle didn’t notice the slight flinch in Raph’s demeanor or the small worried look directed her way at the mention of fighting. Although, she would never get the chance because Raph covered the expression with one full of smugness as he patted the kid’s head, “Well, I’ll have to take you out more often then. I can only ever get Mikey to come riding with me, but he can barely keep up with my speed. I could teach you how to race through the tunnels.”

Stars were gathering in Angelo’s eyes as she gave a big, toothy smile, “It’s a promise! No takebacks, either!” She would definitely hold the older to his words. If she could learn how to race through the tunnels, then she wouldn’t need one of her brothers to accompany her! It’s a win-win!

“What Raph, are you replacing me already? I was gone for two seconds!” Mikey’s voice rang out as he walked back over to the two turtles with a large mutant in tow. The orange turtle had one of the gator’s hands in his own as he pouted at Raph. The two warmed colored turtles started up a conversation from there, but Angelo wasn’t listening to it.  

All at once, memories from Angelo’s past experience with the huge gator flooded her mind as a slight tickle of fear squirmed in her gut. Maybe she wasn’t as over the whole ordeal as she thought she was. She couldn’t help when she slightly moved behind Raph to shield herself from view. It was an instinctual act much like hiding in her shell. “Seek shelter”, her gut was telling her even though she knew she wasn’t in any danger.

The pure rage she felt coming off of the lizard, the whited-out shine covering his eyes, and the pain she felt from their battle were blocking her from thinking rationally. It wasn’t fair that she was thinking this way. The fight was weeks ago. She should be over it. The mix of confusion she felt from being in a new environment and getting into a fight with the first mutant she found probably increased her fear factor, thus leading her to hold onto that terror longer than she should have. It was funny how the brain worked like that.

The other turtles didn’t notice her change in demeanor continuing their conversation, although the gator had. He looked guilty down at Angelo and softly smiled at her once their eyes met. He shifted his body language to be more calming and made himself smaller by hunching his shoulders. Angelo appreciated this fact, although her attention was locked onto the reptile’s face.

Staring into the gator’s eyes, Angelo’s fear disappeared immediately. Instead of a terrifying white-glazed void, soft hazelnut eyes greeted her. The hue they took reminded Angelo of her brother’s and a sense of safety clouded her mind. Suddenly, she felt bad about hiding away even if she couldn’t help it and was determined to right her wrongs. 

Setting aside her previous panic, Angelo stepped forward and offered a hand out to the large gator, “Sorry about barging into your home earlier. I didn’t mean to cause any problems… How about we just put that whole fiasco behind us and start over? As you probably already heard, I am Hamato Michelangelo from a different dimension, but I go by Angelo.” 

The mutant was stunned at Angelo’s bold introduction but snapped out of his shock to shake her hand. He gave a grin, “You have nothing to apologize for, young one. I am the one who harmed you which I am deeply sorry for. I was not in the right sense of mind at the time. My name is Leatherhead and I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Angelo waved off the gator’s words and ended the handshake, “It’s all good. I kind of already realized that you weren’t all there. Your eyes were all whited out… My Raphael gets the same way when he goes all savage. I assume it’s something similar to his situation at least.” The conversation happening between Raph and Mikey fizzled out and they both turned to Angelo with concerned expressions. She was receiving the same look from Leatherhead as well.

Quickly noticing the growing tension, Angelo retraced her thought process, “Oh, sorry. I can see why that sounded bad. Raphie has some trauma from when he got lost in the sewers when we were younger. He goes into a “savage” state whenever he is alone because of it. He gets all confused and forgets stuff when in that condition. Raphie doesn’t hurt anyone but reverts back to more turtle-like instincts. In fact, if anything he is more cuddly once he realizes my brothers or I are nearby. One time he cornered me in my room and wouldn’t let me leave because he thought it wasn’t safe… Well, there was that one time he tried to cook some crab villains…”

Angelo ended her rambling with a tiny giggle. The others gave a nervous round of laughter as well but were still slightly unnerved. Raph and Mikey shared a look while Leatherhead spoke up, “I see. Perhaps your brother and I share some similarities. I am sorry he has to go through something like that. It is rather unpleasant when it happens to me… You are free to visit my dwelling at any time, however. From what I have heard from Michelangelo, you have been stuck to the confounds of the lair. I promise my home is safe if you ever need to get some alone time.” 

The gator was shifting the conversation to a lighter topic, thank pizza supreme in the sky! Angelo really didn’t like how that previous chat was going. It seems she was not back to her old extroverted self, yet.

Thankfully, Mikey also noticed the snag in the discussion, “So, how about we get started on some painting! That’s why we are here after all! I don’t like spray painting all that much, more of a comic book guy myself, so we’ll leave you guys to it.” The orange turtle tugged on Leatherhead’s hand and started pulling him towards the subway cars, “I brought some snacks with me, but we should make something more filling! I’m already getting peckish as we speak!” Leatherhead gave a hearty laugh at Mikey’s antics as the two disappeared back into the car, leaving Raph and Angelo by themselves once more.

They both stood there awkwardly before Raph broke the silence, “... Are you uh… are you ok?” The red turtle said softly as he turned to face Angelo, looking her in the eyes. Caught by surprise, Angelo flinched a bit and nervously rubbed her arm, “Oh um, ya. Sorry, I said too much, didn’t I? I um didn’t mean to bring up bad memories…” She shouldn’t have talked about Raphael’s savage episodes! Leatherhead clearly has some trauma and she just stirred the pot! Ugh, that was the worst first impression she could have given!

Raph’s face went through like twenty different emotions that Angelo was not able to keep up with. He eventually settled for a grim expression and crossed his arms, “No, that’s not what I… Nevermind. Ya, good kid. The big guy has some form of PTSD or at least we think he does. Can’t really go to a psychiatrist with the whole mutant situation… It’s a touchy issue. He’s not mad at ya if that’s what ya’re worried about. The gator’s a big softy despite his outward appearance.”

Angelo waved her hands to clear the air, “Oh no, I’m not worried about that! Mikey has told me a lot about LH over the past two weeks. I know he is really kind. I just feel bad… I should still make him some cupcakes as an apology…” She grumbled under her breath, pondering which type to make. Raph huffed and rolled his eyes, “Kid, listen. It’s fine! Ya really don’t got anything to apologize for, but I can see that ya won’t take my word for it… Come on. Let’s go paint and clear our heads.”

Raph patted Angelo on her head before grabbing her hand and pulling her over to the wall opposite of the subway station. The wall already had some graffiti covering its surface, although there was still space left. The art that was already there was sloppy in Angelo’s opinion, but had a unique charm to it that made her feel at home. It was comforting in a way that was familiar to her and only made her excitement grow. 

She turned to face Raph and noticed that he was emptying his bag and setting a variety of paint cans next to the wall. Angelo was really impressed by his collection! The colors look duller than her own at home, but he had some shades that even she hadn't seen before. Her dimension was brighter so she normally used a lighter color scheme, although the challenge to use a more desaturation palette made her hands twitch in anticipation. 

She went to grab a couple of cans, but Raph stopped her, “Hold on there, kid. Safety first, remember? Now, I don’t have a respirator mask that will fit ya, since ya are so small. We’ll have to go the old-fashioned route and use some cloth coverings. If ya start to feel dizzy, ya tell me immediately, alright?” Angelo quickly shook her head, bounding in place and Raph gave a sigh, “Good, now here. Mikey’s bag has a bunch of clothes in there. See if any of them can fit ya. I don’t need Leo finding out about this and getting on my as-shell about it.”

Grabbing Mikey’s bag from Raph’s hands, Angelo giggled at the older turtle’s attempt to cover up his cursing. A smile graced the red turtle’s face as he roll his eyes at her and turned back to his bag. 

Noticing their short conversation was over, Angelo turned her attention to Mikey’s backpack. Giving the bag a glance, Angelo realized how full it was. Nodding her head she then did the most reasonable thing of dumping the bag’s contents out onto the floor. What? She wanted to get to the good stuff already! If a few snacks got crushed (mainly because she forgot they were in there), then it was a price she was willing to pay! It was for the greater good!

She did go through the pile and separated the clothes from the snacks for later, though. She wasn’t a monster! 

As she was sorting, she also noticed a few articles of clothing that really stood out to her. She picked out a cool-looking jacket that was rather large on her small frame. It was well worn with various patches holding the cloth together. The jacket was so big that it nearly touched her knee pads, thus she forgo picking out a pair of pants. She instead found some knee-high socks that were stripped. The socks were black and white while the jacket was various shades of colors. Both articles of clothing were old and faded, thus she was sure no one would mind if she got paint on them. Lastly, she located a black gator mask that would have to work in place of a respirator. It wasn’t the safest option she could have gone with, but she was in a rush to start working!

With her protection now in place, Angelo sprinted over to the various paint cans Raph had placed around the wall. She collected a bunch of random colors in her arms and found a large space on the wall that was mostly empty. There were a few bits of different art pieces that overlapped on different sections, so Angelo was certain Raph wouldn’t mind her overlapping, too. The problem now lay in what to paint. She didn’t know what she wanted to do just yet, but she was sure she would come up with something as she went along. 

She picked out a pretty dark pinky-purple from her pile of paint cans and held the can up to the surface. As she pressed down on the nozzle and swiped the paint across the wall, Angelo felt a layer of tension leave her shoulders. Ya, she really needed this. The past few weeks had been so stressful, so Angelo was grateful she could take a moment to sit back and not worry about her predicament… Well, no. It was still on her mind, but her head felt clearer, nonetheless. If anything, the calming action made her problems easier to process. 

Angelo had been through dangerous situations before, but this time it was different. This time she didn’t have her family by her side and it was really getting to her. Angelo had always known that if she was ever in trouble she could reach out through her ninpo and call out to her brothers. If they weren’t available, then she could call April or Casey, or Junior… None of them were here though… She was alone in a new environment and had no idea what to do.

The paint wasn’t as dark as Angelo was hoping for so she added another layer of pinky-purple paint on top… 

Well, no. She wasn’t totally alone. She had her family just different versions of them and they were willing to help her. Donnie and Leo are figuring out a way to bring her home, while Raph and Mikey are keeping her company and distracting her. Even Splinter is helping with his strange tidbits of knowledge and encouragement. Now she had Leatherhead to add to her support group… So she wasn’t totally alone, she had people she could rely on even if they were keeping things from her.

With the second layer of paint now added, the background to her piece was looking a bit bland. Angelo decided to add some dots and sparkles of white, yellow, and orange to fill out the space. The colors were randomly spread throughout the area much like glowing lights or stars in the night sky. 

…And what was up with all the secrets anyway? She gets that she is an outsider and not really a member of their family, but with the way the others insist that she is, you’d think they’d be more open to letting her help out! They probably think she is incapable because she is young, although Splinter said that wasn’t the case. With the way the others won’t let her be by herself or leave the lair, you’d think otherwise… Unless the secret had something to do with her.

Angelo traded out the white, yellow, and orange paints for their counterparts. She then went back and added tinier detailing and highlights to the speckles of color already on the wall. The image of a starry sky become more visible as she layered more and more paint onto the space.

But what kind of information would the others be keeping from her? She already told the others everything she knew about her situation and how she got here even if some parts were still a bit blurry. Angelo didn’t lie or anything and everyone said they fully believed she was telling the truth about her dimension travel… They didn’t lie about believing her, right? 

A slight tremor traveled up Angelo’s arm, messing up her steady line, and breaking her out of that train of thought. She shook her head and glanced up at the mural she was creating… 

Something was missing. Almost as if in a trance, Angelo grabbed two cans of red and green paint respectively. Faintly, she was aware of a soft song (jazz maybe) flooding the background along with the clicking of plates and another spray can being used alongside her own. The sounds calmed her down.

No, no. The others wouldn’t lie to her like that! She had already confirmed that they believed her and they showed no signs of mistrust over the two weeks she had stayed with them. And, as she said, everyone was doing their part to help her find a way home. Donnie and Leo wouldn’t be working so hard trying to construct a device to send her home if they didn’t believe her. There was no reason to doubt them…

So then, what was the big deal? Why all the secrecy? Had she done something to upset the others? Why didn’t they let her help? Ugh, if only she was older and wiser like the red paint she was using! Red always knows what to do. It was bright, fiery, and passionate. Most think of red as a sign of violence, but Angelo always thought of it as a symbol of love and safety. Maybe just like the paint the others were trying to protect her from something. 

A mass of red and green now graced the wall, but Angelo was still not satisfied. There was still more she could do. She turned back to her pile of paint cans and selected a light purple and dark jade green. The clatter in the background changed to a high-speed soundtrack which clashed with the slow-paced spray paint sounds coming from her right.

Angelo didn’t need protecting, though. She had already told the others that a thousand times by now, but looks like they still didn’t believe her! Well, that was just fine! If the others didn’t want to disclose what information they had, then she could do some snooping and find out the old-fashioned way. It didn’t go so well for her before, but she could just be more sneaky this time… 

Although, now that she thought about it, maybe she already had some information she could work with. 

Purple was the color of discoveries, secrets, and knowledge. The color of ambition… Angelo needed to think. That's what purple would do. Collect data points then find a common outliner to solve a problem. What in the past weeks has really stood out to her? What in the others’ behaviors was strange? 

One thing she could take note of was the need to keep her in the lair or at least with one of the turtles at all times. They didn’t want her by herself, although that could be their way of trying to distract her from her situation… No, if that was the case, then she would still get some alone time. Something else must be going on.

Another thing that was strange was Donnie’s phone alarm. The others would always meet up after the alarm rang and Angelo was forced away. She never did find out what that alarm was about. 

Lastly, she remembered her conversation with Raph a few hours prior. She was busy trying to get the turtle to open up so she didn’t bring it up, but didn't he mention something about an usual person showing up… The pieces were coming together, although she couldn’t see how they were all connected.

Angelo finished adding another mass of purple and green alongside her collection of red. The purple mass overlapped with the red on the right side of her mural. There was still a space on the left side that propelled her to add more to the area. 

Quickly glancing at her pile, Angelo picked out the most vibrant blue she could find and a light green. Angelo may have fumbled with her paint can a few times while working on this section of her piece, although she didn’t mind. She barely noticed the song in the background change once again to a catchy tune as she worked. There was also no other spray can going off beside her own, although she didn’t realize being so focused on her own art.

Light blue: calming, confident, and dependable. It wasn’t as bright or as deep as its natural shade, although Angelo wouldn’t have it any other way. The color was goofy, but always understood things that she wasn’t able to grasp. It understood the importance of tough problems and came up with solutions for them even if sometimes its plans were wacky.

So far all Angelo had to figure out what was bothering the others was a random list of weird behaviors. What was the bridge that connected all of them? The others wouldn’t let her leave, Donnie’s phone kept ringing randomly, and Raph said something about a weird person… So, the others were just keeping her in the lair because some villain got loss or something? No, it had to be something more than that. They would have let her help or at least wouldn’t be as protective if that was the case. 

Think, Angelo! Think! There had to be something amiss with her thought process! What was she missing…

Using all her brain power, Angelo thought back to her therapy session with Raph onec again. The red turtle had specifically said “foreign entity” during their meeting, therefore they were dealing with something not from around here… or not from this world! It might be a stretch, but hear her out! 

Donnie mentioned that he was able to sense strange energy with his tech when Angelo first arrived and thus they were able to find her weapon! Perhaps he was sensing some other kind of energy that was mystic in nature! That must be what his phone alarm was for! The others weren’t keeping her locked up because of some new threat. No, it was because something or someone came through the portal with her! 

Oh, if only her mystics and ninpo weren’t acting up, then she could see if the energy was related to her family! Maybe one of her brothers followed her through the portal or perhaps one of her human siblings. They were all at the fight, so any of them could have come through with her! Maybe she wasn’t as alone as she thought!

No, Angelo shouldn’t get ahead of herself. Donnie’s tech specifically picked up mystic energy signals from her weapon, so the energy he was picking up didn’t necessarily mean it was coming from a person. One of her siblings’ weapons could have been knocked through, although Angelo won’t mind that outcome, especially if it was Leo’s swords… If they could find whatever was causing the influx in energy, then she’d be one more step closer to getting home! She was getting all giddy at the prospect of one of her brothers being so close by!

Smiling, Angelo set down the light blue and green paint. She was almost done with her mural, but wanted to add some finishing details to really make the piece pop! If she was happily bouncing in place causing some of her lines to end up sloppy, who cares? Her arms were even shaking from all the excitement she couldn’t contain! She couldn’t believe it! Once they get back to the lair, Angelo was gonna meet up with the others and discuss this new information! 

Her family could be in this dimension! Somewhere out there her family could be looking for her. Somewhere up on the surface where the others wouldn’t let her go… 

Angelo’s smile faltered and her happy bouncing slowed down as she realized that the others had been keeping this information from her. They knew!

Why? For what reason were they keeping Angelo in the dark about this? It was about her family! She should know… Well, no. Calm down, Angelo. Maybe they were withholding this very important information from her for a good reason . She shouldn’t jump to conclusions. This family had been nothing but kind to her, so there had to be a perfectly reasonable exclamation for this. Surely, it was because they didn’t know for certain what was causing the energy spikes… right? 

Shaking her head, Angelo stepped back from her mural. The piece was finished although still needed to dry. The music following throughout the subway station was soft and playful chatter graced the air, but Angelo’s mind was elsewhere.

That had to be it. There was no other exclamation that made sense, but what should she do with this knowledge? The others won’t tell her exactly what is going on and refuse to let her help, so she was back to square one… No, she wouldn’t stand for this! Angelo hated being left out more than anything, especially when it came to serious stuff! 

Taking a deep breath, Angelo calmed her anger. She flexed her hands out, trying to get them to stop shaking, and cleared her head. The orange turtle needed to focus on what to do next. There was no point crying over spilled milk… She needed information more than anything right now, therefore maybe it was time to pay a visit to the resident genius. He had to have something that could help her!

If she could find out what type of signals he was picking up on his phone, then she could find out what the others knew. Yes! She could sneak into Donnie’s lab and get to the bottom of this! Break out the old ninja sneakiness and snoop through his lab (Yes, Dr. Feelings, she knew that was morally wrong, but does that really matter right now?). From her previous visits, Angelo saw that Donnie’s lab was not as fortified as her brother’s, so really, how hard could it be?

A hand landing on her shoulder broke Angelo out of her spiral causing her to jump in surprise. She quickly pulled her hands into her jacket’s pockets, hiding them from view. Despite her earlier attempts, the shaking had not stopped. She might have over-exerted them while lost in her head, but there was no point in worrying the others. Angelo could deal with a little tremor just fine and they weren’t hurting or anything so…

“Oh, so ya finally decided to come back to the world of the living. I was starting to think we’d have to drag ya away from ya art 'cause ya were spacing out so much,” Raph’s gruff voice rang out as Angelo sheepishly smiled up at him. The older turtle was dressed in a bland black t-shirt and pants, although both articles of clothing were covered in various paint stains. The sight made Angelo curious to see what Raph had been working on since the colors were so eye-catching. 

The red turtle continued turning his head to face Angelo’s mural, “Although I can see why ya were so focused… Does my counterpart really look so badass? He could probably bench a ton of weight, huh?” 

Angelo followed Raph’s line of sight and sure enough there her family was smiling back at her.

She couldn’t help the small grin she gave at the sight. Even in her worse moments, her family was there to aid her on her way. Playfully elbowing Raph in his side, She replied, “Ya, my big brother is the strongest person I know! He could outlift you any day!” The red turtle snorted at the younger pulling her into a side hug, “Ya, right! Ya talk a big game, but I bet I could give him a run for his money!” 

Oh, ho! Angelo couldn’t wait to prove the red turtle wrong! When they fixed the whole portal situation, maybe her family could spend some time with their alternate selves. Let bygones be bygones. It would be like one big turtle hot pot! Then both the Raphs could fight and Angelo would join in halfway, showing them all up in terms of strength! It would be so satisfying to see the shocked expressions of her alternate family when they realize just how tough Angelo really is!

“OMIGOSH! Angie is that what your brothers look like!” Mikey exclaimed, running over to the duo from the train car he was sitting in with LH. “Raph is so spiky like Spike! They match! Gosh, he is so big too! Looks like we got the tiny Raph! And, look! Donnie is like a mad scientist with all his tech stuff. Why is his forehead so big? I bet you could draw so much stuff on there with all that space. Leo’s counterpart looks like a playboy! He has all this swagger to him. I got the best alternate self by a mile, though! And-,” The orange turtle rambled as he pointed to each of the figures on the wall. Angelo felt a bit self-conscious that her work was getting praised so much, but glad that the others thought her family was cool. 

She playfully rolled her eyes at Mikey before stating, “Please, Leonardo a playboy? No, way! He loves Usagi too much to ever think about dating anyone else. Well, the two aren’t technically dating just yet, but my brother has had his eyes on the bunny boy ever since he saw him at Run of the Mill. They totally have chemistry, although Leo’s too dense to realize Usagi likes him back! It’s painful for all of us on the sidelines.” It was so obvious too, but his big brother was too dense for his own good.

Mikey’s eyes grew big after Angelo had said her piece and suddenly she regretted mentioning that tidbit of information. She hadn’t thought much of it before, but was it not considered normal to date the same gender in this time period? Her alternate family wasn’t like homophobic, right? That would probably bring up many concerns about her whole pronouns situation if it ever came up. 

A high-pitched squealing noise broke Angelo’s nerves as Mikey jumped around, “That. is. the. cutest. thing. I. have. ever. heard! I can’t believe your Leo is gonna get a date before ours! I’m so happy for him!” Oh, thank pizza! Angelo let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as she turned her head to face Raph and saw the other smiling as well. She felt a small tickle of warmth spread throughout her body when the realization stroke that this family was just as accepting as her own.

Just then Mikey’s happy face turned to one of mischief as he spun around to face the mural, “Oh, I’m so gonna rub this in Leo’s face later! He’s gonna be so shocked! Ah, I just had a great idea! We should definitely take a picture of your mural to show the guys. I’m sure they are interested to see what their counterparts look like as well!” The orange turtle said as he ran around the graffiti wall, positioning his phone at different angles in order to find the best spot for a picture. 

Before the orange turtle got too far in his excitement, Raph cut in, “No way, Mikey! If Donnie and Leo find out about this then they’ll want to see the piece for themselves. They’ll know we left the lair then and I am not dealing with Leo! Not today, thank ya!” Mikey pouted at Raph before pulling his phone up to the mural and snapping a quick picture anyway. 

He stuck his tongue out at Raph and said, “You’re a party pooper, you know that? I’m still keeping a picture for my inspiration wall at home! I can’t let this beautiful work go to waste!” The red turtle grumbled at the orange before stating firmly, “No! The last thing we need is for one of them to see it and find out about our get-a-way. Mikey, delete the picture!” Mikey, being the goofball that he is, looked between Raph and his phone before sprinting away laughing loudly all the way. “MIKEY”, Raph yelled as he started dashing after the fleeing turtle.

Angelo smiled at the duo's antics before glancing over at Raph’s section of the wall. She was curious to see what the red turtle had painted and now she had the perfect opportunity! Plus, her hands were starting to bug her, so she didn’t feel like joining in on the chase.

Walking closer to his section, she was a bit confused when she was greeted with an array of different colors seeping into each other. It appeared Raph and Angelo had totally different art styles which was super cool in her opinion. Raph’s work was beautiful in a surreal kind of way that drew her eyes in. Swirls of paint danced around on the wall in a fiery battle of indecision while dark and light shades fought with each other in a battle of dominance. The red turtle must have had a lot on his mind to create something so emotionally based. With the whole Casey situation still underway, Angelo wasn’t surprised. Hopefully, he would take her advice and check in with Leo…

Suddenly, Angelo was brought out of her musings as Leatherhead walked up behind her. The large gator had brought his tail around Angelo’s legs and pulled her close in a loose hug. The hug resembled Raphael’s bear hugs, although a bit more tame. To say she wasn’t nervous from their earlier conversation would be a lie, but the sensation of home seeping into her mind relaxed her tense demeanor.

Confused, the orange turtle looked up at the mutant’s face, although he was not looking at her, but rather at her artwork. His eyes were locked on the background of the piece, staring intently at the pinky-purple nightscape. Angelo couldn’t quite make out what was causing the gator to react so emotionally, so she placed a hand on his arm and questioned, “Hey, are you ok, big guy? Looking a bit pale there… I can spray over the piece if that is what’s bothering you. I should have asked before I painted on your walls…” Angelo didn’t want to cover up the drawing of her brothers, although if the gator asked then she wouldn’t mind. It was his home after all.

Leatherhead snapped out of his staring and looked down at Angelo’s distraught expression. He picked her up so that she was now in his arms (what was with everyone and picking her up?) and held her close. “No, young one. It is a wonderful painting… My earlier statement about offering my home to you still stands. I want you to know that you are always welcome and that my doors are always open to you. Although I have known you for only a day at most, I can already tell that you have gone through things that no one your age should. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.” 

Dumbly, Angelo nodded her head at the gator because how was she supposed to respond to that? What had gotten into him? Should she be concerned? Maybe talk with Mikey about this sudden change in behavior? 

Collecting herself, Angelo patted his arm in a comforting manner, “Thank you for the offer, LH. I will be sure to take you up on that. Knowing the others, I will definitely need time to myself at one point.” The gator gave a chuckle at Angelo’s words before glancing down at her hand. 

Oops! Angelo had forgotten that she was still shaking and maybe slightly glowing now. She nervously gave a crooked grin as she slowly moved her hand back into her jacket’s pocket. The gator shook his head in fond exasperation, “Perhaps next time, go easy on your hands. Your body will thank you for it later. Let’s go change your bandages out for clean ones, hm? All that paint could not have done your injuries any favors.” Angelo pouted while sticking her tongue out at LH… 

He did have a point though. She should find some hand coverings so she wouldn’t have to use bandages to cover her scars all the time. Her injuries were all healed so she didn’t really need the bandages, but they stopped the others from staring. Donnie might have something she could use in his lab.

“Hey, come on you two! Let’s eat some lunch! Raph says we got to go soon and I’m starving! ” Mikey exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air. It looks like he lost the earlier chase because Raph smugly held up Mikey’s phone before motioning for Angelo and Leatherhead to join them in the subway car. “We’re coming! Hold your horses!” Angelo yelled as LH walked over to the others with the small turtle still in his arms. He didn’t place Angelo down until they were both snuggly tucked away in his home behind closed doors, almost like he was trying to shield her from something.

Angelo chased that thought away as she let LH redo her bandages. Raph raised an eye ridge at the action but didn’t question it as he picked up a plate full of Mikey’s homemade pizza rolls. Mikey, on the other hand, already had a mouth full of gummy snacks he brought with him from the lair (He must have grabbed his snack pile while Angelo wasn’t looking). He soon started chatting up a storm with his mouth still full of food. It wasn’t long before the others joined in on the discussion and a playful atmosphere greeted the subway car. LH even reached over to his record player and put on some gentle music to add some background noise.

It was really peaceful and the food was great. Angelo was glad that they had decided to sneak out of the lair to catch a break. It was nice to sit back and relax for a while even though she knew that she had much to do when they got back. For now, however, she was gonna cherish this peaceful time while she still could.

Chapter Text

~~~~~~Chapter Eleven- Finding Answers and the Great Escape~~~~~~

POV Shift- Rise Angelo (Her)

Turns out, sneaking into Donnie’s lab was gonna be harder than she thought. Well, the sneaking part wasn’t that hard, but finding a way out of the others’ radars was. Trying to lose the unwanted attention was proving to be a challenge and Angelo was starting to lose hope. Ultimately, her attempts to sneak into the lab went something like this:

After their rather relaxing getaway to Leatherhead’s home, the trio was able to make it back to the lair undetected… more or less. Leo and Donnie were still working away in the lab much to Raph’s relief. Honestly, it was a bit concerning in Angelo’s opinion since they had been in there for hours, but the others didn’t see much problem with it and struggled off her worries. She was going to try to get the older turtles to take a break, although was dragged off by Mikey and Raph before she got the chance. It looked like they still weren’t letting her into the lab which is going to cause some problems with her plan.

The group instead headed towards the kitchen where they ran into Splinter who was drinking some tea. Both Mikey and Raph tried to act natural, but Angelo could tell the elder knew what they were up to. Splinter did sense the group leaving the lair after all. The rat man did send the group a knowing look, although didn’t say anything about their escapade. He simply patted Raph on the shoulder before heading towards his room, tea still in hand. The interaction was weird but no one got into any trouble, so Angelo counted it as a win.

She had planned on trying her luck and breaking into the lab as soon as they got back, but her arms had other ideas. Angelo was really regretting not taking any breaks while spray painting because her tremors only got worse once they got back. She tried to hide her pain, although it was to no avail. Raph had noticed her pitched expression and immediately picked up on what she was hiding. She had tried to convince him that it wasn’t a big deal since she was barely even glowing and was in little pain, but Raph wouldn’t listen.

Despite her attempts to downplay the attack, the red turtle was having none of it. She was quickly pushed over to the couch where Raph then proceeded to coddle her. Even though Leatherhead had already redone her bandages, Raph insisted that they reapply them so that he could put on some of Donnie’s pain reliever gel as well. Angelo grumbled during the whole process, but the medicine did help alleviate the pain. She was still mad about all the fussing though… Maybe at breakfast tomorrow Angelo could “accidentally” burn a few bits of Raph’s portion as payback.

Mikey, being the sweet angel that he was, noticed Angelo’s grumpiness and declared that they were going to have a movie night. The orange turtle quickly ran about getting the living room set up and, before Angelo knew it, she was bundled up in a large fluffy blanket with a turtle on either side of her. A Sci-fi movie that she hadn’t seen before was playing on their tv and various snacks were out on the coffee table. The setup was similar to their previous get-together, although two turtles were missing. Angelo was disappointed that she couldn’t enact her plan tonight, but as the movie played was quickly distracted from her prior grumpiness.

As the night went on, Donnie and Leo made an appearance and joined the others in the living room. They joked around with the group and settled into the beanbags on either side of the couch. A pizza was ordered at one point which made the night even more worth it in Angelo’s opinion. Everyone was in high spirits which made Angelo feel a warm buzz of happiness go throughout her body as she laid her head on Raph’s shoulder. Suddenly, she was struck with a wonderful idea as she let out a small yawn. 

The lab was currently vacant and everyone was here in the living room, thus now was the perfect time to snoop! She could wait for the others to fall asleep and then sneak over to the genius’ lab. Yes, perfect plan. She just had to make sure she wouldn’t fall asleep before the others, so she did all that she could think of to stay awake. Angelo rubbed her eyes, drank various glasses of soda, and forced her eyes to focus on the tv screen. 

Unfortunately, she felt very drained from the day’s activities and thus wasn’t able to win the fight against sleep. Angelo mentally kicked herself for using up some much energy as she reluctantly laid heavily on Raph’s arm. The last thing she heard before she closed her eyes was a quiet “awww” coming from her right and a small “shh” in response.

The next day rolled around quicker than Angelo was hoping. She had awoken in a turtle pile in the living room and was very warm (and ya, “she” still felt right, so Angelo went with it). It took a while before her brain supplied her with her plans from last night. Jumping slightly, Angelo untangled herself from the pile before noticing that all turtles were indeed still present. She smiled mischievously and turned towards Donnie’s lab, taking the first step in her journey of uncovering the other's secrets! 

Nothing would distract her this time! She was all by herself and was determined to find some clues on this “foreign entity” mumbo jumbo. The thought did occur to her that Donnie may have had his phone with him, but she was already this far. She couldn’t turn back now! Not when she was so close to reaching her goal! Plus her weapon and cloaking broach were still in the lab and Angelo would definitely need them if she was gonna travel alone. The surface in this dimension is pretty much unknown to her and she wasn’t looking for any trouble so soon after her recovery.

However, the universe seemed to be against her as she stumbled into Splinter while on her way to the lab. The rat man apologized for bumping into her and asked if she wanted to help him make breakfast. It seemed like he was headed for the kitchen until they collided. Angelo couldn’t think of any excuse that wouldn’t raise suspicion, so she reluctantly agreed. She would just have to try again after they ate…

Angelo made true to her promise and “accidentally” burned a bit of Raph’s pancakes, although he didn’t say anything about it. She didn’t even get a-sided eye from him! In fact, the red turtle wasn’t even the tiniest bit upset that his meal burned! He just patted Angelo on her head and thanked her! The audacity! 

Breakfast went off without a hitch despite Angelo’s meddling and training went much the same. She still wasn’t allowed to train with the others, but she could tell Splinter was warming up to the thought. All those puppy dog eyes were finally paying off! She just needed to work her magic a little bit longer and then she’d be kicking the others’ butts in no time!

Eventually, training ended and Angelo tried to once again sneak into Donnie’s lab, although she was jumped by Mikey as soon as she left the dojo. The orange turtle begged Angelo to join him in making some art for his comic book and she just couldn't say no. Angelo was interested to find out what Mikey was working on, so it wouldn’t hurt if she took a little break from her mission.

Angelo didn’t regret her decision one bit as she was quickly consumed by the story Mikey had created. The comic was titled The Last Ronin and was about the last surviving member of a turtle family. The main character goes to avenge the death of his brothers and has to overcome many struggles while trying to achieve his revenge. It isn’t lost to Angelo that the story is roughly based on Mikey’s family and covers some pretty heavy topics, but when asked the older mutant states that it’s just a story, nothing more. She was gonna try and unpack that baggage because there was no way it was just a coincidence, although was distracted by the seemingly endless amount of comic pages Mikey had produced.

The majority of the evening was spent reading the various comic pages and designing concept sketches for some of the chapters. Angelo had a great time and was quite tired when dinner came around. It wasn’t until she was brushing her teeth that she remembered that she was supposed to be sneaking into Donnie’s lab. Grumbling in disapproval, she crossed her arms in annoyance. There wasn’t anything she could do now, however, and planned to try again in the morning. 

Ok, she promised she was going to solve the mystery of the phone alarm eventually! Angelo had made a whole plan to help her sneak in the night prior, but then Raph asked if she wanted that motorcycle lesson and you know…

In her defense, it was a lot of fun! She only crashed the bike three times and it was barely even dented. Raph had said she did well for a first-timer (although it wasn’t technically her first time riding a motorcycle) and wasn’t mad that his bike was slightly damaged. He did stay in the garage that night working on the vehicle and Angelo asked to help since she felt bad. She could always do her plan the next night and it was only right to help the red turtle out when she was the one who damaged the bike in the first place.

Raph wouldn’t let her assist with the more gritty stuff, however, because her hands decided to stop functioning properly. Angelo had another flare-up soon after they started working on the bikes, but she still had fun nonetheless. The attacks were getting more common and lasting longer than normal… She should probably be more worried about that, huh? They never did find a proper substitute for her medicine, so her hands were most likely trying to compensate for the loss. It wasn’t really a big deal, so Angelo didn’t mention it to the others. She’d be home soon anyway…

There wasn’t much Angelo could do in terms of the repair process, so Raph asked if she wanted to give the bikes a new paint job instead. Of course, she readily agreed, not being one to turn down some quality art time. Angelo happily added a sloppy painting of Ice Cream Kitty to Mikey’s bike and a small doodle of Spike to Raph’s after the new coat of paint was added. She could tell that the red turtle had loved the added details by the way he smiled brightly at the vehicles when he assumed Angelo wasn’t looking. She didn’t comment on his slip up from his “bad boy” image, although did subtly inquire if he had talked to Leo about his fights with Casey. 

Surprisingly, Raph said that he did in fact discuss it with the blue turtle. He said that the fighting was over and that Angelo wouldn’t have to listen to his shouting matches anymore. He didn’t say much about how the arguments ended or what they were about, but it wasn’t really any of her business so she didn’t push. However, Angelo was pleasantly surprised that Raph took her advice since he didn’t react well during their therapy session. It looks like the red turtle had taken the meeting more seriously than Angelo had thought… Perhaps Raph didn’t view Angelo as much of a little kid as she assumed.

Weirdly enough, the next morning a batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies was placed innocently on the dining table. What are the odds that the brand of cookie was Raph’s favorite? Angelo sure didn’t know and definitely had nothing to do with them. 

On the third day, Angelo wasn’t even able to attempt her plan because Leo dragged her away right after training. He said that he noticed how tense Angelo was these past few days and wanted to help her relax by meditating. The orange turtle didn’t really want to meditate but could tell she wasn’t getting out of it. She was still mad at the blue turtle since he was the one who gave the order to keep her in the lair, but felt like she could get some information out of him if she went… that didn’t really go as planned.

At first, the activity wasn’t that bad until Angelo got to the whole “sitting down for a long period of time” part. She couldn’t help from bouncing her leg or rocking from side to side every once in a while. The silence shared between the two turtles was starting to be too much for her to handle. Leo didn’t seem to mind her movements, so she kept doing them in hopes of calming her nerves. 

Unfortunately, the gestures only made her unused energy more present and caused her to get more anxious. It probably didn’t help that her mind was racing from all her unwanted thoughts. She kept thinking about her brothers and the whole gender thing she was going through which didn’t really help her predicament!

She had been in this dimension longer than she had initially thought she’d be. It had been almost four weeks now and very little progress had been made in finding her a way home. Donnie and Leo have started making a portal, but it was still in beta and not built yet. They only had blueprints on a machine that could potentially work. She didn’t want a “maybe” though. She wanted a “definitely”, but the others wouldn't let her help even though she was certain she would be able to speed up the progress with her mystics! 

How much longer was she gonna be stuck here? Would she be here for weeks or months? It wasn’t that she didn’t like her alternate siblings, but nothing could replace her family. She missed them greatly and was positive they missed her, too. Once she got back, she was sure her brothers wouldn’t let her out of their sights for a long time. They probably wouldn’t let her use her mystics for a while either since they were part of the reason she was stuck in the first place… 

Maybe the others had a point keeping her from using her powers. She wouldn’t want to accidentally create another portal and be pushed into a different reality, although Angelo had enough self-control to not mess up a simple spell like that, not to mention the amount of energy she would need to even attempt such a thing! Sure her powers were a bit wonky, but she was certain that she could handle it! Maybe then the others wouldn’t keep things from her! She could prove she wasn’t a child and gain a bit of trust, but nooooo. She was too reckless to know what was best for her!

And, what was up with the whole “her” thing anyway!? It had been a total of three days since she started to refer to herself as a girl and the feeling wasn’t going away! It had never lasted this long before and it was starting to freak her out. Angelo had tried to find some answers for the whole gender thing during her free time, although quickly realized she forgot she didn’t have her phone with her. The family didn’t have a guest laptop and she felt weird asking one of the others to borrow their phones to look it up. What if they looked at her search history or asked why she needed the phone? She was not ready to talk about it with other people yet, no thank you!

The combination of her rushing thoughts and quickened movements must have caught Leo’s attention because, before she knew it, she was ushered out of her meditative spiral and pushed toward the kitchen. The blue turtle brewed some tea and brought out Angelo’s leftover cookies from the day prior. An awkward silence then fell between the two turtles as neither of them uttered a word.

And this is where Angelo sat now, with a mug of Leo’s lavender tea in hand and no progress made to finding out the others’ secrets. To say she was feeling down would be an understatement.

Angelo stared intently at her mug hoping she could find some sense of comfort from the action. Maybe if she tried hard enough she could imagine that her Leo was sitting beside her and they were enjoying their morning tea time back home. That daydream was broken, however, when Leo spoke up, “Do you what to talk about why you were so upset back there? I know mediation isn’t for everyone, but thought it could help… You just have been more fidgety than normal recently and I wanted to see if I could assist somehow. Talking usually helps Mikey, but if you are uncomfortable we can do something else… Um, I think we have some video games laying around somewhere-”

“Why can’t I leave the lair?” Angelo muttered, cutting Leo off from his rambling. She tightly held her mug while stubbornly keeping her gaze on the swirling tea leaves inside. If the blue turtle really wanted to help Angelo, then he would explain himself and tell her what he knew about this foreign entity. He would tell her if they had found something to help her home or if they found one of her siblings. He would let her join in on their expeditions to the surface and take back his order to keep her confined to the lair. He wouldn’t lie to her face about something so important. 

When an uncomfortably long silence followed Angelo’s statement, she chanced a glance up at Leo. The blue turtle had his mouth open trying to form some kind of excuse, but he quickly shut it once he met Angelo’s eyes. He jolted up from his seat and lightly brought Angelo in for a hug. 

Leo gently rubbed her shell before softly saying, “Hey, no kiddo. It’s ok. Don’t cry. I know things have been a bit weird lately, but I promise as soon as everything is figured out, we can all go topside together. We can take you on a tour of our dimension and show you all our favorite hang-out spots. It’s just not safe to go out right now… You didn’t exactly arrive at the best of times and I know that it’s not fair, but with the way your hands are… We got some loose ends to tie up anyway, so it's better if you stayed here where it is safe for the time being.”

Squinting her eyes, Angelo brought a hand up to clear her view from her falling tears. She must have been so mad that she hadn’t realized she was crying in frustration. The blue turtle still wasn't listening to her and Angelo was starting to reach her limit! 

Even so, Angelo stiffly shook her head at Leo in agreement, although was far from happy with his reasoning. Not only had he glossed over Angelo’s question, but he also inferred that Angelo couldn’t take care of herself. She wasn’t a little kid. She was thirteen for Pete’s sake! Just because she was smaller and younger than her alternate siblings didn’t mean she was weaker! Her hands and mystic scars shouldn’t dictate her abilities. Angelo was about to give the older a piece of her mind, summoning forth all of Dr. Delicate Touch to do so, but a loud bang rang out from the living room interrupting her soon-to-be rant.

“LEO, I NEED YOU IN HERE! MIKEY DID SOMETHING STUPID AGAIN!” Raph’s voice rang out with a hint of irritation in his tone. A faint whiny sound could be heard followed by a hiss causing an argument to erupt from the voices’ general direction. Leo gave a sigh before yelling back, “CAN IT WAIT? KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING!” A pause filled the air until Raph’s booming voice screamed back, “GET YOUR SCALY GREEN ASS IN HERE BEFORE I COME DRAG YOU AWAY MYSELF!” Leo rolled his eyes at Raph’s voice, “LANGUAGE AND I’M COMING!” The blue turtle sighed and squeezed Angelo one last time before patting her head and asking, “I’m sorry about that… Do you think you’d be ok by yourself for a bit while I go settle this thing with Raph? We can talk more after, I promise.”

Angelo slowly shrugged her shoulders, turning back to her tea-filled mug. She didn’t feel like talking anymore anyway. All her energy was snapped from her body once Raph spoke up. Leo would probably shut down any of her attempts to convince him she was capable of protecting herself, so what was the point? He didn’t listen to her pleas before, so what would be different this time?

No, no. Angelo couldn’t blame Leo even though he was being unreasonable. He was just doing what he thought was best even if Angelo disagreed with him. The blue turtle was trying to step up as a leader and oldest brother. Angelo had seen the same reaction back home with her family. It didn’t make coming to terms with the fact any easier, but that’s why she resorted to sneaking around in the first place. 

Leo hesitated at Angelo’s gloominess, not wanting to leave the younger one alone when she was so clearly distressed, but left the room as soon as another loud boom erupted. Angelo was then left to her own devices with a plate of half-eaten cookies, cold lavender tea, and a tear-stricken face. 

Grabbing a cookie, Angelo slowly nibbled at the sweet treat. Today was not looking great for the orange turtle. Maybe it would be best if she took the rest of the day off from her planning and relaxed a bit. Perhaps Leo was right and she needed some time to herself, but how was she supposed to get any privacy with the others always nearby… Wait, hold the phone. Angelo was by herself! Leo left her alone! Forget everything she just said! The plan is a go! She might not get this chance again!

Angelo swallowed the remaining bits of her cookie and swiped at her face once more, clearing her eyes of any tears she missed before silently creeping towards the exit of the kitchen. She looked both ways from the doorway before quickly sprinting to Donnie’s lab, hoping the others would be too distracted to notice her. Angelo saw Raph, Mikey, and Leo arguing in the living room over what looked to be a failed prank as she raced, although it didn’t look like they saw her as she came up to Donnie’s room. Glancing one more time over her shoulder to make sure she was in the clear, Angelo opened the door just enough so her small frame could fit through the gap and closed the door quietly behind her. 

The orange turtle smiled brightly as soon as she was safely behind the lab’s door. She did it! That was honestly easier than she was making it out to be. It turns out she was worried for nothing, but couldn’t quite shake the feeling she was forgetting something- “Ah, Angelo! I was just about to come find you,” Donnie’s voice suddenly broke Angelo from her thoughts. Holy Pizza Supreme, that scared her!

Holding a hand to her chest, Angelo whispered-yelled, “Donnie! Why are you working in your lab with the lights off? You scared the living daylights out of me!” Her heart was still beating from all the adrenaline pumping through her chest. Someone really needs to put a bell on that guy, jeez. This was like the fifth time she got jumped scared by the purple turtle alone!

Some shuffling could be heard as the lights flicked to life and Angelo was greeted with the sight of a rather disheveled lab. Papers were skewed around on every surface with various half-drunk coffee cups laid about. Almost every monitor was open with different data points and code lighting up their screens. Blueprints of numerous quantities were hung around the space as well, but what really stood out was the genius himself. Donnie had deep eyebags under his eyes that could rival Angelo’s older brother’s. He was shaking while trying to stay upright and suddenly Angelo remembered their conversation from all those nights ago about personal health and safety. Looks like the purple turtle didn’t have everything under control like he said he did.

Donnie rushed over to Angelo and started pushing her towards his lab table as he rambled, “Really, I am surprised that you showed up at such an opportune moment! I have been meaning to snatch you away, so I could show you all my findings and potentially collect a few more blood samples… Did you know your mutagen is differently colored from ours? It has such a unique shade of greeny-purple that I was surprised it was of similar origin to my own, although the chemical makeup is slightly different. Perhaps that is why you have mystic abilities?” Angelo was pushed into one of Donnie’s swivel chairs as the genius continued his lecture, picking up various sheets of paper as he went, “I haven’t been able to pop the metaphorical bubble surrounding your magic quite yet, but have been able to grasp the general understanding of how it works. Your brother’s flashlight provided great insight into that discovery! It’s energy-based, right? The powers come from a core or some type of fuel source that is provided by your body. The energy needed to use them is produced via natural vigor. It is then shaped into a physical property by a force created within the user's mind. An image associated with what the user wishes to create if you will. Am I understanding this correctly? You don’t have to answer that. I know I’m right-” Donnie threw a handful of papers into Angelo’s lap as he continued spewing off all his newfound knowledge.

All those coffee cups suddenly made a lot more sense and Angelo was honestly concerned for Donnie’s wellbeing. He was moving around like a newborn fawn but was talking faster than a freight train. Angelo couldn’t make sense of what the genius was saying and decided that she should step in before things got worse, “Donnie, I think you need a break. How long has it been since you last slept?” She slowly stood up from her chair and placed the papers off to the side. 

Donnie paused his movements, turned to face Angelo, and blankly stared at her as if she just said something incomprehensible. The orange turtle gave a soft smile before placing a hand on the older’s shoulder, leading him over to the chair she was just sitting in. 

Once placed in the chair, Donnie broke out of his phase, “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly take a break now! There is so much to do and such little time. I need to run so many tests… Ah, yes! We never did tests your abilities, dear Angelo. Let’s do that now! It would speed up the process a great deal-” The purple turtle muttered as he bounced out of his chair and went over to his lab table fiddling with various tools. 

Angelo’s eyes widened in surprise as she questioned him disbelieving, “Wow, what? I thought everyone decided that I couldn’t run through any tests because of my flair-ups. Wouldn't Leo get mad?” She had wanted to help Donnie with his research for a while now, although, with the way he was acting, she didn’t think it was the best time to do such. Not only was it dangerous for both parties, but could potentially do more harm than good for Donnie’s research. Angelo didn’t want Donnie to go into full mad scientist mode on her either.

“Please, Leo doesn’t know what he is talking about! This is too important to hold off on any longer! Do you have any idea how much progress I could make on my retro-mutagen with your help? I’m not going to let Leo’s primal instincts keep me from my work!” Donnie proclaimed as he cleaned off some syringes. Looks like he wasn’t joking about those blood samples… 

Wait, what did Donnie mean by that? Angelo quizzically glanced at the older, “Care to explain what that means Doc? I was under the impression that everyone was on the whole “keep Angelo out of the sciencey stuff” bandwagon.” Angelo held out her arm as Donnie cleaned an area for insertion, quickly forgetting her pervious concerns. 

After drawing some blood, he responded, “Oh, no. I have been trying to get you access to my lab for a while now. After the initial healing period for your injuries, I suggested running those tests we talked about, but Leo shut me down. There wasn’t much I can do since my brother is running on his animal instincts when it comes to you. I can’t really blame his behavior however since you are still a hatchling. I assume all my siblings have the desire to protect you in one sense or another because of that particular tendency. I feel the urge as well, but it isn’t as intense as our eldest’s… It is quite funny how that works since turtles are known for leaving their young soon after their hatching, but it seems we respond more like mammals with their youth… Would you mind answering some questions about your mystics before we start our testing? I have some pressing questions I would like to ask?” The purple brother finished his collection of Angelo’s blood after three syringes were full and started searching for his tablet. He didn’t stop his musings as he searched for his device, although Angelo wasn’t listening.

She knew the others saw her as a kid, but not as far as a hatchling! She hadn’t been called that since she was like five! Her brothers would sometimes slip up and refer to her as such in stressful moments, but they knew better than to call her using that term! Hatchling meant baby in turtle lingo and Angelo was anything but! Oh, if she thought she was mad at her alternate family before, she was solely mistaken. Nothing could compare to the fury coating her bones! This realization was all the more reason Angelo needed to act on her plan, but first, she had to deal with Donnie.

Taking a deep breath, Angelo put on her best poker face and smiled politely at the purple turtle, “Ok, that is some interesting information… How about we make a deal? I’ll answer a few questions about anything you want to know about myself, my powers, or my dimension and then you will take a break from your science stuff. Maybe take a nap or read a book. We can test my powers later when you have a clearer head. I think we both can agree that you are not at your best right now anyway.” 

Donnie gave a thoughtful look while glancing at his newfound tablet. Letting out a huff the genius rolled his eyes, “Please, I have told you before that I am perfectly fine to continue my work, although I will take you up on that offer to some extent. I would love to drive deeper into your dimension’s schematics, but am more interested to learn about your powers. I heard from Mikey that you are able to make clothes from, as he said, “Sparkles”. You didn’t mention this in your earlier debriefing. Why is that?” The purple turtle let out a small yawn as he finished his speech which did not go unnoticed by the small turtle.

Angelo’s facade broke at Donnie’s question. She was surprised that Mikey told the genius of that fact, although it was in character for the orange turtle. Shifting her feet, Angelo nervously rubbed her head, “I mean there wasn’t really any need to mention that particular power since it isn’t all that great. I’ve told you before that Donatello specializes in creation mystics, right? Well, during one of our training sessions together, he showed me how that works and I wanted to try it too. Since I have a knack for mystics, I was able to understand his instructions to an extent. I can only really make clothes, though and they fade away after an hour. We have cloaking broaches so there isn’t any point in using that spell often since it’s not permanent. I mostly use it for the dramatics.” Fire mystics were more Angelo’s style, but energy-based spells come like second nature to her. She wasn’t that great at using them yet, so it was a bit embarrassing talking about it.

Donnie nodded his head quickly as his body started to sway dangerously. Angelo quickly rushed to his side and held him up. The elder didn’t seem bothered by his wacky movements and continued typing away at his tablet as his eyes drooped. “Fascinating, You will have to show me later… Your cloaking broach especially intrigues me. You mentioned that anyone can wield its powers, although I have been met with very little success in my attempts… How does one go about activity that particular tool?” 

The purple turtle seemed to shy away when he mentioned his attempts to operate Angelo’s trinket. He must have been ashamed that he couldn’t get the broach to work. This fact didn’t phase Angelo, though, as she was more surprised that Donnie had tried to use it. Angelo’s purple brother hated the idea of mystics when they first discovered them since they clashed with science so much. It was kind of nice to know that Donnie was putting in the effort to learn more about Angelo’s world. 

“Well, as I mentioned before, the broach is more of a magic tool and works similar to my weapon except everyone can use it not just the owner. It’s a conduit created to cloak the user. You would still be a mutant turtle underneath, but have a cover of magic surrounding your body making you look like something else on the surface. The broach can change you into just about anything! If you wanted, you could be an animal or an object, not just a human. You could also change small details on your body such as your height or weight. If your mind can think it, the jewelry can do it, so to speak. The broaches are convenient when mingling with humans, but are dangerous due to that handy feature. They were banned in the hidden city for a while because of their usefulness, but have been circling the market recently…” Angelo left off on her rambling as she noticed that Donnie had started to nod off in her arms. He started adding more and more of his weight on her which prompted Angelo to move him over to his bed.

As Donnie was placed on the comfy surface, Angelo gently pulled his tablet out of his hands. The purple turtle flopped back onto his cushions with little resistance as he sleepily muttered, “That is truly astonishing! I would love to be able to use such a handy tool. It must be nice being able to turn into a human whenever you want. People wouldn’t look at you funny and you’d be able to accomplish so much. It would be like diving into a different world that wasn’t open to you before… Hmm, we would need more of the jewelry, however. I wouldn’t want to go drive into the human world alone… This whole experience must be quite taxing on you, Angelo. I would not be handling it as well as you are. I’m glad you feel comfortable relying on us to help you home…” The purple turtle left off his sentence as he slowly closed his eyes, succumbing to sleep.

Angelo gently tucked Donnie into his bed and whispered in response, “I just wish the feeling was mutual, Don.” 

Taking a step back Angelo frowned deeply at the sleeping turtle. Was she really asking too much? She just wanted the others to trust her as much as she trusted them. Clearly, they didn’t feel the same way, otherwise, they wouldn’t keep things from her. Donnie at least had the decency to tell her how he felt about her even if he wasn’t in the right mind. Angelo really thought she was making progress with Raph and Mikey on that front, but turns out she was wrong…

That was fine though. If the others thought she couldn’t protect herself, then she’d just have to prove them wrong. It might be cheesy, like some stupid movie plot, but maybe Angelo could prove herself to the others by finding whoever was causing the energy spikes. That way both parties would be happy! She could potentially find one of her siblings or some kind of lead to help her home and the others would be at ease knowing their home was safe from an unwanted threat! They would take her seriously, too!

Nodding her head in determination, Angelo turned away from the sleeping genius and glanced around the room. Now, where was that pesky phone?

Angelo looked under various papers, in file cabinets, and in between the different crevices of the lab, but came up empty-handed after a long search. It was quite hard to find anything useful since she had to remain quiet, thus she wasn’t making much progress. She even had a close call alerting the sleeping turtle when she knocked over a stack of coffee cups, although quickly caught the cups before any loud noise could wake him up. It wasn’t long after that ordeal when Angelo was jostled out of her search when a ringtone sounded out from the back corner of the room.

The orange turtle regained her composure fast, however, and dived for the ringing device. Sticking her hand in between a basket of spare parts and a toolbox, she was pleasantly surprised when she found Donnie’s T-phone making the alleged sound. Smiling widely, Angelo quickly pulled up the phone’s home screen and silenced the device before it could wake the genius. Finally, she was gonna get some answers! 

On closer inspection, it seemed luck was on her side as Angelo noticed the phone was ringing because it had sent out a notification labeled “mystic energy”! Angelo smiled and flapped her hands in excitement as she pressed on the notification only to be meant with a lock screen. Of course, Donnie would have a password! She didn’t think Bootyyyshaker9000 was going to work however, so she was back to searching through Donnie’s lab in hopes of finding a clue. 

After what felt like a few hours, Angelo finally found a sticky note under Donnie’s laptop with a simple set of numbers on it: 09 28 12. She wasn’t sure if the note was referring to the phone’s password, but made quick word of typing it in nonetheless. It was the only lead she had, so she was pleasantly surprised when the phone was unlocked. She didn’t think it would be that easy, but who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth?

Donnie’s phone wasn’t that hard to search through either. He had a ton of apps ranging from simple app games to personal ones the genius had made… Huh, looks like this world’s Donnie also had an app for tracking his siblings… Angelo wouldn’t put it past him if she was on there as well, but she didn’t have time to check. She wasted enough time searching for the dang phone and was starting to worry the others would come looking for her soon.

Shaking her head, Angelo looked through Donnie’s apps once more before spotting one that was simply labeled: “mystic energy locator”. It had a red notification button above it and Angelo click on the application, hoping to find something useful. When the app opened, she was greeted with a map of New York City that had various glowing markers scattered around the screen. They were each labeled with a date, although there wasn’t much information about them other than notes like “scratch marks” or “disturb terrain”. Each of the points was sporadic in nature and didn’t look connected in the slightest. 

Angelo let out a sigh of relief as she went through the various data points. From the looks of it, the others didn’t know what or who was causing the energy spikes as well. It did seem that they were caused by a person, however, from the way the information was worded… It made Angelo feel calmer to know that the others were clueless about the perpetrator, but she was still mad that they kept this information from her. Finally, Angelo looked toward the newest data point on the map.

It had been uploaded recently, so Angelo would have to leave quickly if she wanted to catch whoever was causing the spikes. She knew she would be causing the others a lot of stress if she suddenly disappeared, but also knew that they wouldn’t let her go if they knew what she was doing. This was just something Angelo had to do, however! She had to find out if her family was nearby and had to prove that she wasn’t incapable! It was the perfect time to leave too since not only were the others distracted, but Splinter was off foraging as well.

With her mind made up, Angelo pocketed Donnie’s phone and went over to her cloaking broach and weapon. Both pieces of her equipment were hooked up to some wires and Angelo was a bit nervous to remove them in case they set off some kind of alarm. She couldn’t travel without her prime pieces of equipment, however, so she crossed her fingers and pulled her tools free. 

Luckily, the only alarm she got was from Donnie’s phone. He had set the device to send any signals to his phone instead of blaring throughout the lab, but Angelo had already silenced it. A quiet buzz was the only indicator that something was wrong and she smiled gleefully at the notion. 

She pocketed her broach and tied her weapon to her belt before making her way out of the lab, turning the lights off in the process. Carefully concealing her aura just to be safe, Angelo silently made her way over to the turnstiles. She couldn’t leave through the garage since she wasn’t sure where Mikey, Raph, and Leo were located. Angelo couldn’t sense their auras, although from the mess still in the living room, assumed they went to get some cleaning supplies. All the more reason to hurry her departure.

A heavy tension left Angelo’s shoulders as she made it to the exit without any issues. She paused just before crossing the threshold and turned back to the lair. Taking a deep breath, Angelo sent out a small prayer hoping that her plan wouldn’t end in a total failure and potential grounding before she took the first steps towards her next solo mission (this time without a big brother to ruin it)!

Chapter Text

~~~~Chapter Twelve- Exploring the Great Unknown~~~~

POV Shift- Angelo (Her)

This was the best decision Angelo had ever made! Here, she thought sneaking out with Raph and Mikey was going to be the highlight of her week, but no, this view was a thousand times better than their secretive adventure! The light blue skies, the fresh air (fresh as it was going to get for New York at least), and the bustling streets below put a pep in Angelo’s step that she had thought she lost from being cooped up for so long. She was finally starting to feel like her old self again!

Oh, Angelo was so glad she decided to leave the lair! It was the perfect weather to be out and about, too! There were a few clouds in the sky, but it looked like there would be no rain which doubled her likelihood to succeed in her mission! The humans seemed to think it was the perfect time to be hanging around too as the streets were practically bursting with life. Everywhere Angelo looked there were people swarming about, ready to get their day underway. There was a distinct energy buzzing in the air from all the movement which caused Angelo to feel even more giddy.

The scenery was such a vast contrast to Angelo’s prior experience that it made her feel more at home, although the city was still missing certain elements to really bring the whole place together. The lack of bright colors and personality made the area lose that sense of familiarity she was hoping for… It wouldn’t ruin Angelo’s mood, however, since she had a rogue mystery character to catch after all.

Even though Angelo was breaking a few of her alternative family's rules by sneaking away and “borrowing” Donnie’s phone, didn’t mean she was suddenly willing to run rapid through the city. She was still going to play it safe on her journey so as not to get caught and to prove that she was capable of protecting herself. That reasoning is why she decided to travel via rooftops instead of traversing on foot. It was faster this way and she was less likely to run into problems as well. If she did have to descend to ground level, then her cloaking broach would come into play. Until then, she’d look around with a bird’s eye view and safely complete her mission. Yes, that plan seemed reasonable enough! Raphie would be proud!

Nodding her head in approval, Angelo reached into her pockets and pulled out Donnie’s phone. It was currently 6:30 pm so she had a good few hours before she had to worry about the others coming to look for her. During the past weeks, Angelo noticed that the others only went out after nightfall and avoided the daylight hours unless something important came up. They probably wouldn’t realize that Angelo had left right away since Donnie was sleeping and the others were gone, but that still didn’t mean she was in the clear… On that note, Angelo should hurry and start searching through Donnie’s phone for clues. She was losing valuable time pondering about the what-ifs.

Unlocking the device, Angelo quickly located the mystic tracking app and clicked on it. She was greeted with the same map of New York as before, but this time with the newest data point in full view. The glowing point was located somewhere in downtown Harlem which is basically halfway across the city from where she is now. From what she could tell, the location was between a couple of buildings in an alleyway. The area would be hidden from view, although that wasn’t what Angelo was worried about. 

The location was too far away! It would take her forever to get that far on foot! She didn’t have that much time to spare, so it’s a good thing Angelo is a badass mystic warrior and can swing from building to building like Spider-Man with her Kusari-Fundo! Ha! All those painfully embarrassing lessons with Draxum were worth it after all! 

Wait, now that Angelo thought about it, she could really go at it since she was here by herself! No one is here to stop her from barreling through the air as fast as she wanted. Sure it might not be the safest thing to do with her current powers the way that they are (and since she was trying to not draw attention), but this was the only viable way she could get to the location in time! She didn’t want the others to find her and the subways would be too crowded, especially at this time of day. Angelo would have to use her powers eventually anyway…

Yup, she was totally going for it! There really wasn’t any need to convince herself to not have some fun after being trapped in the sewers for so long. It would be a good warm-up if she got into a fight later on, too.

Angelo glanced one more time at Donnie’s phone to make sure she had the right direction and slipped the device back into her pockets before checking to make sure nothing important would fall out while airborne. She still had her emergency funds on her from all those nights ago and she didn’t want to lose the money in case things get dicey. It would also be really bad if her cloaking broach fell out and she didn’t realize it until after she landed, so this step in her preparation was a must. Everything seemed to be in order, however, so Angelo walked over to the back of the building, to gain some distance, before taking out her weapon and bolting across the rooftop as fast as she could.

Once she had picked up enough speed, Angelo gleefully jumped off the edge of the building while calling forth her mystic chains and connecting them to a pipe hanging off of the next structure in her path. She gracefully swung out of view from the bustling crowd down below until she was practically flying around the city, dodging obstacles as they came. 

Swing, jump, chain, loop. Swing, jump, chain, loop. The process was monotonous, but she was quickly gaining speed! It was exhilarating and soon enough, Angelo was going faster than she thought was possible. 

The wind was blowing hard past Angelo’s face and the air was getting quite cold, although she didn’t stop her movements. The layout of the city streets was surprisingly similar to Angelo’s home, so she didn’t have any problem getting around. The orange turtle was starting to feel like she reached her limits with her speed though, thus she decided to up the difficulty of her run. 

Noticing a nearby fire escape, Angelo smirked as she looped through the bars and used the added momentum to push herself forward. She cheered as she sailed through the air and did more jumps and parkour maneuvers around the alleys. It was really fun and Angelo was having a great time! At the speed she was going, it was only a matter of time before she got to her destination, too! If only the others were here to see her now! They would definitely be eating their words! 

Angelo’s fun couldn’t last forever, however, as after thirty minutes passed, she was quite tired out. The orange turtle slowed her acceleration as she briskly jumped atop a close garbage can. She put her weapon away and plopped down onto the surface taking a moment to catch her breath. She might have overexerted herself a bit, if her slightly shaking hands were any indicator of her recklessness, although she didn’t regret a thing. In fact, Angelo should sneak out more often. This whole experience was really lighting up her mood and the night would only get better!

Pulling out Donnie’s phone, Angelo happily smiled down at the device. The alleyway she was in branched off into four different directions and right around one of the corners was her destination. She had finally made it! Nothing had gone wrong and in a few minutes, she’d be one more step closer to finding a way home! Angelo’s excitement only grew as she gleefully kicked her feet at the realization and pocketed Donnie’s phone once more.

With not a moment to lose, Angelo leaped off the garbage can and lowered her body close to the ground. It was time to get serious, so Angelo slipped into the shadows as she scouted out her surroundings. She wasn’t sure if her mystery character was still somewhere in the alleyway and didn’t want to risk getting caught. Hmm… Maybe she should map out the area just in case the individual was hidden and potentially hostile… That was something her older brothers would do if they were in her shoes.

Closing her eyes, Angelo sent out a wave of her ninpo throughout the alley, creating a mental map of all the energies hovering about. A variety of colors filled Angelo’s mind as she searched the space for anything out of the ordinary… Huh, that was strange. For some reason, her ninpo was picking up on a weird energy source. It was like she could sense something there, but it didn’t quite feel like a person’s aura and yet kind of did. It was weirdly familiar too, although she didn’t think it belonged to one of her family members. The energy's color was shifting between a mixture of blues and purples and was ominously fading out. It was honestly making Angelo feel a bit panicked, but she couldn’t give up now! She had to be brave! If not for herself, then for her loved ones waiting back home.

One step, two steps, three steps, and Angelo was right around the corner. Gulping, the orange turtle slowly peeked her head around the brick wall and placed a hand on her weapon… And no one was there… That was a bit anticlimactic. Angelo would have been embarrassed if anyone was here to witness that, but luckily she was alone in this dimly lit alleyway… In the middle of New York without any backup to help her in case she got into trouble. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea she had… Nope, not the time Angelo! Pushing those nerves deep down. She could do this! 

Ya, she’d be just fine! But if no one was here, what energy was she sensing? Perhaps she should stop loitering around and actually go find out.

The space itself was like any other sketchy alleyway in New York, although with less graffiti than Angelo was used to. There were two big garbage cans set on one side of the street with a pile of littered cardboard boxes mirroring them. A puddle of water was gathered underneath a leaking pipe near the ground and a few spots of withered grass could be seen peaking through the cracked concrete. It was dead silent beside the dripping water and the voices of passing humans coming further down the passage. This couldn’t be it, though. Something had to be here!

Angelo took a deep breath before continuing her search, carefully looking around the alley for anything she could have missed. Donnie had made notes from all the other locations where mystic energy was found, so Angelo had some clue as to what she was looking for. The main consistent piece of information the others had gathered was that each of the alleyways had claw marks located somewhere within them, some more hidden than others. There were only so many places where someone could hide something here, so Angelo was certain it wouldn’t take her long before she found them.

Angelo decided to look behind the water pipe first, hoping to find something right away, although didn’t have any luck. There was only the sad water puddle and a tiny graffitied image of a dog trying to drink the water up. Angelo thought the art was cute, but she wasn’t here to sightsee. She quietly turned away from the scene to continue her search after admiring the view.

The cardboard boxes were next and, as Angelo got closer, she could see some signs of the boxes having been moved recently! Quickly making her way over to the fallen boxes, she pushed a couple out of the way only to be meant with more empty packages. It did look like the boxes underneath the top layer had been disturbed, although judging by the amount of fur, an animal did the deed. The boxes were most likely some stray’s home and Angelo felt bad about destroying the layout. It remembered her of her early childhood days when her family wasn’t as… privileged as they are now, so she respectfully reconstructed the small structure before moving on. 

The last place Angelo had to check was the garbage cans. She was really hoping something of worth would come out of looking through the gross space since the alley didn’t have any other place to hide something in. As time passed, however, Angelo couldn’t help but listen to that small voice of doubt appearing in her head as she continued to look with nothing of interest in sight. Please, something, anything! She couldn’t have come all this way and broken so many rules just to find some weird energy! There had to be more! This all couldn’t have been for nothing!

Wait, what was that? From the corner of Angelo’s eye, she could just faintly see some type of glowing light coming from behind the can closest to her. Quickly scrambling to her feet, Angelo shifted her body to pull the heavy container away from the wall and was greeted with a wonderful sight! A big smile graced Angelo’s face as she looked at her prize.

All that searching had finally paid off because hidden behind the garbage can were the alleged claw marks… Actually, it looked more like someone had made an “X” with a slab of metal repeatedly on the surface rather than scratch marks. Hmm… Angelo pulled up Donnie’s app and looked through the other data points. In all the pictures attached to the purple turtle’s notes, the same symbol was repeated. Some marks were smaller and some were bigger, but they were all hidden where no one would be able to find them unless specifically looking for them. It was almost like someone was trying to keep track of something, but didn’t want anyone to find out… Spooky. 

The mystic energy Angelo was sensing was coming from the marks as well, although was slowly fading away. Curiously, Angelo put her hand on the indents and noticed that they were producing heat almost like they were cooling off. Since the marks were still warm, Angelo could assume she had just missed whoever was there. Dang it! She was so close and yet wasn’t fast enough to catch them! It was disappointing knowing this fact, although Angelo was grateful that they had left behind some clues.

Angelo’s current running theory was that her mystery person had embedded their mystic energy into the marks to leave a trace in the wall. That must be why her ninpo was reacting so strangely to the markings, but why would someone use their mystics in such a way? Wasn’t the point of hiding the marks so that no one can find them? What was the point of leaving behind traces of mystic energy when no one in this dimension had them?

Angelo’s head was swarming with so many questions, although thankfully she had come to some conclusions on this expedition: 

Firstly, Angelo was in fact dealing with a person. They had most likely traveled with her through the portal and had somehow been dropped somewhere else. Maybe they were portal jacked? Although in the case the person was one of the foot soldiers she was battling, perhaps they were hidden from view when she first arrived. That wasn’t a thought Angelo wanted to entertain, however.

Secondly, the person was either one of Angelo’s brothers or a foot soldier. It was more likely that she was only dealing with one person since the aura she was sensing was from one entity… possibly. The slashes felt like a mixture of mystics, although that could have been because the person had used a mystic artifact or weapon to make them. Nevertheless, the mystics felt more like a mutant's energy, thus her human siblings were marked out from her suspect list. The energy was also too differently colored from her eldest brother’s red aura, so that ruled out Raphie. 

With all these facts in place, Angelo could say with certainty that she was either tracking down Donnie, Leo, or a foot soldier. She was hoping that the individual was one of her brothers, although she couldn’t rule out the possibility that they were an enemy. The foot had been recruiting mutants and yokai alike since their defeat and were trying to rebuild their numbers. This was one of the reasons why her family was trying to destroy the clan while they were still weak, thus the battle that had gotten her here in the first place.

Lastly, her mystery person was searching for something, if the slash marks were anything to go off on. They had made some hefty distance around the city in a short period of time, too. Since the others weren’t able to uncover the person’s identity even though they are trained ninjas, the individual was skilled and wouldn’t be found easily. 

That was fine, though, since Angelo was really stubborn and wouldn’t stop her search until she found something of value! There was too much on the line to go back to the lair empty-handed, now! Plus, one of her brothers could be waiting at the end of her search and that prospect made this whole excursion even more worth it!

But, where should she go now? Angelo had already searched throughout the whole alleyway and had gotten everything she could out of the space. Nothing else was out of the ordinary for a New York alley, so she was back to square one… Perhaps she could go to one of the previous locations where mystic energy was found and look for anything the others had missed. She could try and scope out the area with her mystics and uncover some hidden details. Maybe then she would find more clues as to who this mystery character was.

With her mind made up, Angelo pulled up Donnie’s phone, snapped a quick picture of the slash marks to add to the evidence stash, and looked for the next area she could search. It had taken Angelo quite a bit of time to travel to this area and look around, so it was well past 8:00. Unfortunately for her, that meant sunset was right around the corner. If she wanted to search through another location, she’d have to pick one nearby… and maybe one that wasn’t in a creepy, secluded alleyway. Not that she was scared or anything. It would just be wise to have some diversity is all… 

One area had caught her eye, although it was close to a park. That direction was not ideal since there would be a lot of humans out, but it was the closest location to her. She really shouldn’t risk it. Safety was more important and she didn’t want to get into a fight… Angelo didn’t have many options, though, thus it looks like her next operation was going to be a stealth mission! If she played her cards right, nothing would go wrong… She’d be fine.

Angelo glanced around the alley one more time, just to make sure she didn’t miss anything, before pocketing Donnie’s phone. She shook her arms to dispel any lingering fatigue, pulled out her weapon, and wall-jumped to the top of the building connected to the alleyway. Landing, she dusted off her hands and glanced out at the horizon.

Yup, that was a sunset alright. Any minute now the others would be hot on Angelo’s trail. She did make sure to silence Donnie's phone, right? She wasn’t planning on answering if the others called her, but it was important to know in case she needed to be extra sneaky on her mission. The last thing she needed was for the phone to ring while she was spying or for some concerned human to question the ringing in case she had to disguise herself. It wouldn’t be a problem, however, as she had indeed silenced the device, although she should hurry up and leave if she wanted to make it to her next destination in time.

Glancing over in the direction of her goal, Angelo hesitated. It would be too risky to swing around with her Kusari-fundo. There were too many obstacles and unsafe footholes in her path. It would take longer, but Angelo was going to have to jump rooftops if she wanted to stay safe. Huffing an unamused chuckle, the orange turtle rolled her shoulders before sprinting to the next building. It was going to be a long night.

Finally, after many close calls and tight spaces, Angelo was only a few buildings over from her destination! She had thought she wouldn’t be able to make it in time but turns out that being small and fast had its advantages. If she was any bigger, Angelo was sure she would have needed to find another path here. She almost got stuck during one of her more reckless maneuvers, although luckily she was able to wiggle her way out with only little scraps and bruises. Nevertheless, she had made it just in time for the sun to fully set and the night air to capture the city down below. Now she only needed to worry about making her way across the park which shouldn’t be too occupied at this time of night.

Or at least that was the plan until Angelo had made it to the last building before the park and was greeted with the view of a beautiful night market. It looked like the city had set up some kind of event which included various stalls scattered around the park selling different oddities. There were pretty orange string lights hung up between the stalls that were causing the space to glow. Tons of people were mulling through the stalls, talking amongst themselves, and roaming the park’s nature walk. Honestly, it would have been a wonderful view if Angelo wasn’t internally panicking.

This was just her luck! How did she not notice on her way here that more and more people were lingering about? It was obvious that something was going on with the heated traffic banter in the background! Ugh! This was New York, though! There shouldn’t be this many people at some random event downtown! Shouldn’t they all be in Times Square or something?

It was too late to pick another location now! It was too risky since she was certain the others were out looking for her! All her alternate siblings, aside from Donnie since she had his phone, had tried to call her on her way over, although she stayed true to her word and ignored them. Despite this, she was certain that Donnie had already tracked her location down with some of his tech. At one point all the calls had died down if only to prove her right! What should she do?

Taking a deep breath, Angelo took a step away from the ledge of the building and slowly sat down next to an air conditioning unit. No, no. She came this far. She couldn’t give up now. In fact, it would be the perfect time to use her cloaking broach and get lost in the crowds of humans down below. Her alternate siblings would have a harder time pinpointing her location that way. Her mission’s difficulty had just been raised, but she wouldn’t let that ruin her night! She just had to be extra careful! 

Angelo slapped her cheeks to regain a bit of vigor she had lost and started descending the building to the alleyway down below. Once she had made it to the bottom, Angelo hide in the shadows while pulling out her cloaking broach and letting the magic cover her body. She would just stick to an outfit similar to the one she had prior so she didn’t draw too much attention, but as the light faded from her body, Angelo was surprised at what she created.

Instead of the tie-died pants and colorful jacket, she made last time, a much more tame outfit graced her frame. The outfit mostly consisted of an orange, yellow, and black color scheme. She was wearing an orange letterman jacket with yellow sleeves. However, the parts of the jacket that was supposed to be white were black instead. The jacket was big and hung off her shoulder a bit, although was long enough to cover the majority of the scars on her arms. For some reason the bandages covering her hands had disappeared, leaving them bare. She was also wearing a flowy white sleeveless shirt underneath the jacket along with a beautiful yellow skort. A pair of orange and white striped knee-high socks graced her legs with a pair of black Converse to match. Lastly, Angelo had on her signature orange headband and orange star earrings.

What really surprised Angelo, however, was the way her appearance had changed from her last transformation. She had cat-eye eyeliner surrounding her eyes that made them look rounder and cuter. Her spots were lighter in color and were rounder, too. They covered more of her body but were mostly hidden from view by her jacket. Her hair was much puffier and it bit unruly, although was held back by her headband. All in all, she looked much cuter and more feminine than she did last time.

It wasn’t a bad look, but Angelo was confused as to why her transformation had resulted in this outcome. She was sure she had done the spell the exact same way as she did before, although for some reason her outfit didn’t turn out how she envisioned. Was her broach going on the friz, too? She really didn’t need another of her magical aspects breaking down. Well, it wasn’t a total failure, so maybe the broach wasn’t at fault. Perhaps Angelo hadn’t been thinking properly when she activated the spell… It was a cute outfit, though. It would be easier to not get spotted by the others if her appearance was different, too…

Following that train of logic, Angelo decided to keep her outfit and appearance the way that they were. Sure, it might have been smarter to completely change her appearance to something completely different from how she normally is, but it was her night out and she could do whatever she wanted! Thus, the outfit was staying!

Shaking her head, Angelo focused back on the task at hand. She didn’t need to be thinking about this right now anyway, since she had bigger fish to fry. She’d definitely get around to the whole gender thing eventually, but later when she had the time to really sit down to think it. Angelo just hadn’t found the right time since her life was crazy right now. Once things settled down, she’d do some thorough research and stuff… Ya, definitely, definitely.

The nerves swarming in Angelo’s gut weren’t helping her focus and only making it harder for her to concentrate on her task, although she didn’t have much of a choice. She couldn’t ignore them since they were only growing at the sight of the market across the street. The whole place looked pretty lively, so Angelo was sure she’d easily mix in with the crowd. Yet taking that first step toward the large mass of people was harder than she thought. Maybe it was because she was in an unfamiliar environment or was alone, but she couldn’t help from feeling nervous. She couldn’t back down, though. She just needed that extra bit of courage to-

“Hey, dudette! Heading out to that weird market thing?” A voice interrupted her train of thought, causing Angelo to let out an “epp” of surprise. Turning around, she was greeted by a shadowy figure giving her a toothy grin. The tall individual rubbed his head before saying, “Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. The name's Casey Jones and I’m your friendly neighborhood vandalizer. Thought it was weird to see you standing around here by yourself, so I decided to come say hi.” The supposed Casey of this world stepped out of the shadows and his appearance left Angelo speechless. 

Wait, what? This guy was Casey! There was no way! He looked so different from their future boy! In fact, the man standing in front of Angelo looked more like a gruff version of Cassandra. He had longer hair and was definitely taller, but the sharp features screamed the hot-headed foot recruit. The man was clearly older than her version and had a painted hockey mask shaped like a skull, as well. He had a missing front tooth that matched this world’s Donnie, was dressed in emo clothing, and had a more carefree aura surrounding him. It was honestly kind of refreshing to see a Jones so laid back, but at the same time, Angelo could tell this man got into fights frequently due to the myriad of scars covering his exposed skin. Actually, now that Angelo could fully see him, it wasn’t hard to see that this man was a Casey.

It was kind of weird that he randomly showed up right in the middle of Angelo’s expedition, though… Wait, he wasn’t here to bring Angelo back to the lair, right? It was possible the others would call for backup if they wanted to expand their search since they couldn’t find her… No, no. Casey introduced himself, so he most likely didn’t know who Angelo was. He probably just thought she was some weirdo hiding in an alleyway while he was out exploring the city… Unless he saw her transformation. Casey wasn’t freaking out though, so maybe she was still in the clear. Angelo shouldn’t stick around to find out.

Finally catching up with Casey's words, Angelo speaks up, “Oh, umm, ya. I am looking for something and thought the market might have it, but I was nervous to go in alone. You can call me Angel, although I should really get going if I want to find the thing I’m looking for before the market closes. It was nice meeting you, Casey! Ok, bye!” Perfect cover story! She wasn’t technically lying, so she didn’t do anything wrong and therefore wouldn’t have to face any consequences if they meet again. She even added a fake name to really tie her whole story together and masterfully ended the conversation before she said something to arise suspicion! Angelo smiled proudly at herself before giving a polite nod and turning around back to her mission.

“Great,” Casey said, “I was just about to go in myself and you know what they say: the more the merrier!” Before Angelo could even process Casey’s offer, he grabbed her by the hand and started dragging her towards the market. All she got out was a “Wait!” as the hockey player full-on sprinted across the street and into the bustling crowd with Angelo in tow.

As they ran, all Angelo could think of as she tried to keep up with the speedy hockey player was that things just got a whole lot harder, didn’t they?

Chapter Text

~~~~Chapter Thirteen- New Friends~~~

Suddenly, Angelo was trying to worm her way through the bustling crowd as Casey dragged her deeper into the market. The duo had run quite far in the short amount of time they had been in the tight space to the point where Angelo couldn’t tell which way her goal was any longer. If it wasn’t for their connected hands, Angelo was certain she would have gotten lost within the crowd as she was much smaller than the other occupants even with the added height from her shoes. She’d probably get pushed around a lot more, than she already was, if she was alone, but Casey was an expert at clearing the path so the journey wasn’t too uncomfortable. 

In fact, the excited buzz swarming around from all the movement was causing Angelo to feel more eager to explore the space. Maybe it had something to do with the glowing orange lights or the joy-filled chatter of the passersby, but Angelo’s nerves had all disappeared. She couldn’t help but feel more and more thrilled as they passed by stalls filled with various trinkets and gadgets. Her eyes widened at the sight of the different objects and she let her mind wander as they traveled. 

The atmosphere and ambiance were familiar to her, although she couldn’t quite explain why. It just felt nice to run through the crowd looking on at the colorful stalls and people, almost as if she had done the action before. The space was even more dazzling with the plants from the park highlighting the paths and scenery giving the space a kind of magical feel… Oh! That’s it! The market was similar to the Hidden City back home, although smaller and less otherworldly. From the large groups of people mulling the roads to the high-energy conversations going on from vendor to vendor, Angelo would think she was in the city if it wasn’t for the lack of mutants and yokai around.

Nevertheless, the whole vibe of the marketplace made Angelo feel more at home than she ever had during her stay. She couldn't help but express how giddy she was at the realization by tightening her grip on Casey’s hand while excitedly looking around.

Perhaps she could stick around a little bit longer and explore the market with the emo boy. It would be a nice change of pace and she might even find something cool to bring back home with her. Angelo could even get more information about this world from Casey as they scouted out the place. She was lacking in her knowledge since her alternate siblings only told her so much…

Wait, no! Angelo shouldn’t be sightseeing and hanging out with Casey! She was trying to get away from the ravenette, not be all buddy-buddy with him! Remember the mission, Angelo! There isn’t much time left before the others come and you are promptly grounded for life! You need to stay focused!

Wiping the smile off her face, Angelo shook her head to dispel any lingering thoughts as she took in her situation once again with a clearer mind. The orange turtle’s first problem was that she was currently being dragged through a busy crowd chock-full of humans. It was dangerous for her since her cloaking broach wasn’t as secure as she’d like it to be. Angelo apparently didn’t learn from her previous endeavor and had pinned the broach to her jacket where it could easily be knocked off. Although, in her defense, Angelo hadn’t planned on diving head-first into the crowded streets in the first place. She was originally planning to stay on the outside of the market and sneak in if she needed to, thus the reason for a stealth mission. Casey seemed to have other plans, though.

At the speed the duo was running, Angelo definitely wouldn’t be able to move the broach without breaking the spell and exposing herself. She’d just have to hope that nothing would bump into her and be extra careful while they traveled. It seemed she wouldn’t have too much trouble moving around though since Casey was firmly gripping her hand which brought Angelo to her second issue.

No matter how hard Angelo tried to weaken Casey’s grip, the boy refused to comply! He probably thought Angelo was being dragged away by the crowd each time her hand slipped thus tried to keep them together by tightening his. The boy’s compassion showed by the way he slowed done or adjusted his hand whenever Angelo tried to pull her’s away which would have been sweet if it was in any other context. 

Now, Angelo could use her strength to force their hands apart, but she’d risk breaking her cover and didn’t want to alert the other turtles of her location just yet. She didn’t want to be grounded before she was able to find more clues about her mystery person. Angelo had come too far to end her journey here!

This whole conundrum could have been easily avoided if she just voiced her disapproval, but at the same time, Angelo didn’t want to be stranded here alone. It’s not like she had much of a choice anyway. At this point, Angelo could either stay with Casey until they reached wherever they were going or be stuck in the middle of a bustling marketplace in an unfamiliar part of town. She didn’t have to think hard about what decision she was going to make.

Now resigning her to her fate, Angelo did kind of wonder where Casey was taking her. They had been running for quite some time and it didn’t look like they’d be stopping any time soon. Every once in a while, Casey would move his head around as if he was looking for someone, although he never stayed too long on a certain person so Angelo couldn’t be sure who he was looking for exactly. Maybe he was meeting up with one of his friends from this world? That would be interesting to find out since Junior was still trying to integrate back into normal society in Angelo’s world… 

Suddenly, Angelo was broken out of her thoughts as Casey’s face lit up and he hollered, “Yo, Red! There you are! We’ve been looking everywhere for you. You know you could have just texted me. It would have been a lot easier than trying to find you in this crowd…” The ravenette continued his bickering as the duo strolled up to a lone woman with striking red hair. She was nonchalantly scrolling through her phone while leaning against a lamppost away from the busy streets. When she noticed Casey’s loud shouting she looked up, rolling her deep blue eyes in a fit of annoyance.

“Casey, lovely to see you too. You know why I don’t text you for good reason. You somehow always have a plethora of memes or random pictures at the ready when I want to have a pleasant chat. I start giving in now and you’ll take whatever chance you’ll get to annoy me later,” The woman said as she waved toward Casey’s general direction. She pocketed her phone as Casey let out a disgruntled noise while holding a hand to his chest, “Apes, come on. You know you love my chaotic nature! Plus, you wouldn’t want to make a bad first impression on our new best friend would you?” Casey proclaimed as he pulled Angelo in for a one-sided hug, effectively revealing her from her hiding place behind the boy’s back. 

Angelo was startled by this movement and just kind of waved at the girl awkwardly while the redhead looked at her with a shocked expression. The emotion quickly changed as she looked down at Angelo before giving a warm smile, “Oh, sorry. I didn’t see you there, kid. Don’t mind what that weirdo says. I’m not usually this snarky with people, but he rubs me the wrong way… Annoying as he is, Casey isn’t normally this nice to people he meets on the streets. I don’t think he has even mentioned an “Angel” before, so you must be new… He didn’t kidnap you or something, right? Blink once for yes, twice for no.” Angelo chuckled at the woman’s joke, although she said the statement with such conviction that Angelo wasn’t sure if she meant it as one. Angelo made a show of blinking twice just in case…

Was it normal for this world’s Casey to be so… unhinged? Should Angelo be concerned? Perhaps the boy was Cassranda’s counterpart instead of Junior’s as she had originally thought! Angelo couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, although it certainly would make a lot more sense. The boy had displaced a lot of the same behavior as the foot soldier since Angelo had meant him in the past few minutes… 

Casey seemed to take even more offense to the woman’s words as he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest in amusement, “Oh come on, April. I wouldn’t do something like that and you know it! I wouldn’t kidnap something while so many people are around! Too many witnesses!” The woman- er- April responded to Casey after his retort, although Angelo wasn’t paying the conversation any attention because this human was April! Her sister, the badass, April! No way! Well, this was another dimension so different rules applied, but it was so weird to see her… well… She was like a completely different person!

The woman standing before Angelo had very little resemblance to her sister, so much so it was hard to believe that they were counterparts at all. This April didn’t look as tough as her April, less badass for sure. She was more on the lanky side and her aura felt more… put together? Was that the right, term? Angelo wasn’t sure, but she certainly gave off a whole new demeanor. Something about her aura made Angelo think of… those things … the um… kraang, but that was impossible and stupid! Angelo must be tired from running around so much that she was starting to see things… hmm.

Anyway, this April’s appearance was also drastically different from Angelo’s sister. She had white freckled skin with curly red hair and blue eyes. It was a cute combo, especially with the pretty blue jean jacket and striped shirt she was wearing. The redhead had on a pair of light blue skinny jeans and black Converse as well as various pins on her jacket. Some of the pins included: a cute little fruit bat pin, a science beaker pin filled with a purple liquid, and a heart-shaped pin with three different colored stripes (Pink, purple, and blue in that order). Angelo couldn’t see her sister wearing an outfit like that, but it looked cute on this April!

It was weird that both of her human family members were so drastically different in this dimension while her brothers barely changed in appearance. They did fit in more with their plain colors and less extravagant personalities, although the huge changes made it ever more clear that Angelo didn’t fit in here. She was bright, colorful, and loud. This dimension wasn’t… She shouldn’t dwell too long on that thought, however. Angelo had more important things to worry about like getting away from the two humans to continue her search. You know, the responsible thing to do…

Angelo was once again brought out of her thoughts as Casey patted her on her shoulder causing the turtle to tune back into their conversation. “Let’s let Angel decide, Red. Do you want to hang out with the cool kids or go back to wandering the cold streets without anyone to tell you funny jokes?” Casey proclaimed as he used exaggerated hand movements to get his point across. April shook her head at the boy’s theatrics and mouthed “ Can you believe this guy ” to Angelo before giving a small smile. Nevertheless, both of them were waiting patiently for Angelo’s verdict. 

Honestly, this turn of events worked out perfectly for the turtle-turned-human. She could decline their offer to hang out and be on her merry way, although the more Angelo thought about it, the more she didn’t want to leave the duo. Sure, Angelo definitely had to get back on track with her mission since she was basically on a time limit before the others came to find her, but this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about her alternate human siblings!

Angelo didn’t know anything about the humans in this dimension since the others refused to bring them up. She did think it was strange that they neglected to talk about the two humans (Other than Raph’s therapy session, but he wasn’t going to bring up Casey in the first place so that didn’t count) because they were such key aspects of the brothers’ lives growing up. Even if Angelo was the one to mention the humans, she was quickly shot down which furthered her curiosity. What could the others be hiding? Why did they feel the need to leave Angelo out of everything important? Was she really not that trustworthy?

Her curiosity was not the only reason Angelo was considering staying with the others, though. The crowd of humans occupying the market was growing as time went on and she didn’t feel like trying to push her way through. It would be wiser to stay in a group as well in case someone mistook her for a lost child because of her small stature. Angelo had been through that song and dance far too many times in her life and she wasn’t feeling like repeating it again. From what Angelo could remember, the location she was trying to get to was further in the park, so it would probably be safer if she was with some familiar faces too. With that train of thought, Angelo believes it would be in her best interest to stay with the two humans a while longer so that the rest of her mission can go off without a hitch!

Angelo would just like to say, for the record, that she wasn’t staying because she was enamored with the beautiful market stalls. She was not the slightest bit interested in the vendors or the pretty flowers growing throughout the park. The artist in her was not enjoying every second of this picturesque scene before her. She did not come to this conclusion because she wanted to explore the market space and have a bit of fun. No, Angelo was doing this to gain information and nothing else. It’s what her brothers would do if they were there. They would gain more knowledge before coming up with a plan, thus Angelo would do the same. It was the responsible thing to do! Eh, never mind what she said earlier…

Clearing her throat, Angelo puffed out her chest while proudly proclaiming, “It wouldn’t hurt to travel with you both for a bit. The company would be nice and you seem like decent enough people, so sure, why not?” Casey’s facial expression beamed at Angelo’s words while he sent a smug look April’s way. The redhead rolled her eyes at the boy once again and signed before moving closer to the pair, pausing to ruffle Angelo’s hair. 

Casey then turned towards the path leading further down into the market and exclaimed, “Well, the nights not getting any younger! Let’s go explore before it gets too late!” After his short proclamation, the emo boy started running down the trail before either of his companions could stop him.

Angelo was about to join him, reclaiming a bit of that vigor from before, but was stopped by April. The redhead had placed a hand on her shoulder and was giving her a slightly concerned look. It caused Angelo to feel a bit panicked thinking that her cover had been blown somehow, although that train of thought was quickly stopped when the older spoke up.

“Hey, you don’t have to humor him like that, you know? You must have come with some friends or family, so don’t feel like you have to stay with us,” April voiced. It was nice that she was thinking about Angelo so much, although the worry wasn’t necessary seeing as Angelo was indeed alone on her journey. If she had come with someone else, then it would have defeated the whole purpose of coming out in the first place! April didn’t know that though, so Angelo felt like she had to explain herself in order to give the older woman some peace of mind. 

Giving her award-winning smile, Angelo beamed up at April while taking her hand, “April, I’m staying 'cause I want to. My um- brothers wouldn’t mind if I stayed out a little bit longer with some new friends. If it makes you feel better, then I can text them really quickly so that they know I’m ok.” That was a total lie, but a great cover story that would ease April’s worries. The lie wouldn’t even interfere with what she told Casey since it was also technically true. Angelo never said she wasn’t crafty! 

By the way April returned Angelo’s smile, the turtle knew that she believed her story. If Angelo could, she’d give herself a pat on the back for her quick thinking! Angelo even pretended to send a text on Donnie’s phone to really pull the whole act together! Leo would be so proud if he was here! He taught Angelo everything she knew about the art of deception, although the orange turtle wasn’t all that good at it yet. She never really got over the crushing guilt and doubt that came with the talent. Those lessons were paying off now, however! The small boost of energy Angelo got from the excitement may have caused her to lose a bit of credibility, but the extra adrenaline was well worth the risk!

If only Angelo had paid more attention at this moment, she would have noticed the confused expression on April’s face as she glanced at the familiar shell-shaped phone. The turtle might have realized the tightening of April’s grip wasn’t to keep the duo together as they started walking down the path, following in Casey’s footsteps, but rather to keep Angelo close for other reasons. She would have noticed April’s curious glances her way as they traveled to the various booths. Unfortunately, the small turtle was too focused on the bright market stalls and keeping up pleasant conversations with Casey to notice. 

Angelo’s attention was quickly stolen as they continued their leisurely stroll through the numerous oddities the market had to offer. She couldn’t help it as her mind wandered due to all the shiny new objects laid about. It was just how her brain was wired. One moment she’d be looking through a stall full of handmade plushes and the next she’d be two carts down chatting up a storm with the vendor. If it wasn’t for April’s hand keeping them connected, Angelo would have left the two humans behind, but thankfully the redhead was very adamant about not losing the smaller teen in the crowd.

The humans didn’t seem to mind as Angelo dragged them around. They both looked to be having just as much fun as Angelo was if the smiles on their faces were anything to go off on, so she didn’t feel too bad that she was causing a ruckus. Angelo just couldn’t contain herself! 

It was so freeing to be out in the fresh air with some friends by her side. It had been so long since Angelo was able to go out on the streets like this! Even before she had landed herself in this dimension, Angelo didn’t have the time to sit back and relax due to the whole invasion... and then the recovery process after… and then the human-mutant relationships took a turn… and then the foot clan started to rebuild… and then the portal situation… The point is that Angelo really needed this day out, so she might have gone a tiny bit overboard running around all over the place. 

It became apparent that Angelo’s high-strung energy was too much for the older humans as they struggled to keep up with her. April soon suggested they rest near a more secluded part of the park after Angelo had dragged them to the most eye-catching stalls. It was getting quite late so the crowd was starting to thin out, but the market was still pretty packed due to it being New York. Luckily for them, April knew of a nice, quiet place where they could rest which wasn’t far from where they were. Casey quickly agreed since he too was running on empty while Angelo reluctantly obliged. She still wanted to look around, although felt bad about dragging the others around so much. Her guilt didn’t stop a pout from forming on her face, however. 

After a short five-minute walk through a row of bushes and flower patches, the trio had come across the location April was talking about. The redhead had taken them off-path to find the isolated garden in which they stood now. A few twigs and grass shards had clung to their clothes, although their efforts were awarded as they took in the garden. It was honestly quite beautiful in Angelo’s opinion. 

The area had opened up to a circular hedge-off space, complete with various assorted flowers skewed around and carefully planted trees. A large fountain with a sitting area was in the middle of the garden. It was producing water in a rhythm, creating a calming atmosphere. Angelo could feel some of her fatigue fade away just from being in the tranquil space. Her hands were just itching to find a sketchbook and draw the scenery. Alas, she would just have to resort to taking a mental picture to satisfy the urge since she didn’t have one on her. A tragedy in it’s truest forms!

With the placement of the hedges surrounding the garden, it would be hard for people to find it, thus the garden had only a few humans currently mulling around. Despite this, some stalls were placed around the edges of the field with glowing multicolored lights illuminating them. Angelo was interested to see what they were selling, although didn’t get to investigate due to April pulling her over to the fountain. Casey followed and soon enough the trio had claimed a section of the seating area for themselves. Both of the elder humans let out a sigh of relief as they sat down while Angelo started playing with the water, now free from April’s grasp. 

They spent a few moments there, enjoying the night breeze and relaxing atmosphere. Casey took this chance to fully relax, taking up a section of the seat he shared with April. The redhead shoved him in retaliation, throwing the boy off the seat entirely. Angelo laughed at the duo’s mischief and scouted over to allow Casey to sit next to her. The emo boy happily took the seat and was about to say some witty remark to April, but was interrupted as her phone started to ring. She took the device out of her pocket and glared at the screen before her face lit up in understanding.

Letting out a sigh, April stood up and addressed her companions with a bit of sarcasm, “Well, that break was fun while it lasted, but I need to take this. Be back in a few. Don’t do anything crazy while I’m gone.” Angelo and Casey waved as April walked away, answering her call just out of earshot.

Angelo turned back to the water and swapped her hand through its surface once again while Casey laid back on their shared seat. They both sat in silence and took a breather as they enjoyed the serene atmosphere of the garden. This was fun. Angelo was glad she decided to go on this little detour. She had gotten to see so many interesting things while traveling with Casey and April. There were stalls with handmade jewelry, paintings, and pottery. Some of the more interesting pieces got a place in a new photo album on Donnie’s phone. Angelo would have the genius print them out for her later since her phone was back home…

Another vendor had second-hand clothes for sale which caused Casey to challenge everyone to a fashion show! It wasn’t much of a competition, since they only put on sunglasses and hats due to the shop owner’s sour personality, although Angelo had fun nonetheless. Seeing Casey in a bright pink unicorn hat with rainbow sunglasses was well worth the side eyes they had gotten from the other customers. Angelo had especially liked the brightly colored gloves the shop was selling. She had thought about getting some since they would fit perfectly on her arms, effectively hiding her scars from view, although decided against it. It would have been nice to get a souvenir with her saved funds, but she didn’t want to waste the only currency she had. Donnie gave her that money for emergencies and Angelo wasn’t about to spend it on things she didn’t need… well not yet anyway.

Despite the internal conflict, Angelo was battling at the time, Casey had noticed her eyeing the gloves and ended up buying them for her. Angelo tried to politely refuse the gift, not wanting to burden her newfound friend, but Casey wouldn’t listen to her pleas. He said that he owed Angelo a favor and proudly handed the gloves to her with his signature smug-looking smile. The orange turtle had no idea what the emo boy was talking about but was overjoyed as she slipped the orange-colored gloves onto her hands. The gloves were fingerless and had a little hole for where the thumb was supposed to go, so Angelo was fairly confident she’d be able to wear them in her original form, too. They weren’t anywhere near as comfortable as the custom-built compression gloves Donnie had made her but would make do for now. The other turtles wouldn’t send her that sad and worried look each time they glanced at her hand at least…

At one point the trio had tried some of the street food being sold close by. It wasn’t much in Aneglo’s professional opinion but filled her up enough to refill her energy. Raph would have liked it. The dish was a weird mix of rice, beans, dough, and mystery meat with a spicy aftertaste. It definitely was something he would gotten a large serving of, but would regret later since the big guy couldn’t handle spicy food for long without his stomach turning… 

Angelo promptly went to explore the market after the quick bite, dragging the two humans behind causing the scene of events that led Angelo to where she was now. The shenanigans they had gotten up to during their excursion would have been enough to fill up another chapter in Angelo’s tale, however, the night was slowly creeping away and she unfortunately didn’t have the time to recount them. She had gotten her fun-filled break, but now it was time to get back to the task at hand. It was time to interrogate!

Despite all the fun the trio had, Angelo didn’t learn much about the two humans other than their preferred clothing types and hobbies… Ok, so she might have not done the best job at following through with her original intent, but now was not the time to beat herself up. In fact, perhaps Angelo had gotten a lucky break with April away on a phone call. She needed some information about the villains in the area or if anything strange had been happening as of late, and some little nagging part of Angelo was telling her that April wouldn’t appreciate that line of questioning. 

Something about the redhead was rising alarm bells in Angelo’s head, although she couldn’t quite tell why. Maybe it was the way April hadn’t let go of Angelo’s hand the entire time the trio had been traveling or the way April had subtly tried to hide Angelo from view, but something was definitely going on with her. Nevertheless, Angelo assumed Casey would know more about what went on in the streets since he looked like he got into fights often. Since the duo was now alone, away from prying ears, Angelo could finally get down to business. She’d just had to make sure to ask Casey in a way that it wouldn’t cause suspension.

A sudden noise broke Angelo from her train of thought, causing her to look towards Casey with a surprised expression. It seemed she didn’t have to think of some convoluted ploy to begin her questioning after all. The emo boy had offered her a lopsided smile while casually starting up a conversation, “That was a lot of fun, eh? Thanks for hanging out with us tonight, Angel. I wanted to take April out to help get her mind off things but was worried she wouldn’t enjoy herself. Your presence helped calm her nerves I think.” 

Huh, that was news to Angelo. Maybe April was so jumpy tonight because of something troubling her. Is that way the others had clamed up whenever Angelo tried to talk about her? Was it something serious? A worried expression flashed across Angelo’s face as she glanced over to her sister’s counterpart. Did the phone call have something to do with what was bothering the redhead? Angelo wanted to know. She couldn’t bear to think that April was in some kind of trouble. 

Back in Angelo’s home dimension when everyone was just starting to heal from the invasion, April’s family wasn’t spared from the aftermath. The apartment she shared with her mother had been severely damaged and they were homeless for a short period of time. April didn’t have any other human family members outside her mother, thus the duo didn’t have anywhere to turn to. Angelo and her brothers weren’t aware of April’s struggles until the problem was already resolved because she didn’t want to worry them while they were still recovering. Of course, when the boys (and girl) learned what April was keeping from them, words were shared and promises were made. Angelo’s older sister would never have to deal with something like that alone ever again, so she wanted to extend that offer to this April as well. 

The turtle-turned-human wanted to help in any way that she could, thus turned back to Casey with stars in her eyes. “If you don’t mind me asking, could you tell me a little bit more about what’s bothering her? I don’t know about April, but I consider her my friend after the evening we spent together and I want to help if she is having troubles,” Angelo said with a determined air. Really, what were the other turtles doing? This was a thousand times more important than worrying about Angelo’s safety! 

Casey looked Angelo in the eye with a sad smile and softly shook his head, “I’m sure April would appreciate hearing that, but there isn’t much we can do here. Her dad is missing. He got abducted by some… men in suits and has been missing for a while now. We all have been keeping an eye out, although we haven't found much.” 

Oh… Angelo’s face dimmed at Casey's words as her resolve faltered. That made things a little more complicated. It was surprising to find out April had a dad rather than a mom in this dimension, although Angelo was starting to get used to these little contradictions between their two worlds. Either way, Angelo was uncertain how she could go about assisting her new friend. 

Even back home, finding missing people wasn’t something her family did that often. If they ever did come across a kidnapping, Donnie’s tech found the missing person almost instantly. The guy basically had an entire database filled with each resident of New York’s information on it. If Donnie wanted he could do some real damage with that big brain of his, but luckily he was on the good people's side! Plus, She was pretty sure neither Raph nor Leo knew about that certain database and she wasn’t about to snitch. It was good blackmail in case she wanted to have some quality bonding time with her hermit-like big brother.

Angelo couldn’t rely on Donnie here, however, since her brother was back home (most likely). Maybe if Angelo found out what April’s father’s aura was like she’d be able to sense him with her mystics. No, that was too much of a long shot because Angelo couldn’t sense strangers’ auras unless they were in close proximity to her much like that of a radar. It worked differently for her brothers probably because of the way they were mutated together… She could still keep an eye out for Mr. O’Neil and convince the others to put more effort into the search when she went back to the lair, though… On note what did April’s father look like? The redhead looked different so it goes to reason that her father would as well.

Tilting her head in a questioning manner, Angelo glanced over at Casey. The emo boy took the hint, having caught on to what Angelo was trying to say. Letting out a sigh, Casey shook his head with a warm smile, “Jeez, you got a heart of gold, Angel. I told you there isn’t much we can do, but I can see that isn’t going to stop you so, being the responsible one here, I’ll tell you some useful information. April’s dad is a redhead like her with blue eyes. He is on the older side and is balding, although don’t let him know I told you that. The dude is crazy smart, like rocket scientist smart, but can be a bit close-minded sometimes. Like I said, the last time we saw him, he was being taken by men in black suits. I would show you a picture, but I don’t got one on me. You’d need to ask April for one if you wanted a better image.” 

Men in suits… That was a weird kidnapping outfit. Angelo would choose to wear something a little more subtle if she was doing any crimes, but she wasn’t one to talk, what with being a mutant turtle disguised as a human. It would be hard to find suspicious individuals with only that description to go off on, though. She would still try her best and look around before giving up, however. It was what friends were for!

Suddenly Casey took Angelo by her shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eyes. He had on a usually serious expression as he continued his speech, “OK, but listen here, Angel. I know nothing I say will keep you out of trouble, but I don’t want to see you hurt, alright? You seemed like a capable young lady, but promise me that you’ll be careful and call for backup if you need it. There are a lot more dangerous people out there than you can even imagine. Keep an eye out for tiny robotic dinos, glowing substances, and mutants alike. It’s okay to be a bit rebellious from time to time, but you gotta know when it’s time to call it quits. Take it from one knucklehead to another.” Angelo returned Casey’s smile with one of her own as he ruffled her hair. 

It was nice to know that Casey was on her side on this one. Finally, someone understood that Angelo wasn’t just a little kid in need of protection! She was a strong, brave mystic turtle warrior ready to face anything that came her way even if she was by herself! Angelo would uncover even more information about this mystery person she was tracking down, save the day like a boss, and get back home all in one piece! Nothing would stand in her path and Angelo was well on her way to proving that fact to the others. However, on that note, Angelo should get back to her mission. She had taken more than enough of a break and had renewed her energy to peak performance. Her hands weren’t even shaking any longer and she had gotten a bit more data about the bad guys in the area, so it was the perfect time to head out… wait, did Casey mention something about mutants-

“I KNEW IT!”

Casey’s and Angelo’s heads whipped to April as she shouted loudly into her phone. Angelo felt a cold sweat drop down her shine as April met her gaze. The redhead’s eyes were practically glowing with a fiery intensity filled with the classic older sibling “Oh no you didn’t” look. Angelo didn’t need to hear the rest of April’s conversation to know who she was talking to as she felt Donnie’s phone vibrate in her pocket. Angelo certainly didn’t think her cover would be blown this way. Shit! Looks like it was time to go!

Nervously giving Casey a not-so-convincing calm and stress-free smile, Angelo gently took his hands off her shoulders before springing up from her seat. “Well, it has been a pleasure, but I really must be going. I left my um… stove on?” Angelo squeaked out as she turned around, noticing that April was starting to march over to where the two were with a disappointed gaze. Angelo’s greatest weakness! The redhead had put her phone away so Angelo could only assume she had already told the others of her location as well. Double Shit!

Yup, definitely getting out of here, but where should she go without getting caught? Maybe Angelo could run back through the bushes and retrace her steps? No, the tight crawl space was covered in sharp branches and prickles that would only slow her down. The bushes were much too confusing to navigate anyway and April would be able to maneuver better since she knew the way. On the other hand, Angelo could try and squeeze her way through one of the nature trails leading to what she assumed was an open field. No, Angelo wouldn’t have any cover and the other turtles would be able to help wrangle her in if there weren't any humans around. She should use that to her advantage and try to find a route that had more people! They were probably on their way here right now, if they weren’t already, so think Angelo, THINK!

What should she do? What should she do? April was getting closer and she was starting to panic and panicking would NOT help right now, but she did not want to be grounded so- AH! There! The area leading out to the main road was pretty crowded, but it would work as a great distraction to keep the two humans away and give Angelo enough cover. She was quite confident of her speed so if she could just make it through the tight gaps between each person, the orange turtle would be able to gain some distance and hopefully sneak away without getting spotted. She didn’t have time to think of a safer option anyway.

Turning quickly to her next destination, Angelo heard Casey let out a slight noise of disproval as she all but bolted from the small isolated garden, knocking over the now-standing emo boy in the progress. She wasn’t going to sit around, let April scold her, and be dragged back to the lair where she’d never get to see the light of day again! No, it was still too early to throw in the towel now, so Angelo pumped all her newfound adrenaline into her legs and ran with all her might.

The shouts she heard from both humans didn’t stop her as she sprinted across the garden, hopping over colorful flowers and swerving between trees. She jumped, ducted, and rolled out of the way of the oncoming traffic with practice steps. If this was any other situation, Angelo would have added in some kicks and flips, but it wasn’t the time for goofs. This was a matter of life and death!

Soon enough, Angelo had made it through the large opening in the hedge walls leading towards the main street and was pushing her way through the crowd. She didn’t slow her strides as she moved, not even waiting a second to see if either of the two humans were following behind her. She dodged and weaved as best as she could while trying to squeeze between the more difficult bunch. Although for the most part, Angelo didn’t have that much trouble making her way through the bustling streets as the crowd in front of her was now parting due to the movie-like chase scene being played out before them. 

How did it come to this? Angelo was certain she had only been with Casey and April for a little while, so how did the others find her so quickly? How did April even figure out Angelo wasn’t who she said she was? Casey had seemed to believe every word she said… or, actually now that Angelo thought about it, the emo boy probably knew from the very start, huh? It was weird how out of all the humans Angelo could have met, Casey was the one she’d find. April had even mentioned that he didn’t take to strangers normally, so it was weird that he just invited Angelo to hang out with them so readily… 

But then why didn’t he say anything sooner? Why did he let Angelo join them instead of taking her back to the lair? From the way, April was fuming over the phone call with the others, Angelo could only assume she didn’t know right away that Angelo was, in fact, a mutant turtle, thus why didn’t Casey tell April? Why did he insist on playing along with her story, referring to her as “Angel”, and using Angelo’s preferred pronouns as if it was second nature? It was sweet, but weird. She was weird and- too many questions, not enough running !

Donnie’s phone once again vibrated in Angelo’s pocket, although she could have sworn that the sound was much more loud and threatening than it was before. The sound was counting down her minutes with each buzz and Angelo was now one hundred percent certain the other turtles were here somewhere. Why else would Donnie’s phone keep going off? She should have left the stupid thing back at the lair instead of taking it! 

AH! Of course! April would have obviously known what Donnie's phone looked like and here Angelo was showing it off like it was hers! Why did she think that pretending to send a text on it was a good idea all those hours ago? She even took pictures of pretty arts and crafts during the whole time she spent with the humans! Stupid! Stupid! Angelo blames Leo for this! Those lessons on lying weren’t worth it after all! She had no idea how her older brother was able to lie so fluently! It was so hard!

Suddenly, Angelo’s foot caught on an uneven part of the pavement and she stubbled right into an older adult man. She was caught off balance by the collision and promptly fell onto her knees, taking a moment to catch her breath. Dang it! She needed to keep her head in the game and focus on getting away! There wasn’t any point in worrying about these thoughts right now. Later when she had successfully gotten to safety, she could run through her messy brain and organize her thoughts in a way that made sense, but for now, she had to get away !

It wasn’t until Angelo heard a loud gasp and then screaming that she realized it was suddenly a lot colder than it was before. The familiar weight she was so accustomed to feeling on her back was once more present, she could see a bright orange outline from the corner of her eyes and could feel the pain from her landing be reduced by soft cushioning under her knees. That was strange, but what was even stranger was that her hands were also, you know, green and she only had three fingers again… 

Ha, ha... Oops, looks like her cloaking broach had fallen off during the collision, but hey, her beautiful orange gloves that Casey oh so graciously got her fit perfectly just like she thought they would! They almost matched the color of her knee pads which was, you know, cool too… 

Yup! This was fine. She could play this off coolly and be right back on her way. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had these little cloaking broach mishaps before much to her brothers' dismay. Sure, she was in a totally different dimension and people were less accepting of mutants here, but Angelo had been through this whole situation more times than she could count on both hands! Everything is completely under control! This was fine! She’d be fine!

Taking a quick deep breath, Angelo slowly stood up from where she had fallen, having picked up her cloaking broach and tucking it back into her gear as she went, and gave the best smile she could in this situation. There was really no point in trying to mask herself with her magic again since too many people had already seen her in her full turtle-ly goodness. It would only add to the weird factor if she just suddenly turned back into a human anyway. The man she had bumped into looked especially creeped out and um… disgusted. Rude.

Angelo was about to say something to try and downplay the situation, maybe even apologize to the guy, but was interrupted by the large man instead. “What the hell! Stay back, ya freak,” The man yelled causing more people to glance over in their direction. A small crowd was even starting to form, curious glances digging into Angelo’s very soul. This was already getting out of hand and she hadn’t even said anything yet. Oh Boi. That was also very crass of the man to say while there were small children present. Angelo at least had the dignity to not call him out on his appearance let alone his foul body odor, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to defend herself!

Crossing her arms over her chest, Angelo began to retort with a witty comeback but wasn’t able to as the man shoved her back roughly onto the ground. Ow! What is with this guy? Angelo was just minding her own business and was gonna apologize for bumping into him but he wouldn’t even give her the chance to speak! There are very few things that could get on Angelo’s nerves, but ignoring her held the top spot on her pet peeve list and this guy was checking every box. The combination of feeling rushed and panicked from her earlier chase was only heightening the orange turtle’s irritation, too.

Aggravation with a once of fury coated Angelo’s bones as she looked back up at the man, although her emotions were quickly and metaphorically doused by the unfriendly glances aimed in her direction from all around. Angelo hadn’t noticed before due to her panicked mind, but was the crowd always this big and looming? The group of people slowly increasing in number looked a lot less inviting from the ground. 

The man wasn’t the only occupant in the packed space who had an angry expression either. It felt like all their eyes were peering down at her and suddenly Angelo wasn’t feeling as confident as she was a few minutes ago. Parents were shielding their kids’ eyes from view, vendors were trying to pull their merchandise to safety as if a fight was about to start, and more people were riling up from the negative energy. The whole area was painted with an ugly shade of dull muddy colors shifting between all the angry faces while Angelo herself was brightly standing out against the crowd. It was wrong. This was wrong. She shouldn’t be here.

Angelo’s breath was picking up and she could feel her body temperature rising as the tensions grew. It was uncomfortable and weird, and she didn’t like this situation one bit! Why did she think this was a good idea? Why didn’t she move her cloaking broach to a more secure location when she had the chance? Is this how Donnie feels when he gets overwhelmed? Angelo didn’t like this! She wanted it all to stop! She wanted to feel safe again! She wanted to hide! She wanted to run! She wanted her brothers!

You’re ok.

What was that?

Suddenly in the back of Angelo’s mind, she could faintly hear something calling out to her having sensed her panic. It was comforting and warm, offering her words of encouragement.

I’m here. Everything’s going to be ok. I need you to breathe, Okay? Big deep breaths, little guy. Just focus on my voice .

Angelo clung to the sensation like a stubborn little kid clinging to a new toy they wanted. She didn’t care that they called her little right now. She just wanted to feel safe and this energy was safe. She knew that they were safe. 

That’s it. Keep going. You're doing great. When you feel up to it, get somewhere sa- alone and stay put . I’ll figure something out. I promise.

Its voice felt almost familiar, but off in a slightly frightening way. They were bright and colorful just like her, although not quite the same. It was like fuzzy static was masking their presence, always bouncing around at a moments notice before she could really pinpoint who they were. In fact, Angelo was almost positive that the energy was… moving? It was coming closer the more time went on almost like they were blinking in and out of space, but how was that possible- 

Angelo was torn out of her thoughts as she was brought back to reality by a loud noise, effectively causing her to lose connection to whatever she was sensing. She could feel her breaths become more stable, however was still pretty shaken up. Noticing the booming voice of the man she had bumped into was once again yelling at her, Angelo opened her eyes to look up at him. When had she closed her eyes? Angelo's vision was blurry, but even she could see the rising of the man’s hand as he prepared to strike her-

The next few moments went by too quickly for Angelo to process them in her panicked state. It was like she had blacked out and only got some tidbits of memories through the haze of panic coursing through her body. Angelo remembered the man had raised his arm and she braced for impact, although none ever came. Instead, a silver ninja star had landed in between the two, effectively causing the man to fall back in fright. She was pretty sure Casey and April had caught up to her after that and had started to diffuse the situation by angrily yelling at the man and various others, but Angelo’s attention was taken elsewhere. She had followed the direction from which the star had come and was greeted with four silhouettes hovering on top of the nearest rooftop.

If anyone else was looking towards the rooftops in this instance, they would be met with a terrifying image of shadowy figures with glowing white-covered eyes. The figures stood at attention in a beautifully threatening way, overlooking the scene down below. The only indication of their formation being interrupted was the slight raise of the blue mask wield’s arm as he slowly lowered it back down. Luckily, everyone else in the crowd was too busy getting their asses handed to them by two infuriated humans (Angelo was pretty sure Casey had bitten someone and April had punched the guy who was about to hit her earlier, but that's beside the point). No, this scene playing out from across the treetops was for Angelo’s eyes only and she couldn’t help but feel a like more calm at the others' presence.

Angelo didn’t get to look for too long, however, as April gently grabbed Angelo’s hands and pulled her up to her feet. The redhead slid her jean jacket off of her shoulders and carefully pulled it around Angelo’s body, hiding the turtle from view, before placing a hand on her shell and pushing her forward out of the crowd. Casey was quick to follow the two, saying one last curse to the fleeing mass of humans and walking on Angelo’s side that wasn’t currently occupied. 

No one said a word as the trio traveled through the park, making quick work of the winding paths. Little sniffs could be heard from Angelo while Casey and April shared a glance overhead. The duo moved closer to the small turtle in a show of comfort but remained silent. Angelo was quite grateful for this as she took this chance to calm down. 

It had been a long and exhausting day, but still fun nonetheless. Angelo had found out more information about her mystery assailant, gotten to hang out with her alternate human siblings, and gained important intel about what went on in the streets. She was the most informed she had ever been during her stay, thus it was only reasonable that something went wrong in her adventure… It still wasn’t fair that the humans of this world acted the way that they did. Maybe the hostility was the reason why the other turtles didn’t want her to leave the lair…

And, what was that strange voice? They felt familiar in a way Angelo couldn’t quite place much like the aura she had felt back in that alleyway. It was like blues and purples mixing in an unnatural light, overlapping almost in a painful way. Nevertheless, they had encouraged Angelo and made her feel safe, but something about their voice was off. Sometimes when they were speaking it was like Angelo was listening in on an old distorted radio while other times their words were as clear as day… Angelo didn’t feel like they had any bad intentions, but the way they spoke made a tiny bit of worry squirm within her gut. Just another problem to add to Angelo’s growing list it would appear. Hmm…

The trio had made it through the park without any more fights and barely any side eyes thanks to the still piss-off expression from Angelo’s two companions. Anyone who tried to question Angelo was swiftly cut off by April’s stink eye and Casey’s threatening aura, thus the walk hadn’t been too bad. The whole situation would have made Angelo laugh if she wasn’t feeling so icky right now. She did feel a whole lot calmer with the humans by her side but knew it was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped.

Unfortunately, that time was much sooner than Angelo would have liked as she was ushered into an alleyway after the trio had successfully made it back onto the bustling city streets. It was quite late out now. The stars were shining beautifully overhead and the moon was slowly creeping down below the horizon. Car horns were blaring, rats were scurrying around, and people were shouting as they went from place to place, although the sounds were not enough to drown out the loud thumps followed closely by one very angry and heavily concerned voice:

“MICHELANGELO ORANGE HAMATO, YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!”

Oh, full name… Was it too late to use the good old puppy dog eyes?

Chapter Text

~~~~~Chapter Fourteen- A New Perspective~~~~~

POV Shift- 2012 Leo

Leo didn’t think he was that strict of a leader despite what his brothers may say. Sure, he followed a rigorous schedule during patrol and training but that was only to keep his family safe. He only wanted to prepare them for what lay beyond their home and any peril they may face. The outside world was cruel, especially to people like them, and his siblings knew this, but it didn’t stop them from sticking their noses into places they shouldn’t. Therefore, it was fairly obvious for the blue-banded turtle to make rules and regulations for when things get dicey.

His brothers, more often than not, didn’t follow his orders all that seriously, especially his hotheaded brother, although they always had each other's backs. When Donnie wanted to go scavenging for materials in the not-so-safe parts of town, Raph was there to protect him. When Raph wanted to let off some steam by beating up crooks, Mikey tagged along. When Mikey wanted to goof around on the surface, Leo was there to keep him company. Hell, when Leo wanted to scope out the abandoned areas around the city for potential threats, Donnie was always ready to help. The point is that no matter what the brothers always prioritized safety first, but that didn’t stop Leo from worrying.

He was the leader of his team and the oldest of his brothers, so it was Leo’s responsibility to keep his family out of harm’s way, no matter the consequences. He liked to believe that ideal applied to Angelo too. 

Ever since the small turtle had fallen into their lives, Leo felt this urge to protect him much like that of his own little brothers. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Angelo was Mikey’s counterpart, but Leo’s sense of protectiveness was stronger when it came to the kid. He reminded Leo of when times were simpler and more carefree. Angelo just had this air of innocence about him and Leo wanted to perverse whatever was still left of it… The image of that tiny turtle covered in injuries and panicking with that lost look in his eyes never left Leo’s mind from when they had first met. 

Angelo was so young, too young, to have gone through all that he had. The boy was just a child. He was no older than thirteen and already had lasting scarring on his arms. Leo and his brothers weren’t let out of the lair until they were fifteen and even then they had never experienced something so devastating that it impaired their motor functions. 

A whole two-year difference was a big deal, especially given the family’s lineage. It was no easy feat being heroes. The title came with a lot of hardships and most wouldn’t be able to handle the responsibility. It was suffocating which was probably the reason why his father wanted to shelter Leo and his brothers from the position for as long as he could. Was it so wrong that Leo wanted to do the same for Angelo? 

Judging by the faded cuts and scrapes littered across the child’s shell, he could only assume that this wasn’t Angelo’s first year fighting crime. The boy had already missed out on parts of his childhood, so Leo wanted to give him a chance to be a kid a little bit longer, something his brothers never got to experience…

The kid’s flare-ups were no joke, either. No matter how Angelo tried to downplay them, it was obvious that he was in extreme amounts of pain whenever one appeared. The boy would let out the most disheartening little whimpers when he thought no one could hear him and that was only the tip of the iceberg! 

Leo could only imagine what other horrors the child had to face back in his home dimension. The tragedy that had caused those horrid injuries was only one of many that he was sure Angelo had to overcome. Honestly, the blue-banded turtle was terrified to find out about the orange turtle’s past, but would be damned if he didn’t do everything in his power to help! The problem was that Angelo wouldn’t confide in him.

Angelo mostly kept to himself during his stay, well mentally at least. The boy was more than happy to spend time with Leo’s family at any chance he got but would shy away whenever someone questioned him about his past. Now, don’t get Leo wrong. Angelo was very talkative when it came to his siblings. He could go on forever talking about each of his brothers’ personalities, their likes and dislikes, and especially about any of their wacky adventures, although that was pretty much all the child would share. 

He didn’t talk much about Splinter or this a lucid Draxum character, neglected to mention anything about his scars, other than that first night with Donnie, and wouldn’t say anything about the terrors Leo knew the boy faced at night. Each of the turtles had shared a room with Angelo at one point during his stay and each of them had awoken to the small child in tears more times than Leo had fingers on both hands! Of course, Angelo wouldn’t talk about what went on in his nightmares (in some cases he even pretended they never happened) so you could imagine why the older’s concern for the kid only grew.

The slight flinches that were present whenever training got a little too rough only heightened the worry Leo felt. He wasn’t blind. None of his siblings were. They could all see that Angelo had some type of reservation when it came to their father and the dojo. The orange turtle would get nervous when training began. Angelo’s breathing would pick up the slightest amounts, just barely noticeable to the trained eye, he would fidget with his hands while looking between each of the brothers even if they weren’t sparring, and his body would stiffen when his father gave the first commands of the day.

It was like Angelo was waiting for something to go wrong or for someone to react in a certain way. This behavior only happened when his father would speak at the start of training, however, and Angelo’s demeanor would do a complete one-eighty as training continued. It was only when the brothers really got into their fights that Angelo would gain that bright, toothy smile of his once more. He would cheer for the turtles dueling, shake his hands in that adorable way he does whenever he is excited about something, and even pleadingly ask Splinter if he could participate too. It was like the child was so enamored with the idea of joining in on the fun that he completely forgot his earlier hesitance or maybe he didn’t notice that he was letting off nervous energy in the first place.

Of course, the boy wasn’t allowed to train with them just yet due to the randomness of his flare-ups, but Leo could tell his father was slowly cracking under the child’s persuasion. If the kid wanted, Leo was sure he would have them all wrapped around his little finger with those baby blue eyes of his… Alas, once training was over, Splinter would call each of the boys up for critique and Angelo’s earlier nervousness would claim him once again. It was strange how quickly the boy would clam up and it only caused Raph’s previous suspicions of abuse to be that more worrying.

The doubts, secrets, and refusal to talk weren’t doing the small turtle any favors. Leo could understand that some things were best left unsaid, but if something this serious was going on then the boys had a lot to discuss. 

If Raph was right in his assumption, then would it even be safe to send the child home? Wouldn't it be better if they found a way to bring his brothers here? If Angelo was going through something that horrid, then perhaps his brothers were, too. Maybe they could expand the sewers around their home and build their counterparts a place to live or create a space for them near Leatherhead’s subway station. They would need to get more furniture, food, and supplies, however. Winter was right around the corner, so they would need to prepare for that as well. Although Leo was thinking too far ahead with that train of thought, it was a possible outcome to this whole situation… He only wanted his newfound family safe.

So screw Leo and his overprotectiveness, but he wasn’t gonna sit around and just let the small child go explore the city with all of his emotional instability! It was just asking for trouble with all their enemies out and about, not to mention that the Kraang had been suspiciously quiet as of late. What if Angelo ran into something he couldn’t handle? The kid didn’t have a phone for backup and Leo wasn’t confident that they would be able to protect him if he had an encounter with this new entity, either!

Sure it had been a while since Angelo had been brought into their dimension and everyone could tell that he was just itching to get some fresh air, but it still wasn’t safe! Donnie hadn’t picked up much with his sensors concerning the strange creature they were tracking down and none of them had much luck investigating the random bouts of clues scattered around the city. It might have been easier to find more information if they invited Casey and April into their search, but Leo couldn’t be certain that their location wasn’t being traced.

With the way the mystic tracker had picked up on the entity’s signals, Leo wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Donnie had mentioned that when he had first started picking up signals of mystic energy the locations were random, but now they seemed to be more concentrated.

It might be too soon for speculation, but Leo was certain that whoever they were tracking was drawing closer and closer to the lair as time progressed, almost as if they themselves were hunting something down… An orange-colored turtle, perhaps?

Therefore, it was too risky to put whatever small sense of security they still had at risk by allowing their human friends to come and go as they pleased. Leo didn’t like having to put that particular rule in place, implementing strict guidelines on how often the brothers could go out or the complete ban on anyone that wasn’t them entering the lair, but he didn’t have much of a choice. He could tell it was getting on his brothers’ nerves not being able to visit their friends as often as they’d like.

Donnie was barely able to keep a decent sleep schedule with April not there to keep him in check. Angelo’s mystic tech was not helping in that matter, although Leo could turn a blind eye as long as the genius didn’t get too out of hand with his tinkering. Donnie’s experimenting was helping them find out more about Angelo’s world, but Leo wasn’t going to endanger his brother’s health by not stepping in if things got destructive. Speaking of which, he should probably make a note to check on him later. Donnie had been stuck in his lab for longer than usual…

All the same, Raph missed hanging out with Casey even if he wouldn’t admit it out loud. The punching bags in the lair needed to be refilled on a daily ever since the duo had stopped beating up thugs together. Leo wasn’t sure if his anger came from his ban or from the duo’s previous arguments, although it seemed Raph was less worried about Casey’s situation recently. It would appear that he would need to check on his red-colored brother as well. Leo felt like he was missing out on something pretty important.

Mikey, by far, had it the worst of his little brothers, being the excitable extrovert that he was. Not being able to visit Leatherhead must have taken a big toll on their youngest seeing as how he would longingly look off in the direction of the gator’s home. Although like Raph, it felt like he was more at terms with their current situation ever since a few days ago. Leo was quite proud that he was taking this whole thing more seriously for a change.

Now, just because Leo had banned visitation access to the lair didn’t mean he did the same for their phones. He wasn’t a monster. Plus, Donnie’s phone lines were so secure that he was positive that no foreign entity would be able to hack them. The Kraang hadn’t thus far, so this new individual wouldn’t be able to either… Hopefully. Their friends would get suspicious if they didn’t inform them about Angelo’s condition, too, so it would have been pointless if Leo had done so.

At this point in time, their friends weren’t aware of the foreign entity the boys were tracking and Leo wanted to keep it that way. The fewer people knew the better in terms of stealth, although the secrecy was bound to cause problems later. The boys had told Casey, April, and Leatherhead of their suspicions of abuse going on with the tiny turtle and that was enough to keep the trio away from the lair. Angelo did need time to process the new dimension he now found himself in and the boys didn’t want to overwhelm him, but Leo didn’t know for how long they could keep the trio away. All three of them could be just as overprotective as the turtles when it came to their tightly knitted friend group.

Nevertheless, each brother had taken to keeping their phones close to their person within these past few weeks. It kind of reminded Leo of when Donnie had first shown off his prototype shell phone, star-eyed and all. None of them had relayed on their devices as much as they had since they were first created, now having ways to travel alone without the need for companionship. 

Their dependence on their phones only got worse as they started exploring their newfound freedom, so it came as a big shock to Leo when he couldn’t reach Donnie all those hours ago.

Looking back, the blue turtle should have noticed that something was wrong as soon as his little brother failed to pick up his call, but unfortunately, he was too occupied trying to keep Mikey and Raph from tearing each other's heads off. 

~~~~~~~

“But Raphie, I didn’t mean for this to happen! The balloon wasn’t supposed to blow yet!” A distraught-looking Mikey whined as he crossed his arms over his chest.

An enraged Raph yelled back, “Ya missing the point! Sensei said no more slime pranks because of this reason and ya just broke it. Now that gross stuff is covering our entire living room!” The red turtle huffed as he fought the urge to smack his younger brother for his dumb prank gone wrong. 

Leo sighed as he looked at the mess, “Will the both of you just calm down! Arguing will help nothing. Sensei is out getting supplies, but I will be telling him about this when he gets back, Mikey! Expect extra training for at least a week! Now, let’s get this mess cleaned up before it stains the furniture. I need to get back to Angelo as soon as this is done.”

~~~~~~~~

The mess Mikey had made in the lair from his failed water balloon slime prank was too much for the cleaning supplies at home, so the trio adventured down to Leatherhead’s subway station to locate some tougher solvents. Leo reasoned with himself that the trip wouldn’t take that long, thus it was okay to uplift his ban just this once so that they didn’t have to live with a slime-covered couch. Of course, nothing is ever that simple.

~~~~~~~~

Mikey was practically buzzing as they crossed over the threshold of the gator’s home. It made a warm feeling blossom in Leo’s chest seeing his baby brother so happy even if his red-colored brother looked the exact opposite.

“Oh, Leatherhead~~~ We have come to visit and potentially get some cleaning supplies! I may or may not have had a teeny tiny accident with one of my more experimental pranks,” the orange-colored turtle sang as he jogged up to Leatherhead’s door, greeting the gator. A quiet, “Little my ass,” could be heard from Raph as Leo scolded him for his choice of words.

“Ah, my friends! What a pleasant surprise to see your faces. It has been quite a while since I have last seen you all, although it would appear my concerns have been for not. Give me a few moments and I will see what I have left over from the last time,” Leatherhead mused as he patted Mikey’s head before heading back into his train car. Raph huffed once more in annoyance, tapping his foot in irritation at having to wait, while Mikey started happily chatting with the gator from his doorway.

Thankfully, like Leo had originally thought, they would be on their way soon enough. He was already getting nervous leaving Angelo alone in the lair for so long… Well, Donnie was there too, but his purple-banded brother was still locked up in his lab studying the kid’s gear, so… 

Nevertheless, he was having a pretty important conversation with Angelo before he was so rudely stolen away. Leo didn’t like that he left when the kid was so clearly upset and wanted to return as soon as possible to provide some comfort. Plus, his big brother senses were tingling and that was never a good sign. 

Wait, what is that?

While Leo was having a tiny crisis, his eyes wandered over to the wall opposite the subway cars. The area was practically covered head to toe in different murals Raph had done over the years, some more surreal than others. It was honestly beautiful the way the colors intercepted and blended together between each piece even if the paintings hinted at some concerning thoughts going through his brother’s head. 

The blue turtle was proud that his immediate younger brother had found a way to hone his more anger-filled emotions into a comfort that was less self-destructive than previous habits. Thus, a freshly done painting of mixed colors in his brother’s style was only slightly concerning in its own right. It was fairly obvious that the mural was done very recently, so Leo would have to lecture Raph on neglecting to follow his orders after he talked with him about his clearly distraught headspace. However, it would appear that the blue-colored turtle had some things of utmost importance to discuss with both of his little brothers.

The scene painted right next to Raph’s work grabbed the blue turtle’s attention quickly as he took in its contents. Leo couldn’t help the shocked expression crossing his face as he stared at the newly added mural of three turtle-like figures of which the leader had never seen before but heard of constantly the last few weeks. The art style was familiar with its bright pops of color and more realistic undertones, so familiar in fact that Leo could only think of one possible artist who could have painted it. 

Turning with a slightly threatening smile, Leo calmly addressed his two precious little brothers, “Well, it seems that you had a nice outing with our little sunshine despite my orders to remain in the lair. Care to fill me in?” 

Both Raph and Mikey gave Leo a confused gaze until realization struck as they simultaneously noticed their mistake and paled considerably.

~~~~~~~~

Honestly, what did Raph and Mikey think was going to happen? Of course, Leo would notice the new additions to Leatherhead’s home! He wasn’t blind! Ugh! He was still mad that they both went against his orders and put not only themselves, but Angelo in danger by doing so. No wonder the mystery entity had been creeping closer to the lair at alarming rates! They probably noticed the kid’s mystic energy when they had gone out and scoped out Leatherhead’s place!

So, their “quick” trip might have taken a bit longer than Leo was planning as he lectured his brothers. He wasn’t sure if he really got through to them about the severity of the danger they brought onto their family from the way Raph rolled his eyes and Mikey slowly blinked his to stay awake. 

~~~~~~~~

The red-colored turtle huffed once more at Leo’s words as he finally spoke up after having to sit through another long-winded lecture, “Look, Leo. I get what you’re saying, but the kid needed a break. He was starting to freak out after being cooped up for so long and ya know it. Ya weren’t here to see the smile on his face as he splattered paint on the walls. He was thriving and I don’t feel the slightest bit bad about letting him feel that joy. Were we reckless by exposing ourselves, maybe? But if whatever was tracking the kid really did know where he was, we wouldn’t be standing here talking. I doubt whatever creature out there knows enough to take action anyway ‘cause if they did, we’d have at least seen a glimpse of them by now.”

“Ya,” Mikey cut in, “Angie needed a break from the lair and we didn’t go too far or anything. Plus, everyone was extra careful on the ride over, no injuries from the bikes whatsoever. The little guy was all rainbows and sunshine throughout the whole visit, too! You really should have seen him, Leo! It was amazing seeing how Angie worked on that painting. It was like bam, bam, bam, and the whole wall was covered in paint! And did you see how our alternates look!”

Leo’s frustrated expression faltered at his brothers’ enthusiasm. Perhaps he was being a bit of a stickler and should give his brothers the benefit of the doubt. He had noticed Angelo’s eagerness to stretch his legs and taking him to Leatherhead’s subway was the safest option they had, but they still should have consulted the rest of the team before doing so. The blue turtle could already feel a headache forming for the consequences they would soon have to face from his brothers’ actions.

Letting out a sigh, Leo conceded, “OK, maybe you're right. Angelo did seem more stressed out recently, although it still wasn’t right to leave without telling us beforehand. I understand that you were only trying to help the kid, but we aren’t in the best situation to be recklessly diving into decisions without planning ahead first. I’ll talk to Sensei about this when he gets back and we’ll see what he says… It is a great painting though. I’m glad that he was able to relax even if things are a bit crazy right now.”

~~~~~~~~

Honestly, it was a bit surprising seeing how vastly different his family was from their alternate selves. Leo wasn’t sure how the kid did it, but it felt like he was really looking at what the kid’s brothers looked like in person rather than just on a mural. 

Donatello looked a lot more unhinged, giving off mad scientist vibes while Leo’s counterpart looked more playful with hints of mischief ( No, Mikey, he doesn’t look like a playboy. What do you mean he has a potential boyfriend? Why should I care? Stop looking at me like that! We are not taking bets to see which of us can get a date first! Raph don’t encourage him! ). The two figures were contrasts of each other although still gave off a certain type of chaotic energy that suited them perfectly. Leo couldn’t see himself pulling off the same swagger that his counterpart emitted, although maybe that had something to do with being an older sibling rather than something the blue turtle was lacking.

On the other hand, Angelo’s Raphael gave off a more responsible feel than Leo’s hot-headed brother. He could see from the way the figure posed with his arms across his chest and welcoming smile that the red-colored turtle was more… down to earth than his sibling. Perhaps the kid’s earlier statement of him being a big teddy bear was true and not just a weird joke. It was certainly unnerving to see how massive this Raphael was compared to them, but surely Angelo had taken some creative freedom when painting that aspect of the image. They knew that Raph’s counterpart was big, but he couldn’t be that huge. The dude could have been bigger than Leatherhead if the sizing was correct and there was no way that was possible, right?

Despite the shock Leo had from finding out about his brother’s little day trip, another thing that Leo still couldn’t wrap his head around was that apparently, the gator was in on this whole excursion. Even to this day, he wasn’t sure how he felt about that piece of information, whether to be happy that his brothers had potential backup if the threat decided to make itself known when they were vulnerable or mad that Leatherhead didn’t inform him of the outing sooner.

~~~~~~~~

“Ah, it looks like we have been busted. Do not be too hard on your brothers, Leonardo. They only had the best in mind,” Leatherhead mussed as he came out of his train car with a bag of cleaning supplies and an amused expression. He held the bag out to Mikey as the orange turtle happily took the supplies while giving the gator a grateful smile for taking his side in their little argument.

Leo once again let out a deafted sigh, “Of course you knew, too. Look, we can continue this conversation at a later time. For now, we need to head back before Sensei returns and sees the mess Mikey made. I don’t feel like getting into trouble along with you guys at the moment. We have been out long enough anyway and I’m sure the others are wondering where we are. Thank you for your help Leatherhead. We’ll be sure to return the favor.”

~~~~~~~~

After the group had said their farewell to Leatherhead, Mikey taking a bit longer than Leo would have liked, was when the blue turtle had tried to call Donnie. They had started the walk back home, but the anxious feeling Leo had gotten all those hours ago was slowly growing with each step they took. 

~~~~~~~~

Leo could tell his nerves were showing by the way Raph’s mood turned sour and Mikey stopped his bubbly chatter. They were reacting to his worried fidgeting and it was only getting worse as time went on. Leo had always had that sixth sense for trouble and his alarm bells were blaring, so he tried to alleviate his worries by calling his genius little brother. Surely, nothing had gone wrong while they were out and Leo’s nervousness was all in his head.

The ringing of his phone made his heart beat faster as the seconds passed with no response in sight. His fears only escalated as Donnie’s voicemail played out. Grasping his phone tightly in hand, Leo shared a glance with Raph and Mikey before they all broke into a sprint heading straight toward the lair. It seemed the same thought process was going through his brothers’ heads as they quickened their pace, running in stride with one another. 

Donnie never missed a phone call. It didn’t matter where they were, how early it was, or how stupid their reason for calling was, the purple turtle always responded. Something was either horribly wrong or Donnie had passed out from overworking himself, neither option that pleasing in Leo’s opinion. 

It didn’t take long before the group had made it back to the lair since they were train ninjas going at full speeds down a pretty straight tunnel, although they were slightly out of breath upon their arrival. That didn’t stop Leo though, being the mother hen that he was (screw it), as he frantically searched the lair for anything out of place, leaving his brothers behind. 

Was the living room different? Nope, the place was still covered in slime and thankfully it would appear their father had not seen the mess. In fact, Sensei was nowhere to be seen, not being in either the dojo or his room (nothing out of the ordinary in either space), thus Leo could assume he was not back yet. A blessing at the time, but it did little to calm the blue turtle’s anxiety.

Continuing his search Leo ran to the kitchen, although the room was the exact same as when he left, cookies and empty tea cups both lay innocently on the dining table. It was cold and the lights were switched off, so the room had been vacant for some time. That was weird because he was certain he left Angelo here not too long ago, but the kid was probably off somewhere else drawing or playing a game. A small part of Leo was unnerved by the lack of small turtle around, although he shook it off for now, thinking that the problem lay elsewhere (Future Leo blames past Leo for his ignorance) .

Returning back to the lobby, Leo noticed that Raph and Mikey were looking around too, having recovered from their earlier run. Raph was searching around just as frantically as Leo even rechecking some of the places the blue turtle cleared, but didn’t have any luck either. Mikey, on the other hand, was jumping around looking in every nook and cranny with his hands now free. He probably ditched the cleaning supplies at some point, although the couch was suddenly not a priority. It was weird that Mikey was looking in out-of-the-way places (what would be hiding under the couch or inside the kitchen counters), but now wasn’t the time to question his younger brother.

Leo and Raph continued searching each of the lair’s rooms. The duo had checked their bedrooms first, but again nothing was amiss. The medbay was second coming up dry too, as well as the garage and any storage room they had. Running out of options, they rechecked each of the previous rooms once more. Try as they might, however, no one could find anything out of the ordinary other than the fact that the lair was quieter than usual. 

~~~~~~~~

Looking back on it now, the silence should have been Leo’s second clue that something was horribly wrong, but in his panic-induced state, he only had one thought swimming through his mind. If the lair itself was perfectly normal, other than the slime-covered furniture, then there must be something wrong with Donnie! He failed to answer his phone after all, so they really should have checked in with him first before tearing up the lair but you know panicking. 

~~~~~~~

Leo couldn’t hear any tinkering or talking coming from Donnie’s lab and that could only mean something horrible because there was no way Donnie would willingly take a break from his work, especially with all the new mystic technology laid around and- Ya, ok. Leo just needs to head in already!

Opening the door to the genius’ room with Raph hot on his trail, Leo was greeted by darkness and a squeaky snoring sound. Weird. Slowly the two inched closer to the noise side stepping the large amounts of papers and tech lying around on the ground as they came across what was letting out the noise. It was Donnie with his head smooshed against his pillow and drool dripping down his face… Huh, guess his big brother senses were off. Leo let out a tiny nervous laugh as he looked at Raph, receiving a glare in the process.

~~~~~~~~

Leo really should have listened to his gut! It was never wrong and he was stupid for thinking otherwise. He should have realized that it was weird that Donnie fell asleep in his bed rather than passing out at his desk like usual. Why did he think that his brother was finally listening to his body and took a break when he needed to like a normal person? It's Donnie he’s talking about here! There was no way he would ever do something healthy like that when there was new, shiny technology around, not in this universe at least! Nevertheless, Leo did and now he was paying the price for his stupidity.

~~~~~~~~

The duo retraced their steps leaving Donnie to sleep, the guy really needed it if the bags under his eyes were anything to go off on, and silently closed his doors. Once out, Raph huffed at Leo for worrying him so badly while Leo apologized for his false alarm. Leo would have to talk to Donnie later about his overworking tendencies, although it was strange that his phone didn’t wake him up when he called... Leo was proud Donnie was finally taking his health seriously, however. His little brother had been worrying him a lot recently, so it was nice he was finally resting. In the meantime, they could clean up Mikey’s mess… Speaking of where was he?

“DUDES,” Mikey yelled, running up to Leo and Raph as they shushed him, pointing over at Donnie’s door.  

Raph crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the orange turtle, “Keep it down, Mikey! Donnie looks like the walking dead and is finally sleeping after working for so long. Everything is fine, anyway. He just didn’t look at his phone or something. Leo was just trying to scare us. Let’s get back to cleaning already-”

“HAVE ANY OF YOU SEEN ANGELO,” Mikey frantically interrupted Raph, ignoring his warning entirely. A cold sensation similar to ice water poured over Leo as he glanced over toward Raph with a questioning gaze. At his brother's denial, Leo suddenly understood why his youngest brother had been looking around the lair in weird spaces. Up in the rafters, inside the kitchen cabinets, and under the couch… Each of them were areas they had caught Angelo sleeping in on numerous occasions. It was weird, but a very Mikey thing to do. Leo remembers back to when he couldn’t find Angelo in the kitchen moments prior and his nerves increased ten-fold.

It took them all of five seconds before the group stormed back into Donnie’s lab, throwing the door open loudly before shaking the now confused turtle awake.

~~~~~~~~

Nothing Leo had ever faced could amount to the fear he felt at that moment as they yelled at each other in the lab. Looking back on it, the family should have been more prepared for this outcome ever since they picked up on Angelo’s unease, especially knowing their own tendencies to jump the gun as Hamatos. They should have been more careful and explained the situation properly to the kid. Leo should have explained the situation properly to the kid. It was his responsibility after all! He was the leader. He was the oldest brother. He should have done things differently. This whole ordeal could have been avoided if the two just sat down and talked all those hours ago, but no, Leo left Angelo in his time of need like an idiot!

Why did he feel the need to shelter the kid so much? Why didn’t he listen when Donnie said they should start actively tapping into the kid’s powers? Why was he so against letting the kid have a bit of freedom at the cost of his safety? 

~~~~~~~~

“You told him WHAT?” Leo screeched, giving a horrified look Donnie’s way. The purple turtle groggily rubbed at his eyes as he gave a big yawn, sitting in his desk’s swivel chair. Raph and Mikey were both freaking out in the background, fueling each other’s anxiety over all the possible situations the kid could have gotten himself into, although Leo had his own problems to deal with currently. 

Donnie picked up one of the many mugs lining his desk (gross some of those had mold in them) before taking a sip and immediately grimacing at the taste, “That you called him a hatchling? Ya, it's not my fault you’re too dense to realize how you have been treating Angelo like a newborn these past few weeks, although I can slightly see where you’re coming from being an older sibling, myself. He does have many scars and his flare-ups are no joke, however, I believe it is about time we consider his offer more seriously. Angelo's assistant would be a great asset to my research and we would be able to find some type of solution to this whole debacle a lot quicker. Truthfully, I was going to steal him away for further testing at one point even without your approval… or I would have if he didn’t just up and leave.” The genius turned back to his desk’s monitor, turning his computer on before typing away, leaving the blue turtle to hitch his shoulders in bewilderment.

Leo blushed profoundly at Donnie’s words, completely missing the latter half of his mussing in his embarrassment, while frimley denying “I do not!” The long look he got from each of his brothers and the encompassing silence to follow made Leo slightly doubt his claim. However that couldn’t be true, he didn’t treat Angelo like a baby! The blue turtle just provided extra care and support than he would with his own brothers. Angelo’s arms weren’t in the best shape and he was still adjusting to this dimension, so Leo’s attention was warranted. 

Mikey spoke up breaking the silence, “Dude, you treat him like you treated me when we were little, and remember where that got you? Bite marks, lots of bite marks! I’m surprised he hasn't tried yet! Why do you think Raph and I had to sneak away with him to get some peace? The dude was buzzing for some action! I know we all agreed to keep him in the lair for a while, but hasn’t it been long enough? And don’t go blaming Donnie for your actions! He was only speaking the truth! All of you guys can be such- such- Big brothers! Ah, Angelo should have come to me instead of running away. We could have had younger sibling bonding time- Wait, you don’t think he thought I was big brother-ing because of you guys, right? Oh god, this is my worst nightmare! I was supposed to be the cool big brother type!”

Raph whacked Mikey on the side of the head as the orange turtle started freaking out, effectively causing the younger to yelp and pout at the action before Raph crossed his arms and spoke up, “Fuck ya too Mikey. We wouldn’t have to baby ya so much if ya didn’t go running off into dangerous situations all the time, Mr. I-press-random-buttons-for-shits-and-giggles! Angelo isn’t really helping his case either with running off like he did! The kid has no idea what's out there!” 

“Thank you,” Leo responded, “Glad someone can see where I’m coming from!” He honestly didn’t think Raph of all people would be agreeing with him right now, but maybe he should give his hot-headed brother more credit. Perhaps the red turtle was more responsible than Leo thought. He was even willing to let the foul language slide just this once. Raph turned his attention to the blue turtle at his smug attitude and quickly disproved his earlier statement, “Oh no, ya are going overboard on the coddling. I, at least, try to give him space every once and a while. Ya, on the other hand, have been nothing but a pain.” 

Leo bristled once again at his brother's words, trying and failing to come up with a comeback that he knew would never come. He did learn one thing from this whole ordeal, however: he would never again say that he was proud of his brothers! It always stabbed him in the back when he did and led to nothing but more trouble for the blue turtle. They were all dumb and he hated each of them! 

Raph looked delighted that Leo had lost their argument until, surprisingly, Mikey jumped in, reclaiming his previous spunk, “Oh come on, you're not any better Raph! I’ve seen you wake up in the middle of the night to check on Angelo even if he is not in your room! You even tuck him in while he’s sleeping!” This time it was Raph’s turn to look flustered. The expression didn’t last long, however, as the red turtle turned his attack onto Mikey.

“Please, ya do the same! Why else would ya be awake at that hour! Ya also add more portions to his meals when the both of you are cooking!” Raph spitted out his words, growing more agitated by the minute.

“Donnie said to give him more portions, Raph! The ki- Angelo’s very skinny!” Mikey retaliated while stepping toward the red turtle.

“Ha, ya were about to say “kid”, weren’t ya? Looks like you’re more of a “big brother” than ya thought!” Raph laughed as he moved to meet Mikey in the middle, smirking. The younger gasped, offended by Raph’s words, taking the chance to draw the argument into a full-blown feud.

“Oh ho oh, you did not just say the B word, dear Raphie! You- you- Meathead,” Mikey snapped, balling his hands into fists.

“Tsk, is that the best you can come up with, knucklehead?” Raph retorted, glaring daggers at the younger turtle.

“Loudmouth!” Mikey screamed. “Airhead!” Raph replied. “Twit” Mikey rebutted. “Weirdo” Raph answered. The two went on calling off different insults and weird combinations of made-up words. The battle of wit was similar to how a tennis match between two professional players was played out, but instead of swift precise movements, the conversation was more sharp and brutal. Neither of the two backed down, getting more frustrated as they went on.

“Asshole!” “Dickhead!” “Fucker!” “Bitch!” “Smellfungus!” “That last one didn’t even make sense!” “I don’t know Donnie says it sometimes!” “You can’t just make up words!” “Says you-”

“THAT IS ENOUGH YOU TWO!” Leo exclaimed using his leadership voice, effectively silencing the two children before him. Mikey pouted and looked ashamed while Raph grumbled in anger. Seriously, what had gotten into the both of them? Tensions were high, that much was true, but this wasn’t how they should be acting!

The blue turtle pinched his eye ridge before placing a hand on his hip in a disappointed manner, “I know we are all worried about Angelo right now and that this situation is really scary, but we should be putting our energy into finding the kid instead of lashing out like animals! We have all been a little overprotective of him and can apologize for taking things too far when he is back home where it is safe. For now, let’s all put our heads together and-”

“Ah ha, found him,” Donnie suddenly interrupted Leo’s speech, gaining the attention of each of his brothers. The purple turtle turned away from his desk to find three startled and questioning faces. “What? It was obvious that Angelo had taken my phone seeing as it’s not here. Of course, I have ways of tracking it down in case it ever got stolen. It really wasn’t all that hard thanks to my genius, although I am surprised Angelo was able to steal it right from under my nose. I’ll have to update my security again… Anyway, It looks like Angelo is somewhere downtown. If we hurry we might be able to catch up with him before he moves,” the purple turtle stated with a pleased smile before standing up from his desk, grabbing his purple tablet, and sauntering out of his lab with the confidence of a madman. 

Each of the remaining brothers shared a wide-eyed stare before quickly running after their purple brother.

~~~~~~~~

God, Leo loved Donnie. He didn’t know what he would do without his genius little brother around. If Leo was stuck with only Raph and Mikey for the rest of eternity, then it would be too soon. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t think of tracking Donnie’s phone sooner, but thankfully he wasn’t the only one with a brain cell in his family. It didn’t take long for the small group to locate where exactly Angelo had run off to, being highly trained ninjas. Unfortunately, they did not come across the orange turtle when they arrived at the scene and instead found something incredibly worrying.

~~~~~~~~

The cool night breeze and midnight run had cooled off any hostile energy the boys had a few minutes prior. They were all concentrating on keeping up with Donnie and looking around to see if they could catch a glimpse of their missing brother. Each member of their team was working together in tandem, focusing solely on the hopes of locating the child before something terrible happened. Donnie was in the front, running with his tablet in hand, and leading the group towards Angelo’s last known location. Mikey and Raph took either side of Donnie, glancing over his shoulders to look at the tablet from time to time while Leo covered their backs.

Jumping and weaving through buildings, the team was able to quickly travel a great length of distance, although there was still no sign of Angelo. Honestly, Leo was quite surprised the little turtle had gotten this far without alerting any of the humans down below of his presence, or them for that matter. It seemed the kid wasn’t just playing around and had planned out this little adventure. The kid’s weapon and cloaking broach were also missing from the lab when they left… Leo wasn’t sure if he should be impressed by the kid’s skills or ashamed of his own shortcomings. Nevertheless, he felt like he severely underestimated the little guy. Hopefully, it wasn’t too late to apologize for his oversight.

Donnie slowed his movements with a confused expression before coming to a stop atop a pretty run-down apartment building. The rest followed his actions. “What’s the hold up, Don? We gotta keep moving,” Raph urged, impatiently tapping his foot. Mikey shook his head in agreement while Leo glanced around. Something felt off, but he didn’t quite know what. Donnie spook up, taking a step to the rooftop’s ledge, “We have reached our destination. His last known location was down there in that alleyway, but my tablet is reacting funny. It’s glitching all over the place with this stupid purple-bluey light. Plus I don’t-” Leo quickly pulled Donnie back from the ledge and down out of sight while Raph and Mikey copied his actions. He put a finger up to his lips as they listened in on the enemy down below.

“The Kranng known as Kranng Sixty Seven is reporting the finding of strange energy of which Kranng has found. Unfortunately, Kranng Sixty Seven was unable to locate the second unknown energy source of which Kranng is searching for, although the energy of which Kranng is most interested in is present in Kranng Sixty Seven’s jurisdiction. The Kranng known as Kranng Sixty Seven is now awaiting orders from Kranng,” Screeched the metallic voice of the bubble gum robot. The fiend was standing directly below the brothers, looking at something on the wall behind a trashcan, although Leo couldn’t make out what it was looking at from this distance.

What did the Kranng want with Angelo? Leo assumed the Kranng was talking about the kid since it said something about a strange energy source. If the child’s mystics were leading in this direction, then it wouldn’t be that strange if the Kranng were talking about him. That was not good, though. No, it was downright horrible! 

And what was the second energy source the bot was talking about? It couldn’t possibly be related to their mystery assailant, could it? Judging by the fact the Kranng had found something of worth in the exact same alley Angelo was in prior did not sit well with Leo. No, the blue turtle was certainly not liking this situation one bit.

This is exactly what Leo didn’t want to happen! It would only complicate things further if the boy was on the Kranng’s radar. They already had so much trouble finding this foreign entity tracking Angelo down. They didn’t need someone new coming into the picture so soon. However, it didn’t look like the kid was down there, but there was only one way to find out for certain.

The blue turtle glanced over at Raph and nodded his head. The red turtle grinned widely at him before leaping off the building, landing on top of the Kranng drone, and stabbing the robot with his sais. The Kranng screeched before throwing Raph off and started wailing its arms in retaliation due to its shock. Why didn’t the bot use its blasters? Leo didn’t know and frankly didn’t care as he and the rest of his brothers jumped down to join their hotheaded brother. Mikey teamed up with Raph while Donnie looked over at the wall, typing away at his tablet’s screen. Leo landed beside Donnie, looking around to see if Angelo was somehow still there. It was only one Kranng (a small fry at best), so he was sure Raph and Mikey wouldn’t need an extra set of hands. 

Unfortunately, there weren’t many places for the young turtle to hide and it became clear that the orange turtle wasn’t in the alleyway fairly quickly. That wasn’t good, but thankly it meant that the child was either somewhere else in the city away from the Kranng or on his way back to the lair. The blue turtle really hoped it was the latter option, although knew with their turtle luck that the chances of Angelo going back himself were slim to none. Looks like they were back to the drawing board, however, they would have to record whatever the Kranng had found before continuing their search. They couldn’t leave without making sure that nothing shady was going on. Leo certainly didn’t need anything else on his plate right now.

Glancing over at the wall, Leo’s heart thumped in his chest at the familiar cross-shaped claw marks hidden behind the trash can. Ya, he shouldn’t have spoken so soon. Dam- Dang it! So that’s why Angelo had chosen this moment to sneak out! This is bad! This is really bad! How much did the kid know? He obviously found out they had been keeping this from him… Oh god, did he encounter the strange entity while he was out? Was he hurt? Was he in trouble? Did he need backup? Angelo couldn’t have possibly tried to fight it, did he?

No, no, that couldn’t be true. The brothers hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the entity yet, plus there was no sign of a fight here (other than the one going on in the background), so the kid was hopefully safe. Angelo was smart anyhow. He wouldn’t willingly get himself into a fight he couldn’t win. Plus the boy did have basic fighting capabilities and was very fast… He did mention he was created to be some type of super soldier as well… Leo didn’t want to hold onto that possibility. The kid shouldn’t have to fight. All the more reason to hurry up and find him.

Knowing that not only the Kranng were snooping around, but also knowing that the entity was close did not calm Leo’s growing panic. If anything his worry was escalating higher than it’s ever been, but he had to keep calm and focus on the task at hand. Donnie would know more. He’s the science guy. Everything would be fine. He just had to keep his cool just like Captain Ryan.

Channeling his most leader-like voice, Leo slowly turned to Donnie, “I’m really hoping you have good news for me right now. What have you figured out?” The purple turtle seemed unbothered by his brother’s panic and resumed fidgeting with his tablet. The purple-bluey static was still fuzzing up the screen. Sighing he responded, “Nothing. My tablet is on the fritz and nothing I do is fixing it. It was working perfectly a second ago, but then we came here and it's not responding! I do know that these claw marks are identical to the ones we have been finding around the city. They are on the smaller side, although that is most likely due to the entity trying to hide them like some of the other markings we found… Ugh! WHY! ARE! YOU! NOT! WORKING!” The genius’ attempts to bring his tablet back to life intensified as he resorted to shaking the device around.

Maybe they should have made sure Donnie had a bit more coffee in his system before taking him out. He seemed more on edge than usual, although with Angelo missing that was to be expected. The calm nature Donnie displayed back in the lab had completely disappeared as time progressed. It seemed he was much more worried about the orange turtle than Leo thought if the genius was resorting to smacking his tech like Mikey-

“Ah!” Donnie squeaked as his tablet produced a small spark while letting out an awful screeching sound. The Kranng Mikey and Raph were fighting had provided a loud shriek of its own, falling onto its knees, and collapsing onto the ground while each of the brothers blocked their own ears from the horrible noise. Donnie dropped his tablet in the process, thankfully stopping the sound with a fizzle, crack, and pop.

“Geez, Donnie! What was that for?” Raph questioned as he removed his hands from his head, giving the Kranng one last kick to satisfy his urges, and putting his weapons away. It would appear the horrible noise had knocked the poor robot unconscious… Perhaps the Kranng were more sensitive to sound than the brothers thought. That information was something they would definitely have to look into later when this whole ordeal was dealt with. 

Donnie shook his head to rid himself of the awful ringing before slowly picking up his tablet, “It wasn’t me, Raph. My tablet reacted on its own, although I’m not sure why. I was just trying to get it to wake back up, but must have aggravated it somehow-” Suddenly, a thoughtful look crossed the purple turtle’s face as he glanced to the wall where the claw marks were. 

A gleam sparkled in his eyes that his brothers’ knew all too well, only increasing the tension in the air. Slowly, he brought the tablet up to face the wall, inching it just slightly over the edge of one of the markings despite his brother’s frantic protests. As soon as the tablet crossed the indentions it sparked again while letting out a low scratchy humming noise, sounding a bit like radio static. 

The genius's eyes lit up at the realization while he hopped in excitement before quickly tapping away at the glitchy screen, “Yes! This is amazing news! The marks have a bit of mystic energy still present! I can’t believe our luck right now! Unlike all the previous locations, we weren’t able to collect any sufficient data on the entity’s mystics due to the magic being so depleted.” Donnie smacked his tablet once more causing the screen to glitch slightly and finally start working, although a bit wonky. “Hmmm, it would appear that the glitching was caused by some type of interference… Although the mystic energy is certainly strange, very unique compared to Angelo’s. It’s a mix of colors, blue and purple like the glitching with a bit of… Orange? Oh, oh no,” Donnie finished lamely.

“Oh no, what Donnie?” Leo quickly questioned followed by confused stares from Raph and Mikey. Slowly, Donnie looked up from his tablet with a nervous smile, “Well, it would turn out that Angelo may have unintentionally transferred some of his mystic energy onto the markings while he was here. Which, you know, could potentially aid the entity in finding his current location if its sensing capabilities are anything like Angie’s.”

“Rooftops now ,” was all Leo had to say in response to his brother’s revelation while each of them started their ascent, leaving the forgotten and previously unconscious Kranng drone behind.

~~~~~~~~

It didn’t take long for Donnie’s tablet to die after the group’s mad dash to the rooftops. The poor thing had taken too much strain from the mix of mystic energies and had fizzled out much to the purple turtle’s dismay. Donnie had reassured the group that he would be able to recover the data later, but they were now in the dark about Angelo’s situation, so Leo took charge. 

The first thing he did was try to call the genius’ phone once more, hoping for a new outcome, although Angelo still did not pick up. The kid really did not want to talk with them which wasn’t helping. It was understandable that Angelo would react this way after learning that they were keeping something this important from him, although a simple “Hey, I hate your guts, but I’m still alive” text would have been nice! Certainly would have reassured the worried big brothers of the dumb little sibling who thought it’d be a great idea to roam a city full of dangerous individuals, some of whom wanted them dead!

However, Leo wasn’t being a very good leader letting his mind wander in a rage like that. He had to give the next orders to his team which consisted of the group splitting up, Raph with Mikey and Donnie with him. Each group would take a quadrant of the nearby area to search and they would meet back in two hours to debrief. It would be faster if they separated and they would be able to cover more ground that way, so Leo wasn’t too worried about not finding the newest member of their family. 

He was hopeful that he would get a call from one of his little brothers with good news within the hour, but, obviously, that didn’t happen or else they wouldn’t have resorted to what they were about to do: call April.

Honestly, that decision was the best one Leo had made all night.

~~~~~~~~

The two hours Leo had assigned the group for searching had ended up taking an extra few as the night passed with no glimpse of Angelo in sight. No one wanted to stop looking for the young child, especially knowing that they were racing against the clock. They didn’t know for certain if Angelo had already encountered the foreign entity and was in need of backup or if the child was still being tacked by it, although they didn’t want to risk either option. 

However, Leo could tell that each of his brothers was starting to lose energy. He could see it in the way Donnie would linger on each building and hear it in Raph and Mikey’s voice over the phone. Leo himself was starting to tire out as well from being out for so long with so little sleep, but he knew that they wouldn’t stop until they found the kid. Although surely a small rest wouldn’t hurt, so he called Raph and Mikey to meet up. Leo was reluctant to do so since they hadn’t made any progress and it would be morning soon, but the team wouldn’t work well exhausted, especially if they needed to fight later.

The group met at an apartment complex across from a usually peaceful park, however, it looked like some type of event was going on. The park had colorful market stalls scattered around the nature trails with many humans filling the paths in between. It was strange to see considering that their city wasn’t one for pleasant conversations and strolls in the park. No, New York was typically much quieter and static, but what the humans did on their day off wasn’t really important anyway. 

Now, it was unusual for Mikey to not react to the dazzling display brought by the gleaming lights from the park, although it just goes to show how grave the situation they were in if even the cheerful turtle was serious. In fact, now that Leo thought about it, Mikey hadn’t made a single joke since they realized Angelo was missing… 

Turning his head away from the bright scene below them, Leo sighed, “Does anyone have anything new to add?” The solemn looks he got didn’t ease the heavy tension in the air. “What do you think, Fearless? We wouldn’t be here otherwise! Kid’s still missing, morning’s coming, and we don’t have a single flying fuck to where he might be!” Raph growled, releasing some of his pent-up aggression. Leo huffed in response, clearly not liking his brother’s language, but too tired and worried to do anything about it. Mikey placed a comforting hand on Raph’s shoulder, but the red turtle shrugged it off, walking over to the ledge of the building and sitting down. 

“Dudes, we can’t give up now! I’m sure mini-me is doing fine! He probably just got distracted! You know how we Mikey’s are. Stray cats are pretty distracting with their cute little faces and fluffy tummies! Or like, what if he already went back to the lair and we didn’t know! Th- that’d be funny. Ha, ha… He didn’t though, right D?” Mikey said with an unusually somber voice as he questioned their purple brother. The sad shake of Donnie’s head as he looked at the sewer’s security cameras from Leo’s phone dimmed the small smile on Mikey's face, head turned downward in thought.

Suddenly, Leo clapped his hands catching the attention of each of his brothers, “Okay, that is it. We have been searching for hours with no luck. Angelo is in danger and he doesn’t even know it and we can’t help because we don’t know where he is, so I think it’s about time we call the others for help, April especially since Casey most likely won’t pick up.” He got looks of grim acceptance at his words. Raph was the first to respond, waving Leo down, “Go right ahead with that. I’ll be over here out of earshot.” Mikey replied with a quick “Same!” as he scrambled over to where Raph was, sitting down beside him. 

The blue turtle studdered, “We- Well, Donnie has my phone. He should do it! Plus April likes him the best!” Leo turned to look at Donnie but found an empty place, his phone left on the ground. Slowly turning his head back to his brothers, he saw all three of them giving him smug looks. Donnie spoke up, “Ya, no. Don’t get me wrong, I am April’s favorite, but I’m not getting my head chewed off today. I’m too pretty to die young and it was your idea soooooo-”

“Ugh, whatever, but we are all taking the blame for this! It wasn’t only my idea to keep April and Casey in the dark! Everyone agreed!” Leo exclaimed, walking over to pick up his phone. He doesn’t blame the others for not wanting to tell April about their current situation. She doesn’t know anything about the foreign entity and certainly is not going to like that the boys lost Angelo while something that bad was roaming around, especially since it was now coming for the kid. 

From the short time April had fretted over the phone all those weeks ago when Angelo first appeared in their dimension, the turtles knew that the kid held a special place in the girl’s heart. Maybe she was trying to focus on the child to distract herself from her missing father or maybe she just had really strong elder sibling vibes, either way, she cared for the boy deeply. April had texted Donnie asking for frequent updates on the kid’s situation, too, so this conversation was not going to be an easy one. 

Psyching himself up, Leo brought his phone to his ear and called April’s number… No later than three rings later the girl picked up, “Hey, Leo, fancy hearing from you so late. Don’t you normally go on about how rest is the most important thing for a healthy body and mind?” He could hear a slight tint of assument in April’s voice.

Shifting his feet, Leo responded calmly despite his nervous demeanor, “Ah, well, I really needed to ask for your assistance with something. It’s been a pretty crazy night. Hope I didn’t call when you were busy.” Perhaps if he kept the conversation light, April wouldn’t be too mad when they got to the serious stuff. He might be wasting time, but it was important to slowly recall their situation to April so that she wouldn’t kill them all later. “Uh, no, you’re good. Casey and I were just hanging out at this pop-up market downtown. He said he needed to buy something for his sister, but then we ran into a friend. Anyway, what’s up? You boys aren’t in any trouble are you?” The redhead questioned with a worried tone.

“The market with orange fairy lights that looks like it’s packed to the brim with people? Huh, we are close by actually and ya I guess you could say we are in a pickle right now,” Leo prolonged the conversation getting some “get on with it” looks from his brothers. It did make things easier knowing Casey and April were together and close by at that. They could all meet up and discuss what to do further after everyone is caught up on the situation. April’s voice broke the blue turtle’s train of thought, “Ok- Leo, what’s going on? You’re stalling. You only do that when you are caught in a lie. Whatever it is, I swear I won’t get mad, alright?”

At the girl’s reassured tone, Leo took a deep breath before quickly talking into his phone, “You remember Angelo, right? Ya, he’s missing and we think this guy we’ve been tracking down for the past few weeks is hunting him. Sorry, we didn’t tell you. A lot has been going on and we didn’t want to cause more issues for the kid in case the guy somehow knows how to track mystic energy like Angelo can. It was for the safety of everyone really since it seems we were right in our assumption… somewhat at least.” 

Silence greeted Leo’s apology so he contented his explanation, “We know the kid left sometime within the past five hours. Mikey, Raph, and I went to get cleaning supplies for some mess Mikey created in the lair and left Angelo with Donnie, but when we came back the kid was gone. We’ve been looking for him ever since but had no luck. We did have a run-in with a Kranng bot earlier and thought Angelo might have tried to hunt down the foreign entity (that’s what we're calling the guy now, thanks Mikey) by himself. Both his weapon and cloaking brooch was missing as well, thus we think he might be designed as human right now. We couldn’t find him on any of the rooftops in the area so we were hoping-”

“I KNEW IT! He’s over here guys. I knew something fishy was going on with that kid,” April’s voice rang out loudly from Leo’s phone, causing the blue turtle to cover his ear from the noise, the action being repeated by his siblings. 

Surprised at the girl’s outburst Leo looked over to his brothers and saw expressions matching his own. What were the odds that Angelo was closer than they realized, although that didn’t sit well with the team. The kid was down there somewhere in a packed space filled with humans who could potentially find out his identity with a swap of their hands. Regaining his composure, Raph quickly turned around and squinted at the crowd down below while Mikey and Donnie copied his actions, trying to spot the child in the swarm.

Leo could hear movement on the other side of the phone as April continued, “Oh, that boy is in so much trouble! I knew something was up with this child ever since Casey dragged her over here. She had this shell-shaped phone that I could have sworn was Donnie’s and was being very vague in general. Well, I guess “she” turned out to be Angelo in disguise this whole time! Oh, I can’t believe I was right! What was he thinking coming out here alone? Oh, I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind… Don’t think I forgot about you guys, either! Next time tell us about this stuff so things like this don’t happen. I- Ah, Wait!”

The call broke off suddenly. That’s just great! What had happened on the other side? Was everyone alright? Did the brothers need to step in? Of course, they needed to step in! That was their little brother down there! The child clearly wasn’t thinking straight and they had to go after him before matters turned worse!

“Found him!” Mikey screamed pointing off in a direction down below. Following his hand, the team could clearly see a small figure running at top speeds away from Casey and April. The crowd seemed to part from the chase-like scene going on down below while the brothers started one of their own on the rooftops beside the park’s border. 

Oh no he didn’t! Angelo couldn’t have possibly thought running away was a good idea right now! Like Hell were the boys losing him this time! Oh, when Leo got his hands on the kid, he was gonna give him the longest lecture of his life and- Oh. Oh SHIT!

Not looking where he was going, Angelo had run into some passersby and they did not look happy, although the situation only got worse as the kid’s broach had fallen off, exposing the young turtle to the world. It didn’t look like the boy was aware of his disguise being undone as he slowly stood up from where he had fallen with large eyes. Where were April and Casey? This is literally Leo’s worst nightmare come true! He wished he could go down there and help the boy, but it would only make the situation worse.

The next course of events happened quickly, almost as if someone had hit fast forward on their TV remote. Angelo had said something, but the guy pushed back, literally shoving the kid to the ground and Leo heard a low growl leave Raph’s mouth followed by a low hissing noise from Donnie. He was sure the same hostile energy was being shared between Mikey and himself, because who the fuck would push a little kid down to the ground so harshly like that!

Then the guy had the audacity to try and strike the boy, but Leo was having none of that and stopped the man by throwing one of his throwing stars between the two. He wasn’t even aware of the fact until the action was done and Angelo’s eyes had met his. He hopefully gave the kid a reassuring gaze despite his riled-up demeanor, although he wasn’t sure if his comfort was of any help. The child looked really bothered by what happened and if it wasn’t for both April and Casey berating the group surrounding the boy, he wasn’t sure he would be able to stop his brothers from doing the act themselves. He was sure Donnie had already found the guy who was going to punch Angelo and was plotting some way of getting back at him. Leo wouldn’t stop whatever the genius had planned and was sure that both Raph and Mikey would be on board for a little mischief. No one messed with a Hamato, especially not their newest little brother!

Thankfully, whatever their two friends said to the crowd surrounding the trio had allowed for them to slip away. The boys were hot on their trail, not wanting to leave the small turtle’s side for one second. With the sun just peeking over the horizon the group was finally able to regroup with their missing family member. Now all that was left was their joyful reunion and making sure the kid was safe. 

~~~~~~~~

Leo shook his head, clearing his mind from the lengthy flashback it had forced his panicked-induced state into. The recap somewhat calmed his nerves, but he couldn’t help the way his voice shook as he addressed the young boy, “MICHELANGELO ORANGE HAMATO, YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!” 

The leader put on as much of a serious face as he could as Angelo looked up at him with the sweetest pair of puppy dog eyes Leo had ever seen. They almost made him want to back down and just hug the kid right then and there. It had been a stressful past few hours and Leo could tell the boy was still reeling from his earlier panic attack, but it wasn’t the right time to lower his guard. They were still out in the open with who knows what lurking in the shadows. It wasn’t in their best interest to stay any longer, especially with what just happened in the park as well, not to mention the stink eye he was receiving from the angered redhead. 

The group had a lot of explaining to do, thus Leo came to his next decision rather easily, “We are heading home RIGHT now and that is FINAL .” It was not up for discussion. He was mad, scared, worried, and had so many other mixes of emotions swirling around in his head, but if one thing was for certain, Leo as oldest brother and leader was going to carry on with his duty and keep his family safe, no matter the costs.

If only he had the foresight to see how his actions from that night would aid in the whirlwind of consequences soon to follow.

Chapter Text

~~~~~Chapter Fifteen- The Breaking Point~~~~~

POV Shift- Angelo (She to Mix)

Abort! Abort! Puppy dog eyes did not work, although Angelo suspected they wouldn’t in this situation. She honestly hadn’t put her all into the action, still being drained from earlier, but what was she supposed to do? Her alternate family was all here (except Splinter, however, she excepted as much) each with varying levels of concern written on their faces. 

She had caused that. She had foolishly thought that exploring the city all by herself and finding more information about what the others were keeping from her was a good idea. Well, it was at the time, but he was really regretting her decision now! They shouldn’t have come out! He should have trusted the others more! She just wanted a little bit of normalcy again! They didn’t think things would come to this, but at the same time, a tiny part of her was still agreeing with their past self. The others shouldn’t have done what they did. They should have told him what was going on from the beginning. It was about her home dimension, after all, he had the right to know!

Therefore, when Leo, with a completely serious expression on his face similar to Angelo’s eldest brother back home, stated that they were going back to the lair, Angelo was a bit peeved. 

Sure, tonight didn’t go exactly to plan, but she was still able to find more information about the mystery character than the others ever had! Angelo was capable of so much if the others just let her show them and what she did tonight had proven that! He didn’t want to go back to how things were. They couldn’t go back to being babied. She wouldn’t be able to handle it. He wasn’t a hatchling! They weren't just some little kid! She wasn’t someone to be taken lightly! No amount of Dr. Delicate Touch could fix this situation and Dr. Feelings sure wasn’t going to help, so that just left Angelo, himself.

Stubbornly, the orange turtle crossed her arms over her chest still curled up in April’s jacket with a slight pout on her face. “No,” she said simply, eyes glued to the ground. He didn’t need to see the others to tell that they were stunned by his actions. Honestly, Angelo could easily tell what each member of her family was doing in response to her decision, having grasped a basic understanding of each of their personalities. 

Mikey and Raph were close by, hovering around Angelo’s sides. They were probably the most shaken by Angelo’s departure, having been the closest to her. Angelo couldn’t help but wonder how much of their bonding time was true or if they had only taken the time to hang out with him to shield him from what was really going on. Did they think the same as Leo and believe that Angelo was in need of protection? That would absolutely suck. She was really starting to like the two of them…

Judging by the warm sensation above her shoulder, it felt like Mikey wanted to pat her or give her a hug in a sign of comfort, but was held back by Raph. He probably thought she was still distraught and that touch wouldn’t be the best thing right now. From the dried tear stains on her face, Angelo wasn’t really surprised that the red turtle thought as much… Perhaps they still weren't at their best from their earlier altercation.

Donnie was further away standing closer to April. They both were whispering quietly to each other, most likely about any injuries he had taken from the previous fight, although it was completely unnecessary. She could handle a few scrapes and bruises. Her Donnie’s specially-made knee pads had prevented them from taking any serious damage. However, the two stopped talking when Angelo spoke up. They were probably looking at her now. He could just tell by the stinging sensation of eyes digging into his person. 

Angelo hadn’t really gotten the chance to spend that much time with this dimension’s Donnie, so he couldn’t tell how greatly his actions affected him. The purple turtle was in Angelo’s good graces for informing him about what was going on with the leader in blue and telling him why he wasn’t able to participate in the search in the first place. That didn’t mean they were best friends, though. Donnie had to have agreed with Leo’s opinion to keep Angelo in the dark, otherwise, this whole situation wouldn’t be happening! They were all conspiring behind her back! There was no doubt about that!

Casey, on the other hand, had not left Angelo’s side since their reunion with the group. The older man was standing nonchalantly by one of the brick walls of the alleyway. He was the only one who didn’t appear bothered by this turn of events, having recovered from his earlier confusion. Angelo wasn’t all that surprised. She had gotten chill vibes from the dude ever since their first encounter similar to her own Cassandra. 

It was a nice contrast to all the huzzing and fuzzing the others were directing her way. However, Angelo could feel a slight change in the emo boy’s mood when she said she didn’t want to go back just yet. Casey most likely agreed with the others on that front, but Angelo wasn’t going to budge.

Leo, by far, had the most negative reaction to Angelo’s refusal because he was stupid. She could just imagine the blue turtle standing in a defensive position with his arms crossed over his chest, mirroring Angelo’s own. His foot was tapping the ground slightly and Angelo could feel the tension rolling off his shoulders from where she stood. They could tell that he was worried from his tightly wounded body. She could sense his urgency from the way his eyes shifted around the alley. He could see that he had scared him by running off and was only reacting out of concern. Honestly, the blue turtle’s positioning was all too familiar to the small turtle.

Angelo had seen the exact same reaction countless times back home, especially when it came to her Raph and Leo during their leadership fights. This world’s Leo was reacting like Raph, trying to talk some sense into Angelo while keeping a level head, while Angelo was like her Leo, all spunk and attitude, just wanting to be heard and having done something dumb as a result. Angelo thought it almost funny that she was experiencing the same type of backlash from her actions that her big brother-in-blue had all those months ago. Weren’t little siblings supposed to learn from their elder siblings' mistakes? Although, perhaps, this situation said something about her relationship with this world’s Leo, all harsh words and hard edges…

Carefully, Leo addressed the younger turtle, “That wasn’t up for discussion, Angelo. We are going home. It’s been a busy night and everyone is on edge from recent events, not to mention that it isn’t safe to be out right now. You are going to get a check-up from Donnie and then we are going to sit down and talk. Clearly, we haven’t been the best hosts, but we want to fix that. Everything is going to be okay, so let’s head back, alright?” 

Wow, wasn’t that a great whiplash from what Angelo was expecting? Where were the “I’m older so you have to listen to me’s” or the “stop acting like a little child and behave’s”? It wasn’t fair, because everything Leo just said was something Angelo had been dying to hear ever since she first found out the others were lying to her. The comfort and safety net that she so sought after was right in front of her all tied together with a promise of better times. It was tempting, so tempting and every part of him wanted so badly to grasp the olive branch Leo was directing their way, although she just couldn’t! 

Angelo didn’t know why, but Leo’s tone of voice was just irritating him! The blue turtle was talking to her as if she was some scared little animal about to run off at the slightest movement! It was probably a good move in Leo’s eyes. Angelo was distraught and lashing out. They would have done the same thing if they were coaching one of their brothers through a panic attack back home, all soft words and reassurances, but it just felt condescending at the moment. Not to mention, that Angelo was still mad! It was stupid. He didn’t want to be mad. She didn’t want to fight.

That desire didn’t stop the vile words tumbling out of their mouth, however, “So you guys can go back to lying to me? No, thanks. I prefer the streets. I mean come on, Leo! Someone from my home dimension is here right now, somewhere in this city and you guys thought it’d be a fantastic idea not to tell me about it! What if it’s one of my brothers?” 

Because what if it is? Angelo had already come to the conclusion that the mystery character could be Donnie or Leo because of the bluey-purple shade the mystic energy took. Sure, that was his only real lead and not an air-tight one at that, but even the slight chance of one of his siblings here all this time without him knowing didn’t sit right with Angelo.

“And what if they aren’t?” Leo bit back, his own anger being fueled by Angelo’s, “What were you going to do then? What if they were someone you couldn’t handle? What would you do if they were a villain or the one who trapped you here in the first place? None of us knew where you went, Angelo. You didn’t leave a note, you didn’t tell anyone where you were going, and you weren’t answering any calls! How do you think that made us feel? I, for one, was scared shitless that you were hurt and we had no idea!” Having looked up from the ground at the blue turtle’s words, Angelo could see his eyes were misting at the edges and a slight pang of guilt traveled throughout her body. 

He didn’t back down though, “I can handle myself, Leo! I’m thirteen, not five! I’ve already gone on my first solo mission and it was a success, might I add! I’m a capable fighter and a great mystic warrior, if you would just let me show you!” The orange turtle stated, raising his voice to meet the older’s. It wasn’t fair! She wanted to help. Why didn’t the others see that he could? Was it because of their arms? Just because they have a little bit of nerve damage doesn’t mean Angelo should be left out of missions! He wasn’t weak.

Once again, the blue turtle had a look of concern across his face at the mention of Angelo’s solo mission. In fact, the others, including Casey and April, had similar expressions which wasn’t really fair in Angelo’s opinion. They should just go back to being the two’s personal peanut gallery if they were only going to side with the blue turtle! 

Was it really that surprising that he had gone on his first solo mission already? Raph and Leo went on their first missions when they were younger than her. Raph was ten and Leo was eleven when they went… well technically Leo had snuck out to go on his first one, otherwise Angelo was sure Raph wouldn’t have let him go. Their red brother didn’t like that Leo went out without telling anyone and they got into a huge fight about it, but that was long ago. Even Donnie had gone on his first solo mission when he was Angelo’s age, so she was well overdue for her’s at this point.

The leader shook his head and took a step forward before stating, “I’m sure you are plenty capable, but that shouldn’t mean you have to do this all on your own! You can’t fault us for worrying about you, kid. I don’t know if you realize this, but you barely tell us anything about yourself, Angelo, and from what we do know it’s concerning. You’re skinny, underweight even for someone your age. I’m worried you’re not getting enough to eat back home. You have scars plastered all over your body, something someone your age should never have. I can see where there were cracks in your shell and know that your reflexes aren’t what they should be. You may be fast and flexible, but there is clear damage to your joints. We don’t know what, but something has been eating away at you, too. The frequent night terrors are enough reason for us to worry.”

Ok , how did they get here? Angelo did not like how this conversation was going. She was perfectly fine. The others didn’t need to be concerned. They were only skinny because they lived in the sewers since they were young and didn’t get the proper nutrients. It was hard when they were younger. Splinter was going through some stuff, so most of the food gathering was left to her older brother. Raph took care of the youngsters and in turn, they took care of him. It was fine. She was used to it. The family was in better standing now anyway, although they had a bit of a relapse due to recent events. Even a year later after the invasion, they were still rebuilding, but everything was okay. They had each other and that was all Angelo really needed. 

The orange turtle only had scrapes, scars, and cracks due to the constant wacky situations her siblings got themselves into. Angelo couldn’t help that they were trouble magnets! Besides, she always got the needed medical assistance from Leo. Angelo’s brothers would kill him if they ever found out he was hiding injuries in the first place. She had learned that lesson long ago… 

The nightmares, too, were reasonable. Angelo had been through a lot. All her family had, so a little bit of lost sleep was no big deal. It practically ran in the family at this point! They should just be happy she wasn’t an insomniac like her Leo! Angelo gets enough sleep to function and takes naps when things get too tiring. Honestly, she was the healest of her siblings in that regard and was a bit offended the others thought differently. 

It was just different here, everything was. The night terrors were worse than they were back home because her family wasn’t there. Angelo couldn’t form a proper turtle pile to keep their fears away. Raph couldn’t shield Angelo with his massive form. Leo couldn’t make jokes to keep Angelo distracted from her pain. Donnie couldn’t explain all her fears away. Surely, the others could understand that Angelo just wasn’t used to not feeling any of her brothers close. As horrible as the feeling is, surely the others had gone through something similar to her family, too… She had only felt the bond between them break one other time and Angelo wasn’t- she didn’t- she couldn’t relive something like that ever again.

Angelo didn’t want to think about how these alternate versions of her family had probably gone through the same things as she did, although looked to be more well-off. Their sewers were a mess, their bodies just as mangled as his was, and they all had haunted looks in their eyes, but they were more put together than Angelo could ever dream of being. Maybe it had something to do with age and when he grew up (to being an adult because he wasn’t a kid) the night terrors wouldn’t be so bad. Angelo would be more capable just like them. He would understand more things and feel more at peace with what happened in his past. They would be able to cope better and not lash out. 

Unfortunately, Angelo was not yet at that stage in her life. She was young, impressionable, and really regretting her decision to argue with Leo right now.

As the words failed to form in Angelo’s throat to provide some type of comeback, Leo continued with the same frustrated energy, “You flinch during training, too. We can all see it whenever Master Splinter starts lessons for the day. You look so excited during sparring matches watching us practice, but go quiet when Dad speaks. I don’t understand how your energy could go from super happy and excited to nervous and put off so quickly unless something is going on that we don’t know about. Please , talk to us, Angelo… Is- Is something going on back home? Are you– are you being abus-”

“ Dude ,” Casey interrupted, “Not the time, nor place, so shut your trap or I will !” The emo boy stepped closer to Angelo and laid a comforting hand on the retreating turtle’s shoulders. Angelo felt her head slowly lower into her shell as all attention was placed on her. He really didn’t like where this conversation was heading and frankly didn’t want to talk about it right now. She was grateful Casey noticed her distress and stepped in when he did. Angelo wasn’t certain what he would’ve done otherwise.

Leo looked shocked at his own words and an expression of guilt and regret flashed across his face. He held up a hand outstretched towards Angelo, “I’m so sorry. I- I didn’t mean-”

A loud bang interrupted the blue turtle’s failed attempt at an apology as everyone snapped their heads toward the noise. Standing at the entrance of the alleyway was a group of four men in black suits and sunglasses. One of the goons had bumped into a trashcan causing the loud noise from earlier. Everyone besides Angelo let out different variations of gasps as they each took a defensive position. 

Oh, goodie! A distraction! And would you look at that, it seemed like everyone was already acquainted! Although, it would appear that these weirdly dressed characters were bad guys judging by everyone’s reaction. 

Perhaps they were related to April’s dad’s kidnapping? They matched the description Casey had given Angelo. What were the odds? Angelo hadn’t had the chance to fight any of the villains from this world yet, however, it didn’t look like he would have any trouble. Compared to her world, these guys looked weak like that one worm guy they fight sometimes. He shouldn’t underestimate their opponents, though. Gotta keep her head in the game and quickly came up with something witty to say to keep everyone’s attention on these guys instead of on her. 

Thankfully, the world had pity on Angelo’s poor soul and she didn’t have to.

One of the guys was about to say something, probably a long villain monologue, but Raph didn’t let him have the satisfaction as he jumped the dude, knocking him to the ground. The red turtle was practically tearing the guy apart with his sai and Angelo almost felt bad for the man. It seemed Raph was a bit riled up right now, although she had no idea why. Everything was just peachy and totally normal! Yup, nothing to be worried about!

Mikey was close behind his red colored brother taking another down with his nunchucks. He was fighting just as fiercely as the red turtle, although in his own goofy way. It was interesting to see how differently the two turtles fought even though they were practically using the same type of move set. The orange colored was doing more risky maneuvers while fighting, though. Perhaps he too was stressed? This family should learn more about self-care if they reacted this badly to villains showing up at totally normal family bonding times. Angelo could give them pointers because he was very good at taking time for self-care and was perfectly A-OK all the time! No, buzzing nerves or negative energy here!

Casey left Angelo’s side and ran up to one of the remaining villains, putting him in a headlock as April and Donnie rushed the last goon. Each party was giving it their all and the battle was in their favor. The tension present from their earlier conversation was being put to good use as each member of Angelo’s alternate family battered the black suit men around. There were no jokes or playful batter that Angelo was used to back home. In fact, everyone was quite serious right now, but that was fine. She was a master at lightening the mood, especially with an older brother like Leo! Besides, It would be a great change from all the things he was definitely not ignoring in his head, right now. Everything was fine because this was a normal villain fight with no previous issues or problems that the family had to fixate on. They're fine! Everything is fine!

Angelo was about to provide some support with her kusari-fundo (she still can’t believe no one questioned her weapon when she was in the market. He had it the entire time), but Leo stopped her, having blocked Angelo from the fight. Not fair! That wasn’t normal! He couldn’t deal with something not normal right now. He was capable. They could fight. There were no problems stopping him from doing otherwise and Leo wasn’t following the script! 

They were supposed to run in, join the fighting, maybe dish out some funny one-liners, and then celebrate their victory by going out for pizza. Simple and straight to the point, just like how it was supposed to be, but no this Leo just had to step in and break character. There would be no jokes, no witty batter, no playful jabs, and no perfectly normal action scene to break all the serious, heavy tension surrounding the team. It was stifling and not normal !

“Leo, come on! Let me help!” The orange turtle whined, struggling to get out from around the older turtle’s hold. “No,” responded Leo’s stern voice as he picked up Angelo throwing her over his shoulders with little effort and dodging a blast from one of the guy’s guns- Wait, what? They had blasters! So not fair! Why does Angelo always get put on the sidelines for the cool fights? This night was not going how he envisioned at all-

What the fuck?

(Panic Attack from this point on! Please be advised!)

It felt like a cold bucket of water was dumped over the small turtle as he looked back to the fight, noticing one of the villain’s metallic arms fall off (not normal). The “person” Raph was fighting had turned out to be a freakin 'robot, but that wasn’t what caught Angelo’s eye. No, he was used to seeing evil robots due to half of Donnie’s inventions turning corrupt at some point in their life. That was normal and not threatening. It was something they were used to, something they could handle. The horrifying pink bubblegum-like creature squirming out of the robot’s mid-sections, on the other hand, was not something Angelo saw every day because those things shouldn’t be here ( not normal )!

This couldn’t be happening. Those stupid pink alien wannabes were supposed to be locked up nice and tight in the prison dimension (not normal), her family had made sure of that! It shouldn’t be possible for them to have escaped without the key! That stupid artifact was long gone, so there should be no way that this was possible. That one Kranng that was left behind all those months ago was also behind bars as well, somewhere deep in the government’s compounds, so there was no way it could have escaped! They would have known if the vile thing had somehow fled! Donnie had practically hacked into the building’s entire security protocol, so they definitely would have been informed! There was no possible way this was happening! 

Well, they were in an alternate dimension, but still! Surely, the others would have mentioned something as serious as the freaking’ Kranng to Angelo (not normal), so reasonably that must mean she was having a nightmare! Yes, that was it! This was all in her head, a perfectly normal explanation as to what she was seeing! Right! Right?

The orange turtle could feel her breath pick up and her body started to shake which was pretty weird because this was a dream. Obviously, she shouldn’t be reacting this way because Angelo wasn’t in any real danger of being ripped to shreds, limb from limb. Yes, any second now his brain would kick start into waking him up alerting whoever he was currently sharing a bed with. 

Angelo could just slightly hear a panicking voice belonging to the Leo of this dimension over the blood rushing to her ears, therefore she was probably with him and he would wake her up soon. They just had to wait until then… or it was the dream Leo trying to calm her down. Angelo was still slung over his shoulders like a knapsack, so maybe he was just hallucinating that as well.

Suddenly, the droid Mikey was fighting let out a blood-curdling scream as it went down but not before jumping out of its suit toward the fleeing duo. Fuck, Angelo hated this part of his nightmares! The Kranng always looked so realistic and would taunt them with that stupid voice of theirs whenever they spotted them. 

Angelo must have been really out of it, however, because this Kranng looked weirdly misshapen and small compared to what he was used to. It was a dream though so what did Angelo know? That monster came out of a robot’s gut and that was not normal anyway! Maybe this one was the little sibling of a larger, more imposing Kranng, and when she let down her guard the older sibling would appear, ready to beat her to a pulp. Angelo should just close her eyes and wait for it to be over, but unfortunately, it was one of those dreams where your body just wouldn’t listen to you and she was stuck keeping eye contact with the little pink ball awaiting her demise. Pizza Supreme, could Leo just wake her up already? Angelo didn’t want to be here anymore (NOT NORMAL)!

However this time, as the creature was speedy towards them, Leo swirled around (still keeping a hold of Angelo with one of his arms like she weighed a couple of grapes) and slashed the Kranng with one of his katanas. The Kranng screech in agony as its goopy remains flue everywhere. 

Seriously, there was just a puddle of goop where the thing once stood and Leo’s sword was covered in pink slime as well as the trashcans- and concrete- and oh would you look at that! A piece of the dead (it was dead right?) Kranng had landed on Angelo’s check ( not normal )! Oh wow, very cool! Super movie magic and climatic! This was great!

… This was really happening, wasn’t it? 

Angelo wasn’t dreaming. He wasn’t one of the lucky few who could vividly see their dreams as realistic as this. The cold morning air was breezing past Angelo’s face, the clang of metal was loudly present in the background, the colors too dull to be any semblance of a dreamy haze, and the sickening pink hue along with the slimy texture of the Kranng goop on his face was too realistic to be made up. 

Their alternate family was really fighting Kranng monsters stuffed in robot suits like a poor knockoff game of Five Nights at Freddie's. Except this was no game and they didn’t get to go home at six in the morning with victory music playing in the background. There was no resetting or game over screen displayed with cheap jump scare music. No, this was in fact real life and there was no big brother coming to reassure Angelo out of her hiding place, having been spooked from a harmless video game.

All at once the uproar from the fighting was intensified like a pair of noise-canceling headphones being ripped from Angelo’s head. He could feel every single bump and rigid on Leo’s shell as he gripped tightly onto the surface. The sweat dripping down their face and heavy breathing was all too prevalent, greatly increasing her panic. Angelo’s body felt hot, too. A blazing unbearable heat that was radiating from her very being as she was frozen in place, clutching onto the blue turtle for dear life.

Perhaps if she was just slightly more lucid at this moment, Angelo would have been able to hear the panicking voice of Leo trying to reassure her and calm her down along with the two other warm-colored turtles. He would have been able to make out the shouts of surprise as his marking started to shine a brilliant golden hue (heh, lightstick), spreading across his body, and highlighting his scarring to a blinding degree. They would have realized that their eyes, too, were overtaken by the golden light, alerting them of a mystic outburst, however, Angelo was too preoccupied repeating the same set of words within their head. 

Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit, Holy shit!

This wasn’t normal, this isn’t normal, this wasn’t normal, this isn’t normal, this wasn’t normal!

This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening!

Did Angelo mention that she wanted to go home? He didn’t care that he would probably be put in air jail for eternity for the amount of cursing he just did or that he would be grounded for life for scaring his family so much. Angelo just wanted to go home and never see a stupid bubble gum creature again! A hug from her big brothers or even a turtle pile sounded great right about now. They wanted to run! They wanted to hide! They wanted out of this mess, but-

“Angelo, hey, hey listen to me bud! It’s going to be alright. I need you to take some deep breaths”- Leo? Ya, that was Leo. So Angelo was really hearing Leo’s voice back there. Not her Leo and not dream Leo either, but the Leo of this dimension in real life! He wasn’t hallucinating, right? But none of that even made any sense, because Angelo was here with his family. They were fighting the Kranng and then, what happened? Angelo couldn’t remember. What was she doing again? Oh, right! Leo was talking to her! 

What did the blue turtle say again? Something about calming down? Taking a deep breath? No, Angelo couldn’t calm down! Those things were here. Right there in front of her, battling with her alternate (huh?) family. Didn’t Leo realize how serious this was? She didn’t want to lose anyone! He couldn’t deal with the pain of feeling one of his brothers being ripped away from him again! This wasn’t normal! Angelo wanted to go home! 

That wasn’t possible though. Angelo was stuck here. He would never see his family again. They would die here, wouldn’t they? They could barely handle the Kranng the first time they fought, this time wouldn’t be any different. She was already injured and she didn’t have her brothers with her. They would never know she had died and be wondering where she went forever. Angelo never even got to say goodbye… he didn’t want to die.

Angelo’s tears were hot, a nice contrast to the cold ground beneath her. He was pretty sure Leo had set him on the ground to try and ground him, although his efforts were in vain as Angelo kept a firm grip on his midsection. If she couldn’t get a hug from her big brothers, then Leo would have to do for now. Big brothers always made things better anyway, so maybe if she closed her eyes and hugged the blue turtle hard enough all her problems would go away! 

But wait, her other family was still fighting those things! 

Was it over? Were they dead? Angelo couldn’t hear any more fighting, but he was too scared to look and see what was happening for himself. It wasn’t like he would have been able to see what was going on anyway with the way his eyes were blurry and unfocused. The tears constantly flowing down his face didn’t allow Angelo to make out anything that wasn’t two feet in front of him, another reason he was reluctant to leave the blue turtle’s side. 

The loud ringing present in her ears made it hard to hear anything too, so she couldn’t be certain if the fighting was really over or not. It was a stark contrast to how he could hear everything perfectly a few moments ago, although Angelo suspected that the growing pain in his arms was the cause of the drastic shift. They could also feel a warm sticky substance running down the length of their arms (Aw, man she just got these new gloves, too), but didn’t pay it that much mind. She had bigger things to worry about such as the fleeing blue turtle.

While Angelo was distracted within her own mind, she had completely missed the fact that Leo had somehow wiggled out of her ironclad grip and placed her into a new set of arms. The big gruff and rough texture of their hands led Angelo to believe that Raph was now holding him in a tight embrace similar to Angelo’s own a few minutes prior. They could just slightly hear some murmuring coming from the small group around her, something about injury, how to stop it, lots of panic, and the notion of needing to get Donnie. She didn’t know. All those things weren’t really important right now anyway, well except maybe that last one.

Leo was going to get Donnie? The Donnie that was still fighting the flesh monsters? The same things that had taken Angelo’s big brother and practically thrown him around like a chew toy until he was so battered and bruised he had to be put into a coma to recover? Ya, that was not going to sit well with the orange turtle, but there wasn’t anything she could really do. 

Angelo couldn’t move her legs due to the amount of pain she was in and the growing numbness in her arms wasn’t letting up (Her weapon was gone too? Did she drop it? It’s okay. Donnie will find it later. He always locates Angelo’s things. Where was he, though? Angelo missed him). However, that didn’t stop her from pleading with Leo not to go. They couldn’t really form words, or at least Angelo didn’t think they were, instead letting out small whimpers and chirps of dismay in their turtle language. If she was any more lucid right now, Angelo would have been embarrassed by how pitiful she sounded, although she was too focused on her task to care. 

Raph tightened his embrace all the more as Mikey (maybe Mikey- orange bandanna, so definitely Mikey… but she was Mikey. That didn’t make any sense. Another hallucination then?) took one of her hands, gently. They were careful so as not to agitate the burning pain traveling throughout Angelo’s body. The small turtle let out more whimpers at the sight of Leo hesitating, thinking that their chirps were getting through to him. 

Yes, come back here where Angelo could see you, Leo. You didn’t need to leave just yet. Come back! Please don’t leave, not yet! 

The orange turtle kept sending these little messages Leo’s way hoping for the older to understand her plight, although was massively disappointed for their hopes to be crushed as Leo carefully patted them on the head, saying something that they couldn’t hear, before turning away. 

No, no no! You stupid, blue bitch! You were supposed to stay where Angelo could see you, not walk away! Why was Leo always like this? Why couldn’t he see that his family needed him? That Angelo still needed him? She needed all her big brothers! Why were they all so dumb to the point where they wouldn’t listen to reason? She didn’t want to almost lose one of her precious family members again! He wouldn’t be able to handle it! They would rather crack and break and never be put back together if this played out like it did before! 

Well, fine! If Leo didn’t want to listen to Angelo, then she wasn’t going to listen to him, either! Letting out a disgruntled whine, Angelo gathered as much mystic energy as she could into her arms (the only thing she could think of to help), pushing the blinding light and pain away to the back of her mind. Leo had told her specifically that she wasn’t allowed to use her mystic hands without the proper guidance after her first portal had nearly taken her arms, but all bets were off the table now! Her big brother was being a huge dumb-dumb and running into danger again, so Angelo was going to do the same and save his sorry ass before he ended up on a stretcher with even worse injuries than before!

She didn’t listen as panicked voices called out from behind her (Raph and Donnie maybe? They sounded different… more scratchy, distant maybe? Angelo’s head hurt) before shakily and painstakingly heaving her arms up toward where she last seen the bubblegum bitches. Only one of her arms was able to make it the full way, the other being held down by a heavy force. Wasn’t someone holding her hand? Donnie maybe? Raph was still holding them back. He was shaking, and so was Donnie, although Angelo didn’t know why… Oh, ya! Mystic burst, that’s right! 

That’s OK. He could use the extra energy in the blast! Right, got to save Leo! Save Leo…

The Kranng hated mystic energy right? That was the reason why the monsters had taken their family’s mystics in the first place, so Angelo was going to use that to her advantage! He just had to stop shaking first and concentrate really hard! How difficult could that be? 

Really difficult, actually. Did she mention her head hurt? Angelo’s body felt woozy, his arms burned, and their vision was a bit lop-sided, but that didn’t stop them from focusing on building their power. The light from their scars glowed the greatest Angelo had ever seen it since the first time she used her powers. It was beautiful and very, stupidly bright. He wouldn’t be able to make out where to shoot his blast at this rate, so it was probably a good time to release the energy. She could barely keep a coherent thought anyway.

So without a moment’s hesitation, Angelo ignored the frantic yelling coming from all around, sent a silent apology Raph and Donnie’s way, and threw the big blast of energy she was storing straight to where the fighting was just moments prior. A loud booming noise followed Angelo’s blast hitting, well… something? They didn’t hear any screams of pain, but the young turtle could only hope they had hit their mark. He wouldn’t be able to tell if he did or not until his ears stopped ringing and his eyes started working again. Everything was really fuzzy and they couldn't think straight… That didn’t matter right now, though. All that mattered was if Leo was safe or not and Angelo was gonna find out!

Or well she would have if her body agreed with her mind, but everything hurt too much to move. 

Oh, look! There’s Leo! The blue turtle was right there in front of Angelo’s face with a… worried- concerned- fearful- Eh, Angelo didn’t know. She was just glad that Leo was back safe and not somewhere where she couldn’t reach him. It didn’t matter that he looked a little off, not like her Leo. The Kranng probably messed him up when he went to fight them! That wasn’t good! Leo loved his yellow bananas and red crescents! He would be so upset when he realized they weren’t there! Angelo had to comfort him! Yes, that was a good idea!

The orange turtle reached out her hand to softly pat her older brother’s face, although the strain from the action was too much. It was like when he finally realized that Leo was right here next to him once more (maybe not all there but there enough) that Angelo’s body could finally rest. They were in a lot of pain, so maybe they could just take a teeny-tiny nap. It’s okay because Raph would carry her back home, Donnie would tell them about all the data they had collected from the previous fight, and Leo would chime in with funny jokes and jabs. It would be normal again! She would have her family again.

Thus, Angelo smiled gently at the thought and slowly closed her eyes to the fuzzy chorus of noise gracing her sleep. Gentle light floated behind her eyelids as he felt the arms holding him close shift him slightly in place while more voices came up to the small grouping, some more recognizable than others. It wasn’t as peaceful as the noises got more frenetic in nature the closer they got. She ignored them, though, basking in the comfort they provided her, along with the small buzzing noise in her head almost like radio chatter, as everything finally faded to black.

NO! ~~--~~ Don’t fall asleep! ~~--~ Almost there, just hang on! –~~~- Stay still! ~~-~-~ Remember? Stay where you are! ~~--~ Please, I’m on my way –~~-~ Shut Up! ~-~-~ Just a little bit longer, please! ~--~~ I’m on my way…

Chapter Text

~~~~Chapter Sixteen- Tying Up Loose Ends Part One~~~~

Fan Art from sewer_sludge_ratt (Tumbler profile sewersludgeovo): https://www.tumblr.com/sewersludgeovo/733937556901773312/this-is-fanart-for-the-fanfic-lost-in-time-on-ao3?source=share

POV Shift- Angelo (He)

Everything was strangely fuzzy when Angelo regained awareness. He felt like he had just awoken from a week-long nap, judging by the dull ache pulsating from his temple. Too much sleep could lead to headaches so that wasn’t out of the ordinary for him, but the weird hazy feeling to accompany it was. Angelo didn’t quite understand what had happened to cause such a reaction. He felt like he should, but he just didn’t…

What was he doing earlier? For some reason, his brain wouldn't tell him what had caused his body to feel so strangely, almost like his brain was actively trying to block something out. It was concerning because Angelo felt like he should be more aware than he was right now. Something important had happened, something life-changing, but he couldn’t remember what… 

But if something so important had happened, his brain would clue him in eventually so maybe it was okay to rest for just a little bit longer. The comfy blanket covering his body and plush pillow beneath his head were quite soothing and Angelo would like to keep his eyes shut to keep his headache at bay anyway. If he went to sleep then he wouldn’t have to deal with the weird numb-like feeling spreading throughout his arms, either. 

Ya, that sounded like a good idea, but wait- 

Why was Angelo so tired? 

He should feel well-rested. The headache was proof that he had slept for forever, so why was his body so stiff? That wasn’t painting a pretty picture for him, nope not one bit! What had happened? 

Now that Angelo thought about it, he hadn’t felt this out of it since the invasion and that certainly wasn’t a good thing to compare to! Was he sick? The orange turtle hoped it wasn’t the rat flue! He would definitely get the others inflected if that were the case. No, no, Anglo didn’t feel like he had a fever, just had a bad headache and some dull throbs in his arms, and he wasn’t feeling very clingy so he was in the clear there. That realization didn’t help his predicament, though.

Okay, the orange turtle needed to take some deep breaths and stop overthinking before he dug himself into a panic. He could work through this. Everything would be ok. Angelo was just a bit confused and needed to run through his thoughts. He should think back to the beginning of his day and work his way up to what he didn’t remember. So what was the last thing he could remember?

Feelings of hurt, being scared, and the insistent need to get out came to the forefront of Angelo’s mind. Swirling colors of bright purple screens with hints of a sleepy conversation also struck a cord until a semi-clear realization struck the orange turtle.

Oh, right. He snuck out and explored the city after he had talked with Donnie. It became clear that the others were hiding something from him. The older turtles wouldn’t let him in on their secrets and had bluntly left Angelo in the dark, so he got frustrated and left; thinking he would be able to prove himself capable of handling whatever it was that they were hiding from him by doing so. 

It wasn’t the best decision that he made during his stay, pretty foolish actually, but it was well worth it because he found out something important- Something to do with colors- blue and purple- something magical- 

He found traces of mystic energy, meaning that someone from his home dimension was here! 

If Angelo’s body wasn’t so sore, he would wiggle around from excitement! How could he forget something so amazing? He wasn’t alone! Someone else made it through the portal with him! Oh, he hoped it was one of his big brothers! They could find a way back home together and he wouldn’t feel so out of place anymore. It would be easier to sleep and it wouldn’t be so dull and dreary. It would be just like old times, before this whole mishap, but that couldn’t happen just yet. First, Angelo needs to find out who it is that landed here… huh, that kind of sparked a little memory.

Didn’t he fight with someone about this exact topic? Angelo could faintly remember words being thrown and a heavy tension sitting in the air followed by sad expressions. It was like tiny pieces of a picture slowly unraveling as his mind caught up with the events before his sickened state. 

Glimpses of yelling, tears, and blue bandanas clouded his thoughts. He remembers the bile, the hurt, and then the fear. The coolness of the older’s voice and the worry-covered tone of his speech. Angelo was fighting with Leo, although it wasn’t something he was all that proud of to remember. The happy energy he felt from his earlier realization dulled at the guilt that took its place.

The orange turtle fought with Leo because he wanted to go back to the “before”. He wanted to go back to when Angelo was unaware of the dangers above, innocently going along with what the others told him. Leo wanted to bring Angelo back to the confines of the lair and keep him down there where he would never go home! He wanted to coddle Angelo because he didn’t think the younger turtle could protect himself! 

Angelo wouldn’t be able to handle that again, so he lashed out… but Leo didn’t think any of that stuff, did he?

Angelo was the one who wasn’t thinking clearly. His head was clouded with pure turtle instincts and so much desperation that he didn’t listen to Leo’s words. It didn’t matter that the blue turtle was desperate for Angelo to understand his side of things or that the others were just as uncomfortable about the whole situation. Angelo wouldn’t have budged from his stance either way. His only goal at that point was to move, explore, and find a way home no matter the cost.

His instincts had taken over and decided for him that he wouldn’t be going back to the cramped, not-right sewers down below. The once right feeling of safety and protection he allowed to cover the ever-growing panic surging in his bones was shattered into pieces once Angelo found out about the others’ betrayal. It wasn’t safe any longer or at least that was what his head was telling him. 

Thus, without really thinking about it, the orange turtle ran.

Angelo needed familiarity to bring him comfort and, in a way, fighting had a connection with Leo, his big brother. Maybe that wasn’t the best thought to be having, but it reminded him of that time before everything changed. Angelo’s eldest brothers had fought similarly, all sharp words and pointed edges before the- the big bad. It certainly wasn’t something from the good, happy side of Angelo’s memories, although it was enough to jump-start his brain back to “normal”. 

He couldn’t truly say that anything he did that night (earlier today?) was exactly his “normal”, what with the pronoun switches, leaving without thinking, and exposing his less-than-graceful ninja side, but at least he wasn’t running away again. That had to count for something…

Nevertheless, both parties of that little feud had said things that neither had meant and apologies would need to be given later, however, none of that blast from the past helped Angelo in his current predicament. The numb feeling encompassing his body was starting to let up too, so perhaps he should try to focus on something else. He felt like he was getting ahead of himself anyway. Didn’t something happen before the argument? 

Colors, clustered filled stalls, and oh- He met this world’s versions of Casey and April while out exploring for leads on the mystery character they’re hunting down. The group met at a night market of sorts and got along very quickly. 

Angelo should have been more aware of his surroundings, though, as his perfectly crafted human disguise was quickly put to shame. Casey was able to tell right away that something was up with “Angel” and even April had her suspicions, although he was able to fool her for much longer. 

With all that is going on right now, this isn’t the time for the orange turtle to start slipping up. Angelo should really get back on a training regiment as soon as he could. His lack of polish was starting to show.

The orange turtle would have to step up his game with Splinter if he wanted to get off the metaphorical bench his stupid arms had put him on. Although after the disaster from last night, he wouldn’t be surprised if the rat man was even more reluctant to let him train. 

Because, and how could Angelo forget this, he totally exposed their turtle-likeness to a whole swarm of humans! That little incident surely wasn’t going to crash down on them later and totally didn’t break the timeline of this dimension. The humans here seemed a lot meaner than Angelo’s own, so they definitely will be a problem later down the line! Not good, very not good.

Oh, Pizza Supreme, Angelo had so much to apologize for! How could he have let things get out of hand so quickly? He was supposed to be the emotionally stable one! Why did he let his stupid turtle side take over and overreact to this whole thing? He should have talked it out, he should have listened, and he should have stayed! Now, these alternate members of his family had to deal with humankind knowing about them and it was all Angelo’s fault!

Ugh, his headache was getting worse and the numb sensation in his arms was so faint now that Angelo was starting to regain feeling within his body. He did not like the stinging, almost burning sense coursing through his arms, although it was making the turtle more aware of his surroundings. 

Good, he needed a distraction from his stupidity.

Once again, Angelo took note of the plush pillow and comfy blanket laid upon his chest. The last place he remembered being was up on the surface, but clearly, something had happened, other than the obvious, and now he was back in the sewers. He could feel a needle poking into his arm and hear an annoying beeping sound going off every now and again… 

Was there a heart monitor attached to him? Double, not good. The headache paired with the dull stabs in his arms were already worrying enough, but if the heart monitor was added on top then something truly nasty must have occurred. That realization was not lighting the mood whatsoever and Angelo could feel his breathing pick up just thinking about it.

The faint smell of medical supplies mixed with the sewer’s musk and all the information Angelo just compiled meant that the boy had landed himself in the med bay. The now clean med bay, Angelo should add. 

During the first two weeks of his stay, Donnie had asked for his help cleaning the place up since he didn’t trust his brothers to thoroughly get the job down. It was a nice little bonding session where Angelo was able to sit in comfortable silence with the purple turtle as the two organized the space. 

Although a nice distraction, that tidbit of information was beside the point. The main issue here was that Angelo was once again in the alleged room injured and confused.

Hurt and in pain was never a good combination, in any sense of the word. Angelo could just hear the full-on long winded lectures and worried tones of his big brothers in his head, faint memories from when he found himself in similar situations. If these alternate versions of his brothers knew he was awake, the orange turtle was certain they would do the same… 

Perhaps it was time to try and open his eyes again. Face whatever verdict the others had for him, whether that be a grounding or loss of surface privileges, and apologize for his actions. That wasn’t a thought Angelo could easily stomach, but he owed them an explanation even if he didn’t want to talk.

Besides, sitting here in a confused haze was getting him nowhere and he felt like he had exhausted what little he could do with his eyes closed. He could potentially spend some energy and use his mystics to feel out the room, but some little part of him said that was a bad idea. Not that the orange turtle could even entertain that idea since his arms were really starting to burn now.

Thus, Angelo put all the energy he had regained from his rest into squinting his eyes open to tiny slits. It was a great improvement from earlier, although just barely enough to see his surroundings. 

It turned out that he was right in assuming that he had landed himself in the med bay. The heart monitor he could hear going off was sat right next to him by a little tray of pills, notes, and other medical devices he didn’t know the use of. Angelo couldn’t read what was on the paper, but he did notice a bottle of pain relievers, so that explained the numb feeling from earlier. The blanket and pillow were from one of the beds the duo had made all those weeks ago, but there was a new addition of a stuffed bear sitting next to his arm. 

The tiny toy had two blue buttons for eyes and was made of colorful yarn. A gift from Raph? That was sweet, but didn’t clue Angelo in on the whole memory loss thing. If anything the notion of the red turtle having enough time to make him a whole gift was making the panic swirling in Angelo’s chest pick up. 

How long was he out for?

Glancing down, Angelo quickly understood that the time frame was a lot longer than he was expecting because his arms were glowing! Not the “I just had a flare-up” glowing, but more like the “I was stupid and used a huge amount of energy when I wasn’t supposed to” glowing. Triple, not good! Ya, Angelo was in deep, deep trouble here. 

Even with the newly applied bandages going up just past his elbows (slightly longer than usual might he add), Angelo could see a golden hue floating around his arms. 

What could have possibly happened to cause him to use an excess amount of energy like that? Angelo knew better to attempt something using powerful mystics while his body was still acting up! Not painting a “I’m a mature young teenager” picture here! No, he had to understand what had happened and he needed to know NOW!

Grimacing, Angelo struggled with his sore body and twisted until he was in a sitting position. He let out a hiss of pain once he sat up and brought his arms to his chest, cradling them close. Letting out a shaky breath, he slowly unraveled the bandages on his left arm and felt his eyes widen at the scene before him. 

No, this couldn’t be happening! Angelo’s scars had traveled up further down his arms like a creak in a glass splintering under pressure. Shit!

The small turtle’s breathing quickened even further while the shakiness and golden light increased in intensity. Like a damn being broken, Angelo was aware of all the little sounds buzzing from the light fixtures and the loud insistent screeching of the heart monitor. The texture on the once comfy blanket turned hot and clammy causing Angelo to push the offending article away from him. Back hitting the wall in his panic, the turtle’s hand hit the small bear knocking the plush off the bed. The impact of the tiny creature hitting the ground shouldn’t have been that loud. 

Movement caught Angelo’s eyes as his head snapped to the entrance of the med bay watching as a turtle in purple came running in. He must have been making too much noise as the older stopped in his approach with a wide-eyed stare of his own. 

Notching the state the younger was in had the purple turtle retreating, allowing Angelo some space, but the deed was already down. Like a domino effect, each of the other alternate members of Angelo’s family came rushing through the doors bringing along heaps of worried voices and chaotic chatter. 

First was red, followed by orange, the two pushing toward the bed with scared expressions. They were frantically asking questions and failing to keep the small turtle’s attention, only confusing the child further. To add to the madness, a girl with red hair entered next along with a gruff-looking boy. Both humans also approached Angelo, although stopped a bit farther away than the two turtles. The concerned expressions on their faces were still distracting, nonetheless.

Finally, a tall rat slowly walked into the room just barely entering the space before Angelo’s eyes caught sight of a blue bandana. If he was any more lucid, the orange turtle would have noticed the sad expression on the older’s face and the disapproving tone of his voice as the rat addressed his kids, beckoning them out of the med bay. Unfortunately, the younger’s attention was taken up by the turtle in blue who just walked in. 

Blue was important. He was supposed to be protecting Blue from something because Blue was being dumb. Angelo was sure of it because Blue was just like that something, always seeking validation when he didn’t have to. He loved Blue, but Blue was always going off doing wrong things and Angelo needed to help before everything got out of hand! It was his job, wasn’t it? He was the glue. 

He had to help, but why was blue important? He couldn’t remember. Angeo’s head hurt, although he needed to think. Blue, blue, blue. Blue bandanas- Cheeky smiles- Protective gestures- Warm hugs- Red Crescents and Yellow Bananas-

Leo? That’s right! Leo! Oh Gods, Angelo remembered! The Kranng, the kranng were here! They were in this dimension with Angelo- with his family- not locked away- free to roam, kill, and destroy everything! Angelo and Leo were arguing and then these humans showed up, but they weren’t humans but instead robots in disguise. The kranng were in their tummies and the group went to fight them- and- 

Leo was going to fight them again, but it wasn’t Angelo’s Leo- not his big brother. He really thought his Leo was here fighting those monsters back then, but no that wasn’t really happening. The fight was real. The panic was real. The fear was real. Angelo’s delusion was not real and he wasn’t sure if he should be happy about that or not.

The good news was that his Leo wasn’t fighting the stupid pink bubblegum monsters again and Angelo didn’t have to watch him get dragged away again. The bad news was that he was stuck in this dimension with the big bad along with his alternate family who weren’t his brothers. 

Did that make sure? Do you see the problem here? Well, Angelo sure did and he didn’t like it, just like he didn’t like the too-loud voices, the beeping of the heart monitor, and the not-right texture of the once comfy blanket. He didn’t like the sticky bandages covering one of his arms, the pain and bright glow from the other, or the ugly crying coming from his distressed person. 

It was too much! All of it was too much! Everything was too much! The events before his injured state, the confusion from his gender crisis, the stress from being lied to and kept secrets from, the feeling of being alone, of not belonging, of being accused of something like abuse- it was too much for the small turtle, so he did the only thing that felt right.

Angelo went into his shell.

He had to block out the noise, turn off the burning lights, and buzzing thoughts swirling in his head. It was too much, all too much, but the almost darkness that was Angelo’s shell was comforting. 

The space was always a way for the child to be able to disconnect from the real world and have a place where he could decompress. He didn’t have to face his problems until he left, so that is exactly what he would do. If his arms still weren’t producing light, then the tight, confined space would have been perfect. 

Is he possibly causing more harm to his already damaged arms by cramming them into his shell and practically ripping the wire connecting him to the heart monitor in the process? Yes, most certainly, but Angelo didn’t exactly care because the peacefulness of his shell was better than out there.

Angelo was still crying and nothing was resolved in the slightest, but now that he wasn’t out in the open he felt safer. He just needed a few minutes to collect his thoughts and then he would be able to leave the confines of his safe place and once again go out into the real world. Is that too much to ask for?

It took him a while to notice that the loud noises and startled tones of his alternate family had dimmed to complete silence. He couldn’t hear the heart monitor producing the screeching flat line of not being connected to a beat until his breathing had evened out. The bright lights that were seeping into the opening of his shell were faint now that Angelo could see from tearless eyes. The not-right blanket wasn’t touching his shell and was replaced with a firmer, heavier blanket instead, although the turtle could tell that the cloth had been there for a while by the way it hugged his body.

Although hard to pick up from the little hick-ups coming from Angelo’s month, he could barely hear two other breathing patterns besides his own as well. The two individuals weren’t loudly talking or asking questions like moments prior, simply sitting quietly with him in the room. 

There was a repeating tapping sound coming from Angelo’s left a bit far off from where he was and an almost whistle-like breathing coming from his right. It was peaceful listening to the background noise and Angelo was feeling more grounded as time went on.

He sat there for a few more moments, taking in the tranquility of the space while finally coming to terms with the mess he got himself into. Angelo’s head felt a lot clearer now that he got his initial panic out the way, although the dread remained. 

In and out. In and out. In and out. Angelo kept that steady pace going, focusing on his breathing. He listened intently to his heart beating within his chest and gently curled his fingers following the beats. 

Ever so slightly, the movement rocked his shell, catching the attention of the person sitting next to him. The silence that had once encaptured the room was broken soon after, “Hey champ, you back with us yet?”

The voice startled Angelo causing his person to visibly jump at the surprisingly deep tone. He had expected his bedmate to be one of the other turtles, either Mikey due to his chipper personality or Raph because of how close the two were, but was confused to find Casey instead. 

Angelo couldn’t believe that the other turtles would leave his side after the whole ordeal up top (not to mention the fright he must have given them by going into his shell right after he awoke) and practically went against the whole overbearing personalities they were all displaying a week prior. It was nice that they were giving him space, but why leave him with Casey of all people? Angelo wasn’t exactly all bubby-bubby with the human and had only just met him recently… 

Oh, right! Casey asked him a question.

Clearing his rather dry throat, Angelo responded, “U-um, ya sorry. I’m all good now… Where- where are the others?” He could hear a relieved sigh at his voice and the tapping came to a stop, however a swirl chair’s wheels swift around in the distance. Another person, perhaps?

“We shoved the others out of the room when you went into your shell. Everyone really wanted to make sure you were okay, but the chaos wasn’t helping… Leo, especially, wanted to stay to talk with you about what happened, although we thought better of it… Everyone’s waiting outside in the pit right now,” Casey replied with an exhausted tone, the bed shifting as he talked.

That made sense. It was rather busy with everyone in the room and Angelo wasn’t sure he was in the right headspace to deal with all that right now. The orange turtle would like a little more time before he had to face the others too. He needed to recollect himself. Angelo’s panic had set back his earlier eagerness to get this whole ordeal done with.

After a moment of no one speaking, Casey broke the silence with a worried filled voice, “Do you think you could come out of your shell now, Angel? It’s been like twenty minutes and we would like some confirmation that you’re not exploding in there… Only if you feel up to it of course, but Donnie needs to look at your hands. It can’t be all too comfortable having them crammed in there for so long and, by the sounds of it, you could use some water.” The bedding beside Angelo dipped as Casey stood up, followed by the tapping of feet, and the sound of running water as it poured into a glass. 

As Casey left the bed not waiting for Angelo's response there was a nervous energy that followed his movements, leaving behind an awkward vibe invading the space. It felt still and stagnant which caused a small lump to appear in Angelo’s throat. The small turtle wasn’t used to this type of energy and wasn’t fully prepared to give up his safe space so soon, but the ravenoette had a point. 

Angelo’s arms were stinging and he could feel some of his newly acquired scars reopen from being moved around so much. He needed medical attention, Leo would get on his case otherwise, and water did sound good right about now. 

Besides, the other person that was in the room with them was apparently Donnie and he was the team medic… of this dimension at least, but Angelo trusted him despite what he thought during the argument. 

The purple turtle had told him about what was going on with the others and helped jump-start Angelo’s earlier adventure. It wasn’t the genius’ fault that everything took a turn for the worst. He also gave the younger more credit when it came to his capabilities and believed that Angelo could handle his mystics even when the others didn’t. 

That train of thought didn’t mean that the orange turtle was suddenly back to his bright and cheery personality, though. The aftermath of his panic was still coursing through his system and Angelo wasn’t sure how sociable he would be able to be right now… But, again, his arms hurt, his throat was uncomfortably dry, and he needed help, even if he didn’t exactly want it.

Not saying a word, Angelo popped out of his shell letting what he now knew as a weighted blanket fall around his shoulders. The cloth must have been Donnie’s by the way it was dyed to match his signature color. 

Vaguely Angelo remembered back to when he first arrived and Leo mentioned something about Donnie having panic attacks as well. He must have known what to do when Angelo was panicking earlier because of his own experience, although the genius did look uncomfortable about the whole situation. The face he was making looked similar to Angelo’s own purple-colored brother’s when he didn’t fully know what to do in more emotional-based situations. 

Angelo snuck a quick peek over to the purple turtle catching his eye and giving him a grateful nod. It was the highest honor to be given Donnie’s weighted blanket back home, so it must have been a tough choice for this version of him too. The genius nodded back with a nervous smile while pushing his chair closer to the bed. The click of his tablet sitting down on the medial table next to the orange turtle filled the soft silence to follow.

Looking over, Angelo focused his attention on Casey as the older handed him a glass of water, now returning to the pair. The orange turtle took the glass with shaking hands, flinching at the small sting from aggravating his injuries while slowly sipping the cold drink. The glass was quickly drained despite Angelo’s attempt to conserve it, though, as he was much thirstier than he thought. 

A laugh caught him off guard as Casey gently took the glass back, “Ya, thought you would be thirsty after sleeping for nearly two days. You fainted right after blasting off that big magic attack and have been sleeping ever since. Had us all scared to shit when your arms started flaking off too… I’m guessing that wasn’t supposed to-” 

Shaken by Casey’s words, Angelo snapped his head towards the older and yelped, “TWO DAYS! I’ve been asleep for two whole days! That can’t be right. I didn’t use that much of my mystic reserves, did I?” The orange turtle could feel his breathing pick up once again while his hands trembled from his shock, throat cracking from disuse. 

Like an unsteady tower being swayed in the wind, Angelo was once again pulled into his panicked state as he frantically went through his thoughts. 

He had lost so much time! What was the current situation? What happened to the humans and the Kranng? Has everything been resolved already or is it worse than Angelo thought?

Putting his hands up, Casey gently addressed the orange turtle as he took a step back, “Oh no, it’s all good, man. You’re okay and everything’s fine. The blast wasn’t even that big! It only left a crater on the road downtown! Compared to other blasts this city has taken that one barely left a dent, although did kind of blow up in the media for a bit-” 

Donnie’s cold voice hissed at Casey and stopped the older in his tracks, “ Not helping , Jones! Shut up.” Angelo was regaining that frantic look in his eyes at the man’s words, not listening as Donnie tried to get his attention. 

Looking down at his hands, Angelo felt like he understood how his scars were able to increase further by the amount of mystics he used. Obviously, it wasn’t enough to open a full-blown portal, otherwise, he wouldn’t be awake right now, but he did do more damage than he thought. It was not only going to get harder to harass his powers now, but Angelo was going to have some big drawbacks from the attack too.

The flare-ups to follow were going to hurt so much and he wasn’t looking forward to it. Angelo also caused even more problems for the others by blowing up a crater in their streets! How was he ever going to make it up to them? No one got hurt, right? He was aiming straight at Leo when he let the blast go, although the blue turtle didn’t look hurt earlier-

Suddenly a soft, yet firm object was thrust into Angelo’s arms while the turtle clumsily held the item in confusion. Little blue button eyes stared back at Angelo’s own as he looked down at the plush yarn toy that he had knocked onto the floor just moments prior. Swapping his thumbs across the gentle fabric, Angelo took a shaky breath while trying to regain his composure. 

In and out. In and out. In and out. Deep breaths, Angelo. Deep breaths.

A voice startled the young turtle as Donnie calmly spoke, “Angelo, none of this was your fault. We shouldn’t have gone about this whole situation the way that we did back when you first arrived and should have talked to you more. We didn’t tell you of any of the dangers up on the surface or ask any questions about possible triggers you may have. There are many things we don’t know about you just as much as there are things you don’t know about us… Angelo, you were clearly panicking and not all there in that fight and none of us blame you for what went down. You understand that, right?” 

Neither turtle looked at the other as silence graced the air when Donnie was finished with his spill. It was hard to respond since Angelo’s more distraught part of his mind was still berating the boy for his choices, although the more therapeutic side agreed with the purple turtle. 

It was like Dr. Delicate Touch and Dr. Feelings were fighting for dominance over how this situation was going to be handled. The buzzing static energy and awkwardness in the air heightened as time went on, although the cool, firm tone of Donnie’s voice helped drown out some of those bad thoughts.

Coming to a conclusion while allowing a few tears to fall from his eyes, Angelo nodded his head while Donnie let out a sigh, “Good. Don’t go worrying about what Casey said, either. The mystic blast you let out did, in fact, cause a large crater to form, although I have already fixed that situation. As far as the public knows, the pipes downtown burst due to an increase in water pressure. There was a bit of initial panic, but no one got hurt, thankfully, and the public has already moved on to different topics. Attention spans are not what they used to be. Just take Casey for example.” 

The purple turtle held out his hand towards Angelo’s, asking permission to start the healing process. The small turtle rubbed the remaining tears from his eyes while accepting the offer, setting his injured left arm in Donnie’s hold, and letting out a watery giggle at Casey's offended, “HEY!” 

Donnie paid the interruption no mind as he worked on Angelo’s arm, keeping his gaze focused on the younger’s injury, “None of us got hurt either, just a little singed on Leo’s side. The injury was minimal and has already started to heal during your long rest. All items that were dropped during the fight have been collected as well, so don’t go worrying about your mystic equipment.” 

A breath was taken as the purple turtle shakingly continued, squeezing his eyes tight for a moment as he removed the rest of the bandages on that arm, and revealing the golden light beaming from Angelo’s scars. 

“As far as I’m aware none of the gear was damaged either, although you would need to check on them since I still don’t have a full understanding of your mystics… Everyone is more worried about how you are fairing anyway. It is an understatement to say we were “scared shitless” at your arms literally flaking off.” A slight hitch in Donnie’s shoulders could be seen as he put some cream on Angelo’s left arm, gently going over the child’s scars.

Taking another quick breath, the purple turtle shook his head as his voice turned more monotone while proceeding with the conversation, “A- A lot of your energy was drained from that maneuver, both mentally and physically. The long rest was to be expected. It would be a good idea to get you some more painkillers, too. I can’t imagine how that must have felt… Uh, but how are you feeling by the way? We have been keeping you on fluids the past couple of days, so your systems may be a bit drained.” Donnie took a longer drawn-out breath while re-bandaging Angelo’s arm, his hands slightly shaking along with the box turtle’s own.

Angelo shifted his position so that his legs were now swaying over the bed’s edge and responded truthfully, taking note of Donnie’s fidgety nature, “Oh! Um, I feel fine other than the tingly pain coming from my arms. It isn’t something I can’t handle, though some painkillers would be nice… I also have a bit of a headache from sleeping and crying so much… Are, uh- Are you alright, Donnie?” 

It was clear to see that the purple turtle wasn’t processing the situation well. Angelo didn’t want to overwhelm Donnie just for his sack and understood if the older needed to take a break. What good would it do if both boys were coming down from panic attacks after all?

Donnie finished tying off the bandage’s edge as he flinched from Angelo’s words, bobbing his head in a positive gesture. Springing up from his seat, the purple turtle turned to the medical table beside the bed in a jerky movement while snatching the bottle of painkillers. 

Holding them to his chest, Donnie rotated to the door of the med bay, walking off while quietly muttering, “Yes, I’m fine. We need some more painkillers. This bottle is almost out. I will be back shortly. Casey, please finish reapplying the bandages on Angelo’s other arm.” With that short farewell, the purple turtle exited the room leaving the other two occupants in a worried silence.

Angelo swayed his legs faster as anxiety ate at his gut. He clutched the doll tighter, hoping to calm his growing nerves but failing. 

Thankfully, Casey broke the silence before Angelo’s thoughts could run wild, “Well this is turning into a huge mess, isn’t it? Wait, no sorry, I didn’t mean to say that. None of this is your fault and Donnie just needs a minute. He wasn’t feeling so well today what with everything that has been going on… I wasn’t trying to blame you for what happened or anything. Shit, I keep messing things up with you, huh?” The older rubbed a hand down his face as he hopped off the bed and went over to the medical table.

The orange turtle tilted his head in confusion as his legs slowed down from the fast swaying. What did Casey mean by that? 

As far as Angelo knew the older hadn’t done anything to cause the younger to be mad at him. If anything, the boy had helped Angelo back in the market and when he was fighting with Leo, protecting and deafening him when Casey didn’t have to. 

Everyone was stressed right now, that much was clear, so Angelo didn’t blame him for speaking his mind. The orange turtle didn’t take any offense from his words since he shouldn’t have acted the way that he did that night.

Still, he wanted to know what was bothering the human boy. The conversation to follow would be a nice distraction and potentially help ground the orange turtle further. Plus Angelo would be able to rest his sore throat for a bit before he had to defend his actions against the council of older brothers waiting outside the room… and Splinter.  

Voicing his confusion, Angelo stated, “I don’t think you have done anything to get on my bad side and I don’t blame you for stressing. It is true that I shouldn’t have run away like I did. I did some pretty stupid things last- err two nights ago and should be held accountable for them. Besides, Donnie was showing clear signs of being overwhelmed and I don’t blame him for leaving. My Donnie gets like that too… It’s all good.”

Shaking his head while giving a small smile, Casey plopped down in Donnie’s previous chair scooting it closer to the bed. Angelo gave a small smile back as he softened his grip on the stuffed toy. 

Casey sighed before his smile turned more bittersweet, “That’s good to hear- uh, not about your brother, but like- You know…Sorry, I’m really bad at this whole comforting stuff. I’m much more of a punch-first-ask-questions-later kind of guy… I did have my part in this mess, though. I knew you weren’t at hundred percent back at the market and shouldn’t have dragged you into that crowded place like I did. I was just excited to finally get the chance to meet you and thought I could potentially repay my debt.”

With a nervous frown, the emo boy motioned for Angelo to take his hand so that he could start bandaging the boy up. The orange turtle accepted while his confusion deepened as he held out his right arm, passing the plush toy he was holding to his left. Casey took the appendage and carefully started unwrapping the old bandage. 

A soft golden light lit up the space between the figures as Angelo spook up, “Debt? What are you talking about, Casey? I met you for the first time back then. There isn’t anything you have to repay me for, in fact, I should owe you for defending me when I was fighting with Leo… Although I would like to know how you knew who I was in my human disguise. I thought it was pretty convincing.”

The elder paused his movements as he gave a chuckle and rubbed the back of his head, “Oh, well~ Raph kind of told me all about you a while back. Like, come on dude! This whole family thinks of you as one of their own and clearly has been dotting on you like they have a new little brother. It didn’t matter that Leo was obviously keeping us away from the lair because of some nefarious reason. Raph was gonna break his “No leaking outside information” rule at one point. It’s kind of his job.” Casey laughed at the thought, regaining a bit of light in his eyes when mentioning the red-colored turtle.

Shaking his head, he continued, “Anyway, I learned all about you from him and, from the way he was texting, could tell the guys were being too overprotective of you. Being a big brother myself, I knew that you were going to react badly at one point, so I kept an eye out for anyone who matched your personality. We don’t have a whole lot of go-getters in this city and sneaking out is kind of my thing… Plus your arms were glowing faintly when we first met and I saw your transformation, but my earlier points sounded cooler.”

A small pout formed on the orange turtle’s face at Casey’s information. He had thought he was in the clear when he did his transformation! Angelo would just have to be more careful next time. Like he said earlier, he is rusty! 

It was cool to know Casey had a younger sibling, though. Junior was an only child or at least as far as Angelo knew. That didn’t really explain the whole debt thing, although it would appear that Casey wasn’t done talking.

Angelo rubbed at the doll's ears as the boy resumed unwrapping his injured arm, looking more reserved as he let out a sigh. The golden light was shining brighter now that the arm was almost completely uncovered, although Angelo wasn’t too bothered by it. The orange turtle was actually starting to feel a lot better despite the topic at hand.

“On that note, I was actually happy to have been the one to find you that night because, like I said, I wanted to repay you. You helped Raph and I when we were… having a bit of a dispute over something personal back at my home. I don’t know what you said to him, but something changed and it made me realize that I was stressing him out. He told me I wasn’t acting right, laughing at stupid shit when I shouldn’t, and just being an insensitive prick because of the stress and other stuff… But then you showed up out of the blue and slapped some sense into our sudden heads. We had, like, an actual discussion and it helped. He told me some stuff and I said some stuff back. I was able to find a better solution to things that I didn’t consider before and now my sister and I are… in a better situation.”

Oh, that vague implication didn’t sound very nice. Maybe Angelo shouldn’t have asked, but Casey didn’t need to feel like he had to repay Angelo for anything, especially since the turtle didn’t do much. 

That impromptu therapy session with Raph wasn’t the best appointment Angelo had led, although he was happy it gave the two peace. He was about to say as much to Casey, however, the boy interrupted before he could with a frustrated tone.

Throwing his hands up in the air as he spoke, Casey leaned back into his chair, “And then Leo went and said all those things to you and it brought back bad memories. I just- You were so clearly distressed- like you were visibly shaking back there, but the dude didn’t even notice. I knew that everyone was going through some shit, but that doesn’t mean the guy can just come out and say that stuff. And just- ugh! It made me so mad!” Casey twisted his hair and rubbed a hand down his face in frustration as Angelo flinched at his words.

The orange turtle was suddenly a lot more anxious, although he wasn’t sure why, exactly. He didn’t have anything to say about Leo’s accusation of abuse going on in Angelo’s dimension, because there was nothing to say. The blue turtle was wrong and everything was fine. 

Sure, some teachings from Angelo’s childhood were not the most morally correct to lecture a child on, but it was different for their family. They weren’t normal being mutants and all. Some corners had to be cut for the bale to remain safe. That’s all Splinter wanted for his children and Angelo understood that now… 

The doubt from seeing how these alternate versions of his family interacted wasn’t helping his headache, either. 

Angelo didn’t want to think about how this version of Splinter was more involved with his children, allowing each of them to develop outside of the parent role, especially their version of Raph. He didn’t want to compare the relationship the man had with this Leo to Angelo’s own; how the younger would seek out the elder for guidance instead of relying on jokes to up his team’s morale. 

The orange turtle didn’t want to mention how this Splinter tried to understand Donnie’s love for science more or think about how the purple turtle wasn’t constantly seeking parental approval… Angelo didn’t want to bring up how this Splinter encouraged Mikey’s various interests either.

He didn’t want to think about how these turtles ate with their father and got positive feedback from him constantly. They even trained with the man daily causing a bud of jealousy to form in Angelo’s gut. Why couldn’t his father do the same?

No, that wasn’t fair. Angelo’s dad did everything he could for them. It didn’t matter that Angelo didn’t see the man a lot growing up or that he only really took interest in his brothers’ lives once they were put in harm’s way. Splinter’s whole life was turned upside down and he suddenly had to take care of four baby turtles right after being brutally mutated. Angelo didn’t even want to mention the amount of psychological torment the man went through while Big Mama and he dated! 

Therefore, it wasn’t right to compare the two families or ask for anything more from his father. The man had done his best and what happened in the past couldn’t be changed. 

It was wrong for Angelo to even consider what Leo assumed anyway. He shouldn’t have given the thought the time of day. Angelo had more important things to worry about like getting back home to his loved ones and figuring out how he was going to explain the new scars decorating his arms… 

Besides, Casey wasn’t the one Angelo needed to have this conversation with. Leo was the one who had suspicions and the one who needed to be assured. Angelo would think about what to say to him later when the issue was more pressing, but right now they needed to focus on the problem at hand (pun fully intended).

Shaking his head to clear it of those dark thoughts, Angelo took a small breath. He shifted his position once more pulling his legs back onto the bed in a criss-cross manner while bringing Donnie’s weighted blanket into his lap. The boy had to move the plush doll next to him so that it wouldn’t fall off the surface, although leaned its weight on his hip. The added comfort it provided was soothing.

Taking the rest of the old bandage off his arm, the orange turtle held the cloth out to Casey as he gave a tiny nervous smile, “Thank you for looking out for me, Casey, but I don’t want to talk about this right now… Could we finish up the wrapping? At the rate we’re going, I’ll never get all healed up.” 

An awkward chuckle fell out of Angelo’s mouth as the older was pulled out of his thoughts. Casey jolted in his chair, straightening his back, and clumsily took the offered bandage. “Oh, shit. Ya, I’m sorry, Angel. I wasn’t trying to overstep, shouldn’t have brought it up. Sorry,” the boy fumbled as he cleared his throat, looking honestly apologetic. Angelo gave him a grateful smile back, hopefully reassuring the older.

Placing the old bandage in the trash pile on the medical table, Casey grabbed the gel Donnie had used on Angelo’s arms previously. The bottle looked similar to a brand Angelo had back at his home. A numbing agent, perhaps? Although if the ointment was the same from his dimension, Angelo knew the gel wouldn’t be a permanent fix. A temporary solution at best, but the orange turtle was willing to take it if it meant that he wouldn’t be in pain for a while.

Unscrewing the lid, Casey muttered, “Starting to regret pushing the others out of the room right now. Leo makes this look a lot easier when he comforts Donnie.” Angelo giggled at the little mumbles coming from the older as Casey regained that playful look in his eyes. He looked at the bottle and then at Angelo’s hands and shrugged before offering the jug to the orange turtle.

“I’m not a medical guy and barely know the first things about first aid. Plus, I’ve done enough trouble with my big mouth, so how about you do this part, Angel? You seem to have more knowledge about these sorts of things… It would be a bit awkward if I applied the cream anyway and I think we have had enough of the awkward situations.” Angelo’s face lit up at the older’s offer, accepting the change of topic and gratefully taking the cream from his hands.

As Angelo worked, the two settled into the silence, the tension invading the space fading away and leaving behind a softness that Angelo was more familiar with. It was like a breath of fresh air as the orange turtle smoothed the ointment onto his glowing arm, feeling the effects take over the burning pain almost immediately.

Finally, the nerves that Angelo had been fighting to keep at bay were cooperating with him. They weren't fully gone, what with how deep the previous topic burrowed into his mind, but his thoughts were calmer. His body felt a lot better too with the numbing agent, less tingly and twitchy for sure. 

It took a while to get here, but Angelo was glad that he was able to muster up the courage to go through with this conversation. His head felt clearer and less chaotic. The buzzing thoughts, blinding lights, and scratchy old bandages were no more and all that remained was a peaceful hum. 

The added implication of Casey passing the metaphorical “talking stick” over to Angelo by way of the medical ointment was not missed by the turtle either. The older was giving him a choice to choose which way the conversation went from here and it was a welcome sight. 

Before the orange turtle wouldn't have liked the choice, being too overwhelmed to form a coherent thought, but it was different now. Angelo was more present and he did have a few questions for the older. He might as well have a bit of fun before he had to face the consequences of his actions, although the question now was what should Angelo ask?

Should he ask about Casey’s sister? Angelo was interested to know more about her because she didn’t exist in his dimension. The girl might have been a version of Cassandra if Casey wasn’t like he assumed. The role reversal of a younger Casey Senior and an older Casey Junior would be a funny sight to see. 

Although, Angelo also wanted to know about all the differences and similarities this version of his sibling had with his own. The more easy-going topic would work as an ice-breaker between the two and Angelo would have more time to calm down… Seeing Casey’s reaction to knowing his possible counterpart was a futuristic time traveler would be funny, too.

The orange turtle didn’t think he would have time to ask both questions before the other turtles made an appearance, so he had to choose wisely… 

There was one thing that piqued Angelo’s interest besides those other points, though. It wasn’t as big a deal as the other things he wanted to discuss, but Angelo needed to know the answer, or else it would eat at his brain until the next time he got to hang with Casey. It was now or never basically, because who knows how long Angelo would be grounded…

Finishing applying the cream and finding a way to word his question to not sound weird, Angelo spoke up, “Not that it matters or anything, but why do you keep calling me “Angel” even though you know I use “Angelo” as my nickname? You were the first one to find out about my hidden identity so I don’t understand why you keep calling me using that name.” The bottle of ointment was passed over to Casey as Angelo gave him a head tilt paired with a confused expression.

The orange turtle wasn’t bothered by the use of “Angel” instead of “Angelo” since he had many nicknames and picked that one out himself, but it did make a small squirm appear in his gut whenever Casey used it. The feeling was weird since Angelo was perfectly okay with the name before when using female pronouns, although felt more disconnected from it now. 

It was like the name still fit, but was less… correct? He didn’t know how to describe it. Maybe the feeling was just another weird gender thing he would have to worry about moving forward.

It seemed that Casey was shocked by Angelo’s question almost like he hadn’t expected the turtle to inquire about the use of the name at all. Shrugging his shoulders, Casey took the cream back, noticing the kid was done with it, and simply stated, “Well, you introduced yourself to me as “Angel” so why would I call you anything else? Does it bother you? I could stop if you’d like, but you looked happy when I called you “Angel” back at the market.” The elder turned back over to Donnie’s table and grabbed a new roll of bandages, tossing them over to Angelo. The used ointment bottle joined the small pile on the table.

Clumsily, Angelo took the roll with a little struggle before bringing them to his chest, squeezing them tight. “Uh, ya it did make me happy, but that was just a fake name I used for my disguise. I didn’t mean anything by using the name and it doesn’t really fit… anymore, at least.” The orange turtle’s words got quieter as he spoke. He didn’t meet Casey’s eyes either looking instead at the bandages as he started rolling them around his arm, slowly covering the light and his scars from view.

The whole gender identity and pronoun thing was something that Angelo was still working on. He didn’t understand anything his head was telling him about the shifts or usage of his many identities. It was all new to him and now he had the added questioning of his name which was just great. 

The mix of different nicknames had never bothered the orange turtle before, but somehow this naming thing felt important. Like it didn’t even feel right to call it a nickname, but what else was Angelo supposed to call it? 

Again, he had no idea why he was feeling this way. The orange turtle was never bothered by his gender before he came to this dimension, however, it turned out Angelo was trying out all sorts of new things lately. The gender thing was just the cherry on top of the sundae he was eating. It didn’t help that he couldn’t research on his own, what with no phone and all, but he didn’t want to bother his alternate family any more than he already had.

What would he even tell them? They had to worry about all this stuff involving Angelo (the crater, mystic entities, and dimension hopping to name a few) and he couldn’t ask them to stop what they were doing to help him with this small insignificant feeling he was getting every now and again. Did he even want to tell them about this in the first place? It would just confuse them further and-

An overdramatic gasp broke Angelo out of his head as he fumbled with the roll of bandages, messing up the neat wrapping he was doing. 

Looking over at Casey, Angelo was met with an excited smile and starry eyes as the older stood up, “No way! Baby’s first gender crisis! Hell, Yes! You said the name didn’t fit anymore meaning you liked the name but are still testing the waters, right? Dude, I get it. Don’t worry! Your pal, Casey Jones will help you with any questions you have. You’re talking with a professional here, so ask away!” Casey stood up from Donnie’s chair and started walking around as he spoke, excitedly waving his hands.

This was the first time Angelo had seen the man so enthusiastic since he first met him. The once laid-back and nervous tone of his speech was replaced by a bubbly excitement that made Angelo’s own mood lighten. If it wasn’t for the tiny skip his heart did from Casey’s reaction, the orange turtle would be just as radiant as him.

Angelo did kind of come out to Casey just then didn’t he, although in a bit of a roundabout way. It wouldn’t be hard to shift the situation in his favor if Angelo wanted to reconsider his options and not lay this little secret out in the open, but maybe the boy could help. The orange turtle was sure if he asked Casey not to tell the others, then he wouldn’t spill Angelo’s secret. They could figure out this mess together, outside of the turtles, and it would be one less thing he would have to worry about. Casey did say he was a professional after all…

Undoing the work Angelo had done with his bandages, the orange turtle fumbled with his words, “I don’t know how you were able to connect that… I mean, you’re not wrong, but like I don’t even know what to call this and- um- professional?” 

Okay, that wasn’t exactly how Angelo wanted to word that sentence, but at least he got all his points in. The orange turtle continued to reapply the bandages for his right arm, hopefully, this time without ruining them with his mind in a confused mess. How did their conversation turn out this way?

His weird wording didn’t seem to phase Casey, though, as the emo boy stopped his joyful movements and gave Angelo a lopsided smile. He moved back to Donnie’s swirl chair and leaned back in it, “Of course! I am a trans man myself and have experience researching the various sexualities and gender identities the world has to offer. Eleven was a weird time for me when I first noticed I felt “off”, but after a while everything made sense. I Found out I was a dude this whole time and that my name was Casey, not Cassandra, shortly after having my own crisis. My sister was very supportive when I told her and had her own drive into the spectrum herself. She’s still questioning, though…” The boy tapered off with a warm smile as he talked about his sister while Angelo looked on in awe.

Mind blown! Angelo didn’t even think of the possibility of Casey being trans but was pleasantly surprised by the news. It was cool that he was so open to the concept despite the period they were currently in. Angelo did know the other turtles were open as well due to his previous conversation about his Leo’s gayness with Raph and Mikey and wondered if Casey had brought that aspect into their lives. 

Was he the reason the others were cool about the spectrum? That made Angelo feel a bit better about his chances of acceptance if he ever told the others about his gender stuff. He still had a lot to figure out about that before he told them though. 

The whole concept of gender identity was fairly new to him and Angelo was still adapting to the sudden changes… It did feel good to know that Casey had a similar experience when he was around Angelo’s age.

Perhaps the emo boy could shed some light on the orange turtle’s current pronoun problem. To say the switching was worrying the boy would be putting it lightly. It wasn’t like Angelo didn’t already know many things concerning gender identities with his big brothers’ own proclaims in the field, but he felt like his situation wasn’t the textbook definition of how these things were supposed to go. 

Angelo didn’t have that sense that something was wrong with his body growing up. He was always Michelangelo Hamato, the youngest of four mutant turtles. He was the baby of the family with the bright blue eyes and the big toothy smile that could soothe all of his brothers’ worries. 

It didn’t matter what pronouns he used back then because he was just Mikey. As time went on, however, Angelo noticed something changing within his mind, especially when Leo and Donnie came out respectively.

The orange turtle realized that there was a lot more to this whole gender thing outside of the sexual aspect and he started questioning his place. He never got past the surface of the LGBTQIA+ community because things got hectic with the increase of mutants roaming the surface and causing trouble… then the big bad happened and gender was the last thing on his mind.

So maybe it was a bit incorrect to say that Angelo just suddenly started questioning his gender out of the blue. This was a long time coming… The pronoun switches, on the other hand, were an unexpected occurrence. 

The orange turtle had tried using different pronouns in the confines of his room and admittedly found a couple that he liked using, but he never just started changing them up like he had been doing for the past couple of weeks! It was honestly frustrating and Angelo didn’t know what to do!

The orange turtle said as much to Casey seeing as how once he opened his mouth he couldn’t keep himself from revealing all this information. If the elder had answers, then the younger wanted them. That didn’t mean that this situation was any less nerve-racking to Angelo as he focused on wrapping his arm up.

Casey leaned back further in his chair and tried to meet Angelo’s eyes, “Okay, firstly, I’m happy for you. I know you are probably really confused right now and that’s fine, but you need to know that you don’t have to beat yourself up because your experience is different from someone else’s. Everyone is on their own timeline and will experience things differently from each other. Ya, that can suck sometimes because then you don’t know what signs to look out for, but it doesn’t matter as long as this is making you happy. You're valid, kid. Don’t forget that.”

Angelo's cheeks flushed a bit from the praise and gently nodded his head at Casey. The older gave a smile, although the orange turtle didn’t see it as he quickly wrapped more of his arm, reaching halfway up the scar-like pattern gracing the surface.

“Secondly,” Casey continued with a tone swift, “If I had to guess why your brain started referring to yourself using your potentially preferred pronouns and names is because it was trying to calm down your jacked-up nervous system. I don’t think your body has fully accepted the reality shift quite yet and is trying to work overtime to keep your mind at peace. That’s just a theory, though. You would have to check in with Donnie if you wanted a clearer picture there.”

That did make a bit of sense to Angelo. He was constantly being put into new situations that he hadn’t had to deal with back home, so his nerves were a bit wired. If the frequent panic attacks the orange turtle had been experiencing were anything to go off on, Angelo believed that Casey wasn’t far off in his assumption. 

It’s too bad that the confusion that came with the pronoun problem was doing the exact opposite of what his brain was trying to fix. 

Angelo was almost done with the bandages, just wrapping around his fingers, as Casey spoke up again, “Lastly, I’m not one hundred percent sure what gender identity you are exactly from that information, but if I had to guess “Genderfluid” sounds pretty close to what you are referring to. The term is used in many different cases, but follows along with using multiple genders… Or maybe you're referring to some other umbrella term under Non-Binary? Eh, sorry, I would need to do more research to know for sure, although I don’t mind doing some and then reporting back to you if you want?”

Stars gathered in Angelo’s eyes at the older’s words once more. There was a term for how Angelo was feeling and other people had felt this way too. Huh, knowing that knowledge made the orange turtle feel better about his situation, in a strange way. 

He wasn’t faking it or lying about his identity, so that little voice in the back of his head telling him otherwise was wrong. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t experiencing this pronoun thing like how people explained it in stories or movies because it was his own journey, his own path. Casey said as much and if Angelo kept thinking about it then maybe his brain would accept the fact.

Maybe he wouldn’t be able to pick a defined identity or solve this thing right away, but Angelo was strangely okay with that. Casey said he would help and that Angelo was normal… or at least that this gender thing was normal. It was true that the orange turtle didn’t quite fit into this world with its dull colors and lack of cheer, but there were a few things that connected him to this place.

Angelo just couldn’t see it at first, however, he wasn’t as alone as he thought he was, in any of the issues he was facing. This could be a way that he could start patching up the pronoun problem side-quest he was working towards. They could talk this out, do research, and learn more about the topic. If they ended up not finding the right word or term for how Angelo was feeling even after all that work, then it would be okay. 

As Casey said, Angelo felt happy using more than one name and pronouns, thus it was okay to do so. It wasn’t causing any problems for anyone else (in fact it was the only issue he had that hadn’t caused a huge disaster), so why should he give up this little bit of joy for others' sake? He wanted to feel more at home in his mind and he was finally realizing that. This choice probably took him a lot longer than it really should have, but baby steps were still steps.

Honestly, Angelo would rather be having this big revelation back home with his family rather than here in an unknown world, but he was glad that he had someone he could talk about it with… 

Maybe Angelo should have done this whole talking thing earlier before he got himself into this mess. It certainly would have saved a lot of headaches, although he couldn’t change the past now. Angelo would have to live with his problems and work towards a better future.

Wow, that was a lot, wasn’t it? The sudden mood swift causing Angelo to get all rainbows and sunshines was almost certainly from the drugs Donnie had him on the past few days. Angelo went through a whole rollercoaster of emotion, changing from high levels of anxiety to big toothy smiles faster than he thought possible. He did feel monumentally better than he did before, though…

Or maybe Angelo just really wanted this change and was too preoccupied to realize it with all the challenges he was facing. He was getting tired of being sad all the time. Perhaps it was time for a change and he should accept this olive branch Casey was offering to him, finally work towards getting better, and work through his problems instead of pushing them away for later. 

The bandages around his right arm were done, tightly binding his injuries comfortably. The glow from his scars had faded, the pain encompassing his arms was faint, and the confusion had cleared from his mind. Angelo felt more connected to his surroundings and his throat was healed up, too. 

His head was in a better place, so the next few words were easy for the turtle to say, “I would love your help, Casey. I want to understand this better… I’m sick of being confused, of being left behind. I want to know more and fix my problems, so I will be taking you up on your offer… I still don’t want to tell the others just yet, though. I want more of an understanding before I do, so please call me “Angelo” and use he/him pronouns unless I tell you otherwise.” Finally, Angelo gave what remained of the roll of bandages to Casey as he finished his confirmation.

A smile graced the boy’s face at the orange turtle’s words. He set the roll on the medical table while addressing Angelo, “Of course, kid. Take your time. Casey Jones ain’t no snitch. I wouldn’t tell anyone until you're ready, anyway. That big reveal should be your own to give.” 

The older reached over to pat the younger on his head before leaning back in his chair.

Angelo gave a startled chirp at the sign of affection while Casey laughed at his shock. The scene was very domestic from an outsider’s point of view with the orange turtle huffing soon after, clearly being embarrassed by the sudden noise he made. 

Despite the grumble that left his mouth, the small turtle wasn’t actually that upset at the affection and let the familiarity of the act seep into his bones. The awkward silence and nervous energy that had taken over the room ever since Angelo’s earlier panic had faded completely, leaving behind a pleasant atmosphere. 

There was no more tension or heavy feelings to overwhelm the boy, just a simple peace that was more than welcome. 

The two occupants of the room settled into the soft silence, not bothering to break the sweet scene before them, although were rudely interrupted by the screech of the med-bay doors opening quite suddenly.

Donnie stood at the entrance still holding the empty bottle of painkillers with a nervous smile on his face. One of his hands was behind his back, hiding something from view as he anxiously walked inside. 

Clearing his throat, Donnie paced toward the far left of the room towards some cabinets, “I apologize for my leave. It definitely took me the thirty minutes I was gone to realize that I forgot the painkillers were stored in these cabinets instead of my lab. I was not waiting outside the door for you to finish your conversation and definitely did not hear anything of importance while I was out there.”

The purple turtle found what he was looking for with an “aha” and grabbed a new bottle of painkillers before slamming the cabinets shut. He then quickly walked over to the duo, taking note of Angelo’s slightly tense form. 

Opening the bottle and shaking out two pills, Donnie held out the medicine toward the kid, “Although I would just like to say for the record that if I did hear some potentially life-changing information about someone's gender identity I would support them because it would be illogical to not do so otherwise… hypothetically speaking of course.”

The slight change of green on the purple turtle’s face showing off his flustered side was enough for Angelo to laugh at the weirdness of the situation. The younger was upset that his secret, if you could call it that, was outed to Donnie before he got the chance to tell the older himself, but the sincerity and tenseness of his speech clued Angleo in that the purple turtle didn’t mean to eavesdrop.

Sighing, Angelo took the pills and swallowed them dry, gagging at the taste, before addressing Donnie, “Well, then hypothetically I would say that it was okay back. That I knew the older didn’t mean to overhear something he wasn’t supposed to and that I am happy he would support me, although also mention that if it ever happened again he would finally get to meet the renowned Dr. Delicate Touch in the flesh… hypothetically of course.” Angelo couldn’t help the sinister smile he gave at the mention of the doctor, but the look on Donnie’s face was worth it.

Seeing the purple turtle’s eyes go wide at the threat was endearing in the best possible ways. Casey, although having no idea who the younger was talking about, was eating the interaction up almost looking like he was actually consuming an imaginary bag of popcorn. 

Donnie responded, “Noted and he would apologize again, although he does come bearing tribune in hopes of repairing the broken trust he might have accumulated with the younger.” At the mention of gifts, Angelo’s smile turned more playful as he shifted into a more regal position, fully committing to this bit he and Donnie were playing out. “Proceed.”

Taking the hidden object out from behind his back, Donnie revealed a set of gloves. They were long, reaching just about elbow height, and were a slightly off-colored black. Faintly Angelo could see lines running up and down the fabric and immediately understood what they were: compression gloves. They were similar to the ones he had back home that his Donnie had made him, however slightly off, fitting for the dimension he was in.

Carefully taking the gloves from Donnie’s hand, Angelo rubbed the pleasant texture between his fingers. “The gloves Casey got you were ruined beyond repair due to the amount of blood that had covered them. I had already started construction on this pair when I noticed you didn’t like being covered in bandages all the time, but you left before I could give them to you, so I thought they would be a nice replacement. They will hopefully help with your flare-ups, too… If you want, you can try them on, however, we should wait for your scars to heal completely before you wear them fully.”

With Donnie’s approval, Angelo wordlessly slid the gloves onto his arms in awe, noticing that they fit just past where his new scars had spread. Donnie must have made adjustments to them once he noticed the new injuries and if that didn’t bring a tear to Angelo’s eyes. Stretching his arms out to their full length, the orange turtle smiled widely, “They’re perfect, Donnie! Thank you! You’re forgiven.”

The genius gave a proud smile back while nodding his head. Casey then jumped in saying something about how cool they looked and Donnie responded smugly, although Angelo wasn’t listening. He was too encaptured by the warm bubbly feeling surfacing in his gut.

Finally, finally , Angelo was starting to feel more like his old self again. The gloves were the last remedy that patched back the ever-growing hole he could feel in his chest that hadn’t stopped expanding ever since leaving his dimension. 

Sure, there was still a lot he had to deal with. He had to find a way home, figure out a way to stay alive with the kranng around, fix his relationships with the other turtles, and many more problems he is certain he will face in the coming weeks of his adventure, but for now, the turtle was content.

Angelo wasn’t totally healed, yet. 

He was sure that the pain and panic from being far from home was still lying in wait down in the depths of his mind. That the fear of being out of place in an otherwise offputting reality was just on the outreaches of his subconscious, only waiting for one tiny slip-up until Angelo would be pulled back into his negative headspace. 

This wouldn’t be the last time he would be pushed back down, but he would work to overcome those tragedies when they came.

The burning pain, scolding headache, and wheezing confusion that had overridden his head all those minutes ago were gone. His arms were bandaged up, the painkillers were setting in, and his head was a lot clearer than it was previously… Angelo was ready, so it was easy for him to do what had to be done next.

With one little exhale of the remaining nervousness from his body, Angelo looked up with a determined expression on his face and interrupted Donnie’s and Casey’s conversation. All it took was one little sentence for the ball to start rolling for the next part of this adventure Angelo was traversing:

“I’m ready to talk with Leo now.”

Chapter Text

~~~~Chapter Seventeen- Tying Up Loose Ends Part Two~~~~

POV Shift- Angelo (He)

It didn’t take a lot of convincing to get Casey and Donnie to leave the room despite their reluctance. Angelo had only just come out of his panicked spiral, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise to see the two hesitating to leave. Worried looks were shared at the orange turtle’s request, although both parties parted ways nonetheless.

Maybe it was from the determined expression on Angelo’s face or because the two knew that this conversation needed to be had, but it was a great relief not to have to fight Casey and Donnie on this. The grateful smile that Angelo plastered on as a way of parting was meant with gentle looks as the two left the room. 

(They left with Angelo’s new gloves in hand because Donnie knew he wouldn’t take them off otherwise… Being completely honest, the orange turtle probably wouldn’t have. He didn’t want to think about his new scars…)

The air, ever-changing as it was, held a lot more tension now that Angelo was left alone. Soon Leo would be walking through that door and they would have a real conversation. There would be no more running, no more white lies, and no more secrets. Everything would be out in the open and there would be no turning back. 

Both turtles are going to sit down and actually talk about what was going on with this mystery character, discuss ways to solve the issues Angelo had caused and mend broken bridges. The orange turtle would reassure any of the older’s worries about his home life and let the walls he put up between the others crumble. Easy, right?

Hopefully, Leo would do the same and they could get through this whole conversation without pulling teeth, but knowing Angelo’s luck it wouldn't be that easy. That was fine, though. Angelo had three overprotective brothers back home who never wanted to share information with him if said information was potentially threatening to his well-being. He is used to resorting to underhanded methods to get his way… all in the goodness of his heart of course.

Why do you think Dr. Delicate Touch was one of his personas? Sometimes it was better to just pull off the bandage when it came to these types of conversations and the doctor’s assistance would be of much help here.

The passing thought of using some of Angelo’s mystics to create his well-known turtleneck and glasses was enticing, but the boy thought better of it. Sure, he would feel more comfortable with the article of clothing, although Angelo was positive that Leo would not appreciate the younger harming himself further. The orange turtle was supposed to be resting... He didn’t want to use up his limited mystics reserves, anyway.

Instead, Angelo shifted his position on the medical bed he had not left since his previous conversation with Casey. It would have been nice to change the dull scenery he had been subjected to since he awoke, but something told the orange turtle that he would want to remain where Donnie’s weighted blanket was in case things went south. 

Tucking himself into his shell with the blanket sitting nicely on top was too nice of an idea to part with… Again, Angelo hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but he needed to have options. The good old “Angelo can’t come to the phone right now. He’s in shell-town!” never failed back home.

Nevertheless, the orange turtle scooted closer to the head of the bed, dragging the alleged blanket with him, and creating enough space for Leo to sit comfortably on the surface. He was going to put his all into this conversation whether he wanted to or not despite his reluctance.

…

Angelo also picked up the plush bear and set the small animal in his lap as an afterthought. The boy knew his hands would want to fidget with something after so long of staying still and the bear was the closest thing he had to a fidget toy… The orange turtle would have to remember to thank Raph for the small comfort later.

Deep breaths, deep breaths. 

The talk was going to go just fine. Angelo held a steady conversation with Casey, even if it wasn’t the most pleasant, and kept his spirits high when he was joking around with Donnie. He could do the same with Leo. 

Like, come on! How hard could it be to talk with the blue turtle? It wasn’t like Leo would get mad at him… well maybe he would get a little mad from Angelo sneaking out and pushing him away, but only in a worried older brother kind of way.

It didn’t look like any of the others were particularly mad at him either when he saw them earlier, just worried and nervous. Therefore, Angelo had nothing to be anxious about. He wasn’t trying to craft some kind of elaborate scheme to fool these versions of his brothers into believing false information… He wasn’t going to lie. 

Angelo had resolved to tell the truth. He would explain his side of things and discuss how to move on going forward. There was no room for lies and there would be no point in doing so. He would only cause more problems withholding information and the orange turtle didn’t want a repeat of the previous night… So then why did it feel like he was about to make a huge mistake?

No, the tension was probably getting to him. Angelo just needed a few minutes to calm himself down and steel himself for the conversation ahead. 

His mind was stirring up problems and he didn’t appreciate it! It would be fine. Everything would be fine. Angelo promised himself he wouldn’t dwell back into his panicked state so soon and he wouldn’t! He just needed to take some deep breaths while he waited for-

The swishing noise that came with a door opening felt a lot louder than it needed to be as Angelo was caught off guard. He fumbled with the stuffed bear in his arms, effectively being torn from his thoughts as Leo came into the room. The blue turtle looked as nervous as Angelo felt as he closed the door behind him, not moving from where he stood.

Strangely, seeing the awkward, forced smile on the older’s face and the uncomfortable stance of his body made Angelo feel a little less alone in this moment. Both of them were nervous and it was definitely showing, but at least they were stuck in this situation together. There was probably some sense of ironic humor here, although it was unfortunately lost to the orange turtle.

Taking a deep breath, Angelo let some of his nervous energy leave as he patted the space next to him. He offered a wobbly smile and got a small grateful look back in return. Leo joined him on the bed a minute later, looking a little less bothered, although just as uncomfortable.

The blue turtle must not have to deal with this sort of thing with his brothers often, however, Angelo could tell that this version of his family was not as emotionally close as his bale was. That’s ok. Angelo could start this conversation just fine, thank you! 

He was the self-proclaimed therapist of his family, after all. The orange turtle could easily deal with a tiny discomfort. It didn’t matter that it was a lot harder talking when it was your own problems being discussed.

Angelo just needed to say something, right? Perhaps start with an apology and work from there. Ripping off bandages and all that, quick and slightly painful, right? Ya, Deep breaths, deep breaths. Angelo has this in the bag. 

Opening his mouth and moving past the lump that had gathered in his throat, Angelo’s voice cracked as he spoke, “I’m sorry, Leo. I wasn’t trying to cause more problems for you guys. Everyone has been nothing, but kind to me since I arrived here and I shouldn’t have run away like I did. You have every right to be mad at me.”

Because the blue turtle did have the right to blow up and rant about the massive list of reasons showing how dumb Angelo was being. Even with his previous proclamation that Leo wouldn’t be mad, the orange turtle couldn’t help that seed of doubt nestling within his skull. It wouldn’t hurt to be sure anyway… Many things went wrong ever since Angelo left the lair, so the orange turtle wouldn’t put it past him. He feels so stupid looking back on it now, but he wasn’t acting right before. 

Even if Angelo was only responding to his more turtle-like instincts, he should have been able to control himself better than that. It was so out of character for him and embarrassing. He wasn’t showing off his mature side at all. What happened to keeping his head in the game?

“What? No, I’m not mad at you, Angelo, at least not now. I won’t lie and say you didn’t worry everyone, but I can promise you that no one is mad … If anything I should be the one who apologizes to you. I shouldn’t have yelled or said all that stuff like I did. You weren’t completely there with what happened at the market and I pushed you into a corner… I didn’t mean to scare you… I’m sorry,” Leo rebuked with the same conviction that Angelo had. He turned his eyes downward in shame and winced at the saddened expression gracing the younger’s face. 

So Angelo was somewhat right in his assumption of Leo being mad at him before, but luckily it seemed he wasn’t in as much trouble as he thought he was. Maybe? Hopefully? If Leo wasn’t mad anymore, then maybe he wouldn’t ground the orange turtle after all… 

It did slightly peeve Angelo that Leo thought he was afraid of him because he yelled at him. The orange turtle wasn't that put off by the action… It wasn’t a big deal.

The younger puffed out his cheeks and responded with a shake of his head, “You’re allowed to express your emotions, Leo. It’s true I wasn’t at my best and that I was pretty shaken from… well, everything that happened, but I got myself into that mess. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t left the lair and actually sat down and talked with you all, anyway. I should have been more responsible!” Angelo turned his body to face Leo’s and crossed his arms, feeling a bite seep into his tone. The bear plush knocked onto his leg as it was jostled from his lap.

Mirroring his position, Leo turned his body to face the younger, “It shouldn’t have been all up to you, Angelo. You’re just a kid. Besides, I should have stayed and talked with you after our mediation session to clear up this whole misunderstanding in the first place! Raph could have waited.” It sounded like Leo was getting frustrated too as he talked, trying to get Angelo to see his side of things, although there was a hint of regret in his tone.

The blame game they were playing only caused the tension to heighten in the room as neither side was backing down. Angelo could feel the more rational side of his brain trying to cut into his buzzing thoughts, trying to calm him down. It was hard for the younger to focus on them though as his brain was too hyper-focused on that three-letter word Leo kept calling him.

A kid? A kid! Ya, no. Angelo was going to put a stop to this right here and now. “Listen, Leo. You need to stop calling me a kid because I’m not. I’m thirteen for Pete’s sake and can handle a whole lot more than you give me credit for! I don’t need to be coddled, I don’t need someone at my beck and call, and I certainly don’t need to be talked down to,” the orange turtle exclaimed with an annoyed tone.

The stunned expression on Leo’s face at the younger’s bite didn’t stay for long as blush soon decorated his features, “I do not coddle you! I, uh…” The blue turtle was at a loss for words, seeming to recall something, but Angelo didn’t wait for him to recollect himself.

“Ya, right. Literally the first week I was here, all you guys were breathing down my neck. I couldn’t go anywhere without one of you popping up out of nowhere and you wouldn’t let me have alone time for longer than like ten minutes. I thought my brothers back home were bad, but you guys have proved me wrong,” Angelo huffed, watching as Leo got even more embarrassed… ashamed even. 

Continuing, the orange turtle grabbed the bear plush and rubbed its ears, “And then I talk with Donnie and he says you think of me as a hatchling! I can’t believe you would think of me as a baby… Is it because of my arms? Is that why you guys wouldn’t tell me about the mystic energy you found? Or do you just not trust me?” Angelo was sure Leo could hear the hurt in his tone. 

With his downturn head and gloomy demeanor, the orange turtle must have been a sight to see. He didn’t need that big of an imagination to tell the amount of emotional damage he caused the older from the way Leo made a small hurt noise.

“No, no. Of course, we trust you and I am sorry if we made you feel otherwise, ki- Angelo. I didn’t mean to be over the top… I just wanted your stay with us to be as comfortable as possible and didn’t want to bring up bad memories. We- we all did… There are a lot of things in our dimension that could hurt you and- and you are only thirteen which may seem like a big number to you, but is still really young in our eyes, especially since you’re six years younger than us,” Leo stressed. If he did have hair then he would be running his hands through it, but their turtles so he resorted to playing with his mask tails instead.

Releasing a deep sigh, Leo continued noticing that Angelo’s frown only deepened, “It’s- it’s just- From our perspective, our first meeting with you wasn’t the most ideal. It was late at night when we got a call from Leatherhead, a very frantic one at that, about how a lost little boy had somehow found his way into the sewers. He said you were hurt and that some of the injuries looked old which wasn’t painting a good picture. Sure you were in disguise at the time as a human, but that didn’t matter because “lost child”, you know?”

The pleading look in Leo’s eyes was met with a shrug as Angelo slowly folded in on himself. The blue turtle’s words were making sense and he could understand where Leo was coming from, although Angelo didn’t have to like it.

“And then we actually went over and saw you for the first time,” Leo relayed, “I don’t know how Raph or Mikey remember that night, but I haven’t been able to get that image of a skinny, injured child out of my head ever since. Your wounds weren’t as bad as I had thought, thankfully…” A sigh left Leo’s mouth as he pulled on his mask tails. Definitely, a nervous fidget.

The blue turtle paused, seeming to think his words over before a small smile graced his face, “We all heard that you went up against Leatherhead and we have seen the way he fights, so in retrospect you did handle yourself pretty well if all you got from the fight was minimal injuries. Probably should have noticed your fighting prowess then, huh?”

That got a tiny huff-like laugh from Angelo, “Ya, think?” A nervous chuckle left Leo’s mouth along with a fond eye roll at the jab. It felt nice to know that the older was finally taking note of Angelo’s capabilities even if it was late in the game, just something they can work on going forward. The jest helped lighten the mood, too, although it didn’t last for long.

Leo’s face darkened slightly as he spoke again, “But then we saw the scars on your arms and suddenly everything wasn’t as peachy anymore… I kept thinking about how you got them and who would do such a thing to someone as young as you. I guess it hit too close to home. The possibility of you facing some horrible, catastrophic event or being up against something life-threatening was something that we work hard to stop with our line of work, with being ninjas and all… In a way, it felt like I had failed my job, failed the ones I wanted to protect.”

The blue turtle leaned forward and rubbed his face with his hands before resting them in his lap and looking up towards the roof of the room, “I guess that feeling of failure grew more once we realized that you were another version of Mikey… The two of you don’t look alike being different types of turtles, but do share similar qualities. You have the same smile, the same baby blue eyes, the same caring personality… I was projecting, I know, but I couldn’t help but think about how frightening it would be if Mikey was in that situation.”

…Angelo didn’t know how to respond to that. 

He wouldn't wish the invasion on anyone and couldn’t imagine how Leo was feeling right now… or actually, maybe he could relate a little to the feeling of wanting to protect your family and going overboard to achieve that goal. Angelo had created a whole portal through dimensions to keep his brother-in-blue safe and didn’t think about the consequences of his actions.

He wouldn’t want Donnie or Raph to go through the same type of pain he had to go through, not at his expense. The flare-ups coming and going whenever they please, the weight of knowing he might not be able to use his hands later in his life, and the fear of knowing he would never truly recover from the aftereffects were already a lot to deal with on his own. Angelo was certain that it would look even worse from an outsider’s point of view, especially from his blue brother… 

And this version of Leo didn’t even know the bare minimum of his family’s struggles, of the pain they had to bear that night. Heck, he didn’t even know anything about the invasion and only saw the small effects that were present in Angelo’s behaviors…

The orange turtle drew the weighted blanket closer to his person while squeezing the bear plush. It didn’t help the negative feelings bubbling up in his gut like he hoped…

Leo dropped his head back down, eyes holding a glint from unshed tears, “Then as the cherry on top of this sundae, everyone starts noticing strange things in your behavior that don’t exactly ease the mind. Your avoidance of training with Sensei, your seemingly reserved character about anything besides your brothers, or even the fact that you arrived here without any identification or phone covered in old injuries wasn’t helping your situation… We couldn’t help but draw conclusions and we didn’t like what we found…”

A flinch, one so small you wouldn’t be able to catch it if you weren’t looking, passed through Angelo’s body as his grip tightened on the plush. His mind was scattered and the silence of the room only became more clear at the pause in the blue turtle’s speech. 

Of course, Leo noticed the flinch and hesitated. Angelo could tell he was debating whether or not he should continue with this train of thought, probably not wanting a repeat of their earlier attempt at this topic. Although by the shake of his head, Angelo could tell Leo wasn’t going to back down. 

The blue turtle turned his head until he was able to catch Angelo’s eyes before stating, “We were only trying to protect you. I was only trying to protect you. I didn’t mean for things to get so out of hand, so chaotic, so overbearing. I thought that by keeping you down here, I would be able to keep you safe…” Another sigh left the older turtle’s mouth.

“We weren’t going to keep the whole mystic entity a secret from you for long, just long enough so that we would be able to have everything under control… Obviously, things didn’t turn out like we hoped.” A tear dropped from Leo’s eye, although he quickly rubbed at it, taking a moment to recollect himself before continuing.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not talking with you. I’m sorry for making you feel like you were a prisoner down here. I’m sorry for keeping things from you for so long. I thought I was doing the right thing and want to do the right thing going forward, but in order to do that I need you to talk with me. I need to know what’s going on in that head of yours so that I don’t make another mistake. I don’t want you to come to hate us, so please talk with me, Angelo.” The desperation in Leo’s voice was heavy, colored in a dark all-encompassing blue. 

The air to follow was stifling, suffocating even, like a vacuum sucking out all the anger Angelo had felt at the start of their conversation. He felt guilty? Regretful? Pained? Sadden? The orange turtle wasn’t sure. His emotions were swirling in a mixture of colors that was too taxing to sort through, but if one thing was for certain, he needed to fix this.

…

“Our- our families are vastly different, Leo. It doesn’t matter that we are the same turtles with the same names and responsibilities to our clan. We are diff- different…” The younger stated uncertainty. He wasn’t sure how he should word his buzzing thoughts for Leo to understand them. 

Shell! They didn’t even make sense to Angelo, but he had to start somewhere, right? What better place to start than from the beginning- With red-

“Raphie is the oldest back home. He is a big guy with a soft heart that has way too much stress on his shoulders if you ask me. I fondly remember him always being there when I had nightmares and holding me until I fell asleep, guarding me from the things hiding in my closet… He isn’t as rough and gruff as your Raphael, nor as hotheaded. He isn’t a biker boy, either.” Angelo’s voice wasn’t as steady as he was hoping. 

He kept going anyway. Blue’s next-

“L-Leo, on the other hand, is the one to make you laugh when you feel down and is a fantastic medic. I think he got scared of us getting hurt when we were younger, especially since I was super clumsy and would knock into everything. He was the one who would put smile-face bandaids on my knees when I fell… He isn’t as serious as you are or as traditional. He isn’t the “golden child.” The orange turtle had a watery smile on his face as he loosened his pressure on the plush bear, petting its ears instead. 

The crack in his voice made itself known. Keep going, keep going. Then it’s purple-

“And then we have Donnie, younger by two minutes which he hates and will deny! He is way more unhinged and has the greatest love for science and all things techy I have ever seen. Whenever I broke something he would be there to fix it before anyone noticed, maybe even give it an upgrade or two… They aren’t as soft as your Donatello or as expressive. They aren’t a chemistry nerd, either.” A few tears fell and Angelo felt his throat close up at the reminder of his big brothers, the ones who weren’t here with him. The plush bear was probably hating his guts with how Angelo was manhandling it.

A hand landed on the orange turtle’s shoulder, a comfortable weight. It didn’t stop the tears from falling or the sniffles coming from Angelo’s mouth, but it did allow enough comfort for him to continue his spill.

Right? Keep going, keep going, keep going. One left. There’s one left. All that’s left is orange-

“And- and- and I’m not from here, Leo! I’m- I’m not your Mikey, not your Michelangelo. I’m a different version of him from an alternate reality! We may share some of the same traits, but we are not the same! I’m not as fun, I don’t play pranks as well as he does, I don’t know how to make light of serious stuff, I don’t- I don’t- We’re not the same!” One, no, two flaps from his hands, and a waterfall of tears fell from Angelo’s eyes. Hiccups were soon to follow and he could feel Leo move his hand from his shoulder to his shell, patting in a soft rhythm. 

The blue turtle was about to say something, but Angelo cut him off, “I’m a BOX turtle, Leo! A stupid box turtle which isn’t the same as you guys last time I checked! I can’t just stay down here in these cramped sewers with their stupid brick walls and little sunlight! I HATE confined spaces and no matter how hard I try to think of this place as home, it just isn’t! It doesn’t feel like home, it doesn’t smell like home, and it doesn’t feel safe enough- not while- not while you guys lie to me about something so important!”

Angelo's words came out louder and angrier than he meant for them to. He wasn’t angry per se, just stressed but wasn’t sure how to show it otherwise. The flapping continued…

This conversation was wearing him down and they weren’t even to the worst of it yet, although he couldn’t stop now. Leo needed to see from Angelo’s perspective. The blue turtle needed to hear why he was wrong!

“I- I know. I KNOW that whoever is leaving behind this mystic energy could be someone dangerous, I know. But- but what if, Leo? What if they are one of my brothers trying to find me? Sure, their mystic energies aren’t exactly the same shade as the one from that alley and I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but it’s close enough, right? I just want- I just want-” A sob broke off Angelo’s frantic voice.

The tears wouldn’t stop flowing and the sorrowful whimpers were beginning to dissolve into disheartened chirps. It wasn’t fair because Angelo promised himself he wouldn’t break down, but he just couldn’t help it. He wanted to go home so bad !

A swift movement later and Leo had his arms wrapped around Angelo in a tight embrace. His hand was still rubbing circles into the younger’s back in a slow and rhythmic motion. The orange turtle leaned further into the hug, grasping Leo’s shell like it was a lifeline, “I just want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home! ”

Repeat it like it’s an anthem, a prayer of some kind because then it will become one. Like wishing on a star in the night sky or blowing out the candles on a cake, all Angelo’s problems will go away if he just believes enough, right? That’s how storybooks write their problems away. 

It worked before, didn't it? With Angelo’s mystic hands and that stupid portal on that dark, desolate night where hope was so fleeting it felt like his razzmatazz was being sapped from him the longer they were fighting… What was he supposed to do otherwise if not believe?

“Hey, hey, hey . Angelo, it's okay. Everything is going to be okay. You don’t have to continue-” Leo muttered over the orange turtle’s head, but was quickly interrupted.

“And it’s not fair ,” Angelo grunted, not paying any mind to Leo’s words of comfort because he had to keep going, “I don’t like comparing our two families, but it’s so hard when you guys are right in front of me! I wish we could have what you guys have. I want a dad who eats with us at breakfast. I want a dad who sits down and talks with us every once in a while. I want a dad who takes time out of his day to train us! Maybe then we wouldn’t have been so unprepared for what we had to go up against!”

Angelo flailed his hands a bit harder as his breathing picked up and his tears fell faster. The loss of Leo’s shell as his safety net was long forgotten as the orange turtle willed himself to take a few deep breaths. He didn’t want to think about this. 

Where was Angelo even going with this meltdown? Off-topic, off-topic! He got off-topic somehow and needed to rewind. Go back in time and fit it. Fix it. Fix it! His fault, his fault, his fault!

…

“He doesn’t train you?” Leo said with a devastated tone. The grip on Angelo’s shell tightened as the orange turtle went stock still in the older’s hold.

It was like ice water was poured over Angelo and the big blaring alarm bells ringing in his head were practically screaming at him for the stupid mistake he just made. The orange turtle should have listened to his gut earlier. This conversation was a bad idea… He had never heard Leo’s voice be that- that disheartened since he met him.

Just a bad word choice! That wasn’t what Angelo was trying to say- trying to imply at all. The blue turtle was totally misreading the situation, but his tone was able to sober the orange turtle up from his (nope, not calling it a panic attack because it wasn’t)... not-so-fun-sad-time! Backtrack, he needed to backtrack. Then he could fix it and fix it he would!

In a fluid motion, Angelo pushed Leo away, breaking the hug, and adding some distance in between them. He furiously rubbed at his eyes to slow the building tears, not minding the burning feeling the action left in its wake. Another flap of his hands didn’t help his growing nerves, but he didn’t know what else to do so he continued the movement.

His hiccups were the only thing that could be heard in the room as Angelo calmed down or at least tried to. It was pretty hard since he was still really jittery! Just look at his hands and you would be able to tell the amount of not-okay he was feeling! It was like a baby bird trying to take flight. He wishes he could fly away right now. Too bad he’s a turtle and not a bird. 

It was progress all the same though, right? Progress… yay!

… The seconds ticked by while Angelo breathed deeply. In and out. In and out…

… The orange turtle couldn’t think straight, only being able to focus on his heart beating erratically within his chest…

… He didn’t know how long the two of them stayed in that position, but it felt like Leo’s shocked expression would be engraved within Angelo’s mind if he didn’t do anything soon.

Nevermind, that the dead silence was kind of frightening after a while because Leo didn’t say anything else, no questions, no worried statements, nothing! It was like they were frozen in time, waiting for someone to take the initiative and yet neither being physically able to.

But- but they could move past this just fine! Everything was going to be just fine! Say something, he needed to say something! Make it right! Fix it! He- he could fix this, too!

Another hiccup left Angelo’s mouth instead. He really didn’t need to be all choked up right now, although maybe Leo could help. Ya, maybe the older turtle was just trying to get his thoughts together and that’s why he wasn’t speaking! The blue turtle did that before in their conversation. 

This whole discussion has been one shell of a time so Angelo couldn’t blame Leo for needing some time to digest everything, even if it shouldn’t be taking this long!

Risking a glance up at Leo had the younger quickly avoiding eye contact while wincing at the other’s expression. Ya, definitely bad word choice… Angelo took a deep breath, although a bit wobbly, and pushed through his clogged-up throat. He had to fix this.

“Not exactly,” Angelo muttered. He picked up the discarded weighted blanket and plush bear that had fallen in his panic, covering himself up while gently holding the toy. Man, he really wanted to go into his shell right now… at least his tears had stopped falling… Somewhat.

“Dad didn’t really train us when we were younger. He, uh, didn’t do a whole lot of anything, exactly… But-  but he started teaching us when things began to get ugly… He is just not that good at it. Didn’t have a good role model…” The orange turtle said with a shaky voice, pulling his legs closer to his person and hugging them along with the bear. Maybe if he held himself tight enough then his heart would stop thumping so badly.

The devastated expression didn’t change all that much from Leo’s face at Angelo’s reassurance. It prompted the younger to keep going, to try and explain differently.

“He- he is trying his best now, though. That’s all that really matters… We had his movies and shows to learn from too so it’s not like we were jumping into dangerous situations without any guidance. It was just a little hard to pick up all his teachings with him not there, but it isn’t like that now …” The orange turtle rambled in hopes of easing Leo’s worries. He was trying to appeal to the more leader-like side of the blue turtle by saying they weren’t totally left on their own. 

They did have some guidance… It just wasn’t the best.

It didn’t appear that Leo understood what Angelo was trying to say as he responded, “Angelo”. 

The orange turtle didn’t know that his name could ever be said with so much sadness in it, but here he is. 

Was- was Leo going to start crying again because that wasn’t what Angelo was trying to do. What didn’t he understand, though? Everything was fine… wasn’t it?

“No, Leo. You- you don’t understand. Dad didn’t mean to- to shut us out. He was dealing with a lot when we were younger and it was hard for him. He did try … He was just depressed and had a lot on his plate, so he couldn’t handle four little kids. At least not like your dad could with you guys. Our circumstances were different. I- I said that… I- I told you that we were meant to be super soldiers, but that Dad saved us, right? Well, he wasn’t in all that good of a situation before that and- and he-” Angelo fumbled, explaining various reasons as to why his father acted the way he did.

“Angie,” Leo stated, trying to get the orange turtle to stop and look at him. It’s not a surprise that Angelo didn’t respond to him, rather, kept trying to strengthen his flimsy, patchwork of a defense.

“And it was okay because we had each other, we had our little family. Dad just needed a little more help every once in a while. We didn’t mind. Everyone needs help when they are at their low points and he is our dad, you know? Family is the most important thing in the whole world, so we were more than ready to help out… Sure, it would have been nice to have him be more present back then, but he’s trying now . Training with him might be a little strict and aggressive at times, but it’s only because he loves us and doesn’t want us getting hurt again…” Angelo left off feeling progressively more fragile as he went on.

“ Otouto ,” Leo finally stated, breaking the younger from his spiral. 

The tension building underneath Angelo’s skin snapped at the use of Leo’s traditional speech. A passing thought back to when he first arrived and Mikey said something about little brother privileges passed through his head at the word, although it was quickly overtaken by the silence to follow.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Angelo lost himself again. He needed to calm down and stop buzzing so badly, stop vibrating in place. The flapping of his hands helped before, but now the orange turtle didn’t have the energy to continue the motion. It was becoming too much, too much… Leo would help. He always knew what to do.

Looking up, the orange turtle was meant with the older turtle opening his arms with a sorrow-filled expression. “Can I hug you? Please?” was all Leo had to say for Angelo to regain that teary-eyed look once more.

He was going to get dehydrated at this point. What Angelo wouldn’t give to get a glass of water right now. It would help with the gross mucus-covered lining taking up residence in his throat and make this whole situation a lot more bearable ‘cause a hug was a bit too much… But at the same time, Angelo wanted some form of connection to not get drowned in his bustling train station of a mind. 

So, a bit reluctantly, the orange turtle moved closer to Leo, seeking comfort. It wasn’t like their hug from earlier where Angelo was surrounded by the older’s arms all teary-eyed and grief ridden. No, this hug was more subdued with Angelo shyly curling up at the blue turtle’s side because he couldn’t stomach the tightness of a full-on hug right now. 

He felt weird, drained, and unpleasantly warm, but cold at the same time. His heart was still beating painfully within his chest and the air he was trying to keep trapped within his lungs felt like a lost cause… The tiny baby hug would have to do. Angelo definitely wouldn't be able to handle much more…

He took another deep breath… and another… and another. 

Timing his breaths to match Leo’s subconsciously almost like he was copying a well-known habit from his past, the orange turtle settled into the stillness to follow. The soft noises of the various medical equipment rang out ever so often followed by the distant whispers of conversation past the doors blocking the two turtles from the outside world… It would have been peaceful in any other context.

… The orange turtle sat there as he welcomed little pockets of air back into his lungs…

… He felt tears drip down his cheeks at a slow but steady pace until his eyes were puffy yet dry…

… The soft comfort of the weighted blanket held tight to Angelo’s awareness, anchoring him in place despite his brain’s attempt at dragging him away. His eyes remained distant and fuzzy…

… It was a while before the orange turtle felt more present and whole, although he wouldn't be able to tell you how long he was gone. Angelo couldn’t tell if an hour had passed or if minutes simply wasted away. He felt- he just felt drained, honestly…

Angelo didn’t want to talk anymore. He wanted this conversation to be over with even though they hadn’t tied up any loose ends, only creating more problems instead of fixing the rift between the two… But Angelo couldn’t stop now. No, there was still so much they needed to discuss! They needed to talk about the humans knowing about their existence and figure out a way to catch the mystery entity… 

Leo still didn’t understand what Angelo was trying to say about his family as well so he needed to fix that too. He wasn’t going to let the whole “abuse” misunderstanding take root in the others’ minds more than it already had.

Ugh! There was so much to do that it was starting to make his head hurt again . Stupid brain not letting him think through his problems correctly! Stupid Leo for being all sad and worried even though the blue turtle had every right to feel the way he was feeling! Stupid Donnie’s painkillers not doing their job and wearing off so fast! They barely lasted an hour! Stupid super soldier genes blocking out the healing properties of the drugs… 

Angelo tightened the weighted blanket around him and hugged the bear plush firmly, taking up the least amount of space he could with his limbs hugged close to his body. 

His closed-off demeanor didn’t seem to phase Leo as the older simply put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer, although left enough space in case the orange turtle wanted to leave. Angelo could still see that glossy covering over the elder’s eyes and tried once more to defend his father, “It’s not like that.

“Okay,” Leo responded, sounding out of breath for reasons Angelo couldn’t place. 

His voice held that same small quality and quiet finality that made guilt squirm and squeeze its way into Angelo’s person. He should do something to help reassure the blue turtle, but do it correctly this time instead of causing his alternate brother to break down. Dr. Feelings was practically giving Angelo a play-by-play on how he could achieve just that, but-

But as the minutes ticked by in the grim quiet of the medical bay, the orange turtle couldn’t bring himself to say anything. 

It was like a tangle of vines had somehow twisted around his throat blocking off his vocal cords and only allowing the tiniest of sniffles and hiccups to seep through… Or maybe his voice was being crushed beneath the layers upon layers of walls he had built up to protect himself from the twisted reality he had just let slip.

Angelo was mad that he couldn’t find it in himself to break free from his immovable state, although a tiny traitorous part of him clung to the safety and comfort Leo was offering… If he closed his eyes, then Angelo could almost imagine that it was someone else holding him close right now.

…

The orange turtle wanted someone to tell him that everything was going to be okay and that they would fix all the mistakes he made so that he didn’t have to worry about them anymore, but Angelo couldn’t do that. Not to Leo, not to Donnie, not to Raph, not to Mikey… Shell, he couldn’t even leave everything up to Splinter. Angelo made a blunder. Well, no, he made more than a few and those mistakes were Angelo’s to fix. 

He had made his grave. He would lay in it. 

The orange turtle couldn’t force others to clean up his mess. All of this was Angelo's fault after all. He was the one who ran from the lair despite the others’ warnings. He was the one who wandered around the city causing chaos through his actions. He was the one who exposed their existence to the outside world!

It didn’t matter that Angelo was coming down from two panic attacks (potentially three) or that his emotions were all over the place. The exhaustion pouring into his bones causing his eyelids to drop without his constant barely compared to the horrible jumble of responsibilities he had to face. Angelo could fight back the heavyweight holding him down, clear his head from all the confused ramblings, and focus on the task at hand. It didn’t matter that Angelo was sure that if he opened his mouth again he would say something he would regret, and it would keep him up at night for the rest of his life!

Whatever he was trying to say before was just the starting point of this conversion and, honestly, the orange turtle didn’t know what he was trying to say. Angelo is injured. He gets to be a bit weird and wacky with his speech. Hopefully, Leo would understand that. Now to move on to the actual important business-

“Let’s- let’s take a break. Uh, food. Right. Angelo, you're probably hungry since you haven’t eaten anything since you woke up,” Leo breathed while scooting his way off the medical bed, leaving Angelo to stare blankly at him. The blue turtle was facing away from Angelo, but he could make out the shakiness of Leo’s hands and pale face. He didn’t look all that good. It was like someone had just told him the most devastating news in the whole wide world and- WAIT, LEO WAS LEAVING!

“W- Wait, Leo! You promised you would tell me what you guys knew about the mystery character and we still haven't talked about all the-” Angelo’s frantic plea was cut off as Leo turned around, fully off the bed, and grasped Angelo’s shoulders. He tightened his hold for a second while taking a deep breath before softening his grip and giving an unconvincing smile that looked more like a grimace.

Honestly, Leo looked like he had aged significantly in such a short time and was fighting back tears judging by the shattered look on his face, “And I will, but I think we both need a break to um- think, ya think. Uh- And Mikey was making some food for when you woke up which I’m sure he has reheated and we don’t want to eat cold food, right? I’ll be right back. Promise.” 

The older’s trembling voice sounded worse than when he spoke up earlier taking on a more subdued tone. It sounded so unlike Leo that Angelo was frozen to the spot the blue turtle had left him in, hands still clutching the bear plush and weighted blanket with an unnaturally strong grip. 

All Angelo could do as he watched Leo give a nod with that fragile smile was stare unblinking while he walked away.

His mind was frozen alongside his body being abruptly torn away from his worries and anxieties long enough to hear the med bay’s door close shut. Angelo didn’t know if he should be grateful for the amount of privacy he had just received, something he had wanted ever since he meant his alternates that first night, or sad at the loss of comfort a part of him was craving. 

Drawing a shaky breath in, Angelo held onto the bear plush impossibly tighter, and let a few tears drop from his eyes. He breathed in and out copying that familiar breathing technique he learned all those years ago. 

Angelo couldn’t blame Leo for practically running away because honestly, he wanted to do the same… 

Maybe- maybe a break would do them good right now… The orange turtle was tired, his throat felt closed up, and the insistent headache wasn’t helping, so a small break wouldn’t be such a big deal. 

Angelo would still get his answers all in due time, but he couldn’t help curling into himself further. He leaned back, resting on the wall behind the medical bed, and huddled deeper into the weighted blanket. The bear plush provided little comfort as the orange turtle squished his face into the soft, yarn-like fabric between his drawn knees.

A deep sigh left his mouth as his tears soaked into his bear plush.

Ya, that um- That could have gone better.