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alostnarrator · 2 years ago

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To Save Yourself- Chapter 10: Just Because it's Over, Doesn't Mean it's Goodbye.

Universe: 2018

Pov: Mikey (2012)

Day: 2

Mikey didn’t know it but the sun had fully risen, officially marking his second day of this chaos. The lair was alive with chatter, and the loud droning sound of D’s machine. The Turtle Tank had been moved out of the garage and into the empty sewer behind it.

“Why are we moving the tank hermano ?” ‘Nardo asked, confused but still grinning from the excitement. D sighed dramatically and flipped his goggles up, quirking a critical eyebrow at his twin.

“The others have requested we open the portal to an open space- A large one at that. And due to our non- genus humanus appearance, the surface isn’t the safest option.” He waved his hand and returned to his work, his goggles scanning Nardo’s sword to figure out how to rig it to the impromptu machine he had made.

The purple loving mutant had muttered something like ‘Thank Galileo that Draxum had input on this’. Whoever this ‘Draxum’ was, Mikey was sure he’d like them. He borrowed a sheet of paper from his other self’s room to make a note to thank Draxum for his help.

Must be a nice guy to give D that tech. He hummed and pocketed the note. Absentmindedly he took a bite of the pizza slice in his hand. April had gone to grab a bunch of pizza boxes in case they suddenly found themselves with a few more guests than normal.

“How would you like to live in a new world!”

“Heyyyy Bros! Wanna come vibe with me and your alternate selves?”

He paced around, trying out different ways to convince his brothers to stay with him here. The more he got in his head about it, the less he was willing to return home. At every turn in his head more and more examples of how lonely his old home made themselves known.

“Please don’t make me go back..” He whispered, wringing his hands together. If he had to go back, he made up his mind, he’d run. He’d run and never look back. Mikey would never let Splinter get to him again.

His steps faltered, and he stopped. But what about his brothers? Maybe they’d run with him. They may not be here, but they wouldn’t be under Splinter’s thumb anymore. They could leave the city… maybe even the state! He let his mind wander, picturing all the things he wanted to do with his brothers once they were free to run around and experience things.

His imagination led him to walk into the projector room, grinning once he saw Raph.

“Hey there buddy!” The huge turtle smiled warmly at him, a grin that flashed his snaggletooth. Mikey waved and bounded over to him. “I have so many ideas of what I wanna do with my bros!” His optimism was infectious, and Raph was glad to see the speckled teen so excited. He sat down with a loud thunk , inviting Mikey to sit and tell him all about it.

Mikey vibrated with excitement as he prattled off all the ideas he had and adventures he wanted to go on. His hands tapping on the ground to vent some of that emotion. The tapping turned into a beat, Raph’s huge alligator tail thumped along absentmindedly. Along with it the large turtle hummed a deep tune, Mikey was sure he would shake if he leaned one Raph’s plastron. Mikey listened for a few moments and added a faster paced tune to it. His head fell back a little, Mikey’s eyes closed and a peaceful grin made its way onto his face.

The sound of feet slapping against concrete hinted at ‘Nardo’s arrival, but Mikey couldn’t care less. He was thrilled, however, to hear ‘Nardo start beat boxing along. And soon a higher pitched voice joined, throwing out half baked verses and trills. April, Mikey guessed, she wasn’t half bad!

Mikey was in heaven as they each took turns spitting a few lines, sometimes changing up the beat or tune. He reminisced of a time where he and his brothers would play these kinds of silly games with each other. The key was shifted and it reminded him of a bad Christmas parody song. It made him wonder what Christmas would be like here, or in the country. And Halloween would be fun too! Mikey had always wanted to go trick or treating.

He hadn’t realized he had stopped humming along until everyone had moved on to talking. The energy in the room was high; it made Mikey feel like there was electricity shooting through his bones. He couldn’t wait to see his brothers. One day was too much, Mikey had never really been separated from them like this.

Sure there were the days where Splinter locked them in their rooms, no food or water for a while. But his brothers learned how to pick locks or climb through the vents really fast. Mikey never liked how quiet the lair got when they were being punished like that. At least his bros had always been there to make it better.

“So Mikey, what are your plans for getting your bros over here?” April lifted an eyebrow at him, but her smile eased his sudden nerves a bit. He wrung his hands together, chewing at the inside of his cheek.

“Well…” He paused to gather his thoughts. “I was thinkin’ I might just jump on over… or wait for them to come through… and ask?” He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly reminded of his loss of confidence earlier.

The faces he saw didn’t exactly instill hope in him, but he wouldn’t let their lack of faith bring him down! His brothers would listen, they had to! Even if they had been at odds with each other, Mikey knew, deep down, that all his brothers still loved each other.

- - - - - -

Pov: Tesla

Universe: 2012

Day: 3

Casey drummed his fingers on the desk, sadly fiddling with his hockey stick. Tesla looked over to him, repeatedly starting to say something, only to stop part way through the first word.

“I’ll find a way to open the portal whenever you want… Or if we stay in this world, I’ll make sure to visit.” Tesla’s voice was thick with desperation, he had spent so much time on April, only to learn he wasted it. He could have spent all that time with someone who would actually like him for who he was.

Tesla looked away for a moment, bitterly mumbling about how April was probably more into Raph than him. While he waited for the other side to be ready to open their portal (he had gotten theirs working with some Kraang tech), Tesla looked for ways to continuously open it. Under no good conscience could Tesla ask Casey to give up his life, so Tesla would have to find a way to stay in touch.

While he typed away, running simulation after simulation, he started to notice how quiet it was. It felt… wrong. Tesla tried to think of the last time the lair was this quiet, and drew up… An unsettling amount of times as of recently. It wasn’t right, the lair should always be full of life. Mikey’s music and energetic chatter should echo through the halls, Raph’s amusing yelling at the cabinet game should be able to be heard from any room. Leo reciting Space Heroes had been nauseatingly absent.

Come to think of it, Tesla had spent an awful lot of time in his lab, so he hadn’t noticed. Leo spent most of his time in the dojo. Raph… hadn’t been around as much. With a gut curdling dawn of awareness, he swallowed harshly as he realized that they had left Mikey all on his own. Their “youngest” brother left to the mercy of Splinter. Tesla had forgotten of his existence outside of patrolling, missions, and training. He only noticed something was different when it was an entirely different person.

The humans had called them “despicable creatures” before, and of course they had ranted about it at home. But now? Tesla felt like it fit him perfectly.

“We’re idiots.” He grumbled, hitting his head against his desk with a dull thunk. His brothers didn’t even need to ask what he was implying.

“Yeah, we are.” Leo said as he pushed off from the wall he was leaning on. “We blindly followed a mad man just because he was “our father”, and we hurt each other.” He growled ashamed, but didn’t bother excusing their actions. All of them were prepared to apologize for the rest of their lives if it meant atoning for what they’ve done to Mikey. They were prepared to act on it too, no honor in just saying things.

“Some brothers we turned out to be.” Raph muttered as he angrily stabbed his knitting needles into a red ball of yarn.

“So how long do you think they’re gunna keep us waiting?'' Raph didn’t bother to look up as he questioned Tesla. Tesla muttered under his breath, rubbing at his temples. “I don’t know, and currently? I don’t care.” He hissed, leaning closer to his screen as though that would reveal the answers he was looking for. Raph scoffed, but refrained from saying anything. It made Tesla’s stomach churn, he honestly wished Raph had said something sarcastic. Maybe it might bring back a bit of normality to ease Tesla’s mind.

“I… am thankful for any extra time to perfect this portal.” Tesla added. Raph huffed a dry chuckle, earning one from Leo too. It was a pitiful, humorless sound. Casey remained silent, though Tesla would’ve happily invited any conversation, but science knows he doesn’t have the spine to start one himself.

“Sooo… What are you guys gunna do in this ‘new world’?” As if there was something listening to his thoughts, Casey broke the silence. All three turtles looked towards him, each confused in their own way. Casey waited, clearly at least somewhat interested in their individual answer.

Leo spoke up first, “I want to relax. I want to figure out who I am outside of Splinter's ‘Golden Child’... to really make it clear I’m not just some carbon copy.” Leo’s hands flexed around the handles of his katanas.

“I want to make my own money and spoil the hell out of Mikey. Maybe build Spike something cool. I want to explore outside of Manhattan, figure out shit on my own… I dunno, I could do one of those online programs,” He chuckled, sheepishly rubbing at his neck, “Don doesn’t have to be the only one with a brain.”

The others chuckled a little, the beginnings of a genuine smile warming their faces. Tesla drew in a deep breath, he hadn’t thought too much about it. “I’ve always wanted to sell my tech. But… It would be fun to do online courses as well.” He barked out a short laugh, “Actually, I want to take some time. I want to try all the food their New York has to offer! I wanna be a crappy review streamer, and I wanna play video games with Mikey.” Pretty soon the tension in the room melted for a moment. It was an amazing, blissful moment.

A chirp from Tesla’s computer ruined it.

“Guys?” Mikey jumped when Casey nudged him to wake him up.

“It’s… Let’s go see our brother.”

- - - - - -

Pov: Mikey (2012)

Universe: 2018

Day: 2

“It’s time?” Mikey’s voice was barely a whisper, he felt like crying tears of joy. As many faults as his brothers had, he loved them and he wanted them back. He jumped up from his seat, tackling Don in one of his trademark bone crushing hugs. Don didn’t hug him back, instead just wheezing out a few things.

“Don doesn’t do ‘hugs’ lil dude.” Raph said from the side. Mikey let him go, laughing awkwardly, but still thanking him profusely. He bounced from foot to foot, cackling with glee.

“C’mon c’mon c’mon!! What are we waiting for?! Let’s go get my bros!” Mikey flinched, “And your bro, too!” He ran to the room he knew the portal was supposed to be in. ‘Nardo’s sword was crackling with a blue energy, stretching out to a collected point in the middle of the room.

Mikey could barely contain his excitement, he just knew his brothers would stay here with him. All he had to do was ask really really nicely, no one could resist his natural charm! Or at least he thought so himself.

Raph, ‘Nardo, April, and Small Splinter gathered behind him, Don strutting up to the console displaying the portal’s stats and data. As the sword glowed brighter, a high pitched frequency got louder. Don looked over his shoulder.

“Oh yeah, by the way, brace yourself.” Not even a moment later there was a blinding flash.

When Mikey’s vision cleared a huge, blue portal stood in the middle of the garage, ready for someone to pass through.

Raph stepped up behind him, giving him a reassuring smile and nudge. “Alright bud, it’s your turn.”

His legs shook as he walked up to the portal. He looked to Don for some semblance of reassurance. Don understood his look and smirked, “Don’t worry, this isn’t some Nootflix special where I’d tell you that you have one minute to convince them or you’ll have to pick on your own.” He haughtily laughed and said, “Take your time.”

Mikey took a deep breath in, gathered his wits, and stepped through.

- - - - - - -

“Oh my god.”

“Mikey?”

“Holy shit it worked!”

“Other me!”

Mikey blinked the spots from his eyes, nearly collapsing to his knees when he saw the scene in front of him. Raph, Leo, Donnie, and Casey were all there, each with their own expression but all the same varying versions of relieved or happy .

And there he was.

Mikey gasped as he was suddenly face to face with the other version of himself. Someone he could never have prepared himself to meet.

“Woah.” Mikey breathed, eyes wide as saucers.

His shell hit the floor as his brothers tackled him, all three of them nearly sobbing on him.

“Mikey we want- w- wanted to.”

“Bros I wanted to ask-”

Raph spoke at the same time as him, but paused and motioned for him to continue.

This was it. It was now or never. Mikey had to sell this or… or what? He’d have to choose a life with or without them. But he knew he could do this, he steeled his nerves and began.

“Bros… Brothers. I…” Words started to fail him, but Mikey would not be dissuaded. “I got to meet Other Me’s family. They were nice, welcoming, understanding, and most importantly: more healthy than us. I’ve realized that the life we have here is killing us, tearing us apart. I want you to come back with me and other me… if that’s okay with other me,” A dumb-struck alternate Mikey nodded dumbly, “Ok then… I want you to come back with me and other me to the other world. We can live the lives we want there… Or…” He paused to breath and collect himself, but Raph beat him to it.

“We could go live in the woods… In April’s farmhouse…” He said slowly, as though Mikey would change his mind. Like none of this was real, and one wrong word would send this dream spiraling.

There was a brief moment of heart-aching silence. Then there was laughter. Relieved, joyous, soulful laughter. All fears discarded, in that moment nothing mattered but each other. Donnie leapt to his feet, booking it from his lab, hitting a button on the wall as he left through the back door.

“We packed your stuff already- You and M go through, talk to the others.” Leo grinned widely, pushing the two towards the portal. Casey took off after Donnie, Raph following suit.

The last thing Mikey saw before being blinded by the portal was Leo running after their family, cackling like a madman the whole way.

- - - - -

Pov: Leo (2012)

Universe: 2012

Day: 3

Leo couldn’t get to the Shellraiser fast enough. He was smiling so wide he felt like his face might split in half. Splinter couldn’t stop them now, it was too late. Never before had the young ninja felt so grateful to not see his ex-Sensei.

Leo and Raph whooped and howled as Donnie revved the engine, driving the Shellraiser through the hidden garage door to the lab.

They only stopped for Casey, who at the moment was sharing a tearful hug with Donnie, both of them whispering promises to each other.

“If the other me is anything like.. Well, me - we should be able to devise a way to get back and forth.”

Leo pondered over what that meant, and why Donnie would say something like that. There was no reason to come back here, the one place they were trying to escape. But then again, he saw Donnie look at Casey with an expression he thought was reserved for April alone. They both grimace as Casey started to step off the Shellraiser.

Donnie’s head hung as his hands flexed on the wheel. “Is everyone ready to-” He was caught off guard by Casey charging back onto the bus, planting a kiss on his lips. “You better fuckin call me.” He choked on his tears and bolted off the Shellraiser.

They all watched through one of the screens as Casey ran out of the lair, successfully avoiding Splinter.

Speaking of the rat, they had to go

Now.

The old man was marching towards the lab doors, and they knew it was only a matter of time before he managed to get them open, laws of reality be damned.

“Hold on bros.” Donnie grunted. Leo nodded, Raph grabbing with one hand to hold Spike’s tank in his lap.

“ Floor it Don .”

The Shellraiser’s engine roared and it ripped through the lab, decimating the table left near the portal.

The last thing they saw before making it through the portal was Splinter bursting through the doors. An outraged look as he witnessed what was happening.

“Close it, close it, close it!” Donnie screamed out the window when they emerged into a huge garage. A slim turtle with a clunky purple shell and matching purple bandanna typed quickly on a keyboard.

The cameras mounted to the Shellraiser broadcasted a thin hand reaching through the portal before a pulsing shock wave threw everyone backwards, causing the hand to go flying back through the portal.

And then it was over. Their jaws dropped, and the portal shut.

The three turtles stumbled off the bus, a bit disoriented. Staring right back at them were the Mikeys, a smaller and fatter version of Splinter, some human girl, and three others.

One slim, purple wearing turtle with a high tech armband. Donnie stepped forward to awkwardly offer his hand to him. “Uhm hi? I think I’m you?”

A thin turtle in blue, but he had red and yellow marks. Leo hesitated, lifting a suspicious non-existent eyebrow. “I have a bad feeling about this.” He said as the aforementioned turtle approached, swagger in every step.

Raph’s jaw basically hit the floor as he took in the final turtle. He was HUGE! The Goliath turtle smiled sheepishly. He was built, probably over 6 feet, and a spiked tail was nervously wagging behind him. “Uh hi there… smaller me?” Raph didn’t know what to say or do as Other Him walked up, holding a hand out.

Leo barely contained his laugh as Raph started going off, spooking the huge mutant.

- - - - - -

Pov: 2018 Mikey

Universe: Home

Mikey sobbed as he embraced his brothers, melting into their hugs. Other Him smiled and waved from off to the side.

“I’m so glad you decided to stay! I mean, I was totally going to ask, but you beat me to it bro!” The other Mikey laughed, “It was your brother’s idea at first, not gunna lie.”

He wanted to say so much more, but a revving of an engine interrupted.

- - - - - -

Mikey felt pride swelling in his chest as he watched the teens figure out their alternate. Already amused with the sciencey banter between Tesla and Donnie. Leonardo looked overwhelmed with Leo’s… charm. And Raphael? Priceless. Though those anger issues would really need work. But it was nothing, a few meetings and open discussions with Dr. Feelings could help!

His other self, Benny he had thought up a while back, looked… At ease. Peaceful. This was how he deserved to always look. And Mikey was so excited to hang out with him.

A while back, if he had asked Raph to do a mission solo, Raph would have gotten nervous and started listing all the reasons why he couldn’t let Mikey do that. But now? Mikey successfully completed one of his most important missions yet. He helped this family take the first step they needed towards freedom and health.

“So,” April sidled up to Mikey, wiping a stray tear away, “Why’d you do all this?” She tipped her head to the side questioningly.

“Oh, it’s not obvious?” Mikey’s eyes cast over the heartwarming scene in front of them. Already excited for all the new adventures just waiting for them. He grinned, and turned to April, determination and anticipation shining in his eyes, “It was a no-brainer. When you’re in a world like that… You’ve can't really do anything but choose To save yourself.”

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alostnarrator · 2 years ago

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To Save Yourself- Chapter 9: Three Fated Words

Mikey hit a final key, sitting back proudly in his chair. 'Finally..' 36 chapters, a word count he was proud of, his editors would love this.

Universe: 2018

POV: 2012 Mikey

Day: 1

“Could we bring my brothers here when you get your Mikey back?” He refused to make eye contact with anyone as he heard them turn and quietly discuss. It wasn’t long before he got his answer.

Splinter was the one to speak first, “After a quick discussion we’ve decided.” Mikey steeled himself for the worst, prepared to fight for his brother’s sake.

“After everything I’ve- we’ve heard, the actions of your brothers are a direct result of their upbringing by your Sensei.” The brothers were quiet for once, Mikey felt an unnamed anxiety creep up his spine from the silence.

“We find it would be best if your brothers were given a chance to heal and change for the better.” The small rat man studied the young turtle carefully, “We’ll do our best to help you and your family get better.” Mikey could barely believe it, his breath caught in his throat, he tried not to get his hopes up initially- but now they were through the roof.

“Once I get the portal up and going you’ll have x amount of minutes to convince them. Once time gets too close to it shutting, we will have no choice but to pull through whoever is willing at that moment and close it.” D explained carefully, not wanting to crush the bright look in Mikey’s eyes. Mikey gave a determined, swift nod, and quickly launched off into a rapid-fire conversation with himself. He paused and ran over to the group and hugged them all, thanking them profusely.

Mikey ran off, the biggest smile that’s graced his face in a long time wrinkling the corners of his eyes. He didn’t notice the bittersweet expressions of the group behind him.

- - - - - - -

Pov: Raph (2018)

As soon as his new brother bounced down the exit tunnel, Raph clapped his hands together.

“Alright! Operation: Secure, rescue, protect is a go!” He grinned widely and spun to face his family. First he regarded his dad, “K Pops! Since this was your call, I hope you’ve got an idea of what to do once the newbies get here-”

“ If -” D interjected, already tapping away at his wrist band, determining the best way to set the brothers up in the temp lair. Raph grunted, but kept his signature smile on his face.

“Don, I swear if you don’t cut it out with your middle child nonsense-” He jokingly threatened before returning to his previous point, “Pops, like I said, ‘hope you can help with a plan if they come here, because I have no ideas.” Raph admitted rubbing the back of his head. Mikey’s reaction to Pops was pretty strange, not to mention his story of his home life.

April nodded in agreement to Splinter’s concerns, adding in some of her own. She had a dark look on her face while she explained, “My mom works as a social worker, she teaches me all about her experience in helping kids who’ve had rough lives- or have medical disorders…”

D quirked an eyebrow, recalling the research he had done on one of his late nights with April, learning about that along-side her. “Teens and youth who go without help from a therapist, or otherwise, are twice as likely to… reflect that harm on others in their adulthood.” He quoted, rewording it slightly to suit Raph’s avoidance of certain terms. “We’ll need to find a way to help them, not to mention how much more expensive so many new additions could make things…” D scowled, still on the fence about accepting strangers into their lives.

“Hey, hey, hey, heyyyy. Hermanos! Look I get it, I’m also half and half on this. But we have a chance to be heroes and help these kids out!” Leo, ever the hype/face man grinned, “From what I’ve heard, I doubt these guys want to go back to fighting- maybe they can get jobs!”

April’s eyes sparkled, and Raph could see the lightbulb going off in her head, “They could probably sell stuff through commissions if they have any special talents- Plus, with extra hands around, maybe they could be a huge help!”

Raph studied his family and continued, “The temp base might need some fixin’ tho.” He feld a thoughtful hand to his chin. Leo joked about Raph’s ‘Think Stink’ while D ran logistics, Splinter muttered, and April chatted with Leo.

This would be a challenge, but Raph was never one to turn down a challenge. His heart melted for his new brother, and if his brothers received the same attention from their father-figure then they needed as much love as Mikey.

So they made plans, Mikey would have time to hop over and convince his brothers. Their Mikey would come back over immediately. Meanwhile D would work on the portal, Pops would get groceries (they needed some anyways), April would buy some blankets and such. Raph hummed a jazzy tune while he and Leo fixed up the temp lair.

He worried about how new Mikey would feel if he was denied by his brothers. And there was always the issue of if his family really wanted their Mikey home. Of course, they’d never deny them, it wasn’t their say in the end. But Raph was excited for the concept of new brothers. He’d have more people to worry about, sure, but if they were anything like new Mikey, then how bad could they be?

- - - - - - -

Pov: Leo (2012)

Day: 3

“DAMNIT!” Raph yelled suddenly, startling Leo. He watched as his brother cradled his jaw, something Leo knew meant his braces were acting up again.

“Raph- we can’t keep putting this off. We have to go talk to Donnie.” He stood, ignoring the tremor in his legs. Leo held out a hand for his brother, hoping he’d take it for once. Leo nearly grinned when he did, but the current situation really didn’t call for it. They exchanged a timid glance, Leo with one hand on the door, Raph tightly gripping his yarn and knitting needles.

The hallway was silent, the air so still it was hard to breathe. Neither ninja wanted to step into the hallway, disturb the thick atmosphere, cut the silence. But it now was the time, they had to brave the unknown. Ever the leader, Leo led the way, determinedly marching towards the lab.

Soft voices could be heard through the thick doors, and Leo forced himself not to hesitate as he knocked. Choking at the way the voices suddenly stopped. A light shuffle and harsh whispers could every so slightly be heard before the door cracked open.

“And what do you want, Leonardo?” The taller turtle questioned from behind the door. Leo knew this was coming, but the cold tone from his brother stung harshly.

“I… We had something important we wanted to talk to you about.” Leo almost yelped when Raph elbowed him in the side. “You and Mikey…” He added wearily.

The door snapped shut, and Leo strained to glean anything from the hushed discussion happening behind closed doors. Raph started to fidget restlessly until the door swung open, but only far enough to let Donnie stand fully in the entrance. Raph leaned to the side, peeking in to see if he could see Mikey. Donnie glared and Leo elbowed him back.

“What’s so important then?” Donnie squared his shoulders, taking up as much space as he could in the doorway. “You’re disrupting my vital progress of sending Mikey home.” He hissed. Leo drew in a shaky breath, and was suddenly glad for Raph’s weight leaning into him slightly.

“We… I… Sprinter… Uhm…” He panicked, his mind suddenly drawing up blanks. He desperately looked back at his twin for assistance, only to find him staring wide eyed over his shoulder.

Splinter was standing quietly in the living room, his icy glare settled on the twins. If Splinter overheard this conversation there would be hell to pay, Leo knew as much. Without Raph he would’ve run his mouth and revealed his plans to the person they were planning against. In his mind he laughed bitterly as his throat went dry, can’t run if our legs don’t work. Leo briefly imagined the fallout, Splinter putting them through more extreme training than ever as punishment, one or more of them breaking something in the process, Donnie’s lab getting trashed, their things taken away and destroyed.

Splinter’s wrath was not one to invoke, Leo swallowed despite his mouth being dry as a desert. He flapped his hand at Donnie, finally tearing his gaze away from the menacing mutant. “Inside.” he desperately whispered, barely repressing the shake in his voice.

Despite everything that happened, Donnie understood Leo’s plea and let him enter. Raph slipped in wordlessly, eyes trained on their Sensei. Donnie grumbled under his breath before forcing a smile at Splinter and awkwardly waved.

Leo watched the doors close, and moved as deep into the lab as he could. This had to be top secret, and with Sensei right outside, there was no way they could take any sort of risks. Once his heart stopped racing he stopped to take in the room. Most of Donnie’s works-in-progress, old blueprints, or any older work had been shoved off into random corners. All available space had been cleared to make room for his newest, most challenging task yet. And in the middle of the room sat Mikey. He was huddled in a hoodie, not acknowledging anyone, just curled up in the chair with his legs cuddled to his chest. Donnie coughed and Mikey’s head shot up from resting on his knees.

“I think this might be actually worth our time Mikey.” Donnie nodded towards the twins and they huddled towards the back of the lab. Donnie held up a hand as Leo opened his mouth to start. “One moment.” He grabbed a device off the shelf, a small radio looking thing. It was a radio, when Donnie placed it down he pressed a button and a podcast started up. Leo cursed his simple mind, of course it was just a radio.

Once Donnie was satisfied with the volume he turned to address the group. “I hear one wrong thing, or you threaten or upset Mikey…” He narrowed his eyes, letting the unsaid threat linger in the air. Raph and Leo nodded, and surprisingly, Raph took the lead.

“Don… Mikey… I.” Raph bit his quivering lip, refusing to let hot tears fall. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I’m not asking for it- But I want to say… I’m sorry.” Leo was proud of how clear his voice was at the moment, Raph could barely whisper an apology a month ago. Raph fell to his knees, bowing his head.

“I am too. There was no reason for us to do that, and there’s no good explanation. I’m sorry as well Michelangelo.” Leo followed his brother and waited with baited breath. There was a sniff and Donnie cleared his throat.

“If that’s all-” Leo leapt to his feet, grabbing Donnie’s shoulders. He let go as quick as he grabbed him, he backed off with his hands raised. “NO- no…. The important thing was mainly the apology.” He took a moment to breathe, reminding himself that he had to keep his voice down. Donnie looked close to throwing them out when Raph spoke up again.

His voice was barely heard over the podcast when he said it. “We have to run.” His face was dead serious. “Splinter is breaking us. Let’s run. Be kids for once. We need you first Donnie. No matter what happens next, we want you with us. I want you with us.” Raph kept his tone low and calm, the others having to lean in slightly to hear. Leo distantly worried Splinter would hear, with his superior rat mutation and all.

Donnie’s breath hitched, five distinct emotions crossing his face at once.

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

“Raph-” His voice came out tight, “You can’t really expect me to just drop our life here. Our father is here, my tech is here, my lab is here.” Leo didn’t miss the way he quickly glossed over Splinter, as though he was much further on the list of priorities. Donnie muttered out gibberish, his hands waving in front of him.

“Your tech- well, some of it, can be brought along. Your lab can be remade. With our idea to stop being soldiers and just be teens instead we’d be making things to sell. With that money you could fund yourself.” Leo, emboldened by his brother, felt his heart start to race- this time out of excitement.

Donnie sputtered some more, grasping at straws to find a solid argument. When he couldn’t find one his arms went slack. “I… I’m not blind… He’s.. definitely done some.” Donnie swallowed hard, something Leo sympathized with, he knew this had to be hard for Donnie. “Some… bad things… that, that hurt us. And… but… he’s… what about…” He sighed.

“Oh what’s the point,” Donnie suddenly sniffled, his shoulders and head hung. “As much as it feels weird to say this but… you guys are right. We… need to get out of here.” Raph and Leo’s eyes widened as the tallest turtle slowly straightened, gaining energy again.

“Luckily for us, I download all of my blueprints and data to easy-to-store harddrives!” He nearly spoke louder than the radio. They all went silent, collectively holding their breath and staring at the door, expecting it to burst open.

Moments passed and nothing happened. They all sighed gratefully, and now all eyes were on the newbie.

“That leaves you, Mikey-” Raph scooted slightly towards the colorful turtle, still on his knees. “We have a few ideas… but the safest one depends on you.” Raph looked genuinely desperate.

Mikey sat shocked, his mouth hung open. “Really?” He breathed, locking eyes with Raph. “I was wanting to ask… I… My world is so much kinder… I wanted to invite you guys along.” Mikey’s voice was barely a peep, fear edging his words and his eyes darted from turtle to turtle to door.

Leo couldn’t believe it, if he hadn't been kneeling he was sure his legs would've just given out. Large, relieved tears filled the twins’ eyes. Mikey embraced them, the two larger mutants crying into his shoulders to mute the sound of their broken sobbing.

“We- we’re gunna be safe, guys.” Leo sniffed, a water smile wrinkling his eyes. “I’m finally doing my job as leader. Mikey let go as Raph rushed to Donnie, his knitting items forgotten on the floor.

- - - - - - -

“So to confirm,” Leo stood next to Mikey, handing him a box. “You are inviting us to come to your world with you?” Mikey nodded, the tails of his bandana bobbing with the motion.

“I’ll need a moment to confirm with my family- but even then, I’m sure you could just hop through and go out on your own. You’d fit right in in the mystic city!” Mikey’s eyes sparkled.

“Mystic what?!?” Mikey patted Leo’s shoulder.

“I’ll fill you in once we hop over.”

The plan felt simple enough. Leo would take care of Sensei if he got in the way.

“We’re fully dedicating ourselves to the Hamato clan.” He rehearsed, putting a bag into the Shellraiser.

Donnie was frantically typing away on his keyboard, rambling about how close he was.

“Almost there! There’s a signal reaching out for mine!”

Raph and Mikey were in charge of loading the truck, Raph was under no certain terms allowed to be the one to interact with Splinter.

Donnie said if he could, he’d send a message to the other universe, asking them to open the portal in a wide open space- A garage of sorts. Mikey would go through first, negotiate, and signal them in. The rest would be in the Shellraiser, ready to cross over.

At least- that was supposed to be the plan, until Casey came through the back entrance of the lab.

“TESLA!” Casey yelled, a teddy bear clenched tightly in his hands. The normally brash teen had snot and tears streaming down his face. Donnie ran to embrace Casey, worriedly asking what happened.

“They’re gone!!” He screamed into the scientist’s plastron. Donnie’s mouth fell open, his skin paling.

“Gone?” Raph grunted, unused to seeing the punk cry.

“My dad! My sister!” He yelled, not leaving Donnie’s embrace.

“The universe is unstable with Mikey here… how did I forget?! Casey,” He held Casey’s head in his hands. “I’ll give you two options, either come with us to new Mikey’s world- or…” He sucked in a shaky breath, “Or… you can stay here. My calculations say everything will be fine once we get Mikey to his home universe. People will come back, time will stabilize.” The other three gaped at Donnie’s words. No one said anything as Casey’s eyebrows furrowed in thought.

Leo kept going with his task, he couldn’t stop now- not for something like that.

“Tes- Donnie… I’m so sorry… But I want to- I need to stay.” Donnie’s breath hitched but he kept himself collected, Leo noted. Whatever had happened in between them added an emotional context to the conversation that Leo didn’t catch.

“Ok…” Donnie’s voice was weak, hurt. “Well… wanna help us out?”

- - - - - - -

The truck was loaded, Splinter had stepped in, but was thrilled with Leo’s decision. The lie came easily, startling Leo. But it worked, Splinter told Leo what a good choice they had made, and left them to their "purging".

“Don, have you-” Raph started, but was quickly cut off.

“I’ve got a connection. Sending a message now.” He punctuated his words with a smash of the enter key. One monitor and a crappy laptop remain on Donnie’s desk. He had decided he could sacrifice that much. Leo and Raph both felt relieved when Donnie excitedly realized that his newest feature for the truck would help with the Timmy issue. There was now an alcove in the Shellraiser behind their seating where Timmy’s tank could be put. It took all five of them, but in the end it worked, and Timmy’s tank was moved from lab to truck.

Raph pet spike. Mikey leaned over Donnie’s hunched frame. Casey looked forlornly off into the distance. Leo watched carefully.

‘Message received’ a robotic voice chirped. They all perked up suddenly, everyone moving closer to the computer.

Donnie turned to them, breath quivering and wide eyes. Three fated words fell from his lips in a shocked whisper.

“It’s go time.”

'This has only been 10 years in the making.' He chuckled to himself. His eyes glanced over the title of his document...

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alostnarrator · 2 years ago

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To Save Yourself- Chapter 8: Reconciliation

Universe: 2012

Day: 3

“I wish it was me.” Raph said suddenly, startling Leo out of the nap he was drifting off into. Leo grunted at him quizzically, not yet awake enough to properly form words. “I wish I swapped places with myself, instead of Mikey.” Raph numbly stared at the nearly finished sweater in his hands. “Did you see how that Mikey carried himself? How he bonded with Don’ so quickly… ‘wonder how nice his world is.” Raph mindlessly twirled a knitting needle in his hand.

“I’d yell atcha’ and tell yah how stoopid that is…” Leo slurred, propping himself up on one arm to look over at Raph. “But I get it. I’ve been thinking lately… What with how Splinter reacted to… me. And how he treats you… I wish I could be sent off to some nice world.” Leo flopped back down onto his back. They both just stared at the ceiling for a while, back to the silence.

“Would you leave us behind?” Leo said suddenly. Raph laughed through his nose before seriously considering his words.

“Yeah. Yeah I would.” And that was all. Neither turtle spoke, Raph went back to knitting. He assumed Leo fell asleep. He assumed as much, at least, until Leo rolled over again and nudged his arm. “Wazzup?” Raph watched his sibling out of the corner of his eye, but remained working.

“I’m going to sound crazy- but just… humor me. Ok?” Raph hummed and Leo continued, “What if we… went with him. The other Mikey?” Raph finally turned to regard his taller twin, setting his needles down fully.

“Hear me out! We could pack some stuff up. You, me, and we’d grab stuff for Mikey… Then we could talk Donnie into it…” A small smile warmed Leo’s face, but it died as quickly as it came. “Yeah right…” Again he fell onto his back. “Like he’d want us to go home with him.”

Raph couldn’t deny that the idea was tempting, freeing even, but there was no way that it would ever work. Even so, Raph couldn’t help but hope. “But what if… we tried?” He stared at his hands and felt a surge of determination go through him.

Suddenly he stood, gathering the sweater and yarn. “Let’s do it!” He grinned, almost manically, “Let’s pack- and if we get turned down? We run! Who knows, maybe we’ll find somewhere better to live… April did mention a farmhouse out in the countryside once…” He trailed off, missing Leo’s reaction.

“You aren’t kidding… You aren’t kidding!” His twin was practically glowing with excitement. A new adventure, an escape from someone who tore them down and made them worse versions of themselves. Leo began to mutter, trying to determine what he could live without.

“I’ma go pack,” Raph slipped into his room, not before glancing down the hall to make sure their plans weren’t overheard.

Raph didn’t want to bring too much. He, of course, packed Spike and his food. Next to get tossed in a box were his journals. His favorite drum sticks, some of his projects, and some smaller important items were shoved in a large duffle bag. Raph wondered how Leo would decide on what was important, his twin had so much Space Adventures merch. He saw the edge of his comics sticking out of a corner of his room. Mikey’s comics , he thought, and ice cream kitty. He also wondered if he could convince Leatherhead to join them. Probably not...

Raph finished up after one last bag. His load was nothing impossible for him to carry, so he considered it reasonable. Taking the next step into his own hands he texted Donnie.

Raph: Hey D

Raph: Donnie

Raph: Yo dorkus get to the lair. Leo’s made a decision, we want to know your opinion.

Raph sighed when he got no response. To send Mikey back, Donnie would need his lab; the purple favoring turtle had told them that much. They’d pack, and wait for Donnie to get back. To distract himself from the radio silence, Raph grabbed the cooler in Mikey’s room and silently snuck into the kitchen.

Ice Cream Kitty meowed happily when the freezer door was opened. Once plenty of ice was inside the cooler he helped the mutant cat in. “There you go, just chill in there until we get to where we’re going.” He laughed half heartedly at his unintentional pun and moved back to his “little” brother’s room.

Mikey’s comics, sweaters, action figures, skateboard- Raph knew they all had to come. He piled the two boxes, the bag, and the cooler in his room by his own luggage.

“The blankets..” Raph whispered, sitting on his brother’s bed. He ran his calloused hand over the soft texture of the blanket, smiling at the memories they carried. Mikey had a total of four blankets, two Raph made, one Splinter provided, and the last was a small raggedy thing. Mikey’s favorite blanket… Raph grabbed the small one, the ones he made, and Mikey’s teddy bear. With one last look behind him Raph yoinked the t-pod off a pile of pizza boxes by the door and left.

“You didn’t cut corners, did you?” The stout turtle could hear the smirk in Leo’s voice. Turning he saw Leo’s three bags, and a singular box. “There’s no way I’d screw over Mikey like that… We- I have so much to make up for.” Leo placed a comforting hand on the shorter’s shoulder.

“I know Raph… one step at a time, yeah?” They nodded at each other, both internally debating what came next. On one hand they could load up the Shell-raiser and track down Donnie, on the other they could wait it out. Raph took another look at Leo’s packing and thought of something.

Grabbing a box he snuck his way out to the living room, anxiously listening and watching for any hint that Splinter may be looming. As quietly as he could he gathered the tapes of Leo’s favorite show and ran back to his twin.

“Raph?” Leo grinned, confused but flattered. He rolled his eyes, putting the box down next to the cooler. “There’s no way I’m going to listen to you bitch about missing ‘ Captain Ryan’ or whatever.” Raph huffed and crossed his arms, ignoring the genuine smile on his brother’s face.

The moment passed and they both agreed to just wait, in the meantime they could talk specifics. Raph and Leo felt they could breathe easier with a plan in place for either outcome. Both turtles knew that in the end, Donnie wouldn’t fight moving too much. But it was the ‘going to another world’ that might be harder to sell. They’d have to take Timmy, of course, and Donnie’s backup harddrives. But if the other Donnie was anything like theirs, then they were sure their Donnie would be back up and experimenting in no time.

The lair was eerily quiet while they waited. To ignore it Ralph started a new project, and Leo sorted through his comics.

“Should I bring a few? I can always find new comics… and if we end up just moving out to April’s farmhouse we could sneak back for the rest.” Leo spoke more to himself than his brother. Raph thought about the stacks of comics in his own room, and the various copies of untouched volumes remaining in Mikey’s room. Maybe they could start new collections wherever they ended up, maybe even find some new hobbies.

“Well… I, for one, vote to find something new to do. Donnie could do tech things, Mikey’s good with music… You can cook.” Raph rearranged his box, making extra space for a special item he noticed Leo had left out. “I don’t have much going for me, aside from my knitting. But maybe we could just… chill? Not be so concerned about saving the world while wasting away our childhood? We could be… ‘normal’ teens.” He air-quoted.

Leo leaned on the wall, sliding down it to sit. The leader folded his hands, leaning against them to process his brother’s words. Ever since they were children, they had been trained to ‘defend the Hamato name’, thinking back on it it all just seemed like Splinter trying to force his ideals on the young mutants.

Raph chewed on the non-toxic “chewelry” that Donnie made for him back when he first got his braces. He was glad Leo had one stored away for him, all his others had been shredded on some of his harder nights. Raph took care to not chew too hard on this one, trying to keep this one in good shape for as long as possible.

Donnie would flip out, he was sure of that. There would be yelling, fighting, maybe a week of silence before he would come to terms with whatever option they went with. Raph would need to make this chewie last until his brother would make him a new one. Luckily the ache subsided quickly, allowing him to place the piece into his bag.

“Have you heard from Donnie?” Leo piped up from his spot on the floor, only needing to move his arm forward slightly to nudge Raph. Small room perks, he mused. Raph merely grunted, moving to sit by the wall across from Leo. Their feet pressed together, reminding them of how they used to try and stretch as far as possible when they were younger. They would sit across from each other and test to see how much they had grown. Then Leo hit his growth spurt and suddenly Raph didn’t want to do it anymore.

Raph laughed wistfully, so caught up in his reminiscing that he hadn’t noticed Leo sorting through his comics. Raphael was content to just watch his brother do his thing, sit there and soak up the peace. He wondered how long it would be before they got another moment of just comfortable silence.

It wasn’t long before Donnie and Other Mikey came through the entrance, the former’s iconic sigh cut through the silence. A quiet conversation that only consisted of one voice echoed clearly through the stillness of the lair.

The voices faded as the doors to the lab opened and shut. This was it, Raph and Leo were mere seconds away from their future. They had fought in battles that they weren’t sure they’d survive, they’d lived through Splinter’s training, but now? Talking to their brother was one of the scariest things they’d yet to face. They remained glued to the floor, Raph’s hands flexed and unflexed while Leo kept opening his mouth to talk- only to stop at the last second.

“We should probably-”

“Yeah, maybe we should…”

They both looked at each other, then the door. Would Splinter be lurking outside the door? Would Donnie scream at them for their idea and kick them out to be dealt with by the rat? They had no way of knowing until they just

- - - - - - - -

POV: 2012 Mikey

Day: 1

“So… We wanted tah know whatchu thought- now that yer calm ‘n whatnot.” Raph sat on the floor in front of him, slouching to appear smaller. The brothers had come back into the living room, openly discussing ideas in front of him, giving him the chance to pipe up and add his thoughts. April whispered something to D that made him smirk.

“I’ve been thinking it over… And I… I don’t wanna go back. I wanna stay here, do something new…” He paused, stroking his chin in thought, “Like learn how to cook properly!” He exclaimed, ignoring the startled looks on the brother’s faces.

“You can’t cook for yourself?” ‘Nardo asked.

“Well- To be fair ‘Nardo, you can only make tamales .” D piped up from his beanbag nestled in the corner. ‘Nardo huffed dramatically and crossed his arms.

“Mikey and I were learning to make pan dulce for gramgram’s ofrenda a few days ago!” His hip cocked to the side, a teasing smirk that betrayed his offended tone. Mikey tilted his head to the side, “What’s an ofrenda ?” ‘Nardo lit up, finally it was his turn to info-dump.

“Basically, an ofrenda is a shrine from hispanic culture. Me and my brothers-”

“My brothers and I.” D corrected.

“ Me and my brothers were setting one up due to it almost being Dia De Muertos .” Noticing Mikey’s growing confusion he added, “Day of the dead. A day for celebrating those before us and remembering their story. Our Mikey was looking for a recipe for sugar skulls- calaveras de azucar - before the switch happened.” ‘Nardo happily answered any of Mikey’s questions, never once complaining when Mikey needed him to repeat part of what he said before Mikey could fully process what he said.

Eventually April took over, returning with pizza and offering him some cooking lessons. Mikey was thrilled to be presented with more of the amazing pizza and lessons he’s always wanted.

- - - - - - -

In the spirit of the season Raph, ‘Nardo, and D joined in to learn how to make some traditional dishes for Dia De Muertos . Pan De Muertos, guacamole, tamales , and they started on some chicken Pozole that had to be slow cooked. By the end of it they had some not half-bad dishes, and the lot of them were very proud of what they had accomplished.

Of course all the talk of ‘traditional’ meals got Splinter’s attention, and even though it took some time to warm up to him, Mikey found himself enjoying talking about dishes to make to satisfy Splinter’s cravings for his childhood meals. April nodded thoughtfully and suggested they make her mother’s cheesy broccoli casserole, or her dad’s homemade mac n’ cheese to which D practically sprung at.

“YES- I mean, that would be a good dish to learn. Or what about your grandma’s candied yams?” D feigned disinterest, but ‘Nardo smirked knowingly. April laughed along with Raph and they discussed meals to make. So many ideas were thrown around that Splinter ended up making a list.

“As fun as it has been to discuss meal ideas we should probably get new Mikey his own room to stay in…” D scratched his chin thoughtfully, before snapping his fingers.

“A-hah!” He said dramatically, “The old subway lair!” He marched out of the kitchen, leaving the rest to follow. The brothers lit up and followed quickly, Mikey hot on their heels.

His own room? He was thrilled to bits, but a bit overwhelmed at all this newness. He was grateful to be getting somewhere he could decompress for a bit. Well, until it was time to get everyone back. The more he thought, the more his heart ached for his brothers. He was determined to convince them to come over with him- They could live how they always wanted to, only fighting when THEY chose to! His brothers would get a chance to heal, and Mikey would get more of those soft moments he craved from his brothers.

They stopped after only a few moments of walking down a lit tunnel, and the gaggle of mutants, and April, proudly presented the converted subway train. Mikey flapped his hands happily as he approached the train, it was covered in cool (and tasteful) graffiti. He noticed how the style matched the art in the room he woke in. Inside the train had been fitted to house the brothers. He didn’t know the story behind the train’s conversion to a home- but at the moment he couldn’t care less.

“Down that way is a bathroom- don’t ask how we got that one working - and down the other way is a dining room of sorts.” The brothers explained that they got the lair back into shape quickly enough that they didn’t need to make an actual kitchen, and that Mikey was free to use theirs.

All the talk of him staying here reminded him of what he wanted to bring up to the kind people that had so quickly taken him in.

“I was actually wondering…” He started, anxiety threatened to swallow him up- but he was determined to ask. All eyes were on him as he spoke. He was so close, all he had to do was

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alostnarrator · 2 years ago

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To Save Yourself- Chapter 7: Anger Issues (pt. 2)

Universe: 2012

Day: 3

Mikey hummed as he made himself more hot chocolate in Casey’s kitchen. The two dorks fast asleep on the couch didn’t stir hearing him move about. His hand hesitated over the cupboard, wondering if he could cook himself something. As much as he loved junk food, he craved something of real substance. He continued to just stand there with his hand hovering over the handle while he thought. Mikey heard Tesla mutter in his sleep and he made up his mind, he’d cook up a meal for the three of them.

Mikey found quickly that Casey’s kitchen was organized very simply, and he found the items he needed with ease. He made quick and quiet work of assessing the pantry and fridge; he grabbed what he deemed good and laid them out on the counter. Aside from onions, Mikey found all the ingredients he needed to make golden curry. He returned to his soft humming while the chicken defrosted in the microwave, and he washed the carrots and potatoes.

It wasn’t long before Mikey was stir-frying the ingredients together. Lost in his own world he didn’t hear Tesla walking into the kitchen.

“Michael? What’re you doing?” He yawned while drowsily rubbing at his eyes. Casey had plopped down at the kitchen table upon hearing food sizzle away in the pan. Mikey froze, worried they would be mad at him for helping himself to Casey’s kitchen. But no such words came, Tesla leaned on the archway into the kitchen, still halfway asleep.

“Smells good.” Casey huffed from the table, not thrilled with being woken up. Mikey grinned, happy to be cooking again. “Hey Casey?” He said over his shoulder, eyes glued to the cooking chicken. Casey hummed, not lifting his head from the table. “Do you have a rice cooker?” Casey groaned loudly as he dragged himself out of his chair, and pulled a rice cooker from behind some boxes in the pantry.

“Thanks.” Mikey beamed as Casey went to die on the couch. Tesla shuffled into the kitchen behind Mikey’s slender frame to start the rice for him. Mikey thanked Tesla and emptied the cup of water into the pan, happily wiggling as he waited for the water to boil.

Once bubbles shook the water he turned the stove down to a simmer, and covered the pan. Satisfied with the state of the curry, he sipped the remnants of his hot chocolate. Tesla was clacking away at his computer as Mikey sat next to him. “I’ve got a few minutes before I have to check on it…” He paused to sip at his drink, Tesla turned his head towards him but never took his eyes off the screen. “Wanna give me the intro to what you’re doin?” Mikey offered with a tilt of his empty mug.

While Tesla gave him the rundown Casey went to get ready. Mikey motioned for him to keep talking while he finished working on the curry. Before long the mouthwatering aroma of their early lunch filled the apartment, luring Casey out and Tesla away from his work.

They ate in silence, aside from their pleased hums no one felt obligated to start small talk.

It wasn’t until Casey had cleared the dishes, and Mikey started the dishwasher that Tesla finally broke the silence.

“Michael. As you know I’ve been working on ways to send you home.” Conflicting feelings of fluttering hope and desperate pleas unsaid reared their heads in Mikey’s heart. “I’m getting close. My calculations are starting to stabilize… I think I even encountered signs of a signal reaching out for mine…” Tesla paused, words lingering on his lips as he stared out the window.

“But?” Mikey offered, dreading whatever Catch 22 awaited him.

“But… something is very wrong.” Tesla’s forehead furrowed, wrinkling in thought. He snatched the remote off the couch and flipped to a news channel.

“Reports say people or things are disappearing from thin air.” The lady on screen wore a thoroughly distressed expression as a clip of footage played. On screen Tesla, Casey, and Mikey watched in silent horror as a pair of teens vanished while walking with their friends. The report buzzed into the background as Mikey slowly turned to Tesla.

“You being here has messed up the flow of time… I think.” Mikey’s breath caught in his throat. “With you and my Mikey being displaced… people… reality is… struggling.” Tesla was at loss for the right words for once.

“Mikey… you have to go home as soon as possible.”

- - - - - - - -

Universe: 2012

Day: 3

POV: Raph

“ Yame .” Splinter’s voice stopped him again. This time Raph’s foot was in a weird position, causing him to collapse. The stout turtle flinched as the end of the cane came down loudly in front of his face. “You still aren’t thinking, Raphael.” Raph was yanked to his feet, Splinter scowled at him. “How will you protect your brothers if you can’t fight? Why must you fail at something so simple?”

Raph glared at the tatami mat, he knew he wasn’t weak. His sensei was just being unfair with him. He wouldn’t get angry, he could control himself. “First you hurt Michelangelo, now you can’t even complete a simple training exercise.” Splinter placed his cane by the tree, and he moved into a fighting stance.

Oh no… No. Not this again. There was no part of Raph that wanted to spend the next however long getting his shell handed to him. But it’s not like he ever got a say, Splinter’s traditional view on things took that away from him. Splinter seemed convinced hours of training would reshape Raph’s mind. He just wanted to go finish the sweater he was knitting, that would make him feel better. That would calm his mind.

He focused on that. Splinter twisted around to evade and retaliate, Raph predicted this. Hit after hit, they exchanged attacks tit for tat. Raph stayed calm, even as Splinter tested him, throwing insults his way. The hothead refused to be egged on. His tail whipped around and smacked Raph in the face, electric bolts of pain shot from his mouth down his spine. The hit landed squarely over his braces.

Raph crumpled to the ground cradling his aching mouth in his hands. From the corner of his bleary eyes he noticed Splinter being to reach for him. But his thin hands hesitated, before retreating back into their normal folded stance.

How much he longed for that though. A gentle touch from his Sensei, his father. Just once he’d like to be helped to his feet, and praised for his effort in one of these sessions. But that’s just a pipe dream, Raph supposed.

“Yame.” Raph stilled, preparing for whatever came next. “That’s enough for today…” He hesitated, but ultimately ended up turning away. Raph barely so much as breathed until he saw those ornate doors close behind the rat.

Despite the fight they had earlier, all Raph wanted was to sit in silence with his twin and knit. So he did the only thing he could think of.

“Leo…?” He knocked quietly, his bag of yarn in one hand, Leo’s favorite drink in the other. He heard an angry muffled voice from inside, he was sure it said “fuck off-” or something of that effect. But Raph wouldn’t be dissuaded, he knocked again “Leo… please. Let’s talk.” He nearly begged, his forehead braced on the door. There was a sigh, and several moments of silence before the door cracked open. “ Just talk?” Leo’s voice was raspy, no doubt from the screaming match they got into.

“Yeah. Just talking. No fighting. You were right… so so right.” Raph didn’t need to keep groveling as his twin’s door opened, revealing a very tired Leo.The door was left open as his sibling wordlessly flopped back down onto his bed. Raph followed him in, silently sitting in the desk chair to start knitting. Leo didn’t comment, Raph focused on his project. The twins sat in silence, probably the best part of their day. Raph was almost finished with the second sleeve when Leo spoke up.

“So,” He didn’t bother looking over, both twins knew the other was listening, “I was right, huh?” When they had last spoken, Leo berated Raph for being so harsh when the news had been dropped. Sure, Leo had also chased Mikey, and put a few hits in; Raph was the one who did the most damage. Leo tried to reason with Raph, he said that even though this was a different Mikey, he was still their brother. Raph had a hard time accepting it during the argument. But the more he thought, the worse he felt. His needles sped up, needing to vent his emotions into his project.

“Yeah. Like it or not… he’s still our bro… and we shouldn’t have reacted that way.” He laughed bitterly. “Fuck’s sake… what's wrong with us?” From the corner of his eye he saw Leo run a hand over his face. “Can’t argue with that. We really messed up, didn’t we?” They both sat there in the silence for a while longer. Leo leaned over to grab something from the chest at the foot of his bed. The blue masked turtle watched Raph cradle his jaw, and pulled out a piece of silicone covered in bite marks. Raph gladly took it, and chewed on it lightly to ease the ache in his teeth.

Raph propped his foot on Leo’s bed, his stomach took on the ache his teeth had. Mikey’s betrayed face still haunted him, Raph couldn’t close his eyes without seeing that missing tooth or the rapidly forming bruises. Raph groaned into his hands, “We have to apologize…” He let his head slam backwards into the bed, “We can never make up for that… can we?” Now it was Leo’s turn sadly laugh, “Of course not. We don’t deserve his forgiveness… Why are we like this? Until we learned he wasn’t our real brother we still treated him like shit!”

Raph’s hands clenched into fists. He knew what was wrong, every time he traced their problems back to the root he found the same conclusion. “It’s Sensei.” He grit his teeth, ready to hear Leo flip out, but was surprised to just hear a deep, suffered, sigh.

“I know…”

- - - - - - - - -

POV: Mikey (2018)

“I”M WHAT?!” Mikey flipped out, pacing back and forth about the room.

Tesla held out his hands in a placating manner. “Look- Mikey, I’m cl-close to get… get-” Tesla breathed harshly, trying to gather his words, “Getting a stable connection. We just need to swap you- swap you guys back and everything will be fine for our timeline!” Mikey held his breath, realizing that it was now or never.

“About that…” Tesla and Casey eyed him suspiciously, “With how Raphael… Leo… heck even how Splinter your DAD treated me… treated all of you.” Mikey rubbed his arms to calm himself down.

“Michael… What are you saying?” Tesla’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“It’s not safe here for other me… For you! C… Come back with me Tesla.” Mikey couldn’t bear to witness Tesla’s reaction. Casey growled something under his breath and pulled Tesla away to discuss something in harsh whispers.

“Casey you could come too! Hell- If you finish your calculations quickly enough, and we get enough time… Maybe Ben- your Mikey could snatch the things he wants and that could be that!” Sweat formed on his forehead as he nervously explained his idea.

“M. You can’t really expect me- expect us to just… Drop everything and… Move to another universe?? I have a sister! A hockey scholarship lined up! And Tesla’s got his family here dude!” Casey yelled, waving his hands as to drive home his point. Mikey teared up for the umpteenth time since waking up in this world. He didn’t want to make anyone angry with him, he just wanted to help .

He shouldn’t have assumed, he guessed. After all, they had their entire lives to live here. And if him leaving would fix everything, then maybe he just needed to bide his time until he could go. But damn if he wasn’t going to keep trying to convince them. Benny couldn’t come back to this… But in the end, it wasn’t up to him.

And Mikey was just going to have to be okay with whatever that meant in the end.

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