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tangledinink · 1 year

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Chapter Thirteen of I'm Sorry, Teenage Mutant What Now? is up! The gang journeys through the Hidden City to investigate the Battle Nexus. They journey through and investigate old memories on the way. Read it on ao3 or below the cut!

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"BARON DRAXUM!"

Everyone in the room winced, including Baron Draxum, who awoke with a start, sitting stark upright and snarling in response as he swayed.

"Jeez, Recruit... Love the enthusiasm, but tone it down a bit, maybe," Lieutenant bit out, rubbing his ears, still reeling from the volume of her wake-up call. Casey flushed just the tiniest bit.

"My apologies, sensei!" She cried, immediately falling into a bow, but privately she thought to herself it worked, didn't it? Nothing else that they had tried had even begun to stir the yokai, who they had found tied up and in an unconscious heap inside his own underground lab. They had arrived expecting to help transport the Hamato children to their main hideout, certain they would be, of course, apprehended neatly by Draxum by now... but evidently this was not the case.

"What in the world happened?" The Lieutenant voiced Casey's own thoughts aloud, holding his hands out exasperatedly. "You said you were going to get the Hamatos."

"Yes, well, things were a bit more complicated than I anticipated..." Draxum hissed, gritting his teeth.

"You said you could handle them on your own! We offered to send you back-up, but you didn't want to wait! Surely four children didn't overpower you--"

"They did not overpower me," Draxum snapped, turning to snarl as he dragged himself back up to his feet. "Some damned witch placed a protection spell on them," he seethed, absolutely bristling. "I can't touch them..." He grit his teeth. "... I will simply have to account for this in the future..."

Lieutenant and Brute seemed somewhat unimpressed, Cassandra noted, glancing at them from the corners of her eyes as the two exchanged looks.

"Yes, well," Lieutenant mused, his hands on his hips. "I'm sure there will be other opportunities to kidnap children in the future. However, the Dark Armor remains our priority. Come on. We've wasted enough time here, and we have a new lead to investigate..."

"Don't worry. You'll get 'em next time," Brute tried to encourage, patting Draxum's shoulders, to which he snarled and batted his hands away, grumbling to himself as he stalked off after them, discussing as they went.

Cassandra sighed softly, rolling her shoulders back and forth a few times before she trailed after her three superiors.

Yes.... The Dark Armor was the priority.

---

The collective shriek of their group was cut off by a loud thud, immediately followed by a chorus of groans. Okay, so, travel by teleportation was... a little disorientating. The fact that most of them currently sucked at staying on their own two damn feet didn't help matters. Some more than others.

"Sorry!" Raph immediately bit out, wriggling from atop the heap, an awkward chuckle escaping him.

"Raph, my wonderful brother," Leo grit out. "You know I love you dearly. But I'm really gonna need you to stop knocking us all over like bowling pins."

"Well, look, you try walkin' around with a giant tail you ain't used to! It's not as easy as it looks!" He defended, throwing his hands up. "I'm doin' my best over here!"

"Whoa!" Mikey effectively ended their squabble with his gasp, sitting up quickly in order to give a wild gesture. "Guys, look!"

And damn. Whoa was right.

Raph was a New Yorker, so he wasn't easy to impress. He wasn't immediately awed by big, sprawling cityscapes or towering skyscrapers, but this place was... something else. It looked somewhere between an actual city and some sort of mystic ruin, residing as 'neither' and 'both' all at the same time. The buildings themselves seemed to grow from the stone landscape, curving and sliding to match the terrain. Glowing mushrooms, crystals, and occasionally the eyes of massive statues provided brightly colored lighting, leaving the various neon signs and backlit advertisements of the city seeming pale in comparison. Street vendors, kiosks, and tents lined the bustling streets, and each and every creature making up the massive crowds was something completely alien that Raph had never seen nor imagined before. Yokai, he thought to himself. That's what April said they were called.

Rather than sharp, straight lines and confident corners, this place seemed built from jagged outlines and curving bends, looping and winding around itself as if the entire city were hanging on, clinging to itself, holding hands, nestled in between the hulking forms of unmoving stone creatures that Raph was unsure how to categorize. He didn't feel confident saying that they weren't alive after the day they had had, despite their frozen forms and their dead, unseeing eyes.

"This must be the Hidden City," Mikey said, and Leo let out a low whistle as the five of them took in the view.

"Good job, little guy. Knew you could get us here," April hummed, giving the little yellow creature they had rescued a squeeze. His tail wagged wildly in reply, snuggling up in her embrace.

"Alright, now we just gotta get to the Battle Nexus from here," Leo said with a sigh, shifting his weight onto one leg, hand on his hip as he glanced over at the yellow critter. "Any idea where that is?"

The creature chirred in response, nodding excitedly and scrambling down from April's arms in order to lead the way. Leo grinned.

"Okay, I take back all my earlier doubts and hesitations. Bringing this guy with us was a great idea," Leo declared as the group set off.

Though the acquisition of weapons, all tucked or stowed away in backpacks or belt loops or pockets, had helped a bit, Raph had still been, admittedly, pretty nervous about entering the city, a pool of anxiety swirling around in his gut. Given the day they had had so far, he couldn't help but imagine a hoard of devious yokai dogpiling him and his siblings the moment they set foot into unknown territory. But, to his quiet surprise, no one spared them even a second glance, all seeming far too occupied with their own errands and lives to glance over at their ragtag group.

Somehow, this made Raph feel a bit better. For several reasons. He supposed that, at the very least, they didn't seem to be freaks here.

"Don't worry, Dad, we're on our way," Mikey chirped, and despite his current relief, Raph still couldn't quite understand how his little brother could be so cheerful. Mikey always amazed him with his emotional resilience. Wished he had some of that.

"Eugh, is he even gonna recognize us when we get there?" Leo said with a wince, wrinkling up his face a bit. "We look, uh... a little different than when he last saw us."

"I'm pretty sure he knows, Leo," Donnie remarked. "He's the one who put the bracelets on us in the first place. He knows."

Raph glanced dimly down at the little golden bracelet still encircling his wrist, the red gem now seeming a bit duller somehow, and he frowned. So this little trinket was mystic all along, huh? Now that he knew, it seemed stupidly obvious. He wondered anxiously if they still worked anymore, or if they were broken forever.

"No wonder he didn't want us to take these things off," Leo muttered, looking over his own, holding his arm up to examine it. "Jeez. I can't believe he kept this a secret from us. How did we not know?"

Mikey gave a thoughtful hum. "Do you guys remember when we were really little? Before we moved? And we used to pretend we were turtles all the time?"

"Somehow I don't think that was pretend, Mikey," Donnie said with a roll of his eyes.

"That's what I'm saying!" Mikey insisted. "But you guys do remember that, right? I just... I always thought that that was just us playing a game or something, but it must have been real! So we knew at some point!"

"And then we forgot..." Donnie mumbled, tilting his head to the side thoughtfully, already obviously doing calculations in his head.

"You guys were pretty weird when you first moved here," April remarked.

"Oh come on. How do you just forget that you're a turtle?" Leo argued, glancing over his shoulder at the others. "That seems like the kind of thing that'd stick with you."

"I dunno," Mikey shrugged. "But obviously we did!"

"You're not implyin' that Dad did somethin', are ya?" Raph questioned, narrowing his eyes, and Leo immediately huffed.

"No! Of course not!" He frowned. "It's just... I dunno. It's weird, is all. It's crazy to think about how much stuff that we just... forgot."

"Well, what do you remember?" Donnie nudged. "Like, from before the move."

"Not much," Leo admitted, scrunching up his nose. "Everything from back then is fuzzy. I don't even know where we moved from."

"I think..." Donnie hesitated a moment. "I think we moved from there."

"Where. The Hidden City?" Mikey questioned.

"No, no, back there. I mean. The sewer we were in before," Donnie pressed. "Didn't it seem... kind of familiar to you guys?"

"Well..." Raph frowned.

"Mikey! Wait!" Raph laughed, stumbling as he chased after his littlest brother. He still didn't walk with a terrible amount of grace, but he crawled like a madman, and Raph took great joy in chasing him around. Mikey did, too, giggling maniacally as he attempted to dodge the other.

Raph could feel, reaching back into the memory, that the bottoms of his feet were cold. The ground was hard beneath them, like stone. Like concrete. He remembered worrying about Mikey's knees. And, thinking back on it now, he swore he could almost hear the sound of running water in the background.

"I go’chyu!" Raph declared, grabbing Mikey, who squealed in response, wriggling against him.

Everything from back then was blurred; cobbled together like pieces of glass glued into a mosaic, appearing in his mind’s eye as a series of blotted, wrinkled images. Were they turtles or people back then? He wasn't sure. Where were they?

"I remember it was dark..." He said. "And cold a lot. The ground was stone or somethin.’"

"I remember that, too!" Mikey gasped.

"Whoa, wait!" Mikey squirmed his way out of Raph's arms again, attempting an escape, and a flare of panic flashed through him for a moment. He dove for Mikey for real this time, not playing anymore, grabbing his brother before he could get too far.

"We can't go that way, Mikey. Daddy said 's not safe yet," he explained when his brother whined in complaint, hoisting him back the way they came, his footsteps clumsy while trying to drag his brother along. "We gotta stay in these tunnels."

"And... I think I remember there being… tunnels," he continued. "Or somethin' like that. It was really big, wherever we were, but we could only go into certain places. And the rest was off-limits, ‘cause Dad said he hadn’t checked them all to make sure they were okay yet. I remember keepin' Mikey from wanderin' off."

"I remember tunnels!" Mikey exclaimed. "I remember yelling into them when we were little and listening to them echo. I remember doing it until Leo made me stop!"

"I don't remember that," Leo protested, crossing his arms.

"You did!" Mikey insisted. "You said I had to play something else because it was bothering Donnie."

"That would be in character for you," April remarked with a tiny grin.

"Sounds like sewers to me," Donnie said with a shrug.

"Maybe," Leo conceded. "But why the hell would Dad keep us in the sewers?"

"There’s probably limited options when your kids are literally part-turtle," Raph reasoned with a grumble.

"Yeah, but abandoned sewers?" Leo pressed. "Come on. Was that really the only choice? Couldn't he have just... kept us inside or something?"

"I don't think so," Donnie said, frowning a bit, shaking his head. Leo sighed.

"Why not?"

"Leo, Dad has one of these bracelets, too," Donnie said. "Remember?"

---

The rest of their journey through the Hidden City went about the same way. One of the boys would bring up some old memory, and they'd discuss for a while, before the conversation would peter out and they'd walk in silence for a bit before the cycle started all over again. April pointed out that they had all regularly chirped and clicked and made other odd noises when she had first met them, but eventually, they grew out of it (mostly.) Raph discussed his memories of watching his younger brothers when they were very little, waiting somewhere dark and quiet for their dad to get back from wherever he was going. Donnie and Leo both remembered sleeping together as toddlers, somewhere very small and curled up, like a nest of some kind, both agreeing that it didn't quite seem like a crib or a bed. Mikey mentioned how many times he got in trouble for painting or drawing on walls when they first moved into the apartment, and how much it had upset and confused him in the beginning-- was that because their dad hadn't bothered to correct the behavior when they lived in the sewers?

"When we first started swim team," Donnie mused, tilting his head back to stare up at the sky. "I remember sometimes, we would have contests with the other kids to see how long we could hold our breaths."

"I remember that," Leo agreed. "And we'd always win!"

"Yes, but..." Donnie hummed. "I think we probably could have won by a lot more if we wanted."

"What do you mean?" Raph questioned.

"Well," Donnie explained. "I recall, or, at least, I think I do, that… that when we first started partaking in those contests, it was... it was easy. Everyone else would have already come up to breathe, but I'd feel completely fine. I'd only come up because I had won and the contest was over. But after a while, people started being weird about it," he frowned. "To be fair, people were weird about a lot of things I did. And I will admit I didn’t always catch on, but I noticed this one,” he said, laughing dryly and giving a wave of his hands. “And at the time, I just wrote it off as one of many! Just another thing that I did that made me different from my peers. But I started coming up earlier so I'd be more... normal," he confessed. "And I'd pretend like I was out of breath when I wasn't, so people would stop looking at me like that. Or, well. People stopped looking at me like that for that particular reason. And I guess eventually I just... I got so used to pretending that it just became second nature, and I didn’t even realize I was pretending anymore."

Leo nodded slowly, looking thoughtful, his arms crossed over his chest. “Yeah… Yeah, that sounds… that sounds right, actually…”

"I remember thinking the same thing!" Raph exclaimed, his eyes wide at the realization. "Except I felt bad that all the other kids kept losin' so bad! I started pretendin' 'cause I didn't want everyone else to get discouraged, and I just did it for so long...!"

"But you're the best swimmer, Dee," Leo remarked, nudging his twin slightly with a tiny smile. "So I wouldn't be surprised if you can hold your breath the longest, too. I mean, christ, you literally have webbed fingers now."

April glanced down at her brother’s hands, noting quietly to herself that it was true. If she was being totally honest with herself, it was a bit alien to look at, so she drew her eyes back away after a moment.

"That does make sense," April hummed. "And it'd explain why you guys are so good at swim meets and stuff, too."

The other three paused, and Leo frowned a bit. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean. If you're turtles, then... obviously you're gonna be good at swimming," she reasoned with a shrug. "It makes sense. Of course you’re gonna win!"

"Mikey doesn't swim," Donnie pointed out.

"Maybe he's a different kind of turtle who doesn't swim?"

"A terrestrial turtle..." Donnie hummed, resting his chin in his hand, brows furrowed. "Maybe a box turtle or something..."

"You think I'm a box turtle?!" Mikey gasped, his eyes lighting up.

"But obviously the rest of you would be good at swimming if you're, like, aquatic," she continued. "So I'm not surprised you all always kicked so much butt at swim meets and stuff!"

"... Yeah. I guess so," Raph said, but he seemed kind of... dejected, almost. Like he was upset. The conversation shifted shortly after, focus shifting to Mikey’s new identity as a box turtle, but April's mind lingered.

Why did she feel like she had just said something wrong?

---

“This is the Battle Nexus?!"

Raph gawked slightly, suddenly feeling a lot less confident. He could feel the various winces and mumbles around him. "It's a goddamn fortress! We're never gettin' in there!"

"Oh, come on. What were you expecting? To just walk in?" Leo scoffed. "It's not that bad!"

"Not that bad?!" Raph squawked, turning to gesture wildly to the massive walls, the towering, heavily guarded entrances, the watch towers perched on nearly every corner... Christ, was that a blimp overhead!? "Are you crazy?! There’s no way!!!"

"Well, not with that attitude," Leo said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah! We're basically ninjas, Raph, we got this!" Mikey cheered, ever optimistic.

"We’re not ninjas, Mikey. And there's no way in hell we're sneakin' in there. You two are out of your mind," Raph said with a scowl.

"We don't gotta sneak!" Leo insisted, waving away the other's concerns. "Don't worry! I'll talk us in there, no problem! Leon's got this. I'm an actor, remember? I just gotta charisma our way past one of those guards."

"You wanna talk your way in?" April questioned, raising a brow. "Leo, are you sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure! This'll be a piece of cake. C'mon-- watch and be amazed!"

They were not amazed.

"Seriously, Leo?" Raph hissed, no more than five minutes later, the group slinking back into the same alley they had started from with a few new bumps and bruises and their metaphorical (literal?) tails between their legs. "Caravaggio? The awards show host? From the Bloodsporties?"

"I thought it'd work!" Leo cried, throwing up his hands. "Everyone likes to be flattered! People love it when you bring them awards!"

"Why do you need four assistants to drop off an award?" Donnie hissed.

"It's a very important award!" Leo insisted.

"That no one's ever heard of?!"

"Yet," Leo huffed. "Okay, look, it's fine. Leon's still got this. We just gotta switch over to plan B."

"Plan B had better not be at all similar to Plan A," Raph said, crossing his arms. "Or involve any of us being strong-armed off the premises by a massive yokai guard!"

"It won't, it won't, I promise!" Leo assured, getting to his feet again. "Okay. Watch and be amazed! Again!"

Leo shook out his limbs, straightening his posture, rolling his shoulders back, and setting his feet apart. And then, for just a moment, he was completely still. His chest didn't even twitch with a single breath. All at once, he inhaled sharply--

... And nothing happened.

"Wow. Amazing," Donnie said dryly.

"Well, just, gimme a minute! You're breaking my concentration!" Leo snapped, repeating the motion-- and then again, and then a few more times, until he was basically flailing in place, repeatedly thrashing in the same spot. "Come-- ON! Work already!"

"Leo, what the hell are you doin'?" Raph sighed. Leo groaned loudly in frustration.

"I am trying to use my mystic teleportation powers! Obviously!"

"Your what?" Donnie scoffed.

"I'm sorry, you mean the weird mystic things that we've been doin' completely against our will for the past two weeks and have absolutely zero control over? That one?" Raph grit out.

"Well, I'm starting to get the hang of the pattern..." Leo muttered.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!!!"

"Well, maybe he can really do it!" Mikey chipped in with a bit of tentative encouragement.

"So, let me get this straight," Donnie said, rubbing his temples. "You are trying to teleport all six of us inside of the Battle Nexus... using your mind. Is that correct?"

Leo scowled. He shuffled his feet at the dirt, his lower lip poked out.

"It could happen," he huffed.

"You're an idiot."

"Leo, there's no way this is ever gonna work! We barely even know anything about these powers!" Raph insisted. "What if it's dangerous?!"

"I'm getting the hang of it!" Leo repeated. "I could do it! And how would you know, anyway? You don't even have any powers yet!"

"Guys!" April yelled over the chaos, and the rest of the group paused to glance over.

Scowling, she gestured wildly to the little yellow yokai creature that had led him here.

Oh, right. The one who teleported.

There was a long beat of silence.

"Yeah, that's probably a better plan," Leo reluctantly conceded, though he was still pouting.

"Thank you," April said, scooping the yokai up, who purred and waved his tail, seemingly happy to help. "Okay, come on guys, huddle up. And try not to fall over this time!"

The whole group obeyed, scrunching up around each other and grabbing onto various hands and elbows to make sure everyone would make it to where they needed to go. But something Leo had said nagged at the edges of Raph's mind, gnawing at him even as a bright flash of cyan light overtook them, the world going out from under their feet as they teleported once again.

Why didn't he have any powers yet?

---

Donatello wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting the inside of the Battle Nexus to look like, but it wasn’t ‘literal sports stadium.’

Though they stumbled a bit, they all managed to keep their footing this time once they teleported inside the halls of the Battle Nexus, thankfully in a quiet, unoccupied corner just outside of a stairwell. Perhaps it had been naive of him, but he hadn’t expected the inside of this place to so closely resemble the inside of a modern football arena.

“Nice job, little guy,” April whispered to the little yellow yokai, who looked just a bit more tired than he had before, Donnie noted, panting softly. “We’ll take it from here. You rest,” she instructed gently, tucking the critter into her jacket.

“Anyone have any idea where we’re going?” Leo questioned, looking around suspiciously.

“No,” Raph admitted. “But everyone stick close. And… act casual. This place has gotta be crawling with yokai!” Donnie concurred; he could hear the roars of the crowd from here. “If we don’t call any attention to ourselves, we can just blend in. Dad has be around here somewhere.”

“You got it, bossman,” Leo hummed. “Come on. I think the main stadium is over there. Let’s check that out first and see what the deal is.”

Now, Donnie may be a theater kid, but he was not exactly an actor the way Leo was, (or claimed to be, anyway,) and so ‘acting casual’ was a bit of a demand. He was very focused on trying to make his body language ‘casual,’ in keeping his muscles untensed and his expression neutral, to the extent that he was not especially paying that much attention to their surroundings as the group trailed after Leo. He followed his siblings’ lead into the main seating area of the arena, adjusting the settings of his headphones slightly as they moved to join the edges of the crowd, hoping to keep out the excited screams of the fans.

As a result, he was a bit taken aback when he did look up to take in the scene of the ring below them.

And oh. Oh my god.

This really was fucking bloodsport, huh?

“Jesus christ--”

He was vaguely aware of Raph’s hand hurriedly slapping over Mikey’s eyes before he could get a good look at the scene not just in the battle ring below, but also projected onto the massive jumbotron, and the younger immediately gave a yelp of protest.

“Hey! Raph--”

“Mikey, I know that you don’t wanna be babied and you’re gonna complain, but I really need you to just trust your big brother on this one,” Raph hissed out, his voice tight. “Don’t. Look.”

April had her hands over her mouth, and Leo bristled, mumbling a few curses. Donnie really, really didn’t want to be watching this, but he couldn’t quite take his eyes away. There was a wet, crunching noise, so loud that they could hear it even from up here in the balconies (were they mic’ed up? Sweet baby Galileo--) and the entire party winced around him as the crowds roared in delight.

“What happened?!” Mikey cried from behind Raph’s hands.

“Donnie?” April said, glancing over at him.

He swallowed hard, his stomach flipping. No, no, no. Come on. Keep it together, Vomitello. Not the time, not the place, not at all casual…!

Leo, to his credit, caught on pretty quickly, paling a bit at the realization and jumping forward to bodily whip Donnie away from the scene, beginning to herd the group away.

“Okay, well, Dad’s definitely not down there!” He bit out with a nervous laugh. “Thank fucking god… Look. Obviously, we’re up super high. Let’s find the stairs, start heading down, and see if we find anything on the way,” he said hurriedly, not slowing his pace until they were basically back out where they started, in the near-abandoned outside hallways.

“Sounds like a plan,” Raph said, finally releasing his grip on Mikey’s head. “Uh. Don…?”

“I’m good,” he squeaked out, leaning over slightly, his hands on his knees as he coughed a few times. “All good, no problem…! Just… gimme a second…!”

“Donald,” Leo said through gritted teeth, clapping his hands together decisively. “I am literally begging you not to puke right now.”

“I am doing my best, thank you!” Donnie snapped in response, squeezing his eyes shut. “Oh my god, why was it so lumpy? It looked like cottage cheese!”

“What are you doing!? Stop thinking about it!” Leo cried.

“Think about something else instead! Like… the periodic table! You love that thing,” Mikey suggested brightly. “Like, uhhh, what’s the symbol for chlorine?”

“C-L,” Donnie bit out, flapping his hands a bit and letting out a slow breath through a clenched jaw. “Come on, Mikey, that’s way too easy.”

“Okay, uhhm, what’s the atomic number for iodine?”

“Fifty-three.”

“Yeah! And what’s the atomic mass of titanium?”

“Forty-seven-point-eight-six-seven.”

“Yep! And uranium?”

“Oh, uranium, my beloved, my white whale…! Two-hundred and thirty-eight-point-zero-two-eight-nine.”

“AHHH!” Mikey imitated a buzzer. “Wrong!”

Donnie’s head snapped up. “What?!”

“Just kidding!” Mikey chirped happily. “I don’t actually know the answer. You’re probably right.”

“Oh, you evil genius,” Donnie said, shaking his head. “I’m never helping you study for science class ever again.”

“Pshhhh, yeah you will. Plus you feel better now, don’t you?” Mikey pressed, grinning wide.

“Yes, okay, fine. I owe you one,” Donnie sighed deeply, offering just the smallest of smiles and rubbing the other’s head as though tousling hair, (not that he had any anymore. Ugh, don’t think about that, either,) eliciting a giggle from the other. At least the nausea had backed off now. “Okay. Come on. Leo’s right, shockingly enough. Let’s head downstairs and see if we can find anything.”

“Oh thank god,” Leo whispered, yanking the door to the stairwell open and gesturing to his siblings. “Okay, c’mon, let’s go! Vamanos!”

The trip down through the Battle Nexus was long and boring, but admittedly, calming. Donnie had always been a fan of repetitive actions, and so far, every new floor they investigated they found much of the same, not uncovering much save for more seating for screaming, cheering yokai along with the occasional food court or souvenir stand. Any guards they found they made sure to steer clear of, slowly working their way down through the stadium.

“This is going nowhere,” Raph hissed softly, leaning into Leo as they did a lap through yet another floor of stadium seating. Quite frankly, Donnie was beginning to wonder if all these floors were exactly the same. “Where the heck do you think they’re keepin’ Dad?”

“I don’t know! How would I know?” Leo questioned, bristling a bit.

“This was your plan!”

“Yeah, ‘cause no one else had a plan!” He bit back, scowling. “Look, we’ve just gotta… uh… we’ve gotta…” He looked around for a moment, floundering for just a second before he lit up, pointing.

“We’ve just gotta follow one of those guys!”

Everyone glanced over, and April frowned a bit.

“Follow one of the guards?”

“Yeah!” Leo nodded excitedly. “Look, if anyone’s gonna know how to get into the secret, spooky parts of the Nexus, it’ll be an employee! There’s no way Dad’s just in the stands somewhere or in any of the other public bits of this place. And we’re just walking in circles.” He said with a roll of his wrist. “But I bet if we tail one of those dudes, they’ll lead us straight to him! We just gotta be sneaky.”

“He does have a pretty good point,” Mikey reasoned.

“I dunno. It seems kinda dangerous,” April said, raising a brow.

“Yeah, but we don’t have any other ideas…” Raph said, crossing his arms over his chest.

The three of them glanced over at Donnie, and he sighed, tilting his head back and forth for a moment to do some rapid calculations.

“I do agree that the risk associated with this plan of action is… significant,” he said, frowning a bit. “Butttttt… just wandering around aimlessly isn’t going to get us anywhere. Following someone has a much higher probability of success.”

“That sounds good enough to me!” Raph said, giving a nod. “Alright. Let’s do this then. Everyone’s just gotta be ninja-level sneaky. Got it?”

“Got it,” the group agreed, giving a nod.

Would this go horribly wrong? Only one way to find out.

Finding their target was easy enough. This place was crawling with guards, quite frankly, they just had to pick one. After rejecting the first few targets, as they were all rather beefy, they settled on a slightly smaller, less-deadly-looking Nexus employee to follow.

“Okay,” Leo said. “We’ve just gotta tail him for a while and see where he goes. Everyone stick close, and be quiet.”

“Obviously! You don’t have to tell us to be quiet!” Donnie hissed back.

“Both of you shut up!” Raph whispered. “Look, come on, pay attention! He’s on the move. Mad Dogz, roll out! We can’t lose this guy.”

Donnie huffed and grumbled a bit, resisting the urge to hipcheck Leo as the group began picking their way through the halls, taking care to stick to the shadows. At first, Donnie thought that this was just another waste of their time, and they would end up doing even more laps around the stadium. He dared to get his hopes up, however, when the fox-like yokai paused in front of an unassuming wall. It looked about the same as any other portion of wall in this place, but once the Yokai placed his hand (paw?) to it, it lit up white, and suddenly, there was a door that wasn’t there before.

“Whoa! Lookit that!” Mikey gasped.

“We’re all already looking at it, Mikey, be quiet,” Donnie hissed.

“What’d Raph say!? Shut it! And come on! Quick and quiet, before the door closes!” Raph whispered with a hurried wave of his arm, and the five took off, closing the gap between themselves and the guard in order to slip inside the secret panel, quiet as ninjas-- just like Dad taught them. Even April was surprisingly quiet, and Donnie was privately impressed. It took them years of lessons with their dad (and ill-advised shenanigans that they wished not to face consequences for,) to get this good at sneaking.

All five of them made it in, and the guard was already halfway down the hall by the time they joined them, seemingly none the wiser. Donnie didn’t make a sound, but silently, he fucking whooped and cheered. Yes!!! He had been really fifty-fifty on whether or not this was going to work out.

At the end of the hall, the fox guard clicked a button on the wall, and about five seconds later, the wall opened up like an elevator.

The elevator had about eight other yokai inside. These yokai did not have their backs on them.

“HEY!” One of them immediately shouted, pointing at their group, as they had not yet managed to find a proper hiding space in the long, but sparse hallway. Every single other yokai snapped around to look at them. “What’re you doing in here!? This is employees only!”

Fuck.

“Uhhh…” A pained smile spread on Leo’s face. “We’re looking for the bathroom?”

“Sure,” the fox scoffed, turning to face them properly now, beginning to make his way back down the short hall to meet them. “Alright, lemme see your tickets. I’ll escort you back to your seats.”

“Our tickets? Uhhh… Sure…” Raph spluttered for a moment, laughing nervously. “Let’s see, uh, where did we put--”

April yanked her club from her backpack and promptly slammed it into the yokai’s head with a loud thunk.

“APRIL!” Raph screamed, jumping in surprise. “What the hell!?”

“Well, there’s nowhere to run!” She shouted in response, and, ah, welp, there she went. Full charge ahead, then? “Come on, we gotta get into that elevator!”

Donnie sighed deeply. Well, he had predicted fifty-fifty.

He set his jaw, rolling his shoulders a few times before whipping his bo staff from his back. “Alright, well. Here we go.”

“COWABUNGA!” Raph shouted as he charged forward, and Donnie resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They were gonna have to work on battle formations and plans later.

But he was prepared this time. He wasn’t gonna freeze up and back down.

Yes, this was a fight. An actual, for real fight, which he had never been in before! But he hadn’t trained for nothing.

He got this. They’d be fine. They got this.

Leo laughed, sliding forward with quick, practiced ease, his odachi flashing forward to smack the blunt of the blade against the ankles of the nearest yokai and send them tumbling to the ground while he darted past them. April was right on his tail, beaning anyone who got too close and following her younger brother’s lead. “Come on, guys, keep up!”

“Right behind yah!” Mikey cheered, both him and Raph rushing forward at a matching pace. Despite the size difference, the two easily kept up with one another. Where Raph elbowed his opponents out of the way, clearing himself a path by bodily throwing their enemies to the side, Mikey darted and danced his way around them, a zig-zagged ballet to Raph’s straight, unyielding path. He whooped loudly as he went, always just out of reach with each step.

“Hot Soup!” Donnie noted their eldest brother howled out another battle cry (wasn’t that copyrighted?) Mikey’s kusari-fundo whipped about to fling him forward, tackling the largest of the guards to the ground and sending them both tumbling down the hall.

Like… Both of them tumbling.

Also, Mikey was in the mix too, still attached by the chains of his kusari-fundo.

Well, at least it was still forward momentum!

Donnie inhaled deeply, his muscles coiling.

Couldn’t get left behind.

He darted down the hallway, jumping over and dodging around anyone already on the ground. At one point, a hand flashed out, grabbing at his ankle, and Donnie bit out a series of curses. He wrenched himself out of their grip, stumbling slightly, and nearly ran straight into one of the other (quite large) yokai in the hallway. A rapid equation darted through his head, however, and he just barely managed to correct his footing at the last second, turning sharply on his heel to transfer the momentum into his staff. The weapon curled around to slam into the guard with a heavy, satisfying thawk, sending them sprawling to the ground, and the entire hallway shuddered at the impact.

Well, that was a close one. He hopped over their fallen form and surged ahead, reaching down to grab Mikey’s hand as he went, dragging both him and Raph to their feet behind him, “Come on!”

The two found their footing quickly with the assist, falling back into a sprint-- smacking and dodging enemies as they went with about a seventy-five-percent success rate. Jesus, had this hallway always been this long? It felt like it was taking a stupid amount of time to get to the other end of it! Out of the very corners of his eyes, Donnie just barely spotted one of the larger guards rising back up to their feet, lunging at him from behind-- only for a neon green club to come whipping out of nowhere at the very last second, colliding with the side of his assailant’s head and throwing him right back to the ground.

“Hey! Only I get to hit my little brothers!” April shrieked, her face set in a furious scowl. The guard, a huge, stocky, lion-like creature snarled in reply, lashing out with his legs to send her sprawling to the floor with a yelp.

“Oh, you did not just do that to our friend!” Mikey snapped, flashing forward to stand protectively in front of their sister, his kusari-fundo whizzing around them, filling the air with a barely-there whine. “Back off!”

He lashed out with the weapon, his arm whipping forward with the movement-- only to blink in surprise when physics failed to behave as expected. Which, uh, was pretty unusual for physics. Physics were typically pretty reliable. But the weight at the end of his weapon spun wildly in place, suspended in air for several long seconds, before it promptly lit up in a blazing flame.

“Ooh!” Mikey shrieked in delight. “Magic weapon! Guys, loo-- ACK!”

And there they were, Donnie thought dimly to himself.

The uncontrolled variables.

Donnie gasped, immediately ducking down and covering his head as his brother flew about the room like a deranged bird, still hanging onto his (seemingly demonic) mystic weapon. He all but pinballed off the walls, screaming the whole time. The lion just barely managed to leap out of the way before Mikey crashed into the wall, flopping down with a small squeak on impact, luckily seeming shaken but not injured.

“WHOA! Mikey! That was awesome!” Raph gaped, his eyes widening. “Dude, how did you do that?!”

“I dunno!” Mikey said, stumbling to his feet and kind of wavering a bit with dizziness. “I was just swinging my weapon around and it just-- did it!”

“Let me try!” Raph said, shaking his tonfas about like they were goddamn maracas. “Come on, magic weapon, magic weapon, magic weapon-- OOH!” He yelped in surprise as one of the remaining guards crashed into him, snarling as they all but whipped him from his feet. But Raph held his ground. “Okay, alright-- magic weapon tests later! Fight now!”

“Can’t wait to see what mine does!” Leo laughed as he leaped over the group, diving towards an oncoming yokai. He swung his blade forward, slicing through the air with a loud crackle of near-electric energy--

A bright blue circle of mystic energy promptly opened up beneath Leo, and he yelped in surprise as he went plunging downward.

And downward.

“Hm,” Donnie remarked. “I guess he can teleport.”

“GET! ME! OFF! THIS! RIDE!” Leo howled, flailing as he plummeted endlessly through the two parallel portals he had sliced through reality, one below his feet and the other up above his head, only picking up the pace the longer he fell.

Donnie sighed loudly. He was sure someone else would get him. Eventually. In the meantime, someone was gonna have to take care of the remaining yokai guards. Luckily, this one was suitably distracted by his twin brother’s infinite falling.

“And that’s why I like fighting the old-fashioned way,” Donnie hummed, slipping past the yokai’s side and into his blind spot, watching their eyes widen in surprise as he jabbed sharply at them with his bo staff. They were just barely able to dodge out of the way of Donnie’s attacks. “Though the portal does make for some quality entertainment, I must admit--”

They jumped out of Donnie’s range, swiping forward with a clawed arm, and Donnie’s body immediately, instinctively moved in response, his bo staff flashing upward to block the move and force them off-kilter. He hardly even had to think. His body already knew what to do when he needed it.

It’s just like a tournament. No different from a tournament. You’ve won thousands of fights. This is exactly the same thing. Just keep your head, do the math-- You’re good at this, remember?

Bouncing off the yokai’s arm, Donnie’s staff whipped back around to ricochet into the side of their head, earning him a frustrated and perhaps pained snarl in response. See? Donnie grinned, just for a second, ducking easily out of the way of the guard’s counterattack and leaping to the side, finding himself the space once more to adjust his stance and run rapid calculations. Numbers danced in front of his eyes, and he quickly zeroed in on the equation with the best probability of success, building his plan of action around that.

The yokai snarled, leaping after him-- exactly as he expected. Donnie’s entire body instantly snapped downward and out of their path in response, ducking away from their attack. At the same time, they pitched themselves to the left, whipping their bo staff around as they went to find their mark. The guard made a short, strangled noise of surprise as the weapon collided with their throat, sending them reeling in the opposite direction. They were almost immediately on their knees, choking and spluttering as Donnie darted away, just the tiniest bit breathless as he went.

“Just like I planned it--!” He had laughed, quietly delighted that it had, in fact, gone the way he planned it, and why had he been worried? He could do this, he knew how to do this!-- when his youngest sibling went flying into his side with a yelp.

The pair of them tumbled across the hallway before slamming into the wall, bringing their unexpected trip to a sudden and grinding halt. Donnie groaned softly, wincing as he slowly forced himself back up, stars all but dancing in front of his eyes, Mikey flopped over beside him and seeming just as dazed. Ow. Okay. That hadn’t been in his calculations.

He just barely caught sight of the lion yokai diving for them, catching on about half a second before the attack landed.

He didn’t run any numbers this time. He didn’t have the chance.

His muscles moved quicker than even his brain could, throwing himself bodily over top of his baby brother to shield him from the coming impact.

[ next ]

#sorrywhatnowau #sorrywhatnowau fic #rottmnt #tmnt #rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt au #rottmnt fanfic #rottmnt fanfiction #tmnt fanfiction #rottmnt human au #tmnt human au #fanfic #fidgetwing #fighting and potential injury #my beta reader has already informed me ill be hearing from their lawyer so don't worry abt it #also i make my best (and by that i mean dumbest) jokes in this chapter

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bitchiswild · 3 months

Text

Scooter Fate

Anh Yujin x F! Reader

Warnings: none!

Word Count: 1.8k

A/n: this is bullshit work 🤩🤚

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

As the sun began its lazy ascent over the suburban streets, you found yourself reluctantly maneuvering your child's micro-scooter, an embarrassing yet necessary mode of transport. It was drop-off time, the part of the day where single parenting duties converged into a chaotic ballet of managing school bags, lunches, and ensuring your little one made it into class on time.

“Making my way downtown walking fast, faces p-" I was abruptly cut off by an unexpected collision, and to my chagrin, it was none other than my PTA nemesis, Anh Yujin, steering her own micro-scooter. Both our micro-scooters clashed head-on, propelling both of us airborne, only to crash face-first into each other.

“Son of a Bit- Butternut squash,” I blurted out in a mixture of pain and awareness of the surrounding children.

“Shii-take Mushrooms,” Yujin groaned, mirroring my discomfort and also conscious of her surroundings.

“You need to watch where you are going!” our simultaneous accusations echoed, drawing the attention of other parents who swiftly called for an ambulance.

As we both lay there amidst the wreckage of our micro-scooters, wincing from the throbbing pain, mutual animosity stewed between us. Clutching our injured noses, we glared daggers at each other, locked in a momentary standoff. A teacher, sensing the tension, rushed out with tissues to help stem the bleeding, attempting to diffuse the escalating situation between two adults squabbling like children.

The wail of the ambulance pierced the air, marking the arrival of much-needed assistance. The EMTs hurried to assess our condition amidst the debris of shattered scooters.

“Looks like you both broke your noses. We should get you to the hospital for a proper check-up,” one of the EMTs stated matter-of-factly.

Yujin and I exchanged resigned sighs, the annoyance evident on our throbbing faces, but there was little choice but to comply.

"Either of you can sit on the bench with me or take the stretcher," the EMT offered, gesturing towards the seat and the stretcher.

"I call stretcher!" Yujin and I blurted simultaneously, shooting glares at each other. The momentary standoff ended with me being settled on the stretcher, while Yujin reluctantly took the bench beside the EMT. Our silent duel continued even in the confines of the ambulance, a battle of wills even in the choice of seating arrangements.

The bustling Emergency Room was a chorus of activity, a symphony of hurried footsteps and overlapping conversations. Yujin and I found ourselves side by side, occupying the same cramped space of the divided room separated by a thin, flimsy curtain. The discomfort was magnified by our proximity, and it didn't take long for the tension to resurface.

“This can’t be the only available room,” I muttered, my discomfort echoing Yujin’s unspoken sentiments.

A nurse passing by caught wind of our discontent. “I'm sorry, folks. It's a busy day, and this is the only space we have at the moment. We’re doing our best to accommodate everyone,” she explained, her tone apologetic yet final.

With a resigned sigh, we begrudgingly settled into our respective beds, separated only by a curtain that seemed to amplify the uncomfortable intimacy of our shared space.

“We should have separate rooms,” Yujin muttered under her breath, a sentiment I wholeheartedly echoed.

But amidst the sterile hospital smells and the distant hum of medical equipment, we were stranded together, two adversaries thrown into an unexpected proximity. The shared annoyance at the lack of privacy was a fragile common ground, a small bridge spanning the gap between our animosity. Yet, amidst the discomfort, an opportunity for understanding loomed in the air, waiting to be acknowledged or ignored.

The tense wait in the ER stretched on, time seemingly at a standstill. Yujin's exasperation broke the silence. "God, how long until the doctor shows up?"

"I know, right? I had a list of errands today," I sighed in agreement. Yujin turned toward me suddenly. "Remi is your daughter, right?" Her unexpected question caught me off guard.

"Yeah, why?" I replied, perplexed.

"Nothing much, just that Aria and her are friends," Yujin casually remarked, a nonchalant shrug following her words. She quickly averted her gaze.

Before I could probe further, the nurse interrupted, apologizing for the prolonged wait. Frustration crept in as I voiced my concern about picking up my daughter. "Is there any way we can speed this up a bit?" I inquired, feeling the weight of the impending responsibilities.

The nurse promised to do her best, darting out in search of a solution. Yujin’s curious question lingered in the air. "Can't your husband pick up your daughter?" she inquired, her brow raising.

"No, I'm a single mother," I replied matter-of-factly, surprised by the sudden personal turn in the conversation.

Yujin fell silent for a moment before revealing, "I'm in the same boat as you."

Confusion washed over me. "What?" I asked, thrown off guard.

"I'm a single mother too," she confessed, her voice carrying a hint of vulnerability.

"But I've seen you wear a wedding ring at every PTA meeting," I pointed out, puzzled by the contradiction.

Yujin chuckled, a smirk gracing her lips. "I wear it to keep the ladies off of me," she joked, adding a playful wiggle of her eyebrows, a rare moment of levity in the midst of our strained circumstances.

The air between us seemed to shift, the revelation of our shared status as single parents casting a subtle change in the atmosphere. There was a newfound understanding, an unspoken empathy that lingered between Yujin and me.

Yujin's confession hung in the air, a vulnerable admission that cracked the wall of animosity that had long divided us. I glanced at her, sensing a different energy in the space we shared, an unexpected bond forming amidst the sterile hospital environment.

"I had no idea," I admitted quietly, the revelation softening my tone.

Yujin met my gaze, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. "It's not something I usually bring up," she confessed, a rare glimpse into a side of her I had never seen before.

The tension that had previously defined our interactions began to dissipate, replaced by a tentative understanding. We were two individuals navigating the challenges of single parenthood, both concealing our struggles behind the façade of everyday routines.

As the minutes ticked by, our conversation meandered away from the pain of our injuries. We found ourselves sharing snippets of our lives—stories of bedtime struggles, school projects, and the relentless juggle of work and parenting.

In that confined space of the Emergency Room, amidst the hum of medical equipment and distant conversations, a surprising connection blossomed. The shared experience of single parenthood bridged the gap, weaving a fragile thread of understanding between two individuals who had once been staunch adversaries. And in that moment, the possibility of a different kind of relationship, one built on mutual understanding, flickered to life.

The doctor's arrival was a much-awaited relief, ending the prolonged wait. He swiftly assessed our noses, popping them back into place with a discomforting but necessary procedure. With a couple of words of advice, a prescription for pain relief, and a promise of healing, we were finally given the green light to leave.

"About time," Yujin grumbled, clearly discontent with the wait. Her impatience was palpable as she prepared to depart.

"I couldn't agree more," I sighed, slightly frustrated by the delay but relieved that the ordeal was over.

As we readied ourselves to leave, a brief exchange ensued about ordering an Uber. "I'll order us an Uber," Yujin offered, already reaching for her phone.

"No, it's alright. I can handle it," I insisted, reaching for my own phone.

A mischievous glint sparked in Yujin's eyes as she teased, "How about I order the Uber, and you pay for our date?"

Her unexpected proposition caught me off guard. "Our date?" I echoed, taken aback by her suggestion. The air between us seemed to shift, the awkwardness of the moment lingering as I processed her words.

Yujin's playful grin softened into a genuine smile. "Yeah, why not? We could grab a coffee or something. You know, a gesture of truce after our eventful day."

Her offer held a sense of openness, an invitation to set aside our previous differences and perhaps explore the possibility of a new beginning. The prospect of an unexpected camaraderie, born from a day of mishaps and shared experiences, hung in the air, waiting for a response.

The agreement to grab coffee felt like an unspoken truce, a bridge connecting two previously distant shores. "You know what, I'd love to get coffee sometime," I replied, a genuine smile gracing my lips.

"Fantastic!" Yujin beamed, giving me a playful wink before swiftly ordering the Uber.

As the car navigated through the streets, we arrived at the school just in time. The atmosphere was alive with the chatter and laughter of children streaming out of the gates.

"Mommy!" Remi's excited voice rang out, her arms open wide as she dashed toward me.

"Mama!" Aria echoed, mirroring Remi's enthusiasm as she rushed towards Yujin.

Watching our daughters, identical in their joyous embrace, something shifted within me. The children, oblivious to the complexities of adult interactions, embodied a simple truth—they were friends, just as we had discovered.

I shared a glance with Yujin, our smiles mirroring each other's. There was a mutual understanding in that moment, a silent acknowledgment of the newfound connection between us. As our daughters embraced, it felt like a symbol of a beginning, a chance to build something new and unexpected from the remnants of a turbulent morning.

With a shared nod and a mutual understanding, we both stepped forward, ready to embrace not just our children but the prospect of a budding friendship—one that emerged from an unlikely collision of micro-scooters and broken noses.

“I’ll call you” As Yujin mouthed those words and winked, a rush of anticipation fluttered within me. Her playful gesture left me blushing, my mind swirling with the unexpected turn of events.

With a soft smile, I watched as Yujin led Aria away, the gesture hinting at a promise of future connection. Excitement tinged with curiosity welled up inside me, wondering what our newfound bond might unfold.

Turning my attention to Remi, I caressed her hair gently. "Let's head home, baby," I murmured, intertwining my fingers with hers as we strolled back, our steps lightened by the warmth of the shared embrace.

The day, which had started with a collision and broken noses, had surprisingly unfolded into a budding connection, leaving me curious and hopeful about the unforeseen journey that awaited—a journey that began with a chance encounter between micro-scooters and led to the possibility of an unexpected friendship.

“Mommy what happened to your nose?”

˖⁺‧₊˚ ♡ ˚₊‧⁺˖

#bitchiswild #BIW.WRITES #anh yujin #yujin imagines #ahn yujin #ive yujin #ahn yujin x reader #yujin x reader #yujin ive #ive imagines #ive x reader #ive #an yujin

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dirtysvthoughts · 11 months

Text

𝓟 𝓡 𝓘 𝓥 𝓐 𝓣 𝓔 𝓓 𝓐 𝓝 𝓒 𝓔 𝓡 - CHAPTER TWO

pairing: model! minghao x stripper! reader

word count: 1.5k

general tags/warnings: smut, pwp, female! reader, hao’s sorta kinda a regular customer, soft dom! minghao, steamy/intense makeout session, super/mullet minghao inspired, partial nudity, vip room sex, slight use of pet names (doll, masterpiece, baby), aaand i think that’s it

playlist songs: adorn - miguel, mushroom chocolate - quin & 6lack, anime girls - melli

notes: thank y’all for the love on pd so far! i’m getting notifs nonstop and that makes me really happy :’) hope you enjoy this week’s chapter!

taglist: @im-gemmy , @enhacolor, @hooniewnderland , @svtup , @kawaiikels @weeevrse @diorsfxck @kyexvly @woozarts @ifuckcheol (let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist)

you apply the finishing touches to your makeup, admiring how you looked in your silver sequined two-piece set and matching seven inch heels. to your surprise, you could already hear the loud atmosphere from the dressing room - and it wasn’t even 11 o’clock yet.

“it’s gonna be a good night,” you think to yourself, smiling to yourself at the thought of you covered in hundred dollar bills.

before you head out, you scroll through your phone one last time, looking at your social media feeds. double tapping on a friend’s post, you see a notification appear at the top of your screen.

minghao: hey, are you working tonight? i’m back in town for a show, but i need to relax and see you 😩

you bite down on your lip, your eyes rereading the message and your brain taking in every word. minghao is a famous model, somewhere in the world he was always in a show, walking the runway for all of the luxury brands. his handsome looks and his insanely gorgeous figure made him the it-boy every designer and photographer dreamed of.

you first met minghao at the club a few months ago, when he came for a magazine shoot and his friends decided to take him out. the second you laid eyes on each other as you were walking around the main floor, he took you by the hand and soon you were dancing for him in front of everyone. it didn’t take long to convince minghao about getting a room, your body clenching around nothing as you think about how big and hard he was in those jeans when you started to grind on him, thanking the heavens that your outfit made it possible to feel everything.

😈: hao! yeah, i’m gonna be working tonight. pay for a room as soon as you get here and i’ll be waiting 😏

minghao: i’ll try and get there within the hour. see you soon babe ❤️

you quickly toss your phone to the side when you hear your name being called, realizing that you would just have to kill some time before you got your main event.

——

as soon as they get through the doors (an hour later like he said), minghao walks in with his entourage, his dress shirt buttons deliciously exposing some of his toned chest, and his black distressed jeans accenting his legs. met with some screams, he greets his crowd as his people make sure he’s given enough space.

the music has switched a bit, and more sultry, intimate tunes fill the building. your hips rotating in rhythm as mushroom chocolate’s chorus comes on, playing with the straps of your top as you flirt with the customer in front of you.

so immersed in your own world, you don’t even realize that minghao has finally spotted you and approaches your space, sitting down a few inches away from your audience. your eyes for a split second reveal your shock and surprise, and minghao can’t help the smirk that crawls on his face.

“did you think i wouldn’t show up? i’m hurt, my pretty little doll. you know i’m a man of my word.” you stop dancing and walk towards him, gingerly sitting his lap, both your legs on opposite sides of his.

“mmm, trust me, i know you are, you know it’s just been a minute since i’ve seen you hao.. you look different,” you trail off, eyes wandering all over his body. did his muscles get bigger or something?

“good different or bad different?” he asks.

but before you can respond, someone clears their throat. the person sitting across from you and minghao stares in disbelief. right… you still had someone to “take care” of. you sigh, kind of wishing that you had gone straight to a room so your time with minghao would’ve been interruption-free.

“give me a sec, hao,” you say crawling off his lap, missing the contact and approaching the other customer. “i’m sorry, but it looks like i have to cut this short,” you say feigning a fake disappointment. “but, if you decide to wait for me, i can guarantee it’ll be worth the wait,” you say taking the cash on the floor, bending over in front of the two, teasing them. obviously you don’t notice, but minghao bites his lip at the sight, hoping that he would get to see that again in the next few minutes.

when you’re done, you take him by the hand and the lead the way up the stairs to the vip rooms. you stop at the first empty one you see, brushing the curtains away as he lets go of your hand to face you.

“you never answered my question, y’know,” he says staring directly into your eyes. you stare back at him a little confused, already forgetting what he had said earlier.

he laughs, “wow, you forgot already? what’s going on doll?”

“nothing,” you say chuckling back at him, “i just, have a lot on my mind now.. and it’s mostly you..”

“oh? care to tell me more?” he says, putting his hand on your waist, bringing you closer to him.

“i guess to answer your question, it’s a good different… you’re always hot, but tonight, hao? you’re fucking irresistible,” you swipe your tongue across your lips, biting down on your skin.

“really now?” he smiles, his lips inches away from yours. but before you can say anything else, his mouth crashes on your soft, pillowy lips, trying to take in as much as he could of you.

you put your arms around his neck, trying to bring him in closer as you match his energy and enthusiasm. minghao’s hands begin to roam your body, especially your breasts. he couldn’t help but admire how temptingly delicious they looked in your bra piece. you moan into his touch at every little trace and brush, craving for more.

“mm, minghao!” you whimper when he get adventurous and delicately touches your crotch, and you clench yet again around nothing. you continue to moan out his name in bliss and neediness, but after a minute, an idea pops in your head.

“m-minghao, you wanna take this to the couch?” you say trying to snap him out of his daze for a second.

without another word, he sweeps you off your feet and carries you to the couch, your mouths still on each others. when he finally feels his legs against the edge of the furniture, he sits down, placing you on his lap.

not wanting to wait any longer, minghao takes off your bra, slowly revealing the top half of your body. he hisses at the sight, nearly groaning out at how the colorful lights in the room added to the glow that covered your body.

“you’re such a masterpiece,” he says as he once again guides his hands toward your body, this time paying extra attention to you chest.

while he was focused on that, you took to the opportunity to unbutton his jeans and pull his zipper down. he realizes where you wanted to go, and helps you get them, as well as his boxers off. once they both pool at his ankles, you smile when you can finally get to what you want after all the foreplay.

as you sink down on him, you both let out a loud moan feeling of being inside each other. “g-god, fuck,” you whisper into his ears clawing down his back, pressing into his chest. even though the music has long been forgotten to you, somehow your hips naturally grind to the rhythm. minghao notices and takes hold of your waist, guiding them in the right places. “god, you feel so good, baby,” he groans.

slowly but surely, you begin to feel a good pressure build in your core, your whimpering getting more frantic. “ahhh shit, shit, minghao, m-minghao,” you begin to move faster wanting to release all over him. and when he hits the right spot in you, you can no longer hold back, and you nearly scream, coming all over the lower half of his body.

you try and catch your breath, not wanting to come down from your high, but remembering you still had a job to do. “fuck, i needa go back downstairs soon,” you say getting up to find your bra top.

“do you have to go back now?” he asks, pulling his boxers and pants back up.

“well, not right this second,” you respond fastening your straps. “did you wanna stay a little longer?” you smile sweetly.

“yeah,” he says leaning back on the couch, returning your sultry gaze. “haven’t seen you dance for me in awhile,” he plams himself over his pants, already getting worked up at the memory.

you walk towards the pole, your arm holding onto the pole. “then minghao, be prepared for a dance you’ll never ever want to forget,” you say hooking your legs to spin on the pole.

#seventeen smut #svt smut #seventeen imagines #svt imagines #seventeen x reader #svt x reader #seventeen fanfic #svt fanfic #minghao smut #the8 smut #minghao scenarios #the8 scenarios #minghao imagines #the8 imagines #minghao fanfic #the8 fanfic #dsvtt: kenny’s works #dsvtt: private dancer

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mattsobvimyfav · 7 days

Text

For Sport (Matthew Sturniolo & Chris Sturniolo) PT 16

A.n—Hey, y'all, this is gonna be a very, very slow burn. I already have some chapters written, so I will probably fire them quickly. It will be toxic, with angst, smut, and everything you can possibly think of. It happens.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

y/n’s POV

The week went by fast, I had training everyday and school. I basically had not seen the boys besides school. It's finally Friday and I'm getting out of training for the week, my competition is tomorrow at five like a hour away and I cannot wait. For tonight though, me and the boys are going to a party and I could not be more excited to let off some steam with my favorite people.

I pulled into my driveway just in my leotard rushing to get into my house to get ready, “Y/N!” Matt yells from the kitchen. “Yes Matthew” I say walking into the kitchen seeing them spread out around the kitchen with my dad, Chris jumped up running over to my basically picking me up off the ground spinning me in a hug “Oh how I have missed you” I giggled till he finally put me down “Love you ladies, I'm going to get ready” I ran up my stairs grabbing the outfit I had already laid out the night before, I put on my blue flared jeans and a light pink cropped top, I let my hair just stay in the loose curls I had done in the morning. I ran downstairs slipping on my white platform converse before walking into the kitchen again. “Okay, I need to eat something or else Ill be to fucked up” I said as my dad started laughing at me “I love how you think honey” My dad moved showing me a box of my comfort food, Pepperoni and Mushroom pizza. “I LOVE YOU” I said walking over and picking up a piece, you would never think an old run down little pizza spot could make the most delicious food ever. “You guys are gross for that” Nick said, making a disgusted face at the mushrooms “Oh its sooo good I swear” I said basically in heaven from the greasy mushrooms I was picking off the pizza. “Just hurry up and eat your disgusting food, the party started twenty minute ago” Chris said standing up to go get his shoes on, I had a long practice today because its the last day before the competition.

“I call shotgun” I said pulling Chris’ arm as he sat in the front seat “Chris get out, she called it fair and square” Matt said turning the keys to the van “You guys are honestly so annoying” Chris huffed standing up and getting in the backseat, I jumped in turning around flashing Chris a smile as he rolled his eyes. I plugged my phone into the aux and turning on DnF by P. Reign, it's basically my pre-party anthem. I sang the whole thing looking at Matt when the chorus, the words being “We should just get drunk and fuck” I giggled when the song ended and Matt was practically glaring at me knowing her couldn't do anything with his brothers right behind us. The next song to come on was IV. Sweatpants by childish Gambino, I had practically forgotten how good my pre-game playlist was.

We finally made it to the party and it was a huge mansion in the middle of nowhere, Parties like this made me a little nervous. When it was someone I didn't know personally and it was a friend of a friends, Yes I would know everyone there but not personally knowing the person who owned the house stressed me out never knowing who they really were. Dramatic I know. Matt had his hand on the small of my back as we walked in “Y/N!” Olivia yelled running up to me, seeing her immediately calmed my nerves “Lets go take shots” she said grabbing my hand dragging me away from the boys “Perfect” I yelled following behind her.

4,7,10 Shots in, who actually knows. All I do know is Im sitting in a circle with a bunch of people playing spin the bottle and it was some blonde bimbo’s turn, She has been trying to flirt with Matt all night long. She quickly pinned the bottle and it landed on Matt. Of fucking Course. I felt my face get hot extremely fast and all I could feel was anger and she crawled towards us on her ugly knees. She kissed him and he kissed her back which made me even madder. “My. Turn.” I said grabbing the bottle as the girl sat back down. I span it not even looking at Matt. With my luck it landed on some cute guy I had seen around school but didn't know. I did the same dumb crawl she did and kissed the guy for probably only thirty seconds before Matt grabbed me by the belt loop sitting me down next to him “My turn” Matt said spinning the bottle. This carried on for another twenty minutes and both me and Matts annoyance grew for each other as we kissed other people.

After probably another five shots, I was tapped out laying down on the couch “Cmon, pickle. You have your competition tomorrow” Chris said picking me up bridal style “No Chris please” I slurred ready to pass out in his arms “You’ll thank me tomorrow.” As soon as he sat me down in the car I laid my head on nicks lap and it was like all the lights in the world went out and I was sleeping in an instant.

I wake up the next morning, thanking god I had no hangover for todays comp. “DAD WE HAVE TO LEAVE IN A HOUR” I yell out my door as I quickly turning around to my run into my shower. The boys already down the stairs as I could hear their voices with my fathers. I quickly wash my hair and body, shaving over to make sure I am perfectly smooth. I get out of the shower drying my body and throwing on my robe, I sit down at my vanity and begin drying my hair to I can do the hairstyle me and Rich had decided on. I did two French braids while my hair was parted down the middle and tying the braids into a perfectly tight bun. I put a glitter mist over my hair wants to have it gleam a little bit while I was on the ice, I decided on a gray winged eyeliner to match my outfit for todays comp, I finished off my make up look with some lip gloss and checked the time, I had fifteen minutes to get into that car. I slipped into my leotard which was beautiful, a gray skirted bottom, it had a v shape between my boobs covered by sheer fabric and rhinestones skittered across it. I slipped on a zip up and ran down the stairs with my bag in hand “Okay let's go!” I yell, everyone else got up behind following out to my dads truck. I got in the front and turned to face the boys “Sorry ladies but I will be listening to music this entire time” I turned around putting on my beats and starting my music before closing my eyes, Its how I prepare. Completely drowning myself in music and ignoring everything in the world.

“Y/N LETS GO” Rich said grabbing my arm as soon as I entered the building “They bumped you up, we are next” I slipped off my sweatshirt and quickly placed on my skates as we stood outside the entrance of the rink, “You got this!” Rich kissed my forehead before my name was announced.

I enter the ice with gentle elegance. I begin with slow, graceful movements, tracing intricate patterns on the ice. As the music crescendos, I transition into a series of spins, my movements fluid and precise. I execute a combination of camel spins and sit spins. With the music picking up pace, I launch into a series of jumps, showcasing my athleticism and artistry. Finally execute a flawless double toe loop followed by a soaring triple salchow. As the music takes on a playful tone, I transition into intricate footwork sequences, weaving effortlessly across the ice with intricate step sequences and twizzles. My movements are light and nimble. As the music softens, I slow my movements, gliding gracefully across the ice in a final series of spirals and arabesques. With a flourish, I come to a gentle stop at the center of the ice, their arms outstretched in a triumphant pose.

The stadium started clapping and I smiled as I skated off the ice, “Beautiful. It was perfect!” Rich wrapped his arms around me as I continued smiling at the fact I could pull it off so well after a night of drinking and being pushed up with no time to stretch. “I have to go find my dad and the triplets! I'll see you for voting!” I hugged rich back before slipping off my skates and placing my Tasman's back on. I was nervous for the boys reaction, the only other person who had ever seen my skate that mattered was Haylee. I decided I would just wait and not over think what they would think.

Tags-

@worldlxvlys @larnieboox88 @maryx2xx @orangeypepsi @luvangelbreak

#matt sturniolo #chris sturniolo #nick sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo #chris sturniolo x reader #matt sturniolo x you #matt sturniolo x reader #chris sturniolo x you

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legobiwan · 1 year

Text

So I was prompted to write my own take on the Luigi jailbreak scenario via someone's tags :D I'll probably cross-post this to ao3 sometime later today.

I've definitely taken a more comedic bent with my interpretation, which I feel is in more in line with what the movie will be like. But there's some smidgens of angst. And a fair amount of silliness. And yes, the brothers will reunite at the end :)

And so, I give you, "Jailbreak." A comedy in two parts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Speech! Speech! Speech!”

“I’m not really much of a speech-giver…” Luigi protests as the Penguin King’s burly aide pushes him towards the center of the gathered escapees.

The chamber, or the evil rotunda, as Luigi thinks of it, is a circular room punched through the middle, a series of chains descending from a large, wooden crank set high in the rafters. Bits of armor and weaponry are strewn about the floor, spears and hammers and something resembling a megaphone that shoots fire, which was definitely the first thing Luigi clipped to his belt after they had thrown the remaining guards into the pit. The interior design can only be described as ghoulish, stone busts of various Koopas, as he had learned they were called, inflicting violence on various species - penguins, birds, some kind of mushroom people, and a green, happy-looking lizard wearing boots and a saddle.

The Penguin aide continues to push him bodily through the throng, which is smushed together near the entrance doors, careful to keep far, far away from the menacing cavity in the middle of the room. Luigi takes stock of the strange group, wondering how in the hell he went from checking out a warehouse leak in Flushing to shimmying up a chain dangling over a pit of lava to knocking out an armed, sentient turtle with a well-placed pitch of one of those ghastly busts.

“Gathered friends,” the aide begins, having caught the attention of the murmuring group. “Fellow penguins, goombas, birdos, and…” he trails off, glancing over at Luma, who gives a high-pitched, broken giggle, the effect of which is like nails drawn across a chalkboard. The penguin’s expression crumples into folds of distaste. “And psychotic star…things…”

“Weeeee!” Luma exclaims helpfully, bounding across the ceiling rafters, setting the chains off into a chorus of tortured groans.

The aide clears his throat. “Yes, well. As I was saying. We’re gathered here today - or tonight. Or maybe this afternoon. You know, it’s honestly hard to know being stuck in the bowels of a lava castle…” Off to the side, the Penguin King is making cutting gestures across his throat.

“It’s two thirty-seven!” one of the Goombas calls from the back.

“Afternoon, then! That’s lunchtime!” a Birdo exclaims from the other side of the room.

“I could eat!”

“Me, too. Think they have any turnips down here?”

“Weeeee!”

The aide slaps a fin to his forehead with a deep sigh. “Can we please focus here?” he yells over the growing din. Luigi chews on his lower lip, fingering the trigger of the fire gun hanging from his belt. This is the ragtag group of rebels he's supposed to be leading to the gates of the Lava Castle?

He’s definitely going to die here.

“As I was saying,” the aide begins again, deepening his voice into a royal solemnity. “In our darkest hour - “

“It’s still two thirty-seven, Mr. Penguin!”

“In our darkest lightest hour,” the aide hisses. “A hero arrived from another world. Beaten but not defeated, he liberated us from our imprisonment with his courage, intelligence, and most importantly, his opposable thumbs. And now, this hero will lead us to storm the gates of the Koopa Castle and aid us in smiting our enemies to take back what is ours!”

“Friends, I give you - “ the penguin flings his fins open, whacking the Luigi in the shin.

“Our hero - Loogi!”

The crowd erupts in a high-pitched cheer, raising an assortment of cobbled-together weapons over their small heads. Even the ridiculous, toothy Goombas are hopping up and down, chanting Loogi! Loogi! Loogi!

Luigi pulls at his collar, giving the odd gathering the kind of half-smile, half-grimace he usually reserved for school pictures and his brother’s cooking.

“Uhhhhh…..” Luigi begins when the clamor dies down. He gives a small wave in all directions, adding, “Hi?”

Fifty or so pairs of eyes, and some other appendages he couldn’t even begin to name, stare at him wide-eyed, expectant. He wonders if they see him as some kind of action hero, or trained assassin, or even a mercenary soldier of fortune, like that one movie he and his brother watched all the time back in Bensonurst.

What the hell is he supposed to say? He’s a mechanical engineer-turned-plumber from Brooklyn, a street kid and a science geek, not some kind of war hero. Not to mention, he still doesn’t know where the hell he is, surrounded by talking penguins, birds with cannons for mouths, and whatever those weird little Goombas are supposed to be.

Luigi clenches his jaw.

He thinks it’s been about three days since he was dropped unceremoniously into whatever incarnation of hell this place is supposed to be. And in that time, he’s been chased by skeletons and tied up by a bunch of miniature red monks with gasmasks. He’s had his moustache hairs plucked out by a giant, firebreathing turtle bent on taking over whatever world this was. He’s been magically levitated and thrown about by a dinosaur wizard in a goofy hat. And to top it all off, to put the crap cherry on the crap cake, he was tossed into a cage like some old lady’s pet bird and dropped over a pit of freakin’ lava.

Screw speeches. I want Bowser’s kneecaps.

“You guys want a speech?” Luigi growls, tightening his grip on the gigantic hammer in his hand. “Here’s your damn speech.” Luigi raises his weapon over his head, yelling, “Let’s kick some Koopa ass!”

A raucous cheer rises from the gathered motley group, Luma zooming around the chamber, shouting “Meat for the grinder! Meat for the grinder!” between fits of maniacal laughter. The penguins dance awkwardly, their weapons twice as large as they are and Luigi hopes what they lack in stature they can make up for with enthusiasm. Off to the side, the collection of Goombas bounce up and down. Without any discernible arms or hands, Luigi has no clue what help the Goombas could be, but who knows? Maybe they can bite somebody with those fangs.

He has no plan, no knowledge of where he is, and he prays to every deity he can name that his brother is safe, that whatever world he got pulled into is treating him better than this one has Luigi. But watching the ragtag group celebrate in front of him, he feels something akin to hope.

For the first time in three days, Luigi smiles.

Maybe, just maybe, he can be a hero after all.

--------------------------------------

Epilogue

“Watch to your left, Loogi!”

Luigi spins, hurtling his hammer at a charging spiny-shelled Koopa, sending him flying into the general fracas of the first floor antechamber. Towards the middle of the room, Penguins and Birdos and little mushroom people armed with spears are battling it out with Bowser’s minions, shell, fur, and feather flying as his ragtag band of rebels pokes and swats and, in some cases, bodily hurl themselves at the gathered Koopa forces.

Luigi sprints to retrieve his hammer, intent on throwing himself into the fray when the large double-doors to the throne room boom open in a rush of blinding, white light. It takes Luigi a minute for his eyes to adjust, so long has he been trapped in the gloomy castle chambers. There’s something coming from the light, some kind of shadow hurtling forward. Luigi squints, raising his hammer above his head, ready to strike at whatever newest enemy he'll be certain to pound into the ground.

“Luigi?” An all-too familiar voice yelps from across the chamber. “What in the - “ his brother stammers, rushing towards him, stopping short a few feet away. “Why the hell do you look like Duke Murdock?”

Luigi smashes his hammer down on one of those stupid skeletons, sending splinters everywhere. He turns to his brother, suddenly very aware of his tattered overalls, his soot-stained cap, the dark bags beneath his eyes. "What do you mean?” Luigi counters. “It's a great movie!"

"That's not the point, meatball head! What are you doing?" Mario gestures at the wild chaos unfolding between the escapees and the Koopa troops.

"I'm trying to run a rebellion here, big bro. You could stop standing there and help, you know."

"A rebellion, I - " Mario chuckles, jogging to his brother's side. "Why am I not surprised?"

With the arrival of Mario and his allies, the melee turns decidedly against the Koopas, who, sensing victory slipping through their claws, launch one last offensive of spikes and shells. Luigi and his brother get to work, slamming, punching, and pounding their enemies. It strikes Luigi that Mario looks like he knows what he’s doing, almost as if he’s had some kind of combat training, like he's the one trying to be Duke Murdock. He’s about to ask his brother about it when Mario stops, pulling, of all things, a flower from his overalls.

“Have you gone insane?” Luigi yells.

But he’s left speechless as his brother is enveloped by two quick flashes of light, his overalls changing from blue to white. Luigi's jaw drops open. He has seen a lot of weird crap in the last few days but his brother, performing real magic?

What is this place?

A moment later, Mario winds up, as if he were pitching for his high school baseball team again, letting loose a series of fireballs from his palm, which barrel into the Koopa forces, sending them flying like a set of ten-pins.

"Holy hell, bro!" Luigi exclaims. "You have got to teach me how to do that!"

"Oh no," Mario rockets another flaming missile towards a group of Spinys. "You remember the flambé incident that one Valentine's Day." Luigi groans, slamming his hammer into one of those gas mask monks who kidnapped him. "And the Benson burner in high school." Luigi groans again. "And the fuel injector in the van - "

"That one was not my fault!" Luigi exclaims over the whine of a spiky projectile which whizzes past his head, knocking his cap to the ground.

Mario’s eyes widen as he pulls Luigi towards him, spinning him around so they’re back-to-back.

"You're not going near fire," Mario says over his shoulder.

Too bad his fire gun gave out three levels ago, Luigi thinks, slashing his hammer into the gut of a large Koopa Trooper.

"Electricity, then," Luigi says as he makes a second parry with the hammer. The Koopa Trooper falls back, grunting.

"Wait, what?" Mario shoots him a look, throwing another fireball into the fray.

"Electricity. If you can shoot fireballs, I get to shoot electricity."

Mario gives an aggrieved sigh.

"I - no. First of all, that's not even possible. Second of all, no. And third of all…” Mario trails off, his features softening. The battle is on its last legs, penguins and mushrooms giving chase to a small group of Koopa stragglers, who scurry towards the nearest exit.

Mario turns, taking Luigi by his shoulders.

“You're taking this all really well, Luigi."

Luigi gives a wan smile, gaze finding the floor. "Bro, I've led a prison escape gang consisting of penguins, walking mushrooms, and one really messed-up star. We broke out from cages hanging over a pit of lava, stole weapons, and have fought our way up here ever since."

He doesn’t mention being chased through a nightmare hellscape by a pack of hungry skeletons. Doesn’t mention being kidnapped, hands bound, led by a rope through the Dark Land to meet almost certain death. He doesn’t mention the moustache.

His brother doesn’t need to know about all of that. It’s enough - more than enough - that he’s here.

Luigi’s chest tightens. "Nothing short of ghosts is going to surprise me at this point, bro," he laughs. It’s a wet, croaky sound.

Mario stares at his brother for a moment. All at once, he grabs Luigi, enveloping his brother in a fierce hug.

"Pasta brain,” Mario whispers, ragged, into Luigi's shoulder.

The tension from the last few days - the constant alert, the self-preservation, the seemingly never-ending threat of death - it all seeps away in the safety of his brother’s arms. So what if they’re marooned on some other world, other universe, far away from anything resembling Brooklyn? He’s got Mario and that’s all he needs.

"Pizza breath," Luigi replies softly.

Mario grips him tighter. "I'm so, so glad you're safe, bro."

I've missed you so much. Luigi returns the hug with equal intensity. "Me, too, Mario."

#hello there #luigi #mario #smb movie #writing #the eternal struggle #don't ask me why i wrote the penguins that way this whole thing came from the single idea that after luigi helps them escape the cages #they want him to give a speech #anyway - enjoy!

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