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Chapter Text

It was a dreary day in the Manhattan sewers. Well, it was always somewhat bleak and grey down there, but today seemed particularly horrible. It was the equivalent of one of those ancient silent movies from two thousand years ago. No bright colors, no sound, no wacky characters. Because there was nothing to do. Or rather, there were things to do, but nothing that interested Michelangelo.

He had reread all of his comics, skateboarded on the drain pipes half a kazillion times, ate more pizza than he could stomach, and played way too many games on his T-Phone until his brain was ready to explode. Soon he was running out of ideas to do by himself.

Luckily he wasn't by himself. He had three whole brothers that would be dying to spend extra time with him!

"And I know exactly who to go to first!" He proclaimed, speeding to the hall of bedrooms, he flung open the nearest door with such force that the knob nearly popped off. He had the widest grin on his face, ready to have enough fun and excitement to fill an entire stadium.

"Heya dude!" Mikey sang, already making himself comfortable as he plopped down on a beanbag chair. He nearly missed the seat, as his hotheaded brother always kept the lights off. He insisted it was because of the faulty wires or something, but Mikey was more observant than that. He knew Raph simply preferred the dark.

Raphael was on his bed, focusing intently on the tip of his sai, currently being sharpened by the blade of a butter knife. Hearing his brother enter, his eyes snapped up, glaring with fierceness at his goofy intruder. "Mikey!" He roared. "How many times have I told you not to enter my room? How many times?" He held up his half-sharpened sai threateningly.

"Um, at least twice." The orange masked turtle chuckled nervously.

"At least have the decency to knock first!"

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out, like bro bonding. Ooh! That movie you love, the one with the lady with scissors for hands who kills her ex-husbands is gonna be on soon." He nudged his brother. "I know how much you love all those gory flicks. The more blood the better, right-"

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something? I don't wanna watch some stupid movie with you." Raph interrupted his babbling, already turning back to his weapon. "Go bother Donnie or something."

"But I picked it because you like-"

"I said no! Get out!" He flung his other sai towards Mikey, who ducked inside his shell just in time. The sai landed stuck on the other side of the wall.

"That's cool. Talk to you later bro!" Mikey tripped over his oversized feet as he made a tactful retreat away from the enraged terrapin. Raph however didn't chase him, and instead slammed the door directly in his face.  "Jeez, talk about a drama queen. Now, who am I gonna hang out with?"

He glumly walked towards the pit, mentally debating on just taking a nap on the couch when he heard clanging noises coming from the lab. Followed by some fumbling and various swear words that would surely make Master Splinter gasp.

"Go bother Donnie or something."

"Aw yeah, I know just the turtle to hang with! The second half of the A-minus team!" He didn't know why he didn't think of his brainy brother in the first place. It was no secret they were the closest, being the youngest and spending more time together out of all the siblings. Mikey was always eager to help Donnie with any projects. Usually by handing him tools or energy drinks. But any help was help, and Donnie showed his appreciation by doing whatever shenanigans Mikey was up to. Mostly involving video games or skateboarding.

Though lately, Michelangelo had been seeing less and less of Donatello. After Kirby O' Neil had been transformed back to a normal human, Mikey had been hopeful that meant Donnie would be spending time with him again. But alas, the smartest turtle had returned to shutting himself back in his lab.

This time he knocked on the lab doors, not wanting to make the same mistake that he did with Raph. Both of his middle siblings were known for being the most temperamental of the four brothers. His knocking resulted in no responses, and after half a minute of waiting, Mikey barged in like he owned the place.

Donatello was hunched over, welding two metal bars together, the rest of the invention hidden by a tarp. He seemed deep in concentration but still made an effort to wave one hand in acknowledgment of his brother entering.

"Hey Mikey." He grumbled, covering whatever he was working on with the remaining tarp. As if the invention was a secret.

"Woah, you're good." Mikey's bright blue eyes lit up. "How did you know it was me? You were facing the other way! Are you psychic?"

Donnie removed his goggles, turning around with a lazy shrug. "Just had a feeling. What do you want?" He looked and sounded irritated, but Mikey didn't back down.

"Nothing I just wanted..." He reached a curious hand out to touch the tip of the mysterious invention. Unfortunately, Donnie already saw that coming too and slapped his hand away. "Hey!"

"If it's nothing, then I should get back to work."

He sighed. "Okay, you got me. I just wanted to hang out with you. We can do whatever you want! We could eat your favorite pizza or watch that boring documentary you like. The one about the elements!"

"I'd love to, but I'm working on this really important project." Donnie gestured vaguely.

"What is it?" He tilted his head. "Can I watch?"

"No."

"Puhleeeeeeease?" His eyebrows furrowed into his signature puppy dog pout. Unfortunately, Donnie was immune to such extreme tactics. "I've got an awesome memory, you know that! I could help!"

"Still no. Not this time anyway."

He deflated. "Fine. I've got loads of other things I wanna do anyway. So many things, that you're gonna be so disappointed that you weren't there to experience it." He started to turn away, hoping that might have won Donnie over, but to his disappointment, his older brother was already back to work. "Leo, Sensei, and Ice Cream Kitty are starting a band with me!"

"That's nice." He said dismissively.

"A-And April is gonna join too! She's coming over soon to practice." He was now shouting over the sound of a power drill.  "SHE'S PLAYING THE ACCORDION!"

Donnie paused, smirking. "Nice try. She told me she's having a sleepover with her friend Irma tonight. Now if you excuse me, I have some work I need to do. Important work." He patted Mikey's head condescendingly.

He growled in frustration. "But I just wanted to-"

Donnie went back to drilling as if to drown out any further protests. The conversation was over. So Mikey left the lab, now more dejected than ever.

"Now what am I gonna do? No Raph, no Donnie, no..." He almost perked up, thinking he could ask Casey to chillax with him, but then he remembered the teen had hockey practice on Mondays. Of course. "Darn it! I hate Mondays." Slumping his shoulders, he continued to wander around the lair until he was nearing the dojo. "Wait for a second! How could I forget!

"Leo!" He chirped as he practically zoomed into the peaceful room. "I wanted to- aw sewer apples."

The oldest turtle was currently sitting crossed-legged on a tatami mat, eyes closed and in a deep trance. If one didn't know any better, they would assume he was fast asleep.

"Dude I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your zazen." He grinned sheepishly, already tiptoeing backward to avoid another brother yelling at him. "I'll just go."

Leo smiled softly, opening his eyes. "Don't worry, I just started." His voice sounded relaxed and serene as if all tension had left his body. It was nice to see the leader not be so stressed. "What do you need?" He patted the ground, inviting Mikey to join him, to which he happily obliged.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with me."

Because he was expecting a no, he nearly fell backward on his carapace when Leo replied with a, "Sure. Why don't you join me in this meditation? Close your eyes and soothe your mind."

Mikey immediately stood up, staring at his wrist for an invisible watch. "Well, wouldya look at the time! I have the stuff to do! Important stuff! I don't have time to sit and meditate."

"Oh, well maybe we could-"

"Bye Leo!"

"And that's why I came to you," Mikey said, sitting at the dinner table with his head in his hands. "Nobody wants to hang out with me anymore! They're all too busy. I just wish they wouldn't shut me out. We were all so close when we were little." He huffed. "Sorry girl, I'm rambling again, aren't I? But you understand, don't you?"

Ice Cream Kitty licked her strawberry-flavored paws thoughtfully from her icebox. "Mrow mew..."

"I know right? It's bad enough they always think I'm a screw-up, but now this?" He let the mutant cat lick his cheek. "I'm not super smart like Donnie, I'm not strong like Raph and I can't focus like Leo! Maybe that's why they never want me around. They don't even want to have fun with me. And I'm the fun one! The social one! How the heck am I supposed to be social when my own brothers don't want me around? What if they think I'm annoying and that's why they're always avoiding me?"

Ice Cream Kitty stared at him with her sweet chocolate chip eyes.

"You're right. Maybe I'm being a little dramatic. But at least I have you, kitty." He nuzzled her. "And I'm not gonna sit around and sulk. I can have tons of fun on my own. Hey, maybe we can play some video games together!"

"Meow!"

"Uh, Mikey?"

The once chipper turtle glared at his three brothers who had entered the kitchen without making a sound. He pretended he hadn't noticed, and turned back to Ice Cream Kitty.

"Mikey!" Leo repeated, exasperated.

"Oh, now you want to hang out with me? Well, I'm so sorry, but as you can see I have a very busy schedule."

"Cut the passive-aggressive crap." Raph rolled his eyes, unaffected by his baby brother's unusual display of attitude. "It's patrol time."

His cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Uh, yeah I knew that. What's going on?" 

"The Kraang orb is freaking out again," Donnie explained. "I think they've got something planned. Something big."

"Where?"

"According to my extensive research, it should lead us to these specific coordinates." He said, showing Leo his notes.

"Let's go then." The leader in blue nodded firmly.

"Broadway? The Kraang invaded Broadway?" Raph exclaimed in utter disbelief. They were currently hiding behind a dumpster at the back of a theatre. Aside from the foul stench, there didn't seem to be any problems. "What the shell would they be doing there?"

"I hate to agree with Raph, but are you sure this is the right place? I mean, it doesn't seem very Kraang-esque," said Leo, perplexed. "Maybe this is the wrong location."

"Maybe the Kraang wants to watch a musical!" Mikey said, humming along to some show tune as they approached the doorway.

"Or, they wanted a place that no one would suspect," Donnie concluded, preparing to pick the lock on the door. "In this case: The Brooks Atkinson Theatre."

"Wait," Leo stopped him. "You can't just stroll into a crowded play, Don. Humans, remember?"

"Plus I'm pretty sure you don't have a ticket." Raph quipped.

"There won't be any humans. Broadway theatres aren't open on Mondays." He wiggled the paperclip in the lock for a few seconds before it popped open with a click. "Got it!"

"Woah!" Mikey immediately ran towards the posters and shimmering lights above the theatre, amazed. His eyes were practically popping out of his head.

One by one, they entered the empty building, though in Raph's case he had to drag Mikey inside.

"Focus guys," Leo murmured, unsheathing his katanas. "And be quiet. Don't forget to silence your phone, Donnie." He added, earning a glare from the purple masked turtle who begrudgingly obliged.

"Jokes on you, I already turned it off before we walked in!" He retorted.

Easing their way past the concession stands and ticket booths, the four ninjas found themselves in the center of the building. At least thirty Kraangdroids were communicating on top of the dimly lit stage, surrounding a strange glowing object. Leo beckoned his brothers towards the orchestra pit to hide, watching with interest to see if they could figure out their plan.

"Kraang has completed what is known as 'a test run' in preparation for the final project of Kraang's." One drone concluded in its robotic voice.

"The portal leading to Kraang's homeworld will open soon if the plan has truly finished."

"Plan? What plan?" Leo thought aloud.

"What are they babbling about?" Mikey whispered to Donnie who facepalmed.

"They're practicing making portals!" He said. "For some kind of plan to destroy us all I bet."

"There must be something we're missing here. Some ultimate goal besides making portals..." Leo frowned.

"Who cares! Let's go already and bust those bots before they can cause any more problems!" Raph smirked devilishly, sais already drawn.

"No, Raph we have to be quiet!" Leo snapped, voice raised. But of course, in an ironic state of events, it was the leader's own yelling that had alerted the Kraang.

All of the robots looked below at the brothers, hearing their voices immediately. One of the robots hid the mysterious device behind its back. "It is the ones known as the turtles!"

"Aw fu-"

"Nice going!" Raph snarked, stabbing the nearest Kraangdroid to his right. "What's the plan now, Fearless?"

Through a kerfuffle of shouts, lasers blasting and dodging said lasers. Leo attacked two robots simultaneously with his swords, slicing them in two equal halves. "Donnie, can you grab that device that one is holding?" He pointed towards the middle Kraang who seemed to be trying to make an exit.

"I'm on it!"

"I gotcha D!" Mikey hollered, following his older brother to chase the runway Kraang.

"No, I've got this-" He shoved the smaller turtle aside.

"If you just let me-"

"I already said no! You'll just mess it up!"

"Just let me help, brah!" He swung his nunchucks around, smacking the droid directly in the face.  "Ha, how's that taste, lame-bot?" The attack caused it to fall back, the device in its robotic hands to fling through the air, spiraling in an endless rotation. It spun for a bit, then landed safely in Mikey's palm. He squealed, holding it up victoriously. "Well, well, looks like I did it! This calls for a victory dance!" Just as he started to shake his groove thing, the device fell from his hands, landing with a loud crash. "Oops."

"Mikey!" Leo exclaimed. "Look what you did!"

"Chillax dude, I just dropped it." Mikey assured him, picking up the circular object. "See? Not even a scratch. Now you can study it!"

"Not that, shellbrain!"

"It's shaking!" Donnie shrieked in horror. "Hit the deck!"

"What do you mean? It's not..." He trailed off, watching as the device was now growing and contorting before his very eyes. Before, it was about the size of an apple. Now, it was about the size of him. "Uh oh."

"The turtle known as Michelangelo has opened the test portal doors to the alternate universe."

"Uh oh." He repeated, backing up slowly. The machine whirled, spinning faster and faster. He was frozen in place, both in wonder and in fear. He didn't know what to do. Could this day get any worse?

"Get back!" roared Raph, running forward. The portal was shaking and spinning, and now fully resembled a magenta doorway that was only growing bigger by the second, and was now sucking everything inside with its power. "Mikey, hurry!"

"I'm coming!" But the doors were starting to pull the youngest turtle inside as he stumbled backwards. He reached a desperate hand to grab Raph, who was being held by Donnie and Leo. "Dudes!"

"Hang tight, we gotcha!" Raph assured him, using all of the strength he had left to pull back Mikey from being swallowed whole. His grip was getting weaker, like an invisible rope was stringing them away. "We gotcha Mikey, don't let go, little brother!" The last glimpse of hope flickered in his wide, emerald eyes. "Don't let-"

'Please. God, just hang on Mikey. Just a little longer. We'll get you out of here. I promise.'

The last standing Kraangdroid approached from behind, ready to attack his older siblings with the laser gun. No matter how weak the droid was after the battle, it would easily overpower his brothers with its gun. He couldn't let that happen.

So he let go.

"Look out!" He screamed, pushing Raph backwards so that the trio of turtles flopped on top of the robot, essentially crushing it with their weight.

"MIKEY!" Donnie screams rang through Raph's ears, as they helplessly watched their baby brother fall through the portal and disappear in sight.

Chapter Text

This couldn't be happening.

 One second, Mikey had been standing beside him, the next, a giant portal had swallowed him whole. Like a never-ending, terrifying black hole of doom. Which would be a comical statement since it happened so fast and seemed so ridiculous, but it wasn't, considering they had no idea where Mikey was now. And there was nothing Raphael could do. That was the worst part. Feeling helpless and unable to stop his baby brother from falling through. It had all happened too fast.

Or maybe he was just too slow.

He could only let out a choked gasp. "No..." He clenched his fists, eyes shut. When he opened them, he half expected to see the youthful, freckled face of Michelangelo beaming at him after saying a stupid joke. Not the glowing portal, taunting him.

"Mikey..." Donnie uttered, his mind whirling to figure out a quick solution. "What do we do?" He looked at both of his older brothers for some guidance. "What do we do?" He repeated, panic rising in his strangled voice.

Leo stood up, panting. "We go after him. What else can we do?"

"Let's do it," said Raph gruffly, already heading towards the portal without hesitation. He couldn't possibly wait, not when Mikey's life was on the line. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to him.

"What? Guys, we have no idea what's inside there! I say, we figure out where we're going and then we rescue Mikey. It could be dangerous. I'll take some time to properly locate where he landed and then- oh!"

Raph interrupted his rambling brother by promptly pushing him inside the portal, as if it was a swimming pool. The brainy turtle  screamed in terror as he tumbled forward, he too, disappearing.

"Raph!" Leo scolded, suppressing a grin. "Thanks."

"No problem. Our turn, I guess."

"Ready?"

"Set,"

"Go!"

And with that, the two older brothers plunged into the portal.

Mikey was falling. Falling, and falling and falling without a sense of purpose or direction. His heart pumping, a rush of adrenaline coursing through his body as he continued to feel as though he was trapped in the middle of a vicious tornado. A pink tornado, really. He could still see Raph's frantic green eyes staring back at him and the sound of Donnie's shouts, but they all sounded so distant. As if they were all in his imagination. All he felt was the swirling wind as he pummeled deeper.

Don't let go, little brother!

He held on as tight as he could. But it wasn't enough. He had to save his brothers.

NO!

MIKEY!

Mikey didn't know whether he should feel afraid or not. He had fallen from great heights before but this was significantly different. Those were quick, usually painful, and he would recover immediately after the impact. He normally never stumbled through portals- that was never on his bucket list.

'Hold the phone!' Mikey's head jolted upwards, his thoughts coming together like a finished puzzle. 'I saw on Discovery that cats always land on their feet, no matter how high the fall is. Oh please, Ice Cream Kitty, let that apply to turtles too!' He silently begged, squeezing his eyes shut to brace for the inevitable impact. 'Please don't let that be a myth!'

Then, everything slowed down, as if he was floating or in a dream state. There was no loud thud signalling that he had landed. Heck, there wasn't even any pain. Well, besides a pounding headache. But he was on the ground now. Safe, slightly cold ground.

"Ugh..." He groaned. "What a wild ride. My noggin' feels like it's gonna explode." He didn't have any energy to move, so he stayed on the floor, eyes closed. It felt comfortable, for an ice cold metal flooring that smelled suspiciously like sewage.

Sewage?

Wait. This floor feels familiar. Mikey sat up immediately, ignoring his burning joints and aching head, not to mention the drowsiness he felt. He had more important things to worry about.

Where am I?

He blinked a few times, his hazy vision clearing as objects became more visible and less disoriented . He had a better idea of where he was now that he could see better. The pinball machines, the old television set, the ‘moat’ with the tire swing,  the moldy pizza stains on the couch. It was all coming together! It all made sense!

"I'm in the lair?" Mikey scratched his head. "How did I get here? That doesn't make any sense." He took a few cautious steps forward, wondering how he came from a bizarre Kraang portal back home. "Dudes, are you here?" He called. "Master Splinter? April? Anybody?

"If this is some kind of sick joke, I don't find it very funny!" The orange masked turtle hollered until his voice became hoarse. "Guys, I'm freaking out a little. Where are you? How did I even get here? I fell through this portal and now- is this even real?" He poked the couch with his smallest toe. "It feels real."

His only response was silence. Which was the exact opposite of the response he wanted. Desperate for any sound, he tried again. "Guys!"

Someone (or something) replied as soon as the words left his lips. A high pitched giggle echoed through the walls. It sounded suspiciously like one of those horror movies with the living doll. Girly, but still oddly mischievous. Maybe even sinister. Enough to give him a chill down his spine.

Aw shell no.

His heart dropped to his stomach, now fully panicking. "Wh- what was that? Who's there?" Mikey demanded, already in a fighting stance. "I'm not afraid of you! I've got my hot nunchuck fury!" He swung said nunchucks around, trying to intimidate the invisible enemies.

"Intruder! Get him!" shouted a voice from above him. He dove downwards, rolling away from a nearby attack from a katana above his head.

"I'm trying!" said another. "He's fast!"

"Intruder? I'm not-!" He turned to face his attacker, but they had disappeared behind something. "Dudes, can we just ta-" He swept his leg, kicking another figure in the shin. The invisible foe yelped in pain, retreating to duck behind the turnstiles.

"I've got him!" A new voice shouted.

WHACK!

He hadn't had time to run, let alone fight back. The weapon whacked him from the back of his head, knocking him forward with enough force to knock the wind out of him. He felt dizzy, exhausted still as he stumbled back to the flat ground.

The last thing he saw was a twirling bō staff being secured behind a tall figure in purple.

No...

Mikey had no clue how long he had dozed off. It felt like hours, but it could have been days. Even while asleep, he could hear voices chatting beside him. They were muffled, but he could still make out what they were saying in their hushed voices.

"What's his status?" a mature, feminine voice asked, sounding concerned but hesitant.

Weird. One minute these clowns are attacking him and now suddenly they're acting like they cared about him. Key word being act. He couldn't let his guard down.

"His vitals seem to be normal." a second girl voice said, though her voice was softer than the previous one. "I think I knocked him out too hard."

"You think?" a raspy voice snapped, sounding tough as nails. "Is he still alive? He isn't moving."

"Can't you see his chest rising, shellbrain? Of course he's alive!" soft voice assured them, though now she sounded a bit snarky and defensive. "I'm not a murderer."

"Yeah, I know you don't have the guts to do that-"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I can't believe it! Another mutant!" squealed a peppy voice, interrupting the two arguing voices. "This is so so exciting! And he's a turtle too! I wonder if he's nice. Even though he did kick me in the shin."

"We don't know for sure if he's a mutant." The first voice murmured. "He could be a clone or a spy or something. How else could he have found the lair?"

"We'll ask him when he wakes up, duh." peppy voice said. "Is he really a mutant, Di?"

The soft voice- Di placed a gentle hand on Mikey's bicep. He fought the urge to flinch away from the cold touch. "Yes. When I checked his vitals, my scanners revealed his red blood cells are a mutated variety. The same as ours. He's one of us."

"It doesn't matter if he's one of us or not. I don't trust him." spat the raspy voice.

"You don't trust anyone, Art."

"Can you blame me? Almost every mutant we've encountered has tried to kill us! And now this bozo shows up at our home-"

"He's another turtle though, maybe we should..."

"Shh, girls!" The first voice interrupted in a hush whisper. "They're waking up! Put your sais away, Art!"

Mikey's eyes fluttered open, his head pounding. It took a few seconds for his vision to turn less cloudy, but he let out a gasp when he saw who was staring back at him. He'd recognize him anywhere.

The lanky, olive green figure with chocolate brown eyes belonging to his genius brother. He couldn't hold back a relieved smile and a tight hug to the turtle in front of him. Finally, something normal!

"Donnie!" He cried out.  "Thank goodness you're here! I was so worried and- and scared! But I made it okay, and I'm alright!"

"Get offa me!" 'Donnie' shrieked, pushing him away back into the cot he was lying on. "And who the shell is Donnie?" She looked at him in confusion and slight disgust.

Hurt from the reaction, but also mainly confused, he tried to reason, "Dude, your voice is all weird. Wait a second." He snapped his fingers. "You sound like a girl!"

Not Donnie scowled, affronted. "I am a girl!"

"We're all girls." said the first voice he had heard while he was still knocked unconscious. Another lookalike, except she was nearly identical to Leo.

Three pairs of eyes were staring back at him. All looking like his older brothers.

"Can you write down that he's delusional?" Not Donnie hissed to the turtle that looked like Raph. 

"No, no. Let him explain himself."  Not Leo said. "Who are you?"

It occurred to Mikey now that there were three human sized turtles surrounding his cot. They all looked like his brothers, except significantly smaller, more visible eyelashes and their plastrons were much flatter. So they couldn't possibly be his brothers. Unless his brothers had randomly decided to change their bodies and go through an extreme makeover.

'Might as well introduce myself to these girl clones. Which is a totally normal thing to do.'

"I'm Michelangelo. Mikey." He said, eyes wide with amazement as he started to explain his story. "I don't think I'm from here? I mean you dudes all look like my brothers- but you're girls. This is so whack."

"Keep going," The turtle in blue said kindly.

He took a deep breath, "This is gonna sound super insane but basically I fell through this portal and when I woke up, I thought I was home. My home. It looks like my home here, kinda." He grinned sheepishly. "Which is why I called her Donnie. You all look like my brothers. We're mutant ninja turtles too. You dudes are mutant kunoichi turtles but I think you get my gist."

"Well, we aren't your brothers. Whoever they are." Not Leo said. "I'm Lavinia, and these are my younger sisters," She gestured to the turtles beside her with their lavender and crimson masks respectively. "Diana and Artemisia. Or Di and Art."

"We can introduce ourselves, Lav." Art scowled moodily.

"And I'm Marietta!" squealed the peppy voice, squeezing in between them so that she was nose to nose with Mikey. "You can call me Mari! I'm so sorry Di knocked you out with her staff. That girl has no manners whatsoever." She giggled, batting her eyelashes.

Mikey could only gape in sudden shock. It was like looking in a mirror. This turtle had the same bright, eager blue eyes, same galaxy of freckles scattered across her cheeks, and almost the same mask color. The only noticeable difference was her mask tails appeared to be tied up in a perky bow. It seemed she had the same energy as Mikey, as she was grinning ear slit to ear slit as she babbled on.

"We don't have any boys come over except for August." She continued. "But you're a turtle, like us! And you look just like me! Cute as a button! Except a boy. Wait, are you a boy? Sorry, I didn't mean to assume,"

"Nah, don't worry. I'm a dude."

"That's so neat! This feels like a dream come true. A real boy turtle! Do you like pizza? I love pizza. What's your universe like?"

"Yeah I love pizz-"

Art pulled the smallest turtle back. "Give him space to breathe. Seriously."

"And all your babbling is giving me a serious headache." Di added, rubbing her head for emphasis.

"I didn't mean to...I was just curious-"

"Besides we need to ask Michelangelo some proper questions." Lavinia declared, patting her sister's head in an all too familiar way to Mikey. "You said you came through a portal. Who made this portal?"

He looked grim. "The Kraang. I don't know what they were planning, but they had all these funky portals and I fell in one." He stood up to act it out, falling backwards onto the floor, then popping back up as if nothing happened. "Total accident by the way. Normally I'm not so clumsy."

"The Kraang? You know the Kraang?" Art growled, already inching towards him with a glare, though Mikey was unaffected by the imitating tactic. He lived with Raph for sixteen years after all.

"Yeah, I know them. Squishy, bubblegum looking brain blobs? The freaky dudes who hide in robot bodies and want to mutate the entire planet? My brothers and I have been fighting them forever."

"We've been fighting them too." Lav glanced at Di anxiously. "What do you think?"

"If he's telling the truth, and I think he is." Diana said. "Alien portals...the Kraang being behind it all. That can only mean one thing. The multiverse theory is correct!" She beamed. "Alternate dimensions exist! This is so fascinating, I have to study it immediately." Darting to the back of the lab, the brainy turtle pulled out an entire whiteboard out of thin air and started to scribble frantically.

"Great, you broke her." Art said dryly. "So, essentially there's a whole universe where we're all different genders? Even Sensei? August and Casey?"

Mikey nodded. "I think so. I'm no expert, but I'm thinking August must be your version of our friend April."

"August as a girl." Diana stopped writing.  "Now that is a gorgeous thought." She sighed.

"Cut the swooning, sis," Mari piped up. "So can we keep him? I've always wanted a brother. Besides Kioshi, but I'm not sure he counts..."

Lav crossed her arms. "No way. He cannot stay here."

"But he's so cute and he looks just like me!" Mari pouted. "We could ask Sensei, I'm sure she'd love him too!"

"How would we explain to Ma that there's a guy version of you suddenly staying with us?" Art snarked.

"Well maybe-"

"He isn't a pet, Mari!" Lav snapped harshly. "You can't just keep your alternate self just because you want him to."

Mari whimpered sadly.

Mikey hesitated before speaking, finally chiming into this conversation about him instead of watching the sisters discuss what to do with him.

"I can't stay, Mari." He shook his head. "I'm not from here."

"He has his own family, with his own siblings." Lav patted her disappointed sister's shoulder, then turned to Mikey. "We'll get you back. Or at least, Di will."

"I will?" Di tilted her head.

"How exactly will she do that?" Art asked. "Sure, she's smart, but this is some alternate universe type crap. She can't just make a portal appear. Can you?"

Di hummed thoughtfully. "We'll need to raid a Kraang base to find the exact technology they used for their portal, but it is possible. They must have some computer generator leading to all sorts of dimensions. Give me some time, and I'll figure it out."

"Excellent!" Lav said optimistically. "We'll leave the lair as soon as it gets dark. Don't worry Mikey, we'll get you home safely." Her sapphire eyes flickered to Mari. "And we'll even have time to order a pizza before we leave."

Mikey licked his lips. "Now you ladies are speaking my language!"

Though it had only been a few hours since Mikey had landed in this universe, he found himself pretty comfortable and welcome. It helped that he was served plenty of pizza and orange soda, which helped keep his strength up.

Currently he was sitting on the couch, two greasy slices of jellybean pizza in his hands.

Squished on a beanbag chair was Mari with her own mutated pet cat, adorably dubbed Fudgsicle Feline. Instead of a neapolitan ice cream blob like Ice Cream Kitty, this kitty was mostly chocolate.

"So, you're telling me," Mari sat up. "that there's a guy version of Lav, Art and Di? And their names are Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello?"

"Yup!"

"That's so wild." She sighed, dropping her own pizza slice back on the plate for Fudge to nibble on. "Everything about this is crazy. And I've been through a lot of crazy stuff."

"Same dude. But what kind of stuff have you been through?"

"Try a mosquito mutant who used to be a mad scientist kind of crazy! Or the fact that our best friend is half Kraang!"

"No way!"

She laughed at his reaction. "That's not all. Our mom's enemy has a whole army of mutants that want us all dead. This whole vendetta thing from when ma was a human. Trust me, it's so extra."

"Tell me about it." Mikey giggled with her, all too reminded of back home. "Wait, do you name them all? The mutants?"

"Yes! There's Lady Leopard, Bottlenose, Mosquitrix, Itsy Betsy, Dogpound. I'm really good at naming stuff."

"No way, me too! Rahzar, Fishface, Mutagen Man, Spider Bytz, all kinds of rad nicknames! My brothers think it's kind of lame though when I do it. Not in a mean way, y'know? Just a thing brothers do."

"And sisters." Mari said softly. "I mean, they've always got my back, but sometimes I drive them crazy. I guess I can be a bit of a ditz or a goof off but..." She frowned. "I just want to be taken seriously and not underestimated. I feel like they do that, when they think I..."

"don't understand..." They finished in unison.

"Sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I?" She said meekly. "You can tell me to shut up."

"Why would I tell you to shut up?"

"Because, I'm being you know..." Her eyes were unfocused, clearly upset. "annoying."

A mutual, understanding bond waved between them.

"I guess we're more similar than just our looks, Mari." Mikey admitted. "I get that too. A lot, in fact. I wonder if the team would be better off without me." 

"Yeah..."

"But they wouldn't." He looked at her firmly. "And neither would yours. Marietta, from the two hours and twenty three minutes I've known you, dudette, you've got some serious passion and skills. Not only that, but your sisters seem really serious all the time, and they need a little light to bring their moods up. A little light in the darkness." He winked. "So don't beat yourself up!"

'Huh. Who'da thunk that I'd be giving a pep talk to myself? I guess I really needed it too.'

At first, he expected her to laugh at his cheesy words, no matter how genuine he was. Or burst into tears. But she perked up, giving him a quick hug.

"Naww, thanks Mikey!" Mari chirped. "You're a pretty awesome dude yourself. We've also both got our hot nunchuck fury!"

"Booya-"

"Kasha!" They fist bumped.

Mikey smiled, heart warming with a sudden protective pride for his new friend. "Thanks Mari."

Suddenly, Lavinia burst through the pit, swinging the lab doors behind her. "Di has some news!"

"Did she find a way to get me home?" Mikey rushed over.

Di casually strolled behind Lav, followed by Art. "Me? Oh no, not yet. Turns out, I need some thoron proton ionizer in order to travel your molecules to your home dimension."

"But you have some...thor...ion...that stuff, right?" Mari asked.

"Yep, and I can get more, that's no sweat.  That's not all though. I was rechecking Mikey's blood results and it turns out, there is a slight difference between his body and ours. Besides the obvious." She said with a

blush. "No, but his cells are different, as in an entirely different dimensional structure!"

"Which means..." Lav prompted.

"Oh, well according to my calculations-"

"Can you get to the point, Dr. Dork-einstein?" Art replied in exasperation. "We barely understand what you're trying to say and I'm ready to pass out from boredom. Or rip my nonexistent hair out."

"Right. Sorry. Anyways, I found out there are three more  of the same interdimensional mutants running around our New York City from my mutagen scanner. They aren't like the mutants that live here, for reference. The ones I found have the same cells as our new little friend here." She gave a pointed look at Mikey.

"Oh! I'm the new little friend." He said cheerfully.

"Yes. Do you know what I'm trying to say, Mikey?"

"Totally, brah! You're saying..." He had a big grin, ready to blow their minds with his translation of her technobabble. "You're saying...hmm." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Actually, I've got no idea what you're saying."

"Me neither," Art, Lav and Mari chorused.

"Can you dumb it down a few notches?"

"Maybe several notches actually."

"Please?"

Di groaned. "His-" She pointed at Mikey. "brothers must have followed him here."

"Awesome!" Mikey replied, giving a thumbs up. 

"Does that mean our guy versions are out there now too?" said Art. "Let's hope Lav as a boy isn't as dorky. For her sake." Her lips curled into a smirk, bonking Lav on the head playfully.

"Hey!"

"I think so, yeah. Which means we better find them and send all four of you boys back."

Mikey nodded. "Let's do this."

Chapter Text

Falling through a portal was not a very pleasant experience. The added bonus of being pushed into said portal didn't help matters either. Though it was quick, Donatello smacked face first into a dumpster upon landing. Intense queasiness followed the initial fall and he had the sudden urge to vomit.

He groaned, sat up, and attempted to climb through the mess of trash. But before he could make any sudden movements, two more figures flopped next to him on each side.

"Eugh," Raph mumbled, plucking a bruised banana peel off his head. "That could have been more graceful," He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Yeah, maybe it could have if you hadn't pushed me I would have landed with more pizazz!" Donnie snapped irritably.

"You were talking too much, what else was I supposed to do?"

"Enough!" Leo started to climb out of the dumpster, then lifted a hand to help his  brothers. "We made it. Now, where are we? Any ideas?"

"We're still in Manhattan. 45th street, by the looks of that conveniently placed sign." Donnie commented.

"What? We only traveled like, two blocks?" Raph placed a hand on his hip, puzzled.

"Mikey must have landed here. But it doesn't even look like a different dimension, it looks just like ours." Leo's eyes narrowed. "Something must be missing. Come on, let's check the place out and see if we can find him."

Weapons drawn in case of any attacks, the three brothers took a couple steps forward. Even though it was night, they still couldn't risk being seen. Especially not in their own dimension.

"Wait!" Donnie froze, eyes locked on something that neither Leo or Raph could see.

"Hm?" Leo raised one katana, already in a protective stance.  "What do you see? A mutant? An alien?"

"Look at that!" He trailed off with a dorky grin on his face.

Slowly, the two oldest turtles looked at whatever Donnie was staring at.

An old apartment complex with a balcony in the front. Sitting on one of the chairs, was a teenage boy with flaming red hair and a yellow shirt.

"A boy." Leo said flatly, shaking his head. "We don't have time for this. Come on, let's head to the rooftops. We'll cover more ground from above,"

"He's the second most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Donnie uttered wistfully.

"Huh, he looks kinda familiar." Raph said, then shrugged. "Moving on," He started to walk away with Leo, but Donnie hadn't moved a muscle, still watching the boy fix his messy hair.  "Romeo, we've gotta find Mikey!"

"Oh, oops sorry!"

Above the roofs and skylines, they had a better view of the world they had stumbled in.  Leo taking the lead as usual, followed by Raph and then Donnie trailing behind.

"Keep your eyes peeled. There might be some clues to discovering where Mikey is. Or where we are. I don't think this is our New York City. Something feels different. There has to be a connection. But I can't quite put my finger on it."

Raph sniffed the air, noting an empty box of Antonio's pizza laying on the ground. "Seems to be the same New York to me."

"I agree with Leo, it feels the same but something is off. Did you see that boy? He looks so familiar, you said it yourself Raph! Red hair, yellow shirt with a five on it...just like April. I wonder if-"

"Now that's a huge stretch, Don." Raph rolled his eyes. "You just want to keep admiring him from afar. So what if he has the same fashion sense as April? It doesn't mean they're the same person. That's just ridiculous."

"It's not ridiculous!" Donnie snapped. "What if he's related to her? I think we should-"

"Donnie!" Leo scolded, not even bothering to look behind him. "Enough about that guy. If you don't have anything helpful to say, then don't say it. We need to focus on finding Mikey." He was growing more irritated by the second, feeling as though he was their mother- not their leader.

He just wanted to bring Mikey home and safe. And the more Donnie or Raph made a snide comment or rant about a handsome stranger, he had the urge to slap some sense into them. 

Not to mention there was hot, stuffy air behind him that was driving him up the walls. And an obnoxious buzzing noise to top it off.  "Whoever is breathing on my neck better stop it right now. Raph, I know it's you."

"What? No, it isn't!"

"Then D-"

Donnie gasped. 

"What now?"

"Look!"

Raph and Leo turned around collectively, eyes locked on whatever was behind them. To their sudden horror, they discovered the source. A giant, grotesque mutant insect. Silver wings fluttered, escaped from its hideous thorax in a painfully unnatural way, one larger than the other. Antennas bulged from its massive head, and a needle-like tube stuck from its mouth, snapping back. But the strangest thing about its appearance was that it had a regular, normal human lower half wearing a pink and red plaid sweater vest and ripped jeans.

"You all see the mutant mosquito, right?" Donnie asked nervously.

"Yes. Yes we do," Raph replied.

"Don't worry, I got this." Leo stepped forward, trying to decide which bulging eye to look at, since they were so huge. He took a deep breath, already tired of everything happening, but he forced a friendly grin. "Hey there! Listen, I know you're probably wanting to fight us or something for whatever reason, but we're not from here and we really need to find our brother so if you could wait like...ten minutes? That would be great." He gave an awkward thumbs up.

"What are you, a Boy Scout?" Raph rolled his eyes.

The mutant acted as though she hadn't heard a single word that Leonardo had said. "Well, if it isn't the turtles. It's been a while hasn't it? Yes I've changed quite a bit since our last encounter, but I'm still the same woman." She sneered. "Or insect, really."

Leo glanced back at Donnie and Raph.

"Do you recognize her?"

"Nope, not at all."

"We've fought a bunch of mutants so-"

"Foolzzzz!" She buzzed angrily. "How dare you forget the masterful mind of Beatrix Stockman, your arch enemy! Your voices may have changed dramatically, but I know who you are!" She paused. "Well, less arch enemy, more like an occasional antagonist every other week. But either way, I'll destroy you!" She flew forward, buzzing louder.

"Stockman? Like Baxter Stockman!" Donnie exclaimed. "I think I figured it out. This universe is-"

"Watch out!" Raph shoved him out of the way, just as Beatrix had dove downwards to bite him with her spear sized proboscis barely missing his shoulder.

"You're not the mutant kunoichi turtles..." Beatrix said, taken aback. "You're all malezzzzz. No matter, I shall still relish in destroying you three either way."

Donnie did a quick roll to hide behind an air vent. He poked his head out cautiously. "What now, Leo?"

"Looks like we need to tell this bug to buzz off!" He hollered, swords raised defiantly. "Attack!"

"Now you're talkin'!" Raph jeered. "Time for some pest control for this bug!"

It took more energy to fight back the urge to insist to his older brothers that mosquitos were not bugs, then actually fighting said mutant mosquito. After a quick boost from Raphael, Donatello landed swiftly on top of the flying, ferocious mutant and swung his bō staff on the edge of her thorax, knocking her off balance. He propelled his staff like a helicopter, then pressed down, unsheathing the naginata blade towards her head, blood spurting from the fresh cut. He leaped off, grinning cheekily at her now weakened state and how easily he had overpowered her.

"Raph, now!" Leo said, watching the hothead tackle her to the ground with his brute force. Using a pressure point that Master Splinter taught him once, Leo firmly placed two fingertips against her neck, knocking her instantly unconscious and rigid.  She lay motionless, eyes closed with blood trickling further down so that it stained the pavement. "Well, that was anticlimactic." He commented. "Job well done, guys. How long did that take, Don?"

Donnie smirked. "Thirty two seconds. I counted while I was taking that joy ride." He bragged.

"Awesome!"

"That was way too easy." Raph cracked his knuckles. "Honestly, I'm a little disappointed. But we need to find Mikey, fast."

"Right, let's go guys."  They started to walk ahead, now picking up the pace in order to find their lost brother. It now appeared to be the middle of the night, and no sign of Mikey was making them all anxious.

"What do we do about Lady Dracula over there?" Raph gestured vaguely behind him, not bothering to check. She was obviously knocked out so there didn't seem to be any point to see if she had moved.

Leo waved his hand casually. "We'll toss her in a dumpster or something later. No worries."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that darlings..."

The shadow of the mutant mosquito flew over their heads. Perfectly recovered Beatrix Stockman soared in front of them, and being held in her long insectoid appengandges, was a thrashing Donatello.

"Donnie!" They chorused, mouths agape in horror.

"How did she-"

"Did you really think I'd let you win that easily?" She snarled, tightening her grip on her hostage. Both turtles glared at her with fierceness, their overprotective brother instincts kicking in and ready to slice her open with their weapons without a single regret.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Beatrix taunted. "One more step, and I'll suck the blood out of him dry. It's a mosquito thing, you know. No hard feelings?"

"Yes, hard feelings!"

"Let him go! Please." Leo begged, desperate to reason with her, even if it was hopeless.

"Don't say that! She's gonna take that literally!" Donnie hissed. "She's gonna actually drop me-'' One appendage covered his mouth, muffling any further shouts.

"As you wish," She chuckled darkly, hanging him close to the edge of the rooftop, ready to drop him. Leo felt as though he had been physically punched in the gut.

"No!"

Though Donnie had a very 'I told you so' look, beyond that there was a clear glimmer of fear in his eyes, silently begging his brothers for help.

"You better give our brother back right now, or so help me I'll smack you into next Tuesday!" Raph said in a low but dangerous voice. "That's not a threat, that's a promise."

"Now gentlemen, let's not make any promises or threats we can't keep. How about I propose an offer?"

"No way!"

"Yes, way." He shot Raph a warning glare to shut him up. "What do you want?"

"First, drop your weapons."

Leo shared a look with Raph. "Fine." And he dropped his twin katanas. Reluctantly, Raph did the same.

"If you let me without making a fuss, then I shall let him go. If not..." She tsked, though her moment of triumph was brief.

"Seems like you need to follow your own advice, Mosquitrix."  an unfamiliar female voice said, making everyone turn to find the source. Casually leaning against a ventilation vent, was another mutant turtle with a cobalt mask shielding her icy blue eyes. "I'd rather not play exterminator tonight, if that's alright with you, so if you can let him off without a fuss, that'd be real swell."

"Who is she?" Raph questioned, though Leo looked equally as confused and shocked. They blinked twice to make sure they weren't imagining the mysterious kunoichi turtle.

"Just what I need, more turtles! Though at least you I recognize." Beatrix said. "The same rulezzzz applies to you, Lavinia. One more step, and this turtle hits the pavement."

The girl turtle didn't seem phased at all, and merely shrugged, lifting one palm up as some sort of signal.

Two twirling green figures spiraled through the air, doing multiple backflips as they knocked into Beatrix and Donatello. Donnie landed on his feet beside his brothers, but Beatrix was bound by two kusarigama chains. She struggled and thrashed about, to no avail, so she limply admitted an honorable defeat.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey cackled, twisting his chain tighter around her body. "Not bad!"

"Mikey!" Leo, Raph and Donnie said, rushing towards him to hug him in a huge turtle pile.

"Oh, hey guys! Nice for you to finally pop by. Did you see that awesomeness I just displayed? You can thank me later, don't worry bros." He gave each of his brothers a simple pat on the head.

"Thanks." Donnie smiled weakly.

"So...who are your friends?" Leo pointed at the four turtles standing behind Mikey.

"These gals? They're us from an alternate dimension where we're all girls! Neat, huh? Meet Lavinia, Diana, Marietta and Artemis!"

"Artemisia." Art grumbled.

"Close enough,"

"Hi!" Mari chimed, a coy twinkle in her eye as she waved.

"Fascinating..." Donnie uttered, turning to the lean turtle across from him. "So, you're a girl version of me?"

"No, you're a boy version of me." She shot back with an amused smirk. They both shared a laugh.

"Hmph," Art and Raph simultaneously turned away.

"Nice work." Leo complimented the sisters. "This surprisingly isn't the weirdest thing I've seen. Or any of us, really."

"Me neither." Lav said easily. "Now, how are we going to get you boys back? I don't think those teleporters from Space Heroes would work in this situation." She had said this in jest, but Leo had noticeably perked up at the mention of his favorite show.

"No worries!" Diana looked eager. "I've got what we need to send you back to your home dimension. Or really your molecules through a thoron proton ionizer."

"That's brilliant!" Donnie said, eyes sparkling with delight. "And if we can reverse the polarity, then we'll be able to head home without any trouble."

"Exactly!"

Art narrowed her eyes, turning to her counterpart wearily. "Great, just what we need. Two more dorks."

Raph groaned, massaging his temples. "Tell me about it."

"And with one last added push-" Donnie said, twisting his wrench inside the makeshift portal device. "It should be good to go!"

Diana pulled up her goggles. "Yep!"

"Are you sure this is safe?" Raph asked, taking one look at the portal and shaking his head. "Not that I'm one to care about safety, but I'm not risking losing a limb if I walk through that thing."

"Maybe we should test it." Lav shuddered.

"Di, do we need to test it?" Art asked her sister who shook her head. "Eh, that's good enough for me."

"What? So we're supposed to just walk inside?" Leo looked uneasy.

"That's precisely what you do." Di said. "It won't last long, and as much as we'd love for you to stay," She looked at Donnie with a gap toothed grin. "It's for the best that you all go home. But Donatello, if you ever want to talk about interdimensional travel with me, we should keep in contact."

"That would be great."

"And you're positive that it'll work?" Leo glanced at Di, then Donnie.  "That we'll head back to our home? Just like that? Our limbs won't turn to goo or anything?"

"Ehhhhh," Di waved a hand vaguely, finishing the last touches. "Probably not. The likelihood of that happening is slim."

"Gee, that's reassuring." Raph huffed.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. We just walk into the totally scary portal, and we'll be home before you know it." said Mikey.

"It's the only option we have." Leo said. "Let's do it." He wistfully looked back at their female counterparts. "Thanks for all your help. Especially for the portal,"

"Hey, you're welcome!" Mari chimed, puffing out her chest. "That was easy!"

"What are you on about, Mari?" Di raised an eyebrow. "It was Donnie and I who worked on the portal. You sat there on your butt eating leftover pizza,"

"I was there for moral support!"

"Why you-"

"It was no problem at all!" Lavinia stepped in front of her squabbling sisters sheepishly.

Leo held a hand out, and the two leaders from different universes shook hands.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Donnie." Di said, bowing her head to show her admiration and respect for the fellow scientist. "I couldn't have fixed this portal without your help. Well, maybe I could have but..."

"It's nice having a lab partner." Donnie smiled. "Especially another mutant turtle lab partner. My partner back home, well, it's sort of complicated because she's-"

Di raised her hand to stop him. "Don't worry, I completely understand."

"Mikey!" Mari tackle hugged him. "I'll miss you so much! Even though we haven't been friends long, I feel like we've known each other forever!"

"I'll miss you too, Mari." Mikey embraced her tightly. "I feel the same way." He stopped himself, then beamed, "Keep being yourself, dudette,"

"Even if my sisters find it annoying?"

He smirked. "Especially if they find it annoying."

"So..." Art looked at Raph reluctantly, as if she was trying to intimidate him with her gruff demeanor. To her surprise, he seemed on his guard too. "Cool mask." She said awkwardly after a long period of uncomfortable silence.

Raph grunted. "Thanks,"

"Well. See ya,"

"Bye,"

"Ready to go?" Leo asked his brothers one last time.

"Yep!"

"Let's go already."

"I'm a little nervous." Mikey said softly. "Going through portals is a bit scary. No matter how many times we've done it,"

"Don't worry." Leo took Mikey's hand, then Donnie's. "We'll go together,"