Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Opening the portal to the prison dimension was the most exhilarating action Mikey had ever taken, like moving a muscle he never knew he had. His core's small ball of energy lit up and was conducted through veins.
IT BURNED like being struck by lightning; his body was putting out more energy than Mikey had, literally tearing himself apart to stabilize the portal.
'It doesn't matter; I'm not giving up on Leo'
Over the ring in his ears, Mikey heard Raph call out, "-Don't STOP!". He vaguely felt his brothers place their hands on his shoulders, lending Mikey their strength. "Were here-Together."
TOGETHER
Mikey focused the accumulated energy sending it forward, reaching out for his Big brother, tearing open a hole in the fabric of the universe.
His teary eyes focus on Leo, lying prone through the glassy portal.
'He's okay!'
Mikey used his remaining strength to hold open the rift
'Just a little longer.'
Ralph reached and grabbed Leo pulling him through the portal. The Kraang saw the exit and tried to follow, but Mikey wouldn't let them.
The crackle of thunder roared as he slammed closed the dimensional doorway.
Mikey fell backward, and Raph held him up while Donnie catered to his injured twin.
"Leo!" Mikey cried with a raspy voice. He leaped out of Raphs arms, rushing towards Leo.
"Hey," Leo hugged Mikey, "Ew, are we on station Island?"
Come here," Raph sobbed, pulling his siblings into a protective hug.
"We survived! We're together! We're okay! 'Leo's okay, Raphs okay, Donnie's okay, everything's going to be okay.
Mikey then passed out.

Chapter Text

Donnie was, to put it bluntly, overwhelmed. After the Kraang, most of the Lair was destroyed, including but not limited to his Laboratory, the clinic, Leo's living quarters, the training room, and the Lounge. To top it off, Donnie was fixing up his twin ( who suffered from mild head trauma, three cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder blade, and a broken leg) and monitoring Raph for long-term effects from ( possession) his Kraang parasite.

(That's an excuse) 

Two weeks after the Kraang invasion, the family had finally settled into a routine, a crazy routine but still methodical.

Donnie had left his Lab after another formative All-nighter; when the Kraang attacked, they destroyed most of the Lair, and with Leo wounded, rebuilding was a slow effort. Donnie's brothers attempted to help, but Raph was as delicate as a bulldozer, and Mikey seemed to lose focus every chance.

As Donnie entered the kitchen, he found Mikey making coffee for 'yours truly' as he always did, and in return, Donnie gave him a head pat .

"Morning Michelangelo, Gratitudes for the coffee." Donnie grabbed the purple cup from Mikey.

"No problem, Don. I was just about to make breakfast. How do you feel about a fluffy omelet with extra gouda and mushrooms?"

 "You know me too well, my dear brother."

Mikey giggled, grabbing the ingredients he'd need. Donnie sat down at the battered breakfast nook, preparing himself for a full day. 

"You really need to chill out on the all-nighters."

Donnie rolled his eyes. "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

"Ha! Like a petty thing like death will keep your science ," Mikey sassed.

Donnie grumbled in defeat and contemplated how his younger brother skillfully prepared six individualized omelets with second-hand utensils and a 'borrowed' mini fridge.

He pretended not to notice the quivering. 

"Angelo, last night, I finished reinforcing the plumbing and electrical wiring (you're welcome). The next step on my itinerary  is the kitch-"

Mikey let out a sharp yelp, followed by the crash of a falling knife. He stepped back, showing a trickle of blood oozing from his third finger.

"Mikey!" Donnie rushed over, throwing Mikey towards the sink and grabbing the first aid kit. Then, he attempted to remove the gauze that wrapped Mikey's arms (why was he wearing bandaids), so he could clean the wound.

Mikey shoved his purple brother away. "Donnie, I'm okay! Tis but a flesh wound. "

Donnie held firm. "Im not letting your 'flesh wound' get infected." Mikey rolled his eyes and had his arms to his shell; he sighed.

"Okay, BUT ill remove the bandages."

"Whatever works," Donnie shrugged.

He painstakingly watched as Mikey shakily unbound his arm, flinching as each strip brushed against his arm.

The bare skin allowed Donnie to examine the injury; there was a clean slice on Mikey's finger  (nothing a bandaid couldn't fix), but what caught Donnie's gaze were Lichtenberg figures.

These scars enveloped his arm like climbing ivy, extending above Mikey's elbow; their electric shape burning gold. ( 'Oh god, it's still raw)

"Mikey" 

 "they're ugly, aren't they? "Mikey tearfully smiled. "it's okay though, they brought Leo, so it's okay."

"The portal…" Donnie felt sick to his stomach. "Why didn't you say anything? The scarring is so vast; the initial damage…." Guilt struck him like a stone." I should have noticed; I should have evaluated you, I-  I been-" 

Mikey threw his arms around Donnie, "it's not your fault; between Leo and Raph and rebuilding… and I didn't want to worry you over a little boo-boo."

Now it was Don's turn to roll his eyes. "I'm your brother; it's my job to worry. But, speaking of 'boo-boos,' let's patch up your laceration."

Mikey looked shocked at his hand, then back up to Donnie, holding a mischievous smile. "I've got it, Donald. Watch and learn." they took a deep breath and swirled his decent hand. His little brother's eyes and scars flickered (as well as the light fixtures);  Mikey made another bizarre gesticulation, and a tiny spark was executed from his gash that was now… gone.

The demonstration left Donnie in shock; he'd seen the mystic powers. Shell , he'd seen Mikey use Mystic powers; but he never noticed the complexity of the art, only its inexplicable nature . "You realy are something else; where did you learn how to? Why haven't you-, Just how?"

Questions poured through Donnie's head, swirling together in a mixture of concern, pride, and… hurt?

"Himato Michelangelo, you have about 5 minutes to tell me what the hell is going on  before I go find Dad." Donnie grimaced at his Otōto. " I better not catch you lying, young lady!" 

Pausing for a breath, Mikey took a seat at the creaky breakfast nook, then sighed. "This is a not-so-long, long story," his hands vibrated the table. "Leo was … lost; I thought he was- I needed him to be okay; I need my brothers!" The lights were flickering again. "Something inside me awakened, and I opened the Portal, which hurt a ton! I thought I was going to die! Okaachan said that-"

Don choked. "I'm sorry, who is Okaa ?"

Mikey reddened. "I didnt mean to say that; anywhozle-"

"Angelo, who is Okaachan"

Mikey mumbled incoherently 

Donnie pulled out his cellular device. "Don't make me call April."

 "BARRON DRAXUM"

Don stared at Mikey, trying to process the info just given. Finally, he clicked a few buttons on his phone. "I'm calling April."

Chapter Text

April lounged on the couch, cuddling Cassandra, who lay peacefully on her chest. April caressed her girlfriend's face, tracing her sharp features, while Casey sleepily spooned her body.

Both girls groaned when the  obnoxious  phone decided to interrupt thier  alone time by loudly ringing. April attempted to roll over but was stopped when Casey Domineered her body weight. 

April smirked. "Realy Jones, Jealous of a phone call?"

Casey's obsidian eyes glared into the device. "fuck off, O'Neil; SUNDAYS ARE SACRED!"

April rolled her Amber eyes and held her lover tight.

They let the phone go to voicemail, unaware of the other lines recording an emotional moment between siblings.

Chapter Text

Don stared at Mikey, unable to process the info just given. He clicked a few buttons on his phone. "I'm calling April."

Donnie felt the bitter needle of betrayal pluck at his heart. 'Did Mikey not trust him?'

"Donnie, please, don't. It's not a big deal."

"not a big- you went to  Baron Draxum  before your own Family!"

"He is Family!"

Donnie slammbed his fist into the table "So am I!" 

Mikey hesitated; Robin's blue eyes were glaring into his own. "Donnie, it's not about you!"

He put down the device.

"Then what is all 'THIS' about?" he gestured towards her quavering arms

Mikey shrugged 

"Mikey, I want to help-"

"I don't need help."

"Hold out your hands."

"What?"

"Please?" Mikey faltered but complied; Don held her hand as gently as he could (she still flinched). He examined each imprint with a keen eye; Donnie raised an eyebrow at the healing blisters. "Fascinating, It looks almost identical to an electric burn; it even has the Lichtenberg figures. Can I touch them?"

Mikey nodded. "Just be careful."

Don nodded, diligently tracing the scars, only hesitating when Mikey cringed.

They sat silent before Mikey asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to figure the amount of damage received, whether or not your Nerves were Damaged."

"Oh, Draxum did that too."

Donnie tensed at the name of his creator. Then he took a calming breath and bandaged Mikey's arms ." Why didn't you come to us?

Mikey hissed. "You  DON'T  understand! That's why I went to Draxum. No one here understands mystic stuff. Raphy and Leo would freak, and We both know how you feel about the mystic arts."

Donnie felt  stupid; how  could he have been so careless? From the start, He'd made it a point to state his disdain towards dealing with mystic types; it's no wonder Mikey would be hesitant to bring up her own budding powers. How can he fix years of apathetically insulting her identity? 

"I don't hate you," Donnie blurts 

"What?"

Donnie readied himself before cautiously pulling his sister into a hug. "I don't hate you, I-"

Mikey leaned into his embrace. "I know, but-"

"Mikey, Let me finish. I don't hate Mystic or Magic; it's confusing, and that frustrates me, but I don't hate it, and  I   certainly don't hate you . Nothing you could ever say or do will change that. I love you."

Donnie let Mikey sob into his chest before hearing the soft whimper of "I love you too, bro."

Breaking the tension, "Anyway, I'd like to finish that medical exam. Do you happen to know if Draxum created a medical file?"

Mikey perked up at the question, "he does actually; it dates back to when we were eggs, pictures, and everything!" 

" Gasp , how have I not seen this before?"

"Maybe if you visited  Okaachan,  you'd get to see his  probably  immoral and illegal experiments and inventions."

Donnie's eyes sparked. "WE'RE GOING NOW!"

"YAY!"

★ later, Ralph and Leo attempt to extinguish a kitchen fire.

Chapter Text

Draxum has experienced many things in his long existence; he has witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, he’d been to battle and tasted death between his lips, and he was there when humans attempted to end Yokai Kind. Yet, nothing scared him more than that brief voice message from his youngest son.

“ Draxum, I don’t know when you’ll get this, but things aren’t looking too good on our end. They…The Kraang took Raph, Leo is losing it, and we can barely leave a scratch on these… things…

 Promise me, if anything happens, don’t be mad. I don’t want- want to lose to anyone else- I don’t want you to lose yourself, okay?

im…. I’m scared; I don’t know what we’re going to do… b-but whatever we do, our family does together. Please stay safe.

I love you, Okaachan.

See you soon

His instincts screamed to protect his babies, but he couldn’t . 

The students around him were annoying and messy, but they were his responsibility; Draxum took care of what was HIS.

They all would have died in the invasion if he had left them.

So Draxum swallowed his unease and stormed into the administrator’s office

“We need to go into Lockdown. NOW!”

The young principal stood up with urgency, “What’s the situation?” 

“New York’s under attack. The children are in danger.”

“Do we have a plan?”

“Send them to the cafetorium; I’ve reinforced the walls and stored weapons; it’s the safest spot in the building.”

She nodded at Draxum, “On it.”

The battle was a blur; Draxum could only recall vague adrenaline moments. 

A light erupting from the sky

Fleshy blight creeping through the cracks,

His plants were strangling and demolishing the invaders, Al while he guarded the students with his life. 

Children no older than his own caught in the crossfire turned into mindless weapons in their enemy’s tentacles.

It ended as quickly as it began; the pink slim deflated, the enslaved students were released, and the portal was closed, but the damage remained.

A feeling of loss clung to Draxum’s chest; he craved to hold his children, but he waited .

Baron Draxum never left a job unfished.

 He knelt to a tiny freshman whose eye leaked blood and slime. “Sarah, I’m going to help you, okay” he clasped her hands and healed her vision with a small mystic flower; when done, Draxum picked himself up and found another student. 

The battered school was filled with empty noise , whispers, muffled sobs, and calls to loved ones.

He attended to injuries even as paramedics arrived; his students needed him, and he-

A firm hand settled on his shoulder; he turned to find the principal, her big brown eyes examining his violet.

“Find your family; we can handle it from here.”

He hesitated but agreed ( his children needed him ). “Thankyou.” with that, Draxum wrapped himself in vines and teleported away.

Chapter Text

Draxum never planned on being a parent; they didn't even like children, much less have the maternal instinct to raise one, but his actions handed him four pubescent turtles.

He didn't regret anything  (except for the attempted murder and also the shredder and other semi-violent crimes)

Draxum was enjoying a quiet Sunday morning watering his lavender, weeding his belladonna bush, deadheading the chamomile, and tending to his  many  mystical potted plants. He'd become accustomed to maintaining his apartment in the early mornings before work; he enjoyed having his evenings free, so he could work on his (totally moral) experiments or spend time with his family. 

Family ; even after two years, that little word stirred emotion in him. Draxum would be the first to admit he's not a good person; he'd hurt many people in his  long  life, some deserving, others not. The pain he'd caused his family alone was enough to damn his soul, but that didn't matter;  Mikey needed him;  Mikey wanted him  to be a part of their life.

Speaking of Michelangelo, Draxum walked over to tidy 'Mikey's room' (a corner in Draxum's apartment where Michaelangelo kept his belongings). He returned a few books to their shelves, ensuring their handmade bookmarks were in place, folded a freshly washed orange blanket, and dusted off the small desk Mikey kept their art supplies. Draxum stacked up scattered papers and rolled his eyes when he found a pair of round glasses 'forgotten' underneath a sketchbook.

Draxum sighed; for as long as the goatman had known them, Michaelangelo, much like their  extraordinarily  blind Rat Dad, was content to ignore their severe vision issues. Draxum refused to let his kid fight blind and was rigid in ensuring his children cared for their vision.

He paused his Gardening, hearing the soft creek of the apartment window.

" Good morning Michelangelo," Draxum called out to the child, attempting to sneak in through his window. Instead, the now-flustered delinquent tumbled from the opening; Draxum's heart pounded for that fleeting moment before catching Mikey in the embrace of his Mystic verdure. 

Outrage bubbled in the father's chest, and he wanted to scold his child for his recklessness but stopped looking into Mikey's cerulean eyes that were lined with the faint trail of dried tears; Draxum hesitated, allowing Mikey to guide the conversation. "Ohayō Ookachan! How are you on this day of days?"

"I'm doing quite well, thank you; Though, I would prefer it if  you   used the  door ."

"Doors are for losers, and I ain't no loser!" The tiny turtle proclaimed proudly

 "Yes, of course, and the nearly falling for your death was all part of your master plan?" Draxum facetiously implored while patting his kiddo's head; Mikey leaned into their father's affection with a sunny giggle. 

A melodramatic cough pulled the alchemist's attention: a thin figure emerged from the window. Draxum's second eldest and most intellectual son, Donatello, hovered above the apartment floor, glaring at his biological donor. Drax could feel ice permitted from the purple teen's core. 

 "As  Domestic  as  this is , I believe we came on a mission of sorts.

Mikey blew a Raspberry, nuzzling up to their brother." Donnie's, right? It's time to see the Akachan no Shashin!'" Draxum raised an eyebrow at the sudden language shift.

Donnie scoffed at his confusion "they want to see our baby photos." 

Already browsing through the freshly dusted bookcase and pulling out several handbound journals and binders, Draxum asked, "You wish to see your records?" This was not an unusual request from Mikey; a few years back, they hyper-fixated on scrapbooking (he suspected they wanted to know more about their biological origins), but Draxum found it very odd for Donatello to come to  him  for help, his older sons prefer to avoid his presence. (Not that he could blame them after all he'd done to their family)