Chapter Text
Mona Lisa, the eldest daughter, was in line to be a new Foot recruit along with her sister Venus De Milo, Ve for short. The smaller painter turtle bounced on her heels in front of her.
“Ve,” Mona hissed, “stop acting so happy to be here. We’re supposed to be inconspicuous here.”
“Huuuuh?” Ve bent backwards, her head bumping my chest. “Come agaaaain?”
Mona swallowed a growl and pushed her back up before leaving forward. “Camouflage, hidden, spys for dad? Ya get it yet sis?”
“OOOOH” Ve said too loudly causing Mona to smack her forehead and growled this time.
A short person with a buzz cut in front of Venus turned around.
“Can you SHUT UP?? I am trying to CONCENTRATE over here! I am to be the best foot soldier there ever was!!” she cackled and turned back around for a moment before glaring at us for good measure.
Mona flicked Venus’s shoulder. “Ow!” Venus stuck her tongue out, rubbing her shoulder before speaking to the girl who just yelled at us. “Hiiiiiii~” The girl groaned but didnt turn around. “Heloooooo? Angry lady??” She didn't say anything.
Venus hates to be ignored.
“HellO, I'm speaking to you!” Her little sister grabbed this stranger by the shoulder. The stranger allows herself to be pulled by Venus only to land a crisp punch to her little sister's face.
“I AM NOT INTERESTED!” She shouted.
Mona lunges forward, stopped only by her little sister’s shell. Venus looked up at me and grinned. “I got this sis.” She faced her attention to the girl in front of her. “Wanna settle this like real women? Prove that we’re worthy of the Foot’s symbol?”
“AUGH IT'S ALL I'VE EVER DREAMED! C’mon and let's fight you- what are you?”
This girl was finally getting a good look at us.
Venus took off her red hooded cloak to reveal her moss colored skin, highlighted by the bright yellow stripes that ran up along her arms, legs and her face. Three stripes, one down each eye and the other going down her snout, mouth and neck until it disappeared into her plastradon. Venus has a teal accent belt holding her tessen and hidden throwing stars but she didn't take any of them out. “I’m your worst nightmare you bitch!”
Mona watched as her sister tackled this angry girl. She sighed, shaking her head. Venus this is the OPPOSITE of inconspicuous you idiot. The two of them throw punches at each other, some blood splattering onto Mona’s own red hooded cloak.
The two go at it for a few minutes before they are cut off by a loud man’s voice. “STOP THIS AT ONCE YOU TWO!!!” The lean man walks forward, skin tinged purple under these candles. He was toned and had two leather straps going across his chest, wrappings that covered from his hand to just below his armpits and an orange fabric wrap around his waist and brown harem pants. Oh yeah, a giant orange footprint pressed onto his bald face that held a small flame on top.
Great, busted by the friggin Foot Lieutenant. “Look sir my sister didn't mean to disrupt you and-”
“Silence you nobody, this doesn't involve you.” He waved me away.
Oh no you don't! Mona stepped forward, ready to step this man straight- mission or not when a larger man, taller than her, stepped in front of her arms crossed.
He was boxy in frame and large muscles with no shirt, purple harem pants and wrappings that also covered his arms. Oh yeah and two large, sharp spears across his back.
Mona swallowed her anger and stepped back into place. The large man smiled at her knowing her place. Her nails dug into her palm and she pulled her hood further down. She forced herself to focus on what the lieutenant was saying to her sister.
“-we do not tolerate disrespect of line etiquette but you two did do a good amount of damage on each other in such a short fight. Therefor,,,” he placed both his hands on his sister and the angry girl. “You're both hired! Welcome to the Foot Clan! Devotees of the Shredder.” The man and angry girl beamed at each other with side smiles. Venus looked at me and gave me a toothy cocky grin. Ugh.
The two foot men walk away back towards the font of the line. The angry girl turned towards us with actual tears in her eyes and grabbed onto Venus’s hands. “THANK YOU!! This has been my dream for months to finally be accepted into the Foot Clan!! Let’s us go out to celebrate!” she looked back at me, “oh but your sister did not make it.”
Venus waved me away. “Oh she’ll be fine she is more like, my back up crew, pay her no mind. Any wizzle, what's your name girl? Mine is Venus, yes like the star.'' Mona watched as her sister and the girl introduced themselves and walked away.
“Move forward or get lost girl.” a man from behind her pushed her back.
She whipped around, snarling, baring her sharp teeth.
The man screamed. “WHAT ARE YOU?! LIZARD FREAK!!” He kept calling her names as Mona walked away, rolling her eyes. Pathetic human man.
Outside the line she checked her phone. No new texts from dad.. She sends him an update text. Venus got in.
Dad’s icon lit up, changing my message to ‘read’ but he didn't respond. Instead he calls.
“Yes dad?”
“Why did you say only Venus got in, did you not?”
She rolls her eyes. “No dad.”
“Why not?”
“I don't know, just didn't”
“Don't give me attitude girl.”
“Oh my god dad, it's not an attitude! I didn't get in okay? Just drop it.”
“Mona do not tell the GREAT DARON DRAXUM TO JUST “DROP IT ``!''
Mona groans and rubs the bridge between her eyes. “Whatever dad, it's still a success.”
Draxum thought for a moment before agreeing. “You're right, as long as I have one daughter who could successfully infiltrate the Foot Clan then yes, it is not a total loss. Be home by midnight girls.”
And he hung up, whatever. Mona ditches the red cloak in the nearest trash can. She grabs her yin yang pendant and makes a strange M shape on the wall and out bursts a brilliant purple circle. Venus will find her own way home. Mona walks through the portal.
Mona Lisa emerges under the brilliant crystal hues of the mystic city. Walking out of the alley way and out into the open courtyard filled with stalls of different vendors. As she nears the lab she calls home, the sky lets out a scream. Mona looks up as a figure is falling from the sky and is gonna laaaand- oh crap!
The girl crashes on top of Mona.
They both groan as the girl rolls off of her.
“OH geez! Way to go April,” she grumbled. “I’m sorry lemme help you up.”
Mona slaps the hand away with her spotted tail. The girl lets out a small whoa as Mona stands up, reaching a good feet taller than the small dark skinned girl. Her two small ponytails were left askew and thick curly hair were spilling out its ecstatic. She fixed her red glasses and jacket before holding her hand back out. “Sup! Sorry about the fall, totally didn't mean for that to happen. Thank you for softening my landing, I think I would've died if not for help.” she awkwardly laughed. Mona turned around, grumbling “you're welcome.”
The girl ran up and walked alongside her. “My name is April O’Neil! What’s yours?”
“Mona Lisa.”
April smiled up at me, “Oh sick! Like the painting! I have some friends that are named after renaissance stuff, which must've been the theme for baby names that year.” She snorts at her own joke. “Hey Mona! I was looking for this lost lil doggy thing? I was chasing it through this weird portal through a brick wall, but there were some mean looking thugs that were chasing him. Have ya seen anything like that?”
Mona stopped walking. That sounds like dad’s henchmen. Did she bring the girl along with her to the lab? Dad may use her for an experiment… “Nope. Now go home, this place isn't safe for humans.”
“Hey I may not look at it but I can totally take care of myself! I have a crane license!” What the hell is a crane? “Plus my brothers will come and get me, they got my back.”
Mona let out a small laugh. “That must be nice, I’m always the one bailing out my younger sister.”
“You got a sister? Is she a lizard too?”
“Gecko.”
“Oh she’s a gecko? Nice!”
“No, I’m a gecko, a totally common and not special at all gecko from the surface world.” Mona grumbles.
“Oh shit, my bad Mona! So is your sister a gecko too?”
“Nah she's-” ugh why is she telling this human so much! Dad will kill her! She stopped walking, April stopped just ahead of her.
“What's wrong?”
“Look, April was it?” She nodded. “This place really isn't safe for humans, at least where I live. You should head back to the plaza, find a cop or something and wait for your brothers there, far away from where I’m heading.”
April puts her hands on her hips and looks up at me with steely eyes. “I said I can take care of myself, I may be human but I’m an O’Neil! We don't back down! From the truth or anything else that stands in our ways!” She throws her fist in the air, looking like an action figure.
Mona shakes her head and places her hands on the human. I’m definitely gonna need a shower, dad will be able to smell the human on me a mile away.
“Look kid-”
“I’m sixteen!” April interjected.
Even better. A teenager my age. “Look, you don't wanna meet my dad, he isn't fond of humans, at all, I'm being serious April. Go far away from this direction and wait for your brothers. But you see that big structure? Away from the rest of the city?”
Mona points ahead of the two girls at a round building, covered in these vines in the center of glowing green water with only a small rickety wooden bridge.
“That very obviously spooky building?” she asked plainly.
“Yup,” Mona responded dryly. “Just stay away from there okay? I gotta go, but good luck finding your brothers and maybe we’ll see each other again?”
April stared up at her, processing, then smiled an electrifying smile. “You got it girly! Let me know if you see the lil dog thingy being chased by the mean men okay? Do you have a phone?”
Mona blinked and sputtered, “Uh- yeah why?”
“In case you find the dog thingy that's why! Plus that way we won't lose contact! Not to sound desperate but the only friends I have are my brothers, and girl lemme tell you, I need a girl friend.” April said the last part semi hushed, looking out her sides as if her brothers were just around the corner and were gonna pound on her for saying such a thing.
Mona didn't mean to but she chortled at the mental image. It reminded her of Venus. She took out her phone as did April and both girls faltered, their phones were very different. But they just smiled and figured it out by repeating their numbers and having the owner punch it in themselves.
After they exchanged a quick text to make sure it worked, April smiled and waved as she ran the way they came from, on the lookout for the creature and her brothers.
Mona smiled as she watched her run away. I can't believe it, I made a friend! A human friend too! Realization slapped Mona. Oh shit. A human friend! Mona ran faster to the house and using her assassin skills she managed to climb inside the fortress and directly into her bedroom.
Dad must still be in the lab, I’ll take a quick shower and then all should be in the clear!
Wait, Venus is hanging out with that angry human girl. So its natural we’d smell like humans, we were trying to infiltrate The Foot. Mona stops short of the shower and sends a quick text to Venus. Don't bring the human home or tell dad that you hung out with her.
Venus quickly shot back an eye roll and a thumbs up.
Mona sighs, shower forgotten and she grabs her bow and arrows and heads to the training room. She passed Venus's room and her fathers even though he has been spending most of his time in the lab lately, swearing he's close to perfecting the mutagen once more. Odd fluorescent lights lit up the hallway in hues of purple and blue making it bright enough to not trip on the various sized vines that emerge. Nearing the lab she pauses and looks down from the open air railing down onto the lab.
Dad was wearing his glasses and a lab coat over his armor. Mona hears his hooves clopping around, the bubbling of the mutagen mixed with the buzzing of the ooze-squitos and wait- is that the sound of a man?
Mona leans over the rail trying to hear over the bubbling but he said something about pigs butt? What’s a pig? She asked herself.
She wants to get closer, to hear what's going on, when she looks up and finds,, APRIL?!
April is here and with four turtle mutants?! Just like her little sister..
Oh no no! Mona has to get away from this spot, dad just activated the machine that connects with the ooze-squitos! But she couldn't exactly jump down into the lab, especially while dad is in the middle of an experiment. Learned that the hard way. But April would see her! Oh no- okay, if I run fast enough I should be able to get to where she is and her turtle brothers before dad notices them! Yeah!
Pulling away from the sounds of that human being mutated, Mona runs as fast as she can to the other side of the laboratory. Jumping over vines, bouncing off the wall and using her tail to help push her along. Come on! Why now does this hallway feel like it's taking forever to get across? She finally gets close enough to see them.
The big red spiky turtle is making a speech about their strengths? When April interrupts them, pulling a lever makes the whole group fall through the floor.
Shit! Shit shit shit!! Are they planning on attacking dad? Mona pulls his nails down the side of her face when a shadow comes through from the open door. Whipping her head up she finds her silhouetted sister drinking a human drink.
“Suuuup sis! What cha up to?” Sluuuuurp.
“Venus! Quick run down, we have intruders in the lab-”
“Then what are you waiting for? Let's get them!” She finished the last of her drink and threw the near empty cup on the ground. Were those pearl balls in the bottom of the cup?
Mona shakes her head and grabs onto her sister’s arm, yanking her back. “Stop rushing in Venus! Let me finish!” Venus nodded. “Dad finished the mutation, and well just mutated a human into something, I wasn't paying attention all I heard was pig butts.”
“What's pig butts?”
“I don't know! But look my friend, she's part of the intruders. She's looking for a dog thingy, I think that she's looking for the creature that stole from dad the other day, the one he sent his mercenaries out to hunt down?” Venus nodded. “I’m gonna need you to go and grab the doggy creature out from dad’s lab without him noticing. I’m gonna go to find my friend and convince her to leave with her brothers.”
Nevus nodded again, turning around then stopped. “Wait, omg did you make a friend? A human friend?!” Venus barks out a laugh. “Oh my god! Dad is gonna be soooo pissed! His little mini Draxum is friends with a human!” She was holding onto her stomach, bent over laughing.
“Venus! Keep it quiet! What about you? You made a human friend today too!”
Her little sister wiped tears from her eyes and through laughter she responded, “Y-yeah but mine for the mission! That you walked away from, oh gods dad will be so pissssed!”
Mona was about her limit with her sister today! Instinctively her tail moved and swatted at Venus’s head.
“OWWWW!” She whined. “You hit me!” Venus ran over to the railing. “DADDYYYYY MONA HIT ME WITH HER TAIL!”
Dad barely looked at her. “I’m busy sweeties, solve your fights yourself.”
Mona grabbed Venus by the shoulder, spinning her around. “Are you for real?! Did you seriously just call over dad’s attention? Does secrecy mean anything to you?!”
Venus smiled, and shook her hand off of her. “Yeah but watching you get in trouble is more fun.” Mona crossed her arms, her tail flicking behind her. After a minute Venus rolled her eyes. “Whatever, go get your friend and her family or whatever. I’ll get the damn thieving dog away from dad.
Venus did a cartwheel over the railing, using the various, semi sentient vines to run, roll and land neatly beside the dog who was in fact, tied up in a cage beside the mutation machine.
Perfect, now to find April and- Mona groaned and slammed her fist into the wall. Is anything gonna go my fucking way today?!
A tunnel door opens up and out pours the four turtles and April bouncing along behind them. They fall onto a pile and there's April, laughing on top of them all.
Venus looks up at me then back to the human and crew, clearly surprised by seeing other turtle mutants like herself. She turns back to rescuing the creature and shoos away Huggin and Munnin who grumble and fly somewhere else.
A ringing fills Mona’s ear and she helplessly watches her new friend and her family banter with her father, who looks up at them with actual tears in his eyes. That's when it finally clicks.
These are the mutant experiments that their father lost thirteen years ago. We were only a year or two old when the experiment happened, Mona doesn't remember much of it, besides her father scoping her and Venus away during the explosion, only after Huggin and Munnin told him that we were crying. He never forgot about those missing experiments, and here they are, serving themselves on a silver platter with a human dessert to top it off.
Mona is shaken out of her thoughts when her father’s vines emerge from the ground and start attacking the group. His mecha machine becomes their primary focus while he turns back to the ooze-quitoes. Thankfully not even noticing Venus slip away, growling dodgy creature in hand. From up here Mona watches the chaos unfurl, and April is having her own battle up against Munnin and Huggin.
Mona flips over the railing, joining the fray.
She avoids the turtle brothers, the robot and falling bits of vines and rocks as she makes her way to April.
“Huggin! Munnin! Come back here!” Mona yelled at the two little shadow gargoyles. They were currently carrying April around in the air who was thrashing, trying to hit them off with her bat. “Mona?” April cried out in shock.
Her two gargoyle babysitters flew closer to the ground, but once April stopped swinging her bat around they dropped her to the ground and the gargoyles landed on her spiked shoulder plates, carefully avoiding the spike.
“Mona what are you doing here, how do you know these-”
“I told you not to come here!”
“But- they had the doggy thing, I wasn't gonna leave without him! Or her.”
Venus ran over to the little group, with the creature who was still growling in her hands. She noticed that her little sister's face had new scratches on it.
“You so owe me,” she muttered to Mona then looked at the human, essentially tossing the dog creature at her. “This is yours, or whatever. Mona made me fetch him for you. Heh fetch, get it? Cause it's a dog?” she laughed at her own joke.
A boom came from the other side of the lab and Mona took April's shoulders, looking her in the eye, or well close enough to direct eye contact.
“April, take the creature and your brothers and leave okay? The lab is gonna explode again and your brothers are trapped.” She took April, spun her around and pushed her toward the turtles. “Now GO!”
April looked between us and her brothers for a moment before running over to her brothers, creatures in her arms. Huggin got off her shoulder and flew onto Venus’s.
“Soooo, are we gonna stand her while the lab explodes again?”
Mona took Venus’s hand who promptly took her hand away but together they ran to their dad. Avoiding the falling debris they found their dad next to his bubbling invention. Flashing red lights were going off and a high pitched siren. Mona took her dad’s arm and tried to pull him away from the near explosive experiment.
“Dad c’mon! We gotta go!”
“No-no no no I’m not leaving! I finally was able to get it, maybe I can still save it! I’m not gonna waste another thirteen years building this from scratch again!” The girls looked at each other, unsure what to say. Mona grabbed her dad again and yanked him away. He hit a button, making sure all the ooze-quitoes got their ooze and as we started to run away, he threw a piece of rock at the machine, creating a giant hole enough for the hundred swarms to fly out into the open night air of the Mystic City.
The five of us run out the building, out of our home into the open air, just in time before the lab explodes, taking half the building away with it.
Dad drops to his knees in disbelief as he watches the green flames eat away. Venus looks at me, crying. “Mona? Where are we going to go now?”
I grab onto her, holding her tightly, rubbing the top of her head like I used to do. “I don't know Ve, but we’ll do it together. Right dad?”
He said nothing.
Huggin and Munnin fly around us before landing on his shoulders. “We got this boss, Mona is right.”
“Yeah!” Munnin agreed. “It’ll be just like old times! Family bonding time!”
His excitement made the air heavy as no one moved.
“Those turtles are gonna pay,” Venus muttered.
“Shh it’ll be okay Ve.”