Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The hands attached to his body are no longer his own.

The longer Lou Jitsu stares at them, the more his gut churns and yet, he cannot bring himself to look away. They’re undeniably pink and clawed now. He has rat claws for hands.

The cardboard box he sits in doesn’t do much to help with the cold or raging storm outside but that’s not why he shudders, curling in on himself slightly.

The image of his face has yet to leave his mind either. He caught a glimpse of it earlier while weaving through the streets of the Hidden City in search of a way back to the surface, unclear if he was being followed or not. None of the yokai had given him anything more than a spare glance and as Lou Jitsu cradled the precious cargo closer to his chest, he saw it. A mirror among other items at a stall, attempting to sell beauty enhancements.

His nose had completely changed to something animalistic— mouse-like. His two front teeth were longer than the rest. He had a tail now— how did he miss that?

It’s funny how much one night can flip his whole world on its head. He’s dealt with such things in the past but the one constant he had was himself. Now even that has changed.

Everything is wrong now and as the rain roars around him, Lou Jitsu lets himself be drowned out in it all.

He didn’t think he could lose anything else after being stuck fighting in the Battle Nexus. Clearly, he was wrong.

Something warm presses itself into his palm and his eyes fling open, locking onto the tiny, green and orange bundle that snuggles itself against his hand.

His heart stutters. For the first time in… Quite some time now, there’s some relief. No pressure or something dragging him down, just… Something soft. Fluttery.

Lou Jitsu had never cared much for turtles in the past— never giving them much thought. It’s hard to say what enchants him so much with this turtle but he thinks it’s the eyes. Bright, open, warm.

There were four of them. He could only grab one when the place went down, the others too far scattered. Something in him had squeezed tightly upon watching the lab collapse in on itself. Draxum would likely see another day but those tiny turtles? He wasn’t so sure.

He beat himself up for not saving them all before but now he’s looking at the remaining and finds it difficult to think about anything else other than the little turtle that takes shelter in him.

The turtle’s eyes open and the little one smiles so brightly that it hurts. It’s blinding. He wants to think of nothing else but that smile.

He brings the turtle closer to his chest. He can’t tell if they’re a girl or a boy— he’ll have to brush up on turtles for more reasons than one— but that’s for later. For now, he holds the little one close in hopes of keeping them safe and warm and has to hope it’s enough.

He’s never thought of himself as the father type. Maybe it’s high time that changed.

—

The names ‘Lou Jitsu’ and ‘Hamato Yoshi’ are dropped in favor of ‘Splinter’. He’s not as used to it but he’s not quite used to his new body either. The change feels… Appropriate. He’s a new not-man after all.

Not to mention, ‘Lou Jitsu’ attracts too much attention, and that’s the last thing either of them need right now.

His son— who he learns is a son through research— earns the name Michelangelo after he agonized over a baby naming book for two weeks straight. It was catching his son staring in awe at a piece of art that was thrown away that did it. Felt fitting to name him after an artist, though Splinter quickly takes up the nicknames ‘Mikey’ and ‘Orange’ as well. He’s too young to quite grasp a name as complicated as ‘Michelangelo’ but responds to nicknames well enough.

Mikey grows a bit faster than Splinter thought he would but even then, he’s still so small. His heart always stutters the second he’s out of sight and anytime they run low on food, he favors his son over himself. He’s a growing boy, he needs it more, and the last thing he wants is for his son to know the pains of hunger.

Splinter himself has changed too. He gets hairier, loses a few inches of height, and he swears his sense of smell is a lot more sensitive than usual.

In spite of the latter part, Splinter takes refuge in the sewers. While yokai might not blink twice at him, humans will. The sewers are safer, not to mention, it’s easier to get around to retrieve supplies from the extensive tunnels underneath the city.

He doesn’t condone stealing but he doesn’t have any other options. Besides, he finds it easier to take for his son, even if sometimes it’s more luxury things than necessities. Kids need toys after all, it’s a fact of life.

It takes him a few days to find someplace nice to settle down but it comes in time. Mikey struggles with walking with how young he is but his feet take him as fast as they can across their new home, exploring room after room and squealing with excitement.

It would be perfect for a bigger family. Splinter tries not to think about it too much.

He doesn’t want to drag his son around everywhere but he doesn’t have much of a choice. As much as he tries not to, Splinter damn near has a heart attack the second his kid is out of sight. It’s irrational sometimes, when he knows Mikey won’t suddenly disappear just because he looks away to cook, but he can’t help it. His son is the best thing that’s ever happened to him and if he lost him too—

Well. He wouldn’t take it well.

Fortunately, Mikey doesn’t like being left alone anyways. He cuddles up to him at night and waddles after him as he slowly shifts things around in their new home. It doesn’t take much to convince him to go with Splinter when he goes out for supplies. In fact, he’s helpful even. With Mikey there, Splinter knows what sort of things he’ll want. What color blanket, what kind of toy— he’s a good reference to have, and it’s all worth it to see how he beams at him.

Slowly, their home gets a little cozier. It still needs a lot of work but Splinter thinks he can pull it off.

His son deserves a proper home.

—

There are… Obstacles Splinter didn’t consider when raising a child on his own that don’t come up until months later when a familiar feeling hits him in a wave.

His limbs feel heavier; it’s harder to get out of bed; he’s sluggish; he feels terrible even though his body is healthy enough; and his motivation drops.

He’s had these moments before, ever since he was a teenager. Sometimes they’re brief but others, they last for months on end. Splinter was in the middle of a slump before those gargoyles kidnapped him but temporarily was freed while he focused on taking care of his son.

He had hoped it wouldn’t come back. He should’ve known better— it always does.

It was easier, when Splinter had no one to answer to but himself. Easier to skip meals due to a lack of an appetite, sleep in longer and longer, and forget to bathe or change out of his clothes. Big Mama always got so upset when her prized champion wasn’t taking care of himself but Splinter stopped caring about what she thought about him some time ago. If he fell apart slowly, who cared? Why did it matter?

Except, it’s not just him anymore. He has a son now, and even if Splinter can find purpose in making sure his son is well cared for, Mikey can still see something’s wrong. He’s too young to understand but he looks at him with big, sad eyes and Splinter’s heart clenches.

He can’t afford just focusing on taking care of his son. Splinter has to give a shit about himself and put in the work.

It’s… Harder than expected. But a little easier when Mikey babbles something that sounds like ‘Dad’ and looks at him like he’s his whole world.

Though, if Splinter is the world, then Mikey is the sun, so bright that it’s blinding and brings upon a whole new light into his life.

It’s a work in progress but maybe he can do it for his boy.

—

Years pass and it feels like Mikey grows bigger every day.

His name proves to be even more fitting when he takes up a particular interest in art. Splinter grabs the best of what he can get his hands on— paints, markers, colored pencils, canvases— and ends up giving it all to him on his ‘Birthday’, which Splinter chose to be the day he took him from the lab.

Mikey bursts into tears and he almost thinks he’s done something wrong until the kid latches onto him and blubbers thank you after thank you. Splinter fights back tears of his own and gently rubs his son’s back and tells him the only thing he wants from him is to see what he creates.

And boy, does Mikey have no shortage of art pieces.

The fridge Splinter managed to install is soon filled to the brim with colorful drawings and paintings are displayed all around. The base becomes an art gallery for everything Mikey has created, and even when Mikey wants to replace one piece with another to put up on the fridge or take one down because ‘It’s old’ and he’s embarrassed, Splinter never throws away a single one. They’re all stored away for him to look back on one day and relish in just how far his son has come.

Their home has been steadily improving over the years with each thing Splinter manages to get his hands on. It helps to have an extra pair of hands as well, able to help him take things apart, carry the pieces, and put them back together.

After the basic rooms are down, Splinter installs a TV with a projector, then a proper art studio for Mikey and later, a dojo for himself.

Splinter has long since gained a distaste for fights but going through the motions are a familiar comfort, not to mention good exercise. Training dummies are set up, knocked down, then put back up again. Even with how much his body has been changed— mutated against his will— he still knows all the same moves. He can still learn to find balance in his new body and accept that he’s a rat man now. Hell, there are even benefits to having a tail.

Splinter usually sticks to training at night but as Mikey grows older, Splinter finds it a bit easier to have him out of his sight for a little. Mikey isn’t as small as he once was— he’s still small of course but he’s a bright kid. He knows not to touch a hot stove or mess with a socket. Honestly, the kid’s cooking lessons have been going so well that Splinter thinks he’s gonna surpass him sooner than expected.

That urgent, protective feeling never quite fades, but Splinter knows he’ll be fine if he trains for a little to work out some nerves while Mikey is engrossed in his art.

Slowly, Splinter finds his groove again.

And one day, he turns around and nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees Mikey watching him, eyes wide with awe.

Mikey asks him to teach him. Splinter tries refusing at first but Mikey is nothing if not persistent, something Splinter admires him for. He keeps trying, again and again, and eventually Splinter gives in because he was never that good at resisting his son’s big, pleading eyes.

It’s nothing big to start, of course. If Mikey still wants to learn when he’s older, then Splinter will teach him some more advanced moves then, but for now, it’s stretches and simple motions.

Splinter demonstrates and Mikey copies the motions. Over and over again until Splinter thinks it’s been long enough and tells his son to rest.

Mikey asks how he did. Splinter tells him honestly that he’s proud of him, and Mikey shines like the sun.

The next day, Mikey complains that he’s sore but the day after that, he’s ready to train again.

He’s a fast learner, Splinter notices. It doesn’t take long for Mikey to master the simple moves and beg for something new.

Splinter still sticks to the basics but knows deep down that Mikey will be even better than him one day.

—

Mikey starts asking questions.

It was only a matter of time. Splinter knew that but even so, he’s thrown a little off when one day, his son looks up at him in the middle of breakfast and asks why Splinter is a rat but Mikey is a turtle.

Splinter chokes on his food, wheezing before he manages to get it down. Mikey stares at him expectantly and Splinter knows. He knows that the simple question will lead into much more complicated conversations.

But he cannot deny his son’s curiosity. He has a right to know certain things.

So Splinter starts off slow. Tells Mikey that he took him in after seeing that he didn’t have a parent to take care of him.

Mikey asks if that means he’s adopted. Splinter doesn’t really know how to tell him he got half of his DNA when he was mutated so he settles for telling Mikey that in a way, yes, he is.

Mikey accepts that and keeps eating.

As expected, more questions are asked over the years.

Mikey continues pushing for learning how to fight and when Splinter starts showing him his old movies, Mikey asks why they watch so many Lou Jitsu movies.

Splinter tells him it’s because the Lou Jitsu movies demonstrate a lot of the same skills that they’re learning.

Mikey asks why he looks so different from other turtles. Splinter tells him he was mutated when he was young and that he’s stronger— different from them.

Mikey asks why they can’t stay on the surface. Why they live in the sewers when everyone else lives in houses and why they hide in the darkness of night when they go out on supply runs.

It’s a harder conversation, explaining why they’re so different from the humans up top and why it’s dangerous to show themselves. Mikey’s face drops when Splinter tells him that humans can get violent when faced with something they don’t understand, but it’s unfortunately necessary. He needs to know.

But eventually, the hardest conversation comes when one day Mikey asks about how they were mutated. He’s eight years old now and Splinter knows he can’t hold off the conversation forever.

So he tells him a story. One about a warrior alchemist, gargoyles, a retired fighter, and four turtles. He tells him that the turtles were mutated with the blood of Lou Jitsu but when it came down to it, Lou Jitsu was only able to leave with one turtle after he was freshly mutated.

Splinter waits for Mikey to put the pieces together. And when he does, he—

He… Hugs him.

Splinter freezes but his son immediately starts gushing about how cool it is being the son of the Lou Jitsu. And when Splinter asks if it’s a let down knowing what ‘Lou Jitsu’ is actually like, or at least, what he is now, Mikey tells him that rat or human, he’s cool no matter what. And more than that, he’s his dad, and that’s all that’s ever mattered to him.

Splinter hugs his son so tight that his arms tremble— though, maybe the latter part is because he starts sobbing moments later.

Splinter has made many great efforts in accepting his new form, but what Mikey has done for him has eased a great burden off his chest. Not completely— Splinter doesn’t know if it’ll ever be completely gone— but he breathes a little easier all the same.

They hold each other for a while. Then, when things die down, Mikey looks at him and asks, “You said… Four turtles, right?”

Splinter feels his heart sink but he cannot deny his son the truth. “Yes, I did.”

“So I have brothers somewhere out there?”

“Somewhere.” Splinter echoes. “Maybe.”

Mikey doesn’t say anything after that, only nodding. Though, Splinter notes it’s not forgotten when he finds Mikey sketching out himself among three other mutant turtles later.

Their designs keep changing, getting erased, sketched, and erased again before Mikey lets out a frustrated groan and shoves the notebook away from him. He crosses his arms on the table and lays his head in them.

Splinter decides to let his son have a moment, but moves to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate (seeing as Mikey has yet to care for tea).

Seems like they both could use it.

—

Mikey is ten years old when he and Splinter get into their first, real fight.

Little arguments happened here and there— as sweet as Mikey is, even he had his terrible two’s phase— but it was nothing out of the ordinary. Not for family, and certainly nothing as bad as the fights Splinter and his grandfather would get into in the past.

He should’ve seen it coming. Mikey was getting suffocated by his overprotective behavior that didn't change as he grew, wanting a little more space and trust, getting frustrated with him when Splinter denied him the ability to go to the surface alone. He should’ve known his son would want to prove himself— that he would run off eventually in order to prove that he could handle things without him.

But one day, when Splinter told him he didn’t want Mikey to go with him on a supply run since the last one nearly got them caught, and it all blew up in his face. Mikey told him he was plenty old enough and was even ready for a solo mission. And Splinter—

He. Said a few things he now regrets. Told Mikey he was immature and couldn’t be trusted— things he didn’t really mean but lately, all the close calls were getting to him and all he wanted was to know his son was safe while he went off on a semi-dangerous mission.

They screamed at each other until Splinter grounded him for the first non-sickness related reason ever and stormed out.

Guilt weighs on him by the time he comes back. Splinter had made sure to grab plenty of Mikey’s favorite snacks and even managed to get some glow-in-the-dark paint as an ‘I’m sorry’ gift.

But his son’s bed is empty when he returns. Every room is— Mikey is nowhere to be found and Splinter’s panic is amps up to the nines.

He checks all his usual places in the tunnels and comes up with nothing. From there, Splinter starts his mad search across the city.

Nearly five hours later, Splinter finally finds his son, hesitantly stumbling through the tunnels and glancing around like he isn’t quite sure where he’s going.

He’s not alone. A human stands behind him.

Splinter finds it hard to care about this fact. Mikey locks eyes with him and freezes, tears brimming his eyes but he doesn’t move, like he’s afraid of him, and Splinter’s heart aches at the thought that his son isn’t sure if he’s welcomed. Splinter opens his arms and it’s invitation enough. Mikey launches himself into a hug and Splinter pulls him in tightly as they both begin to cry.

Mikey blubbers apology after apology and any anger born of worry melts away as Splinter does the same. He tells his son he’s sorry for driving him away and to please never leave for that long again. Mikey tells him he’s didn’t mean to be away for so long— that he had gotten lost and panicked, only able to find his way back with some help.

Which brings them to the elephant in the room: the human.

She doesn’t seem too much older than Mikey— three years older, if Splinter were to guess. Whatever shock she had upon seeing a mutant rat seems to fade quickly and when Splinter turns his attention to her, she smiles, albeit a little nervous, and tells Splinter what happened. How she found Mikey sobbing in an alleyway, having ventured too far into the city and had completely forgotten the way he had taken. How he blubbered between sobs about wanting his dad.

And mutant turtle or not, she informs him that her parents taught her the importance of helping others in need. How she couldn’t stand even the idea of leaving Mikey crying there all on his own.

Once she’s finished, Splinter bows so low his head nearly touches the ground and thanks her for helping his son find his way home. She insists it’s nothing but Splinter tells her he’s in her debt.

When they finally part, Splinter safely guides his son home, and Mikey ends up sleeping in his bed that night, afraid of being on his own. In the morning, Mikey will bust out Dr. Feelings for the sake of both of them and they’ll have a long talk about trust, boundaries, and negotiation. In the end, Splinter admits maybe he’s being a bit overbearing and that he does think Mikey is capable, and Mikey admits maybe he acted out because he felt babied when he wants to prove he can be independent too.

It’s a work in progress, but they’ll figure it out. They’re family and they’ll always bounce back.

—

The human— April, Splinter comes to memorize— slowly becomes a part of their life.

Mikey and April become friends, spurring Splinter to finally make a risky grab for two, modified phones for the both of them in order to not only keep in contact with each other, but with April too. Though, the latter is more for Mikey’s sake than Splinter's. He only has April’s number for emergencies and checking in when Mikey forgets to answer.

Splinter likes her, he realizes pretty early on. She’s kind, determined, and has a sharp wit to her that he can respect. She’s good to his son and the pair bond quickly with Mikey going out more and more to visit her, and eventually, April visiting their home more to visit him.

It’s a good thing. His son needed a friend— a father can only get you so far. He needed someone to goof off with freely, and while Mikey and Splinter have done plenty of goofing off, Splinter always draws the line at the slightest hint of danger. Friends aren’t quite as restrictive.

Though, due to being Mikey’s only friend, it’s not lost on Splinter that his son can be a bit… Clingy towards April at times. Something he has to work on when April sets boundaries, but that’s good for him too. He needs new relationships in his life— one’s different from the one he has with Splinter.

April is a blessing to the family, and it doesn’t take very long for Splinter to see her as one of their own. She relaxes around him too, no longer nervous and calling him ‘Mr. Splinter’ but instead shortening it to ‘Splints’ and sometimes, will initiate a conversation even when Mikey isn’t around.

Splinter tells her that she’s always welcome into their home. She thanks him with misty eyes.

—

Mikey turns thirteen. April is sixteen and in high school now. So much time has passed that Splinter almost thinks it’s forgotten.

That is, until the day after Mikey’s birthday when Splinter finds Mikey picking at some leftover cake. He frowns, asking his son what’s wrong, and it takes him a minute to respond.

“Do you think they’re still out there?”

“Who?”

“My brothers.”

Splinter feels every bone in his body freeze. Years have passed since the topic of his lost brothers has been brought up— why now? Has Mikey always been wondering about this, even after all these years?

Mikey’s gaze doesn’t break away from the cake. It’s homemade, something Splinter and April made together. It’s not the most professional looking as neither were an expert at decorating but it tasted great and Mikey still cried and engulfed them with hugs once he saw it.

He had this contemplative look before he blew out his candles, then refused to say what his wish was, insisting that it wouldn’t come true if he said it. Splinter wonders if his wish had anything to do with his brothers.

His brothers who might not have even ever made it out of that lab alive.

“I know it’s probably impossible but,” Mikey twists his fork, a determined look setting on his face, “I really want to see if I can find them. If— if they’re still out there, I want to meet them.”

“Michelangelo…” Splinter finds himself whispering, and Mikey finally looks up. His face morphs upon seeing his face, twisting into something tight, then pained, before sorrowful. And Splinter realizes that his doubt must show through.

He could tell him that it’s unlikely that they survived. He could tell him that he’ll only be disappointed if he tries to look for them. He could.

But Mikey has clearly been thinking about the brothers he never met for some time now if he’s bringing it up now. And Splinter might doubt it himself but he’s been many things for Mikey’s sake— a father most of all, when he never thought he would be— and just for this, Splinter is willing to be hopeful as well for the sake of his son.

Splinter tugs a smile onto his lips. “You probably won’t find them in the sewers or you would’ve met them by now.” He jokes, and light returns to Mikey’s eyes in full force. “There’s a chance they might be somewhere in the city but the Hidden City might be a good place to look too, though I wouldn’t really know where to start down there.”

Mikey breaks out into a wild grin. “That’s okay! It’s a good idea— we’ll figure something out! I’ve— I’ve never had brothers before but I bet it’ll be nice when I meet them! Maybe we’ll just click, you know?”

Splinter hums in agreement. “Family has a way of finding each other, Michelangelo. I’m sure that you’ll run into them, one way or another.”

Splinter remembers how devastated the lab was after he left it behind. He remembers the smoke from the fire, still smoldering, and how exactly one wall was left standing while everything else came crashing down. He remembers the feeling of hopelessness when it came to going back for the other turtles, and how he was too afraid of finding them dead to try.

He remembers all of it, but Mikey looks so set on finding his brothers in spite of it all that Splinter forgets all of this and wants to try. For him. For his son.

He meant what he said, after all. Family has a way of finding each other. Maybe it’s only a matter of time.

Chapter Text

“That’s enough for now. Good work, my son.”

Mikey wipes the sweat off his forehead, taking a step back from the training dummy. His arms ache from the repetitive motion but under his skin, he’s still buzzing with energy. He wastes no time spinning around the second he’s caught his breath and grinning at his dad.

“Sweet— what’s next on the menu?” He asks in a rush, bouncing on his heels. Said dad raises an eyebrow at him.

“Nothing. Class dismissed, my son.” Splinter tells him. At Mikey’s protests, he cuts in with a, “You need to rest— it’s important for building muscles. The last thing you want is a torn muscle, believe me.”

“Oh come on!” Mikey groans. They can’t stop now— he’s not ready to be done yet! “Not even a sparring match? Really?"

“Really.” Splinter insists with an air of finality. “Come, Michelangelo. We’ll put some soup on and watch something together. It’s the golden age of TV, you know!”

Splinter turns, beginning to walk out. Mikey crosses his arms with a huff before an idea sparks in his head. His mouth curls upwards with a smirk.

“Guess it would be kind of lame to spar with you anyways, considering how slow you’ve gotten in recent years!”

His dad stops in the middle of the doorway. Mikey resists the urge to snicker.

A sigh. “Such tactics won’t work on me, my son. I taught you them.”

“Save it— we both know you’re just avoiding the embarrassment of losing to me.” Mikey presses, grinning triumphantly when his father’s tail twitches in a familiar way. “Guess the student has surpassed the teacher. You’re all washed up, old man! I know all your tricks anyways.”

There’s a brief beat of silence before Splinter barks out a laugh and spins back around. His eyes are narrowed but his smile betrays his amusement.

“Careful, son.” Splinter takes a fighting stance. Mikey does the same, the buzzing under his skin finally getting the excitement it so wants. “You shouldn’t pick fights with opponents stronger than you.”

“You know I’m a visual learner— prove it!”

“Oh now you’re gonna get it!” Splinter laughs again and launches himself at him.

Mikey has always found enjoyment in training in combat with his dad but nothing beats sparring with him. Not just because Mikey gets to see his dad’s moves in action, but because fighting gives him pure adrenaline. It spurs him into action, forcing him to really think about his every move, and adapt with it.

Mikey knows his dad goes easy on him but he also knows that Splinter has had to actually kick it up a few notches over the years. He’s not quite fighting him at full force— even if Mikey becomes a master one day, he doubts Splinter will ever stop holding back as he doesn’t want to actually hurt him— but he has to try harder now. Mikey has taken Splinter off guard a few times now and treasures each memory of it. It reminds him of progress— progress that he’s getting stronger.

There have been a few training accidents on both sides however. Splinter put off sparring with Mikey for two whole, torturous months after accidentally spraining his ankle when messing up one of his flips and causing him to land wrong. He had felt so terrible even after Mikey told him a million times that he was fine and it was an accident and his guilt presents drove him mad. When they finally took up sparring again, Mikey had to build up again as dad was going easy on him again.

Fortunately, they hadn’t had another accident in months now and Mikey was feeling good about today. He probably isn’t going to win even so but as he flips through the air and trades blows with his dad, Mikey doesn’t care. He’s having too much fun, to care.

Despite his jabs earlier, Splinter is still as spry as ever, minus a few back problems. Mikey can beat him in speed if he really pushes it but it never helps him win. It helps to be speedy but there’s more to it than that— Splinter is good at anticipating his moves, blocking or deflecting them when they come.

Mikey can throw blow after blow but very few manage to hit. Nonetheless, Splinter gives him both pointers and compliments during a fight, and that’s one of the things that makes it fun.

"Don't lose focus!"

"Great counter!"

"Wha— I did not teach you that!"

Mikey laughs and laughs as the spar goes on, but feels when Splinter pushes a little harder and knows he won't last too much longer.

Eventually, it happens. Mikey slips up with his footing and Splinter knocks him off balance. Just before he tips over, his dad is quick to grab his wrist and yank him into his open arms, right into a bear hug.

Mikey finds himself laughing way too hard to properly slip out of his hug, especially when Splinter starts dramatically counting down before declaring himself the winner. He lays his son down, mourning that there can only be one winner, before holding up an invisible sword and plunging it into Mikey’s chest. Mikey wheezes on the ground, tears pricking his eyes.

“Oh my son,” his father monologues, tilting his head to the ceiling and covering his eyes with his arm, “Gone too soon— too young— all because he didn’t listen and respect his elders! Oh, how this great tragedy could’ve been avoided if he only didn’t pick a fight he couldn’t handle!”

“Stoppp!” Mikey manages to get out between giggles, finally getting himself to breathe. He sits up, rolling his eyes with a grin at Splinter’s expectant look. “You win, you win! I’ll rest my muscles or whatever— but, did I do good?”

Splinter chuckles, laying a hand on his shoulder. “You never disappoint, my son. One of these days, I really won’t be able to keep up with you. Now come! No more taunting— we’re missing out on prime content.”

Mikey follows his dad out this time, rolling his shoulders and making a beeline for the living room. Splinter makes a quick detour for the kitchen, telling him he’s just gonna put on some soup, and Mikey nods and flops on his armchair as soon as he gets there. Their living room isn’t much, just two armchairs and a small couch, but it’s all they really need. The couch is a more recent addition considering April started hanging around the lair more and more lately.

Mikey hums and flips on the TV, the buzzing under his skin dulled after the fight and allowing him to relax. Dad’s favorite channel is on first— the one full of infomercials that Mikey doesn’t really see the appeal in. He flips through the channels a little to see if Kondescending Kitchen is on but stops when the news channel catches his eye.

“—and that’s the weather. In other news, New York City’s very own vigilantes ‘The Night Watchers’, have continued to make appearances all over town. The pair appear to operate strictly at night, hence the name, and never stick around long once their work is completed. The following video footage was taken by a local college student after a late shift last night.”

The footage is brought up, shaky and clearly being recorded on a phone but it catches the important part well enough.

There’s two of them on camera. The first is on the leaner side, with a buzz-cut haircut, an all black outfit with stripes of red, and wears some sort of almost frightening white mask— a hockey mask? They’re skilled, striking fast and hard, making the criminal— a purse snatcher by the looks of it— stumble and lose their footing.

The second however, wears an all red mask that covers their entire face and is a lot bigger, both tall and buff. Nearly every inch of them is covered but instead of wearing mostly black with stripes of red like their counterpart, it’s mostly red with stripes of black along the back and around the chest and limbs area. They’re slower than the other vigilante but they clearly make up for it in strength as all it takes is one punch for the criminal to crumble and drop the purse.

The Night Watchers are quick to zip-tie the criminal’s hands and feet together and return the bag to its rightful owner before high fiving and swiftly making their getaway.

Mikey’s mouth hangs open in awe.

“While so far they have only stopped petty crime, the question remains, is that their only goal? And just who are these ‘Night Watchers’?”

“Night Watchers?” Splinter echoes when he steps into the room. His eyebrows furrow, squinting at the TV. “What’s that?”

“Local vigilantes!” Mikey chirps. “They seem pretty cool— they’re cleaning up the city!”

“Vigilantes?” Splinter raises an eyebrow. “I was not aware such a thing existed outside of your comic books.”

“It’s not very common.” Mikey admits. “But it’s still cool! Vigilantes! In our very own city!”

“Hm. Interesting.” Splinter sits down. “Well if that’s all the news has to offer, hand me the remote. I did win our spar, after all.” He adds with a grin. “Which means I get to choose first.”

Mikey blows a raspberry at him but begrudgingly hands it over. Splinter chuckles to himself, flipping back to his infomercials. “You made that rule, my dear son. You must live with the consequences.”

—

April slams her hands down on the lunchroom table and proudly asks, “Guess who’s got another job interview?”

Cassandra is first to react, as she usually is, slamming her own hands on the table with equal enthusiasm and wide eyes. “That’s fantastic! I’m so proud of you!” The latter part is raised to a shout that once hurt April’s ears but she’s long since gotten used to. Cass might have trouble with volume control that gets them kicked out of libraries but it’s also one hell of a mood booster.

Beside her, Sunita grins, motioning for April to take a seat and no doubt ask to spill all the details. “That’s great! Which place did you get it from? When’s the interview?”

“It’s that one shoe store place— I told them I could be interviewed right away so I’m going there after closing tonight!” April sits, digging through her backpack to pull out her lunch from home. It’s nothing too special, just whatever she could throw together in the morning, but she’s too energized to care about what she’s eating. “They pay $20 an hour too!”

Sunita whistles. “Hey, nice! Not bad for a… Fifth job?”

“Sixth.” April corrects with a wince. “Yeah, my track record isn’t great— but that changes tonight! I’m getting that job!”

“You got this!” Sunita tells her.

“Crush your opponents!” Cass adds.

A laugh escapes her. “Thanks guys. Hey, what’s going on with y’all? Cass, your job is going well, right?”

Cass nods furiously and launches into a full on status report. April nods along as she takes some time to eat her lunch. Cass’ stories are always nice to listen to. She’s enthusiastic, painting them in a colorful (sometimes a little violent) picture. April and Sunita have only known her for a month and a half now, having met her after being put into a group project together, but she’s stuck by them ever since.

Cass admitted to them once that she struggled to find friends as she tended to scare people off. April firmly told her that it was their loss, with Sunita adding that they were happy to have her around.

And April quickly learned how that alone secured Cass’ loyalty.

“Wow,” Sunita says, at the end of Cass’ rant about a particularly stubborn customer, “I would’ve punched him if he talked to me like that— you got more patience than me!”

“My managers told me I couldn’t punch people anymore.” Cass replies with a deadpan expression.

April cracks a smile. She really doesn’t understand how anybody couldn’t love this girl— but whatever. April is used to finding hidden gems. If nobody else will appreciate them, she’ll just have to double her efforts.

“Oh— speaking of punching people, did you guys see the news last night?” Sunita asks, leaning forward when Cass and April shake their heads. “Someone caught footage of those ‘Night Watcher’ guys!”

April’s eyes go wide. “Seriously?”

Sunita nods, grinning. “They were fighting some purse snatcher! It was so cool— you should’ve seen them! I would love to learn to fight like them one day.”

“Hey, don’t get any ideas!” April teases.

“What, you don’t think I’d make a great vigilante?”

“Oh no, I think you’d kick ass, but my poor heart wouldn’t be able to take it, Suns! I’m sixteen, you can’t be giving me gray hairs!”

Sunita laughs, loud and joyful, and April only takes notice of how quiet Cass has been when her eyes stray. Cass looks stiff— nervous almost, similarly to how she was when she first started hanging out with them at lunch or after school. Like she doesn’t know how to act around them, which made sense once April found out that they were her first ever friends she made that weren’t related to her.

Still, April doesn’t get why she’s like that now. A frown tugs on her lips and April tilts her head. “Cass? You alright?”

“Yes!” Cass answers immediately, sitting up ram-rod straight. At Sunita and April’s concerned looks, she deflates a little before clearing her throat. “Apologies, uh... What do you think of The Night Watchers? I’m… Curious.”

Her tone is off but April decides not to pressure her about it.

“Well I think they’re cool, I don’t know about you guys.” Sunita grins.

April nods along. “They’re doing good things, which I like. Obviously I know nothing about them as people but if they’re beating up a few criminals, small or not, they’re helping clean up the streets a little. Certainly doing a better job than the cops so yeah, I think they’re cool too.”

Cass’ shoulders seem to relax a little and she nods with them. “Yes, it’s… Cool. Very cool.”

“Though,” April can’t help herself, eyebrows knitting together, “One of them is built like a tank. Makes me wonder how he’s that big— is he a wrestler or something?”

“Uh— probably!” Cass agrees quickly, voice raising. “That makes the most sense— it’s the only thing that makes sense! He’s definitely a wrestler and nothing else!”

Both Sunita and April stare for a moment. Sunita breaks off into a laugh. “You’re really invested in these Night Watcher guys, huh?”

“I— yes. Yes I am.” Cass says, then stuffs the entirety of a homemade sandwich she brought from home into her mouth. It’s a pretty impressive feat considering the size of the thing.

—

Before the interview, April texts Mikey about it and proceeds to get dozens of texts hyping her up, allowing her to stride into the store confidently.

She leaves just as confidently, having been told right then and there that she's hired and when she can start working. Apparently the owners were eager to get workers seeing as the shop hadn’t been open for that long. Either way, it’s a win for her, and April begins the walk home.

New York City is never fully quiet but the side of town she’s ended up on is a little bit more than usual. April does know a few self defense moves courtesy of Splinter but she’s never had to actually use them in practice. Splinter told her the idea is that she would never have to use them, but as she’s approached by three guys with switchblades in their hands, she’s starting to think she might have to test what she knows after all.

One of them tells her to hand over her wallet. April tries telling them that she really doesn’t have any money on her but they don’t buy it. She’s not quite backed into a corner as they stalk forward, but she’s not sure if she can outrun them or not if she tries. She’s fast but she doesn’t know how fast these guys are.

Fortunately, she doesn’t have to learn.

There’s a loud “HEY!” before two of the guys get hit from behind. April jumps and her eyes go wide at the sight of two people she’s only seen on TV.

The Night Watchers.

The one with the hockey mask has a stick bent in a slanted ‘L’ shape and furiously lays waste to the criminals. They’re quick on their feet and relentless, never giving them a chance to let up and yelling as they do.

The other is slower but the punches look like they hurt. They’re somehow even bigger in person, yet when two of the criminals are groaning on the ground with the third desperately trying to hold their ground with the one on the hockey mask, the bigger one turns to April and bends down. April can’t tell if it’s to get eye-level with her, to appear less intimidating, or a mix of both but she can’t deny that she does feel a little less wound up.

“You okay?” They ask, voice gruff but undeniably concerned. April finds herself smiling and nodding.

“Yeah. Thanks for the save, wasn’t sure if I could handle three of them.” April hesitates but adds, “You’re doing a good thing. I don’t know how many thank you’s you guys get but— just know you’re appreciated.”

They seem to preen at that. Even if April can’t see anything but their eyes, she can still tell from how their eyes crinkle that they’re smiling.

“It’s not about the thanks— it’s about being a hero. But… Thanks. It is nice to hear every once in a while.”

April opens her mouth in hopes of not wasting her chance to talk to the vigilantes but is cut off when she notices too late that one of the criminals that was seemingly unconscious a moment before has gotten back up, picked up a rusty pipe off the ground, and is now charging them. April shouts in warning and the vigilante moves fast, shielding her from the blow.

The blow hits and it cracks right against the vigilante’s mask.

April grits her teeth and throws a punch of her own while the criminal’s attention is off her. They’re so stunned by the fact that they actually hit the big guy that April socks them right in the eye, sending them to the ground and out cold once again when their head hits the pavement.

“Whoa— that punch was perfect, April!” The second vigilante cheers, in the middle of putting zip-ties on the other two and immediately goes for the third.

It takes a minute for it to sink in but it throws April in for a loop when she realizes it. “Wait… How—”

She’s cut off by a groan behind her. She remembers the hit and immediately turns around to check on the bigger vigilante and see if he’s okay when she freezes. Her eyes catch on a discarded red mask on the ground, now cracked, then glances up just as the disoriented vigilante turns slightly.

They lock eyes. Nobody moves.

April’s jaw hangs open at the sight of green skin and sharp snaggletooth.

Something finally snaps them out of it a second later and the bigger vigilante grabs their cracked helmet, stuffs it on their face, and starts running. Their partner isn’t much further behind, cursing profusely as they run past April to catch up.

Moments later, it hits April in full force that she definitely should’ve followed them but her mind is elsewhere. Particularly processing the fact that one vigilante sounded suspiciously like Cass and knew her name already, and the other was a green mutant. A mutant turtle, she’s willing to bet.

April is running towards the nearest entrance to the sewers before she can think twice.

—

In hindsight, April probably should’ve led with the ‘Hey, you know your long lost brothers you’ve been wanting to find? I think I found one of them’ rather than starting at the beginning considering—

“You almost got robbed?” Mikey shrieks, gripping the sides of his head in distress. April tries and fails to get another word out as Mikey immediately circles her to check for injuries. “Did they hit you? Are you okay? Do I need to bust out Dr. Feelings— do I need to track those guys down and put the fear of me in them—”

“Mikey.” April grabs him by the shoulders, stopping him immediately. “I’m fine— those Night Watcher guys showed up and I got to punch one of the robbers— but I’m trying to tell you something important!”

“More important than the fact that you almost got robbed?” Mikey asks, incredulous.

“We live in New York City— a mugging is not that uncommon!”

“But it happened to you—”

“Mikey— one of the Night Watchers is a green mutant.” April finally shouts and Mikey goes quiet, mouth hanging open.

“Gotta be honest, I only saw them for a few seconds,” April continues, knowing she has Mikey’s full attention, “And I don’t know for sure if they were a turtle or not but… How many other green mutants do we know? It’s not that far-fetched, is it?”

Raw emotion flickers in Mikey’s eyes for a beat of silence. He shakes it off a moment later, avoiding her gaze, but the determined look on his face is a good sign. “We need to find them— do you think they’ll still be out there? Doing that whole— vigilante thing?”

“Honestly, I doubt it.” April winces. “I think I scared them pretty bad when I figured out one of them was a mutant. But— I have a lead. It might be nothing but—”

Mikey doesn’t wait for her to finish, immediately starting to tug her along, towards the exit. “You had me at ‘I have a lead’— I don’t want to wait any longer when I’ve already been waiting thirteen years, let’s follow it!”

“Wait!” Mikey comes to a halt, looking back at her. “Should we tell Splints? He’ll want to know.”

Mikey visibly hesitates but shakes his head in the end. “I want to confirm it before I say anything to him. Dad’s a tough guy but… He gets sad when I bring up my brothers. I don’t want to give him hope in case there actually is another unrelated green mutant out there. It could be a yokai too but— I dunno, I doubt it. Dad says they don’t like to meddle in ‘Human affairs’ much.”

April nods. Splinter can act as tough as he likes but she’s seen his rougher days before. He does a good job of covering it up for her and Mikey’s sake but he’s still… Different. In a way that’s hard to explain.

They head for the sewer tunnels, Mikey grabbing a few of the usual things he takes when they head for the surface— nunchucks, provided by Splinter for one of his birthdays; his phone; whatever pocket money he has; and a few light snacks. The latter due to an incident where Mikey had gotten lost in the sewer tunnels for a couple hours after already missing breakfast and lunch. His exact words were, the hunger was unimaginable whenever she asked so clearly he hadn’t had the best experience and made strides to avoid it in the future, as unlikely as it was.

Mikey turns to her as she navigates her way through them to the best of her ability. “What is your lead anyways?”

“One of the Night Watchers knew my name.” April tells him. “They sounded like a friend of mine and the more I think about it, the more that out of anyone, it would make sense for her to be the vigilante. So it makes sense to follow that lead and see where it takes us. It’s the best I got. Oh— hold on!”

April holds up a finger and fishes her phone out of her pocket. It takes her only a moment to locate the right number and start texting.

April: Hey, I know it’s late and this is sudden but can I come over?

April: I need to talk to you about something, it’s important

The reply comes a second later.

Cass: Yes. Of course.

Cass: I just need a second to clean up.

April smiles and texts back her thanks. “We’re clear, let’s go.” She tells Mikey, and leads the way.

—

April has only been over to Cass’ house for a grand total of once. If her suspicions were correct, that might’ve been for good reason.

It had been back when she, Cass, and Sunita were all trying to work on their project together. The library had kicked them out due to Cass’ volume and they needed to work on it that day more than anything, with their schedules conflicting too much for later dates that came before the due date. Cass had felt bad for getting them kicked out so she offered her own home.

Cass had made them wait outside for a few minutes so she could tidy up. April had no idea what she did but she did hear a few loud thumps before Cass nervously opened the door to them.

The house was pretty decently sized, especially for New York City, but the thing that April couldn’t get out of her head was how empty it felt. Cass was the only one home, claiming her uncle was out of town for business, which was nice for privacy, but April wondered how Cass could stand it.

When they reach their destination, April barely has to say a word to Mikey before he’s blending into the shadows as she walks up to the door. He’s gotten a lot better at that— April remembers when he had first been training with Splinter in the art of stealth and just how bad he was at it. He was too obvious about it before, not quite getting how Splinter’s techniques worked. Now April can’t even see him, though she knows he’s still there and it’s a comfort to her.

Sucking in a breath, April knocks on the door. Cass flings it open only a second later, quickly inviting her inside. As Cass closes the door behind them, April notices a shadow flicker briefly in the window, and knows Mikey is watching closely.

She can’t blame him. The anticipation is killing her.

“So uh,” Cass turns to her, folding her arms behind her back. “Want any refreshments? Water, juice— I have snacks!”

April declines the offers, giving her a serious look. “We really need to talk. Are we the only ones in the house?”

Cass shifts slightly, nervous energy rolling off of her in waves. “Yeah, my uncle isn’t really around. He works out of state so— just us!”

“Okay good. Cass,” April claps her hands together, taking a deep breath. “I really don’t want to beat around the bush so I’m just going to ask outright: Are you one of the Night Watchers?”

“What!” Cass says a little too quickly, laughing but it’s forced. “No— what gave you that idea? Ha! Can— can you imagine?”

April narrows her eyes a little harder. Cass visibly sweats.

“No?” April asks. “Because one of the Night Watchers knew my name, and they sounded an awful lot like you.”

“Just got one of those… Voices!”

“So you wouldn’t know anything about… Mutants, then?”

Cass’ voice raises in pitch. “W— why would I—”

A loud thump from upstairs makes them both freeze.

April’s eyes dart to the stairs. Cass fumbles immediately. “Just the— the cat!”

April isn’t deterred. She bolts up the stairs without skipping a beat, Cass two steps behind her and desperately trying to convince her to do anything else.

There’s another, quieter but unmistakable thump when she reaches the top of the stairs, coming from the very end of the hall. April heads for the last door in that direction and flings it open.

She’s met with a giant, green mutant trying to stuff themselves under the bed and failing miserably. They go still when April lays eyes on them, but April’s attention is elsewhere, locked onto the spiky shell on their back.

Turtle. Without a doubt. Not the same kind as Mikey but she thinks the fact that it’s another turtle is enough.

The Turtle’s face immediately fills with panic. “Uh— meow?”

Cass quickly slips past her, putting herself between April and the Turtle with outstretched arms. “It’s— it’s a costume! My brother likes dressing up as— as—”

“Jupiter Jim Aliens!” The Turtle supplies, maneuvering themselves from out the bed and standing up. Ram-rod straight— just like Cass when she gets nervous. “I’m a big fan— really big fan— so I go all out cosplaying and uh— wear it around the house!”

Cass and the Turtle continue to spit out more and more obvious lies that make April’s head spin on top of everything else. She can’t seem to find the words of what she wants to say, too deep in shock that she’s finally found another mutant turtle, but doesn’t know how many more ridiculous lies she can take.

Fortunately, the problem solves itself when Mikey slides open the window from the outside and vaults himself through it, sending the room into complete silence.

Chapter Text

Ever since the day Splinter brought up that he had siblings— brothers, something hummed in his chest, knowing this with the same certainty as he did that they were out there somewhere— Mikey thought about what they would look like a lot.

The only detail Splinter seemed to remember clearly was green, they were all green, which wasn’t much but it was something. Mikey could find green mutants if they were out there— they were, he could feel it, even if he could never explain how— but the other details were lost on him. Meaning Mikey’s efforts to picture what they would look like… Didn’t go well.

He tried drawing them a few different times so he could feel connected to them. Sometimes they were the same kind of turtle he was, sometimes they were left ambiguous, and a few times he tried to see if he could dig deep into the faint connection he felt with them and trust his instincts to guide how they should look.

Nothing felt right. It frustrated him to no end.

His brothers were out there and Mikey had never met them. He didn’t know what their personalities were or if they were artsy like him or if they even looked anything like him. Mikey didn’t know and it felt like something was missing. A connection lost, just out of reach, and Mikey could try all he liked to close the distance but ultimately, he never could.

Mikey could tell Splinter wasn’t sure if they were alive or not. He knew his dad had his doubts, no matter how hard he tried to hide them. Mikey wanted to tell him why he thought— knew— they were alive and out there but he doubted himself too. Doubted that faint feeling that never went away. What if it was nothing? What if he was dragging his dad into hoping just to let him down?

For years, Mikey went back and forth. Thirteen years wondering why something felt missing and if he would ever be rid of the feeling, or if it would stop feeling like an ache one of these days.

Needless to say, finally standing in front of one of his brothers was a surreal experience.

He’s different from Mikey. Of course he entertained the idea of his brothers being different kinds of turtles many times but now he knows for sure it’s true for at least one of them. He doesn’t have any spots, his shell is spiked, and he’s twice Mikey’s size.

Big brother, Mikey thinks to himself in stunned awe, emphasis on big.

There’s no doubt in Mikey’s head that this is one of his brothers. Maybe there should be seeing as he doesn’t know for sure— but something feels right when he looks at him. Like a piece has slotted into place.

The big brother in question is absolutely dumbstruck by his presence, blinking a few times quickly as if he’s trying to determine if he’s seeing Mikey right. Mikey commits what he looks like to memory— aside from the different aspects in being a different kind of turtle, he’s got red wrappings on his arms and legs, a red scarf that’s seen better days around his neck, and a black belt around his waist. There are various healed scars littering his body but the most noticeable one is one on his left eye, though it looks long since healed and the eye itself looks fine.

Slowly, one of his brother’s hands outstretches to gently nudge Mikey’s shoulder, but the second he makes contact, he yelps and pulls back like he’s been burned.

“You— you’re real!”

That snaps Mikey out of his haze, sputtering. “Wha— of course I’m real! Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know! You’re— you!” He gestures wildly at Mikey, then his gaze darts to the girl beside him— April’s friend, Cass, if his memory of April’s stories and pictures is serving him correctly. “You’re seeing him too, right? I’m not— this is actually happening?”

Cass, who had been staring at Mikey in equal awe, finally snaps out of it and nods vigorously. “He’s so small!” She whisper-shouts, though it’s more like the latter from the sheer volume. “How is he so small? How did he even get here? Hey! Where did you come from?”

“Oh uh,” April finally steps in, waving her hand to catch Cass’ attention, and his brother by proxy. “That would be my fault. Sorry, Cass, but he’s been looking for his long-lost brothers for a long time.”

“Brother?” Both Cass and Raph squawk in surprise, then stare at Mikey as if they’re seeing him in a new light.

Cass is first to move, immediately circling Mikey with a critical eye. “You’re sure? They look completely different! He doesn’t have any of my brother’s spikes!”

“Unless you know any other green, mutant turtles, yeah, we’re pretty sure.” April’s gaze moves to Raph, taking him in. “Mikey and his dad said there were three others— two now, not counting him.” April nods at him.

“There’s three— no, wait— there’s four of us? Four mutant turtles? I— I got…” He trails off, unable to take his eyes off Mikey. “I got brothers?”

Mikey nods vigorously, finally stepping forward and extending his hand. “Hamato Michelangelo, your newest brother! You can call me Mikey!”

“Raph— Raphael Jones.” He takes Mikey’s hand carefully like he’s afraid of crushing it. Seeing as his hand dwarfs Mikey’s, he can see the logic behind it. “I mostly go by Raph though. Uh, nice to meet you? I’m sorry— I didn’t know I even had other siblings. I totally would’ve been looking for you if I knew!”

Mikey waves him off, bouncing on his heels. He can’t believe this— this is his brother! His honest to god brother! “It’s okay! The only way I knew is because dad told me! Our dad! We were mutated with his DNA!”

“I have a dad too?” Raph’s face twists in surprise and disbelief. “Man, I gotta sit down for this, it’s too much. I thought it was just me ‘n Cass this whole time.” He sinks to the ground, letting out a slow breath. “Raph has a brother and a dad. Never had those things before.”

“Take all the time you need, big guy!” Mikey plops himself in front of him, crisscrossing and patting his legs excitedly. “Not like I’m going anywhere!”

Cass ends up taking a seat on one side and April takes the other, effectively making a circle with the four of them. Cass is still inspecting him but it’s with less skepticism now and more consideration, which he thinks is a good thing. It felt like Cass was unclear if he was a threat or not before but definitely no longer thinks this is the case.

…He thinks anyway. Mikey did just meet her.

“You said you were mutants?” Cass asks, a frown tugging on her lips. “Explain. Please.” The latter word is spat out quickly, almost as if she’s making sure she’s not being demanding since the tone could be misconstrued otherwise.

Mikey smiles and nods, happy to do so. He’s heard the story a dozen times before, always pestering his dad about it in order to memorize all the little details. He’s never gotten to tell it himself, even with April, as Splinter had taken over that time too.

Now though? It’s all Mikey, and he wastes no time launching into the story of the warrior alchemist, gargoyles, their dad, and four baby turtles.

He takes pride in the fact that Raph and Cass are enthralled by the story, drinking in every aspect and detail they can. By the end of it, Mikey mentally dubs himself the best storyteller of all time and is buzzing with newfound energy.

“After dad managed to escape with me, he returned to New York and we’ve been living in the sewers ever since!” Mikey finishes proudly. “I gotta show you the place sometime, it’s great!”

“I bet!” Raph agrees, interest dancing in his eyes. “So we were made in a lab? What happened to that Draxum guy?”

“We haven’t seen him since. I think dad’s afraid of what he would do if he knew I was still around.” Mikey perks when a thought occurs to him. “How’d you end up here?”

“I found him in a gutter.” Cass tells him, straightening up. “He stole my lunch and kept hissing at me but he was small and scared so I made him my brother!” Her eyes narrow slightly. “You’re not taking his Jones title from him!”

“Oh!” Mikey holds his hands up quickly. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”

“Good!” Cass says, nodding firmly but has a brief look in her eye that seems more relieved than anything.

Mikey takes note but spares her from Dr. Feelings for now, looking at Raph. “How’d you end up in a gutter in New York?”

Raph winces, awkwardly rubbing his neck. “Uh, I don’t know. Everything before Cass is kinda a blur— meeting Cass is a blur. Apparently I bit her?”

Cass nods vigorously, quickly maneuvering her shirt to show off a part of her shoulder. The scar has long faded but if you really focus on it, it definitely looks like a bite mark. “A battle scar between siblings.” She tells Mikey solemnly, almost proud. “I knew he was a fighter just like me! Our meeting was fate!”

Mikey smiles at the idea. Maybe meeting the people he has is fate. Maybe he doesn’t need to worry so much about never finding their other two brothers because it’s going to happen. Maybe that’s how he knew they were out there.

“I hate to break this up,” April says, and all attention is turned to her. She’s on her phone, rapidly sending a text before looking up. “But Splints is worried sick.” She shoots a flat glare Mikey’s way. “For the sake of your father’s health, check your damn phone every once in a while!”

Realization hits him and Mikey fumbles for his phone. Sure enough, the second his screen lights up, it’s filled with missed calls and increasingly worried text messages. He winces, shooting back a quick sorry and tells him he’ll be back soon. “Probably should’ve told him we were going out— that’s on me.”

Mikey stands up, prepared to say goodbye with a promise to return, when it hits him. An idea that shines in his head, making him feel like he’s bursting with light from the inside out, and he starts bouncing on his heels again. “I gotta head back home but, why don’t you two come with? We can have a sleepover!”

Mikey doesn’t have to wait for the verbal answers. One look at the pair’s faces when he says ‘Sleepover’ is enough to know the answer.

—

Mikey knows his dad well enough to know he’s gonna be standing in the entrance to their lair, tapping his foot with a hard look on his face. It’s why he tells Raph, Cass, and April to hang back a second so he can talk to him first.

“Hey Dad!” Mikey greets warmly, stopping right in front of him and trying not to give away how excited he is.

“Michelangelo.” Splinter says, and if Mikey didn’t have the best news at that moment, he’s pretty sure he would get a lecture. Though, he might still later, but it’ll be lessened so the point still stands.

“I know you’re not happy that I wasn’t replying,” Mikey starts, and his dad’s eyes narrow further. “And I’m sorry. But it was for a good reason, I swear!”

“A good reason.” Splinter echoes dryly. “You had your father worried sick! But no, it was for a good reason, so of course it’s okay to leave without telling him where you’re going and ignore his attempts to check in and make sure you weren’t in any danger!”

“A mistake I will work on in the future! But dad, you won’t believe what happened!” Mikey takes a few steps back and clears his throat. “Dad, I present to you… One of my brothers!”

Mikey gestures wildly over to where Raph, Cass, and April are supposed to pop out. There’s a beat of silence, before there’s a quiet, “Oh!” and Raph quickly steps into the open to reveal himself. Cass and April take either side of him, arms splayed out to present him.

The change is instant. Splinter’s mouth hangs open, eyes going wide, and his tail droops in shock.

Raph smiles nervously, glancing to Mikey, who shoots him a thumbs up, and back to Splinter. He raises one hand to wave half heartedly, grinning toothily but waves of nervousness rolling off of him. Mikey wrinkles his nose at some kind of stink in the air that wasn’t there before.

No one says a word, as if they all collectively and silently agreed that Splinter should be the first. Splinter takes a while to process, trailing over Raph like he’s taking note of everything about him as if he’ll disappear if he blinks. The silence is long, but they all wait and in time, Splinter takes a half step forward.

“…My son?” He calls, hesitant and more fragile than Mikey had heard him in a long time. “Is that you?”

“Iiiii think?” Raph rubs his neck, still straining a smile. “I, uh, couldn’t tell you for sure but I’m a mutant turtle and I hear you’re looking for those?”

Splinter doesn’t respond directly. He continues to stare in awe, and dares to take another few steps forward. “You… You’ve gotten so big. I never imagined…” Another step. Then another. Then Splinter finally dashes forward and crashes into Raph, arms wrapping to hug him the best he can despite how short his arms are in comparison.

Raph startles at first but carefully hugs back. The hesitance is still there but he’s relaxed a little and his smile is smaller but a little more genuine.

Splinter pulls away after a few moments, swiftly wiping his eyes before taking his hand and beginning to pull him towards the lair. When Mikey is within range, Splinter takes his hand too and leads them in. Mikey bubbles a laugh and follows and Raph shuffles with them, his attention drawn to the lair as a whole when they enter.

“April!” Splinter calls over. “I don’t know who your friend is but bring them to the kitchen with us! We have very important guests and my mother would be appalled if I didn’t cook for them!”

“You don’t have to—” Raph tries to says but Splinter shushes him.

“Nonsense, my son! I’ve missed hundreds of meals, allow me to make up for at least one of them.”

Splinter wastes no time ushering them all to the dinner table, having to pull out a few extra chairs for Cass and Raph, before he begins digging through the cabinets. Cass sits upright next to April, eyes darting around with interest, and Raph’s awe is palpable.

“Are you and your— are you and dad artists?” Raph asks after a beat. “There’s so much of it— and it all looks great!”

Mikey shoots back a toothy grin. “It’s all me, baby! Do you draw at all? Paint? Color?”

“Oh uh, no. A lot of the pencils broke when I tried and it’s just not for me.” Raph pauses. “But I like… Wrestling! Anddd— comic books! Oh, and Jupiter Jim!”

Mikey squeals in delight. “Another Jupiter Jim Fan? Ohmigosh— we are brothers!”

It’s easy to slip into a rant about Jupiter Jim with Raph. It feels almost natural, like a spark igniting into a cozy fire, and when talking about their favorites, April and Cass join in, having watched a few movies themselves. Splinter rolls his eyes a little good naturedly when the actor in particular is brought up, and Mikey snickers knowingly as he’s heard his dad rant many times about a few famous actors he knew back in the day and was not his biggest fan, but he lets them have this one and eventually, brings over bowls of piping hot soup and dishes it out.

“Thank you, Mr. Rat Sir.” Cass tells him when he hands her a bowl and wastes no time digging in. Raph echoes a similar sentiment when he receives his, and Splinter waves them both off.

“It’s my pleasure. Now— I need some names! You can call me Splinter or Dad, I will respond to both, regardless of who you are.”

“My name is Cassandra Jones!”

“And I’m Raphael Jones. Or Raph. You can also call me… Son?” Raph shakes himself. “Sorry, kinda my first time doing this. I don’t really know where to start. Never had a dad before, much less talked to one.”

Splinter’s eyes sadden a little, but he smiles anyways. “You can go as fast or as slow as you need to, Raphael. I’ll meet you there either way. I’m just happy to know you’re alive and healthy. For many years, I was… Unsure of what your fate might’ve been. It’s a relief to see you turned out just fine, even if it saddens me that I could not see you grow, and that you had to do it on your own.”

“It’s okay— Mikey told me what happened, sounds like you couldn’t control it. And I didn’t grow up on my own— I had Cass with me!” Raph gestures to his sister, who nods enthusiastically. “She took me in as her brother!”

Splinter’s gaze turns to Cass, softening. “I owe you a great debt then, for keeping my son safe.”

“Of course! It was nothing!” Cass tells him. April bumps her shoulder, the pair sharing a brief look before her shoulders seem to relax a bit and Cass stares at the table.

“Not nothing to me.” Splinter hums, and blows on his soup before beginning to eat.

It’s strange, having more people at the table than just his dad and occasionally April, but good strange. That distant ache in his chest feels a little lesser, like he found what he’s looking for, and it feels good. Really good.

Questions are thrown around as they eat. Splinter asks all about Raph and Cass and how they grew up and Mikey tries to find more in common with his newly discovered brother. Raph and Cass’ questions vary, some on Splinter and Mikey themselves while others being curious about the lair and pointing things out.

Eventually, Mikey sees Raph is pretty much done eating and asks him if he wants a tour of the lair. He gets an enthusiastic yes back, and after everyone else decides to hang behind, Mikey wastes no time grabbing onto his brother’s hand and guiding him through the lair. There’s a lot to show him— his room, his studio, the dojo— and Raph takes it all in stride.

“A whole dojo to just you and your— and dad?” Raph whispers in awe, stepping inside and doing a full 360. “Me ‘n Cass always had to sneak in at night when it was closed. We’d spend hours there because we didn’t always know when we would have time to go back.”

“The good part about living in the sewers is that you don’t have to hide as much and there’s lots of room!” Mikey watches as Raph eyes one of the hanging training dummies that’s a little higher up from the rest, hanging from the ceiling. “That one is for aerial attacks! Cool flips and whatnot!”

Raph squints at it before he squares his shoulders and leaps. He gives it a solid punch, causing it to swing wildly around as he lands with a heavy thud. Mikey whoops, clapping.

“You got some power!” Mikey grins. “Guess that makes sense! April said you are one of those Night Watchers guys— that right?”

Raph nods, tongue sticking out a little as he jumps up and strikes the swinging dummy again. “We both like fighting— it just made sense! We wanted to leave an impact on the world somehow. There were a few ideas before it that just… Didn’t really work out. It’s hard to explain but after a lot of different ideas and plans that fell flat, vigilantism came up. Once we got a taste of that, there was no going back.”

“Do you have to hide your secret identities like in the comics?”

“Kinda?” Raph shrugs a little. “Outside of the costumes, I don’t have to worry as much. Cass still goes to school and has a job but since it’s just me and her… We don’t have much to hide at home.”

Mikey hums. “Is it fun?”

“In a way.” Raph leaps up again, hitting the dummy at an angle that makes it spin like an overhead fan. “But it’s mostly about making a change! Bringing hope! And with Cass, I feel unstoppable— we’re a team!”

“Got room for more?” Mikey can’t help but ask hopefully.

It’s not lost on him that Raph visibly hesitates. However he shoots a smile at Mikey and says, “Maybe. You sure you’re up for it though? It’s not as easy as it looks. It’s pretty rough out there.”

“Ya boy can do rough! Want me to prove it?” Mikey takes a fighting stance, grinning wildly. “C’mon, big bro! Show me what those muscles can do!”

Raph shoots his hands up as a surrender, looking almost uneasy. “Oh no— I couldn’t! Maybe another time, Mikey.”

Mikey drops his arms with a huff but concedes. “Alright— but you owe me one!” He jerks his head towards the exit. “Ready to move on? I still got a few rooms left to show you!”

“Sure— just one more for the road.” Raph returns his gaze to the hanging dummy once again and winds back. He springs up, punching the dummy, and this time the rope snaps and sends the dummy soaring towards the wall, hitting it with a thunk.

Raph stares at the dummy and turns back to Mikey with a guilty look. “Uh— I can fix that.”

Mikey rolls his eyes and waves him off. “This stuff breaks all the time, don’t even worry about it. Now c’mon! The tour is not complete!”

—

With Raph and Mikey off and Splinter humming as he puts the remaining soup into containers for later and does the dishes, April turns her full attention to Cass. Her eyebrows raise.

“So.” She says. “The Night Watcher thing.”

Cass’ eyes widen a little but she pivots towards April instead of turning away. April always liked that about her— she prefers to face most things head on if possible. “Yes. You were right, one of them is me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

April waves her off. “I’m not worried about that Cass, we’ve known each other less than two months and that’s a big thing to talk about. I’m just curious about it.”

“Oh.” Cass noticeably relaxes. “It was my brother’s idea. We were both warriors but had nowhere to apply it but he figured if we put it towards beating up criminals, we would be putting our strength to good use!” She grins toothily. “We will control New York City’s Criminal Underbelly in no time!”

“Ambitious.” April grins back. “I like it. Also— you’ve been living with a giant, mutant turtle this whole time?”

Cass nods. “There has been a lot of ruined furniture on the road to siblinghood but it’s all worth it! I had him and he had me— that’s the Jones way!”

Splinter interrupts this time. “Just the two of you?”

Cass’ face scrunches up in confusion, looking over at him. “Who else would there be?”

Splinter is facing them now, putting the last dish down to dry. He frowns deeply. “No… Parent or guardian? No adult guidance or care?”

“We got an uncle but he’s not around much.”

There’s a troubled look in Splinter’s eye but he shakes himself with a sigh and says, “At least you have each other.”

April chooses not to comment, unsure of what she’d say, and instead opts for saying, “Want to set up a fort in the living room and put on a movie?” And gets an enthusiastic yes.

—

It’s midnight, the movie is still playing softly in the background, but as Splinter soundlessly enters the room, he finds he’s the only one awake to notice it.

April and Cassandra share one of the armchairs and have fallen asleep leaning up against one another. April’s face is buried into the crook of Cass’ neck, and Cass’ head rests gently on hers. They’re sharing one blanket, though Cass seems to have unintentionally stolen a little over half of it, not that April is awake to care.

On the couch, Raphael is tangled up in a blanket and snoring softly, with Mikey on the ground next to him, a mountain of pillows serving as a makeshift mattress and snuggled in his favorite blanket.

They’re all sleeping peacefully and Splinter’s heart untwists a little looking at it. Unconsciously, he trails back over to Raph and examines him again.

He’s got little, healed over scars littered all over his body and markings on his hands that Splinter knows all too well as ones of a fighter. He knew this already, of course, with the stories of vigilantism and how both him and his sister spoke of fighting, but it’s still further confirmation.

All Hamatos are fighters. It’s in their blood— Splinter knew this but had avoided it in some ways and indulged in others. He thought being an action movie star was as far as he would get in that aspect until he was thrown into the Battle Nexus and was forced to knock Yokai down for entertainment.

It was horrifying in many, many ways, but in others, it felt like a free fall. Adrenaline he could no longer deny and pushing himself to better, greater, and chasing a high that the Battle Nexus gave him. Of roaring crowds and a need to fight.

He stopped when he remembered where fighting had gotten his family. Where it had gotten his mother. And suddenly it felt sickening and wrong and when Big Mama showed up to his room to ask why he refused the last couple fights, he told her he was done. That if she threw him out into the ring again, he wouldn’t fight, and her champion would get torn apart.

She threw him into a cell without all the luxuries he had gained over the years, but never into the arena. She tried to talk to him some days, but it always fell flat, and in the end, Splinter only got visits from her guards. And that was the end of it— Splinter thought that’s where the Hamato bloodline’s need to fight would end.

Then he had a son. A son who watched him train in the dojo so he would feel a little more like himself again and begged to do the same. A son who had that same fight in him, that same look in his eyes that Splinter once had, and he had felt sick at first. But he couldn’t deny his son forever.

So he taught Mikey how to fight— how to defend himself— and that was… Okay. Mikey wouldn’t get taken away and forced to fight like he was— Splinter would be there, watching his back, and ensuring that.

Except now Splinter has two sons, and it was obvious enough that the same need to fight had passed to him too. He had the scars to prove it— nothing major from what he could see, though the eye scar probably bled a lot, but it still worried him.

Raphael looked to be older than Mikey was but he still was so young. A teenager for sure— one who was out there, fighting crime with another teenager because he was driven by an invisible force in his bloodline to do so.

Cass had said it was only them. Next to nobody else was looking out for them out there.

Splinter missed over thirteen years of his son’s life— years he could’ve spent protecting him from all that hurt had he actually been there. But as much as he wished it to be otherwise, there was nothing he could do about that now, the damage was done.

But he could support them now. They might not want it right away, but he could offer and hope. He could make things right at last, because for years he thought only Mikey had survived that night, but he was wrong about that. There was another and he was here and alive and safe— for now at least.

Splinter had been wrong and Raph grew up without him. And there had been four of them in total, meaning he could very well be wrong about the other two as well.

Splinter straightens out and resolves that he will see all of his sons again one day, and make things right for all of them. It’s only right after missing so much time.

Splinter has not had to fight like he did back in the Battle Nexus in a long time, but if he has to for his sons, he will.