Chapter Text
13 years ago
The fire was huge and burning, Experiments running all about in any attempt to get out of the wreckage. Draxum looked up from where he had fallen on the floor to see his prize possessions, Lou Jitsu holding his turtles and running from the place. He quickly jumped up in an attempt to run after them but found his ankle had twisted so he fell back to the floor with almost a cry of pain.
The cry of pain was all it took for the now rat-looking Lou Jitsu to turn around and look one last time. Draxum looked up at him not ready to give up his fight yet so he stood back up with the help of the little vines around him to keep him up.
Lou Jitsu looked as if he was about to turn and run again but as he did a huge log landed almost on him and he seemed to drop the turtles although he quickly tried to pick them back up, only being able to grab two before Draxum was almost speeding at him with the vines, so he turned and ran
Only two of the turtles were with him.
The snapper and the red-eared slider…
Draxum, with quite a bit of effort to keep his ankle intact, stumbled over to the turtles that were left. The soft shell and box turtle, luckily unharmed.
He sighed and figured the last two were better than nothing at all and quickly got both the turtles and the gargoyles, who he found freaking out later, out of the building. Vowing to rebuild and start training the only turtles he had left to be the warriors he created them to be.
Little did he know how short that mentality would last.
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The turtles were small, smaller than expected but Draxum assumed they would grow. so until they could get words out and stand he just waited while rebuilding his lab although smaller this time so as to not have such a huge mess if it was messed up again.
It took 2 years until the tots were old enough to do things on their own. The little box shell seemed to be more bouncy, wanting to run around and mess with everything he had the attention span of a squirrel but the energy of a dog. The soft shell seemed to be the opposite in a way always wondering over to the scrap metal and wiring left around from the construction and sitting for hours just messing with the pieces he could find, occasionally he would show whatever he happed to put together to the box turtle and they would babble about it for a while.
The two never seemed to separate, always within 10 feet of each other even if the box turtle was running around he never seemed to stray too far from the soft shell. Draxum took note of this fast and used it to keep them both in one area without having to trap them anywhere, he would just give the soft shell some metal scraps to keep them busy and would go off to work on whatever he was working on.
When they hit 2 Draxum decided to start the training, he had been working on the plans and ways to train the children to be soldiers. Weapons against humans. Unfeeling warriors.
The first training started slow, with simple attacks and blocks. Not too harsh. Can’t break them down this early without side effects, the turtles seemed to enjoy the training at first it was a way to get the energy out.
They picked the fighting up fast and within a month Draxum decided to stop holding his punches, and that’s when it all crumbled. All his plans of the perfect warriors fell, because of a single broken bone.
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It was a Wednesday the turtles were somewhere running around the halls and draxum was with Huginn and Muninn in his lab looking over plans. “I think the turtles are fine with what they know. I’m going to stop holding back and go full force to see how they respond.” He said dryly, Huginn and Muninn looking between each other with slight worry.
Huginn ended up speaking up “Sir, Are you sure? They are only kids still. They might get hurt.”
Draxum looked up to the flying Yokai and deadpanned “It doesn’t matter, they need to learn to take it. Now fetch them and send them to the training room.”
And with that, the Yokai flew off still muttering about the fact it was unfair. Draxum still grumbling over plans being behind schedule.
When the turtles finally ran into the training room Draxum was standing ready, the turtles had never been afraid of him he was like a stranger to them. Never interacting other than to drop food off or train so they waddled up without hesitation and the box turtles smiled wide “All ready to run!!” He said beaming, the soft shell nodded from behind.
Draxum looked down at them seeing the little box shells smile and as adorable but he did not let himself react ‘they are to be weapons.’ He reminded himself ‘attachments are pointless’
“Training is going to be harder today. That is your only warning.” He said looking away from the small tots and heading over to the side of the room to start, the vines lashing up from the ground.
The turtles had been fine before with one or two vines attacking but now there were maybe 10-15 going at once with no resistance. Normally the turtles were laughing along fighting but now they looked scared, Draxum was satisfied with the reaction and continued as the tots were jumping around desperately to avoid the vines
Something inside Draxum felt almost bad but he pushed it down and kept reminding himself ‘They are to be weapons. They are to be weapons. They are to be weapons’ over and over
But he stopped everything when he heard a crack.
He was not paying attention and one of his vines had finally hit one of the turtles. The box turtle. Almost throwing him across the room into the wall, his small body seeming almost crushed by the force before falling.
The guilt hurt. But this was what was supposed to happen right? To beat them into shape? So why did it hurt so bad? They were supposed to be weapons. But they are kids.
Draxum had stopped the vines and was lost in these thoughts when he was finally shaken out by a scream. His head shot up to see what happened and he was the soft shell full sprinting to the box turtles side while crying.
And then he heard it, the soft sniffles from the Box turtle holding his arm for dear life. The soft shell was freaking out over him and crying but the smaller turtle seemed calm, hurt, but calm.
And that’s all it took for his resolve to crumble. All the plans of perfect soldiers and the downfall of humans just fell as he saw the hurt on the turtle's face and the flinch as he ran to check if they were okay.
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Huginn and Muninn were flying around near the door of one of the labs turned med bay for a bit. The box shell was sitting on the table in the middle while Draxum was wrapping his arm tight so as to not wound it more, the bone was broken so he figured he would need to find materials for a cast later but for now, a small splint would work.
Behind the small box turtle was the soft shell clinging to the box’s arm for dear life and glaring at Draxum from behind tears.
“I am truly sorry to both of you.” Draxum finally breathed, he had rushed over to the turtles so fast when he saw the box turtle hurt he had dropped his metal helmet and scooped both up without thinking to breathe the whole time.
The soft shell said nothing, holding on to the box turtle's uninjured arm tighter and still glaring daggers into Draxum, but the box turtle was, even though a little pained very bubbly still.
“Is ok!!” The little turtle beamed “Was a mistake! Like when I trip and hurt my knee!” He smiled looking over to the soft shell behind him to tell him it was ok as well. The soft shell looked back and slowly let go and came around from the box turtle back to sit down.
Draxum’s heart squeezed a little when he heard the box turtle refer to it as a mistake. It had not been, the whole plan was for him to hurt these two until they learned to fight like the greatest warriors of all time but just after one blow Draxum was not sure he could do it.
It had been two years and although he was barely with the turtles other than to teach them to speak and train and for meals. He had warmed up to them even a bit and noticed the things that made these two happy, the soft shell loved small things to tinker with while the box turtle loved bright colors and picture books Huginn and Muninn had found.
Draxum looked away from the turtles as the box turtle went to stand up and play with the soft shell still while still standing on the large metal table.
“Huginn, Muninn, I have a job for you if you would.” He said as the gargoyles flew in to hear was he needed.
“What’s up boss!” Muninn said quickly landing on Draxum’s shoulder.
“I need you to find materials for a cast.” He paused “please.” He finished with a bit of pause. Muninn looked over to his counterpart and nodded yelling “You got it, boss man!” As they both flew out the door
Draxum looked over to the tots again the little box turtle babbling to the soft shell about something. That was another thing Draxum noticed, even though the Box turtle seemed younger than the soft shell, the box turtle was the only one that had started to talk.
Draxum walked over to the Turtles and scooped them both up to take them back to their quarters, quarters? They were two this should be their room.
Draxum was contemplating why he had never thought of them as kids before now when he walked into the room. It was blank with only a bed and desk, not even small enough for them to reach. Why had it been so dark, had he never seen the issue with this before?
They were children.
Why was this only coming up now?
All the thoughts of the past 2 years circled in his head, he had only ever seen them as warriors. They were kids, his kids technically, I mean he create them right?
They deserved better than this.
And that’s when another revelation clicked. He had to raise these turtles as his own. Why he had never realized his before he would question later but right now was right now. These kids needed a real room. And real names. He had only ever called them the box turtle and the soft shell.
Geez, he had a lot to do. Draxum walked back out of the room turtles still in hand and made a beeline for his study. The books lined the walls as he walked in and started scanning the books for something creative to name the small turtles still squirming in his arms.
He grabbed a book on the end “the renaissance” and sat at his desk with it and set the turtles down. “You guys want names?” He asked, sounding a bit on edge not used to talking to them as much. Not used to talking to kids at all...
The box turtle looked up with almost stars in his eyes at the question and the soft shell, a bit started by the scene change also looked up and nodded, seemingly understanding the question.
Draxum opened the book and scanned through the text for only a minute before finding a page on people from the renaissance, artists and musicians alike on the page as he set it down. Book open on the desk.
“What do you two think?” He asked not sure if they would even understand what he meant when the soft shell waddled over to a picture in the corner of an artist by the name of Donatello. Watching the soft shell, the box turtle rolled to the middle of the book to another artist by the name of Michelangelo.
Draxum smiled at the choices and took the book from the kids and placed it to the side. The turtles sitting down as he did so, Draxum turned back “so you are Donatello.” he said looking to the soft shell, and him smiling softly back. “And you are Michelangelo.” He said to the box turtle who was giggling a bit at the name
Draxum sighed a bit and looked back to the book and the turtles. This was going to be a long day.
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11 years later (present day)
“DEE LOOK WHAT I MADE” Mikey came to a skidding halt in front of Donnie’s lab door, with Donnie still tinkering on something inside.
He stopped and put the tool he was using down to get a good look at Mikey who seemed to be holding a moderate-sized canvas above his head and breathing slightly heavily from running.
“What’s up Angelo?” He asked as Mikey ran in to show him what he had in his hands, it was a bright canvas with, him, Mike, and Drax in it, with two other figures. One blue and one red.
“I painted the others again!” He beamed, obviously proud of his work. “Looks great Mikey, love the colors.” He said turning back to his project. Mikey tossed the canvas on the table next to him and sat in the beanbag in the corner to further pester Don with questions about what he was working on when both of them heard the door to the house open and close.
“Pops is home!” Mikey said without hesitation popping back up from the beanbag and booking it out of the room while still yelling “Don’t forget you promised a movie night later!” As he left
Mikey came down to the makeshift kitchen as Draxum came in with bags of seemingly more ingredients for his remedies. He liked to say he had a change of heart when the turtles were babies and decided to make at-home remedies instead of experiments so he could sell them for money and other goods.
“Pops!” Mikey beamed as Draxum walked in, seemingly more tired the usual from the day. “Are you still on for movie night tonight?!” He asked, way more excited than normal. Mikey had picked out a new movie he found and was dying to watch it with them.
“Of course kid,” he said sitting down on the stool next to the counter. “I needed to get off my ankle today anyway so as long as you can get your brother out of his mini-lab I think we are both good.”
Mikey jumped up and down a bit at the confirmation and started to head upstairs again to mess with Don when he heard Don's voice break through sounding half-panicked and half-existed.
“MIKEY! I FOUND SOMETHING!” He yelled across the house. Mikey stopped for only a second before fully sprinting up the stairs to the room Donnie was in, he had moved from his main desk to his PC in the corner. Scanning text and camera when Mikey came in.
“What is it what did you find!?” He panicked as he ran in. Donnie quickly turned to face him “Remember the cameras and sensors I set up around the rest of the hidden city the catch if anyone with similar signatures to ours passes through?” Donnie quickly listed off.
“Yeah, yeah, to find the others that dad always talks about right?” Mikey confirmed as Draxum walked in slowly behind him as the commotion
“My other experiments?” Draxum said almost too quietly to hear, listening as his purple-marked son talked.
“Yeah, I set up cameras and such to find them if they ever come down here but there has never been anything like they have never been,” Donnie said as Mikey started to get anxious, shifting foot to foot.
“Yeah.. you did this a while ago right? What did it catch?” Mikey said getting closer to the screens next to Donnie.
“They are here,” Don said flatly. looking over to Draxum standing there in normal clothing and an ankle brace the same sort of stuff he had to warn for years after deciding to father the turtles.
“Our brothers are finally in the city.”