Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Splinter said it was enough, it was enough. And that's why he forced the boys to sit on the tatami of his room, in front of him, paying attention to his scolding monologue.

"My sons," he said, "I am aware that the Hamato strength comes from our family bond. Therefore, I'm glad to know you're spending time together." But after some seconds of silence, he yelled "HOWEVER, IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME TOGETHER."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN??" Yelled Michelangelo as well, grabbing his head in confusion.

"You, for example" he pointed at him, "are not respecting your brother's space! Purple is feeling too overwhelmed lately!"

"... Is that true, Donnie??" Michelangelo looked at him with sad puppy eyes. "Am I overwhelming you??"

"... It's not only you", he sighed, taking a fidgeting cube out of his battle shell. "From the moment I wake up to the time I go to sleep, I have to play with you, explain complicated things to Raph, or deal with Leo's concept of "comedy". I don't have a single minute of the day to just… Stay in my lab and be quiet for a while. And let's not talk about the massive amount of unfinished projects I have, or else I will have an anxiety crisis…"

"And that's why you're spending your nights awake, sleeping so poorly, and acting all mean and cranky as a result" added Splinter. "Red has been crying in the bathroom all week."

"... Is that true, Raph??" Now it was Donatello's turn to be worried. "Did I make you cry??"

"I-it's not only you…" he pointed at Michelangelo and Leonardo. "These bozos are too competitive lately!! I have to stop them from hurting themselves all the time because neither of them will call it quits!! They're a danger to society and themselves!!"

"No one asked you to stop us, tho…" Leonardo smiled nonchalantly.

"YOU ALMOST BROKE YOUR NECK TRYING TO DO A BACKFLIP WITH THREE FLIPS!"

"BUT HE SUCCEEDED!" Michelangelo got angry. "WEREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO TRUST US A LITTLE MORE? I AM SO TIRED OF YOUR CONSTANT BUGGING AND MOMMYING!"

"TRUSTING YOU IT'S NOT THE SAME AS LETTING YOU DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! IS THAT WHY YOU'D RATHER BE WITH DONNIE AND LEO MORE THAN ME?"

"MAYBE! MAYBE YOU'RE JUST A PAIN IN THE ASS! I'M NOT A BABY ANYMORE, LEAVE ME ALONE!"

While Michelangelo and Raphael were yelling at each other, Donatello glued his sight to the ground and hummed uncomfortably, fidgeting his cube with anxiety. Leonardo, on the other hand, was checking his social media like this situation wasn't his problem as well.

And I, the narrator, cannot stress this enough: When Splinter said it was enough…

"ENOUGH!!" He roared, which made the four boys look at him in horror. After that, he grabbed four colored caps and jackets, forced the kids to wear them, dragged them to the nearest subway exit and signaled in four different directions. "GO OUTSIDE. TOUCH SOME GRASS. MAKE NEW FRIENDS."

"We already have friends!" Complained Michelangelo.

"O'Neil doesn't count, she's from the family. I want the four of you to make a new friend and present them to me. You have one month to achieve that. If you don't accomplish my task, I will put you on a "no pizza" diet."

"A "NO PIZZA" DIET??" Raphael grabbed his own head in panic. "You can't be serious…"

"Oooh, trust me, I am." He put his hands on his back and walked away. "Now, go! I don't want to see you in the lair until nighttime." The turtles watched him leave without a single care in the world, then they looked at each other completely baffled.

"... I can't believe he literally told us to touch grass" Michelangelo scratched his head.

"I think April taught him that expression" Raphael didn't question it too much. "Man, we really need to get some friends if we want to keep our "yes, pizza" diet.

"Meh, piece of cake." Leonardo rested his nape on his hands, showing a relaxed attitude. "At least for me. I don't even need a month, one day will be enough."

"Why are you so sure about that??" Raphael looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Because of my natural charm and charisma, of course! Also, we saved New York! Everyone must be so excited to meet us. And I'm the Battle Nexus champion, that adds extra points of popularity. Heh, it wouldn't surprise me if I even got a romantic partner. I'm so going to win this challenge…"

"Don't start with that competitive bullshit again!" Raphael growled. "We're supposed to improve our mental health with this exercise. Speaking of that, Donnie, how are you doing?"

Donatello, who hadn't said a word since they left, just signaled a thumbs down and walked away. That made Raphael sigh with sadness. "That's fair, we made quite a scene back there…"

"Where is he going, tho?" Michelangelo looked at him go, guilt in his voice and his eyes.

"He'll be fine, just let him be." Leonardo was checking the internet again. "Meanwhile, I'm paying Señor Hueso a visit. I'm sure he must know tons of suitable friends (and romantic partners for extra victory points) for me. ¡Hasta luego!" He made a portal with his odachi and left the place.

"I'll hang out with Cass and the girl scouts, then," Added Raphael, "since Pops didn't mention her in the list of people that don't count as a friend…"

"He will not count her and you know it." Michelangelo gave him an annoyed look.

"I'll present one of the girlies to him, then! What are you gonna…?"

"It's none of your business!" he snapped before power-walking away.

"Oh… Ok, then, I guess… Jeez…"

And so, Raphael walked away.

Chapter Text

Just as he expected, Leonardo found a really long waiting line for the Run Of The Mill Pizza restaurant. But that wasn't a problem for a hero like him, who could just walk past the waiting line and get inside.

… Or at least that's what he thought, because the door guard grabbed him by the shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To talk to Hueso, of course" answered Leonardo, not losing his chill in the slightest. "You must be new here if you don't know we're basically besties."

Because, again, Run Of The Mill Pizza got extremely popular lately. Granted it was mostly because half of the Hidden City establishments got destroyed after the Kraang invasion… But hey, business was business! It was a blessing for Señor Hueso, but he also had to hire a whole new pack of employees to deal with that amount of work. That also meant Leonardo would have to explain his status, and therefore his invaluable presence in the restaurant, to that annoying gorilla guard.

"Look, kid, I'm not in the mood for your nonsense. Book your reservation in advance next time."

"Just call Hueso, he will vouch for me!"

"El Señor Hueso is very busy right now."

"Aw, c'mon! You can't just say that to a New York savior!"

"Ok, stop, now you're just being delusional, this is getting sad…" he gently grabbed Leonardo's shoulders and led him to the main street.

"Wait, YOU WEREN'T HERE WHEN THAT HAPPENED?" He was completely in shock.

"Nope, I moved here shortly after."

"B-BUT… YOU SURELY MUST HAVE SEEN MY FACE! I'M THE BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!"

For a moment he thought that worked, because he felt the big hands releasing him from the (still gentle) grip. But when he turned around, he found the gorilla laughing hysterically. "Man, you're adorable!!"

"That's not the word I would use to describe the Battle Nexus Champion…"

"Yeah, you're right. In fact, I don't even need a word" he grabbed Leonardo again, this time to make him turn to a giant billboard in front of them. "Just look at him!"

And then Leonardo's jaw dropped, his pupils shrank to a tiny pair of dots, and his shoulders tensed. Because that promotional poster was not celebrating his victory alongside Splinter as it should be, oh no…

Instead, a smug looking rooster was holding a trophy and winking at the camera. The feathers on his arms and torso were brown, while the ones in his head were white with a flamboyant, red cockscomb on top of them. He was only wearing a pair of blue wrestler boxers, decorated with a red belt with a golden sun.

"Oh, hell no…" Leonardo felt his blood boil (which was impressive given the fact he was a reptile), and he totally forgot about the guard, about Hueso, and even about the "find a new friend" thing that brought him there in the first place. He got rid of the gorilla, furiously grabbed his odachi and created another portal, this time to a certain hotel's main office…

"BIG MAMA!"

"Oh, dear!" She was peacefully taking a cup of tea in her human form, only a bit startled by Leonardo's arrival. "I wasn't expecting your visit, Blue One…"

"And to add insult to injury, you don't even remember my name…"

"Well, to be fair, we don't hang out that much anymore. You can still change that, though! Mama feels soooo lonely…"

"Quit the sweet talk, old lady! What the heck is this??" He signaled the big window behind her, from which the giant billboard could be seen.

"You mean David?" she asked, pronouncing it like duh-veed.

"Why is he holding my trophy??"

"Sweetie, I thought you were the smart one…" she got up and started walking around him, hands in her back and smiling innocently. "Mama needs a champion to run this business. And if you're not here to keep that role, it's only natural that someone else will take it…"

"Yeah, right, "natural ". How much does he owe you?"

"Actually, nothing at all!" She went to a white board near her desk and showed Leonardo a bunch of graphics. "You see, while you weren't here I learnt a thing or two about work optimization. Turns out people are more willing to fight if you just pay them to do it on their free will!"

"... A-are you serious?"

"We also provide them medical insurance, a work union office, paid vacations… You just give them nice things and they do nice things for you. Who knew it was that easy??"

"There has to be a trick…"

"... Did I become so hard to trust?" Leonardo wasn't expecting such a sad look on her face, but damn. She glued her eyes to an old Lou-Jitsu poster, talking mostly to herself. "Sometimes you have to sit down and ask yourself some questions, you know? "What are you doing? Why are you like this? Is your pride really that important?" " She gently touched the old paper fiber with her fingers. " "Did that choice really justify the loss?" "

And Leonardo knew, oh, Leonardo really knew what she was talking about. He felt his heart ache at the memory of Raphael's shell being pierced, close to his head, to damn fucking close…

Neither did he forget about Big Mama's weak and vulnerable voice saying "Lou?" when they asked her for help during Shredder's attack…

"... Sorry. I believe you."

"You really do?"

"I also had to ask myself some questions…"

"You couldn't possibly be as dumb as Mama…" she giggled tiredly.

"Trust me, I was…" but he forced himself to act cocky again. "Let's not talk about the past! I'm here to discuss my future!"

"Whatever do you mean, Baby Blue?"

"Now that you have a work environment based on legality, I want to join!"

"Really??" She looked at him wide eyed.

"Yeah! Do you think I will let this slide??" He signaled the billboard again. "I'm gonna snatch my trophy from those greasy chicken wings!"

"I'm more than glad to accept your application, but…"

"But??"

"... Don't you need to tell Lou about this, first?"

Oh. Right. His father had some issues with the Battle Nexus… "Don't mind about that hahaha…"

"Young man," she gave him a stern look. "My history with Lou is complicated enough. Please, don't make it worse."

"... Ugh, ok, I will tell him I'm joining the Battle Nexus. I'm not asking for his permission, tho, I'm just giving him the news."

"Oh God, have mercy on me…" she looked for something in her drawer. "Here, have some promotional pamphlets. I hope those are enough to convince him."

"I don't need to convince him, I'm joining any-"

"Le-o-nar-do" she gave him an angry look this time.

"Oooh, so you do remember my name!"

"Get out of my office, you nosy little punk. Mama will not let you work here unless Lou is ok with it."

"Okeeeeeey, fiiiiiine…" he dramatically groaned.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

"If Raph is gonna cheat, Imma cheat too!" Muttered Michelangelo while exploring the sewers. "Let's see if I can find Piebald around here…" Because, really, every other sibling he had was better than Raphael.

…

No, that was extremely mean and not true at all. None of his siblings were better than the others. It's just that… Donatello was too exhausted to stop his shenanigans, Leonardo encouraged him to do them, and Piebald wasn't that present in his life.

But Raphael… God, he loved him so much, but he could be so overprotective sometimes! Especially those last months, after the Kraang invasion… Like, Michelangelo literally threw an entire building at them! And still, Raphael babied him like he was still a… Well, a baby! Was it so bad to crave for some independence??

"Mikey!" Luckily for him, a presence took him out of his thoughts before he could start feeling frustrated again: Piebald herself! She jumped out of the water and ran towards him, happily waving her fins to salute. "What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to spend some time with ya~" he let himself be cradled in her strong hug. "I still think you should move back with us in the lair…"

"Nah, I'm good. I mean, of course I love y'all! But I'm more comfy in my own house."

Oh, yeah, technically speaking, Piebald spread her wings (well, her fins) way before the others. One could think she would feel homesick or have some management issues, but she was actually a really self-sufficient and resourceful person. She built her own little apartment not far away from the turtles' lair, and was more than satisfied to just pay them a visit from time to time.

"Speaking of love, how are the others doing? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but usually you're not alone."

"That is precisely the problem, apparently…" Mikey looked away and pouted. "Papa said we spend too much time together and we're overwhelming each other. Can you believe this??"

"Mikey… Again, I really love y'all, but if I'm more comfortable living on my own, it is for a reason."

"How could you think like this about us??"

She put a fin on his shoulder with a deadpan expression. "Dude. You literally flushed me away."

"... Fair enough."

"But that doesn't mean we can't spend time together! C'mon, you came just in time to watch me win the race~"

"Wait, you're in a race?? Against who??"

"Just come with me and you'll see!" She swam away, shortly followed by Michelangelo. After a couple of minutes, the siblings got out of the sewers and arrived at a hidden beach area by a half-sunken cargo ship. Long strings of pool buoys were put around said ship, creating a circular running circuit. On that beach, lots of mutants and yokais were preparing for the race, or just chilling and waiting for the event to begin. Amongst those people were Piebald's friends:

One of them was an axolotl with half of her body pink and the other half brown. She wore a black and dark purple diving suit with neon-colored lightning patterns on the legs, such as green, blue and yellow. She also sported a pair of diving goggles.

But despite how colorful she was, who really got Michelangelo's attention was the other guy: A bipedal, big and muscular lemon shark with an open hawaiian shirt and fisher shorts. Michelangelo couldn't help to notice his deep, dark eyes, his long and pointy tail, his wavy blonde mane, and the myriad of sharp teeth he showed everytime he smiled.

Oh… Oh no. Was he getting a crush, right now??

"Mikey, those are Hunter and Ona", Piebald said, pronouncing her name like aw-nuh. "Guys, this is my little brother Michelangelo.

God, his name was Hunter, such a powerful name! As powerful sounding as the way his arms were powerful looking… NO MIKEY, FOCUS. FOCUS, PLEASE. "HI HOW ARE YOU????" Ok, maybe he said that a tad bit too enthusiastically. Chill, Mikey, chill…

"Aaaw, he's adorable!" pointed out Hunter, which made Michelangelo feel weak on the knees. "Is he gonna swim with us?"

"Not today, the inscription booth just closed… But we'll make sure to sign him in next time!"

"Attention to all the competing swimmers", said a voice in a speaker nearby. "The race will start in five minutes. We repeat: The race will start in five minutes."

"See ya, Tangerine Boy! Ona, take care of Mikey until I come back!"

"I'm not a baby…" he snapped in a low voice, watching her run away with Hunter. "Besides, why don't you go with them?"

"My parents don't want me to participate in those kinds of things. They say they're too dangerous for me…"

"... Swimming is dangerous for you?"

"Well, not exactly…"

Michelangelo's doubts were clarified pretty soon, because once the competition started with a strong horn blow… Chaos ensued. Basically, the point was not only to win the race, but to kick everyone else out of it. And everything, and I mean everything, was allowed: Slapping, punching, scratching, putting their fingers inside their noses (if they had one), throwing each other around… As long as it wasn't fatally wounding or deadly, every dirty technique was valid. And Michelangelo absolutely loved the idea! He even wondered if using his kusari-fundo was allowed!

… The problem was that, while functionally capable of it, box turtles are not particularly good swimmers. And there was also the whole Raphael issue going on. Damn, he really hated being the younger brother sometimes…

"GO PIEBALD, GO! KICK THEIR ASSES!" Ona's roaring ripped Michelangelo out of his train of thought. But it also made him pay attention to the race and realize that, yes, Piebald was indeed a monster… In a good way, of course! Just the best contendant of them all. She even got rid of Hunter with absolutely no mercy (which made Michelangelo's heart ache a little), and finally won the race.

"God, she's amazing!" Ona was all praise and admiration for her, squealing in joy and doing little jumps in the same place. "She's so fast, and strong, and brave, and smart, and funny, and beaut…" but she cut herself, realizing she was supposed to be taking care of Michelangelo.

"You're down bad for her, huh?" He smiled smugly.

"Like you're not practically drooling for Hunter, huh?" Ouch, she sure could bite back!

"... You think he noticed?" He panicked a bit.

"Nah, he's dumb as bricks."

"Hey!"

"It's literally his only flaw, don't worry. Besides, don't you like himbos?"

"... Shit, I do."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Donatello disregarded his cap in favor of the hood his jacket had. He didn't know how to explain it, but the hood felt so much better in his head. He was still fidgeting with his cube, although now he was doing it more out of boredom than anything.

His mindless wandering brought him to a reconstruction area of New York. Those places were supposed to be restricted, but Donatello really needed some time alone, so he just ignored the warning sign. Besides, he could always find some interesting stuff to recycle later. And dark places were kind of comforting to him anyway.

And again, even though he was commanded to find people… No, that wouldn't work in the slightest. Donatello wasn't averse to socialization, of course, he could definitely coexist with other people! But forming a deep connection to someone in just one month? Last time he tried that he wasn't even looking for a connection, just a cool purple jacket and recognition for his intellectual power.

And no, Shelldon didn't count. He was his son. Also, terribly damaged after Shredder's attack. That last thought made him shiver with frustration. Yes, that was the massive amount of unfinished projects he was talking about, actually. Just one big, important project.

To be completely fair with his brothers, the lack of time to work on Shelldon wasn't the only reason he was having trouble. Repairing his body was easy, yes, but his mind… He either had to figure out a way to restore all the memory data and behavior protocols, or just give up and set him in default mode. And the second solution wasn't an option.

Why couldn't he tell the others, though? Well, they were annoying enough not knowing he was basically grieving. Just imagine how much would they be if they felt the need to check out on his emotional status every ten minutes (five in Michelangelo's case, the big dumb hypocrite).

He was so distracted groaning that he didn't realize… Something was following him. A small creature crawling around the debris, big eyes glowing in the dark, observing him. The creature waited for Donatello to kneel in front of a broken tube television and start scavenging for pieces.

"I thought they stopped producing these…" he finally felt like talking again, even when he (thought he) was alone. "Not that I'm complaining, of course, this stuff is so interesting! I wonder if I can repurpose these pieces in any way…"

But then, in just one second, he felt a needle sting in his arm. He looked at the wound screaming in pain, and then he looked around to find the culprit. He saw the small creature from before, running away with a tiny bottle of blood.

"OH, YOU'RE NOT TAKING SAMPLES FROM ME WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!" Donatello ran after the creature, because he didn't want to use his jetpack in that crammed and unstable place. Even in the dark, he took the opportunity to study the creature that attacked him: 4.2 feet tall, running on four legs despite clearly being bipedal (they were holding the sample in their mouth), big pointy ears and tiny tail, wearing a lab coat that obviously didn't fit them so well…

So he took advantage of the lab coat, stepping his foot on it and making the creature eat the floor. The blood sample rolled away, with the creature desperately trying to grab it, but Donatello was faster. "Poor silly little thing…" he smiled at them condescently. "You really thought you could outsmart me? You clearly don't know who I am…"

The creature got rid of their lab coat and tried to escape. But the turtle wasn't going to forget about this so easily, so he grabbed them by the collar of their buttoned shirt (they were also wearing a tie, how cute!). That's how he could finally discern what kind of creature they were: A chihuahua. They had light brown, short fur, a tiny and pointy black snout, and they were furiously shaking their arms and legs in the air. "LET ME GO!!" They yelled hysterically.

Donatello hummed a chuckle at the sight, then he showed them the blood sample. "Not before you tell me what the hell is this about."

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!! LET ME GO OR I'LL BITE YOU, I HAVE RABIES!!"

"I highly doubt that."

The chihuahua stopped fighting slowly, looking at the ground with an intense frown. "Chinga a tu madre…"

"LANGUAGE!!" He hung out with Leonardo long enough to understand some basic spanish… Or at least the swearing words (let's not forget those are teenagers, after all). "Come on, I don't have all day… What were you trying to do back there??"

"Pues eso, chingarme a tu madre", they grinned bitterly.

"Leave my non-existing mom alone!!" he shaked them as a threat. "You will tell me the truth one way or another. It's up to you to choose the nicer way… "

"... I wanted to study you."

"Why?"

"What do you mean "why"?? Look at you!!"

"Well, you're a talking chihuahua!!"

"Exactly!! Why do people like us exist??"

"Baron Draxum's mutagenic substance."

"... ¿ME ESTÁS JODIENDO? IT WAS THAT EASY TO FIND OUT?"

"Yeah, who knew asking politely would help?"

"Whatever. Can you let me go, now?"

"Fine," he did as he was asked to, "but I'm keeping the sample.

"Coño…"

"If you're really that interested in mutagenics, I can introduce you to Draxum myself. Just please, stop stealing blood from others…"

"You don't understand the importance of science…" they muttered.

"Excuse me?? I'm literally a scientist!!"

"You don't look like one…"

"Is there a dress code for science, now??"

"Every scientist I've met was dressed like this" they signaled themself.

"Oh, you were a scientist before the oozquito bit you? Where did you work?"

"I wasn't a human. I've always been a dog."

"Then what were you doing in a laboratory?"

"…"

Oh. Oh, dear…

"I'm so-"

"What's an oozquito?" They cut him off.

No talking about feelings, huh? Ok, then. "Again, I can take you to Draxum's apartment if you…"

"That won't be possible. I need to be in my lab to work properly."

"Wait, you have your own laboratory??" Donatello's eyes widened with curiosity.

"Yes, it's just around the corner..."

"Can I see it??"

"... I guess I kind of owe you that. Follow me."

And so, the chihuahua and the turtle walked together to the lab.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

"And then he said I'm a pain in the ass!! Can you believe that??"

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," reassured the girl scout, pouring some more imaginary tea in Raphael's tiny toy cup.

"Of course he didn't! But he looked so fed up with me anyway… Am I that annoying?"

"Not really," added another girl scout, serving more toy cookies on their plates, "he's just growing up. You said he was like fifteen now, right?"

"Soon to be sixteen… And now that you mention it, yes, it makes sense. Guess I just need to give him more space…"

"OR YOU COULD STAND YOUR GROUND AS THE LEADER AND SHOW HIM WHO'S THE BOSS." Cassandra made an entrance, cracking her knuckles. She was also wearing her girl scout uniform, although it was worn out everywhere and she wasn't even wearing the ascot. Raphael was sporting his boy scout uniform as well (he kept it after his camping trip with Todd).

"I'm not the leader anymore, Cass…"

"I AM SO DISAPPOINTED ON YOU…" she gave him one of her over-the-top disgusted expressions.

"Nah, you really aren't," he said with a gentle smile and puppy dog eyes…

… Which made Cassandra's stone heart skip a beat. She lost her edgy persona for a split second and blushed. But before anyone could notice, Casey Junior made an entrance as well. He was also wearing a boy scout suit, this one perfectly ironed and clean, ascot included!

"I baked some actual cookies for the tea party!"

"I TOLD YOU TO BAKE BROWNIES" Cassandra got back to her fierce attitude (and her normal indoor voice, like she used to call it). "WHY ARE YOU BAKING THE ENEMY'S PRODUCT??"

"Cookies are funnier to bake." Casey Junior didn't lose his cool at all, sitting with Raphael and the girls and sharing the food. "I made some with chocolate chips, some with butter, some with strawberry jam… I also bought cookie cutters in different shapes and sizes!" 

"Wow, you really took a liking on cooking!" Raphael munched his cookies with a gleeful hum. "And you're getting so good at it!"

"Thanks… I guess living in a world with so many tasty ingredients is a good incentive to learn."

"What did you eat in the future?" Asked the girl scouts.

"Rats."

"EEEEW!!", yelled all of them.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "EW"?" Cassandra punched the table. "IF YOU HAVE TO EAT A RAT, YOU EAT THE RAT! YOU GOTTA BE PREPARED FOR ANY POSSIBLE OUTCOME. YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE THE WINTER IF YOU KEEP BEING SO SPOILED."

"... What is going to happen this winter?" Asked Casey Junior.

"Nothing at all," answered Raphael, smiling smugly, "she's just being a drama queen."

"YOU'RE LAUGHING, BUT SOMEDAY THESE GIRLS ARE GONNA THANK ME FOR MAKING THEM STRONGER."

"Eating rats won't make them stronger!" Raphael made a frown. "You know what will make them stronger, tho?" He got up and spread his arms, almost singing "It's time for breathing exercises!"

"YAAAY!!" said the girls.

"UUUGH…" complained Cassandra, watching the girls leaving the office. "IS THAT REALLY NECESSARY?"

"You need to stretch your lungs from time to time! More lung capacity means more survival skills, like running longer distances and diving deeper depths. Being stronger on the inside makes you stronger on the outside." He then approached Cassandra and patted her head. "Besides, you need to relax. You're clenching your teeth again…"

"I don't do it on purpose…" she muttered, finally lowering her voice.

"I know... I'm starting to think you may have bruxism."

"Great! Just what I needed…"

"Aren't your dads supposed to notice these things?"

"You know they're not exactly my dads, right? Just my former superiors. Besides, they're still recovering from the kraangification bullshit…"

"How are they doing, by the way?"

"Mostly fine. At least their skins don't feel like they're burning anymore…"

"Are they emotionally ok as well?"

"Why do you care so much?" She looked at the ground. "They asked for it. As much as I love a big fight, New York got destroyed because of them…" she lowered her voice even more. "I don't even know why you forgave me after freeing Shredder…"

"You did the right thing after that, didn't you? And if Pops believes in you, so do I."

"You're ridiculously naive…" she looked at him again with a shy smile. "But thanks".

"Don't sweat it! C'mon, our girls are waiting for us…"

"... Our girls??" She blushed like a traffic light.

When he realized what he said, Raphael got extremely nervous. He was gesturing wildly and avoiding eye contact with Cassandra "I MEAN, YEAH, WE'RE THE SCOUT LEADERS, RIGHT? YOU AND ME, NOT NECESSARILY TOGETHER…"

"OH, RIGHT, OF COURSE," she got anxious as well, talking loud like she always did, "IT'S NOT LIKE THEIR OUR CHILDREN OR ANYTHING! HAHAHAHA"

"YEAH, CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW WEIRD WOULD IT BE IF I WAS YOUR KIDS' DAD?? HAHAHA… Haha… Ha…" he was feeling painfully awkward.

"Actually," added Casey Junior, who was there the whole time cleaning the dishes. He dried his hands afterwards, giggling at the irony, "it's really funny that you say this, because you're my parents in the future!"

Both Raphael and Cassandra looked at him, dropping their jaws in pure shock. Jones didn't seem to notice how big that bomb he dropped was, because he kept talking: "I was not your biological son, obviously. You found me lost in the debris of New York. But technically speaking, I'm a Hamato as well!"

"I… Uh… I'm… Uh??" was all that Raphael could say. He was sweating profusely and fidgeting with his own hands, flushed like a tomato.

"ME??" she signaled Raphael, "HIM??" She repeated the motion a bunch of times, her expression being a mix of fury and embarrassment. "ME?? HIM??"

"Oh, wait…" he finally took the hint. "You're not dating yet??"

"NO???" they both yelled, and then Cassandra said "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "YET"?"

"I thought you were already a couple!"

"WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT??"

He didn't respond. He just looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

"... HAHAHAHAHA" Raphael slapped his shoulder in a genuinely friendly gesture, but given his strength (and the stress) it was almost fatal for Casey Junior. "OH, YOU'RE SO FUNNY! CAN'T A BOY AND A GIRL BE FRIENDS WITHOUT BEING A COUPLE??

"YEAH! YOU'RE SO SIMPLE MINDED, CASEY! HAHAHAHAHA"

And at this point Casey was really, truly, sincerely confused.

Chapter Text

Leonardo didn't feel like going back home yet, so he explored Big Mama's hotel to entertain himself. He actually got to chat with some clients and employees who confirmed that, indeed, the Battle Nexus wasn't shady anymore. Everyone seemed to be so happy with the new business model, and that only made Leonardo more convinced to join.

Especially since he saw some battlers walking the corridors as well, resting from their fighting session or just booking a seat to watch their friends perform in the arena. He decided to take a seat too, because the atmosphere felt surprisingly relaxing in those circles. Hey, maybe he could accomplish Splinter's "go make a friend" task after all!

"Hey, I know you!" One of the battlers noticed him. "Man, you're a legend! You and your dad were amazing!"

"Thank you, thank you~" oh, yes, now we're talking! That was just what Leonardo was expecting when he first came to Hueso's place!

"Are you joining this battle season??" Asked another contendant. "I'd love to see you fight against David! That would be so epic!!"

"That's the reason I'm joining, actually!" He made himself comfortable by resting his nape in his hands. "That trophy belongs to me, and he will soon find out."

"Ooooh, looks like someone's bitter!"

"You better set the dinner table, 'cause I'm having beef with the chicken and that's a lot of meat!" Some battlers laughed at Leonardo's silly joke, which only made his already gigantic ego worse. He closed his eyes and wondered how many puns he could make at David's expense, just to make him angry…

Fortunately for him (or unfortunately, depending on how you view it), David didn't make himself wait. He took a seat with the rest of contendants and the row became silent. The only person who wasn't excited was Leonardo, who opened just one eye to look at David like he wasn't a big deal.

"Hi, David." He said, using the english pronunciation on purpose.

"It's Duh-veed" the rooster smiled anyway, offering him a wing to shake. "I'm excited to fight you too!"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you…" he accepted the handshake.

David took the chance to bring Leonardo closer to him, forcing their faces to be really close and talking in a low, angry voice. "Listen, I'm trying to be nice here…"

Leonardo didn't flinch at the motion. He looked at David's eyes just like David was looking at Leonardo's, not blinking nor avoiding them. "Is this what you do in the Battle Nexus now? Be nice to each other? How sweet…"

"Wow, I wasn't expecting you to be such an asshole…"

"I wasn't expecting you to be so sensitive! Don't worry, I will be more gentle from now on. I just need to picture it like you were still an egg…"

"Mira, rana mal parida, te voy a…"

"Hey, hey, hey!" A couple of fighters got between them before things escalated. "Leave the aggressiveness for the arena!"

"I'm pretty chill, tho!" Leonardo raised his hands like he never broke a plate. "It's not my fault if he can't take a joke…"

"Como te pille te vas a cagar…"

"Enooough, enough…" the battlers led David back to his seat, then they looked at Leonardo. "C'mon, dude, you're being so inmature…"

"Ok, ok!" But he couldn't help to chuckle. God, what kind of people did Big Mama hire?? They were a bunch of pansies! Winning back his Battle Nexus Champion title was going to be so easy …

Little did he know how wrong he was, because all his expectations were crushed during the first combat. Two large yokais were fighting with their giant fists and terrifingly large claws, almost destroying the ground and pilars of the arena. Everything, from there to the grades where they were seated, was shaking like an earthquake just started.

He had trouble swallowing his own saliva, which didn't go unnoticed by David. The rooster looked at him with a cruel smile. "¿Qué pasa, Gustavo?", he pronounced it like goose-tuh-baw, "Not feeling so cocky now, huh?"

"It's Leonardo…" he was so scared he didn't had the wits to bite back.

"Gustavo fits you better, rana mal parida…"

He wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of asking why (he could google it later), but he had the feeling Gustavo didn't fit him at all… The good thing is, he felt fueled with smartass juice again. "Guess I need to think of a cute pet name for you, then."

"Oh, really? ¡Qué lindo! You can tell me tomorrow in the arena…"

"Are you asking me on a date? What a gentleman!"

"You will have to work for it, tho! The waiting line to meet me is full of contendants…"

"Don't worry, sweaty, you'll have me there pretty soon…"

"Get a room!!" One of the battlers cut them off, which made the boys look away in embarrassment.

-o-

Once the tournament was over, Leonardo headed back home with his blood boiling again. That's why, instead of teleporting directly to his room, he decided to walk half of the way. Maybe the summer breeze would calm him down…

He definitely needed Splinter to let him join the Battle Nexus! He could never live with the idea of not rubbing his victory on David's face. Speaking of names, what did "Gustavo" mean? He googled on his smartphone, but just the name didn't give him an answer. So he typed "Gustavo rana"…

…

"KERMIT THE FROG?? OK, THAT'S IT!! I'M BEATING HIS ASS!!"

Chapter Text

The swimming race wasn't the only activity planned for the day. Mutants and yokais could also sign up for aiming competitions, obstacle courses, lifting challenges… It was kinda like the Olympics, only on a smaller escale.

"Who's organizing this event?" Asked Michelangelo.

"All of us!" Explained Hunter, spreading his arms to make it clear he was talking about the whole convention. "Every summer, we gather up and choose who's gonna prepare each activity with a lottery system."

"We just put papers with our names on a hat, it's not that complicated..." Added Ona.

"It can be really boring sometimes, tho…" complained Piebald. "Last year, I had to organize the race you saw before. That meant I couldn't participate…"

"Couldn't be worse than my task! I had to supervise the chess tournament." Hunter scratched his head. "You know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed…"

"You also have chess tournaments? Why? That doesn't sound sporty to me…"

"Actually," Ona raised a finger, "chess is technically considered a sport since…"

"Besides, not everyone has the physical strength I have." Piebald showed her fin muscles with pride, which made Ona stop talking and blush. "We want every yokai and mutant to have fun, so we also have trivia games, Dance Dance Revolution machines, a karaoke equipment…"

"DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION AND KARAOKE??" Michelangelo's eyes got bigger and shinier. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE?? CAN I JOIN??"

"Let's see if we can get there in time!" Hunter led the group and the four of them ran to the karaoke stage. Unfortunately for Michelangelo, the line for solo singers was closed. But…

"Hurry up, you can still sign for the duo's category!!" Piebald slapped his back.

"B-but I don't have a partner…!"

"Ona can sing with you, she's so talented!" Hunter pushed her and Michelangelo to the inscription stand.

"We don't even know what song we can sing!" She was panicking a bit.

"I'm sure there must be some songs you both know!" Piebald rubbed their heads in a supportive way.

When Michelangelo and Ona got to the inscription stand, they were offered a list of songs from which they could choose. Destiny wanted them to be lucky, because…

"What I've Been Looking For! I love that song!" Said Ona.

"Omigosh, mee too!" Michelangelo looked at her in awe. "What version do we pick? Troy and Gabriela's, or Sharpay and Ryan's?"

"What kind of simple, bland and boring chick you're taking me for?? Sharpay and Ryan's version, of course!!"

"I'm so happy you picked that one, because I was going to insist so much on it!!"

Once they signed their application, they got back to Piebald and Hunter and told them the news.

"You also like Sharpay??" Hunter laughed out loud. "It doesn't surprise me! She was the best character and she did nothing wrong!"

"What do you mean??" Michelangelo couldn't believe what he just heard. "She was a mean bitch and did absolutely everything wrong! That's what made her the best character!"

"Omigosh, thank you, I'm so tired of explaining it!" Ona took Michelangelo's hands and looked him in the eyes. "I love her character trope, and I hate it so much when they mischaracterize her!"

"You also fancy self-absorbed assholes with delusions of greatness who go to extreme ways to achieve their goals??" he tightened his hands around hers.

"Do you also enjoy when the narrative slaps them in their faces with doses of reality and their friends' disapproval??"

"I especially adore that specific flavor of them trying to be more humble and having to swallow their own pride!!"

"God, here we go…" Piebald whispered at Hunter with a tired smile. "Told ya they would get along."

"They look so cute together! Should we leave them alone?"

"Nah, I'm too curious to see where this is going…" She finally decided to cut them off, "hey, guys, can we be a part of the conversation too?"

"Oh! Sorry…" Ona stopped rambling and played with her own fingers.

"You also like High School Musical??" Asked Michelangelo.

"The three of us are huge theater nerds!"

"OMIGOSH, REALLY?? Do you like Heathers??"

"We love Heathers!" Said Hunter. "Do you like Be More Chill?"

"I LOVE BE MORE CHILL!! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!!"

"Do you mind if we move to the bar, tho? I'm thirsty as hell!" Asked Piebald, signaling a counter nearby. "We can keep talking about musicals there."

They got to the bar stand and took a seat, Piebald and Hunter making sure the other two were together in the middle. Omigosh, she's sitting near me!, Ona thought. Omigosh, he's sitting near me!, Michelangelo thought.

"I'm a minor, tho, I'm not allowed to drink alcohol…"

"We just serve smoothies and milkshakes here," reassured Hunter.

"Or coffee if you're feeling sleepy. I'll take one!" Ordered Ona. "A strawberry mocha latte, please!"

"This is not a Starbucks, missy…" the penguin waitress looked so fed up with her already. "You either get an espresso or a simple latte."

"Ok, just a latte, then…"

"I want a latte too!" Joined Michelangelo. "Can I have one of those cute cream sculptures on top of it, pwetty pwease?"

"This is not a Starbucks…"

"C'mon, Katy, we know you can at least do that!" Piebald winked an eye.

"I hate you weirdos so much…" but she obliged, although they didn't look so cute when she served them.

"What are those supposed to be?" Hunter looked at the deformities with a confused face.

"Kitties. Now take your coffee and leave me alone."

"I really like them, tho!" Ona looked at them with a glimmer in her eyes. "They're so ugly yet full of life… That's what makes them beautiful!"

"Like a pug dog??" Added Michelangelo, bouncing in his seat. "Or a cactus?? Or a Bosch painting??"

"You like Bosch??"

"I'm an artist myself!"

"Omigosh, me too!"

"Take a shot everytime they say omigosh," grinned Hunter.

"Dear God, I'm lucky to be having just a soda!" Piebald took the shot, laughing hysterically.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. You're so funny…" muttered Michelangelo.

"Aw, Mikey, we're just kidding! We tease Ona all the time, right Ona?"

"Yeah, you do…" She smiled shyly. "At least you're not babying me all the time like my parents do…"

"Ugh, I know that feeling…" Michelangelo looked at her with sympathy. "I remember you said they didn't let you participate in that race? My big brother won't let me do anything either."

"It's so frustrating , right?? I mean, please, I'm soon to be sixteen!! Am I not old enough??"

"Apparently, no…" Michelangelo glued his eyes on the ceiling. "It's like they don't even remember how it was to be our age…"

"It's so nice to find someone who understands the struggle…" Ona rubbed his shoulder, showing sympathy as well. That made them look at each other's eyes, something deep brewing between them…

Piebald and Hunter were looking at them with so much expectancy, rubbing their fins and nodding. But…

"I think you might be my new bestie!!"

"Omigosh, I was thinking the same!!"

"UUUUGH!!" Both Hunter and Piebald groaned, their heads falling backwards and their arms dropping in disappointment.

Chapter Text

Even though Donatello felt curious about the laboratory, he wasn't expecting it to be in a relatively good state. He was fully aware that, after all, the chihuahua was working in a destroyed part of New York. It was actually kind of surprising to know the thing was still standing to begin with, although some debris had to be moved away in order to get inside.

And again, kind of like he expected, the place was a mess. Sure, the tiny doctor managed to clear part of the room and salvage most of the scientific equipment, but the atmosphere was dusty and the walls were moldy. That last thing worried Donatello because, in one corner of the room, he could see a bunch of piled up clothes that were clearly meant to serve the purpose of a bed…

"You live here?"

"Yup," they replied, not taking notice in the sad tone of his voice. Instead, they just rolled their sleeves and looked for materials in a drawer, setting up the study table.

The turtle took another look around, this time finding dog food boxes scattered in another corner. He also saw instant noodles cups ("how are they making that microwave work??") and chocolate bar wrappers.

"Don't fucking judge me!" they finally took notice, "You know how hard it is to find food since the alien invasion… Unless you have a decent food stock, then I'd be glad to negotiate. I'm running out of destroyed vending machines…"

"... Wait," Donatello was finally understanding some things, "you think the whole city is in this state??"

"... Is it not?"

"Oh my…" He slapped his own face in frustration. "You haven't left this area yet??"

"Are you crazy?? I'm not in the mood for being brainwashed, thank you so much…"

"Jesus Christ, you really don't know…" Donatello let himself fall on a chair, completely flabbergasted.

"Know what??"

"The Kraang invasion was dealt with just when it started!"

"... How do you know that?"

"Because I was there!" He rubbed his nails on his chest, polishing them on the fabric of his jacket, savoring that moment of pride as he looked at them shine. "Me and my family defeated them!"

The chihuahua got their already big eyes wide open, shocked for a second before cackling hysterically. "¡SI, CLARO, POR SUPUESTO!" They laid on the ground and held their tummy, shaking their feet in the air.

"Stop laughing!! I got my mind inside the Technodrome's pilot system, do you think that was funny?? It wasn't!!"

That made the chihuahua laugh louder, tears in their eyes and breath out of their lungs. "DO YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE ALL OF THAT??"

"Ok, time to put my good, reliable technology to use…" He took a tiny device out of his shell and put it on the ground. Turns out it was a projector, which casted a light on the wall displaying parts of the fight against the Kraang. Yes, as previously stated in the show, Donatello recorded everything.

That made the chihuahua stop laughing immediately. They slowly got up and approached the projection, their expression switching from horror to amazement and backwards at every scene.

"Ay carajo…"

"See? You have nothing to worry about! You can thank me for saving your life now." He got back to his prideful persona.

"... You're kidding, right??" The chihuahua glared at him.

"... Excuse me??"

"Half of this destruction was caused by you!! "

"NO, IT WAS NOT??"

"ONE OF YOU THREW AN ENTIRE FUCKING BUILDING AT THOSE THINGS!! WHAT IF THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THERE?? What if… I was there?"

Donatello was going to complain again, but then he realized they were not ok. Their knees were shaking, causing them to grab the table nearby with one hand, rubbing their forehead with the other. He then noticed they had some areas in their nape and arms that missed strands of hair…

"It was terrifying enough with a mind-controlling, body-deforming alien invasion… But a bunch of destructive, supernatural beings?? A guy spreading mutagenic substances everywhere?? You really expect me to leave this place??"

"... This is my family you're talking about. You make them sound worse than they are…"

"Maybe they are… Maybe you are. How can I trust you??" They didn't wait for an answer, though, "Come to think about it, I never ever had the luxury of allowing myself to trust someone… That's what life has taught me…"

Donatello didn't need to ask why: One more look around gave him a clue in the shape of several animal cages. "I'm sorry…"

I'm sorry. He was still getting used to saying those words. Last time he truly felt like he had to, it was to Shelldon. That time his son was scared, alone, in danger, yet untrusting of his own father.

This creature was also scared (traumatized, even), alone, in danger (living in extremely unhealthy conditions), and unable to trust anyone. They were definitely not a little kid like Shelldon was, rather than a teenager like Donatello, but he felt a strong, visceral protective feeling towards them anyways.

He kneeled to get on their level. He talked in a very soft voice. He offered his hand with the utmost care. "I won't hurt you. I promise."

The chihuahua looked at him with watery eyes. They hesitated, but in the end (even though it took them an eternity) they put their paw on Donatello's hand. It was half of the turtle's size, and that only made the purple colored ninja wince with worry. He didn't want to startle them but damn, he wanted to cradle them in his arms so badly…

"Am I allowed to visit you from now on? I won't force you out of here, but please let me help you…"

"Why? What's your motivation?"

"Basic empathy. Besides, my father commanded me to make a friend and he won't leave me alone with that. Guess you can be the solution..."

"A friend…" they looked at the ground, meditating. "I never ever had one… What is it like?"

"Well, for starters, we need to introduce ourselves. My name is Donatello, but you can call me Donnie."

"... Mierda."

"What?"

"I'm so, so sorry, but… I don't have a name."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a lab dog, remember? A name implies an attachment…"

"... I see. What about your pronouns? Are you familiar with the concept of gender identity?"

"I'm nonbinary. They/them is fine…"

"Good. I'm nonbinary as well, but I normally go by he/him."

"Got it," they smiled weakly, but then their tummy growled aggressively. "... Oops."

"If you give me some minutes, I can get you a pizza."

"... That sounds nice. I wonder what pizza tastes like…"

"Dear God, I really have to help you!"

Chapter Text

After the breathing exercises, it was time for the girl scouts to head back home. Some of them made groups to go together since they were neighbors, others got picked up by their parents, and the rest were escorted by Cassandra, Casey Junior and Raphael.

"DON'T WORRY, GUYS," announced Cassandra, "BROWNIE SALES ARE GOING EXCELLENT LATELY. I'M SURE WE WILL AFFORD TO BY A BUS PRETTY SOON."

"Yeah, 'cause I don't think Donnie will let me use his car…"

"I don't think the parents would be happy with that…" sighed Casey Junior. "I mean, it's a tank… It's not normal."

"NONSENSE. YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO SAFE. NORMALITY IS A SILLY CONCEPT."

"I actually like normality…" added Casey Junior. "Having a sense of what is too much and what is not gives me the feeling that we are, indeed, living safer times…"

"Sounds like something I would say!" Raphael chuckled, giving Casey soft pats in his shoulder.

"Because it is! You and mom…" but then he stopped talking. "Sorry…"

Cassandra and Raphael looked at each other with an awkward yet sad expression. On one hand, it was weird knowing they shared a kid in the future…

On the other hand, Cassandra understood that denying Casey wasn't a good idea. Sure, it was wild knowing he was her son, but not allowing him to talk about it wasn't healthy at all. Besides, it's not like he was expecting her to act as his mom or anything (he made it pretty clear several times). He just liked to reminisce on the few good times they spent together… And she had the feeling Raphael was thinking the same, because…

"Cassandra?? Talking about embracing normality?? I find it hard to believe! Hahahaha!"

"Oh, no, not at all!" Casey Junior took the memo quickly enough. "That's what I was going to say: You used to argue a lot about those things. "Cass, sweetie, are you sure this is a good idea??" " he giggled after his Raphael impression. " "Stop spoiling the kid, you're gonna soften him!", you know, just like you do now! That's why I thought you were dating. Sorry for that, by the way…"

"NAH, YOU'RE GOOD," she slapped his back with a bit too much enthusiasm. "I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS THE SAME TIMELINE, RIGHT?

"YEAH!" Raphael got nervous again. "WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO DATE OR ANYTHING, HAHAHAHA…"

Ouch, that hurt! It hurt so much for both Raphael and Cassandra, and Casey Junior definitely noticed. He wasn't stupid, he could tell there was something going on between them. But he decided he already made things complicated enough, so he zipped his mouth… At least for now.

"ANYWAY," Cassandra said, "WE STILL NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE BUS THING. WHERE DO YOU THINK WE COULD GET A RELATIVELY CHEAP ONE??"

"I have a place in mind…" Raphael scratched his head, thinking about Repo Mantis. "But I cannot go with you, I'm not on really good terms with the manager. And we'd need to do some serious cleaning on the damn thing…"

"I'M NOT AFRAID OF EXTRA WORK."

"Me neither. I like cleaning things, it relaxes me…"

"What about this, then?:" Raphael raised one finger, "We're gonna tell this to the girls tomorrow. I'm sure they will love to help by selling a big stock of brownies! It will be a special event!"

"THAT'S A GREAT IDEA!"

"I agree! We can try the new recipes I found this weekend!"

"WE WILL GET THE MONEY IN NO TIME. AFTER ALL, WE'RE THE BEST SCOUT TROOP WHEN IT COMES TO SALES."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that!!" Someone seemed to disagree on that notion. Someone whose laughter could be heard in the entire hallway. Someone already familiar to Raphael…

"BAXTER STOCKBOY??" The turtle's jaw dropped, especially since the kid was sporting a scout uniform as well... It wasn't from their troop, though. He was also surrounded by several flying drones, transporting cupcake boxes and wearing a scout tie around them.

"I'm afraid you will need to upgrade your troop if you want to surpass mine!" He showed them an application in his smartphone. "See? My delivery service is doing numbers! Why would you wait for a bunch of silly little girls to knock on your door, when you can just order your snacks whenever you want?"

"BECAUSE OF THE JOY OF UNEXPECTED VISITS!! AND THEIR CHARMING PERSONALITIES!! YOUR STUPID ROBOTS LACK SOUL, AND SOON WILL YOU!!" Cassandra was ready to throw hands, but Raphael and Casey Junior grabbed her arms just in time.

"Violence won't get you anywhere, missy!" Baxter was savoring the moment. "Perhaps you should consider quitting this job before embarrassing yourself even more…"

"Hey, shut up!" Raphael took a step in his direction. "Why don't you deliver your nonsense somewhere else and leave us alone??"

"Yeah, you're right, I need to be on schedule. Just wanted to let you know how things are now…"

Without letting them complain, he activated his jetpack and flew away with his stock.

"WHO THE HELL IS THAT BRAT??"

"An old rival of mine… I can't believe he's a boy scout now!"

"But, if I understood this correctly… He's working alone??" Casey Junior was really confused.

"HA! OF COURSE HE DOESN'T HAVE FRIENDS!"

"But he's right, his drones are effective…" Casey Junior was still thinking about the sales data in Stockboy's application. "How are we going to top that?"

"We're gonna do it the old, good, traditional way: With so much care and love for our craft!" Raphael wrapped his arms around their shoulders. "No matter how convenient his service is, nothing can compare to the natural flavor of Cassandra's home-made brownies! We can also sell Casey's cookies, they're so delicious and adorable! And our girls are just irresistible! Who doesn't love a big, shiny, innocent smile?? Drones cannot provide that! Because, again: We Have Soul!"

"THAT COULD BE OUR SLOGAN!"

"You sure know how to lighten a spirit!"

"It's my forte: Making sure you believe in yourselves!" he rubbed Cassandra and Casey's heads with effusive affection.

Chapter Text

Since the day they realized the importance of the Hamato clan bond, Splinter and the boys took the habit of dining together. It also was a nice opportunity for Splinter to do things other than watching TV, like cooking, for example! He found joy in preparing meals from his culture, especially the dishes his mom used to serve, and sharing those with his children. Reconnecting with his roots gave him some sort of inner peace.

And the turtles loved it! They really liked the gyozas, the yakisoba, the curry, the rice balls, and the list keeps going! Eating with chopsticks was kind of a chore with their three-fingered hands, but they found the experience rather entertaining anyway.

"My sons," said their father, looking more relaxed than when they parted, "how was your day? Did you make any progress with your task?"

"I made two friends!" Michelangelo was the first one to answer, raising his phone in pride. "I have lotsa selfies and Piebald's testimony to prove it~"

"That's good!"

"What??" Leonardo looked at him with a frown. "Didn't you say we weren't allowed to hang out with our family??"

"I never said such a thing." He took a sip of his miso soup without a care in the world. "I only said they didn't count. Don't tell me you've been neglecting O'Neil all day long!"

"Then I will call her tomorrow!" Added Raphael. "We need help with the scout troop's sales if we want to get that bus!"

"You're hanging out with Brownie Girl? How is she doing? Are her guardians getting better?"

"They're making progress!"

"Good, very good!"

"I guess Stinky Feet does count, huh?" Said Leonardo with a bitter tone.

"No, she doesn't count either. I consider her part of the family as well."

"Really??" Michelangelo was impressed. "Like a daughter??"

"Not exactly, more like… Hmm, let me think… Oh, I've got an example: Someone I would gladly give your hand in marriage to!"

Raphael choked with his tempura, violently coughing and crying. Donatello offered him a cup of water. "Stop swallowing your food like a goose…"

"Then today is your lucky day, papa!" Michelangelo shaked Leonardo's shoulders. "Leo's looking for a romantic partner, so he can marry our frenemy!"

"NO!!" Raphael slammed the table, only to immediately regret it. Now everyone was looking at him in shock. "... I mean, c'mon, Pops!" He laughed anxiously. "Aren't we too young to think about marriage?? Hahahaha…"

"Nonsense! O'Neil and Goo Girl are moving together this fall. I'm so glad to know at least someone will give me grandchildren…"

Both Raphael and Donatello glued their eyes at the table. Raphael's face got a dark shade of red, thinking about Casey Junior (and Cassandra). He didn't dare to drop the bomb yet, though, because the consequent teasing from his siblings would be unbearable!

Donatello, on the other hand, felt his entire body getting cold and his heart ache in sorrow. He didn't blame his father for that comment (he knew how hard it was for Splinter to remember things), but dear God, how much he wanted to scream Shelldon's name…

"What's wrong, Purple?" Fortunately for Donatello, at least he was making efforts on being more receptive to his children's feelings. "Are you having trouble finding a friend? It's ok, my dear, there's no need to hurry…"

"... Actually!" His prideful persona aggressively buried any attempt of showing weakness. "I did find a friend!"

"Omigosh! Are you serious??"

"Absolutely! We have a very strong bond already! In fact, my presence in their life is extremely invaluable!"

"Yeah, right…" Leonardo grinned with malice. "And what's the name of that person that has you in sooo high regard?"

… Oh no. "Uh… Well, they don't have a name…"

"You're a very bad liar, Donnie…"

"I'm telling the truth! They don't have a name!"

"Look, papa is right…" Michelangelo gently rubbed his hand across the table. "You don't have to pretend you made progress today! We understand it's not easy for you…"

"But…! I'm…! What about you, Nardo?? I'm sure you must have plenty of new friends, isn't it?? Why don't you tell us their names??"

Donatello grinned back, because he knew perfectly well that wasn't true. Why? Because, had Leonardo indeed find friends, he would have been the first one to boast about it. But instead, he had been acting all bitter and snarky during the whole diner.

That took Leonardo completely out of guard. Normally, he'd have a very good come back for that situation, but turns out he got home so frustrated that he didn't remember to think of a lie or excuse. So he remained silent.

"Didn't you say Hueso was going to get you so many friends?? A romantic partner, even??" Donatello was desperate to get the attention away from him. "What have you been doing all day, if not?? Huh??"

"I WAS AT BIG MAMA'S, OK? LEAVE ME ALONE!"

… He wasn't supposed to say that. At least not in that way. Now everyone was looking at him with horror in their eyes.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY??" Splinter reacted the worst out of them.

"I, uhm, well…" he looked for the pamphlets in his pockets with shaky hands, trying to keep a smile. "The Battle Nexus is a cool place now!"

"Give me that!" he ripped the advertisement out of Leonardo's hands and read it thoroughly. "... Medical insurance?? A work union?? There has to be a trick…"

"That's what I thought! But it turns out Big Mama feels sorry for everything she did… In fact, she didn't want me to join unless you gave me your consent!"

"Which I won't, of course!! What made you think I would allow such travesty??"

"Please, dad, my honor is at stake!!"

"Your life is at stake!! You're not joining the Battle Nexus!!"

"You can't stop me!! What are you gonna do?? Lock me in my dorm??"

"Didn't you say you need my approval??"

"I can forge your signature!!"

Splinter audibly gasped. "YOUNG MAN, YOU WILL NOT…!!"

"I think we should leave them alone…" Raphael tapped his younger brothers' shoulders and they all left the room.

Chapter Text

The lair became an absolute chaos in the morning, because Splinter and the four turtles were rummaging through every piece of clothing they owned over the years. In Splinter's case, he finally agreed to pay the Battle Nexus a visit to know if he could give Leonardo his approval. But he didn't want to go wearing his old, everyday robe, so he was looking for something a bit more decent. "They need to know I'm dead serious about your safety, Blue. I have to look intimidating. But not too intimidating, as I also want to appear mature and reasonable."

"If I didn't know you, I'd think you're preparing yourself for a date…" Leonardo smirked.

"Don't test your luck any further, young man! You should be thankful just knowing I'm coming with you today."

"Oook, ok, jeez… What about this one?" It was an office suit.

"Too boring. What about this one?" He picked a pair of black leather pants and a leather jacket.

"Too aggressive."

Meanwhile, Michelangelo was desperately trying to find a pair of masculine and feminine outfits that could pass out as part of the same set. "I told Ona to leave this to me, but I forgot we had so many clothes!"

"Most of our belongings come from humans who threw them away. And humans throw lots of stuff away…" Donatello was looking for clothes from when they were children. "What style do you have in mind?"

"The Evans siblings from High School Musical."

"Sequins, glitter, feathers, pink and blue color palettes…"

"No, pink won't work, she's pink enough…"

"Purple, then? You can never go wrong with purple."

"Thanks, I'll think about it. What about you?"

"I need small pieces of clothing that don't look too childish…"

"Plain t-shirts, shorts and skirts should be enough. You know I can sew, I can fix some parts if you need me to."

"I'll think about it, thank you."

Raphael didn't need anything from the clothing pile (he had his boy scout suit already), but he was glad to help his family anyway. He was also folding back every piece he knew no one needed, trying to keep the place as tidy as possible. "What about those figure skating dresses we found last spring? They're from the same set and very glittery!"

They were glittery indeed! The masculine suit had a pair of jet black pants with a white blouse and a pastel blue glittery vest, while the dress was colored in a gradient that went from white in its laced shoulders to pastel blue in the skirt, which was decorated with more glitter.

"Omigosh, you're a genius! I just hope the skirt is long enough… If not, we can also lend her a pair of black leotardos."

"Did you call me??" Said Leonardo.

"I said "leotardos", with a T!"

"Oh, ok!"

"And for Donnie's friend…" Raphael took some tiny hoodies and sweatpants. "They will also need warm stuff for the winter!"

"You're the best, El…" Donnie smiled, putting those pieces in his backpack. He also packed some bottles of shampoo, a sponge, and a hair comb. "I will also need our inflatable pool, if Nardo didn't break it already using it as a ballpit.. "

"Sure, just put the balls in a bag or something!" Asked the blue ninja.

"Tell dad I will need our baking tools!" Added Raphael.

"Just clean them once you're done!" Splinter allowed, taking a black polo shirt from the pile. "Do you think this will work?"

"With a pair of beige khakis you'll look perfect!" Said Michelangelo.

After everything was put back in place, father and sons had their breakfast meal in their usual harmony. Some took the leftovers from last night and the others fixed themselves some milk, cereals and cookies.

"It seems today will be a challenging day for all of you, my sons. I wish you the best of lucks."

"Thanks, Pops!"

"I appreciate it, papá."

"Love you, papa!!!"

"Does that mean I can join the Battle Nexus??"

"Not yet!!"

"Damnit…"

Once they were done with their breakfast, everyone was ready to leave the lair.

Leonardo created a portal to bring him and Splinter to Big Mama's hotel. They were received very nicely by the employees.

Michelangelo put the figure skating dresses and a makeup set in a plastic bag and swam to the beach festival.

Donatello programmed one of his battle shells to carry eight gallons of water and a hose and headed to the ruins.

Raphael merrily walked to the Girl Scouts office, looking at Repo Mantis' catalog to make sure the bus was still there.

And so, finally, the day had begun!

Chapter Text

Father and son were promptly escorted to Big Mamás office, which gave Splinter the opportunity to see with his own eyes how the place had changed (it was precisely the reason why Leonardo didn't create a portal directly in front of her door, actually). His frown was slowly fading away, allowing a smile on his lips every time someone greeted them or asked if they needed something. He also was glad to see how comfortable the fighters looked on their way to the arena.

"I must admit you were right, Blue. This place has certainly improved!"

"Told ya~"

"But I still need to talk to Big Mama. I want to read your contract myself."

"You want some time alone, huh?"

"Silence, testudine! I do not have the intentions you think I have."

"I find it hard to believe…"

"Boy, one day you will realize the importance of maintaining your friendships. Especially as you get older."

"So, no romantic feelings for her?"

"I admit I still enjoy our playful banter, but we had our chance a long time ago. Lot's of things happened between us, as you already know…"

"I think I get it… Well, it's nice to know you're still friends! That will make her so happy…"

"You're a very kind soul, my son. I'm so proud of you."

Once they knocked on Big Mamás door, she received them with a wide, gleeful smile. "Lou! Baby Blue!"

"Good morning, Sugar!" He kissed her hand. "Hope you don't mind this unexpected visit…"

"Not at all! Mama figured you'd want to supervise your kid's application personally."

"I assume you understand my reasons, then."

"Absolutely! No offense taken. There's so much I need to apologize for…"

"We can take care of that later. As you can see, Blue is getting kind of impatient…"

"I can imagine why! I've heard he has a date in the arena today…"

"Oh, really??" Splinter looked at him with a huge, smug grin. "You didn't tell me about this yesterday!"

"It's not important!! Can we sign the contract now??

"Hoo hoo hoo!" She laughed. "Of course, sweetie, Mama has your documents ready!"

-o-

Once everything was settled, Leonardo left Splinter and Big Mama in her office so they could have a private talk. He also wanted to join the Battle Nexus as soon as possible, of course! Especially knowing David was fighting that day. And speaking of the devil, he found the rooster getting ready in the changing room.

"Hi, Big Bird!" Oh, I'm so clever, Leonardo thought. He was sure that would get through his feathered skin! "Guess who's fighting today as well~"

"Gustavo!" He put his everyday clothing in the locker before approaching Leonardo. "I thought you wouldn't come in the end! You looked so scared yesterday…"

"Me? Scared?" He leaned on the lockers, crossing his arms and smirking. "I promised you a fight, didn't I?"

"Let's see if you can even get to me…"

"Those bozos don't stand a chance against me. Besides, you need someone to remind you how easy it can be to lose your crown…"

"Yeah, I know you're an expert," he bit back, signaling an old Leonardo and Splinter poster.

Youch! "You know you're the champion only because I wasn't here, right?"

"Well, you needed your daddy's help to win. I did it alone."

"Way to admit you're a loner! Oh, poor baby, your papa doesn't love you?"

"He does, actually. But he knows I'm strong enough to fight for myself. And I didn't have to bring him here to sign my contract."

"You saw…??" He coughed the surprised tone away. "What a gossipy little hen we've got here!"

"... What did you call me??"

"Hen~" he quickly got the memo. "Gallinita~"

"¡¡Rana mal parida…!!" He approached him cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah, come here, baby!" He cheered, taking his odachi (which got wrapped in bandages by the hotel staff in order to avoid fatal wounds).

He created a portal to dodge David's fist, which shocked him to no end. "Hey!! Those are not allowed!!"

"We're not in the arena yet!" He chuckled.

"¡¡Tramposo de mierda!!" He took a shampoo bottle and threw it at him.

The motion was so unexpected that he actually managed to hit Leonardo right in his face. And the turtle was so shocked about it (and the bottle was so full and heavy) that he got stuck staring at the void.

"... Oh, god, are you ok??" David untensed his body at the sight, genuinely worried about him.

Leonardo rubbed his face and touched his nostrils, checking for blood (there wasn't, luckily). "Ouch. Maybe we should chill until we're actually fighting…"

"Come 'ere, we've got some ice in the meds cabinet."

They sat on the changing room benches and applied a tiny bag of ice on Leonardo's face. Even though he didn't have a regular nose, that bottle impact hurt like hell. "Thanks. I still hate you, tho."

"Me too, but not enough to fucking kill you, joder…" he turned the bag around once it got warm on one side, which made Leonardo hiss in pain. "Don't be a pussy! I thought you were supposed to be my rival…"

"Do you like the idea?" He smirked.

"I guess you were right: Knowing there's someone out there who might be able to defeat you is… Somehow exciting?"

"That wasn't quite my wording, but I'll take it. Gotta admit I was having a really boring summer before meeting you."

"Same here. This was funny at first, but being the champion for so long is getting repetitive…"

"You don't sound as sad as you're pretending..."

" 'Cause I'm not. I just needed some spice in my routine. Speaking of which, I have to go!" He got up. "Big Mama needs me for her daily introduction before the battles begin. Smell you later, Gustavo!"

"Break a leg, Big Bird!"

Once David was outside the changing room, the rooster took his smartphone to google what Big Bird meant. And when he found out… He couldn't help but giggle. "Qué cabrón…"

Chapter Text

Once Michelangelo arrived at the beach festival, he shaked his body to dry himself and ran to the changing room, where Ona was waiting for him. "Hi, Mikey!"

"Hi, Onnie!" He opened the plastic bag and showed her the figure skating dresses. "What do you think??"

"I love them!! They match with our eyes! Well, with one of my eyes in my case, but you get me!" Because, while the eye on the brown colored half of her face was blue, the eye on the pink half was black. In Michelangelo's case, both were blue. "And I'm obsessed with sequins! Shiny stuff in general, really. I have this little box in my room full of shiny objects I find around. My grandma says I'm like a crow…"

Each one found their own locker to change into the dresses, but they could still hear each other through the bamboo walls. "You remind me of the Little Mermaid! Well, more like the Little Axolotl!"

"I'm only half axolotl! My father's branch of the family comes from Montseny brook newt yokais."

"Montseny?? Where is that??"

"Spain! More specifically Catalunya. I'm from there, actually, I'm only here during the summer (I'm staying at Piebald's home)…"

"Really?? How did you two meet, then??"

"The internet! It was so hard trying to convince my family to let me visit her…"

"I can see why. We're an entire ocean away from them…"

"It wouldn't be so annoying if they weren't like this all the time, tho… Being a yokai is hard enough, but my species of yokai is especially endangered… Just like the original Montseny brook newts."

"Yeah, I never heard about them! I'm sorry…" he rubbed his own arm. "I know it's not quite the same, but my family won't let me do anything either. Being the younger child sucks..."

"Ugh, same here. Being the younger cousin sucks..."

They got out of the lockers at the same time, both shiny and ready to sing. Just like the day before, they locked eyes and thought about everything that connected them. "... Man, I'm gonna miss you so bad."

"Why don't you visit me this Christmas??" She grabbed his hands. "I know you'd love our traditions!! Even if some of them involve poop for some reason…"

"You need to tell me about that now!!" He shaked her hands in excitement "I really like weird and gross stuff!"

"Me too! Well, Caganer and Caga Tió are not exactly gross traditions… But I like sculpting with mud!! And painting with pollen, fruits and moss!!

"I love getting my hands dirty and sticky!! And smelling them afterwards, like:" he closed his eyes and made a really loud, pig-like sniffing noise.

That made Ona giggle uncontrollably. "God, you're so silly!!"

"Please, please, please, let me take you on a tour on New York!! There's so many things I want to show you before you leave!! I want to spend time with you!!"

"Yes, yes, yes, take me on a tour!! Let's have sleepovers!! Let's do art together!!"

"Attention to all duet singers," a voice in a speaker said, "the competition will start in ten minutes. We repeat: The competition…"

"Omigosh!!" They both yelled, holding hands and running to the karaoke stage.

Piebald and Hunter were waiting for them in their audience seats, their eyes widening at the sight. "Are they…? You know…" she whispered.

"I… Don't know?? I mean, they're holding hands?? I guess??"

Michelangelo and Ona waited for their turn near the stage with the other contending duets. Even though there was a classification at stake, they admired every performance they saw that morning, even the ones that were flawed! They also took notes on every song that caught their interest, in hopes of discovering new musicals to watch together.

And then, their turn finally came. They got up the stage holding hands, breathing deeply, looking at each other for mutual reassurance. The audience comments about how cute they looked together also helped in boosting their confidence ("Thanks for remembering these outfits, Raph!!"). They stood in front of the microphones and the music started.

They had seen the movie so many times that they didn't even need to practice before! They just picked up the microphones from the holders and started moving around, doing a silly little dance. The audience was clapping rhythmically, cheering the pair. And surprisingly, that song was the perfect choice for them! They looked at each other's eyes from time to time, noticing the parallels and smiling widely:

"I've never had someone that knows me like you do,

The way you do!

I've never had someone as good for me as you,

No one like you!

So lonely before, I finally found,

What I've been looking for!"

When the song was over, everyone clapped and cheered like never before. The kids bowed a couple of times before getting off the stage and sitting back with Hunter and Piebald, who were truly impressed by the performance. "Dude! You look perfect together, I'm so jealous!" Said Piebald.

"Right?? I wish I had what you have!" Added Hunter.

Michelangelo and Ona looked at each other in confusion, but that was only for a second before realizing what they were talking about. "Excuse us for a second!" Ona took Michelangelo's hand and walked away." "Mikey, are you thinking what I'm thinking??"

"I'm thinking they're jealous~" he gleefully said. "And you know how much they crave for the unattainable…"

"What if we work together to show them how desirable we are??"

"I was going to ask you the same!! Let's say it together…"

"FAKE DATING!!" They sang, giggling and kicking in excitement.

"We're going to be so perfect that when we sadly break up…" he faked drama in his voice.

"They will want to be the ones to heal our lonely little hearts!"

"Attention to all duet singers, we're going to announce the competition winners. We repeat…"

"Omigosh, I almost forgot about this!" Ona  gasped.

"Let's get back to our seats!" They sat again, excitement pooling in their stomachs, holding each other's hands to ease the tension.

Katy, the penguin barista from the day before, was the one chosen to make the announcement. She didn't look too happy to be there, though (well, she never looked too happy in any circumstances to begin with). "The winners of this year's Duet Singers Category are…" she said in a completely monotone voice. "Ona and Michelangelo, for What I've Been Looking For."

The kids squealed in joy and ran to the stage, holding the two tiny trophies with pride. "Thank you, thank you!!"

"Do you think this is a good moment to tell them??" Asked Michelangelo, even though he already knew the answer.

"Absolutely!" Agreed Ona. "Dear people in the audience and friends, we have news for you!!"

"Me and Ona connected so well that now we're dating!! We're boyfriend and girlfriend!!"

Some people in the audience clapped, but others like Katy reacted with a "good for you, I guess."

"Yes!!" Hunter clapped enthusiastically. "Finally!!"

"I was starting to get desperate!!" Added Piebald.

Ona and Michelangelo nodded at each other, putting their outlandish plan into action.

Chapter Text

"NO!! LET ME GO!!" The chihuahua was desperately holding on every piece of furniture they could reach, even using their teeth to grab it.

"DON'T MAKE THIS HARDER THAN IT ALREADY IS!!" Meanwhile, Donatello was desperately dragging them by their legs to get them out of the laboratory. "YOU NEED TO TAKE A BATH!!"

"I'M PERFECTLY CLEAN!!"

"DON'T LIE TO ME, I SAW FLEAS ON YOUR NECK YESTERDAY!! IF YOU DON'T GET ON THE POOL I'M USING THE HOSE ON THE HIGHEST PRESSURE!! DO YOU WANT THAT??"

The idea of getting their laboratory soaked made them give up immediately, letting Donatello carry them to the inflatable pool he put outside. "Gringo maricón…"

"One more slur and you're getting the hose!"

"Can I at least leave my underwear on?"

"I brought you a speedo. I also have a bra if you need it."

"The speedo will be enough. Turn around."

"Don't run away or else…"

"I won't…" Donatello waited for them to change into the speedo. After that, he helped them get inside the pool. The chihuahua's expression went from weariness to surprise. "... It's warm."

"Of course it's warm, did you really expect me to throw you into cold water??" He handed them the shampoo bottle and a sponge.

"But how…?" They started scrubbing their fur, creating a big mass of bubbles in their head that looked like a white afro.

"That battle shell has a heating system."

"... Battle shell?"

"I have a set of prosthetic shells. Mine is too soft for combat."

"Can I touch it?"

"That's too intimate!"

"You tried to strip me naked back there!"

"... Ok, I'll let you touch it later" he shrugged and poured water over them to clear the soap away.

"You better, or else I'm biting you. I have rabies."

"You don't have rabies, stop saying that!"

"How are you so sure? Those scientists could have injected several diseases onto me."

"Of course they did" he didn't even bother to pretend he believed them, looking for any remaining fleas instead.

"... I don't know if you're skeptical or brave."

"I'm observant. I noticed the encephalograms and the puzzle games back there. They were trying to increase your intellectual power."

"What for?"

"Drugs, probably. Not the legal kind. Humans are desperate to play God."

"And they had to play with me…"

"... Did they hurt you?" He stopped touching them. There was worry in his voice.

"Only with the needles. I have the feeling that was how they messed with my brain…"

"What I do wonder is, how did they manage to contain an oozquito?"

"Fuck if I know."

"That is really helpful, thank you."

"You're welcome. Can I get out now?"

"I guess you're clean enough." The chihuahua got out of the inflatable pool, shaking their body to dry their fur and getting Donatello wet in the process. "... You did that on purpose."

"That's for dragging me out of my lab."

"Whatever. I brought some clothes for you."

"Where are mine?"

"I'm taking them with me. I will give them back to you after my laundry day. Assuming I don't have to burn them down…"

They gave him a menacing stare. "If you burn my stuff I'm pooping on your mouth."

"Oh my God…" he rubbed his temples. "Just get dressed already, please, this is getting too awkward…"

"Then why did you force me to do it??" They put a white hoodie and gray sweatpants on.

"Because I care. That's what friends do."

Their frown softened. "... Thank you."

"Finally! Some appreciation for my efforts…"

"I never said I didn't…" they looked away. "It's just… I'm not used to this, that's all…"

"You will, eventually."

"... Do you really have to bathe me from now on?"

"It's not the ideal way, but this place doesn't have running water. You should really consider moving…"

"Not happening."

"Please…"

"... I'll think about it."

"Thank you. Come here, I brought some food as well", he announced, opening a folding picnic table he took from the battle shell.

"Pizza?" their pupils widened slightly and they wagged their tail. "I like pizza."

"Me too, but now we're having miso soup and tempura." Did Donatello feel proud for offering them the leftovers? No. Did he know how to cook, though? Hell no. Maybe he should ask Michelangelo and Splinter to teach him sometime…

"What is tempura? Is that tempura?" They signaled the tempura tuppers.

"They're fried vegetables" he set the table and put both a fork and a pair of chopsticks on the chihuahua's side.

"And what are those?"

"Chopsticks. You can use them like a fork."

The chihuahua looked at the chopsticks with a confused frown. Then, they picked one of them and stabbed the tempura with it.

"... Can't blame you for this, I should have taught you first." Knowing the chihuahua had five fingers and not three, the turtle looked up for a simple tutorial on his smartphone.

It didn't take long for them to learn. In fact, they were impressively quick at understanding the mechanics. Donatello guessed those scientists actually turned them into a prodigy after all.

"This is good. I like tempura."

"I'm glad to know. What about the soup?"

"It's nice as well. Did you cook this?"

"I wish, but no. It was my father. A father is…"

"I know what a father is" they cut them off, grinning smugly, "but I appreciate your dedication."

"I'll let you be the one to ask the questions, then."

"Thank you. But now I do wonder, is your father a mutant like you?"

"Yes, but he's not like us. He went from human to animal."

"You're adopted, then."

"Correct."

"Can I see a photo? I'd like to see if there's any difference when the mutation happens the other way around."

"I'm afraid we're not a good example," he looked for a good photo of Splinter and showed it to them, "since we're not from the same species."

"Oh, I see…" they were honestly impressed. "Now I'm even more curious! How did your family mutate?"

"It's a really long story..."

"I like listening!" they wagged their tail again.

And, of course, Donatello couldn't say no to a waggy tail!

Chapter Text

Cassandra and Raphael were standing in front of April, Sunita and the scout trope. She was the one giving the speech. "ALRIGHT, LADIES AND CASEY JUNIOR..."

"I appreciate the side note, but you don't really need to…" muttered Casey Junior.

"TODAY'S A BIG DAY" she ignored him completely. "NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO SELL ALL THE BROWNIES AND COOKIES OUR TOKEN BOY SCOUT MADE FOR US…"

"Ok, this is getting ridiculous…"

"WE ALSO HAVE A RIVAL TO DEFEAT" she slammed a Baxter Stockboy's promotional poster on the wall. "THIS BRAT OVER HERE IS OUR ENEMY. HIS DELIVERY DRONES ARE DEFINITELY A PROBLEM."

"Not for me, tho!" April kissed her magical baseball bat with pride.

"I don't think that's a good idea, sweetie…" Sunita rubbed her shoulder. "We're supposed to look innocent and approachable..."

"And we sure do!" Added Raphael, "We're the purest, cutest, and most adorable girl scouts in New York! We're also incredibly smart, so this challenge is nothing for us! I want to hear a big "yay!", are you ready??"

"YAAAY!!" they all yelled.

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT. AND REMEMBER, WE HAVE SOUL!" 

The girl scouts formed small groups and picked their respective box carts to start the delivery. Meanwhile Cassandra, Casey Junior, April, Sunita and Raphael grouped together with their own stock.

"You did great with that speech, guys!" April cheered them.

"Yeah, but I couldn't help but chuckle at Raph's part…" Sunita covered her mouth, smiling gently. "It's kind of endearing to hear you say you're a cute and adorable girl…"

Raphael was confused at first, but when he realized his little slip he blushed like a tomato. "Oh, yeah, that's… Well, you heard Casey Junior: There is no need to point out the token boy scouts! Hahaha…" he was getting anxious again.

Especially when everyone looked at him like they knew something. "Hey, you know you can tell us every-"

"WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE TIME??" He cut April off. "WE HAVE SOOOOOO MUCH WORK TO DO! LET'S GO!"

They looked at eachother with smug smiles as he walked away, carrying a giant cookie box by himself. Then, the girls interrogated Casey Junior.

"Ok, token boy, spit it out," Cassandra lowered her voice.

"...What??"

"That's a huge egg we're dealing with!" April whispered.

"A-An egg??"

"I don't think they used that slang in his future…" Sunita was the one to calm the other girls down. "Casey, there's something we've been discussing in secret for a while: We think Raphael is trans. In your future, is he a man, or is she a woman?"

"Oh…" Now he was getting anxious. "Actually, that's a topic I've been trying to avoid since I came here…"

"Why?"

"Remember when they got kidnapped by the Kraang? Leonardo sensei got really mad at me because he thought I didn't care for them, but… In reality, I just didn't recognize them! They never made reference to being a man at any point of their life. I only found out they were my mother after the rescue…"

"... Wait, your mother??" April was flabbergasted.

"It's a long story!" Cassandra covered her mouth with one hand. "So, what you're trying to say is…"

"I figured this would be a touchy topic for them, so I decided to remain silent. Besides, my future does not exist anymore. They could still be a man in this timeline…"

"Dude, no!" Sunita glared at him. "Gender identity is not a statistical variable! It's in your nature! If the egg cracked in your future, that means there was an egg to begin with!" 

"And you saw how they acted before!" Said April. "They totally need our help!"

"We can't be too pushy, tho…" muttered Cassandra, "they don't like it when people pressure them…"

"I'd be surprised to see you being the cautious one," said April with a smug expression, "but considering you're married in Casey's future, it's only natural you care so much for them."

"SH-SHUT UP!" she went back to her normal voice, "UNLIKE GENDER IDENTITY, ATTRACTION IS A STATISTICAL VARIABLE. I HAVE NO INTEREST IN ROMANCE AND DATING BULLSHIT. I'M A FIERCEFUL WOMAN WHO NEEDS NO PARTNER."

"Oh… I-is that so?"

Cassandra's blood froze, because that voice behind her was Raphael's. She turned around with an extremely forced smile and a twitching eye. "HIIII… I MEAN… WE'RE ONLY EIGHTEEN, RIGHT? WHO HAS TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT STUFF AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE?"

"OH, YEAH, OF COURSE! HAHAHAHAHA," Raphael was also smiling forcefully, sweating like a fountain. "THAT'S WHAT I TOLD POPS YESTERDAY! HE WANTS ONE OF US TO MARRY YOU, CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?"

And now her face got completely red, and the shock ripped her voice away"... He said what?"

"Uh…" he finally realized he said too much, unable to speak anymore. The two looked at each other's eyes, blushing intensely and feeling their hearts pounding like drums.

April and Sunita were absolutely delighted with the whole scene, quietly squealing and making little jumps. But Casey Junior was tapping their shoulders to make them stop, "guys, please…", he whispered.

"Do you know what you both need??" April pushed Casey Junior aside and wrapped her arms around Cassandra and Raphael's shoulders. "A makeover session! I'm taking you to the mall! My treat!"

"A-are you sure?? Clothes my size are not very cheap…"

"Don't worry, me and Sunita are doing great in the newspaper office! Her photos and my reports are all the rage right now!"

"B-but the girl scouts…" Cassandra was still processing the information.

"Don't worry, Casey Junior will take the lead from this point on!" Sunita slapped his shoulder.

"Thank God, please, leave me alone…"

"What's up, Casey?" Asked Raphael.

"N-nothing! Gotta go!" He ran away with his own box of brownies.

"You will look amazing when we're done with you!" Sunita clapped her hands in excitement.

"I ALREADY LOOK AMAZING," complained Cassandra, "I HAVE MY OWN UNIQUE STYLE."

"The Foot Clan clothing brand doesn't count." April raised an eyebrow.

"YES, IT DOES."

Raphael sighed as he was dragged away by the three girls.

Chapter Text

Once Leonardo was properly introduced to the rules of the (new) Battle Nexus, he was escorted to the arena by a couple of hotel employees who offered him water, towels and such. The rules were simple: No magic or fatally wounding weapons. That meant both his katanas and the odachi had to remain wrapped, and definitely no teleporting was allowed during combat. He thanked himself for remembering the rules in advance, figuring two non-magic swords would be better than just one…

"Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary nobility!" Big Mama greeted them from the announcer's balcony, which had seats for both her and Splinter. "Welcome to this new season of the Battle Nexus! The tournament calendar will go as usual: Eight contendants will fight against each other in final quarters, semi finals and one final! The winner will get the first place, the battler who fought the winner in the final will get the second place, and the third place will be decided by making the two semi finals losers fight again. Only those three can keep fighting in the next tournament, and a tournament will be celebrated every week! By the end of this fall, the fighter who wins the last tournament will be elected our new Battle Nexus Champion!"

Oh, so he just had to fight three combats per week? Piece of cake! That also meant he would get to face David every time they…

… Wait, no. Oh, no, no, no, no… For that to work, the matching sorter had to always put Leonardo and David as far away from each other as possible! But if someday they got to fight in the final quarters…

… Why was he getting sad all of a sudden?? Wasn't that the point?? To get rid of David?? Even so, he looked for him amongst the rest of contendants. And he found him looking back at Leonardo, seeming… Worried?? Why was David worried??

"... ¿Qué pasa, Big Bird?" He forced a smile, "Are you scared??"

The playful banter made David lose his anxiety for a second, smiling back. "¡Ya quisieras tú! I'm just hoping for us to meet in the final! Beating yo' ass wouldn't be as satisfying otherwise!"

"I was thinking just the same! Don't you dare to lose before meeting me, understand? We're both making it to the finals, promise?"

"Promise!"

Splinter definitely noticed that, looking at Big Mama with a giant smirk. "Is that the boy you told me about? How are you gonna make this work?"

"The good thing about organizing the Battle Nexus…" she responded with an equally big smirk, pushing a button in her control panel, "Is that I always get to decide the matchings!"

Said matchings were displayed in a giant screen, showing four fighters in one half of the screen and four in the other. And fortunately for Leonardo and David, they were in different halves of the matchings.

"Oh, would you look at this year's selection??", she announced to the public, "Isn't that our legendary Leonardo Hamato??"

The crowd cheered at the news, most of them not expecting the surprise at all. The screen played a recording of Leonardo's last combat alongside Splinter, making everyone cheer even louder.

"If everything goes as expected, our former Battle Nexus Champion will face our new Battle Nexus Champion! Isn't that exciting??" She paused her speech to relish in the public's euphoria. She then looked at Splinter, whispering "Catching on to a business opportunity is not incompatible with being a good person…"

"I'm glad to see you're still a sly woman…" he chuckled and patted her back.

Meanwhile, David and Leonardo were feeling euphoric as well. It was because everyone was cheering for them now, right?

… Right?

"But he's not the only new addition to this year's roster! We've got a wrestling legend among us as well… Ghostbear! Let's all give them the applause he deserves!"

… How the hell did he not notice Ghostbear before?? He was a massive piece of meat! Was he so fixated on David that…? No, that was not it at all. Stop asking questions!

"We also got a charismatic pair of crab acrobats, The Sando Brothers! I wonder how good they will perform being separated, though, since double combats are not programmed this season! Would you like to have those in the future?"

… Ah. Those guys. Whatever. In fact, they were both David and Leonardo's first opponents, so they would get rid of them quite soon.

"Let's also give an applause to…" she checked her notes with a confused frown. " "The devilishly intelligent, heavenly handsome, and incredibly strong Warren Stone!" " She looked at Splinter with an awkward smile. "His fiance gave me this script…"

The crowd became silent except for one single person: Hypno-Potamus. He was screaming and shaking a big flag with Warren's photo, throwing flowers at him as well.

"Thank you, thank you!" Warren said, completely unaware that no one else was cheering for him. "It's such a pleasure to be here with you today!"

Big Mama introduced two more contendants, one Foot Clan recruit and just a random guy, making those the eight fighters for that day. After that, Ghostbear and the Foot Clan recruit were escorted to the center of the arena, while the others were offered a seat in the nearest row.

David was about to sit next to Leonardo, but Warren took the place before him. "Hello, my fellow gladiators!"

"Hi…" Was Leonardo's imagination, or did David look disappointed at first? But then, as usual, he gave the worm one of his polite smiles. "It's nice to see someone as eager to fight as you!"

"How couldn't I be? This is the test I've been looking for! I will finally show everyone how powerful I am…" he patted his new gauntlet (one that Leonardo assumed wasn't magic, of course?), "Besides, I promised my fiance I would get to the finals!"

Both David and Leonardo looked at each other unconsciously, but when their eyes met, they got extremely awkward. They avoided each other's gaze and glued their attention on the arena, where the combat was about to begin.

Meanwhile, Splinter and Big Mama were scooping the scene with their opera binoculars, whispering their gossips and giggling.

"I am so happy Blue convinced me to come! This is sooo funny! Hahahahaha!"

Chapter Text

The singing competition wasn't the only activity Michelangelo and Ona signed for! They also got to participate in the Dance Dance Revolution tournament, the tongue twisting challenge, the three-legged race, the face painting exhibition and the jumping rope marathon.

In the Dance Dance Revolution tournament they were a duo again. And it turned out both of them were big enthusiasts of the game, so they got really close to winning! Only losing because their opponents were a couple of octopuses, of course, how can you compete against eight legs??? "It's not fair!" Ona complained, "They shouldn't be allowed to participate in this one!"

"I actually like having a powerful rival to beat! Besides, I love having excuses to train with you…" he put his arm around her waist, displaying his seductive persona.

"Oh, you naughty rascal!" She quickly got the memo, snuggling lovingly against his torso. They both were secretly glancing at Piebald and Hunter to see if they were reacting to their shenanigans…

… But they were too distracted fighting in the arm wrestling competition.

"Jeez… How are they so dense??" She complained again. "We're looking absolutely fabulous and they don't even notice!"

"We need to step up our game! We cannot lose the next challenge!"

"They're going to be so impressed with our tongue twisting~"

"Hehehe, tongue twisting… I'm sure that will spark their imagination…" They looked at each other with mischievous smiles, giggling and covering their mouths like idiots. "Ok, no more horny thoughts, let's focus!"

He said that just in time for them to finish the competition, which Piebald won with no effort! She was holding the tiny trophy with a prideful smile. "Look who got another one for her collection~"

"This one doesn't count! I got distracted!" Hunter crossed his arms in annoyance.

"You used the same excuse last year… You're a really sore loser!"

"And you're an unbearable winner!"

Ona and Michelangelo looked at each other with worry in their eyes. That kind of dynamic was too inconvenient for their plans! If they kept going like that, soon that would be a "Rivals to Lovers" plot! The fake couple nodded in unison, each of them taking one of those two by the arm.

"Big sis! Big sis!" Said Mikey, snuggling on her arm. "We barely got to spend time together! And you promised me an ice cream~"

"Ok, but don't call me big sis like that, you smelly otaku…" She rubbed his head in a friendly way.

"Hunter Senpai!" Ona pushed him to a hot dog stand. "I'm hungry! Treat me!"

"If you call me senpai one more time I will throw you into the sun…"

Once the group was divided, Michelangelo put his evil little plan into motion. "Soooo…Hunter, huh?"

"Huh?"

"You guys seem to be… You know…"

"... Mikey, I'm a lesbian."

Oh my God, yes! He was planning to shit-talk on Hunter to make him look unappealing, but that outcome was even better! "That's great! Is there any girl you're interested in, then?" He wiggled his eyebrows, "You know you can tell me everything!"

But then, she got… Sad? She was also avoiding Michelangelo's eyes. "It's… It's complicated."

"Why?"

"... She just got a partner."

… She was talking about Ona. There was no way she wasn't talking about Ona! That was amazing! But he made an effort to look sad as well. "Oh… Yeah, I see what's happening here. Sorry."

"Meh, I should have asked her out sooner…"

"You can still ask her out!"

"... You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not! Listen, these summer relationships don't usually last that long. Once the fall arrives, the infatuation falls as well! I think you should not give up yet!"

"A-are you sure?" She was completely out of words, her eyes wide open in shock.

"Absolutely! Piebald, I only want you to be happy! And I will do everything I can to make it happen! So I encourage you to follow your dreams!"

"You're the sweetest thing alive… Thank you."

"Just promise me you will ask her out when the summer ends!"

"Ok, you weirdo!" she rubbed his head again, this time more enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Ona was also pulling the strings. "Say, Hunter…" she asked, batting her eyes. "Are you looking for a partner?"

"... Shit, Ona, I'm flattered, but…"

"No, not me, you dummy!"

"Thank God, that would make me so uncomfy! You're like a little sister to me… Also, you're dating Mikey... Also, I'm gay..."

"I knew it!" She rubbed his shoulders. "And who's the lucky guy??"

"There is no lucky guy yet! I just don't date the first boy I meet, like you did…"

"... You think I did wrong?"

"No, no at all! I'm just not like you, that's it. Besides, Mikey is the perfect choice for a first boyfriend! I'm so happy for you…"

"Oooh, so you think he's perfect? How would you rate him on a scale from 0 to 10?"

"You're dating him, not me! You tell me your ratings!"

"I think he's an awesome 10 out of 10! I'm sure you would be soooo happy dating someone like him, Hunter!"

"Yeah… Someone like Mikey would be nice…"

Yes, yes, yes!! They just needed to keep the fake dating going until the end of summer, setting the mood for Piebald and Hunter once they broke up!

"Attention to all the tongue twisting participants! The tongue twisting challenge will start in ten minutes! I repeat: The tongue twisting challenge…"

"Hey, isn't that your challenge? C'mon, grab your man and run!" Hunter slapped her back, which almost made her fall to the ground.

She did as she was told, taking Michelangelo's hand and running together. "Mikey, I've got great news for you!"

"Wait until you hear mine, Onnie!"

Piebald and Hunter calmly walked behind them, chuckling at the sight. "Hey…", she asked.

"Wazzup?"

"... Do you really think Katy and Alex…?"

"Nah, Alex is even dumber than me, she will get bored of them soon! You know Katy likes intellectual people…"

"Which isn't my forte neither…"

"Don't be like that, you're smarter than you believe! Trust me, if Katy can't see you're the perfect match for her, then she's not the wise penguin she claims to be!"

"Thank you…" she blushed and softly hit his shoulder. "What about you? Are you scoring a big one in this festival?"

"Nope. Everyone here is too young for me…"

"Oh, fuck, I always forget you're hitting 21 this year! You're an old hag!"

"Yeah, for a moment I thought Ona was going to ask me out and I almost fainted! My God, she's barely 16, I'd rather die!"

They kept gossiping like that until they got an audience seat in the tongue twisting challenge.

Chapter Text

Donatello removed his battle shell and sat on a stool from the laboratory, while the chihuahua was standing on another one. They caressed the leathery surface with the utmost care, running their tiny paws all the way down his spine. That made Donatello shiver slightly, but it was a pleasant feeling.

"Let me see if I got this correctly," they started. "Baron Draxum was trying to create an army of mighty warriors out of… Four turtles and some random dude's DNA?"

"Not just a random dude!" He actually got offended by that. "He was Lou-Jitsu!"

"Explain."

"My dad was an actor when that happened. Lou-Jitsu was his artistic name. He mostly starred in action movies, which was really convenient since he didn't need doubles to film the fighting scenes."

"Because he was a martial artist."

"Correct."

"So Draxum thought his abilities would get transferred to you."

"That's also correct."

"Why turtles, tho?"

"We have no idea either. One might say it was because of our natural armor, but then he picked me?"

"You never asked him about it?"

"… Maybe I should."

"Please, do. I'm so curious. So, back to the recap."

"Yes."

"Your dad broke free, but he wanted to save you first. However, while picking you up, he accidentally mutated."

"Correct."

"But he's a rat now, not a turtle, because a rat scratched him."

"That's also correct."

"That's why you're both their adopted and biological sons despite being completely different species now."

"You got it right."

"You're also technically Draxum's children."

"That's what he claims, yes. And, honestly, I can't really disagree. We are who we are because of him."

That made the chihuahua stop for a second, hands still laying on the shell. They seemed to be in their own world for a second, but they came back. "... I see. Is he a turtle or a rat?"

"He's not a mutant, but a yokai. A goat yokai, more specifically."

"... What's a yokai?"

"They're… Magical creatures."

"... You're shitting me."

"I'm not shit-… Ugh!! Would you stop being so crude??"

"Stop lying to me then!"

"I'm not lying, magic does exist! Look!"

He stoop up and used his projecting device again, this time showing images of the Hidden City, Big Mama's Hotel and the Witch Town. The chihuahua looked at those pictures and videos with their mouth and eyes wide open.

"I know it's hard to believe. Trust me, I've been there. But as you can see, magic is real."

"Hostia puta…"

"Language."

"Who's that girl?? She's so strong!!"

"Oh, that's April. She's an honorary Hamato," he said nonchalantly, programming the device to show family pictures.

"So she's adopted."

"Well, yes… But actually, no."

"Explain."

"She already has a family. We just created a really strong bond with her."

"And who's that?"

"Piebald, she is my big sister. She lives on her own, though."

"And who's that?"

Donatello's blood froze: That was Shelldon. "... He's my son."

"... Aren't you like seventeen?"

"He's not my biological son, of course. I created him."

"Ah, yes, he does look like a robot… A turtle robot…"

Donatello looked at the projection again, wincing at the last body model he created for Shelldon. It was the last time he saw him until Shredder…

"... Are you ok?" The chihuahua talked softly.

"... Huh?"

"Did I say something bad?"

"... No, I… I'm…"

"..." They approached Donatello and took his hand. "You're doing lots of things to help me, so now's my turn. Please, tell me what's wrong..."

Damnit. That was the one question he had been avoiding all those months. He didn't tell his father about it, he didn't tell his brothers about it, he didn't even tell April about it! He didn't want to be asked what was wrong…

… Because then, like in that exact moment, tears would start flowing and they wouldn't stop. "M-my son… Is gone…" he let himself drop on the stool, still holding the chihuahua's hand. "My son is g-gone… And no m-matter how much I try… I can't bring him back… I miss him s-so much…"

The chihuahua felt their heart drop. Donatello bent over until he was facing his knees, shaking and sobbing, and having his battle shell off made him look even more fragile. The dog could only rub his back in a soothing way, hoping that would ease him a little. They waited for him to calm down, allowing the turtle to express his feelings.

"I can fix home electronics… I can fix vehicles, weaponry… But I cannot fix a memory! And I definitely cannot fix a heart… What would be the point of rebooting him, if I cannot look into his eyes and feel his love?? I would die… I'd rather die…"

"... Bring him here."

"... What?" His voice was hoarse.

"You said this place was full of people playing God. You also said you are who you are because of Draxum. Therefore, I'm who I am because of Gods."

They spread their arms to stablish their point, making Donatello raise his head. The laboratory was still full of cabinets and shelves with all kinds of books, tools and machinery. And when he looked at the chihuahua's eyes, he saw a determination like he never did before.

"I'm the greatest achievement of science! I'm a prodigy! We're both prodigious! Let's play God!"

"... You're crazy," he wiped his tears and smiled weakly. "Absolutely insane…."

"That's what isolation does to a bitch," they offered him their paw to help him stand up.

"Are you sure you want to do this here, though?"

"You said your brothers were annoying as fuck, right? We need a quiet place to work."

"Good point. Then I will go back home and pick up Shelldon right now."

"I'll be waiting here. I'm sure I can find useful stuff while you're gone."

"Thank you… Really, thank you…"

"Hey, we're friends, remember? We care for each other."

Donatello felt a wave of pride (and tenderness!) in his heart.

Chapter Text

April, Sunita, Cassandra and Raphael headed to the nearest boutique in the Hidden City (by account of having a giant turtle in the group whose clothing size wouldn't be easy to find in any human store). It was surprisingly easy to find not only that, but also a boutique that offered clothing for any gender.

"I CAN ONLY THINK OF HOT TOPIC WHEN IT COMES TO GENDER DIVERSITY…" said Cassandra.

"You only buy at Hot Topic," added Sunita with a smug smile.

"WELL, WHY ARE WE NOT THERE THEN??"

"Because the point is to try new things!" April took Raphael's arm and dragged him inside the boutique. "Besides, Hot Topic is always full of people and we want some privacy…"

"F-for a makeover??" Raphael looked around with both a confused and curious expression, part of him admiring the garments exposed in the store.

"Sometimes a makeover is so much more than that…" Sunita gently took his hands. "It can also be an opportunity to take a look inside yourself. Maybe there was a "you" that not even you knew about."

"... What are you talking about?" he said, even though he already knew what they were talking about. That's why he was sweating again, although not as profusely as the other times, and his hands were shaking.

"Raphie, sweetie…" April caressed his cheek. "This is a safe space. We will always love you no matter what. You can trust us."

"... BESIDES," added Cassandra with a slight blush on her face, "I'M SURE YOU WILL LOOK BEAUTIFUL IN WHATEVER YOU TRY ON."

That also made Raphael blush, talking in a shaky voice and avoiding eye contact with her. "Well, then I want you to dress up as well! Because… I also think you will look beautiful…"

Sunita and April tried their best to not squeal right there and then, allowing their friends to share that brief moment of intimacy (well, kind of…). They nodded to each other and ran through the boutique, looking for outfits for them. 

"SO…" Cassandra and Raphael took a seat on a fancy looking bench, "PRONOUNS?"

"... Not yet," he smiled, "I'd like to see where this is going first."

"UNDERSTANDABLE" she slapped his back with a strong hit, knowing he could handle it.

"What about yours?"

"NAH, I'M FINE. I'M ONLY HERE BECAUSE THESE BASIC BITCHES DON'T LIKE HOT TOPIC."

"I do like Hot Topic, tho…" he imagined himself in punky clothes and spiked bracelets. He puffed his chest in excitement.

"THANK YOU, I WAS GETTING DESPERATE! LET'S GO TO…"

"We're not going to Hot Topic!" Sunita declared in the distance. "I don't want you to dress like you're going to perform a ritual in a cemetery!"

"... YOU'RE THINKING OF GOTH FASHION, YOU IDIOT!"

"Hey, goth fashion sounds fine to me too…" he was now imagining himself with a black skirt and netfish stockings. Wait, skirts and stockings?? He blushed deeply at the idea.

"Hell nah! You're warriors, remember?" April appeared with a crop-top hoodie and some leggings. "You need sporty clothes! Besides, both of you need to show those beautiful muscles you have!"

Even though he was usually naked, somehow the idea of wearing tight and revealing clothes made his heart beat with intensity. "Uh, w-w-well, I…"

"No, they need to be more stylish!" Sunita moved April out of her way, offering them a pair of shiny boots and a fake fur coat. "Do you think I will miss the opportunity to dress up a butch like Cass?? She will look amazing with killer eyeliner!"

"I CAN DO MY OWN MAKEUP, THANK YOU SO MUCH…"

"Would you like to try makeup too, Raphie?" April pinched his cheek lovingly.

"I… M-maybe?" He glued his sight on the ground, blushing like a traffic light, imagining himself with glossy lipstick and shiny eyelashes.

"Oh, yeah, Raphie would look so cute in makeup! And I can totally see him dressed like a doll!" Sunita grabbed a suit from a mannequin nearby: It was a cream colored dress with red ribbons, something that Raphael recognized as lolita fashion. 

"Gimme, gimme!" He was gesturing at that dress with grabby hands.

April and Sunita escorted Raphael to the changing room, where he put the lolita dress on. When he got out, the girls rearranged his mask to form a ribbon on one side of his head. They clipped another red ribbon on the other side, making it look like he was wearing twintails. They then led him to a giant mirror, where they offered him a pair of red ballerina shoes. Raphael looked at the reflection in silence. The girls were also silent, patiently waiting for a reaction.

And waiting was worth it: His eyes got watery, his face flushed like fire, and her smile went wider than ever. "I… I love this…"

"You look so pretty!" Sunita shaked his shoulders.

"Am I… Am I a pretty girl?"

"The prettiest girl of them all!" said April, kissing her cheek.

"Ooow…" tears ran down her face "That sounds lovely… Say it again!"

"You're a pretty girl! A cute, adorable, girly turtle!"

She covered her face, giggling with shyness. "Ok, maybe that's too much for now… How embarrassing!"

Meanwhile, Cassandra was petrified on the spot. She was looking at the turtle like someone who saw an angel landing on earth. Well, she certainly looked like an angel in that dress! And she was also the purest person she knew, giggling and twirling her lolita dress.

"Fuck…" she whispered, and for once no one noticed her voice, "I'm in love."

Chapter Text

Unfortunately for the Foot Clan recruit, his fight against Ghostbear was incredibly short. It only took the wrestler a couple of kicks and a suplex to finish him off, eliciting a loud cheering from the audience. Ghostbear enjoyed the applause, bathing in his own ego and promising more victories to come.

On the other hand, though, Warren had a really intense battle with the random guy. Leonardo was impressed to see that the worm had actually improved his abilities, becoming more agile and growing some muscle in his arms. And for everyone's surprise and newfound admiration, Stone won the match!

Both Ghostbear and Warren Stone had left an impression in the audience, even to the point of thinking they could win Leonardo and David. Needless to say, that last part made the turtle give the gossipers the stinky eye.

"Heh, they clearly don't know what they're talking about. I've already defeated those bozos a couple of times…"

"Really? How's that?" asked David, who took Warren's seat when he left and now was sitting next to Leonardo. The young rooster was looking at the turtle with sheer curiosity.

"We used to be enemies a long time ago. Which, now that I think about it, was actually weird considering they weren't criminals or anything like that. They just had some kind of beef with us…"

"Wait, criminals?? You fight crime??"

"Yeah! Me and my brothers are night vigilantes. We also saved New York from the Kraang invasion."

"Those were you?? Man, that's rad!! The most exciting thing I do when I'm not here is milking cows…"

"You work on a farm?"

"Family business. In fact, that's how we all turned into chicken…"

"... You were humans??"

"Weren't you??"

"No?? We were…"

"And now, for the next fight…" Big Mama's voice interrupted the teens through the giant speakers, "Ben Sando versus David Carrasco! "

Even though he should have expected it, Leonardo was taken by surprise when everyone in the audience started cheering and squealing for David. But despite having all that attention on him, David was still looking at Leonardo when he got up. "We need to talk about that later! I'm dying to know your story!"

The fact that David was ignoring all those fans for him… Made Leonardo's chest puff in excitement. "Sure! I want to know every detail about yours!"

David winked an eye at him (wait, why was his heart racing all of a sudden??) and waved goodbye, walking down the big theater stairs and heading to the arena. Once he got there, he finally greeted his audience with a finger gun, which made teenagers of every gender yell with heart-shaped eyes. Some people were even throwing roses at him.

"Ok, I think this is a bit too much…" muttered Leonardo, crossing his arms and pouting. "It's not like he's a superstar or anything…"

"Oh, don't be sad!" Hypno was in the row behind him, talking in a reassuring tone. "I'm sure you will have plenty of fans pretty soon! Maybe you should call your brothers and April to cheer you up as well?"

"They have their own stuff going on…"

"I see… Well, in any case, you'll be fine! You're a really strong and charming lad! Even David is rooting for you!"

"Why should I care about what he thinks?? He's my rival…"

Hypno didn't respond. He just looked at Leonardo, raising an eyebrow in a judgemental way. That annoyed the boy to no end. "... WHAT??"

"... You know what? Forget it" he smiled with a glimpse of mystery in his eyes. Warren came back just in time to sit next to Leonardo again. Hypno took the opportunity to whisper something in the worm's ear, and now he was also looking at the turtle with a smug smile.

"What are you two scheming??"

"Nothing~" they both said, looking at each other with mischievous smiles. Furthermore, Warren jumped to get on Hypno's lap and enjoy the match together.

"You guys are so weird…" he decided to ignore them and focus on the upcoming combat. Because now, more than ever, he wanted to know what was the deal with David. Why was he so captivating (for the audience, of course, not him!)? How did he manage to win the last tournament?

Leonardo soon got the answers he needed: It was because David was a natural. He avoided Ben's projectile crab claws with such an ease, almost like a dance, flipping and twisting in the air like a gymnast. And not only was he agile and fast, he also knew how to adapt and take advantage of the enemy's force! He took a couple of claws mid air with his own wings and threw them back at Ben, which took the crustacean by surprise when he got hit on his face. Once Sando was shocked, David ran towards him and attacked with a series of high and low punches and kicks, one after another without mercy, destabilizing the former acrobat in just mere seconds. Ben was feeling dizzy and unable to punch back, so David grabbed his arm and lifted the crab over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, slamming him against the ground with a loud thud and a tremor.

After such an amazing victory, the audience was obviously ecstatic. Some of the people who were rooting for Warren and Ghostbear were now betting on David, completely sure he would win the tournament.

On one hand, Leonardo was obviously furious seeing David receive all that praise. But on the other hand, he felt… Happy? He had a pleasant, fluttery feeling on his chest that he couldn't quite interpret…

But more importantly: He wanted to fight David so bad! He felt so disappointed knowing those were only the final quarters! Sando who?? Forget about that loser! He wanted David! He needed David!

… Wasn't he getting a bit too carried away? Wasn't he looking at David coming back with maybe, possibly, kinda too much eagerness?

"¿Qué pasa, Gustavo? Don't tell me I got you nervous…"

"Not at all!" He stood up and faced the rooster, their faces unnecessarily close. "I just can't wait to meet you in the arena…"

"You better make it to the finals, then…"

"Of course I will…"

They switched places, this time David sitting down and Leonardo heading to the arena after Big Mama's announcement. He didn't even remember his opponent's name (honestly, who does?). He just wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

So, unlike David, he didn't wait for an entrance: He went on full offense mode. The turtle striked his katanas against the crab, not giving even the slightest chance to hit back or avoid him. Leonardo attacked Sando on the front, on both of his sides and even his back, from above and below, making the crab feel dizzy.

David stiffed on his seat, his body unconsciously leaning forward, his eyes completely fixated on the action. He absorbed every move Leonardo made, fascinated by his fighting style.

For the first time since he signed his contract for the Battle Nexus, David felt like he could actually lose that tournament! Now, more than ever, as he saw the turtle set a foot over the unconscious acrobat and causing an uproar in the audience, he desperately wanted to get to the final round.

Because he also needed Leonardo.

Chapter Text

Now that they knew Piebald was in love with Ona (I mean, who else could it be??) and Michelangelo was confident enough to play the long game with Hunter, the two of them could just relax and enjoy the rest of the day. They decided they had enough of summer games and wanted to spend quality time together as besties, so they took a walk on the beach picking up seashells.

"Keep only the flat ones!" Said Ona, taking those that looked like snail shells from Michelangelo. "These ones should be left here for the hermit crabs."

"Oh… I never thought about it, but you're right! Now I need to give back the ones I have in the lair… You know what?? Let's go now! I want to show you my room!"

They swam together through the sewers, giggling and playfully pushing each other on the way to the subway lair. And when they got there, both shaked their bodies like dogs to get dry and laughed out loud realizing they did the same thing. Michelangelo left the plastic bag with the ice skating suits in the living room and took Ona to his own dorm, really excited to boast about his decorating taste.

But then… They crossed ways with Donatello. The purple ninja gasped and hid something behind his back. "Angelo! What are you doing here??"

"This is my house," he said nonchalantly, smiling with malice when he realized his brother was getting nervous. "What have you got here?"

"Nothing," he snapped.

"Yeah, right…"

"Who's that?"

"My girlfriend."

"Yeah, right… I'm leaving now."

"Good luck with your nothing!" He merrily waved him goodbye, although he kept looking at him with mischief.

"Good luck with your girlfriend," Donatello walked with his back against the wall and looking at them with narrow, untrusting eyes.

"Was that your brother?" She said, watching him leave with a curious expression.

"Yup, that's Donnie. I'd say he's having "one of these days"... But he's always like this lately."

"How's that?"

"He's been acting all weird these last months. He's never been the kind to talk about his feelings, so I don't want to pressure him, but…"

"You're getting worried…"

"Yeah…" he shook his head to get back on earth. "Anyway, we're here to take those crab homes back to the sea! But first, I present to you… My room!"

His dorm, like most of the lair, was an abandoned subway waggon accommodated with furniture and home electronics. He had a giant puff seat, a hammock, a chest full of painting supplies, a bunch of canvases piled on one corner, some packages of clay on another corner, a wardrobe full of clothes and fabric he found on the street, a sewing machine, a small TV, a DVD player, wind chimneys and dream catchers hanging from the ceiling…

The walls and windows were painted with all kinds of graffiti, leaving only one window unpainted to serve its original purpose (you know, a window) and covered with colorful curtains. The graffiti in question were things like abstract figures, his own signature, movie references and a huge family portrait in the center or the room.

In said family portrait, you could see the four turtles, Splinter, Karai, Piebald, Shelldon, April, Sunita, Draxum, Cassandra and Casey Jones. There were other portraits scattered across the room, like Todd, Señor Hueso, Meat Sweats, and so on…

"Wow… This room is so… You!"

"Whaddya mean??"

"First of all, colors! Colors everywhere!" She spun around with her arms spread. "And every nook and cranny is filled with something, there is not a single empty space! And there's always some kind of noise going on! But more importantly…" She approached the family portrait "Everyone is here. The people you love are what defines you. Family is your moving force." Then she sniffed the air, following the smell until she found a freshly painted white spot. "And I have the feeling you're making space for one more person…"

"Yup! That place is for you!"

"Oh…" she blushed deeply, "That's… So sweet, but… I thought you were going to paint Hunter?"

… How the frick did he not think about Hunter first?? "Shit, you're right!! I will need more white space then!! Sorry, Frida Kahlo, you hafta go~"

"You're a knucklehead!" She giggled, helping him get the white paint and brushes he needed.

Soon they forgot about the seashells and started drawing a sketch for Hunter and Ona, both admiring the very personal way each one of them applied their technique.

"Your lines are short and angular! You're a really fast sketcher~" she said.

"And you always make wavy and long lines! You sure take your time sketching~"

"It's because I don't actually have much more to do… Aside from studying, of course. Sometimes I wish I was a superhero like you, Mikey…"

"You could be! Super Caganer! "

"Shut up!" She punched his shoulder, laughing hysterically. "You're an asshole!"

"And you're a poopy-pooper!" He tried to defend himself, but she covered his face in white paint. "No, stop!"

"Take it back!"

"Nope~" he striked back, splattering her face with paint as well.

They kept fighting and giggling until they ran out of paint. Once the two of them calmed down, they cleaned up the mess they did in the dorm and took a quick shower.

The teens borrowed a couple of summer kimonos from Michelangelo's wardrobe (a present from Draxum!) and layed on the living room sofa, playing footsies and sighing.

"This place is so cool…" she closed her eyes and yawned. "My house is… Just a cave near a river..."

"I wish you could move here…" he yawned as well, smiling at the idea. "We could build… Our own lair…"

"That would be amazing… 'Cause I don't think I could live at Piebald's. She's too quiet…" she was slowly falling asleep.

"Yeah, I don't think I could live with Hunter either… I mean, the guy's hot as hell, goddam!" He giggled, although he was so tired and sleepy. "But for some reason…"

"I know what you mean… I think I'd be more happy… Living with you…"

"Same here… I'd be happier living with you…"

And so, they both fell asleep.

Chapter Text

That was too close for Donatello's liking! Wasn't Michelangelo supposed to spend the day out? Well, then again, Angelo was an agent of chaos. His decisions were certainly unpredictable.

He was also worried about that girl. Was she really his girlfriend?? Did that mean they were made for each other?? Oh, God, no, two Michelangelos!! Maybe he should consider moving out like Piebald did!!

… Actually, that wasn't the first time he thought about it. Not because he didn't love his family, of course, but he desperately needed some space. Sure, he wasn't even an adult yet (he just hit seventeen like Leonardo that year), but April wasn't that much older than him… Right?

Besides, if Donatello wanted to take care of both Shelldon and the chihuahua, he wanted a quiet place to do so. He also needed to think of a name for the chihuahua, by the way. He couldn't just call them the chihuahua forever. How many times could he think of the word chihuahua until it started to sound foreign?? Aaagh, damnit!!

Going back to Shelldon, he was carrying him on his back like a baby. He wasn't able to find a battle shell big enough to put him inside (not without dismantling him, at least), so he almost fainted when Michelangelo and Michelangelo 2 appeared. He was still not in the mood to talk about it…

He was getting close to the… Dog's laboratory, when he heard music in the distance. For a moment he thought a car was passing by, but then he realized that song actually came from the lab itself??

Ever the scientist, Donatello felt really curious about that. Instead of going inside, he looked for a crack on the wall to see what was going on. He saw the canis familiaris cleaning some mechanical and digital stuff, humming to the tune of an old boombox nearby. 

It was an old ranchera song. Again, hanging up with Leonardo helped him understand the lyrics, or at least to get the gist of it.

Probablemente ya de mi te has olvidado,

Y sin embargo yo te seguiré esperando.

No me he querido ir para ver si algún día que tú quieras volver,

Me encuentres todavía…

He noticed the chihuahua was singing softly. You could tell they knew the song from before, so Donatello assumed the radio was playing a disc they owned. Sadly, he also noted that their singing voice sounded so… Broken. 

"Por eso aún estoy en el lugar de siempre,

En la misma ciudad y con la misma gente,

Para que tú al volver no encuentres nada extraño,

Y sea como ayer y nunca más dejarlo…

Probablemente estoy pidiendo demasiado,

Se me olvidaba que ya habíamos terminado,

Que nunca volverás, que nunca me quisiste,

Se me olvidó otra vez… Que sólo yo te quise…"

They sang that last part looking at a framed photo on a desk. Donatello used his goggles to zoom in, recognizing in the picture a regular chihuahua being held in a scientist's arms. She looked genuinely happy to be with the dog…

… Oh. Ok, that explained some things. He looked at Shelldon, realizing he inevitably would have to inform him of all the previous events once he woke up: What happened to Karai, to the new lair, the Kraang invasion…

He also understood, finally, why the chihuahua wouldn't leave that place even though it was completely destroyed, practically reeking of rotten food and stuck water, alone in that wasteland where they really didn't belong.

Donatello made an important decision: He had to find that scientist. But first…

"Are you there?" He knocked on the door, pretending he just got there. The chihuahua let him inside like nothing ever happened.

"Just what I thought…" they muttered, not even waiting for the turtle to put his son on a table.

"What?"

"No offense but, as prodigious as you are, you've been working with literal garbage."

"Hey! That's my son you're talking about!"

"Then you should treat him better!" they examined his robotic body. "My God, what decade is this even from?? Where do you get your materials from, a junkyard??"

"Well, sorry for being a mutant turtle hiding from society until now, I guess??"

"Yet your artificial intelligence programing is way too advanced! How??"

"I… Borrowed some materials…"

"... Just tell me, I'm not judging you."

"... I stole chips from the NASA. But it was just one time, ok!"

"I said I'm not judging you. But I hope you understand what's going on now: You're trying to run NASA technology on a toaster. A broken toaster."

"It worked the first time, though!"

"Because, again, you're a fucking prodigy! You took top notch technology and developed an artificial intelligence that hasn't stopped evolving since then! To the point of learning human emotions! That body was going to get obsolete in just one month anyway…"

"... I feel both brilliant and dumb right now. A dum-dum genius."

"Whatever. Shall we proceed? I've been looking for spare components for your son. This laboratory had a robotics division. Very serious shit."

"Are you sure we can build a new body with only these?"

"It won't be as big as the current one, of course. Unless you want to scavenge the ruins to find more…"

"A temporary replacement sounds fine. I just need… You know…"

"I know. Don't worry, Donatello, we're getting your son back. What was his name, by the way?"

"Shelldon."

They pressed their lips to suppress a laugh "You did not…"

"Shut up, it's cute and clever, ok??"

"If you say so…"

"And here I thought you would appreciate my creative side… Well, no name for you, then!"

"... Y-you want to give me a name??" They looked at Donatello wide-eyed and blushing.

"Well, you said it yourself: A name implies an attachment. And a friendship is an attachment."

"I see… Thank you. But let’s think about that later.”

“As you wish!”

Chapter Text

Luckily for Cassandra, they all focused on Raphie's (provisional name) makeover instead. The turtle was so happy to finally break the egg that April and Sunita left Jones alone… For now.

"You will not get away from us next time…" Sunita glared at her.

"SUCK MY ASS HAHAHAHA" she cackled, carrying a set of makeup she actually found interesting (by account of every color being a slightly different shade of black, dark purple and bloody red).

"How are you feeling, Raphie?" April snuggled against her arm, noticing she was really quiet.

"... Euphoric," she blushed. She went back to her scout uniform, but was still wearing the twintail ribbons. "But also, kind of embarrassed… I need to tell my family about this…"

"You know perfectly well they will support you! Didn't you accept Leo as the boy he is?"

"Yes, of course we did! It's just… I'm getting shy, ok?? Leave me alone!" 

They all laughed, happy to know everything was going to be ok. They were getting ready to sell their brownie and cookie stock when April got a phone call. "Excuse me for a second!"

She distanced herself from the group to pick up the phone. "Hi, Donnie! Wazzup?"

"Hello April. I hope you're not too busy right now…"

"Sorry, I am. But we can hang out tonight if you're still in the mood!"

"I didn't want to see you right now, so that's convenient. I just have some questions for you."

"Can I get a short preview now?" She said in a playful tone.

He sighed. "If I recall correctly, you were involved in the un-kraangification process."

"Oh, yeah, they asked me where the hell did I get those vials and stuff! Is something wrong?"

"No, don't worry. I was just wondering if you ever got to… Interact with the subjects?"

"Elaborate on that?"

"I'm looking for someone, and I have the feeling it was a victim of the Kraang invasion. Could it be possible for me to contact those people?"

"Damn, boy, you sure everything's fine??"

"If it wasn't, I would tell you. Now…"

"Hey, Donatello??" April heard a new voice on Donatello's side of the line. "Are you done there?? I need to use the bathroom too, you know??"

"Guess you gotta go~" she chuckled, "Bye, Donnie!"

"Goodbye, April."

She reunited with the group, but their attention was glued to a giant advertisement TV in the middle of the crossroad. It was a Battle Nexus compilation.

"YEAH, LEO, FUCK SHIT UP!" Cheered Cassandra.

"Wait, IS THAT GHOSTBEAR??" Raphie got so excited when the broadcast showed his combat as well.

"... AND WARREN STONE?" Now it was April's turn to fangirl. "AND HE'S FINALLY GOING TO MARRY HYPNO??"

"Those are the four semi-finalists for today's tournament!" Big Mama's voice could be heard all across the street. "Who knows which one will be the champion on this lovely summer night??"

"Man, this is going to get crazy!" said Sunita. "I'd love to go…"

"Yeah, but we have a duty right now…" Raphie took them back to reality. "I'm so thankful for the makeover, really, you're the best friends I could have! But Casey Junior must be so overworked right now…"

"You're right! We have to beat Stockboy's ass!"

"We're not beating any ass today, love…" Sunita grabbed April's hand before she could pull out her magic baseball bat.

They took their usual secret entrance to the regular New York, hoping to find the girl scouts (and their token boy scout) in the place they previously agreed on. The plan was to eat lunch together and then part ways again to keep selling brownies and cookies.

But when they got to the plaza… Hell was waiting for them, because Baxter's drones were shooting laser rays to destroy their stock! The girl scouts were desperately trying to fight the drones and protect their belongings, but it was to no avail…

"MWAHAHAHAHA!!" One of the drones had a small screen displaying Stockboy's face. "Did you really think I was going to let you sell your products in my territory?? This will teach you not to get in my way!!"

Sunita got petrified for a moment… Until her eyes were flaming with fury. "You know what?" She took April's bat and gave it to her. "Don't beat his ass: DESTROY IT!!"

"FINALLY!!" Cassandra equipped herself with a couple of iron knuckles. "WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS FROM THE START!!"

"Not really, but who cares now??" Raphie activated her tonfās and went straight for the screen drone. "THIS BRAT PISSED ME OFF!!"

"And what are you gonna do about that, piss-boy??" He avoided her attack.

"It's piss-girl, actually!"

"... Really??" He got wide-eyed. "Damn, I need to update my enemies' list now… " he could be seen checking on his phone, typing and muttering hurriedly. "I cannot go around misgendering people, how embarrassing…"

All the girls were shocked, especially Raphie. "... Thanks, I guess??"

"I'm a corporate evil, not a bigot, jeez… She/her pronouns, right?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Done. Anyway, let's proceed with the fight!!"

"That was so weird but ok, COME HERE, YOU BASTARD!!"

Casey Junior was looking at the fight with his mouth agape. "They actually did it, the absolute madwomans… They broke the egg…"

"HEY, TOKEN BOY, QUIT YAPPING AND USE THAT HOCKEY STICK FOR SOMETHING USEFUL!"

"Y-YES MO-... I MEAN, CASS!!"

That gave the other girl scouts the moral strength to fight the drones back. After lots of property damage (mostly Stockboy's) and war cries, they finally managed to get the robot army away and salvage a big part of the stock!

"We did it, girls!" Roared Raphie. "We defeated Baxter Stockboy!"

"NOW WE ONLY HAVE TO FIND HIM AND KI-"

"Cass, no" Sunita came back to her senses and forced her to lower her fist. "Really, no. "

"Aww, where did my vengeful amazon go??" April planted several kisses on her face. "You were so sexy…"

"Am I not always sexy?" She defied her with a smug smile.

"GET A ROOM…"

They all laughed again, this time truly knowing everything was going to be ok.

Chapter Text

Turns out there was always a pause between every tournament phase. Those pauses were supposed to give the battlers some rest, lunch time, and they even got interviewed by the Battle Nexus' staff.

"Big Mama sure knows what she's doing!" thought Leonardo, who was happily munching on his corn. "Giving the audience the chance to know the contendants and empathize with them…"

"Say, David," asked one of the interviewers, "any thoughts about today's tournament?"

"I'm having so much fun! Have you seen Ghost Bear's suplex technique?? We never had a professional wrestler among us before! And I wasn't expecting Warren Stone to be so fast! I'm so excited to fight him!"

"Huh, that's weird…" muttered Leonardo, "They're not that special. Why is he so enthusiastic about them?"

He heard a low chuckle behind him. When he turned around, he found a couple of teens eating on a table nearby, looking at him with mischief. One of them was a warthog with a purple mohawk, purple sunglasses and a golden septum. She wore a red vest over a black sports bra, with red sneakers as well. Her black skinny jeans were ripped everywhere, and she sported lots of golden jewelry like bracelets, rings and necklaces. The other one was a rhinoceros, but he wasn't as flashy as the warthog. He just wore a pair of military cargo pants, a white tank top, black suspenders and black leather boots.

"You don't get it yet, don'tcha?" The warthog treated him like he was pathetic.

"Of course he doesn't" the rhinoceros wasn't as cruel, just meditating with his arms crossed. "He fights because he loves winning. David fights because he loves fighting. They are not the same."

"How is that not the same??" Leonardo tossed his corn away and went to their table.

"Say, Gustavo…" started the warthog.

"Leonardo," he corrected, damning David for the nickname. "And you?"

"Bebop. And he's Rocksteady."

"Timon and Pumbaa will be, then" he decided.

"But… But Imma girl??"

Rocksteady didn't flinch a bit. "And I'm nowhere close to being a meerkat, but we already established you're not really smart"

Youch. "Whatever. If you have something to tell me, do it now."

"As I was going to tell ya…" said Bebop, "What will you do if you win this tournament?"

"Keep my position as the champion, of course."

"Really? Won'tcha get tired?"

"Why would I? I was born for the spotlight~" for a moment he forgot he had beef with those two and started boasting.

"Well, what if I told ya David got really close to retiring from this season?"

The surprise hit him like a bucket of ice cold water. "... Why?"

Flashback to last week.

"David?" Bebop knocked on his hotel room door. "Are you there? We brought some soda to celebrate your new victory!"

No answer.

"Just get in, I know what's going on already…" Rocksteady opened the door, only to find David laying face down on his bed. There was a gloomy aura surrounding him, so intense even Bebop got depressed just by sensing it. "Here we go again…"

"Boring…" David was talking in a very low and monotone voice. "So, so boring… Me aburro…"

"C'mon, man…" Rocksteady rubbed his back. "There will be another tournament next week!"

"What's the point? Every week is just the same. I fight the same people with the same fighting styles and the same weapons and the same costumes and the same catchphrases and the same…" his voice was getting lower and lower.

"But… Don'tcha like winning?" Asked Bebop.

"I don't want to win!" He got up, his face looking really tired. "I want to have fun! I want to be surprised! I would actually be happy if someone beated my ass! No offense, guys, but I've got your moves memorized…"

"No offense taken."

"Well, you can always tone it down if you want to lose…" added Bebop with a shrug.

"No! That would be so disrespectful for everyone here! And even more boring!" He fell on the bed again, groaning. "What's the point of trying anymore? I should go back to Arriate and never come back…"

"Dude, no…"

End of the flashback.

"Why do you think this season's rules are so restrictive? Big Mama made sure to guarantee at least five new fighters per tournament, to prevent David and other fighters from getting a burnout…" explained Bebop.

"What are we trying to say is," continued Rocksteady, "David didn't come here to brag about himself like you do. He genuinely loves the art of fighting, getting to know people and the way they battle. He was genuinely happy when the new generation of fighters appeared after Big Mama's recruitment."

And then, the hotel staff asked David the biggest question:

"Oh, you mean Gustavo??" Everyone chuckled softly. "He was the champion when the Battle Nexus wasn't as fair as it is now, so he's a beast in the arena! I'm dying to fight him!"

Leonardo's heart dropped like a boulder in the sea. He wanted to fight David to take his trophy back… But David wanted to fight Leonardo just because… He liked Leonardo.

Just when he was feeling like garbage, a hotel employee approached him with a microphone. "And what do you have to say, Leonardo?"

… 

Ok, Leo, now's the time. He grabbed the microphone and made a declaration. "Big Bird!"

David turned back to look at him, confused but excited. Leonardo took a deep breath, closing his eyes to think of the best way to express his feelings.

"... Remember our promise: You and me in the final round!" He was smiling. "And I don't want you to hold anything back! Give me a hard fight, 'cause I will fight equally as hard!"

David had a huge, dopey grin on his face, his eyes shining like stars and his feathers ruffling in excitement. "Yessir!!"

Everyone in the dining room cheered and chanted their names, eager to see those talented kids giving their all in the arena.

Meanwhile, at a table far away from them, Big Mama and Splinter were having lunch with Warren and Hypno. The four of them were looking at David and Leonardo, gossiping and giggling like a bunch of school girls.

Chapter Text

When Ona and Michelangelo woke up it was already the afternoon, so they ate a quick lunch before picking up the crab shells and taking them back to the ocean. Michelangelo took off his kimono before leaving and Ona wore her swimsuit again, which had been put in the laundromat while they were sleeping.

"How do you make those work without using coins?"

"Donnie tampered with them, but I'm too dumb to remember how did he do it"

"Aw, don't say that, you're not dumb!" She took his hand once they arrived at the beach and came out of the water. "I think you're pretty smart!"

"Hehe, thank you… But really, Donnie is way out of my league when it comes to wits."

"Then you're the strong one!"

"Yeah! … Actually, no. Raph is the strong one..."

"Well, I think you're strong enough! Besides, I'm sure none of them is as cool as you are~"

"... Leo's the cool one" he lowered his head.

Ona put her hands on his cheeks and raised his face. "Then you're the cute one! The funniest! The most talented!"

"Stop!" He was blushing, trying to avoid eye contact and hide his dopey smile.

"You stop! Stop saying you're less than your brothers!"

"Ok, ok, I'm more than enough, jeez!" She let him go and they both laughed.

"Aww, c'mon," said a voice from far away, in a very frustrated tone, "just kiss already!"

It was Piebald, who just found them in that position, and both Michelangelo and Ona realized how close it looked like they were about to kiss. That made them blush deeply and leave each other's space.

"Maybe we should give them some privacy…" Hunter arrived soon after. "A first kiss is something really important!"

"F-first kiss??" Michelangelo blushed even deeper, realizing the fact he indeed never kissed someone before. And judging by Ona's sudden shyness, she was in the same predicament. She took her hand and dragged her away. "Excuse us for a second!"

"We need to do something about this," she whispered. "If we start dating them without any kissing experience, we will look like total losers!"

"And we also need to keep the whole fake dating thing going! We gotta practice!"

But then… They just stared at each other. Awkwardly. Hunter and Piebald were looking at them from afar, gossiping and expecting. "Well," she said, fidgeting with her own fingers, "are you… Gonna do it?"

"Do what?" He started sweating, one eye twitching with anxiety.

"Kiss me, you dumbass!"

"What?? Why me?? You kiss me!"

"You're the man in this relationship!"

"Oh, you're such a feminist! That was so progressive!" He crossed his arms in disappointment.

"... Sorry, I suddenly came back to the 50's. I got nervous…"

"Me too… To the count of three?"

"That's a bit weird, but ok…"

They held hands and got closer, shaking like leaves in the wind. "One…" They closed their eyes, feeling their hearts pounding like drums as their faces got even closer. "Two…" They prepared their lips for a kiss, and thank God they weren't looking at each other because they looked so ridiculous.

But then, a big sea wave fell upon them, slapping them with a strong splash. The water pushed them to the ground, even making them eat the beach sand as a treat.

"Shit, are you ok??" Piebald and Hunter ran towards them.

"We were trying to warn you, but you were too far away to hear us!"

The kids didn't say anything because they were too busy coughing sand. Maybe they should leave the kissing thing for another day…

-o-

"Ugh…" groaned Katy. "There won't be anymore singing contests for today, so I guess you can use the karaoke machine if you want to?"

"Yay! Thank you, Katy~" Ona hugged her, which only made the penguin groan louder.

She wasn't working at the cafeteria stand anymore, wearing back her usual gothic clothing. "Yeah, yeah, whatever…"

"You're the best, dude!" Piebald winked at her, but it didn't look like the bird cared at all. That left the goldfish feeling down…

Her sad face didn't go unnoticed, though. Hunter slapped her back in a friendly way. "Let's sing some Disney songs, that always cheers you up!"

"Thanks, man…" she gave him a weak smile, getting on the stage with him and the others.

"Hey, since we're two boys and two girls, why don't we sing Descendants songs??" Suggested Ona.

"That's a great idea!" Said Hunter. Who's who?"

"I'm Evie, of course!" Ona took Piebald's hand, "and Mal is perfect for Piebald!"

"Hunter is Jay, then?" Michelangelo took the shark's arm. "That leaves me with Carlos!"

"You're so Carlos," the axolotl giggled, "this casting is a match made in heaven!"

"Wait, since you're Mal and Evie, why don't you sing Space Between?"

Michelangelo and Ona looked at each other with mischievous smiles, knowing perfectly well the sapphic undertones of that song (or at least that was what the internet said, and the internet is never wrong!). The axolotl and the goldfish got together on the stage and sang that really sweet song about two friends who have to say goodbye to each other.

“ There are no words left to say.

I know you gotta find your place.

But this is not the end.

You're part of who I am.

Even if we're worlds apart,

You're still in my heart,

It will always be you and me…”

For Piebald, that song made her reminisce on the days Ona and her met online. She always missed her so much everytime she went back to Montseny, but they both knew their friendship would last forever!

“You can find me in the space between,

Where two worlds come to meet.

I'll never be out of reach,

'Cause you're a part of me, so you can find me in the space between.

You'll never be alone,

No matter where you go.

We can meet in the space between.”

But Ona looked at Piebald in adoration, feeling the lyrics in a completely different way.

… And that, for some reason, made Michelangelo feel… Sad? “That's weird,” he thought, “isn’t this supposed to be the plan?”

He must have been feeling sad because the lyrics were a reminder of Ona leaving soon, right? After all, they were friends too, and they met only one month before parting ways!

… Then again, everytime she went back to New York, she would stay at Piebald's, possibly dating her and spending much more time together.

… She wouldn't stop hanging up with Michelangelo, right?

… Right?

Chapter Text

Donatello and the chihuahua spent the majority of the evening assembling a new body for Shelldon. The dog was right when he said those components were so advanced, because the turtle could already feel quality in the weight and versatility of the materials.

“I wish I could always get access to these materials…”

“You can come and get them here anytime you want.”

“Yes, about that…”

“Hm?”

“... Are you sure you want to live here? I know you have your reasons, but… This is not healthy. And you're perfectly aware of that.”

“... It's not like I want to, but… Where else could I go? I'm alone…”

“Well, you’ve got me. And even if you didn't, I'm sure there must be someone out there…”

“Yeah, I noticed you've been looking at that photo back there,” they signaled it with their thumb, “you're not very subtle.”

“Straight to business, then: I know someone who can find her.”

“Oh, so you were not shitting a massive turd then? Thank God, I thought you would rip your own-”

“Why are you so…?? Ugh, yes, you're right, I went to the bathroom to call her.

“What did she tell you?”

“She was busy at the moment, so we’re seeing each other tonight. You're free to join us if you feel ready for that. No pressure.”

“... Thanks. I’ll think about it...”

Donatello and the chihuahua took a step back to admire the result of their work: Somehow, the teens managed to make the new body look the closest possible to a bipedal turtle. It ressembled a chubby toddler, only this one was barely 20 inches tall. Donatello made a mental note to ask Michelangelo to paint his body later, because the entire model had the same shade of silver due to being practically brand new.

They also managed to set up a couple of led lights to emulate his eyes, eyelids and everything, and a long, thin led light to emulate a mouth (although Donatello wished they could make that last feature a bit more expressive). Other than that, the new Shelldon looked very cute. “We did a good job.”

“Only good? We did a dope ass job!”

“You need to tone it down with your language when we wake him up, though. I don't want him to register foul words or expressions in his database…”

“I can't make any promises.”

“Please…”

“... Fine. I'll be nice.”

“Thank you.”

Donatello opened the cover of Shelldon’s old model and took the memory components out. He had to be very careful because they were pretty small, but he managed to insert them in the new body without any problems. He closed the little cover on the new model’s nape, activated the booting protocol, and stepped back again.

The turtle and the dog remained completely silent, waiting for the machine to assimilate the system. The body made a soft, windy sound, indicating the cooling system was activating (because, full of soul as he was, Shelldon was still a computer). Slowly, the led eyes started glowing with a purple light, and the kid raised his head.

“... Dee?” his voice sounded like always.

Donatello didn't bother to repress his tears anymore, kneeling in front of the table to get at his son’s height. “Yes, Shelly?”

“Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m so, so happy to see you, dear child of mine…”

“ “Dear child of mine”??” He giggled, “You missed me that much?”

“Oh, you have no idea!" He hugged Shelldon in a tender, heartfelt and protective way, crying harder to let the tension go.

The tiny robot closed his eyes with delight, letting his father cradle him lovingly. Father. “I love you, papa…” That made Donatello cry even harder, covering Shelldon's forehead with kisses. “EEEW, YOU'RE DROPPING MUCUS ALL OVER ME, WHAT THE FUCK??”

That left the turtle in shock, eyes wide open, while the chihuahua had a cackling fit behind them. “Shelldon! Language!”

“Now, that's the Dee I know!” He giggled again, obviously joking.

-o-

After Donatello calmed down, they set up the picnic table again for tea time. The turtle and the chihuahua were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while Shelldon was drinking battery oil from a Capri-Sun package (his father refilled the thing everytime he fed him).

“So… You're my mama?” said the kid all of a sudden, making Donatello choke on his food. “Or my papa? (What are your pronouns??)”

“... No?” The chihuahua was really confused, “they/them.”

“But you helped my dad to build me again!”

“And doctors help women to give birth, but that doesn't make them those babies' parents.”

“Oh, you're just a doctor. Or should I say… A dog-tor! Teehee~”

The chihuahua looked at Donatello “... Did we mess up, or was he programmed like this before?”

“My brothers added some spice to him,” he said after drinking water and recovering his breath, “turns out they also know how to program, somehow.”

“You gotta admit I became so much cooler after that!”

“Yes, you did,” the turtle rubbed his metallic head, tired but proud. Really proud.

“Amazing…” the chihuahua was truly impressed. “You have a complex and defined personality, you're able to feel empathy and disgust, and you also can crack a joke. Your father is a fucking genius.”

“Language!” He complained.

“Aw, c’mon, you heard him before. I'm sure he knows more foul words, isn’t it, Shelldon?”

“Shit. Asshole. Bastard. Reta-”

“OK, OK, OK, I GET IT,” Donatello covered his mouth. “Jesus, who taught you that??”

“Snitches get stitches.”

“WHY WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING SO OMINOUS??”

The chihuahua was cackling again, hands on their tummy and shaking his feet under the table.

“Don't encourage him!”

“He’s funny, ok??”

“Yeah, Dee, I'm funny! And they’re funny too, I like them! Can you marry them so they can be my parent??”

Silence. Awkward silence. Both Donatello and the chihuahua avoided eye contact with the others, coughing and blushing.

“Anyway,” said the turtle, “about that scientist we're looking for… Do you feel ready to…?”

“Kinda. I mean, I'm still terrified, but… She's my acquaintance, not yours. It wouldn't be fair to just wait here…”

“And are you ok with meeting April?”

“Your son is cool, so I assume the rest of your family is cool as well.”

“It’s settled, then: We're looking for your acquaintance tonight!”

“Hell yeah!” celebrated Shelldon, “More family!”

Chapter Text

After the big sales day, Raphie, April, Sunita and the Jones escorted the girl scouts back home. This time was easier because they could split the groups in five, but the older scouts’ job was not over yet.

They reunited in the troop’s office and got back to their usual clothes. Raphie was wearing a long, red skirt with an overture in one leg, and a black off-shoulders body. She was still sporting the red ribbons, and Cassandra applied black eyeliner and red eyeshadow on her.

(Needless to say, Cassandra was both proud of influencing Raphie and on the verge of collapsing because of her beauty.)

After changing, they counted all the money they made, both by cash and credit (they could be modern too, you know??). “Guys!” Casey was shaking his arms in excitement. “We made enough money to buy the bus!”

“FUCK YEAH, WE’RE THE SHIT!”

“I'm so happy I could cry…” Raphie’s eyes were sparkling with joy. “Let's go get our reward!”

“This is when we part ways, then!" Said April. "Donnie asked me to hang out once I'm done helping you. Wanna join, baby?”

“Yeah! But send him a text first, you know he doesn't like surprises.”

And so, she did. The only response she got (after one minute of silence) was a thumbs up emoji.

-o-

Raphie, Cassandra and Casey Junior were standing in front of the Repo Mantis Salvage’s entrance, puffing their chests with determination. They looked at each other with winning smiles before crossing, only to be immediately greeted by the owner himself.

Raphie almost fainted, because she remembered just now that she had beef with him. Oops. He was looking at her with narrow eyes, scanning her thoroughly, and for a moment she thought he would laugh at her or something… 

But… He gave her the most seductive of smiles, taking her hand and kissing it. “And who’s the beautiful lady I have the pleasure to meet in this lovely evening?”

… Ok, first of all, eww?? But secondly, omg he called me A LADY… It was a conflicting feeling, really. Should she feel disgusted and objectified, or gender-euphoric and flattered?? 

She then realized the big opportunity they were given. After all, Leonardo wasn't the only one who knew how to manipulate people… “Hoo, hoo~” she laughed, letting herself be kissed on one hand, while she elegantly covered her mouth with the other. “Just a girl who wants to purchase a bus~ But you know how expensive everything is these days… ”

Of course, the Jones were not having it. “EXCUSE US FOR A SECOND!” Cassandra said, dragging Raphie away from him. “NO. YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS.”

“C’mon, just trust me on this one!”

“Absolutely not! Isn’t he like twice your age??”

“I'm not dating him, you dumbass! I will just pretend to like the compliments…”

“YOU'RE NOT PRETENDING AND YOU KNOW IT...” Oh, Cassandra, you're not very subtle. Just enough for Raphie to not notice, though…

“... Well maybe I do like being complimented. But that's not my goal, I swear! Casey, what's my name in the future?”

“Galatea…” he sighed in defeat. 

“... Wait, that actually sounds dope, Imma keep it!”

“WE'RE NOT DONE TALKING, MISSY…”

“You will thank me later for the big discount~ We still need money to restore the bus since Stockboy shortened our stock… “

“Galatea, really, you don't need to…”

But before they could stop her, she went back to Repo Mantis and held his arm when he offered it. “I'm more than glad to do business with you! But you still haven't told me your name, darling~”

“Tee-hee~ My name is Galatea!”

“Such a delicate yet powerful name!”

While Repo Mantis escorted Galatea through the junkyard, Cassandra was clenching her teeth to audible points. Casey Junior looked at her with a smug smile, but didn't say anything.

“Maybe my future had some inevitable things after all...”

-o-

And finally, after putting up with Repo Mantis’ advances (which started to get really annoying after a while…), the trio managed to get the bus at half the original price! They were riding home in the bus and checking for new seats for it on the internet, although Cassandra was still frowning. 

“Are you ok, Cass?” Galatea rubbed her head (Casey was the one driving, although the three of them would have to get used to it eventually). 

“ARE YOU OK? THAT MANTIS GUY WAS…”

“Yeah, it was kind of fun at first, but… He then started to look at me in really gross ways…”

“WHAT A DISGUSTING PIECE OF SHIT. HE CLEARLY DOESN'T DESERVE YOU…”

“Why are you saying it like he's my ex or something??” she giggled. 

“BECAUSE IT'S TRUE! YOU CAN'T JUST DATE ANY RANDOM BOZO YOU MEET, THEY'RE NOT WORTHY OF YOU…”

“Oh…” maybe it was because of the confidence boost after feeling desired, but she batted her eyes… “Well, who do you think is worthy of me?”

“SOMEONE HONORABLE, OF COURSE. SOMEONE WILLING TO CHERISH AND PROTECT YOU WITH THEIR LIFE. BUT YOU DON'T NEED PROTECTION BECAUSE YOU'RE CRAZY STRONG, SO THEY ALSO NEED TO RESPECT YOU AS THE ALMIGHTY WARRIOR YOU ARE.”

“Is that so??” she snuggled beside her, but Cassandra didn't notice yet. “What would you do if you were them??”

“I WOULD KISS THE GROUND YOU WALK O-” yes, now she realized! Her face got completely red and there was smoke coming out of her ears.

Galatea, on the other hand, just hummed a gentle laugh and rested her head on Cassandra's shoulder. “Well, you don't hafta kiss the ground, it's too dirty! But I'm open for a date anytime. No pressure, tho~”

“... I'll think about it” she whispered, out of breath and sweating.

Casey Junior was trying his best not to laugh out loud. “I don't know about you, guys, but I'm feeling so tired! I think I'm calling it a day. But you can still hang out if you're in the mood!”

Please have a date, please have a date, please have a date…

“... YOU KNOW WHAT?? WE'RE GOING TO WATCH THE BATTLE NEXUS. HOW ABOUT THAT FOR A FIRST DATE??”

“I think that's a great idea!”

Yessss!!

Chapter Text

Once lunchtime and the interviews were over, it was finally time to get back to the arena! The next match was between David and Warren, which made Leonardo and Ghostbear the next pairing.

The turtle was heading to his seat full of excitement, but then…

“LEOOOOO!!” Cassandra waved at him from the opposite end of the corridor. She was wearing a long, black coat with equally dark jeans, tank top and sunglasses.

“NEOOOOO!!” He yelled back, not losing the opportunity to mock her The Matrix-looking-ass attire. 

But then, he noticed Galatea. He scanned her from head to feet, eyes wide open and mouth agape. She was going to explain herself, but… “BIG SIS!!” He jumped to her arms and hugged her tenderly. “I'm so glad you finally realized~”

“D-did you know??”

“I have a gay-dar~”

“A WHAT?”

“A gay radar!”

“THAT DOESN'T EXIST…”

“Yes it does! In fact…” he put his fingers in his temples and scanned the girls, “You two are on a date now!”

“... OK, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT ONE.”

Galatea looked at him with a raised eyebrow, knowing perfectly well he just noticed her outburst during last dinner. But she wasn't going to break his bubble right now because… “What about you, Neon Leon? Are you nervous? We've been watching recaps on our way here…”

“Never better! You can start ordering the pizzas, because we're celebrating my victory tonight~”

“ARE YOU SURE? THAT ROOSTER GUY IS HELLA STRONG, MAN…” She gave him a smug look, signaling a big TV nearby. It was displaying the last interview they had. 

“Big Bird! Remember our promise: You and me in the final round! And I don't want you to hold anything back! Give me a hard fight, 'cause I will fight equally as hard!”

“Yessir!”

When Leonardo looked back at the girls, they had the biggest grins on their faces, humming “Hmmm??” and getting closer to him.

“I THINK I HAVE A GAY-DAR TOO~”

“Me too~”

“Sh-shut up!! Let's go to the arena before the match begins!!”

He walked fast, with his shoulders tensed, eliciting some giggles from the couple.

-o-

As he expected, Warren wasn't going to give David an easy victory. But judging by the joy in the rooster's expression, he was more than happy to keep fighting like that.

Both of them were pretty light and agile, which made that combat look like some kind of dance at times. They managed to grab and toss each other around, punch and block punches in return, jump and slide past each other…

“Man, Warren got so good at this!” said Galatea, who was sitting near Cassandra and Hypno.

Splinter waved at them from his seat near Big Mama, signaling the shape of a heart with his hands and shouting “Red, sweetie! Give me all the details later!!”

Meanwhile, Leonardo and Ghostbear were sitting some rows below, waiting for their turn.

“My pookie practices a lot, as you can see~” Hypno was delighted. “Because he promised to always protect me! I don't really need it, but the sentiment is so sweet~”

“Wait, to protect you?" asked Galatea. "From what?”

“We had a really close call during the Kraang invasion… Nothing dire happened, fortunately, but he’s been kind of conscious since then…”

“Oh… I can see why. Leo’s been kind of the same.”

Now that she thought about it… Maybe that was the reason his competitiveness peaked that much lately? And maybe it was Michelangelo’s case too? Was she interfering in their training without knowing it? Maybe Donatello was also processing the events in his own way? 

… They really needed to talk about things once they got back home. 

Meanwhile, Leonardo and Ghostbear were having a nice chat.

“So, you don't hate me anymore?”

“Don't get me wrong, tortuga, I hate you to bits!” he laughed wholeheartedly. “But I'm a professional, I know when to behave. Now we're working together.”

“Together????”

“This is not some random New York alley, kiddo! You and I are both under contract. The fights are still real, but the goal is different: We're here to entertain!”

“Are you gonna cheat your way to victory again?”

“Don't test your luck, brat, or I might take the heel role against you…”

“The heel?? What’s that??”

“Did you pay any attention at all to my matches??”

“Nope, I just went because my sister is your biggest fan.”

“... Fair enough, I'll take it. Anyway, in wrestling, the heel is a fighter who embraces an evil persona and pretends to be the villain of the show, since most wrestling seasons have a storyline and…”

Leonardo was listening to him with genuine interest while keeping his eyes on the arena. It was a big surprise to find out both David and Warren were getting tired, but David was in better condition. After a couple more minutes of fighting, Warren finally collapsed from exhaustion.

“I'm too old for this…” he breathed, although he could barely be heard amongst the crowd’s clapping and screaming.

“What do you mean?? You did great!!” David held him in his hands and showed him to the public. “Let's all cheer for Warren as well, everyone!! He's a cool guy and I hope he makes it to the next tournament!!”

The audience obliged, chanting “Warren, Warren, Warren!!” The worm couldn't suppress a happy tear rolling down his face. Hypno was bawling in his seat, throwing flowers and shaking the Warren-ish flag.

“Oh, right, there's one more match for the semi finalists who didn't win!” remembered Leonardo. “So I guess you'll have to fight me and then Warren~”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. You're getting so cocky considering what's coming now…”

“And now, for the second semi finals… Ghostbear and Leonardo Hamato!”

The fighters got up and headed to the arena. They crossed ways with David, who was still holding Warren to deliver him to Hypno. The rooster laid the worm in one arm so he could high five Leonardo with the other, which the turtle gladly followed through.

“Just one more match…” he was really tired, but also very excited.

“Get some rest first, please.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Nah, I just want a fair match” but he was winking an eye in a playful way.

“OH MY FUCKING GOD JUST KISS ALREADY…”

“Cass!!” Galatea grabbed her arm and forced her to sit down. “He's coming here…”

David gave Warren to Hypno and introduced himself to the girls. Meanwhile, Leonardo and Ghostbear were getting ready in the arena, breathing steadily.

Because, despite the teasing, they both knew it was going to be a hard battle…

Chapter Text

As much as they were having fun, it got to a point where everyone in the summer festival was either dying to use the karaoke or telling them to shut up already. So Michelangelo, Piebald, Hunter and Ona had no other choice but to leave the place and get back home.

“I still have some chores to do!” Hunter waved goodbye. “See ya tomorrow!”

“See ya!” waved Piebald. “And I'm so tired… Gotta go home and take a nap. Wanna join, Onnie?”

“Nah, I already had a nap with Mikey.”

“Ooooh~”

“I-it's not what you think! Just go back and sleep or whatever, I'm staying here for a while…”

“Remember you can't be outside for too long…”

“Don't worry, Big Sis, I'm with her!” Michelangelo took Ona’s hand and ran away with her. “Ugh, what was that?? She sounded like Raph for a moment…”

“My parents told her to watch over me… I'm not allowed to be out at night, and I can only hang out on this beach and Piebald's home…”

“What kind of summer vacation is that??”

“It's the same in Montseny. I'm not allowed to leave the forest we live in…”

“How do you manage to travel here, then??”

“My grandma has mystic powers. She just creates a portal to Piebald's home...”

“... YOUR FAMILY HAS MYSTIC POWERS??”

“I know, such a big bomb to drop…”

“Ona,” he grabbed her shoulders, “have you ever tried using your powers??”

“They're only in the brook newt branch of the family…”

“But you're half brook newt, right??”

“I don't think I count…”

“You’ve got to try! Look, I've got teleporting powers too, see??”

He turned around and stretched out his arms. After some months of training with a particular someone, Michelangelo had learnt to control his mystic powers to a certain extent. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the place he wanted to go. He knew he wouldn't land the shot, but at least they would get close…

And then, much to Ona’s surprise, a ring shaped, golden portal appeared in front of him. A New York roof could be seen at the other side of said portal, to which Michelangelo was signaling with one hand. The other hand was waiting for the axolotl’s to hold in.

“... Mikey… I'm not… I can't…” she wanted, though. She desperately wanted to hold his hand and go with him…

So he took the initiative. “Please… Everything will be ok, I promise… Do you trust me?”

She giggled, although she still felt some anxiety. “Who are you now? Aladdin?” She finally took his hand, crossing the portal with him and letting herself be held in one arm, because he used the other one to pull out his kusari-fundo and use it as a swinging rope from one building to another one.

“I will say it again, do you trust me?” he asked on the edge of the roof. 

“... Yes!!”

And they jumped together, flying through the city of New York while the sunset painted everything in orange.

“I can show you the world~” he started singing, making Ona giggle and blush. “Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, princess, now, when did you last let your heart decide?"

They kept going from building to building, sometimes swinging and sometimes running on the roofs. It was getting darker and darker, only the city lights guiding their way like a million of shiny stars.

“I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder! Over, sideways and under, on a… Kusari-fundo? Magic portal?”

“Aw, you dummy…”

“A whole new world! A new fantastic point of view! No one to tell us "No", or where to go, or say we're only dreaming!"

“A whole new world!” she took the song from there. “A dazzling place I never knew! But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear that now I'm in a whole new world with you~”

“And you will see so much more of that world!!” he stopped for a second to hold her hands. “I know this guy who can train your mystic powers! Not only will you be able to travel wherever the frick you want, but also we can fight together! You will never be bored again!”

“Who's that amazing guy you're talking about??”

-o-

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOME AT THESE HOURS??” The Baron Draxum almost fainted, one hand grabbing his chest and the other holding balance in the kitchen counter. “AND WHY DID YOU GET THROUGH THE WINDOW?? THE DOOR IS RIGHT THERE!!”

“TEACH HER YOUR KNOWLEDGE!” he grabbed her by the shoulders and put her in front of the old yokai.

He looked at Ona, then Michelangelo, then Ona again, then Michelangelo again. “... Ok, first of all, I don't just teach that to anyone. Secondly, she needs to have mystic powers in the first place…”

“She's half Montseny brook newt! They have mystic powers!”

“... Dear God, your people still exist??” he took her hand, suddenly looking really empathetic. 

“We had to mix ourselves with other species to prevent inbreeding, but… Yes.”

“I see, that's why you’re also an axolotl…”

“You will teach her, then??”

“... Normally, I'd say no. But I can't just let another yokai species disappear in front of my eyes…”

“How much does that happen??” asked Michelangelo.

“Why do you think I used to hate humans so much?”

“... Damn.”

“But again, this won't be easy. We need to figure out if she has powers to begin with…”

“And how can we know that?” she asked.

“Oh, no…” the turtle groaned.

“Meditation.”

“I KNEW IT…” he groaned louder. “I hate meditating, I hate it, I hate it…”

“We've been through this already, Michelangelo. You need to…”

“Get in touch with my inner self in order to understand my powers, yes, I know…” he recited at the same time Draxum did. “She has to do the same, then?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, now I see why my grandma meditates so much! Although she always falls asleep…”

“Don't fall asleep in Draxum’s classes…” the turtle whispered in her ear. “He doesn't take it well…” they both giggled.

The Baron Draxum rolled up a newspaper and hit them both in the head. “I don't take well tomfoolery either. Now, sit on the tatami and meditate.”

The kids obeyed, rubbing their heads in pain.

Chapter Text

April and Sunita parked their car near the reconstruction area of New York. Donatello, Shelldon and the chihuahua were waiting for them in the entrance, although the dog was half hidden behind the turtle's legs.

Fortunately for them, the attention was focused on Shelldon at first. The girls ran towards the robot kid and hugged him tenderly, telling him how much they missed him.

“So that's what was happening…” April gave Donatello a sympathetic look.

“Sorry for not telling you before… I didn't want to worry you.”

“Dude, you're my best friend, I knew something was going on. Even if I didn't know what it was…”

“I should have known better…” he smiled tiredly. “Anyway, we should get going. There's someone that also needs some closure…”

He said that pushing the chihuahua’s back gently. The dog was reluctant at first, looking at the girls with a frown and not even blinking, but they didn't look as menacing as they thought. 

“Don'tcha look at me with those big ol’ eyes!” April put her hands on her hips, keeping a cheerful attitude but approaching them carefully. “What's your name?”

“I don't have one.”

“I'm calling you Toffee, then~”

“YOU'RE NOT CALLING ME SHIT!”

“April, they're telling the truth…”

“Oh… Sorry.”

“Didn't the person we're looking for name you?” Sunita kneeled to their level.

“No…” they lowered their head.

“Let's get in the car, you can tell your story on our way there.”

-o-

“Remember when I said I never had the luxury of trusting someone? Well, I was talking about her. Sure, she was taking care of me, and was really nice to me, but… She never tried to stop the experiments they did on me. I know, I know, she had a job to keep, arguing with her boss would get her fired…”

“That's no excuse!” Shelldon got angry. “If I was that scientist, I would have taken you and ran away! Fuck that job!”

“Language!” Donatello covered his mouth (even though he didn't technically have one). “But he's right, my friend. I don't doubt she loved you, but…”

“I do” they cut him off. “I never knew how to feel around her. Was she really my friend? Or was she pretending so I'd be more obedient?”

“What's really important here is…” said April, who was driving the car, “Do you love her? Do you want to see her again?”

“... Yes. I miss her so much…” They said that looking at the ground and clutching the framed photograph against their chest. “And I want to know if she… Does miss me as well.”

“That's all that matters,” Sunita looked at them with a confident smile. “Wanna know what I think?”

“Surprise me.”

“As a photographer,” she signaled the photograph, “I can totally feel the love in that picture. Her eyes are full of joy and tenderness. She adores you.”

“... I hope you're right.”

-o-

It was getting dark when they finally arrived. April, Sunita, Donatello, Shelldon and the chihuahua crossed the hospital gates and headed to the reception table.

“Hi, O’Neil!” the boy who was attending seemed to already know her.

“Hi! I know it's late, but do you think we could see someone tonight?”

“More interviews?”

“Kinda sorta,” she asked for the chihuahua’s picture with a hand gesture and then showed it to him. “You remember this woman, right? She sounds familiar to me…”

“Her name is Guadalupe Kepler,” everyone turned to look at the chihuahua, who was still hiding behind Donatello’s legs. “... What? They should have her name registered by now…”

“And it's actually an easier way to find her…” the boy chuckled while typing on his computer. “Bingo! Guadalupe Kepler is on floor 3, room 14. Gotta tell her nurse you're on your way~”

“Thank you so much!” April waved him goodbye and headed to the elevator with everyone else.

While they were ascending, Donatello took a moment to examine the scientist’s photograph. She was a mexican woman with brown, wavy hair that turned into blonde as it fell on her shoulders (“she probably bleached it California style”) and was tied in a ponytail. She wore graduated glasses in the shape of a perfect square, and her eyes were light brown with some honey-colored highlights. She also had a roman-like nose and some freckles on her cheeks.

He gave the picture back when the elevator door opened. The chihuahua was holding it in one hand while they tightly held Donatello in the other. They looked so anxious… 

“I'm not a photography expert…” he said. “But if my brother Angelo was here, I'm sure he'd say what Sunita said: Guadalupe loves you.”

But they didn't respond. The five friends were standing in front of door number 14 now, which was slightly open due to the nurse's visit.

“I wonder who it could be…” that voice made the chihuahua freeze in place. “My family got back to Juarez…”

“Why don't you ask them, then? ‘Cause I think they're already here~”

The girls and Shelldon tried to push the chihuahua inside, but they didn't want to. Donatello made them stop with a hand gesture and took the photograph. “Do you want me to come in first?” Again, no words left their mouth, but they nodded. “Ok…”

The turtle entered the hospital room. That woman looked exactly like in the picture, only exhausted and full of pinkish and reddish kraangification marks in part of her face, neck and arms. Neither of them said anything, because she was confused and he didn't know how to start.

So he just approached the bed and gave her the framed picture. She took it with curiosity, but then her expression turned into surprise and… Pain. Her eyes got watery and she covered her mouth.

“... Where are they?” she whispered.

“They're waiting outsi-”

Before he could finish that answer, Guadalupe tossed her blanket away and tried to get up. The nurse tried to hold her back, but she got away and exited the bed. She realized she was still connected to the serum, so she ripped it away from her hand and dragged her still injured leg to the door, which she opened with a hard yank.

“¡¡CIELITO MÍO!!” she kneeled in front of the chihuahua and hugged them before they could escape. She was bawling, choking in her own tears, holding onto the dog for dear life. “¡¡LO SIENTO MUCHO!! ¡¡LO SIENTO, LO SIENTO, LO SIENTO!! ¡¡TE AMO TANTO!! ¡¡POR FAVOR, NO ME ODIES!!”

The chihuahua didn't last long before crying as well, big eyes blurred by their own tears and nose leaking mucus as they bawled. They also hold onto her for dear life. “¿ME AMAS? ¿EN VERDAD ME AMAS?”

“¡CLARO QUE TE AMO!”

Everyone nodded at each other in agreement. The friends went back to the hospital entrance to give them some privacy, while the nurse stayed at some distance to look out for Guadalupe.

Chapter Text

“So, how did you become a mutant?” asked Galatea.

“Somehow, an oozquito managed to cross the Atlantic ocean inside of a cargo ship, then inside of a cargo truck, and then flee the entire Serranía de Ronda until it found my village… Me and my family are roosters and hens now.”

He showed them a photo on his phone. A giant, sturdy rooster was holding five chickens of different ages in his strong arms, while a gentle and chubby hen was holding a baby chicken. David was in the middle, waving at the camera.

“YOU'RE THE OLDER BROTHER?”

“Yup.”

“Do your neighbors know about this?”

“And we still do business with them like nothing ever happened! We even make jokes about our eggs being laid by my mom…” he giggled.

“DON'T THESE KIND OF JOKES FREAK YOU OUT, THO?”

“Huh?” he said, munching his chicken sandwich without a care in the world.

“... NEVERMIND.”

Meanwhile, things weren't looking as simple in the arena. Both Leonardo and Ghostbear had been training a lot since the last time they saw each other. The “no magic” handicap didn't help any of them, of course.

So all the turtle could do was strike at the bear from any angle he could, while the wrestler blocked and avoided every swing. And he didn't just defend himself, grabbing the young hero and sending him flying across the arena like a frisbee. Leonardo’s reflexes were quick enough to land his feet on the ground or the wall each time, but the motion was still powerful enough to weaken him bit by bit.

“How… Did you… Became… So strong??”

“I had no other choice!” replied Ghostbear, “Being possessed by an alien sure makes you start to take things seriously!”

“... W-what??” he got petrified.

“You didn't know?? We had an alien invasion some months ago! But I guess that's fair, no one saw that coming. Not even me, hahaha…” he scratched his nape, kind of embarrassed. He also removed some of his fur to show him his kraangification marks. “When I woke up in the hospital, I swore to myself I wouldn’t let something like that happen to me ever again. I decided to train everyday and…”

But Leonardo wasn't listening anymore. He couldn't hear anything in fact, because that one long, beeping sound was ringing in his ears again. He could also hear his own heartbeat running fast like a wild horse. His vision became blurry and shaky, as well as his arms and legs. The only thing he could identify with clarity was Ghostbear’s kraangification marks.

Then he saw Galatea's face over him, her shoulder almost pierced by the Kraang. He saw her face covered in tentacles, trying to resist them with a pained expression. He also saw Donatello getting inside the Technodrome and becoming one with the spaceship. He saw the Kraang leader coming after him in the dark, cold void of another dimension. He thought he was gonna die. He felt like he was gonna die.

He was feeling like he was gonna die at that moment.

“Hey! HEY!! ARE YOU IGNORING ME??” Ghostbear got offended, but Leonardo didn't react. He was having trouble breathing.

“Something’s not right!” Galatea got up, but Bebop and Rocksteady held her arms. “What?”

“We’re not allowed to go down there…” Bebop said. “If a battler wants to leave the arena, they have to surrender…”

“And the rival has to let them go, or they will get disqualified” added Rocksteady. “So there is no danger right now.”

Fortunately, Galatea’s attempt to help Leonardo brought him back to reality. He held his katanas tightly, trying to calm himself and not think about… Well, about that! The whole being dead thing! 

But the sudden panic attack debilitated him physically and mentally. When he tried to go against Ghostbear, the wrestler grabbed one of his katanas and tossed it to the other side of the arena. Leonardo tried again, but that's how he lost his other katana as well. He tried to step back and pull out his odachi, but Ghostbear strangled his neck and lifted him from the ground.

“It's over, tortuga! You can surrender if you…”

“No!” he desperately tried to get away, clawing on Ghostbear’s arms and kicking the air. “I… I’m gonna win! I have to win!”

“Kiddo, you're clearly not in a good place right now…”

“Shut up!!” He managed to bite the bear’s hand, land on the ground and pull out his odachi. “I'm ok!! I'm perfectly fine!!”

Ghostbear looked around him, a very notorious worry in his face when he realized they still had an audience. He then looked at Leonardo with a sad expression.

“... NO!!” he roared, “DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!!” He pointed his odachi at him, even though his arm was still shaking. “I WHOOPED YOUR ASS MORE TIMES THAN YOU'RE WILLING TO ADMIT!! I'M NEW YORK’S HERO!! I'M THE FORMER BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION!! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TO FEEL PITY FOR ME!!”

Splinter, who was about to literally jump from the balcony, put his leg inside again. But he didn't leave the edge, just in case…

“... You remind me so much of me when I was your age,” the wrestler cracked his knuckles, smiling devilishly as usual. “Ok, then, I will fight you until the end. But I don't want any complaints later…”

“If you go easy on me I will kill you…”

As Leonardo wished, Ghostbear charged against the turtle with all of his strength. Sadly, the young ninja was still weak, so he ended up slammed on the wall. Everyone in the crowd gasped, Bebop and Rocksteady had to hold Galatea still, and Splinter was clenching his fists at the balcony’s edge. “Leo, por favor…” begged David under his breath, “Déjalo ya…”

Obviously, Leonardo didn't hear that. He slowly got up, barely conscious at that point. “I… Promised… David…”

Ghostbear approached him and grabbed him by the neck again. “Do you really think he wants this??”

“He wants me at the final!”

He groaned in pure frustration. “For God's sake, kid, I'm supposed to hate you… UGH, FINE, I WILL TELL YOU: He's more than proud already! He's happy just being your friend! Now, please, surrender before I actually hurt y-”

But Leonardo spat in his face.

“... Sorry, people!” he said to the audience, wiping the spit with his free hand. “You know I tried!”

And then he finished the turtle with a piledriver.

Chapter Text

Draxum, Michelangelo and Ona were sitting on the tatami rug with their legs folded, resting their hands on their bellies and forming a circle with them. Everyone had their eyes closed, being Draxum the one to speak.

“The most important thing to know, not only to control your powers but also to find your path in life, is: What do you want?” Michelangelo took some breath to speak, but the Baron cut him off. “If you say pizza you're getting the newspaper.”

The kids didn't say anything, so the old yokai kept talking. “You don't have to express those feelings out loud (I understand how intimate they are), but I want you to think about what your heart craves the most. What's your main life aspiration? What do you expect from the future, from your people, from yourselves?”

“... I want to be free” Ona said.

“Are you comfortable sharing this?”

“I need to. I could never talk about this at home. They never listen to me.”

Michelangelo’s heart ached. He figured she would feel something like that, but actually hearing it from her was… Painful.

“How does your family make you feel?”

“Trapped. Ignored. Alone” she frowned, eyes still closed. “I know they're scared, ok? I know they're trying to protect me. But each passing day, I feel like I'm losing my mind bit by bit. I can't even enjoy my summer vacations without expecting them to appear at any moment. They even started to lecture Piebald about my boundaries, as if I didn't know them myself already!”

… Damn. That put a lot of things in perspective for Michelangelo. While he was fed up with Raphael’s mommying and bugging, he never actually felt trapped by him. Donatello and Splinter had their down moments, sure, but they never truly ignored him. And as much as Leonardo had that massive ego, he never underestimated him or made him feel less capable of doing things.

…They really, really needed to talk about things once they got back home.

“How do you think your powers will help you in this situation?”

“I will be stronger. They will respect me like they respect my grandma. And Mikey promised me to explore the world together! That would make me so happy…”

That last part made Michelangelo’s heart skip a beat. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of traveling with Ona…

“And what do you want to achieve with this training, my son?”

“... I want her to be happy.”

“Well, that's a noble sentiment, but what do you want?”

“I want to be able to help my loved ones and-”

Draxum hit him with the newspaper, “WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOURSELF, MICHELANGELO HAMATO?”

“YOUCH!! WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME??”

“I want you to stop measuring your worth based on your acts of service. I want you to look inside of your heart, to point out your needs and to demand them. Just like Ona did right now.”

“But… What I feel doesn't make any sense!”

“Explain.”

"Even though I like the way I am, why do I feel like it's not enough? No one ever told me I'm less than the others, so why do I feel weaker than Raph, dumber than Donnie and lamer than Leo? It's not like I don't have my own strengths and identity…”

“It's because society doesn't value artistic sensibility the way they value practical and social characteristics,” said Ona. “I feel the same around Piebald. I like being nerdy, and I like being cute and girly, but then I see how badass and independent she is… Sometimes I wonder, do I really love her, or do I just want to be her?”

“Gurl, same here with Hunter! I swear I want to snatch that blonde hair of his and put it on my head! But the more I know him, the more I realize I don't actually love hi-”

He stopped talking. And then he realized Ona wasn't talking either. And then Draxum realized none of them were talking. “You’re still kids. Moreover, you're the younger child of your respective families. Finding out your place in this world is not easy. And that's why I think you should come here more often. To meditate” he opened his eyes. “But you had enough for tonight. And I have the feeling there are some things you need to talk about. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep.”

“Thank you, mister Draxum…”

“Baron Draxum” he corrected her, although he was smiling.

-o-

They were walking together under the night sky. And despite the awkward situation they experienced minutes ago, they were holding hands.

“... I think we should stop the fake-dating thing,” said Michelangelo.

“Yeah… There is no point if we're not even sure about our feelings.”

“... Well, there's something I do know: I like you.”

“Shoot, like, romantically??”

“Nope. I just…” He then started singing in a slow rhythm “I've never had someone that knows me like you do. The way you do…”

The axolotl giggled softly, following his lead. “So lonely before, I finally found what I've been looking for…”

“Heh, Troy and Gabriella’s versión. It's literally the same lyrics, and still… Something changed. But I don't know what changed...”

“... I think I've read about this before. Could this be a queerplatonic relationship?"

“... OOOOH! Come to think about it, there's been times where I thought of myself being aromantic, but I wasn't quite sure…”

“Me too! We can find it out together~”

“Deal!” He kissed her cheek.

She kissed his cheek back, giggling and kicking. “I think we should give everyone the “sad” news…”

“Oh, right! Hold on, I'm creating a portal. I feel more confident about my powers after the meditation…”

“You will end up liking it!”

“Bleeeeh!” He stuck out his tongue, then he stretched his arms again and manifested his mystic powers.

Chapter Text

Donatello, Shelldon, April and Sunita were sitting in one of the benches from the hospital entrance. The robot kid plugged himself on the wall to charge batteries, and his father was seriously considering putting him into sleep mode since it was pretty late.

“Noooo! I want to see how this ends!” complained the son.

“You’re yawning…” he never thought that would be possible but here we are.

“Because I’m bored, not tired!”

“If you say so…”

“Maybe we can do something to entertain ourselves…” thought Sunita.

“... Well, I have this list I’m working on,” said Donatello, picking a little notebook out of his battle shell.

“Gimme!” April snatched it from him.

Names for the chihuahua

- Avalyn. It means "breath of life". Turns out it also means "beautiful BIRD".

- Bennett. It means "little blessed one".

- Bo. It means “to live”. That's my weapon's name, that would be confusing.

- Dory. It means "gift of God".  That's a fish name...

- Ishu. It means “angel”.

- Mikel/Mikelle. It means "godlike". Feels too much like Michelangelo.

- Mirakel. It means "miracle". Same as the above.

- Nyssa. It means "new beginning". Sounds like Jar Jar Binks talking…

- Phoenix. It means "new life". Too on the nose.

- Renée. It means "reborn".

- Sachi. It means "miracle".

- Thea. It means "gift of God".

“Why this fixation on God, rebirth, etc??” April asked.

“It's based on some conversations we had.”

“Are they religious or something?”

“I don't know, but we were not talking about that. It's more symbolic than anything…”

“To me,” added Sunita with a smug smile, “this gives the impression that you feel adoration for them.”

“N-no??” he blushed. “I just wanted to give them a fitting name!”

“Why don't you marry them already??” insisted Shelldon.

“B-because we’re not even adults??”

“So you do like them!!”

“Why are you interrogating me about thi-??”

But then, out of nowhere, a golden portal opened in front of them. Michelangelo and Ona were running together, holding their hands and looking behind because Piebald was trying to catch them. “Mikey, I swear to God, it's way over Ona’s curfew time! Her parents are going to kill me if they…!”

But Michelangelo closed the portal before she could cross it. After that, they kneeled on the hospital floor, trying to catch their breath. 

“... Angelo. Care to explain what's going on??”

“Oh, hi, Donnie…” he slowly got up, helping Ona to do the same, and smiled nonchalantly. “We just broke up!”

“... THAT DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION IN THE SLIGHTEST??”

“Uncle Mikey!!” Shelldon unplugged himself from the wall and jumped to the turtle's arms.

“OMIGOSH SHELLY??” He hugged the robot kid with enthusiasm. He was extremely happy to see his nephew, but also extremely confused. “DONNIE, CARE TO EXPLAIN??”

“DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT, YOUNG MAN!!” He also got up. “WHAT WAS PIEBALD TALKING ABOUT??”

The motion made the notebook fall to the ground, but he didn't notice due to the commotion. Just then, the elevator door opened and the chihuahua finally appeared. They approached the scene with a raised eyebrow, but when they saw the notebook they stopped to pick it up.

Nobody noticed their presence yet (because the hospital receptionist came there to scold the group), so they read the list Donatello wrote for them. Their eyes got watery as they scanned the paper sheet, eliciting a soft, high pitched sound from their throat.

And finally, Donatello noticed them. He turned around just to find them crying and sobbing. “My friend…?”

“Th-this is… The cutest fucking thing… That n-no one ever did for me…”

After doubting for a second, the turtle smiled and asked “See any name you like?”

“THEY'RE ALL SO PRETTY… I CAN'T CHOOSE…” they were bawling, making the receptionist madder. April and Sunita gently grabbed everyone by their arms and took them out of the hospital.

-o-

The seven friends decided to have dinner in a hot dog stand near the hospital.

“I'd like to spend the night here with Lupe, but the nurse won't allow it. She was too polite to tell me, but…” they signaled the no dogs allowed sign on the front door.

“But… But you're not just a regular dog!” Sunita complained. “That’s not fair…”

“Yeah, I know. Going back to the debris will be a pain in the ass.”

“Oh, you're not going back there,” said Donatello nonchalantly, sending a text to Splinter. “You’re staying the night with me. At least for today...”

“Donatello…”

“I have an idea!” added Michelangelo, “Let's have a sleepover! You're joining us, right, Ona?”

“I'm so grounded already, so why the frick not??”

“You think they know??”

“They call Piebald every night…”

“Don't worry, Draxum will vouch for us if they come here…”

“I never agreed on the sleepover idea though?” Donatello raised an eyebrow. “You don't even know my friend…”

“They’re your friend, that's enough for me to like them!”

“And they're so cute and tiny and huggable…” Ona’s eyes were shining as she approached the chihuahua with grabby hands.

“If you touch me I will bite you” they growled, “I have rabies...”

“QUIT TELLING PEOPLE YOU HAVE RABIES! But yes, please, respect my friend’s space...”

“... Is a handshake ok?” she said, never losing her smile.

“Yes.” The axolotl and the chihuahua shaked hands.

“My name is Ona Fontdegloria.”

“I don't have a name yet, but… Lupe says she's going to adopt me, so call me by my last name: Kepler.”

“April, Sunita, what about you?” asked Michelangelo.

“Sorry, sunshine, but we've got work to do tomorrow…” sighed April. “We’re taking you to the lair and calling it a day.”

“Nah, go home and have some rest, I can make a portal!” announced Michelangelo.

“Oh, right, you have improved a lot since last time! In that case, see ya~”

“See ya!”

And so, April and Sunita drove away while Michelangelo created a portal to the lair for Donatello, Shelldon, Kepler, Ona and himself.

Chapter Text

Leonardo saw a couple of blurry figures in front of him as he slowly opened his eyes. Their voices were muffled by his dizziness at first, but soon his hearing improved as well as his sight. The people leaning over his infirmary bed were none other than Galatea and Splinter.

“Leo!!” she hugged him. “How are you feeling?? Can you move??”

“Ugh!” he felt sore and tired, and being suddenly squished didn't help, but other than that… “I'm fine…”

“Thank God… But now:” she shaked his shoulders and yelled at him, “DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH OR SOMETHING?? YOU SPAT IN GHOSTBEAR’S FACE, ARE YOU INSANE??”

“Galatea, I think he’s been beaten enough…” Splinter took her hands and separated her from Leonardo. “But she's right, Leonardo. We need to talk.”

He was calling them by their actual names. Shit was serious. “It's not that serious…”

“DUDE,” Cassandra was sitting on a bench nearby, “THAT WAS A PANIC ATTACK.”

“No it wasn't! I just got a bit anxious, that's all…”

“Leo…” Galatea looked so sad. In fact, now that he was looking at her closely, her makeup was all smudged. Did… Did she cry??

“... Ok, turns out I maaaaay have some PTSD?” he shrugged and smiled, trying to not make it seem like a big deal.

“How long have you been silent about this?” Splinter covered him in a blanket and caressed his face.

“... Since the Kraang Invasion.”

“Of course…” Galatea rubbed his head. “Leo, I know you don't like to make us worry. There's so much stuff you always keep to yourself (you've been doing this since we were turtle tots). But look at you now… You can't be this stubborn forever!”

“I know, I know… Guess my pride is also hurting myself…”

“I'll call my therapist,” added Splinter. “Therapy has been doing wonders for me, as you can see! I'm sure it will help you too…”

“... Ok, I will get some therapy. But first, let me fight the semi-finals rematch. I need to be in the next week's tournament, please…”

“I MEAN… IT'S THE WORM. I THINK HE’LL BE FINE.”

“... You know what? I’ve been too overprotective of you these days” Galatea gave him a smug smile. “Maybe if I let you bite some dust from time to time you won't feel the need to act so cocky .”

“Thank you, mom~”

“... Don't call me that” but she was blushing. “Besides, it's true. The more I try to shelter you, the more you'll want to act reckless. I need to apologize to Mikey…”

“No, you don't,” Leonardo smiled gently. “You were just being a good sister. It's me who needs to apologize. I've been dragging him into my shenanigans and…”

But before they could keep arguing about who needed to apologize, they heard someone running through the hallway to the infirmary. They followed the sound of the steps with their eyes. And then, David opened the door with a hard push, breathing heavily and sweating.

“Leo!” he approached his bed, so Splinter and Galatea made space for him. They were giggling already. “Sorry for being late, I…”

"Leo? You're not calling me Gustavo anymore? I was starting to like it…” he grinned.

“... I see you're fine” he smiled shyly. “But seriously, man, what the fuck?? A spit?? You're lucky Ghostbear didn't break your spine…”

“That's what I was telling him!” Galatea chuckled.

“SPEAKING OF GHOSTBEAR, DID YOU WIN?”

“Yes, but it wasn't easy! He's really good, I'm still sweating…”

“Do I have to get jealous?” the turtle raised an eyebrow, but was still smiling.

“Don't worry, love, I will keep my promise” he blinked an eye.

“Me too! I just need ten minutes.”

“I'll tell Big Mama then! See ya, ranita~”

“Adiós, pajarito~”

David left the room with glee in his eyes, something that definitely didn't go unnoticed by the rest. Cassandra, Galatea and Splinter looked at Leonardo with narrow eyes and huge grins. “... What??”

“I like this boy,” said Splinter. “I think you should take him home tonight.”

Leonardo laughed anxiously. “I don't know what you're thinking, but…”

“Oh, you're already making progress!” added Galatea with a malicious smile. “I thought your prideful ass would take the chance to win the “make a friend task”, but you're being so mature right now!”

“... Actually, now that I think about it,” he jumped out of his bed, “I told him I'd show him my shuriken collection! It has nothing to do with the task, of course…”

“Of course…” Galatea's grin grew wider.

“But I like to keep my promises, as you can see!”

“C’MON, BRO…” Cassandra was cackling on the bench.

“And you, young lady…” Splinter wasn't going to let that slide, taking Cassandra's hands in a gentle gesture. “It would honor me to have you home for dinner as well.”

That made her stop laughing immediately, blushing like a traffic light and accepting Splinter’s hand. “Y-yessir…”

“Oh, please, just call me "father"! Besides, you need a healthy body if you want to give me grandchildren someday…”

“POPS??????” Galatea almost fainted.

“Well, technically speaking,” added Leonardo, “if Stinky Feet is marrying Tea, then Casey Junior is your grandson already!”

“Oh, I like that boy! I'm more than happy to be his grandfather!”

“Besides, didn't Donnie have a kid too?”

“... OH MY GOODNESS, HOW COULD I FORGET SHELLDON? Give me a minute, I need to apologize to him…”

He took his phone to message him, and then he saw Donatello’s two last texts: The first one said “My friend needs a place to stay the night. I'll tell you the details later.” The second said “Angelo is bringing his ex-girlfriend. His phone ran out of battery so I'm telling you myself.”

The last one left him confused “Since when did Orange have a girlfriend in the first place??”

“WHAT??” Leonardo ripped the device from Splinter’s hands. “AND THE NO-NAME-FRIEND THING WAS REAL??”

“I thought you we're just fucking with him??” Galatea raised an eyebrow. “But yeah, what the hell is the ex-girlfriend thing??”

“YOU GUYS REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT THINGS MORE OFTEN…” Cassandra chuckled.

Chapter Text

Michelangelo, Ona, Donatello, Shelldon and Kepler were laying on a bunch of bean couches they arranged in the living room for the sleepover. Ona and Michelangelo were wearing the summer kimonos from before, while Donatello just put his regular pajamas on. He lended one of his pajama shirts to Kepler,  which made it look like they were wearing a nightgown due to the size difference. Shelldon put a baby onesie on because why not.

Ona and Michelangelo tried to convince everyone to apply cucumbers and beauty masks, but Donatello absolutely refused to submit his skin to the sticky feeling (“that's sensory punishment for me”). Kepler had furry skin, so they only put the cucumbers on their eyes. Shelldon put both the mask and the cucumbers on, even though he really didn't need them.

“Isn't this relaxing?” sighed Ona.

“Yeaaah…” sighed Shelldon as well.

“I don't get it…” Kepler was frowning. “Cucumbers are for eating, right?”

“Yes, they are,” added Donatello, “I don't even know why you guys agreed on this.”

“Peer pressure.”

“And I like to feel included!” replied Shelldon.

“Speaking of Shelldon…” asked Michelangelo. “Donnie, why didn't you tell us before?”

“Remember when you got mad at El for being overprotective?”

“Oh, right! So, you didn't want him to know…”

“I didn't want you to know either.”

“Why?”

“Because you're even worse.”

“... Am I??”

“You express your love with too many acts of service.”

“Ugh, you sound like Draxum now…”

“And we're both right. But… You're also right. I need to stop hidding my grievances from people. Especially from my family…”

“You guys are just like Uncle Raph and Uncle Leo!” Shelldon giggled.

“Well, Nardo is my twin. What excuse does Angelo have?”

“You're not really twins and you know it…”

Donatello didn't respond to that. He just made himself comfortable by putting his arms under his head, humming a laugh and closing his eyes. “Anyway… Ona,  right?”

“Yup!”

“Do you have a weapon of choice?”

“Oooh? Well, I use a harpoon for fishing. Why?”

“If you happen to not have mystic powers in the end, would you like training with us? I could design a neat tech-spear for you…”

“Omigosh?? That would be amazing!!” she jumped to his arms and hugged him. “Thank you so so so so much!!”

“Ack!” that got him by surprise but he allowed it, patting her back with a tired smile. “You're welcome…”

“I hope Mister Draxum can convince my parents, though…” she released Donatello from the grip and laid beside him, resting her face on his chest.

“I'm sure he will…” he looked with tenderness how Kepler climbed the bean couch to lay on his other side and rest their head in his stomach. The turtle scratched their head. “He has a way with words, that's for sure…”

“If she stays here, we can have sleepovers forever!” Shelldon jumped to rest on Michelangelo’s arms.

“We need to ask papa first…” the younger turtle cuddled the robot kid adoringly. “But let's not think about it now. Who's in the mood for a movie??”

-o-

After not being able to choose a movie to watch, the five friends (well, Kepler didn't care that much) decided to watch Be More Chill on YouTube. It didn't take long before they started to sing along:

“Take your hands out of your pockets,” Shelldon took The Squip role, of course. “Arch your back, puff out your chest.

Add some swagger to your gaze or

you'll look like a masturbator.

Fix your posture, then the rest.”

Michelangelo was Jeremy. “But I AM a masturbator!”

“We'll fix that!”

Kepler wasn't singing, but they were laughing their ass off in the couch.

“Oooooh, everything about you is so terrible!”

“Everything about you sucks!” Donatello and Ona played the background voices, shaking Michelangelo’s shoulders to pretend they were bullying him. “Everything about you sucks!”

“Oooooh, everything about you makes me wanna die!”

“Everything about you sucks!

Everything about you sucks!”

“Aaaaall the people in the mall think you are such a slob!”

“You're a slob! Terrible! Such a slob!”

“Oooooh and boy, can I see why!”

Kepler fell off the couch, holding his tummy and cackling. “What the fuck is this musical about??”

“Language!”

“You said suck several times now!”

“That doesn't count, I was singing a song!”

“Oh, you wanna play that game?? Gimme that!!” they stole one of the microphones and searched for a song on YouTube.

“Rabo, nabo, picha, polla,

tranca, pija, verga, chola~”

“NO!!” Donatello ran after them, but Kepler was faster, jumping from couch to couch and singing as loud as possible. Everyone understood the lyrics, either because they were from Spain (Ona) or because they knew Leonardo, and they were laughing hysterically (except Donatello for obvious reasons).

“Cola, porra, pito, mango,

pilila, minga, cipote, carajo~

Tiene nombres mil,

tiene nombres mil,

tiene nombres mil el miembro viril!”

“WHERE DID YOU EVEN LEARN THAT??”

“Lupe taught me hehehehe~”

“Well, stop it!! I don't want Shelldon to learn those words!!”

“Learning Protocole: Activated.”

“NOOOOO!!”

Michelangelo and Ona were now the ones falling from laughter on the couches.

Chapter Text

Splinter, Galatea, Cassandra and David went back to their original seats to watch the semifinals rematch between Leonardo and Warren. Splinter was sitting near Big Mama while the kids were chatting casually with Hypno, Bebop, Rocksteady… And Ghostbear. Yes, even him.

“I hope you're not mad at me... I swear I tried, but… I have a really short temper…”

“Don't sweat it!” said Galatea, slapping his shoulder in a friendly way. “I would decimate Leo too if he spat in my face…”

“THAT CRAZY BITCH HAD IT COMING. WE DON'T BLAME YOU.”

“Thanks…”

Meanwhile, in the arena, Warren and Leonardo respectfully saluted each other. The worm bowed with his hand on his chest like a gentleman, but the turtle put his arms straight on his sides like a karate fighter.

“Oh, would you look at that?” Hypno giggled. “I don't think I've ever seen that boy bowing to someone!”

“I have the feeling he just got a reality check,” said Galatea. “Getting your ass royally whooped sure makes you respect your rivals…”

“And Warren is a powerful rival! He deserves all the respect he can get!” David crossed his arms and nodded.

“You're such an adorable lad!” Hypno rubbed his head. “Don't worry, though, you can cheer for Baby Blue as well! Warren won't mind~”

“Baby Blue??”

“That's how Big Mama calls him!”

“... Shit, that's cute,” he muttered, “how didn't I think about it??”

“OOOOOOH!” Bebop and Rocksteady shaked his shoulders, grinning like idiots and pinching his cheeks.

“Shut up…” but he was blushing and smiling.

In the arena, Leonardo was fighting with his odachi while Warren kept his gauntlet. They used their weapons for both striking and blocking, clanking sounds filling the stadium and sparks jumping around them.

“Where did you get that gauntlet?? Looks dope!”

“Thanks! I asked an old friend of mine to forge one for me. She also made this~” he showed the golden ring in his other hand.

“I'm so happy for you, guys!” When's the wedding??”

“On December! Hypno loves Christmas… You and your family are invited, of course!”

“¡Wow, thanks!”

-o-

Unfortunately for Warren, he lost again. But at least the audience bathed him in chantings and compliments, as well as celebrating Leonardo’s victory. The teen sat the worm on his shoulder and raised his arms in joy, allowing both of them to receive the praise.

“Thank you, people! And thank you, Warren. You're great…”

“Look who's talking!”

He went back to his seat when Big Mama started announcing the matchups for the next week. Just as he wished, David and him were positioned in opposite halves of the tournament again. Oh, was that Meat Sweats?? Yikes… Well, piece of cake anyway!

Speaking of David, he approached Leonardo with a huge smile and sparkling eyes. “We have another chance!”

“Yeah! It's a shame it won't be until next week, though…”

“... Well, we could train together! You really need some practice, ‘cause that was so cringe… You could use some advice of mine~ ”

“Excuse me??” but he wasn't offended at all. Quite on the contrary, he looked at the rooster with a smug grin. “You know that's not true. Are you that desperate to see me again, Tweety? Have some respect for yourself!”

Ghost Bear had to bite his tongue so hard with this one. Instead, he cackled wholeheartedly and slapped the teens in their backs to move them closer. “Just say yes, Gustavo!”

Their faces were way too close, so they jumped away from each other with smoke coming out of their ears. Every other person present was laughing.

“... Actually, I was going to ask you…” he scratched the back of his head, not even daring to look David in the eyes. “Would you like to come home for dinner tonight? It's not like I care, but Dad really wants to meet you…”

“Well…” he looked at the ground. “I have nothing better to do, anyway, so… I guess dinner sounds nice…”

-o-

Something really important had to be done before the dinner, though. The four siblings engaged in a group hug and had a conversation. 

“Sorry for calling you annoying, Tea…” said Michelangelo. “I thought I needed more freedom, but you never actually took that away from me!”

“Don't worry, little man. I was kind of annoying…”

“As you should,” insisted Donatello. “I should have talked about my issues earlier. But I was so rude to all of you instead…”

“Same here,” added Leonardo. “I let my pride get between us, and I ended up hurting myself further.”

“And I was so fixated on all of you that I didn't bother to care for myself. It had to be April and Sunita who helped me crack my egg…”

Splinter looked at them from afar, smiling widely and shedding a single tear. That was just what he was looking for when he commanded them to look for a friend. Not because he wanted to separate them, rather than make them find other perspectives about the world and themselves.

… Ok, he also wanted to get rid of them for a little while. And grandchildren. But don't tell anyone!

“I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!” said Leonardo.

“Hold on, Imma wash some dishes and make dinner!” Galatea took an apron from nearby and prepared herself to do the chores.

“... W-wait, no,” Michelangelo felt awkward all of a sudden.

“Why not??”

“You always cook, clean, go shopping…” listed Donatello, an uncomfortable grimace on his face. “But now that you’re a girl… The only girl in the house, in fact…

“Yeah, that sounds so fucking sexist!” Leonardo panicked, “Step aside, sis, we're not allowing this! Go have some rest, we'll do the cleaning and cooking!”

“Guys…”

“Shoo!” Michelangelo forced her to go to the kitchen table with the others. She giggled tenderly and took a seat near Cassandra.

“ENJOY ONE OF THE FEW PRIVILEGES OF BEING A WOMAN” she cackled.

Meanwhile, Ona, David and Kepler were having a conversation with Splinter.

“What did your parents say about your training, Pink?”

Michelangelo almost dropped a glass he was cleaning. Pink?? They're on that level already?? He blushed so hard… 

“Mr Draxum talked to them! I don't know how he managed to do it, but they're allowing it! I'm so excited!”

“Me too! You're a really sweet girl, Pink. Piebald is so lucky to be your best friend~”

“... How do you know that??” Michelangelo was flabbergasted.

“... Because Piebald is my daughter?? Of course I know Ona, you dummy! Did you really think I wouldn't know her friends??”

Yes, Michelangelo was feeling so dumb indeed. Damn.

“You're free to train here with us as well, David!”

“Thanks! I'm looking forward to it. I know I can learn so much from you, Hamato-sama.”

“OH, I REALLY LIKE THIS BOY! Blue, you better marry this one or I'm disowning you!”

“DAD!!!” Leonardo wanted to die here and there, and David too.

Kepler was laughing so hard with every interaction. It was the happiest dinner they had in their entire life! They looked at Donatello from time to time, smiling tenderly and feeling so much inner peace. “Thank you, Donnie…”

“What about you, Kepler??” Oops. Shelldon noticed that. “Are you going to marry Dee or what??”

“Leave me alone!! I need to go to therapy first!!”

“Fair point. But I'll be waiting for an answer…” he looked at them with narrow eyes.

And so, the four turtles, Splinter, Shelldon, Cassandra, Ona, David and Kepler enjoyed the rest of the night together.

Chapter Text

It was a lovely winter evening in New York. The grooms rented a beautiful small castle-like venue to celebrate their wedding, which of course was decorated in The Nutcracker style since they were also getting close to Christmas. Hypno absolutely loved Christmas, did I tell you? I think Warren did. Getting married in a winterly palace was a dream for both of them!

And so, everyone dressed as fancy as possible to match! Let's proceed with the descriptions:

Galatea wore an off-shoulder, pink princess ball gown. She also wore a white bandana tied in the form of several ribbons, braids and curls to mimic an elaborate and elegant ponytail. Cassandra was wearing a white tuxedo with a pink tie, and for once she applied pink lipstick and pink eyeshadow on her. She also wore a pink lily in her chest pocket, while Galatea had a bunch of them decorating her bandana.

“Are you sure we're not overdoing this?” Galatea was nervous. “It's not our wedding…”

“HYPNO WANTS EVERYONE TO GO AS EXTRA AS POSSIBLE” she cackled. “HE EVEN SENT US A PINK LILY WITH OUR INVITATIONS TO GIVE US A CUE. C’MON, BABY, YOU LOOK AMAZING! BEAUTIFUL AS ALWAYS…”

“You look beautiful too, honey…”she accepted Cassandra's arm and got into the castle, where they crossed paths with Donatello and made a brief salute before parting ways again. 

The reason Donatello didn't get inside is because he was waiting for Lupe and Renée (yes, they chose that name in the end!). The three of them received white daffodils, which is a great color to combine with purple in Donatello’s opinion. You can never go wrong with purple! He was wearing a long-coated, lavender suit with a white blouse underneath, but no tie as he only needed the daffodil on his chest as decoration. Instead of his tech goggles, he was wearing a pair of graduated round glasses with tiny white flowers decorating the golden temples. Shelldon was sitting on his shoulders, wearing the same outfit minus the glasses.

“Hi, queens!” April and Sunita waved at Cassandra and Galatea once they got inside. They were both wearing green sparkling dresses, although April’s was shorter and still wore a pair of green sneakers, while Sunita’s skirt was touching the floor with a tail in the back. They were both granted green hydrangeas with their invitation, and they were also covering themselves with white furry coats.

“You’re slaying today!” Galatea kissed and greeted them.

“BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BIG ASS CAMERA??”

“I mean, I'm a photographer!” Sunita showed the device with pride. “Shooting a wedding is in my nature!”

And then, they finally arrived in their taxi: Lupe was wearing a simple yet elegant purple tube dress but oh, lord, Renée… They wore a pair of lavender suit pants with a white blouse and black suspenders. To top it all, they were sporting a purple bow tie and a daffodil flower crown. All of that, added to the fact they now looked healthier and furrier, made Donatello’s heart skip a beat.

“H-hello…” how could he, the wittiest turtle of them all, be at a loss of words?? 

“Hi...” Renée wasn’t doing any better. “You look… Fine.”

“You look fine as well…”

“Dear God, you’re going to kill me!” someone yelled at them from afar.

It was Leonardo, who wore a baby blue suit alongside David. They wore white ties and small flower bouquets on their chests, both consisting of a red rose surrounded with forget-me-nots.

“How did you get two flowers??” asked Donatello.

“We didn't!” said David. “We added the roses to match his eye marks and my cockscomb.”

“And before you say anything, yes, Hypno loves these bouquets~”

“You met him already?”

“He and Warren are receiving Mikey and Onnie’s present.”

“Did they bring the pooping man in the end??” Renée started cackling.

“No, they brought the pooping wooden log,” Leonardo looked at David with a raised eyebrow. “You have really weird traditions, amigo…”

“¡A mi no me mires, que yo soy del sur!”

“Hey! Our Caga Tió is cute, ok??” Ona made an entrance, crossing her arms in annoyance. “I even applied some magic into it to actually give presents on Christmas Day~”

Both Ona and Michelangelo received sunflowers with their invitations, so he was wearing a pair of orange suit pants, a white blouse, a yellow bowtie and a big sunflower on his chest while she wore a fluffy, cloud-looking, short yellow dress with a giant orange ribbon and several sunflowers tying her waist. Michelangelo was sporting an elegant straw hat, although the others couldn't help to notice Ona missed an antenna…

“A-are you…?” asked Renée, pointing at the axolotl’s head.

“Oh, don't worry, they grow back!” Michelangelo paid no mind and kissed her head. “Besides, asymmetry looks perfect on her!”

“It also shows how much fun I'm having with our training! Being over-sheltered was way worse than this, trust me…”

“If you say so…” everyone muttered. 

But she looked so genuinely happy that they soon forgot about it. 

-o-

If Hypno insisted so much on everyone going as elegant as possible… It was because Warren and him were ridiculously fancier! They wore red suits with golden embroidery and even golden royal crowns to match the castle-themed ceremony. Both of them covered themselves with red and long capes with white fur around their necks.

And everyone was there! The turtles and their partners, of course, and also Splinter, Piebald (with Katy the penguin as her date!), Casey Junior, Bebop and Rocksteady, Big Mama, Draxum, Ghostbear, Señor Hueso (they were going to feast at his restaurant after the ceremony!), and the list goes on! Even Repo Mantis was there, although he looked absolutely devastated seeing Galatea with another person (no, he didn’t connect the dots yet…)

“I now pronounce you,” declared the officiant,” legally married partners, in heart and mind, in body and soul, in love and in life!”

Hypno held Warren in his hands and kissed him passionately, eliciting cheers and ovations from everyone. They ran together to the castle entrance to throw the flower bouquet as high as possible, and then…

Chaos ensued.

“Big Bird!” Leonardo used his odachi to create a portal, David jumped inside of it and reappeared mid-air to catch the flower bouquet until…

Michelangelo used his kusari-fundo to catch David and swing him around cowboy style. “Be careful, man! Chickens are not really good at flying~”

“DUDE! YOU DON’T EVEN WANT TO GET MARRIED!” complained the poor rooster, feeling dizzy already.

“Who says that??” It was Ona’s turn to try to catch the bouquet, jumping high and preparing her spear. “I also want my beautiful wedding in a beautiful castle and a beautiful dress!”

But before she could grab the bouquet, Leonardo used another portal to get between them and push her away. “Sorry, sis-in-law, but we saw that first!”

“Guys, please!” Galatea wanted to rip her own face in shame, but Warren and Hypno were having so much fun. “Could you please behave for five minutes??” But then she realized… Cassandra was also fighting to get the bouquet. “CASS!!”

“WHAT?? THIS IS WHAT MY PRINCESS DESERVES!!”

“Dear God, I’m… UGH, OK, FINE!” she used her tonfas to create a big arm and reach for the flying bouquet… But then April jumped towards it and hit it with her baseball bat.

“Catch it, baby!” she yelled at Sunita.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN “CATCH IT”? BITCH I’M WEARING HIGH HEELS!” she ran as fast as possible, grabbing the tail of her dress, but it was obvious she wouldn't get there in time…

Because it was flying in Donatello and Renée’s direction. The two scientists looked at each other with smug smiles and just moved away in opposite directions, letting Lupe receive the bouquet instead.

“W-what??” she was blushing intensely. “What am I supposed to do with this??”

“Well, I know someone who’s looking for a partner…” Galatea whispered at her and signaled Repo Mantis, who coughed and readjusted himself in response and gave Lupe a seductive smile.

“... Shit, he’s just my type. Ok, Renée, sweetie, mommy is gonna have some fun!”

“See ya!!” the chihuahua smiled and grabbed Donatello’s hand.

“You did that just to spite me!” Shelldon wasn’t really happy about that, though.

“Aw, come on, we still need to go to college first…” Donatello rubbed his head affectionately.

And so, everyone got in their cars and taxis and headed to Run Of The Mill, ready to have the feast of their lives!