Work Text:
Who Keeps Beating Don At Chess?!?!
(Small story loosely based off of Multiverse of Michelangelo by Srae13 (highly recommend!))
2018
“UGGHHHH DARN IT YOU! YOU-YOU EVIL GENIUS!”
Donatello yells from his lab, slamming his fists down on the table.
“Yo, Don, what’s wrong hermano?” Blue says teasingly. “He beat you again?”
The 13th time, the 13th time! This is the 13th time where this online opponent had bested him in a round of online chess!
“Not the time to tease me, leon,” Donnie says bluntly. The other brothers appear behind the blue turtle smirking evily.
“I don’t get it,” Raph says, scratching his head. “You’ve used all your special moves! Every single trick up your sleeve and he still gets you!”
“Maybe it’s a bot! Gasp! Did you make a chess bot?!” Michelangelo says excitedly.
“Oh please, Michael, a chess bot is way below my level,” Don waves offhandedly. “But it can’t be, he’s made small mistakes before, nothing a bot usually makes.”
Donatello angrily types onto the computer:
BootyyyShaker9000: I demand a rematch!!!
The computer dings back and Don groans again.
“Oh great, he’s bored now! He thinks I, ME, am not intellectually interesting enough for HIM !” Donatello rubs his temples.
“And to think, another Donatello smarter than me …”
Silence fills the room. Don realizes his mistake.
“...Donnie? What do you mean by… other… Donatellos?” Raph says concerningly.
Don stares at them and then stares down at the ground.
“Dooooooooooonnnnn, what do you meaaaaannn Doooonnnnn,” Leo whines.
“...So…”, Don trails.
“So?” Mikey repeats.
“Sooooo after our fight with the Kraang, I finally had definitive proof that other dimensions exist. And if that was true, then there had to be other versions of us. ”
“What does this have to do with chess?” Raph tilts his head.
“Spit it out, brainiac,” Leo groans.
Don scowls and rolls his eyes.
“Well, I wanted to know what any common Don would want to know, and see who was the smartest Donatello out of all! Soooo, the greatest challenge had to include skill, planning, and strategy in short time intervals, which is chess!” The purple one states proudly.
“That’s genius!” Michelangelo says in awe.
“I know, Michael, I know. I thought I had battled all the Donatellos, but then this new guy showed up. He’s been beating me at every! Single! Game!”
Don hangs his head low.
“Well, why don’t you just facetime them? Or go on a voice call?” Mike questions.
“Wha.”
“Well, most computer games have some sort of voice or face chat, right? Why don’t you use that?”
“Or make it! That would be interesting, I’d like to see the other versions of me!” Raph says excitedly.
“I bet none of them would be as cool as us though, but I’d like to see whose second best,” Leo says slyly.
“Mike, that’s genius! Why didn’t I think of that?” Don says, mouth agape.
“I have to work! Give me a good half hour or so! Shoo!” Don says, waving his hand.
45 minutes later
“Guys! Come, let me show you my greatest invention yet!” Donnie yells.
All the turtles rush to the lab, hovering around the giant computer.
“Behold!” Donnie waves his hand towards this stylized camera setup, receiving a mix of oohs and ahhs from the crowd of his brothers.
“Donnie, this is amazing! When can we use it!” Raph says.
“I sent a group invitation to the main Donatellos as well as that evil MYSTERY DONATELLO - ahem - to join a face call. Almost all are available.”
The screen shows a big group chat, mostly with Donnie’s, well this Donnie’s, bragging.
BootyyyShaker9000: Hello! It is I, the greatest chess player out of all of you! (well except one).
MetalHead12: Oh great, woohoo
Genius03: What does this guy want now
Glasses16: Just to gloat some more?
BootyyyShaker9000: Oh please, save your cheers and butthurt comments, I have something remarkable to show you! All you have to do is join the facetime call
Glasses16: Oh?
MetalHead12: My scientific curiosity is piqued, I can join
Genius03: Might as well, I’m stuck on this experiment and need a break anyways
“Now, all we have to do is wait for the one that keeps beating me and-”
“No time, D!” Leo says, clicking the facetime button.
The screen pops up and 4 screens appears. The top right is Donatello with his brothers, Genius03 Is a taller looking turtle, dark green and white eyes with no pupils and a darker purple mask. Glasses16 is a much taller looking turtle, although not the nicest to look at, super defined and hunching over his screen. MetalHead12 (12) is a lighter colored turtle, with a gap in his teeth and a less defined appearance. The final person invited is not seen yet.
“Great Galileo! It’s a bunch of me’s!” 12D gasps.
“I had a feeling there were other me’s out there, but I had no idea how to connect to the other multiverses!” 03D exclaims.
“This is one of the best days of my life!” 16D whispers, trying not to alert the others.
“Yes, Yes. It is I, the best Donatello out there.” D says braggingly, making all the other Donatellos groan.
“Is that- Leo?” 12D questions, tilting his head.
“Why of course! Why, am I too awesome for you?” Leo brags, striking a pose
“...meh” All the other Dons say, causing Leo to deflate
“Meh!”
“Well, you are certainly not what our Leos are like,” 16D says uninterested
“Agreed.” 03D nods his head
“Donnie, who are you talking to?” A voice comes from 12D’s side, and out walks another turtle in a blue mask, holding a slice of pizza.
“Look, Leo! Other versions of us!” MH12 exclaims, pointing at the screen.
12 Leo goes wide eyed and approaches the screen
“Woah…wait, is that Raph?!” 12 Leo points.
“Oh, hello!” Raph waves shyly
“Man, you are huge! You must be a hard-to-control hothead, huh?” The blue one continues.
“Oh? Sorry, I’m not really a guy that gets angry. Is that…something your Raph’s do?” Raph questions.
The leo and the three other dons raise their brow.
“Well, you know! Since I’m the oldest and all and the used-to-be leader. Right?” Raph further continues, more concerned.
All the Donnies are surprised while the Leo’s brow still remains raised, unaware.
“Donnie are you sure this is another multiverse?”
“Okay, enough about our Raph, the best Raph, I am here to find the-”
“Best Raph! Who said that!?”
A loud voice came from the same 12 screen, but agreeing noises come from the different Donnie screens.
All of a sudden, a bunch of different Raphs step into the screen, and then their Leo’s, following in curiosity and concern.
“That’s right! Our Raph is the best Raph!” 18 Leo says, daringly. “And anyone who says otherwise can come over here and try to prove me wrong!”
In a collection of mutters, all the Raphs push their Leos and Dons out of the way and take a good look at the camera. Things go silent, until 03 Raph speaks up.
“How tall are ‘ya?”
“Ummm, 7 foot 2 inches?” 18 Raph says even more nervous.
Silence comes from the other side.
“Ye, he is the best,” spouts 03.
The rest mutter in agreement. “What? How? I’m probably not even as strong as any of you!” Says the nervous Raph.
“Yeah, but your taller, and the mask looks cool,” Says 12 Raph. This rest mutter again in agreement.
“Wouldn’t that make you the worst Raph then, since you’re the shortest? Hah!” Says another voice offscreen. 12 Raph growls and runs out of sight, causing a scream from the other side.
“Oh! That must be the other Mikey!” 18 Mikey cheers as he presses his face against the computer.
“Other Mikey! It’s me! Another Mikey!” 18 shouts again.
“Another Mikey! Alright!” Says a Mikey from 16, and all the Mikeys start to appear (besides the Mikey trying to run away from Raph).
“This is amazing! I am a genius! I am a genius! I connected so many of the multiverses together! And to simply prove that I am the best Donatello!” 18 Don laughs evilly into the air.
“Wait, hold on dude. In your messages it says you’ve beat everyone except for one person,” 03 Mikey states.
“Wha.”
“Whoever beat you is the best out of all.”
“Yeah, who is that who beat you?” 16 Don questions.
“Uhhhhh, nothing important-noone important!” Don shifts nervously.
“Wait, you have them in the groupchat, let me see if I can figure out who-” 12 Don starts rambling but stops himself. Wide eyed, he makes all the verses silent when he starts to laugh. He laughs and laughs and laughs.
“Hold on! This is just too good! I have to show this to the others!” 12 D continues.
He types something onto his computer and the other Dons, besides 18, get the message, and they start to laugh like crazy as well.
“What, who is it. Wait, you all have a group chat without me?! Who is it?!?!” 18 starts to say nervously, grabbing the edges of his computer. Even the other Leos, Raphs, and even the Mikeys join in the laughter. 12 Raph even stops chasing his mikey to look at the screen and laugh hysterically.
“No way, that is hilarious!” Says 16 Mikey.
“You know what! You’re just mad that I beat you all! Goodbye!” 18 D says with a huff and ends his part of the call.
On the other side of the call, with the other multiverses, everyone is still laughing.
“That is hilarious! I can’t imagine that ever happening!” 03 Leo says in between breaths. “Yeah, you know what else is funnier?” 12 Raph says, gasping for air, “Since he was able to beat the Don that beat all you other Dons, he’s technically smarter than all of you too! HAHAHAH!” 12 Raph continues as all the other Dons settle down into a quiet horror and realization.
Later on in the day
18 Don’s computer dings, and D depressingly looks at the screen. “Great, probably the other versions trying to laugh at me again.”
However, his eyes light up as he sees it is the mystery opponent, asking if he wants to try another round of chess.
“Oh look! Your buddy’s back,” Leo states happily.
“Yes he is, and this time, I’m going to WIN!” D says with conviction and fire in his voice!
2012
Master Splinter walks into the hallway where the boys’ rooms are and hears clicking noises and sees a glowing light from one of the rooms. Curious, he walks to the entrance and sees Michelangelo on his computer clicking, slightly bored.
“My son, what are you doing up so late? You need to rest,” he says calmly.
“I know, Master Splinter, but I’ve been trying to work on that patience and focus thing you were telling me about. Don recommended this online game and it’s sorta helped.”
“How so? May I come in?” Splinter questions, and Mikey nods happily.
“Well, I’m not the best with logic, but whenever someone plays a move, I get this deep gut feeling telling me what I can do next. It’s not anything I can explain, but it’s something I can sense…sorta.”
“Trusting your senses is a good thing, Michelangelo, sometimes you won’t have the time for anything other than such. Who is this opponent you are playing against?”
“I don’t know him, but he’s really good. Don’t get me wrong, sensei, I get bored super easy. But he’s the only one who’s been making me want to play for more than a round or two,” Mikey responds happily.
Master Splinter smiles, knowing that his youngest son has finally found a friend online (that isn’t secretly a soldier of Shredder’s, using him to try to get to Splinter).
“Well, let this be your final round, and then you have to go to bed. Understood?”
“Hai, sensei,” Mikey says sadly.
Splinter sighs. “Alright, only one more after this and then bed. Goodnight, my son,” Splinter smiles and walks out of the room, Mikey grinning ear to ear.
A few more clicks on his computer, and…
BradfordStanIceCreamCat Wins! Play Again?
BootyyyShaker9000: I DEMAND ANOTHER ROUND
Mikey smiles.
BradfordStanIceCreamCat: Sounds good to me!