#Also Rise Donnie with the technodrome

[a-really-cool-blog-name]

Man, I love it in fanfiction and fan art for the turtles when people give them lasting consequences to like transformation episodes. Like, yeah let 03 Don have red eyes and a longer tail from the events of good genes, let Rise Raph have lasting effects from being possessed, let 12 Don AND Raph have fangs from being literal vampires!

[its-wabby-stuff]

Am I the only one who thinks Donnie would actually WANT to attach to the technodrome again?

My dad convinced me of this after our watch of the movie together, my resident Donatello and technology expert, so here goes.

Obviously, I don’t think Donnie enjoyed being RIPPED from the technodrome, and the connection process isn’t the cleanest thing, but those are the only two downsides really.

Think of what you gain. Complete control of a massive spaceship with all its crazy technology. Control at a thought, not the press of a button or flip of the wrist, a thought. All you have to do is think something and the ship will MAKE IT HAPPEN!! Do you have any idea how impressive that technology is? How incredible that feeling would be? This is the PINNACLE of technology, a once in a lifetime experience that Donnie may spend his entire life trying to recreate. I’m sure Donnie would love to do it again.

It’s like- everything he’s ever wanted.

Ripping him out might’ve been the only way to get him out.

[pageofheartdj]

Partly inspired by that possession post xD I mean, I was already playing with Technodrome!Donnie idea a lot xD

But seriously, it’s such an angst gold mine!! Technodrome particles that stayed in Donnie’s shell and fell dormant, so they weren’t detected by Donnie’s tech and their mystic nullifying powers didn’t allow mystic spells to detect them.

The brother is dead, the sister is locked away in human realm(no longer needed, a threat, an intruder) and the prime is locked away in prison dimenstion with all the dead technodromes and krangs.

Technodrome’s body and flash are destroyed... almost. The last bits gained some energy back and started merging with Donnie, not a conscious being, not really. A living machine that wants to be rebuilt. A machine that gained just a bit of sapience by merging with a very eager mind that sponges everything new, everything that Technodrome can offer.

They(it and he) find the bits of techndrome that are still salvageable. They build a new battle shell. They are more aware of themselves now, of who they are(of what halves they are made from), of what they want.

They are evolution. The progress can’t be stopped.

[daflangstlairde-art]

attached, severed (you're here, you're not), word count: 4,763

Work 2 of DFL's Whumptober 2024

Summary:

The Technodrome never wanted to let Donnie go of its own volition. Krang One quite literally had to pull him out. Something terrible lingers, not quite gone. (Alternatively, The Prison Dimension never wanted to let Leo go of its own volition. Mikey quite literally had to pull him out. Something terrible lingers, not quite gone.)

Okay, so, everything was a little woozy. Leo would be right back on his feet, like, tomorrow at most—sure, Krang One beat up pretty solid, after they’d already had a whole big time fighting, but they're tough! Mutants, huh? Couple of bruises, couple of strains, that sort of thing. Some cracks along his carapace, yeah, yeah, nothing lethal. 

But he was still bed-bound, mostly due to his fam’s worries. He didn't wanna worry them, because he will be okay, he was fine. It was really a very small price to pay for, y'know, saving the entire world. Heroes simply do this kinda thing. It's what they do. 

Anyway, point was: Leo was on pain meds and maybe kinda had just a little concussion. Just a tiny bit. 

So. He was dozing off. The lights in med bay were pleasantly low, and the beeping of the heart monitor and Donnie’s tapping around on his tech were pretty soothing. 

Leo was just focusing on resting. Feeling the way his plastron would gently rise and fall, as the air passed through his nostrils and throat and lungs and abdomen. Yeah, okay, the sensation had to pass through some obstacles, like bruised ribs or a bruised throat, but really, it was okay. Considering everything, it was okay. The bruises were already halfway faded after just a day or two of resting. Or however long it’s been. Not like he was all that conscious for it.

He still had all four limbs. He still had all three brothers alive. Earth kept spinning. Leo kept breathing in the faint smell of antiseptic and bandages. 

So, he didn't really care for a random tap-tap-beep from somewhere off to the side. Donnie was just moving around quietly, doing whatever Donnie did. It was sweet, the way he also fussed. Heck, Leo heard him shoo Mikey and Raph away to go make dinner. 

Leo’s eyes were closed, but he sorta just sensed the presence of his twin approach. Probably to fuss over him more, haha. Man was Leo lucky to have brothers who love him so much. Even when he was being a bit of a dunce. 

He loved them so much. So, so much. It was so much bigger than some bruises and sprains and whatnot. 

He swallowed and oh, he should drink some water. Tried to crack his eyes open. His eyelids stuck, and when they finally gave way to vision, they were heavy. Leo breathed. He blinked lightly, to clear up his sight. 

“Hey,” he said, voice a bit raspy, to the sight of his twin standing over him. Couldn't help but smile up at him. 

...

Donnie was... looking at him weird. A kind of... stare. Kinda like the way your sleep paralysis shadow man stares at you at 3 a.m. haha.

“Wha’s with th’ look?” Leo huffed in amusement. “Got somethin’ on m’ face?” 

Donnie stared. 

He wasn't... really saying anything. Or reacting. Ooor doing anything except keep his hands to his sides. That couldn't be good.

Leo’s mood wilted a little. 

Y'know, it’s fair, it made sense, that Donnie would be mad at him, actually. Or otherwise upset. Leo did kinda cause a whole apocalyptic event... and then almost got himself killed too... and right after he'd given Donnie the chance of a lifetime—to control a spaceship! Probably totally rained on his parade. Leo should ask him how that went later. He was sure it must've been totally badass. 

Maybe asking him now would help his mood...? It was understandable that everyone would be feeling... complicated, after the Krang stuff. But Leo wanted to make them feel happy. He wanted to help them as much as he could. 

“Hey you–” Leo started, and then blinked, trying to catch up with– okay, Donnie’s hand was at his throat. Alright. Maybe that's what he was concerned about. Him and Mikey did watch Leo get a little strangled and almost killed by the Krang-controlled-Raph, yikes. 

Leo tried to make his smile soft and reassuring as best as he could. 

“Hey, I’m alright,” he placated his twin. “I really am, I knew Raph wouldn't actually–” okay, well, he didn't know know, but he had hopes– 

–Donnie’s hands circled his throat. When Leo swallowed, he felt the tight press of it against his brother’s palms. 

“Pretty sure my throat is structurally sound, Dee, you don't have to check,” he joked, voice rasping. He just needed to drink some water. “Hey, can you–”

Donnie squeezed. 

“Okay, okay, keep your water, yeesh!” Leo reacted, sounding appropriately strangled. Except–

Except Donnie started squeezing much harder, and, okay, that was actually hurting–

“Donnie, hey–” Leo tried to speak around his constricted airway, hands lifting, placing them at Donnie’s wrists. “Bro, chill, loosen up a lit–” his words cut off entirely from the pressure, and okay, okay. Uh. 

Donnie was positively gripping his throat now, zero mercy. And sure, Leo could hold his breath for a hot minute, maybe a dozen or two, but his throat was bruised. And the sensation of the walls of his airway pressing against each other and the harsh jab of his larynx and–

Leo’s throat reflexively started spasming, and he gripped Donnie’s wrists in return, legs curling under the blanket. The pressure building in his head. 

Leo tried to jam his fingers between Donnie’s hands and his throat, the way he did with the Krang tentacle thing Raph used. To get just those precious few moments of air, to talk, because it worked with Raph, it had to work now–

But, well, Donnie isn't the Krang. Donnie is smarter. Donnie knows Leo’s affinity for blabbing and with the pressure pressure pressure at his throat, he was giving Leo zero leeway. 

Leo couldn't even yell for help. 

Instead, Leo’s jaw worked soundlessly, popped open with the building pressure, the pressure. It felt like his eyes were going to burst from his skull, and he was choking, now. Lungs spasming, the bottom of his throat convulsing and gurgling. Feet kicking uselessly, tangled under the blanket. 

Leo’s hands were weakly thumping against Donnie’s arms, desperate but never, never hard enough to actually hurt his brother. He was slamming his heels into the gurney to make noise, scrabbling for anything, he didn't have his panic button, anything to grab onto, anything to do, he can't BREATHE–

Lungs convulsing, straining, aching–

“You don't get to escape that easily, little pest,” Donnie spat–

There was drool sliding down Leo’s chin now and hot tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. And he stared up, up into Donnie’s cold eyes, and past the confusion, he tried to plead, Donnie, Donnie it's me, it's Leo, Donnie it’s okay, please just calm down, you're hurting me bro– 

—

After all the stress of the Invasion, Raph only felt a little ridiculous when he finally BUSTEDthat door open. He’d just– he heard the heart monitor! And it was way too fast! Leo could be freaking out after a– a nightmare or something! Who the heck locked the med bay door anyway?! It was usually with a sensor, automatically opening when someone passed, why did someone need to lock–!

And at once, all that sheepishness was blasted away through the sight that greeted him.

In two strides Raph was by Donnie, grappling him and wrenching him away from Leo. 

Leo, who immediately gasped for air like he hasn't breathed in a week. But it was too thin, too weak. Immediately, Raph heard him start choking and coughing and spluttering. 

Meanwhile, Donnie broke away from his stupor, still in Raph’s tight hold. He didn't waste a moment to start thrashing and snarling and biting! To the point where Raph was struggling to hold him! Especially ‘cause he didn't wanna accidentally hurt Donnie! The guy still had his entire torso BANDAGED!!! 

(Raph’s had enough of hurting his family for a lifetime.)

“Donnie!” Raph cried, “Don, chill! What the heck is goin’ on–?!” sure, the twins bickered, but all of them bickered! It was never like this! 

“Let me go you PARASITE–” Donnie sneered at him, and, what??? What?! 

Leo was still gasping and choking, and, and– a-and Raph couldn't handle this on his own, he, he–

“MIKEY!” Raph yelled, “DAD! HELP! SOMETHIN’ IS GOING ON A-AND RAPH CAN'T–” 

Donnie fighting in his arms, clawing at his arms, Leo’s awful awful desperate gasps–

—

“Hold him, Raph!” Mikey’s voice raised against his will, “I think– I think he's infected–!” his hands (hurting, trembling, swathed in bandages) hovered uselessly. 

“INFECTED–?!” Raph’s voice cracked, still wrangling the feral Donnie.

“How?” Splinter’s head snapped towards them. He was taking care of calming Leo down, and the beeping of the heart monitor was still too fast.

“From the ship!” Mikey exclaimed. “It makes the most sense!” right??? Right?! 

Leo, in the middle of coughing and gasping, turned to gape at him. 

Oh. Right. They hadn't told Leo about the ship yet. 

...MORE IMPORTANT THINGS! 

Raph yelped as Donnie finally bit down on his forearm. And Mikey practically saw the word INFECTED slam in Raph’s poor panicking brain, and he wrenched his arm away–

No, no, no– 

Don't panic Mikey, THINK. 

He yanked open a cupboard and then a second and a third–

“DAD!” Mikey yelled because his hands, they were useless right now, he couldn't do it himself–! 

“To me!” Splinter exclaimed and Mikey tossed him the syringe and the bottle. 

“YOU CANNOT DEFEAT THE KRANG, WE ARE INFINITE–” 

And in a few swift moves Donnie collapsed, knocked out by the tranquilizer liquid thingie. 

Splinter drew the needle out of his neck in order to catch him, so he didn't crack his skull on the floor.

They all, collectively, sagged in relief. Heavy breathing filling the room. The loudest of which was Leo’s, labored and struggling. Raph held his arm, where a little bit of blood trickled. 

“O...kaayy,” Splinter drew out. Cleared his throat. “Good thinking, Orange. Uh. Do weee... have... a second bed maybbeeee–?” 

Raph sighed, already moving. “I’ll get it–” 

“Uh, you're bleeding and might be infected, I’ll get it,” Mikey snarked. 

“...Mike, your hands–” Raph hesitated. 

“Can handle a bed on wheels, Raph,” Mikey deadpanned. And then softened up a little, “Do us all a favor and take care of that dang wound,” 

“Yes,” Splinter agrees. “We don't want a second case of this,” 

Or third, rather, but Mikey prided himself on being emotionally intelligent, so he kept that comment buried deep, deep down, and moved along to bring out the second hospital bed. 

—

Donnie is... well. April supposed his reaction was fair enough. 

She’s the one that took charge of driving while the others took care of each other in the back, so she couldn't see that much of it. But she saw enough. 

While she was... okay, sore and sticky with sweat and tired as hell, and probably gonna bruise ugly; she was, objectively, not that bad compared to some others in their group. She was a human, sure, but she knew how to take care of herself, and Splints and Casey Two really helped. They themselves were about in the same boat as her.

The guys? Yeah, they were mutants or whatever, but man. 

Raph’s eye was jacked up, and there was a whole hole in his shell, and his left hand was shaking. Mikey’s both hands were crawling with some worrying mystic nonsense, and through his manic-delighted laughter, she'd caught something about a portal. Leo was... well. Leo, apparently, cracked a quip and dropped unconscious. April thought that spoke volumes about his current state. It ain't easy to knock these thick-headed turtles out.

Donnie’s right hand was also shaking. That was the least concerning part about him. 

His back was... eugh, Casey was taking care of it in the back while April kept her eyes on the road. But she'd seen it for a few moments, when the construct of his battle shell dissipated to make way for treatment. 

It was bad. 

So bad. It was gross. Skin pulled and stretched and torn, like the worst amalgamation of flaccid stretch marks and bloody cuts. Like prosciutto made of dead flesh. April has never seen skin be torn by being pulled apart. Like ripped fabric, but all loose and mangled and eugh. That stuff only happens in horror movies!!! 

She shuddered, clenching her jaw. Trying hard not to gag, because it would not help. Stay strong, O’Neil. 

Maybe it would've been better if Donnie acted normal. And he did! ...For a few moments. After they'd (apparently, somehow, they hadn't shared the details yet) saved Leo, and informed everyone else about this through the comms, Donnie sounded fine! He sounded just as vibrant and relieved and elated as everyone else! 

But in the few minutes it took for Sister Squad to free the Turtle Tank and drive it to Staten Island to pick ‘em up... 

Maybe it was an adrenaline crash. She turned the wheel again, waited for the garage door to open. Entered into the Lair. 

Maybe it was just a simple adrenaline crash. Everyone was visibly exhausted. Raph was swaying on his feet and Mikey was trembling and Splinter was basically limping. 

“Commander–”

“Got it,” April immediately joined Casey’s side to help him lift Leo. He needed a lot more than just emergency first aid, though he seemed stable. “Dee, wanna–” she turned to ask–

Donnie... just stared. 

He just stared. 

This. This is what was worrying her. 

Maybe it was an adrenaline crash. Maybe a shutdown. Maybe processing everything was just too much for him at the moment. 

She was trying really hard to not judge how he was just staring. 

At Leo. 

“...Ooor not, nevermind,” April said quietly. 

Maybe... maybe it was grief. Or something. They did have that whole “twin” thing after all. So. 

“Casey, uh–” April turned back to the guy as they started moving Leo to med bay. “Donnie...?” 

“Not great, but he'll live,” Casey said quietly, picking up where she trailed off. “There was leftover matter, but I couldn't tell if it was dead Donnie flesh bits or dead Krang flesh bits. Just... a lot of dead flesh,”

April shuddered. Gross. Casey, however, kept speaking like the grossness of it didn’t affect him.

“I had to wrap him quickly to stop the bleeding, but I think I’ll need to cut off more of that skin, he'll definitely need stitches in some places but hopefully no grafting–” he spoke briskly, getting onto the task of filling her in on everyone’s condition. As they brought Leo in to med bay, she prepared herself to assist Future Boy with medical treatment. 

Thank fuck for Casey Jones, huh? They always seemed to save the situ at the most critical times. Bless.

They started hooking Leo to an IV drip and a heart monitor and stabilizing him, a flurry of movement. April doing her best to follow through on whatever instructions Casey handed out—man, he was definitely experienced with this, the way he worked fast but efficient and calm. 

And to her even bigger relief, Donnie joined in. He seemed to be in a daze, disoriented maybe, but he started pulling up scanners and data on some monitors in the room. 

His hands kept... kinda lagging. His face remained... well. Well. It's like his face simply wasn't a part of the rest of his system, just slapped on top. 

But, well. He was helping them. So. 

Maybe it was okay. 

...April would just... pull him aside, once Casey’s done with him too. Donnie was definitely not in a talking mood right now, but leading him through some grounding, maybe some comfort, it might help. Get him to drink water, get his headphones on, that sort of thing. 

Oh, and then she should also do that for the rest of the fam too. 

With an action plan in mind, April O’Neil focused on the task at hand.

—

There was something wrong with Leo, Donnie was sure of it. And he was sure it happened while he was in the Prison Dimension. 

He just didn't know what. 

It was fine mere moments ago! It was fine during his altercation with Raph dearest! It was fine. 

It was not fine anymore. 

But no matter how much Donnie stared at Leo, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He didn't stop staring at Leo’s prone form in the Tank, in fact. And all he had as proof at the moment was this wriggling, invasive pulse of something's wrong, something's wrong, something is seriously wrong.

Something was so, so wrong with his brother. 

Donnie couldn't help but feel a... revulsion, looking at him. Something that made him curl his hands into fists, nails pressing in. 

He felt like if he stopped looking at Leo for even a smidge of a moment, he would... he would... he didn't know. Donnie didn't know. And he hated it. 

He felt like Leo would snap up and lunge at him. Or their brothers. He felt like Leo would die on the spot. He felt like– he didn't know. 

All he could do was stare. 

He didn't register anything else. It was only this. It was only this. 

Buried in his shell, this bone-deep conviction that something was disgustingly wrong, and the moment he took his eyes off of Leo, it would all surface with a bang. 

He wanted–

He needed–

Donnie needed to know. 

So he stared. He watched, he observed, he waited. 

When they brought Leo home, he took advantage of the moment. While O’Neil and Jones took care of the... remnants of violence on Leonardo, Donnie did one of the things he did best: he collected data. 

It was simple: just a scan whilst the other two hurriedly patched up wounds. And when that scan showed nothing out of the ordinary—a second one. And when that yielded no more results—a third one. 

And when Leo’s injuries were taken care of, when everyone’s injuries were taken care of–

(Skin flesh living snipping away from his back–

No, no, no, they would live. They would live, they would triumph.)

–Donnie simply sat and watched. 

For a bit, Raphael and Michelangelo and the rest were with him. For a bit, everyone took care of each other. Then–

Oh who cares?! 

It was waiting, it was injuries, it didn't matter. None of it mattered! It all fell into a blur. 

Until, finally, finally. 

Donatello knew. 

It was as easy as locking the medical bay’s entrance. It was as easy as a few steps to his “brother”’s body, laying on the hospital bed, bruised and cut and ruined and wrong wrong wrong. 

That was not Leonardo. 

Donatello knew. It. 

He knew it the way he knew his own heartbeat. 

That... thing, inside that body, was not his brother. 

He saw it. He saw its true nature, the way its skin wriggled. Tendrils under the surface, eating away at the insides and taking their place.

It was something so ugly, so heinous, so repugnant that it was difficult for the mind to conceptualize and therefore circled right back around to awe-inspiring. 

It was as easy as his hands around its disgusting little throat. 

It spoke to him in his brother’s voice, the wretched thing. How dare, how dare it use his brother’s voice, his smile. 

Donatello wanted to rip it apart. It was a nuisance, a parasite, a pest. Lowly and disgusting and undeserving of its breath HOW DARE IT BE FREE HOW DARE IT LIVE–

—

Donnie woke up sore and dazed. 

“Wh... huh...?” he muttered, swallowing dry, trying to blink for the sake of his vision clearing. What... did he fall asleep...? 

He lifted his arm to–

He– couldn't lift his arm. Huh. That's... odd...

Donnie blinked, everything a bit blurry at the edges. A little cotton-y. He felt a bit nauseated, to be quite frank. Not a pleasant thing to wake up to. 

There was... noise. Speech. Somebody was saying something. To him. 

“What...” he muttered again, lifting his arm– nope. Right. Right right right, he... couldn't do that. Hm. 

Did he get kidnapped by the government? 

...Mmm, no, no. There was the beeping of a heart monitor, the smell of antiseptic, yes. But he's always had sensitive senses. Beyond that, he could hear... papá’s shows? Breathing in the same room, as well. He could smell home. Raph was here. 

Raph smelled like... hm. Something sharp, tangy, sort of unstable. But warm. 

Worry, concern? Perhaps hesitation? Meh, Donnie has never been good at parsing emotions. 

“Donnie? ...You with us?” floated in his older brother’s voice.

“Mm,” Donnie affirmed, trying to look around more properly. Yes, the medical bay. Yes, Raph, alongside Mikey. 

...Hm. That's... odd. Why was Donnie strapped down on a gurney, exactly? 

“Wha...” he vocalized, staring down at the restraints. He didn't even know they had those. Maybe The Fam simply used a couple of belts. 

“Heeeyyy buuuddd, how... are you feeling?” Raph approached, with a careful smile.

“Confused, disoriented even,” Donnie stated. “Uh. Nauseated. Do I... do I have a concussion?” he tried blinking, squinting.

“...You could... say that,” Raph said, trying to be gentle in an off-putting manner.

“Boy you were infected!” Mikey delicately informed him and–

And.

Donnie’s brain blue-screened as it loaded the history of what he'd done.

Oh, dear Cain. 

What has he done? 

The way he’d stared at and spoken to Leo, contemptuous, inimical, disgusted. Murderous. 

The way his palms had wrapped around his very own twin’s already bruised throat, feeling the fragile pulse under, the pulse he’d scrambled to preserve. Head deluded by thoughts and visions of parasites, of wriggling little things under the skin, hidden and revolting and deadly. 

The way he’d squeezed–

A single tear rolled down his face, soaking into the bed sheet of the gurney. 

“BUT WE FIXED IT!” Raph was quick to exclaim, worry cranked right up at Donnie’s absolute stupor, the horror no doubt glinting off the whites of his eyes. “We, we–!”

“CJ and Barry cut it all off!!! You're totally clean, Dee!” Mikey attempted with increased cheer. 

But all Donnie could think was no, no, no, how could he do this? Is this how Raph felt? How could this happen? 

What had he done? 

“Donnie, hey, hey, it's okay, you gotta breathe,” Raph reached out a hand, forehead scrunched in anxiety. Donnie flinched back, but it's like it wasn't him. He could hear the rapid alarm of his electrocardiogram, but he could not connect it to the existence of the heart beating within his ribcage.

It's like he wasn't himself. 

How could he possibly recognize if he's not himself? 

His older brother was talking to him, but it was all static, it was all ringing. It was sinking into a squirming-squelching-living nightmare, repugnant and alive and all-encompassing oh unholy Lorecraft– 

Shouts, a clattering– 

Red and green turned away from his face, and, and– 

Replaced by green and red and blue, blue, blue. Standing over him, smiling. Green skin and red markings, white eyes and red bruises, blue mask, blue bruises, colors of the flesh of the flesh the flesh– 

“Heeyyy bro,” a jarring moment, a smile, how could he be smiling? “Wanna help me calm down real quick? I’m feeling a lil’ panicky here,” 

Something inside Donnie reached out, fell into line at that. His hand shot up–

–no, it didn't, they were restrained, the hands he'd used to– 

Lighter green. Unlatching the restraints.

“Leo–!”

“You said he's fine now, so chiiilll it's fiiine! Donnie would never hurt me,” 

Donatello never would, but how could he possibly be sure he’s Donatello? 

Hand freed. He jerks them back close to himself, pushed himself away. 

“Hey, hey, naw don't do that, or I might get sad,” pouting, silly, like it's all fine and not horror-inducing. “Mikey, could you get a glass of water, and Raph– yeah the blanket–” 

“His headphones too–?”

“Oh great idea, yeah, totes– Dee? Donnie-dee? Wanna show me how to breathe, huh? I can't get my numbers straight,” Leo’s eyes back to him, smiling, smiling. 

The image of his beatific smile as Donnie’s hands strangled him to death– 

The way he’d smiled at Raph as he was being STRANGLED TO DEATH–

Why was he SMILING?! 

There was something wrapped around Donnie’s lungs and squeezing, and his brain screamed KRANG KRANG KRANG–

“Donnie, focus on me,” Leo snapped his fingers in front of his face and Donnie wanted to bite him, Leo knew how much that irritated him–!

Wait, why the flippity pancakes was Leo OUT OF BED?! 

The panic, jittery and sharp and ringing, was suddenly replaced by anger, jittery and sharp and ringing.

“Why,” Donnie hissed, and his suddenly narrowed focus picked up on Mikey stiffening several feet away. Leo, smiling, calm, subtly moved to cover it. 

“Why wh–”

“WHY ARE YOU OUT OF BED.” Donnie seethed, high-pitched, hands on Leo’s shoulders. Shaking him a bit. Leo was smiling and it felt surreal.

Leo was smiling the entire time Donnie was strangling him to death. 

Leonardo, his beaten and bruised brother, his brother wrapped in bandages– the idiot, he must've torn something getting up to reach Donnie because he was bleeding through said bandages–

Leonardo, his brother who’d dished out serene reassurances before throwing himself into a death trap– 

–was just smiling at him. 

God, he hadn’t even fought back. 

He didn't even fight back. 

“Why didn't you fight back?” Donnie’s voice broke over whatever Leo had been saying. “Why, why did you– I-I w-was going to kill you–” horror, oh horror. 

“What?” Leo blinked, and he turned as Raph walked back in, yet Donnie had mind only for one thing and it was his stupid, stupid twin. 

“Why didn't you fight back? Leo, why didn't you do anything?” Donnie spoke in desperation. He needed to know. It would ruin him, but he needed it. Just like the stream of information from Technodrome, the knowledge was cursed and horrifying, and yet he needed to know. “I could have killed you are you listening to me? Leonardo you could have DIED–” 

“Hey,” Leo, bleeding, supposed to be resting, smiling, was putting a weighted blanket over Donnie’s shoulders. He offered Donnie his noise-canceling headphones, and Mikey was finally handing over that water he’s been holding for minutes now, hands shaking. Leo was looking him in the eyes, and saying “It wasn't your fault, bro,”

Donnie stared back at him, shaking with the shock of– of– frankly? Of everything. There was a parasite in his brain, apparently, right after the Invasion, so it was all crashing on top of him in the worst way possible. 

“Took you guys long enough,” Leo had said, had smiled and laughed and hugged them, like it was fine, but it wasn't, it. Wasn’t. 

There was absolutely no conceivable way for Leo to have known Mikey could rip apart reality itself. There was no conceivable way he’d known there was any way out. 

And the Krang were hateful, hateful things. Donnie would know. 

So Donnie stared at his twin, smiling and saying something to Mikey that made their little brother crack a laugh. Donnie held a glass of water in one hand and noise-canceling headphones in the other, given to him by his twin Leonardo, Leonardo whom he’d strangled with those very hands. 

“I’m so sorry,” broke out of Donnie, crushed and angry and disbelieving and sad and loving and grieving and ecstatic. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry–”

“It’s okay,” Leo said, easy, “Hey, it’s okay, it wasn't your fault,” he opened his arms and Donnie put the items aside to drag Leo into a hug. Leo oofed and laughed, and a tension dropped from Raph’s shoulders as well. 

“You're okay Marsh-Tello,” Leo said, teasing and lighthearted, rubbing the back of Donnie’s neck instead of his bandaged shell. “It wasn't your fault, mkay? It was those big dumb aliens, and we got it all off. It wasn't your fault,” he reassured Donnie, Donnie, as if Leo wasn't the hurt one, as if Leo wasn't the one who’d nearly died several times. What a moron, apparently caring for others even at the end of his own rope, what a dummy. 

Donnie just shook his head, holding the idiot closer. He reminded himself to not hold him too closely, because Leo was still littered with injuries, including cracks in his shell and his inner ribs. And now Donnie knew, if he wasn't careful, Leo wouldn't even eek in pain about it. 

His twin. His idiot. Gah.

Donnie squeezed his eyes shut and held him close. 

[indieyuugure]

Will 12 Aprils powers be affected bc of Krang Prime at all? Will he notice her bc she’s part Kraang or is that not part of the story? Freaking love this comic btw. You’re making me lose my mind /pos

In a way yes. It’s sort of mention here and there that mystic powers screw with April’s psychic powers.

April isn’t able to sense Rise Donnie’s presence behind the door because he had his Ninpo activated. She also couldn’t sense the portal crystal in the Technodrome because of the mystic energy in the room.

I imagine it works by the mystic energy is similar to her psychic powers but not similar enough to be compatible and so the energy just screws up he powers. It’s almost like looking at something, and then looking at something underwater. The water is like the mystic energy, if that makes sense at all.

As for Krang noticing her connection to the Kraang, I’m thinking I will try to work that in, I think there’s some potential there!

Good question! :]

[mutantninjamidlifecrisis]

Hi <3

What do you think happened to the Kraang after the rottmnt movie? The leader Kraang was sealed away, sure, but the other two are still around, right? (I don't know if there's a canon explanation post-movie, but I would love to hear your headcanons)

Hi! Thanks for asking,

I believe Krang-Two (got her eye blown out by April then crushed by a wrecking ball by April) got trapped in a block of ice by the Earth Protection Force after Leo closed the portal, which I believe would have introduced different storylines in future rise seasons related to Agent Bishop and the EPF's evil scientific studies/eugenics. It's a real shame because whenever Agent Bishop is in play in a turtles show one of the boys inevitably gets captured and everyone has to band together to rescue them and it's an all-round fun trope that we never got to see. And I can only imagine the fun the writers could have gotten up to with Krang-Two in the hands of that organization.

It's also one of my headcanons for the bad future fam that due to the Krang being such a major threat, the Resistance would have a very unstable 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' relationship with the Earth Protection Force. Given that the Resistance is so ideologically opposed to that organization though it's a cause for a lot of headaches for Leon and the alliance doesn't hold for long. (If you want to know more about the EPF you should watch the 2003 series. Or read the wiki page).

In the movie Mikey and Donnie severed Krang-Three's connection to the technodrome before Donnie took control of the ship. According to turtlepedia he also got sent to the prison dimension? I don't recall this happening but it's been a while since I last watched the movie. Imo if any Krang escaped it probably would've been this guy.

[getindumdums]

ROTTMNT X TMNT- How to write around Post-Movie Rise being overpowered

Want to write a rottmnt meet tmnt fic? Well here’s some ideas on how you can write the rise crew with all their powers but still include your 87/03/12 bros in the fight!

1. The Rise Crew are dumbasses.

When you’re turtles that fall for ‘teetlze’, there may be a plan or two where they fall for the silliest of things. Like even a 87 shredder plan right along with the 87 turtles. Or they crave fun and get in a little trouble. Like. IDK. They were doing stunts and crashed into tar pits. Got trapped in the Turtle Tank. Got distracted and are trying to get a weapon that got lodged into concrete/a building out. Or a skateboard out of a tree, and are making the situation way over complicated. Get creative.

Maybe they forgot a mission, or got lost because of a silly reason. Like, they wrestled and fell off a cliff. Maybe down a river. Make Leo get hit too hard and comidically woozy. (Or a tranq dart.) Yeaaaahhhh surrrre. I’ll teleport you guysss… *teleports to France.

Maybe they said they’d meet separately at the beach/fun place. But the 87/03/12 crew get attacked and the Rise crew is just chilling wondering where they’re at. “Oh no! They can’t hear them! The music’s blasting too loud!”

2. The Rise turtles are loud.

Sure they can sneak, but will they? Plus things like to explode after the sneaking. (03/12 tmnt are kind of like this too honestly.) Point is maybe they’re like “All in favor of leaving (The Mad dogs) team behind say Aye.” “Aye.” For a stealth mission. Could add 03/12 Raph wanting to include Mikey in that.

They could be put on ‘support’. Rise Leo’s teleporting could leave to a last second save, Rise Donnie’s pods too (he would probably put trackers in his counterparts as soon as he could, also blood samples). Rise Raph could prevent the building the others are inside from collapsing. Actually all of the Rise crew could catch them from falling to their deaths or hold back a giant enemy’s strike.

3. Put out of Commission.

There’s a couple ways the Rise Crew could get put out of commission that isn’t getting hit too hard. Being temporarily blinded by tear gas (they jumped in first), allowing them to still fight but being the ones reliant on whoever they’re with. Tranquilizers would incapacitate them for like an hour or less. Similarly, getting poisoned with a lethal dose that’d kill the other teams. The way Draxum made them allowing these toxins to be less lethal to them. Magical traps, magic/alien restraints, or captured with the highest/most durable alien tech could also get interesting.

4. Let the Rise Crew take on the Big threats.

Like on how Rise Raph will act like a shield for his bros by taking on the enemies his size, the Rise crew’s focus can be set towards the larger than a building enemies, like (12) Traaq and Granitor, (03) Nano, etc. They could defeat/distract a shredder, attack a technodrome, or handle a way too large foot/Kraang army Leatherhead/03 Triceraton style while the 03/12 team handle the other stuff. Or worse, the Rise crew could fight some of THEIR old enemies.

As strong as the Rise crew are, both 03 and 12 have 12/13 tech/steel that’s very strong and durable. And both are used to defeating threats ‘way out of their league’. The 87 turtles can cleave through ‘technodrome’ mechs like butter. Just something to consider.

5. They are the Big Threat

I’m not the biggest fan of feral Rise. They lean more violent/murdery than in character and small bruising. I love comedy, shenanigans. But that doesn’t mean the Rise crew being brainwashed isn’t a good plot line where the other alternate brothers must save them. From 12’s parasitic wasps, neck brainwashing devices, to 03’s utrom/Baxter Stockman tech: duplicate robots looking/fighting like them, simulations turned violent, you can get a couple ideas from all the shows. Or how about misunderstandings? 03 doesn’t have Krang, but peaceful utroms. The Rise crew might start fighting before learning from 03 crew or the Utroms themselves that they are not a threat.

Bonus, Conflict

I think the 03 and 12 bros might see the Rise crew as another 87 initially. They’re all silly, funny guys that like to dance and party. Including Funny One Donnie. The 87 team and Rise would get along great, thick as (pizza) thieves. Have a way too strong enemy? Well maybe the Rise crew is 87’s plot armor while they fight side by side. 03 would be most responsible (excluding Mikey), and be quick to warm up to the Rise crew. And be willing to train with them, give them advice/lectures. 03 Raph would like Donnie, 03 Leo would like Raph for sure.

It’s the 12 crew that I think they would have the most conflict with, (except Mikey). Instead Rise Mikey kicks him (and 12 Leo, and the 87 crew) violently out of the kitchen, and would just be the most reasonable Mikey. Rise Leo would lead/ partake in shenanigans with anyone willing and switch like a lamp on (at least serious) missions.

The Rise crew are used to listening to Raph, they trust Raph. Maybe they trust 87/03/12 Raph. It’s a bad idea. Maybe Rise Donnie wants to do comically- villain lethal options instead or just argue against the Leo’s’ plans. Like a Raph. Maybe he fist fights 12 Raph. But they become friends after.

Maybe Rise Leo wants to have fun. Maybe he claims to be the cool Leo while secretly wanting to impress the other Leos but 12 Leo hates him. Maybe Donnie claims he’s the cool Donnie but 12 Donnie hates him. Really hates him, with a seething jealousy. Maybe 12 Donnie is plotting murder 12 Casey style. Maybe Rise Donnie loves playing around with weapons with 03 Raph and destroying things with 12/03 Raph.

I just actually like the idea of each of the Rise turtle not getting along with their 12 counterparts. Instead Rise Leo gets along with 12 Mikey via pranks (and Dimension X and how they feel about their place in their team). Maybe 03 Mikey too. Rise Raph gets along great with the the Leos (and Splinter?), leadership and training. Donnie would get along great with the Raphs. I think he and 12 Raph would both think 03 Raph is SUPER cool. And Rise Mikey would get along well with the Donnies being the ‘reasonable’ one of the Rise crew. Rise Mikey I believe helps his Donnie in the lab, steady hands. And probably knows the classical music composers, etc. Maybe Mystic Mike, practicing his magic, is great at meditation, magic, and gets great talks with Splinter. Rise Mikey could finally give 03 Don some therapy. …And maybe any of the other traumatized turtles.

Transversing the multiverse

Is actually easy. Maybe let it be. They could go back and forth, and the real conflict can be the enemies they face/are investigating.

87 has a device from the 12 crossover, and that can just built a device no sweat. 03 still probably has their device from Turtles Forever (unless 87 has it?). 03 has the Daimyo from their battle nexus that can travel dimensions with his staff. 12 has Krang portals. 12 had a magic wand they lost. The Rise crew has Leo and Mikey’s portals and their Donnie. If the others could create bridges so can Rise D. He has the most advanced tech, a comedic-looney tunes logic/4th wall breaking touch like 87, and has pictures of 12 and 87 on his conspiracy board. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. sent a toaster back in time, I’m convinced that Donnie had drafts for a time machine already but the Kaang invasion left alternate-future him with a lack of resources Cass-Apocalypse style, those drafts destroyed with the lair, and/or new prototypes destroyed. Future him Raph a robot body like 12 Don did to himself before something happened that didn’t allow Rise D to make one/be transferred into one for himself. There’s no way Rise Donnie is taking more time to make a portal gun longer than a Turtles Forever movie.

[glitched-username]

@starsinthenigth YES! YOU GET IT! Also Rise Raph using his projection body as a shield for his brothers??? And just the image of the giant fist punching Leo during the Warren/hypno fight and the train car scene during the movie, just great!

I like to think that it took a bit of for him to get used to using that power because he didn't really know his own strength or how it really worked but after getting comfortable with it knows PERFECTLY how to mess with his brothers and also keep them safe without accidentally hurting them (too bad lol) in the process

And like the first couple times he DID activate his powers was from jumping in to save his family (origami tsunami and bug busters) so yeah super over protective

Like COME ON LOOK AT THIS

This dude is a fucking mech and I love it

Also alligator snapping turtles never stop growing while box turtles, sliders and soft shells tend to stop at adulthood

So like using a new calculation method called "eyeballing it" I have concluded that future Raph has got to be like 9-10 feet tall (mostly comparing past Leo's height to future Leo with Casey and then comparing future Leo to future Raph )

Point being, imagine how much he would've grown if he survived til the events of the movie. Bro wouldn't even NEED the projections at that point.

God, super intimidating looking but sweet giants are my favorite and we NEEDED to see more of that projection interact with the rest outside of fighting scenarios

Also side tracking to say that Mikey is also super "tiny who doesn't realize/care that they're tiny" coded. If he was like a borrower or something I have no doubts he would still be just as strong/razzmatazz heavy as he is now. Just casually throwing himself off buildings cause he knows either his family will catch him or he'll catch himself. And everyone in the family is just used to it.

Donnie even made an invention that stops him from razzmatazzing and Mikey just used it to be even MORE chaotic

When I'm in a g/t coded show with a near nonexistent g/t fandom competition and my opponent is tmnt

Also bonus: Donnie in the technodrome

[los-ninos-tortugas]

Do you think Rise Donnie had any lasting effects from merging with the Technodrome?

I am definitely in the boat that he did, however I don't have a singular headcanon for what exactly those lasting effects could entail. Because honestly in my opinion it could go a lot of ways, whether it's that he has PTSD from the incident and newfound sensory issues or if some piece of the technodrome is still connected to his nervous system. I suppose it also depends on whether or not you believe the technodrome has its own form of sentience and was in communication with Donnie during that time of if the technodrome is more of a blank slate and Donnie fully submerging himself in the controls was the first time it experienced anything like consciousness (heh, people are always wondering if parts of the technodrome got left behind in Donnie, now I kinda wonder what would happen if a "piece" of Donnie got left behind in the technodrome). I don't think there's a singular way to go about it and even in my own writing/imaginings- if I'm writing something that's post-movie- I tend to adjust that storyline/lore to work with the plot rather than rigidly sticking with one idea for everything and forcing it to work.

[the-fandom-fuckup]

How do you think triceratons were introduced into Rottmnt?

like, in universe? bc after getting this n doing some research (I haven't seen much of them before this, tbh) I was thinking about how they could've come around n started causing issues for the turtles n gang

there were a few points of interest that stood out while I was scanning a few wiki articles for them, 1. being that they seem to fight the prototype kraang/Utroms across a few of the tmnt iterations and 2. being that they like to take other civilisation's tech n integrate it into their own

so maybe in Rise they have a feud with the Kraang that spans back millennia, like beef that's older than the human race. and maybe since the disappearance of the Kraang in this sector of our universe the Triceratons have been looking for clues as to where they could've gone, n found our little planet in the process.

now I'll be real, I haven't thought very far ahead into what would keep them from touching down here between that event and the events of the movie. maybe it's as simple as our tech n resources don't seem interesting enough for a planetary visit or smth, maybe they were biding their time until smth interesting enough happened, idk

but what does catch their attention is the sudden spike of Kraang activity in the movie, n the fact that this seemingly insignificant planet was not only able to fend them off so swiftly, but also destroyed one of their precious Technodromes in the process. bc now the Triceratons know there's at least smth here that can mess them up, but the appeal of free Kraang tech being up for grabs is too tasty to pass up, so they send out a scouting pod or two to search for any wreckage they can find.

which, if we follow the plan the writers had about Casey Sr + Jr travelling the world to annihilate any traces of the Kraang left behind, would put them on the Caseys' radar. and maybe the Caseys attack first n *think* about asking questions later, but in their defence a new alien race taking interest in anything related to the Kraang can not lead to anything good

and you know the Caseys are gonna touch base back with the turtles n tell them about what's going on after beating the Triceratons' asses, which leads to Donnie finding the other scouting pods in the area and starting a bunch of shenanigans/issues that I'm too tired to think about rn lmao

[sabrondabrainrot]

Merry Christmas and TMNT Update!

Merry Christmas everyone! Just some updates but I've been hard in the TMNT brainrot. So first of all I just binged through the first 3 seasons of TMNT 87 AAGH SO GOOD it's so cute I love the boys so much! I finished 12 and WOW what a rush! Leo is the type of brother who would just carve his entire heart out for his family (and he basically does.) Raph is like the best brother, he grows SO much and cares SO much. Donnie is so adorable too, I'm glad he grew out of being a simp. He's a really sweet brother when he's not being like a stalker. Mikey literally saved them so many time just wow, what a lad. I love the dynamics of 12 so much. it's written like a tele-novella soap opera, but I say that only with love.

I'm on season 3 ep 7 of tmnt 03 and I saw Raph meeting a blind old lady who owns a cat and my heart melts, planning to actually rewatch that ep just cause my dogs interrupted the entire episode.

I also got my friend to sit with me and watch the 2007 tmnt movie and the Rise tmnt movies recently and they are literally amazing movies. I really hope Rise wins it's nomination.

I've been taking an obsessive amount of screenshots of tmnt 87 and sending live dms to a friend on discord, and I just wanna share some of my fav screenshots.

I wanted to take screenshots of 03 and 12 and Rise while watching them but the streaming platforms prevent me from taking screenshots.

This was such a cute episode, Michelangelo was so sad to not have money for a boogey board and Raphael towel whipped him and Leonardo in the back trying not to laugh out loud was so funny.

This ep was also great because it just ends with Splinter being stuck in this other dimension and the turtles are like "how do we save him!" and hitch a ride on an alien ship and just follow along and April is like "you can't leave me!" and next thing you know Splinter is shimmying his way to freedom and lands on them.

I don't remember this ep title, but I just think the goobers looking all sad is so cute and funny.

Leonardo was being devious

I took this screenshot too cause they just look so cute and small XD

I love how short and small they are, I just want to squeeze them.

This is the episode that introduced 87 Leatherhead and they went back to Florida, I just think them looking sad while sinking was so funny looking.

I took a million screenshots on birthday boy mikey episode. He's so adorable and sweet. He got sad and ran away from home and was hooked up like this flushomatic torture device and idk it was so silly and so many cute expressions were in this ep.

Just a bunch more super cute moments. Like no one said how they acted when they got sick and I was not ready for them to be begging April and Splinter for attention and baby talking for more care. It was so cute and sweet. I also screenshotted Donnie falling cause his face cracks me up. I still can't get over how they're literally just little babies and April is totally their mom. (she reads them bedtime stories, it's canon)

He was so excited to film a turtle work out video.

This is one of the last frames of the season 3 finale and I think it's so funny they got rid of the Technodrome once and for all by sending them back to dimension X and they don't even look that happy. They're literally being celebrated and look so bummed out about it

BTW I have paramount but they don't have past season 2 available right now so I started watching it on internet archive, it's all there for free if you ever want to get your Cowabunga fix. (it's also why I could even take so many screenshots)

[afreakingdork]

Hiii, I have a question, I don't know if you've answered one like this before, but here goes

If the bad timeline we see in the rise movie had occurred in the Weak Spot plot context - with Donnie being separated and such - do you think the hardships would've forced them to join forces and/or give their relationship try?

Or would've they stayed separated, each suffering their own fate?

I've talked to someone about this, but I genuinely can't remember if it was on here or in a DM. This is why all questions are welcome! Repeat or not! 😂

Sadly, Donnie would not have made it. Note to keep in mind: most of his tech is connected to the neural link. This extends to his tech gauntlet and battle shell. The former is what you see grow into gloves and claws in chapter 19. While Donnie is mostly brain, we've also seen he's pretty damn feral. Because of this, his villain suit has levels that can be reached when he's starts to lose control and acts on instinct. These are:

Form 1: bug

Form 2: scorpion

Form 3: lion fish

Form 4: ê̵͂l̵̍̏d̶̐͗r̷͗̇i̸̐̚t̴̏͝c̴̐̎h̶̓̎

The first is the usual costume pictured here where mobile isnt letting me do links anymore

https://www.tumblr.com/shiftandshade/713089584050864128/afreakingdork-s-villain-donnie-suiting-up-for

I'm absolutely miserable without my laptop y'all.

Anyway, the second forms been reached quite a few times. Shades drawn that too but it was a sketch so I'm not sure I can share, but form 3 is exceedingly rare, with form 4 having only been reached twice in Donnie's life.

One of those times was the krang invasion. This Donnie never made it onto the technodrome. He was stuck fighting for his life on land. He barely survived and only because the others won. It was part of the cinching reason he started to modify his body. You gotta think, he's seeing technology that is eons ahead of what earth is capable of, a strength of which there is basically no comprehension, and the bros make it while Donnie has to push his body to the absolute limits to scrap by? Plus the boys have ninpo and he doesn't? It's the full weight of his inadequecies and drives him mad.

But that's Weak Spot, right?

In bad future, he never exited form 4. He eventually succumbs, becomes krangified and nearly wipes out humanity with in the first few months of the invasion through his tech alone under the krang control. The brothers are barely able to take him out (I imagine this is where we lose Raph and Splinter) and it's a devastating blow to existence, but they persevere to make it so Junior is still born and the timeline otherwise carries on to save the other.

Reader is inconsequential, but no one makes it in bad future except Junior...

[error-core-animations]

I think the rise kraang were engineered to be bioweapons. The Technodrome, an explicitly biotech machine, when it's crushed, explodes, y'know, with fire. This indicates that it started as a regular electronic spaceship, but was taken over by the Kraang to be used by them specifically.

We see a triceraton skull being used as a throne in the movie. This implies the ship was the triceraton's, but they were killed by the Kraang. I think, from the way the Technodrome is talked about, that it's been in the possession of the kraang for a long time.

I think the triceratons made the kraang to be used to kill and conquer, but it backfired, and the triceratons were wiped out. This draws some interesting parallels to our protagonists- also bioengineered weapons that turned against their creator (temporarily).

Kraang Prime would parallel to Raph (leaders, he possessed her), Sister Kraang is Leo's parallel (second in commands, both very energetic), Brother Kraang is Mikey (portal stuff, shortest)

But! You may ask. Who is Donnie? There's only three Kraang!

Nay, my dear reader.

There's four.

The Technodrome was taken over and controlled by the Kraang. It's old- very old. Possibly old enough to have gained its own conscious mind from the kraang infection. And it is this, the spaceship, who shared Her body and mind with him, who corresponds to Donnie.

[tmnt-obsessed-ace]

2012 Leo deserves to go a little apeshit

As a treat

So you remember a couple of months ago when I mentioned how 2012 Leo in the Krang Apocalypse future creates a reverse version of the Healing Hands that instead of the user using their own energy to heal it instead takes away the energy of others and give it to the user while also corrupting the user's soul?

You remember how 2012 Leo ends up in the 1987 dimension?

That deadly power was born from pure grief and pure RAGE when all three of his brothers died on the same day.

Something similar is going to happen

2012 Leo searches everywhere for his brothers, as 2012 Raph, Donnie and Rise Donnie all jumped into the portal to the prison dimension to try and save Rise Leon before they got separated in a massive flash of light and a loud explosion.

So when 2012 Leo ends up in the 1987 dimension ALONE without his brothers after everything that happened in the Riseverse...he's gonna assume that they're dead. (He doesnt have any evidence of this aside from Rise Leo's cracked katana that fell through with him, but he doesnt have any evidence proving that theu arent dead either. Logically they probably ended up in different dimensions as well but 2012 Leo is far too stressed to be thinking logically right now)

And then he sees the 1987 Technodrome in the distance and. He. LOSES. IT.

The only thought on his mind is "Dont let my brothers die in vain. Avenge them!"

He breaks into the technodrome and as soon as he locks eyes with 1987 Shredder and 1987 Krang.

God help them.

He goes absolutely feral, trying to rip and tear them and the entire Technodrome apart.

Shredder and Krang are completely outmatched and it only gets worse when 2012 Leo grabs Shredder by the throat, the rage barely contained.

And thats when it happens.

The rage reaches a peak, burning like fire under his skin. A deep hatred for the man squirming under his grip triples in size.

The fire needs fuel.

2012 Leo screams out his hatred for this man, an alternate version of monster that murdered his father a year ago, allied with an alternate version of the monster that killed his younger brothers. He feels nothing for Shredder but pure hate. Pure fury.

Pure rage.

While howling winds swirl around the pair, seemingly also screaming inside the Tehnodrome, something shoots up his veins.

Burning hot yet icy cold, zapping all through his body and growing stronger by the second. It settles around in his body like a parasite, demanding MORE MORE MORE.

The look on Shredder's face while his life force is ripped away is horrifying but god does Leo love watching that man suffer.

A lazer cuts through the storm, burning Leo's shell. He looks over at 1987 Krang, the rage growing even stronger. He drops Shredder, allowing the man to live before charging.

He moves so fast Krang cant even move before his metal body is being furiously clawed to shreds, metal swirling around in the trashed Technodrome. He grabs Krang and rips him from the remains of his mech suit, gripping him so tightly.

Just as he's about to literally tear Krang in half, the 1987 turtles come in to see one of their friends causing this much destruction.

And so begins the plan to try and calm 2012 Leo down, but he doesnt exactly WANT to calm down. He wants Krang's blood splattered all over the walls. Its a difficult thing, trying to talk down an enraged, grieving turtle that is one of your friends.

Eventually the only one that can at least get 2012 Leo to cool it with the murderous rage for a few minutes is 1987 Raph (purely because he has the same voice as 2012 Donnie and Leo would naturally calm down if he thought Donnie was here)

At least until Krang manages to escape the Technodrome in one of his backup mech suits, with the intention of getting one of his weapons to destroy 2012 Leo and or to get help for Shredder.

Yeah that doesnt go as planned because 2012 Leo follows him into the city.

Now theres a violent, furious, ninpō powered turtle in the CITY.

Thats not going to end well.

Poor 2012 Leo needs a hug

[lizzylucky]

Thoughts and Observations From The Movie, Part 2/4

Welcome to part two of the silly things and fun details I picked out from the Rise movie!

My sister and I often pause the movie here to reread the options on this whiteboard for destroying the key, and it never fails to make us laugh. My one question: when and how did they test Donnie’s stomach? He wasn’t even there!

Also, feels like a callback to TummyTello, somehow. It also leaves me wondering why Donnie’s Stomach was an actual idea for destruction, regardless of whether it involves TummyTello. Guy must eat some crazy stuff XD

Further content below the cut!

“So… You’re Running Out of Ideas.” by Syr E. Piphany.

Okay, okay, bear with me- I actually have a little theory for this one.  This is a screenshot from when Leo asks Donnie to locate Raph. Donnie tells him that Raph is practically- and then that he actually IS- on top of them. What I noticed here is that on this visual locator he has, none of the little character icons are oriented the same way their real life counterparts are. All six characters are in the same area and standing pretty close to each other, and I would assume that, kinda like google location sharing or snapchat location maps, you have to zoom in further on the map to get more specific locations.

This kinda sounds like it’s going nowhere, but what I’m getting at is the idea that when multiple people are in the same location, given that we know the icons will not be oriented perfectly to the people they represent, they’ll probably appear in the same orientation every time. 

Which would mean!! that Donnie has intentionally designed his tracker app to have icons show up with this orientation when people are close together, furthermore meaning that he chose to put his big brother in the center of them all on purpose. As an artist myself, this could be coincidental, but very rarely are things like this done without purpose, and I like to imagine it’s a subtle way to represent Donnie thinking the absolute world of his big brother; that he would turn to Raph for guidance even before Splinter, whose icon is on the other side of the circle from Donnie’s. 

I also love that the icons for Donnie’s best friend and Donnie’s “twin” are on either side of his.

And, as one last afterthought, I think this could also be a subtle nod to how Raph’s krangification becomes the center of the story and main motivator for all the characters for a huge chunk of the movie.

Does ANYONE ELSE SEE THIS?????

That absolutely looks like a masked face in the biogrowth at the top of this building. In truth, it actually looks a lot more like one of the paper ninjas than it does the Shredder, but the similarities are still there, and it works as further evidence that the Shredder and the goals of the Foot Clan were all hinged around the Krang.

Is anyone else floored by the size of this skull that Krang 1 or whatever is sitting on? I always would forget about it pretty immediately given Leo’s cheeky “surprise!” here, but this thing looks like the head of a freakin’ dragon or something. I wonder what it is? And how it got to, let alone died in, the technodrome.

 One genuinely non-serious theory my sister and I occasionally talk about is the idea that the technodrome is actually a massive egg, and this was the incomplete embryo of whatever it would have become. Further non-serious evidence, which can be seen in the next images, is that the technodrome, in spite of being extremely technologically advanced, is clearly… alive, not just pure tech. Actually, everything the Krang use seems to be bio-mechanical in nature, to some degree.

It will probably be made pretty clear here that Donnie is my favourite character, just a fair warning XD But man I love this scene- one, because of the Autism-ADHD solidarity shown between PB&J immediately previous, and, two, because it’s actually a seriously incredible show of strength from Donnie. 

Many fans of Rise, and of Donnie especially, also have Autism (like Donnie is confirmed to have) and/or ADHD (including myself) and understand that sensory issues mixed with New Things You Don’t Understand can be absolute hell. Like, ruins your day, renders you inactive, unfocused, nonverbal, made to be a shaking ball of anxiety, hell. Not always, but the point still stands.

Additionally, and as much as I am all for Donnie’s softshell not being seen as a big weakness because it’s natural and still more protection than any normal person has (not to mention the advantages it offers him in terms of swimming and flexibility (also probably feels really nice for scritches and sleep piles)), it actually does seem a relevant point here that this is, technically speaking, the most vulnerable part of Donnie’s body. So actively choosing to expose it to an unfamiliar and highly advanced, invasive and living technology on top of the difficulties that come with the above described neurodivergent tendencies goes against his nature in so, so many ways, but he does it anyway. 

Mikey being worried about his vulnerability here, in spite of feeling out of place before, makes a lot more sense from this perspective. Knowing all that, honestly-- it just never fails to impress me.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

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Okay, I've been scrolling through the Rise Angst I have saved on TikTok and all the "what if the Krang spike killed Raph?" kind of stuff, and had an idea.

(Not an actual fic thing, just sort of an in-depth headcanon ig?? Or like an imagine sort of thing? Idk)

Tw: Raph dies, Mikey dies, Donnie dies, probably pretty graphic descriptions of zombification

So, imagine Raph actually died from the spike thing, like it impaled all the way through his chest, blood and plastron shards all over, probably some falling on Leo too just for good measure y'know.

Then, he gets dragged back to the lair in Raph's Donnie Pod TM having a full-blown panic attack just like in the movie, but now he's covered in his brother's blood and has to tell everyone that Raph is dead.

Like, bro would be 10x more pissed at poor Casey, Casey's trying to come to terms with the fact that one of the turtles died probably years before he did in Casey's future(partially insinuating that Casey's involvement made this timeline worse), everyone else is freaking out over the fact that Raph died period, and now, instead of his impulsive manhunt being to find and save Raph, Leo's out for blood and vengeance any way he can get it.

He and the team go on to Metro Tower, get split up, Casey starts lecturing him, but instead of taking the character development and learning any sort of lesson from it, he starts yelling back, and the whole thing turns into a massive screaming match because they're both trying to blame the other for what's going on, but they also both can't help but blame themselves more than anything.

After a while, Donnie's transmission asking where the hell they are comes in and they agree to accept the Krang as a common enemy for now.

They all meet up in Metro Tower, and before they spot each other Donnie uses his tracker to try and find Leo

He ends up seeing that Raph is almost directly on top of them and immediately points this out to the group, saying something along the lines of "Hey Leo, I thought you said Raph died in the Foot base..." Leo would respond with a glare: "Yea, he did, why?" And Donnie goes "Then why does my tracker say he's here????"

They all start looking around in a panic until they see the giant cocoon thing dangling from the ceiling. It falls down and cracks open, revealing Raph's bloody corpse slowly morphing into a Krang Zombie.

Out of the 6 living people there (April, Splinter, Mikey, Donnie, Leo, and Casey Jr), at least 3 of them immediately start throwing up at the sight of Krangified Corpse Raph (looks basically the same as OG Krangified Raph except with a giant bleeding hole in his chest maybe with some organs showing and blood dripping from his mouth) and the scene continues as canon with Krang Raph taking the key and the rest of the gang running and dragging each other away.

The Technodrome comes through the portal, and this time, Leo's inspiring speech is more of a half- baked denial-fueled desperate attempt at convincing his remaining family (and himself) that there's still a chance for everything to be okay (especially since none of them have gotten any chance to process or grieve Raph's death whatsoever).

They come up with their plan, Mikey and Donnie do their thing trying to fly the Technodrome, and Leo ends up fighting Raph and it's just so absolutely horrifying for him because imagine watching your oldest brother literally die trying to save you, then watching that same brother's corpse essentially mutated into the thing that killed him, and then having to fight his mutated corpse. Adrenaline is the only thing keeping him from hyperventilating and passing out.

He spends most of the fight desperately trying not to get killed while sobbing and pleading with his brother who very much cannot hear him. Eventually (at some point after Mikey and Donnie get dragged out of the control room, where in canon Leo would be giving his whole apology speech), Raph attacks attacks Leo, who is on the floor backed into a wall, and Leo picks up his sword, screws his eyes shut, and swings as hard as he can. Raph's head falls into his lap, the rest of Raph's body falls off the platform, and the battle is technically won (though it really doesn't feel like it).

Krang Prime is incredibly smug about this development, and it looks like all hope is finally lost. Just then, Raph's ninpo projection shows up (bc they need to get their powers back somehow), shocking literally everyone (himself included). The other brothers are flooded with relief that Raph is alive (he's not. He's still dead, the ninpo projection is legit just his ghost, but they're all in denial so we'll let them have this), and they get their ninpo back through the power of family and love

They decide not to talk about Leo killing Raph's corpse right now because there are infinitely bigger fish to fry and they'll have plenty of time to talk about it after everything else (spoiler alert: they won't)

They do the whole midair fight with the Krang, Raph jumps Mikey and Donnie to the ground ("Don't worry! This is not a hug! It's a rescue!!") except this time when his projection breaks, there no real Raph inside it, so it's just a bunch of disintegrating red particles.

Leo goes through the portal, and Mikey and Donnie don't have enough energy to survive getting him back. Leo exits the portal so happy and relieved to see at least two of his brothers left, tackling them into a bear hug almost immediately, only to notice that they're cracking and flaking apart. He screams and cries and begs them not to leave but there's nothing he can do to save them now. They fall apart in his arms.

April, Splinter, and Casey Jr pick him up in a car that they definitely didn't steal, and Leo has to break the news that he's the only turtle left to save.

Splinter later tries to get Leo to learn meditation to talk to his brothers again, but he's so convinced that they'd hate him that he refuses to even try.

They all watch over him as ghosts, and he feels their presence, but Leo assumes that it's judgement, when they really just miss him and wish he would talk to them