#Leonardo claiming the turtle boys as his family

[wings-of-sapphire]

AHAKSJKAJSKSS LEONARDO CLAIMING THE TURTLE BABIES

WE GET TO SEE DON’S REACTION TO APRIL SOON

AND HER REACTION TO HIM OHMIGOSHHHH CASSSSSSSS

Part 12!

It came out pretty chaotic haha. I don’t regret anything though~

Part 1

[bones4thecats]

┗ Aunt?!; 2012! Splinter × Sis! Reader ┛

Characters: Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 2012) A/N: - ⇘ Summary: After a capturing of a mysterious human claiming to know Master Splinter, she is brought on the male's order. And, when she comes in, memories toss and turn as he introduces the familiar woman to his family. -> The Reader is a human with this being how she looks. I changed the traditional Japanese words (こんにちは) to this (Kon'nichiwa), it's easier for me to read, and I hope it is for you guys too! -> (H/C) = hair color / (E/C) = eye color / (O/H/C) = opposite h/c

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🐀 It was a calming night, the streets of New York City being bearer than a freshly-shaved dog, and the moon lighting up the world like the night's sun. Yet, underneath everything on the surface of the city, there laid a group of fighters protecting the world without anyone knowing.

"Ah man! How do you always manage to beat me, Mikey?!" Raphael yelled.

"I'm just better. Sorry, Raph." He taunted, a smirk on his face as he spoke.

"Oh yeah? How about I batter your face like cookie dough?" He cracked his knuckles and began chasing the screaming mutant turtle.

🐀 Meanwhile, Leonardo watched the television, Space Heroes playing as he watched with sparkles in his eyes. Donatello, on the other hand, merely tinkered with some scraps he found. He smiled gleefully as he managed to find something useful inside of it.

🐀 It was a peaceful night for the small family of outcasts. A gentle expression on the relaxing rat-master as two humans ran down the sewers at full speed. It was evident they were scared.

"Guys! You need to get your stuff ready!" April yelled.

🐀 Donatello looked up, shock in his eyes. He asked what was wrong and why they were needed so suddenly. They had just finished their patrol and found no threats, no motion from the Foot Clan and nothing from any other minor threats.

"Apparently Leatherhead and the other Mighty Mutanimals had found some kind of ninja running around. They thought it was one of you guys, but they noticed it was a female and told us you should come see her." April said.

"A female? She a member of the Foot Clan?" Raphael asked.

"Or another villainous group?" Leonardo added.

"We're not sure."

"Yo, April, she did claim to know Splinter. Remember?" Casey spoke.

"She claimed to know Master Splinter?!" Leonardo yelled.

"Yeah. Crazy, right?"

🐀 The boys all stared at Casey with matching deadpan expressions before they heard the doors to the dojo opening. Everyone looked and saw Master Splinter standing there. He looked at the group and twitched one of his ears out of reflex and put his hands behind his back as he stepped down to the main floor.

"What did this woman look like?" He asked.

"He said she had (o/h/c) hair, (e/c) eyes, and looked like she was from Japan. That's all we got."

"A woman by that description sounds familiar. Are they nearby?"

"Yeah! Leatherhead said he were going to grab Slash and the others to bring the girl here." April replied.

"Good. Good. I shall wait here with you until they arrive."

═══════════════ ⋆★⋆

🐀 Growls and grunts came from the entrance the Mutanimals came in from. A woman moved around abruptly, though, comparing her size to the others and her position, she was at a disadvantage.

"Let her go. Allow me to see this supposed 'old ally'." Splinter ordered.

🐀 Slash and Leatherhead nodded and one another and laid the girl down, taking off the bag on her head. The first thing that came out was her hair, it stuck out like a sore thumb in the room. She obviously had a wig on, covering her true hair color.

🐀 Splinter looked down with a stoic expression, making everyone ready themselves just in case she was a threat. He then took a deep breath and reached out, gripping the fake hair and pulling it off. She groaned and laid her head down, the only thing on her head now being the wig cap.

🐀 The turtles all stood shocked at what they saw once the cap was removed. There wasn't a random woman kneeling there now, there was a familiar face. This wasn't a stranger, this was a woman in a photo that Master Splinter had displayed.

"Y/N... how did you...?"

"Hey, I was trained as a ninja alongside you, brother. What makes you think my senses are weaker than before? Ageist much?" You taunted, a smirk on your face as Splinter's breath was caught in his throat.

"Watashi no imōtoyo… Anata wa ikite ite genkidesu. Kami ni kansha…"

"Mata aete ureshī yo, nīsan. Anata ga watashi o koishiku omotte ita no to onaji kurai, watashi mo anata ga koishikatta yo."

🐀 A smile curled on both of your faces as he hugged you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders as you just leaned in and buried your face in his now fur-covered neck. He let out a shaky breath as you embraced, having finally found the other person.

"Uhm, Master?" Leonardo began. "If you don't mind me asking. Who exactly is this woman to you?"

🐀 Splinter stood up, undid your restraints and helped you stand up. A smile crossed your face as you stared at the boys. You had heard about them briefly while listening in on a conversation by the other mutant group.

"I'm Hamato Y/N, daughter of Hamato Yuuta and younger sister to Hamato Yoshi. Or, as you boys refer to him as, Master Splinter."

"Wait... does that make her our...?"

"Boys, meet your Oba."

"It's nice to finally meet my four nephews I have been looking for."

"WE HAVE AN AUNT?!"

[hotheadedhero]

Turtles x Ballerina

A/N: Written with the Bayverse boys in mind. A cute little fluff thing with our turtles dating a ballerina reader.

Leonardo

Ballet is such a beautiful art form in his eyes, especially when you dance it. The way you move like the running water of a stream has him infatuated. Your devotion and knowing that you've been doing this from such a young age is amazing - drawing similar parallels to how he is with his Ninjistu. Because of this, you have a mutual understanding of your needs to take time for practice. How else will you both amount to the best of your abilities?

When you do get time for one another, more often than not you still find ways of practising in each other's presence. Leo isn't often easily distracted but you somehow find a way of holding his attention when you rehearse. He just can't find it in himself to look away when your body straightens out into a perfect arabesque.

"Shouldn't you be focusing on your own regime?" you ask through a grin, barely even looking in his direction.

All he can do is smile fondly as he returns to focusing on his forms. The only thing that can detour him from his training is you and he holds no shame in admitting it either.

Raphael

It's such a juxtaposition to how he is as a person. Raphael has always hated the way his family would call him aggressive, a brute who needs to reign in it, but those words ring true in his mind when he watches you dance. You are absolutely stunning - a porcelain ballerina inside a music box. How could someone as elegant and delicate as yourself possibly be with someone like him?

At the start of your relationship, he'd always fear that he'd somehow hurt you with just a simple touch of his fingers. Even after all this time, he still catches himself making a conscious effort to be more careful when you're in his arms. He just doesn't want to run the risk of hurting his precious ballerina. The way you hold yourself with such grandeur couldn't be more opposite to his stature.

So it's a surprise when you watch him sparring with his brothers and say, "You move so effortlessly! That was amazing."

It takes him for a spin but serves as a heartfelt reminder that deep down he isn't as barbaric as everyone else claims him to be. When it comes to you, anyway.

Donatello

He would probably find a way to think about your movements geometrically. The way you can thoughtlessly angle your arms and legs at such perfect angles is fascinating to him. Don't even get him started on the gentle momentum of your pirouette: it's as though you're in a state of inertia, only being forced to move by the tame tug of a magnet.

Much like Leo, he is just in awe of your movements. Dancing isn't much his thing, however, so he feels a little out of his depth when you want to dance with him. He's a thinker, a builder, a fighter; the only thing his hands and body are good for is inventing and taking down criminals. When you start playing the music, his mind trips over the basic forms you've tried to teach him through word of mouth, instead getting lost in the ways he could mess it up.

"Just turn that brain off for a moment," you say, wearing that sweet smile he loves as you hold his hands. "Keep your eyes on me, okay? I'll lead."

Admittedly, it's a clumsy display on his end but you two have fun, nonetheless. He also gains a new appreciation for what you do in that moment.

Michelangelo

This guy loves music, especially of the upbeat genres, so it's different to see what you dance to. That doesn't mean to say he doesn't like it though. Although it's a little slow-paced for his usual taste, he still loves it. He would probably try and teach you some of his moves and you would do the same for him. It's not a discredit to his abilities but he definitely struggles to replicate whatever it is you attempt to teach him.

Somehow, you find a way to integrate the fast-moving music with your graceful flow. The assumably opposing styles of dance turn out to work in perfect tandem with one another and it's actually pretty kick-ass! Not to mention, it's a good time when you try to implement each other's techniques in the little dancing sessions you often engage in. This is usually in the kitchen when you guys are cooking together with some tunes in the background.

"This kind of reminds me of that one movie," you muse. "I think it's called 'Save the Last Dance' or something."

Sure enough, you add it to one of your movie nights to watch together. None of the dancers in it have anything on you though.

[dandywonderous]

ROTTMNT Bad Things Happen Bingo #2: Lost Their Voice from Screaming

for @badthingshappenbingo

Fandom: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Characters: Draxum, Leo (the others make minor appearances)

Square: Lost Their Voice from Screaming

Warnings: Major Character Death (canonical), Bad Future Timeline

Notes: The death is offscreen but the fic deals with the direct aftermath so take care. I've put the entire fic under a cut in case you'd rather skip.

This will be up on AO3 tonight unless tumblr deletes my post a second time in which case I will probably be too tired to continue

Draxum has become a father three times in his life.

The first time, of course, was with Michelangelo. The boy had helped (or harassed) him much over the last few months, and at this point his visits were an expected part of Draxum’s routine. Even, if he were honest with himself, an anticipated part of his routine, something he looked forward to the rest of the week.

It was during one of these visits, while Michelangelo was baking cupcakes in his tiny apartment kitchen and chattering away about what he and his brothers had been up to that Draxum recognized the warmth in his chest for what it was. This wasn’t merely his creation - this was his son.

The second time was immediately after their victory against the Shredder.

He had acknowledged the kids as his boys to Lou Jitsu, but that feeling of fatherhood was still missing between him and the other three. That didn’t stop him from opening his apartment to them, because they were exhausted and that pit they called a home was full of rubble and bad memories.

Long after the others were asleep, Raphael sat awake, back to the wall and eyes watching the door and the windows. When Draxum asked him about it, he admitted he felt like he couldn’t sleep - like the moment he closed his eyes, something would hurt his family.

Draxum didn’t bother telling him to sleep. He just sat next to him and promised to keep watch. And when the boy’s head finally listed and came to rest against Draxum’s shoulder, he gained another son.

The third time was months later. Michelangelo had been coming to his apartment regularly for training in his mystic powers, and Donatello had started tagging along. He claimed it was because he had an interest in alchemical compounds, but Draxum had a feeling that wasn’t all. There seemed to be growing tension back home that both boys were desperate to escape.

Draxum didn’t ask. He let Donatello peruse what books he still had at his leisure and allowed him to conduct alchemical experiments in the bathroom (under strict orders not to destroy anything). 

The day the boy came to him with his a successful compound, Draxum told him he’d done very well. He received the first genuine smile he’d ever gotten from Donatello, and while he quickly schooled his expression back into something more neutral, Draxum would never forget that moment of pure joy on his son’s face.

Of the four of them, only he and Leonardo were still at odds. He wasn’t hostile, and he accepted Draxum’s presence in the family easily enough, but he kept Draxum at arm’s length, never opening up, never letting down his walls, never offering anything more than the surface level.

Where the other boys had come around, Leonardo still

                                                                                                    resists

                                                                                                                               against the hold of Draxum’s arms, digging his feet into the dirt and straining to be free. He wriggles one arm loose, reaching back toward the smoldering wreckage of the collapsed tunnel, and he screams at the top of his lungs.

“DAD!”

“Leonardo, stop,” he commands, dragging them both back two steps before the child lurches again. “There’s no sense in this.”

“We can’t leave him!” Leonardo insists, struggling as hard as he can. “Dad! DAD!”

“If you go back there you will be killed! Which is exactly what Lou Jitsu did not want.” 

“I don’t care! Let me go! LET ME GO!”

He lifts the boy up and ignores how he flails and kicks. If his leg weren’t injured, he might be able to escape, but as it is he’s lacking in his usual force. Only the adrenaline is keeping him upright, Draxum knows. At least his swords are caught between his shell and Draxum’s chest.

He’s still screaming, but Draxum ignores him, looking over his shoulder at Raphael. He has his other brothers tucked under either arm. Michelangelo has retreated entirely into his shell, but Draxum can hear him crying even from here. Donatello is quiet, but he looks seconds from doing exactly the same as Leonardo and running off into the rubble. Raphael himself is silent, staring at the ruins of the tunnel’s entrance in disbelief.

Draxum’s voice is a commanding bark - he has to pull the kids out of their trance and get them out of here. It’s what Lou Jitsu asked him to do, after all, and he will do it.

“Raphael! Take your brothers and go back to the hideout!”

“But… but Pops-”

“Your father is gone,” says Draxum plainly, because they need to understand that. They need to get that through their heads. There is no time to be soft about it.

Raphael flinches. Michelangelo’s wails grow louder and Donatello sags, tears starting to stream down his face.

In Draxum’s arms, Leonardo howls.

“He wanted you boys to be safe and I will make sure you are.” Draxum jerks his head. “Now go! We will be right behind you.”

For a moment he thinks Raphael will resist, too, and he isn’t sure what he will do then because he can’t hold them all. But Raphael relents, lifting Donatello and Michelangelo more securely in his arms before taking off with them both, leaving Leonardo in Draxum’s care.

The boy sags suddenly, going limp in his grasp. Draxum doesn’t trust it for a moment, so he doesn’t let go, though he does lower him to stand on his feet.

“My brothers are gone,” he says. “You can let me go now.”

“So you can run straight in there and get killed?” Draxum scoffs. “I will not.”

He steps back again, dragging Leonardo with him, but still the boy resists. He tries to dig in his heels, but Draxum can tell his leg is starting to hurt too much for it to count.

“I’m not going to die,” he snaps, wrenching his chest to try and escape. “I’m going to save my dad.”

“If you would listen to me,” Draxum hisses, pulling him another few feet back, “you would know your father is beyond saving. And we will join him if we don’t leave now.”

“You must be happy about it,” says Leonardo, and his words sting like acid. “You guys never got along, right? You never cared about him.” His voice is rising again, growing to a shout. “You never cared about any of us!”

“I care about you very much!” Draxum argues, giving the boy a shake. It’s the first time he’s ever told him this, and he doesn’t even feel embarrassed because he just needs Leonardo to see sense. “Otherwise I would just leave you here and be done with it!”

“Then do it!” He kicks one last time. “Let me go! Dad! DAD!”

Draxum doesn’t want to do it, but he can hear the sounds of those monsters as they grow closer; the time Lou Jitsu gave his life to buy them is growing short. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and he’s never been more desperate.

He aims a kick of his own at the large gash in the boy’s shin, and Leonardo lets out a yelp of pain and surprise, folding over Draxum’s arm.

That’s all he needs - he takes the moment while Leonardo is limp and lifts him, then turns and runs.

Leonardo realizes what’s happening, and he tries to struggle but Draxum keeps him pinned to his chest, arms gripped tight. With no other recourse, Leonardo looks up at him and snarls ugly, ugly words.

“You don’t care… You let him die! I hate you! I HATE YOU!”

“Then live to hate me,” Draxum snaps down at him, and that’s all he says as he carries Leonardo far away from the wreckage of the tunnel, as fast as he can.

In his arms, the boy screams and screams and screams, until his voice grows hoarse, until it quiets to a whisper, and he finally gives out.

…

Mrs. O’Neil is waiting for them when they arrive at their hideout - an old basement storm shelter near the ruins of their apartment building. “Oh, baby,” she says softly, putting a hand on Leonardo’s forehead. He doesn’t react - he hasn’t reacted to much at all for over ten minutes now, his eyes staring up sightlessly at the red sky.

“His leg is injured,” Draxum informs her, and her brow creases.

“It wasn’t the krang, was it?” she asks. If it was, they would have to put the boy in isolation to make sure the wound wasn’t infected - hardly a good place for him to be now, in the midst of grief.

Thankfully, that is not the case. “No; there was an explosion and he was struck by the shrapnel.”

“Oh, honey,” she says, stroking his forehead. “We’ll get you patched right up.” Her eyes go to Draxum’s. “The other boys are with April.”

Draxum sets Leonardo down, making sure he’s steady before pulling back his support. He doesn’t say anything, just leans against Mrs. O’Neil and follows her away, the same shell-shocked expression on his face.

Draxum watches them disappear into the small medic center, then makes his way to the sleeping quarters to see his sons.

They’re easy to spot among the huddled humans, thanks to Raphael’s size. He’s sitting against the wall, head leaned back and eyes on the ceiling, tears rolling down face and dripping onto his neck. Michelangelo is still inside his shell, cradled in Raphael’s lap. April is sitting next to Raphael, her arms wrapped around the shivering mess that is Donatello. Draxum can hear the younger boys and April crying from here.

He sits down on Raphael’s other side and runs a hand over Michelangelo’s shell. The boy pokes his head out, eyes puffy and skin crusted with tears. He pops the rest of his limbs out when he sees who it is and climbs into Draxum’s lap, burying his face in the front of his robe. It’s seconds before a fresh round of tears start, but Draxum doesn’t do anything to discourage the clinging.

Next to him, Raphael sniffs, then starts sobbing louder. April looks up, then gives Donatello a gentle nudge; after some maneuvering, they take Michelangelo’s spot in Raphael’s lap, letting Raphael hug them and crying into his plastron.

It occurs to Draxum that these kids are his responsibility now; Lou Jitsu isn’t here for them anymore. Take care of our boys, he’d said, before using mystic force to push them out of the tunnel. He hadn’t meant just today.

They are his, and he will take care of them. 

All four of them.

…

The kids eventually fall asleep, and Leonardo still hasn’t returned. Draxum makes sure they won’t miss him, gently laying Michelangelo back in Raphael’s lap, where he and April sleepily curl around each other, before he leaves to go find his last wayward creation. 

Mrs. O’Neil hasn’t seen him since she finished patching up his leg, so he has to go hunting. There are a few other humans hiding out here, too, mostly people from the block whose homes were similarly destroyed. They’re all unphased by mutants and yokai by now, and they all know Leonardo, but none of them have seen him. He’s not in the makeshift kitchen or the central eating area, and Draxum would have noticed if he went back to the sleeping quarters.

The foolish boy wouldn’t leave, would he?

Of course he would, Draxum thinks, and hurries for the entrance.

Thankfully, he didn’t go far - as soon as Draxum emerges into the cold night air, he spots the shadowy shape that is Leonardo, huddled in the remains of the building that used to be next door. He had the sense to hide under an overhang, at least, his eyes staring out at the ruins of the city that has always been his home.

Draxum has to climb up a mountain of shifting rubble to get there, cursing the boy’s ability to teleport, before he finally arrives. He approaches cautiously, half expecting Leonardo to run, but it seems like the fight has left him now.

As good as that is for Draxum, it adds to the melancholy air hanging around the whole scene.

“You know you shouldn’t be out here,” he says simply. Leonardo doesn’t so much as look his way. “...How is your leg?”

To that he receives a shrug. Leonardo still isn’t looking at him.

“Are you hungry? There’s still leftover soup in the kitchen.” He’d tried to get the others to eat, but none of them had been interested. It doesn’t surprise him when Leonardo shakes his head. “Still, you should at least come back inside; it’s not safe to stay outside for long.”

Leonardo doesn’t respond to that. He just stares out at the city.

Draxum folds his arms, trying not to let the irritation he feels show in his voice and failing. “Are you this intent on giving me the cold shoulder all night? I’m trying to help you.”

Leonardo’s eyes narrow, and he lets out a long sigh through his nose. He lifts his wrist and pulls up the communicator Donnie made him (the only way they have to communicate long distance since the phone lines went down), typing a message on the holographic screen that he then turns to Draxum.

throat hurts cant talk

Draxum thinks about how the boy screamed and screamed until he couldn’t anymore, and it clicks. Of course his throat would hurt. They’re lucky if he didn’t severely damage his vocal cords.

I hate you!

He shakes the memory of the boy’s words away, focusing on the present moment. He may not be able to do anything else about this awful day, but this he has a solution for.

“Don’t go any further into the city by yourself,” he says. And then he leaves.

He returns to where his possessions are stored in the hideout, hidden behind a barrier spell to keep any nosy humans out. He fishes around until he finds what he’s looking for, then goes to boil water in the kitchen.

Soon enough he’s returning to Leonardo, an old, chipped mug cradled in his hands. It’s precarious trying to climb up to the boy again without spilling, but he manages.

Leonardo looks surprised he came back, but, predictably, he doesn’t say anything, turning his attention back to the sky.

Draxum doesn’t say anything either, instead coming close and sitting down next to him. Leonardo doesn’t react, and he chooses to take that as a positive.

“Here,” he says, holding out the mug. “Drink this.”

For a moment Leonardo only stares at it, but then he slowly takes it in his hands. He gives it a sniff, his snout crinkling in displeasure at the smell.

“It’s a medicinal herbal tea from the Hidden City,” Draxum explains. “Worthless for any large wounds like your leg, but it’s effective at soothing muscle pains, headaches… sore throats.”

Leonardo’s eyes go wide for a moment, then he turns his head away, handing the mug back to Draxum. Draxum takes it before he drops it, and he has to swallow down his protest when he sees Leonardo typing again.

The message this time reads:

give it to someone who needs it

“I am,” says Draxum, and he presses the warm mug against Leonardo’s undoubtedly cold skin. “You need it, so I’m giving it to you.”

The boy hesitates a moment longer, but then exhaustion seems to leech into him all at once, leaving him slumped and shaking. He turns and takes the mug in his hands again, taking a long moment to just feel the warmth.

Then he takes a small sip, and Draxum’s chest loosens.

Immediately Leonardo’s mouth puckers, and Draxum can’t help but chuckle. “The taste isn’t very good, but it’s better than that artificial grape nonsense you humans use.”

Leonardo makes an amused noise and wags his free hand in a maybe gesture. Then he takes another sip, and then another, and his shaking starts to slow down, his posture growing more relaxed.

Draxum sits next to him in companionable silence, watching the eerily silent New York and waiting for him to finish. They can’t see the moon anymore, not with the permanent dust cloud in the sky, but he still knows it’s getting late when Leonardo finally sets the cup aside.

“It’s best if you don’t speak for now,” says Draxum, “but are you feeling better?”

Leonardo gives a slow nod, giving his throat a light rub with his fingers. Then he types a new message on his holoscreen.

hated drinking it tho

Draxum chuckles again. “I thought you liked tea.”

Leonardo makes a face.

not this tea. it tea-rrible

“Ugh, was that a pun? That’s what’s terrible.”

Leonardo actually smirks. It’s small, but it’s there.

Taking advantage of his improved humor, Draxum asks, “What kind of tea do you like, then? I can’t promise I can get it, but I can try.”

The smirk drops off the boy’s face. He hesitates, then shrugs, giving his head a small shake.

“You don’t know?” Draxum guesses, and Leonardo nods. He hesitates again, his fingers flexing over the keyboard of the holoscreen, before he finally types a message.

dad always made it for me

Draxum reads those words, then shifts to look at Leonardo’s face. His eyes are glassy, his lip trembling, and he shivers but not from the cold, this time.

Quietly, Draxum shifts closer and wraps one arm around Leonardo’s shell.

The child breaks - tears that grow into hitching breaths and harsh sobs. He tries to stay quiet, curling in on himself, and Draxum holds him tighter, telling him without words that it’s okay, he’s not alone.

There, at the end of the world, Leonardo cries himself out, and, for the fourth time, Draxum becomes a father.

[dawnofdiscovery]

Heya People! How are you? I'm here to recommend some Tmnt fanfics! (Mainly crossover because that's what I'm looking for the most, I don't know if I'll do this correctly)

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ Crossover 🐢

the question is violence and the answer is pizza by @shoppingcartshells

Summary :

Another one of those crossover stories, wherein the 2012 turtles are all grown up and the 2018 turtles are troubled teens determined to give them gray scales

Chapters: 32 ( not yet finished )

Tots and Interdimensional Space Portals

I don't know if the author has Tumblr but if so please tell me

Summary :

In a last-ditch effort to save his brother when faced with a possibly life-ending weapon, Leonardo threw himself in front of Michelangelo to protect him from the oncoming blast of an advanced Kraang device, not expecting to walk away from the shot unharmed. What Leo hadn’t anticipated happening was being thrown into an opening portal and sent halfway across the multiverse only to be found by four familiar but much younger turtles.

Chapters: 24 ( not yet finished )

The Last Ronin Becomes a Discord Admin by @melonpalooza

Summary :

The Last Ronin survives the fight with Oroku Hiroto. He didn't expect that. He no longer can hear his brothers, and it makes him just a little bit lonely. One day, he finds an old laptop left behind by his late brother. On it is a single messaging platform, filled to the brim with other turtles from other dimensions. They were just like his brothers, yet so different…

Why did his brother make such an invention? For what purpose did he intend for it? And why do these kids keep trying to get him to open up?

Chapters: 44 ( not yet finished )

( The Last Ronin Becomes a Discord Admin also crossovers with other fanfics )

Ghost in the Shell by @bluepeachstudios

Summary :

In one universe, 2003 Donatello disappears from his brother's lives, which leads to the Shredder's takeover and the death of the remaining turtles.

In another, 2003 Donatello appears, and spends 10 years trying to find a way home. Then he sees something he can't imagine; an alternate version of him, Splinter, and his brothers, seeking shelter in the sewers.

Chapters: 31 ( concluded )

( Ghost in the Shell also crossovers with other fanfics )

Double Rainbow (Beyond Space and Time) by @alicat54c @bluepeachstudios

Summary :

When Ultimate Draco sends the turtles across time and space, Splinter meets four little turtles and decides to take them home with him. The boys are delighted by their new little sisters.

Tmnt 2003 xover with Empathy is Learned

Chapters: 20 ( concluded )

Purple Squared by @alicat54c @bluepeachstudios

Summary :

Ghost finds Dannie and his little brothers wandering alone in the sewers after the death of their Splinter, and takes them home with him.

Crossover of Ghost in the Shell by AmevelloBlue and A Different Eldest Brother by alicat54c

Chapters: 20 ( not yet finished )

Connect Four

I don't know if the author has Tumblr but if so please tell me

Summary :

In which a fight goes wrong, but doesn't go catastrophically wrong, and the 2003!turtles find themselves in the Rise Universe. A lot of fluff and family bonding follows.

Two Souls by @virgilisspidey

Summary :

Leo was never lonely.

Sure he has his pops and his brothers and his best friend sister April, but he also has someone else he's known almost all his life.

He's a mutant turtle too, and for some reason, only he can see him.

It's alright, it's not like he wanted to share him anyways.

A rewrite of some of the episodes where 2012 Leo is connected to Rise Leo's soul and acts like a weird imaginary friend

[Part of the Mama Leo Series.]

Cross Dimension Kidnapping (with pics)

by @aealzx

Summary :

After spending some time harassing John Bishop's successor, keeping her from progressing with interdimensional experiments, a message is sent to Raphael (03) claiming that Agent Augustine has custody of his three brothers. Except Don is there watching the video message with him, and only one of the three mutant turtles shown on screen are related to them.

Originally posted on tumblr, short chapter format

Chapters: 27 ( not yet finished )

shaking the latch

I don't know if the author has Tumblr but if so please tell me

Summary :

Yoshi was getting quite tired of running, honestly.

Only a few months out of Draxum's lab, Rise!Splinter finds himself once again among strangers who nevertheless look suspiciously familiar

Chapters: 10 ( not yet finished )

Too Many Turtles by @dysfunctional-doodle

Summary :

In universe 2003, Donnie tries to experiment with the inter dimensional gun the 1987 turtles had given him. Instead, he accidentally creates a multiversal chat room for many different versions of his brothers, and counting.

It certainly makes life…interesting.

TLDR: multiverse group chat between most iterations of the turtles. Starts with 2003, 2012 and 2018 but more are added as I go. 50% plot and 50% chaos.

*now includes the 87 and mutant mayhem boys!*

Chapters: 24 ( not yet finished )

Wedding Bells and Magic Portals by @melonpalooza

Summary :

It had been ten years since they had lost Splinter, the patriarch of their family. But now the Hamato Clan was celebrating new beginnings, including a marriage and the upcoming birth of the next generation. Things never go to plan, though, and the Hamato brothers find themselves in an alternate dimension. Again. Oh, sewer apples.

Chapters: 7 ( concluded )

interdimensional minecraft

( I hope that one day it will return )

Summary :

Another crossover chatfic between the tmnt universes where they teach other how to be a healthy family, except its only some of them, and none of them know its their siblings from another universe, let alone know their acting as a family therapist for each other.

Chapters: 12 ( not yet finished )

Well, I think that's it for now 🤔 I have a few more but as I haven't read them yet I don't know if I should post them or not, I know that some of the ones above are already very well known, but there's no reason not to give them more love, right? Then that's it! Maybe I'll update more when I read the ones I saved (or maybe if some of you want to see it anyway)

( please let me know if you have any errors )

Bye Bye Manos ☄️🐢

[pixxelcatt]

TMNT: Impostor Syndrome

edit 11/11/24: if u somehow find this randomly for the first time, these are not their current looks! I have updated references in my master post :)

Oh boy oh boy info post for my au :)

Synopsis: four mutated turtles wind up in an alley alone and are found by 5 year old April and her mother, they take them home and raise them as a part of their family. They are immediately fittingly named after their parents’ favorite childhood characters, the teenage mutant ninja turtles. And as they grow up they become massive fans of them as well, even going as far as deciding to be just like them in every way. But now that they’re older, and something evil is lurking, they come to realize that it’s not as easy as tv makes it look.

And now time for some additional info about the turtles I didn’t add on their new refs bc I was lazy and ran out of room:

Leonardo (also called Leo, Nardo, Stars, Lee, Blue boy)

Diamondback Terrapin

Voice claim: MK (Lego monkie kid)

Has really bad claustrophobia

Writes fan fiction as a hobby and regularly self inserts himself as Leo in almost all of them

Definitely not special best friends with that bunny boy a few houses down

Favorite TMNT character: RotTMNT Leo and 2012 Casey Jones

Donatello (also called Donnie, Don, Tello, Deedee/Dondon)

Fly River Turtle/Pig Nose Turtle (same thing, different name)

Voice Claim: Hunter (the owl house)

Has an official driver’s license somehow

He’s tried multiple times to recreate various Donatello machines, has not succeeded

Pretty much legally blind

Favorite TMNT character: RotTMNT and Bayverse Donnies

Raphael (also called Raph, Rafa, Red, Raphie)

Black Knobbed Map Turtle

Voice Claim: Axel (Minecraft story mode)

Actually hates Pizza

Voted best cook by whole family

Likes Cardcaptor Sakura, but is too embarrassed to admit it

Favorite TMNT character: RotTMNT and 2012 Raph

Michelangelo (also called Mikey, Angie, Angelo, Mike, Jello)

Big Headed Turtle

Voice Claim: Darwin (the amazing world of gumball)

Has a really weak immune system

Will put anything in his mouth, he’ll go stir crazy if he can’t bite anything

Don’t let him cook unless you want a fire

Favorite TMNT character: 2012 Mikey, and Todd (rottmnt)

I’m currently working on refs for April and others, so hopefully those’ll appear soon

And ofc if you have any questions or anything I would LOVE to answer them :)

[violeteyedmedium]

This is mostly a strange convergence of two hyperfixations, but I’ve been considering which fears the characters from tmnt 2003 would serve

Leonardo would easily be claimed by the Web. He is driven by a fear of failure, and to combat his fear he tends to at least attempt to assert control. He is the leader of the team. If he was offered the ability to pull strings to control the timeline of events, to keep his family safe, he might take it. If he became powerless, he’d also feed the Web.

Raphael is Slaughter coded. The way his anger manifests overwhelms and controls him, leading him to lash out to the extreme (at least before his character development). His rage would be easily exploited by an entity that focuses mostly on the fear of brutality.

Donatello, in all his curiosity, falls to the Eye. He seeks knowledge, he needs to know things. It’s his role, and the more he learns the better he can do his job. But, simultaneously, he cannot be seen. Being seen, being known is antithetical to being a ninja, and it is dangerous for a mutant. At the end of the day, he could just as easily be swallowed by the entity.

Michelangelo is a hard one to pin down for sure, but I think he would best serve the Spiral. He has a very easy going disposition and relies on humor as a coping mechanism, which could be twisted to hide sinister intentions. At the same time, he fears betrayal/abandonment as seen in The Darkness Within— this could be exploited by the entity as his senses could literally betray him. Some other entities I was considering for Mikey were The Stranger and The Lonely.

Splinter’s story is one that focuses on loss, moving on after loss and coping with the fear of loss so I think he would serve the End. He lost Yoshi and Tang Chen, he fears losing his boys. He is elderly himself, and throughout the series he is taken away multiple times. Avatars of the End also seem to be the most chill and he just has the vibes.

Casey is obviously Hunt aligned, borders on Slaughter. But, he has a clear target for his rage and is actively seeking them out. He loses sight of anything else and while brutal in a similar way to Raph, has a very singular goal of revenge in mind. It’s also a trait of The Hunt as an entity to corrupt even those with noble goals to become blood thirsty.

April is another one that I struggled to pin down because there are many aspects of her character to consider, and overall she’s a very grounded person. Ultimately, I think she would serve the Web because of her role behind the scenes. Several times she’s in the chair back at the lair guiding the turtles through their moves and in a similar vein to Leo, this leadership role helps her keep her family safe. I also considered the Vast and the Lonely for her and will elaborate if asked.

I have more thoughts bout the antagonists but I’m going to cut this post here and maybe return to it later

[minumi-chan]

Wish We Had Just A Little More Time... Series Masterpost

I figured it was time to create a masterpost as I continue to work on this series of stories. Guys, gals, non-binary pals~ welcome to my Fix-It series: Wish We Had Just A Little More Time...

A/N: The series is still currently in progress. Each of the fics intersect at certain points, and it's best read in the order listed as they build on each other, but they do still make sense as stand alone stories as well.

A Twin Thing ~ (Leo and Donnie focused) ~A03 link Summary: Calling them twins has always been Leo’s thing, and Don has always discredited the claim with science. No matter how many facts about their very distinctive species of turtle were spit at him though, Leonardo’s irrefutable truth since childhood was that Donatello is his twin.

Or: Four times Donatello rejects Leo's notion of them being twins, and the once (and future) time he embraces it.

Status: Complete

::CH1::CH2::CH3::CH4::CH5::CH6::CH7::

Words You Didn't Say~ (Raph and Donnie focused) ~A03 link Summary: Dad has to explain to him, when Raphael was much younger and upset himself believing that Donatello hated him, that sometimes children do not feel comfortable speaking, and so they do not. Dad tells him he should listen to Donnie with his heart, and that if he did, he would understand that Donatello does not hate him at all. Raphael takes that advice to heart, and makes an effort to understand all the alternate ways his little brother speaks to his family without words ever since.

Status: WIP

::CH1::CH2::CH3::TBC~

Everything Is Figure-outable~ (Mikey and Donnie focused) ~A03 link Summary: Mikey doesn't hug like he is taking something. He hugs like he's giving you something, small and warm and precious, and it makes his affection so much more tolerable even when Donnie is feeling at his most skittish.

Status: WIP

::CH1::TBC~

Random babblings under cut~

This series was born of a desire to process the intense emotions I was left with after marathoning the ROTTMNT series in order to watch the Rise movie with everything fresh in mind. Only to put on the film and be absolutely floored and destroyed emotionally by everything thrown at our sweet turtle boys, and especially slapped by the horrific Bad Future timeline.

I wanted to write some moments of the boys growing up and how their bonds we see in the series and film came to be, and how in that terrible future some came to an end-- but to also juxtapose that with the wonderful message of hope from the movie and family from the series and how they grabbed onto a happy ending in the face of impossible odds and refused to let it go. When I started writing it, I wasn't yet sure what the aim of A Twin Thing was, but then I realized by the mid point what I wanted in my heart to do, and that it would take several more stories to get there. So I've been writing furiously ever since, because I realized I wanted somehow to create a world where they didn't just bifurcate the timeline... They fixed it.

[pumpkinpie59]

Is it too spoilery to ask about how they end up meeting Raph and Leo? Who has the biggest trust issues upon meeting other turtles?

it’s not spoilery i just,,, haven’t figured that out yet AHA

as for the other question,,

raphael.

especially bc the only family he knew was sent to prison, and raphael was used so they could get to him.

raphael also has a ton of anger towards leonardo, which is honestly justified lmao

raphael has always had to compete to prove himself worth living to the triceratons.

meanwhile, leonardo competes, but has no doubt that he’ll succeed, so it’s not even competing at that point. he’s so talented and confident that things are practically handed to him. and he knows it. and it pisses raphael off.

this rift causes problems for the group as a whole. donatello just wants them all to get along, and michelangelo takes raphael’s side bc he hates leonardo claiming authority.

and raphael has a rlly hard time opening up bc,, if these boys are his family, he doesn’t want to get attached and lose them too …

[angeldrawstoons]

Name: Leonardo Aoi Hamato

Nickname(s): Leo, ‘Nardo, Aoi (Blue in Japanese), Fearless Leader (Raph)

Age: 16 yo.

Gender/sexuality: Cis Male, Bisexual

Love Interest: April O’Neil (Cis female)

Species: Leatherback Sea Turtle

Build: Tall with broad shoulders and a muscular build-6’3”

Personality: ENFJ, charismatic and bold leader type who can be funny every once in a while

Info:

* Leo was originally hatched as female, along with her three younger brothers in Baron Draxum’s lab. / Back then, Leo was called Experiment 051 by Draxum and claimed to be the strongest of all of the mutants so far. / He was planning on using Experiment 051 to lead his army of mutants to take over the Hidden City and eventually go to New York City to destroy humans. / Experiment 051 was mutated with Splinter, otherwise known as Hamato Yoshi’s DNA. /Splinter ended up mutating into a rat, leaving him no choice but to escape to the sewers. / Splinter then spotted the turtles his DNA had just been transferred to, knowing that they were technically family now and he couldn’t let Baron Draxum turn them into weapons. / So he took Experiments 051-054 to the sewers to hide from any threats in the foreseeable future. / Years later, when “Leo” was twelve years old, she told Splinter that she wanted to be a boy. /Splinter immediately tried everything to support his transitioning son, even finding him a binder. / From then on, his name was Leo.

* It isn’t very surprising that he’s taller than all his brothers, considering that the turtle species he is mutated from is huge. / As well as being tall, Leo is really strong. / He can lift each one of his brothers without breaking a sweat. / Leo is also a really great swimmer, having large fins on his arms and legs.

* Has a big dorky crush on April. / His brothers often tease him about it, but April is fully aware of Leo having feelings for her. / April decided to start training with Leo, just to make him flustered. / They spend a lot of time together-Leo even gifted April a pair of tessen, custom painted by Mikey.

Extra:

- Can breathe underwater for one hour

- Loves sweets, but tends to overeat whenever he has some in front of him, as he has a serious sweet tooth

- Splinter trusts him with paying for all the pizza, which Mikey mostly eats

- Twins with Raph and is decidedly the older twin

- Has holes cut in his sleeves for his fins

- Loves to swim

[jamisafan]

Welcome to my blog!

The place where I rant about my interests and post random things!!!

My interests consist of Ninjago, TMNT, Usagi Yojimbo and more!

All my fanfics will be linked here

=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=

Links💫

Ao3

Bluesky

Twitter "X" <- I'm sadly not really active here anymore

Watching✨️

First Time Watching

TMNT 2003 - Season 4

Link Click - Season 2

Rewatching

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K - Season 2

Ninjago, Masters of Spinjitzu - Season 12, Prime Empire

Reading🫧

Usagi Yojimbo - Stan Sakai

Maid - Stephanie Land

King of Scars - Leigh Bardugo

Fanfics💭

Saturday Sun

one-shot

23,746 words

Leo and his family go to a town on the coast of California on a mini vacation to take a break and heal from the Krang. Leo goes into a book store one day and makes a new friend, Yuichi.

Or more like - Leo meets this cute boy that works at a book store and he gives Leo books. Leo falls in love blah blah blah.

Ghost of New York

On going

Chapters 7/10

Progress Update: Chapter 8

Rough Draft 70% complete

Usagi was three years old when he saw a ghost for the first time.

He was seven when he went on his first job with his Grandfather that ended in tragedy.

He was twelve when he caught his first ghost and sent it to the afterlife.

And he was sixteen when he was sent on his first solo mission and met one Leonardo Hamato who claims that ghosts aren’t real.

__________

Usagi had wanted to be a ghost hunter for as long as he could remember, its where he belonged. Finally, Aunty sends him on his first solo mission where he maybe makes a friend along the way.

Cold Inside

one-shot (risetober 2024)

1,798 words

Leo has been down since the invasion. His brothers think they know the perfect way to cheer him up.

A Magician Never Reveals His Secrets

one-shot (risetober 2024)

1,080 words

Leo can't sleep.

Splinter wants noting but to sleep.

Leo discovers magic

Comics💬

Popcorn

Short turtle tot comic staring the disaster twins.

Donnie and Leo have a fight about the right way to eat popcorn.

[turtlethon]

Turtlethon Extra Slices: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) (Part 3 of 3)

This is the third and final part of a special Turtlethon retrospective exploring the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Parts one and two covered the development of the movie and the first two acts: in this segment we look at the final act, the film’s impact and its legacy.

Arriving in the pick-up truck, the Turtles return to their sewer home alongside April and a reluctant Casey. Once there, they quickly pick up on a spy being in their midst. Danny is hiding nearby, and reveals that he has run away from home. He winds up staying overnight with the team, while a claustrophobic Casey returns to the truck to monitor things above ground. Impressed by the art of the Turtles that April created while on the farm, Danny is gifted an illustration of Leonardo that he folds away in his pocket.

I maintain that what happens next is the corniest thing in the entire movie: Danny is seen fidgeting as he sleeps, apparently having a nightmare where he hears the duelling voices of both Shredder and Splinter. It’s too on-the-nose, and perhaps would have worked better without allowing us to hear the voices too, not everything has to be spelled out. He slips by the now-sleeping Turtles and April to escape to the surface, returning to the Foot’s hideout. Casey spots this from the truck and decides to track him.

Danny again meets up with Splinter, who via another flashback recounts an earlier portion of his backstory. Here it’s explained how he learned his moves from his owner Hamato Yoshi, “one of Japan’s finest shadow warriors”, who was caught in a heated rivalry with Oroku Saki over their mutual love of a woman named Thang Shin. It was Thang who, out of concern for Yoshi, encouraged him to flee to America with Splinter as a means of putting the rivalry with Saki behind them. Saki would go on to murder Thang; upon returning from work Yoshi discovered this and was also attacked by his old rival. Splinter escaped from his now-broken cage and ravaged Saki’s face; in retaliation, Yoshi’s rival used his katana blade to slice the rat’s ear. Splinter’s actions weren’t enough to save his master, whose feud with Saki had reached its gruesome conclusion. When Danny asks what happened to Saki, Splinter can’t say, but points out that his symbol appears on the headband now worn by the teen.

As Casey adopts a Foot ninja uniform to further infiltrate the criminal operation, Danny is confronted by Shredder. He discovers the illustration of Leo provided to the boy earlier by April and takes this as confirmation that the Turtles have returned. Insistent on handling things himself this time, he orders his men into action, commanding also that Splinter be killed. Casey attempts to confront Danny, but learns of Shredder’s plans, and the two head off to intervene.

A battalion of Foot Soldiers charge into the sewers but this time the Turtles are ready for them, easily seeing off a first wave and prepared to take on the one that emerges soon after. Meanwhile Casey and Danny work to free Splinter, only to be confronted by Tatsu and a group of the youths still present in the compound.

In the sewers the Turtles continue to see off the Foot Soldiers, with April assisting from the sidelines. Back in the gang's hideout Casey receives a severe beatdown from Tatsu, but has the good fortune to be hurled into a shipment of golf clubs. Now in his element, he uses one of the clubs to fling Shredder’s underling across the room. The assembled hoodlums intervene on behalf of their master, but Splinter and Casey point out to them that neither Tatsu nor Shredder care for any of them, the masked villain’s claims that the Foot are one big family simply a ruse created to have them do his dirty work. Ultimately Casey and Danny carry Splinter out of the building, the stunned teens offering no resistance.

The Turtles fight off the waves of Foot ninjas and move up to the surface, climbing further still as they defeat more of the flunkies while working their way towards a nearby rooftop. With the ninja army now exhausted, the green teens stand triumphant but soon find themselves face-to-face with the final boss: The Shredder. Our heroes are incredulous upon learning his name and quip about his moniker sounding like “a kitchen utensil”, but their attempts to take him on individually go nowhere: Raphael goes first and is quickly grounded; Leo follows and finds himself in a similar position. Mikey and Donnie each confront the villain in battles that occur off-screen but fare no better. As the team regroup, Casey, Splinter and Danny arrive on the ground below, accompanied by members of the Foot who have now been convinced to switch sides.

Leonardo leads the Turtles into a further attack on Shredder, convinced that by defeating the villain they can make him reveal the whereabouts of Splinter; meanwhile Casey spots a group of Foot Soldiers who have remained loyal to their master climbing up the side of the building to offer Shredder assistance. He uses a nearby garbage truck to knock them back down and sees off the remaining ninjas on the ground.

Shredder and the Turtles battle further, briefly reaching an impasse until the villain goads Leonardo by insisting that Splinter is already dead. A furious Leo charges at him but winds up beneath Shredder’s foot, a spear pointed directly at his face; the other Turtles are warned that if they don’t relinquish their weapons, their leader will be the next to go. Reluctantly, the Turtles toss their gear over the side of the building, Michaelangelo’s nunchucks ending up wrapped around a nearby ladder that provides access to the roof.  Shredder laughs at the naivete of his foes, informing them that as a group of three with their weapons they could have still beat him, but now all of them will follow Leonardo in perishing at his hand.

Just as all seems lost, Splinter emerges, declaring that he knows Shredder is actually Oroku Saki and explaining he was the rat that leapt out of the cage to defend the honour of Hamato Yoshi years earlier. Shredder removes his mask to reveal the scarring caused by Splinter during the incident; this is another way in which the cartoon and movie continuities differ, as on TV Shredder’s entire getup seems to be at worst only to serve his own ego, or at best (as shown in the season seven episode “The Legend of Koji”) an adoption of the same ninja attire worn by his ancestor, Oroku Sancho. In either event, cartoon Shreds has no scar, but here there’s some justification for why he dons the mask.

Furious at the sudden return of this ghost from his past, Shredder hurls himself at Splinter, but his spear is tangled in the nunchucks, now held by his rodent enemy and the only thing preventing him from plummeting off the side of the building; as with the “fellow chucker” sequence from earlier in the film, this portion of the movie was drastically edited for the UK version, ruining this most pivotal moment. Splinter tells Shredder that “death comes for us all”, and continues to give a speech that seems to be intended to suggest he’s not going to take the easy way out and allow his master’s old foe to fall to his demise; Shredder is having none of this, and attempts to hurl a dagger remaining in his belt at the rat. In reaching to catch the dagger with one hand, Splinter is forced to relinquish his grip on the tangled weapons, and so Shredder drops into the garbage truck parked below.

If there was any possibility that Shredder survived the fall, then Casey’s actions next suggest he has no qualms about doing to the villain what he did to both Yoshi and Thang Shin (and presumably would have done to Splinter and the Turtles, given the chance); he activates the crushing mechanism of the garbage truck. Shredder’s helmet is seen getting mangled in the process, just to rub it in. If anyone watching has an issue with one of the movie’s protagonists going out of their way to kill its main bad guy then take solace, I suppose, in the fact that within a year a second Turtles movie will arrive and somehow... he gets better.

Then again, remember that the very first Mirage Turtles story – from which this film, and everything else TMNT-related draws upon – had the Turtles straight up kill Shredder then and there. Viewed from that perspective, this is, in its own way, an apt ending.

The Turtles are reunited with Splinter. Danny gives April back the money he stole from her wallet days earlier and begins the act of rebuilding his relationship with his own father, now insisting that he wants to go by “Dan” instead. Charles doesn’t seem to buy him as a Dan, and frankly neither do I. Having patched things up with his son, the station boss goes on to try and do the same with April, begging her to come back. April insists on getting a deal at least as good as May Williams has at Channel 5, and I love the implication that every odd-numbered station in town has their own rival reporter named after a month of the year. The “I See What You Did There” gags continue as Chief Sterns arrives and begins grilling one of the hoods for information: he’s informed that the criminal hideout Shredder operated out of is “on the east warehouse over at Lairdman Islands”. 

April and Casey get their end of the movie kiss in as Spunkadelic’s “9.95” plays us out; on the roof, the Turtles celebrate this as well as their own victory, considering the right word to describe how good they were. Splinter finally intervenes with his own suggestion: “I have always liked... cowabunga.”

Okay, but... that doesn’t even work in the context of what they were going for. Ehh, perhaps it doesn’t matter that much: the Turtles share a triumphant “cowabunga” of their own and everyone goes home happy.

AFTERMATH

In terms of its performance, TMNT exceeded all expectations, putting to bed any concerns that its darker approach would alienate younger filmgoers. A lot of this could be attributed to timing: much like 1986’s Transformers: The Movie and 1999’s Pokemon: The First Movie, the 1990 Turtles film debuted within the first few years into the life cycle of the property (from the perspective of the kids who made up the larger chunk of those buying tickets, anyway); all three films rolled out around the time that their respective franchises peaked in popularity, resulting in a perceived decline in interest afterwards as kids simply became burned out.

What differentiates the 1990 Turtles movie from the other two feature films mentioned is that, inarguably, TMNT did everything right. Any squabbles that occurred in post-production didn’t lead to the finished product being diminished in a way that would be obvious to the audience: it achieved exactly what Mark Freedman intended it to in raising the profile and legitimacy of the Turtles beyond what the cartoon was capable of. Remarkably, the film managed to find the sweet spot between the MWS and Mirage Turtles, presenting a project that pleased fans of both. Elements from the cartoon that were beneficial to the story, such as April’s role as a reporter and the colour-coded bandanas worn by the Turtles were retained, and throughout the Turtles are still allowed to goof around, while also displaying emotional maturity largely absent from their Fred Wolf counterparts.

And yet we still must acknowledge that for those of us introduced to Turtles through the cartoon, key elements of it that were omitted raised questions at the time. The absences of Krang, Rocksteady, Bebop and the Technodrome were glaring; it was easy to reason, however, that there just wasn’t time or space to work them into the first movie, and that they were being held over for the inevitable sequel. The fact that the Channel 6 regulars, who could easily have been incorporated even if only in cameos, are absent here speaks to Eastman and Laird’s desire to explicitly not use elements created by Fred Wolf’s camp if they could help it. None of this would prevent a growing schism between MWS and Mirage in the years that followed over who really deserved credit for Turtles becoming as successful as it was; the resulting bad blood would directly affect the creative direction of the second TMNT movie the following year. The divide between the television and movie aspects of the franchise was touched upon by Rob Paulsen in his autobiography, Voice Lessons, where he revealed that the actors who voiced the cartoon Turtles had taken it as a given that they would do so for their respective characters in the movie too; the revelation that a different group of actors would fill the roles was both a shock and disappointment to them.

As critical a part of the TMNT mythos as the first live-action movie was to American kids, in the UK its significance was greater still, serving as the effective grand finale of our localised version of Turtlemania. The fact that the Turtles already had a movie on the way when the franchise was introduced to British children in the early months of 1990 spoke to the fact that they were a big deal: the hype continued to build throughout the year as the release was held off, resulting in an agonising wait. (From personal experience, I can attest that this resulted in the inevitable “My dad’s uncle works at Nintendo” style tall tales from kids who insisted that they had seen the movie while on holiday in the US.) Partners in Kryme’s “Turtle Power” becoming a number one single in the summer only raised the profile of the movie further, but this brought with it an odd branding quandary: here was a song that explicitly referred to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the BBC – who had gone out of their way to commit to the butchered Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles branding they had insisted upon for the cartoon – were now unable to avoid airing the song and its music video on their radio stations and TV shows. This heralded the creation of what was effectively a second Ninja Turtles brand, running in parallel to the Hero Turtles one and intended to market movie-related products to older consumers.

There is some evidence to suggest that releasing the movie in the UK under the Ninja Turtles banner wasn’t always the plan. A version of the film retitled “Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles” would make it to selected Asian markets with altered dialogue, removing references to ninjas and downplaying the connections of the characters to Japan. This was never going to stand up to scrutiny, as such themes are far more integral to the movie than they were to the cartoon. Ultimately, the UK received the ninja version, but with a curious vestigial tail remaining: the original theatrical run and VHS release had an alternate version of “Turtle Power” running over the closing credits, the lyrics instead referring to the Hero Turtles. (As previously stated, this first run UK print was also edited to remove sequences where Michaelangelo’s nunchucks were used prominently; the German version somehow fared even worse, adding wacky sound effects throughout to soften its dramatic impact and bring the tone in line with that of the cartoon.)

Finally, with December looming, the movie landed in UK cinemas: the cover of the 24 November 1990 edition of the all-purpose youth culture magazine Look-In featured the headline “THE TURTLES MOVIE ARRIVES AT LAST!”, a nod to the by now infuriating wait we had been through. Big summer movies thought to have broad kid appeal were commonly delayed until the festive period during this era, with the thinking being that children would have more free time to see movies at Christmas, when school wasn’t in session, while also distancing the films from competing with summer blockbusters that had broader appeal; both Ghostbusters films and Transformers: The Movie also received this treatment. Arguably this approach worked against Turtles in that the brand had suffered from the BBC placing the cartoon in rerun purgatory since the summer, and the scarcity of TMHT action figures on store shelves was beginning to generate resentment. In that context, the long-delayed arrival of the movie could be viewed as a final, hurried dash across the finish line, the end point of a single calendar year in which the Turtles were overexposed to such a degree that by January, the public was ready to move on.

In the clip above from the BBC’s own Film 90, professional grouch Barry Norman can barely contain his contempt for the film and seems to begrudge the nation’s children getting the opportunity to see a movie they had waited all year for. Also included is a behind the scenes look at the Creature Shop’s work on the then-forthcoming second Turtles film, and a glimpse at the storyboards used in the first outing.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles marks the end of an era: in the years that followed its release the idea of such a high concept comic book movie being handled entirely with practical effects would become increasingly quaint, computer-generated imagery soon emerging as the established way of doing things. Two further TMNT movies arrived in 1991 and 1993, which will get their own Turtlethon retrospectives later this summer. A further CGI Turtles movie would follow in 2007, followed by a pair of uh... contentious films in the 2010s from Michael Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie debuted on Netflix in 2022, with the Turtles returning to the cinema in animated form later this summer with the new movie Mutant Mayhem.

NEXT TIME: The animated Turtles undergo an extreme makeover in an attempt to survive the mid-90s, as season eight gets off to an explosive start in “Get Shredder!”

[fabuloustrash05]

5 Characters The 2012 Writers Could Have Shipped 2012 Leo With Instead of His Sister

Because as much as I love TMNT 2012, it’s biggest flaw (in my opinion) was the awkward uncomfortable forced romance between Leonardo and Karai.

I’m gonna start this list with two characters from other TMNT incarnations that the 2012 writers could’ve added to their show and make them the love interest for Leo, then I will give a list of current 2012 characters that could have been good potential love interests for Leo (with some rewriting of course) that I feel would be better than him being shipped with and crushing on his sister.

Lotus Blossom

Originally from the 1987 series, Lotus Blossom was a female ninja Kraang hired to replace Shredder. Lotus was given the task to capture Splinter and defeat the Turtles and when first meeting her Leo was entranced by her beauty and skills as a swordsman. 

Lotus only made two appearances in the 87 cartoon and never reappeared in other versions of TMNT (as of now), which is a shame because her and Leo have a cute dynamic and played off each other very well as both friends and romantic interests, so the 2012 writers could’ve brought this classic 87 character back like they did with so many others like Mona Lisa and Mondo Gecko. 

I personally have two ideas for 2012 Lotus, one being she’s a warrior from the past that the Turtles meet while on another time travel adventure with Renet, OR she’s Mr. Murakami’s niece and she comes to New York to visits her uncle to help him with his restaurant and befriends the Turtles.

Koya

Bare with me, I don’t read the comics so I’m using knowledge from Wikipedia

Similar to 2012 Alopex, the writers could’ve brought another famous and beloved character from the IDW comics into the 2012 series. in the IDW comics Koya was Shredder’s pet falcon who eventually got mutated and became a scout and bounty hunter for The Foot Clan. 

It is hinted that their is a romance between Koya and Leo, mostly from the character Lita who says that Koya has feelings for Leo (something Koya claims is a lie) and Lita even says that the two are together romantically in the future.

2012 Shredder already was growing his own army by recruiting mutants like Tiger Claw, I’m surprised he didn’t continue this by finding or creating Koya for his army. 

Casey Jones

Could’ve ended the dumb capriltello love triangle. And who doesn’t love the reckless bad boy jock x nerdy responsible popular boy trope?

I’ve been getting really into Caseynardo lately and I think this would’ve been a fun pair to see in the show. The two rarely had moments together and its a shame cause even as buddies they are fun to watch. 

I’d imagine that this romance would start to blossom by season 3. Casey is getting over April and starts spending more time with Leo while everyone else trains, keeping Leo company since he can’t join in because of his injury. Casey would offer to Raph for him watch over and take care of Leo while Raph continues to train his brothers and April, as a way to get some stress/responsibilities off Raph’s shoulders. During the farm house arc Casey would hang with Leo and the two would bond and learn they have more in common then they think (both are the older siblings of their families and would do anything to keep them safe). This would start their growing friendship and later blossoming romance that would develop more during the rest of the series.

Shinigami

Even though I headcanon Shinigami as a lesbian and I ship Shinirai hardcore, let’s consider Leogami so a moment. Leo would still get himself a goth kunoichi from the Foot Clan as a gf, but this time with the bonus of her knowing magic, and hands down being one of the most beautiful female characters in the show fight me

I mean seriously, they could’ve held off on Leo getting a love interest until Shinigami comes along. Also why give Mikey a second love interest when he already has Renet, creating a random love triangle, and never acknowledge/do anything with it?? 

Just replace all of Mikey’s scenes/moments of him showing attraction towards Shini and replace him with Leo and then BOOM, both problems are fixed! No pointless Mikey love triangle and no Leo simping for his sis.

Miyamoto Usagi

Hear me out! 2003 fans are probably already on board, but 2012 Usagi would need some rewriting if this were to happen if the 2012 writers consider this instead of leor*i. 

Though his age is never confirmed in the 2012 series, it is speculated Usagi is a young adult in this version. Here’s what the 2012 writers should have done, rewrite Usagi as a teenager like they did with so many other classic characters for the 2012 series and have him and Leo build a friendship during the Samurai Turtles arc in season 5, with there being hints of a romance blooming between the young samurai and ninja by the end. But again, this would only work if Usagi was rewritten. 

If they can turn April into a teenager and ship her with Donnie then they could’ve done the same thing with Usagi!

[fandomhopping]

Here ya go feel free to do whatever you want with this continuation:

Kirby let out a deep sigh of relief, wiping his hands. The turtle, Leonardo according to his daughter, wasn't exactly healed but... he was at least stable. Taking a moment he glanced around the... infirmiry. For a abandoned subway car that was repurposed it was surprisingly well equipped and sterile. April had pointed out where everything was for him while she tended to the orange turtle, Mikey, and the big red one, Raph.

"Just don't move things around too much, Leo would kill us if we messed up his infirmiry." April pointed out while Donnie, the purple turtle, was being dragged out of some sort of lab by a rat by the name of Splinter who claimed to be the boys' father, saying he needed to get his shell checked. He was right about the purple one being a softshell and made a note to look at those bloody puncture marks next.

Taking the time to adjust the settings on his watch to alert him when Leonardo needed his next set of medications, he walked out of the medway. The entranceway was crowded by Leonardo's family, none of them willing to leave the 16 year old (God, he was only 16) alone with a stranger, even if he was the parent of their friend.

Taking the time to adjust the settings on his watch to alert him when Leonardo needed his next set of medications, he walked out of the medway. He nearly bowled over the only other human, a young man by the name of Casey, holding a katana with a blue scabbard point down in white knuckles determination. Kirby didn't have to guess who the blade belonged to.

"How is he?" Casey asked, tears still pooling in his eyes as he looked around Kirby's shoulder at where the turtle was laying.

"He... he's stable." Kirby explained, "But he'll need rest and medication. He is likely in a coma."

The turtles hadn't been too happy to bring hin into their home, insisting he stayed in an area of their vehicle that had no access to window while he treated Leonardo in the back. It was there April had explained who these people were and that the boy he was treating had tried to sacrifice himself to lock the leader of the aliens back up in their prison dimension.

She broke down in tears the moment she had finished, calling him her baby brother.

omg!!!! This the part two everyone needed!

Thanks @soniclozdplove!!

[turtleflurple]

My headcanon of Donnie and Leo’s relationship when growing up together

Okay, so when thinking about the boys being a little younger, I can’t help but imagine Leo taking on a bit of a more antagonistic role in the family when growing up. Not that they’re not close as brothers, but I do find myself thinking that Leo could have been a bit more of a bully when younger.

Leo can be a bit of a jerk towards his brothers in the series, and especially looking at his behavior in Lair Games and Air Turtle, he kind of has the bad habit of lording his own superiority over his brothers and milking his winning for all it’s worth. We also know that Leo being a poor winner is a very old and known behavior. Leo is also very focused on being better than other people (going with how small social circle was before the show, this probably mostly meant his brothers when growing up), and while he’s very sure of himself he also has bouts of severe insecurity where he’s very desperate for reaffirmation.

Where as with Donnie, I find his behavior currently fits very well with a very sensitive child being picked on a lot when younger and over time hardening more into this “emotionally unavailable bad boy”. To me Donatello is always a very emotional individual, only he has trouble connecting and explaining himself to other people especially because he’s so intellectually gifted. I can see Donnie in Rise being a bit of a crybaby and pushover when he was younger, something that I see keen eyed Leonardo focusing in on and exploiting. This would create a relationship were Leo would rile Donnie up a lot since Donnie would be such an easy target and always guarantee a reaction.

Kids just kinda tend to be mean to one another sometimes, especially they get bored and/or want attention. Just look at the dynamic between Mikey and Raph in the 2003 series. Mikey picks on Raph constantly, because it’s easy and it gets a reaction. If Raph wouldn’t react to Mikey constantly goading him on, Mikey would probably find something else to entertain himself with and leave Raph alone for the most part. But Raph can’t really keep a lid on it since he has a very explosive temper and gets swept up easily in his emotions. But yeah, I can see how in Rise this dynamic growing up could have shifted more to have been between Leo and Donnie. But instead of growing angry like Raph, Donnie instead would mostly just get very emotional in general.

I think that as a sensitive kid, regularly being picked on would turn that up to eleven, thus making Donnie hypersensitive. You know the kind I’m talking about, the kinda kid that’s so easily triggered by any perceived hostile behavior that they tear up over the smallest of things and constantly run over to their caretaker for comfort, a type of behavior that tends to grow a bit tiring after a while. Since it’s obvious that the person Donnie would run to most of the time would be Splinter, I think Splinter would in turn grow to be a bit desensitized by Donnie’s tears and claims of teasing, maybe even get exasperated from time to time. Here you have four very rowdy children that you have to run after constantly to make sure they don’t end up killing themselves and/or each other, and one of them keeps crying out that the others are being mean to him. I would understand if you would just get a bit done with it all after a while.

So in this situation Splinter would mostly apprehend Leo for picking on his brothers in the beginning, and especially for picking on Donnie, but after a while would also more turn to Donnie and tell him to deal with the issue himself instead of always running to Splinter to hide behind. Not in a mean way, but more in an “I can’t be the one to keep solving all your problems, Purple” kinda way. But I think this would send the wrong message to Donnie and he will instead interpret Splinter’s words more as a command not to bother him anymore with his issues. As a result he will act more emotionally distant towards his father after I think, and tough it out more when he’s overwhelmed and/or feeling vulnerable, maybe even isolate himself more.

With Leo and Donnie I think it first grew a lot worse before it got better again. I think focusing in on Donnie and picking on him a lot grew into a bit of a habit for Leo, as it was funny to him since it always garnered a reaction. Donnie would grow increasingly upset, much to Leo’s delight, until the day that Donnie wouldn’t take it anymore and snap. He’d attack, cuss out or accuse Leo of being a bully, and Leo would be so taken off guard by the accusation that he wouldn’t know what to say or do. Leo wouldn’t see himself as a bully, even tho I think he would have kinda been one over that span of time, and this conflicting image of himself would shock him so much that he would be forced to reflect on his behavior and his relationship with his brothers, with the focus laying mostly on Donnie. I think that after this altercation Leo would have gone to Donnie and apologize but deny being a bit of a bully while still validating his feelings to a certain extend and promising to stop teasing him so much. Donnie would accept the apology, but the damage would already be done. Donnie would be a lot more emotionally closed off, since until that day it kind of taught him that those many emotions of his can and will be used against him. He would have become more aggressive and guarded, but over time mellow out more into the more familiar teenage Donnie we all know and love with his dry humor, sarcastic snark and anti-social tendencies.

I think that this would have played out when Leo and Donnie were between the ages of 7 to 10, and when they both grow older they will actually realize what had happened and heal. Leo will apologize for real, and Donnie would have already forgiven him. I think Leo would never have meant any harm, he had just been bored and Donnie was just sure to be entertainment. Donnie didn’t know how to handle himself back then and I’m sure that in between Leo picking on him he was nasty back as well (since I do believe Donnie can be a bit vindictive if he wants to). They were both younger, and when you’re a kid it’s difficult to think of others and the consequences of your actions.

But yeah! That’s what I think Donnie and Leo’s relationship tended to be like when they were a bit younger! And it’s not the case that in between the ribbing they didn’t also play around with each other, would tussle and take comfort in one another. But you know what I mean when you have siblings. It’s very easy to simultaneously dislike and love them, forgive and forget when you’re having fun, and honestly, there never were any mal-intentions. Just kids figuring out how to better take care of each other.

[remmushound]

Curse of the Clan, part 50!

@selfindulgenz @scentedcandlecryptid

Donatello got as close as the sidewalk and then stopped. Everyone else had already started to file into TCRI before anyone noticed the silent softshell was no longer among them. It was Raphael who noticed first, doing a mental headcount of his family before his eyes snapped to the streets to search for the straggler.

“Donnie?” He called to his brother.

“I… I can’t…” Donatello whimpered. He tries to force himself to take another step forward, but every moment closer to TCRI was like a blinding flame searing across his skin. Debris collapsed on his shell, crushing the breath from within him. Pressure— painful pressure. There was fire and he couldn’t breath and he couldn’t find his family and—

April reached out a hand to touch the softshell and the horrors were cleared away like fog when the sun came out. She gave Donatello a patient smile and then glanced over at the remaining friends.

“I’ll stay out here with him. Not too eager to explore the bowels of TCRI so soon, y’know?”

Raphael gave a knowing nod. He motioned his clan to follow him, but it didn't take long for Draxum to once more take command of the group. He led through the empty lobby— and then they were all pulled back, like a movie put in reverse. One by one, they were back on the sidewalk, none of them with any recollection of walking back on their own.

“Uh… what was that?” Leonardo asked, looking down at his hands and then up at his brothers.

“Didn't we just…?” Raphael motioned to the building.

“Yep. Yep we did.” Leonardo whistled.

“Uh— o-okay…” Raphael looked around at the rest of his family with unsure eyes, but then quickly cleared his throat. “Okay! Let’s… let’s try this again!”

They didn't even get past the threshold of the door before they were forced back again by the rewind.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Leonardo put a hand on his hip and scowled as he looked around, “Who’s doing that?!”

His words triggered the rest gathered to all look around, searching for any signs of life other than the ones they knew were there. The streets were just as dead and empty as ever, no life to be seen in either direction, human nor yokai.

“So… did we all just have a shared hallucination, or…?” Leonardo motioned vaguely.

Michelangelo hummed. He felt all tingly and weird, but not in a bad way. It was like tiny, magic tap shoes were dancing their way over his arms, leaving him with goosebumps and a shutter that made him laugh. A familiar tip-tapping tickle! He smiled widely. He knew that magic!

Just as he recognized the lovely tingle of Renet’s magic, she materialized in front of him, a mess of giggles as she pressed her finger to the top of Michelangelo’s beak.

“Boop!”

Michelangelo swiped at his beak, giving a happy cluck before tossing himself open-armed at the woman. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly, lifting her slightly from her chair in the process though she didn't care one bit. She returned the hug with equal enthusiasm.

“Renet!”

“Mikey!” Renet cooed, pinching the younger boy's cheeks.

“Leo.” Leonardo raised a hand and waved. “And Raph and Donnie and Draxum and Casey and April and dad and Sunita. Now we all know each other: who are you?”

Renet shifted herself to be able to view the rest of Michelangelo’s family, their curious eyes boring into her as they tried to make sense of the pari. She offered a smile and a wave to the group, then she considered and gave a quick bow to the older two among them.

“Salam! I hope one of those were right.” She covered her mouth as she giggled. “I am Renet.”

“It’s my friend I told you about!” Michelangelo cheered, wrapping an arm around her, “She gave me my blessing! But what are you doing here?”

“Wait— were you messing with us just now?” Raphael asked.

“Yep.” Renet chirped proudly. “You really shouldn’t go in that basement; that whole place is rigged to explode!”

Looks were exchanged by everyone, eyes lingering a little longer on Donatello than anyone else. April huffed, stepping forward to confront this new yokai and her claim.

“How would you know?”

“I’m a Time Seamstress!”

“In training!” Michelangelo added helpfully.

“I know certain decisions will lead to certain outcomes, and I’d rather not see my newest and only friend burn to death in a fiery blaze of pain and suffering.” Renet said matter-a-factly as she nodded.

Michelangelo blinked. “Thanks for that.”

Cassandra threw her head back and screamed to the winds. “Nooo! We’re back at square one again!”

“At least we don’t have a time limit?” Draxum suggested.

“We kinda do.” Leonardo pointed out, “Seriously— how long do you think it will be before Krang starts living it up in every major city in Japan?”

“Well I’m sorry for being optimistic.” Draxum huffed, and then shivered, “Ugh. Michelangelo is rubbing off on me.”

Michelangelo didn't care about the remark. He frowned as he walked over to Donatello, who was still standing just beyond the curb with his shoulders hunched and tight.

“Did… did you know something bad would happen if we went inside, Donnie?”

Donatello shrugged, his hands going down to fiddle with Shelldon’s heart.

“How did you know that?” Raphael asked, crouching over to be eye-level with his little brother.

“I dunno… I just knew…” Donatello muttered under his breath.

“Me and Mikey are usually the ones who ‘just know’.” Leonardo pointed out.

“Of course…” Draxum’s eyes gave the slightest gleam, pointing a claw toward Donatello’s new mystic bo staff. “His weapon must be displaying its mystic charges by now.”

“You think he’s psychic?” Splinter asked, his whiskers twitching with doubt.

“No.” Draxum said, approaching Donatello close enough to hover a hand over his shoulder. “He’s precognetic. Just like when you three first got your powers, his is still weak and he had very little control over it. But with time, he could grow to master it! Such a power is near limitless with the right control behind it!”

“That— that’s great!” Leonardo said; his cheeks hurt from smiling so much and so widely, but he didn't dare let the smile leave his face. “That means we’re five for seven on the mystic powers right?”

“Wrong.” Draxum muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How many times does it have to be said that you and your brothers’ powers are not the same as your old ones, and even if they were, you’d still have to take the time to learn the full extent of them like you did before.”

“Well… when our parachutes didn't work, Raphie made a shield around us before we hit the ground.” Michelangelo pointed out.

“Grand.” Draxum nodded. “So we have precognition…” He motioned to Donatello, “Super strength…” He pointed at the smug April, “Shields…” He nodded toward Raphael, “AND NO IDEA!”

The last words were savage and targeted at Splinter, Cassandra, and the younger turtle brothers.

“Actually…” Raphael finally worked up the courage to say, his voice soft like a mouse, “I… might have an idea…”

“Were you going to share with the class?” Draxum asked, his dark eyes boring into Raphael like a predator’s sharp glare.

“He would if you’d let him talk!” Cassandra snarled, immediately coming to Raphael’s aid. She went to his side, holding onto one of his massive arms in support. “Go on, big guy.”

Raphael smiled in his best friend's direction before taking a sharp, deep breath. “D… do you know about the Council of Heads?”

“Yes.” Draxum said, lips pulling back in a scowl. “As a yokai, of course I do.”

“Not a clue.” Leonardo said, nodding his head.

“The Council are like our presidents.” Sunita explained quickly, to which the mutants and April all nodded their quiet understanding.

“W-well… when I was looking for a king, I… went to visit them and they tried to my bless my weapon.”

“Tried?” Leonardo prompted.

“Yeah. Uh. Didn't work.” Raphael hung his head and gave a weak laugh, then cleared his throat and looked back up. “They told me to turn around and— and not to look but I did. And…”

“And?” Draxum prompted, far more aggressively than Leonardo had. “Come on, wrap it up. We haven’t got all day.”

“They… there was this…”

Draxum nodded along, his eyes growing wider in his impatience as he tried to hurry the story along. Cassandra pointed two fingers at her eyes and then at Draxum as a warning of patience.

“It… like… kinda looked like Krang.”

“What do you mean?” April asked.

“Like— like a tentacle!” Raphael said, “With barbs on it…”

Donatello’s eyes went wide and then his head shrunk back into his shell. April and Leonardo were immediately on either side of the softshell, holding him up as his weak legs tried to give out on him.

“Like what we saw with Krang.” Michelangelo said.

“Exactly!” Raphael sighed.

“But that… couldn’t have been Krang.” Leonardo said with a laugh, “Krang was still in the mountain at the time.”

“I know that!” Raphael scoffed, “But they really, really looked like Krang. If they're the same species, then maybe they’d… know how to track him?”

“It’s highly unlikely…” Draxum mused.

“You got any better ideas?” Cassandra asked, her eyes daring anyone to speak up. No one did. “Fine. It’s settled. Let’s go talk to some heads.”