#how Leo is lit up by Raph's projection and Mikey's portal

[personne-reblogs]

I turned around

There was nothing there

Yeah, I guess the end is here

the billboard said , the end is near

[goodlucktai]

What if I said 10 & 20 as portal duo thanks so much

dialogue prompts

10. “I don’t care. I’m not leaving you.”

+ 20. “Get away! You’re hurting them!”

for my beloved meeks

x

They weren’t supposed to be here. It’s stupid, but it’s the first thing that springs to Mikey’s mind. 

Leo had only recently graduated with honors from those initial grueling physical therapy sessions that usually ended in tears (not always Leo’s) to daily exercises that got easier and easier until he was breezing through them the way he used to breeze through everything. 

If he went farther than two steps away from his arm crutches Donnie appeared out of thin air looking ready to breathe fire at him, and Raph was in the habit now of holding Leo out at arm’s length immediately after every hug in the manner of scruffing an unruly kitten to double-check he was wearing his leg brace and compression sleeve, and Mikey had learned the hard way what everyone meant when they said medics make the absolute worst patients. 

But for the most part Leo was doing really good! He was hitting all his marks and only driving everyone a tiny bit insane—well within the allotted Leo amount! 

So when he had smiled that crooked, conspiring smile at Mikey the minute the coast was clear and said, “There’s no better strengthening exercise then sneaking out with my favorite little brother for a past-due victory smoothie,” what was Mikey supposed to tell him? No??

It did occur to him, a tiny little guilty whisper. Leo was healing. He’d been so badly hurt. Even Splinter, who spoiled Leonardo rotten, hadn’t given into the slider’s constant pleas to rush the recovery process along. They were going by the book. Literally, since Donatello had stepped up as team medic in the interim. Don and Raph and April and even Casey were all very good at not bending an inch no matter how many tragic looks got sent their way. Mikey wasn’t very good at that at all. 

And anyway, joy had drowned out that whisper with a shout. He lit up with it, that newly-discovered supernova inside him curling up like a happy cat in a patch of sunshine. There’s a very big part of him that will always be what it’s always been, no matter how old he gets, or how powerful his mystic arts become—he’ll always be Michelangelo, and Michelangelo will follow Leonardo absolutely anywhere. 

So he said, “I’ll get my hoodie!” and darted out the door with zero ninja stealth, clipping his shoulder on the frame and almost crashing into the table in the hall. Leo laughed behind him, and the unrestrained sound made Mikey feel like he could float. Maybe he actually did for a second or two. 

He’ll never forget those horrible minutes after the portal closed, after Leo’s comms went dead, when he had wondered if he would ever hear his brother’s voice again. When he wondered what, exactly, his last words to Leo had been—they almost certainly weren’t I love you or please don’t leave so they didn’t count. 

To make up for it, he wanted to tell Leo everything every chance he got. He wanted to make him laugh all the time. He wanted to crowd into the little twin-size infirmary bed to watch movies or do art projects that got glitter everywhere. He wanted to sneak out for smoothies even though it would get them in big trouble, because that was literally why he helped save the world in the first place. 

And now he’s standing in a dim sidestreet, an orange streetlight buzzing dully above him, two smoothies melting in his hands. It’s their usual shortcut home, through a bunch of foreclosed apartment buildings and a dead end road. Leonardo is in front of him, shoulders stiff, ninpo humming weakly beneath his skin like a tired little beetle that shouldn’t be up from hibernation just yet. 

Across the road are half a dozen humans in what looks like riot gear labeled TCRI and a man in a black suit. The man somehow looks more dangerous than the people in police armor. 

“Leo,” Mikey says in a small voice. His brother doesn’t answer, but he does shift his weight to put Mikey more firmly behind him, which is answer enough. 

And Mikey thinks, We weren’t supposed to be here. No one knows where we are. 

The man in the suit starts talking into the bulky earpiece he’s wearing, but Mikey can’t make out what he’s saying over the buzzing of the streetlamp and the pounding of his own heart in his ears. All he hears is Leonardo murmur, “Mikey, go.”

“No,” Mikey’s mouth says automatically. It doesn’t even need any input from his brain to say it. Because no. 

“Mike,” Leo says, in his best leader voice. But his tone is urgent in a way that borders on being scared so closely it must mean he’s actually terrified, or he would never have let Mikey hear even a hint of it. “I’d go with you if I could. I’m sorry I can’t.” 

His hands tighten on his crutches. He can’t run. He’s still healing. He should be at home, doing his exercises with those little pink dumbbells in the warmth and safety of the lair, complaining the whole time in between tossing out ideas for dinner. 

Mikey should have said no to sneaking out the way Donnie and Raphie would have instantly said no. He should be better at taking care of Leo the way he needs to be taken care of, the way everyone else does so easily. 

The armored people start to shift to the side, moving around Mikey and Leo in a wide formation, hands on the guns holstered at their waists. Containing them. The man in the suit is still talking, face inscrutable behind the tinted glasses he’s wearing, but his face hasn’t twitched away from their direction even once. 

“Hey,” Leo says, bringing Mikey’s attention back. “Don’t look at them, look at me.”

He’s smiling over his shoulder like it’s any other back-alley brawl with the mutant of the week or a handful of those Foot soldiers who never know when to quit, and not a horrible high-stakes situation in which Mikey stands to lose one of the most important things in the entire world if he makes the wrong move. 

“Just get home and get the guys, okay? Then come right back for me. You can outrun these goons without breaking a sweat. You can do anything.”

Mikey drops the smoothies and the cold wet soaks through one of his sneakers instantly but he needs his hands free so he can clutch the back of Leo’s stupid hoodie. He needs to hold on tight and make sure whoever tries to take his brother away knows exactly what kind of knock-down drag-out fight they’re in for. 

“I don’t care,” Mikey says, too loud in the stillness. “I’m not leaving you.”

He wishes he were a snapper like Raphie. If he was big and strong and had a shell that was as good as bulletproof armor, he’d scoop Leonardo up and shield him from the guns and run them both away. 

If he was a genius like Donnie, he’d have one or a dozen gadgets on his person that would have saved them. 

But he’s just Mikey, who isn’t big and strong, who isn’t a genius, who isn’t one of the people Leonardo is willing to step down and be weak in front of and depend on. Just Mikey, who Leo saved all his best jokes for during painful rehab, like it mattered to him that Mikey didn’t see him struggle. Just Mikey, who Leo always lifts both arms for the second he sees him coming and squishes into the world’s best hug, even if he’s pissed off at everybody else. Just Mikey, who Leo wants to get better for, be the best for, be one of the constant things on this planet Mikey never needs to doubt, like gravity and sunrise and overpriced street food. 

Because there’s a very big part of him that will always be what it’s always been, no matter how mature he gets, or how accomplished a ninja master he becomes—he’ll always be Leonardo, and Leonardo would do anything to make sure Michelangelo keeps smiling. 

Leo is also very stupid, because he doesn’t seem to understand that Mikey will never smile again if his big brother goes away. 

When the TCRI agents explode forward at some signal Mikey missed, and grab the brothers and drag them apart, Leo stumbles and falls when his crutches are wrenched away. He’d probably be making a smart-ass comment if his jaw wasn’t clenched, the sudden fall probably radiating pain all the way up his spine, distress making his gold eyes burn neon yellow. 

Like a flip was switched, all the panic inside of Mikey evaporates into a red-tinged mist. 

The supernova inside him sleeps most of the time, because he’s not big enough to contain its multitudes yet, and it doesn’t want to cause pain. It only wants to shine light in dark places, it only wants to help. But it wakes up with a fury and fills every inch of him to the brim and the overflow spills right out of him, lifts him right off the ground, makes his voice a resounding thunderclap when he yells, “GET AWAY! You’re hurting him!” 

Staggering back and shouting in alarm, the agents begin firing, because humans in a panic are trigger-happy creatures, even well-trained ones like these guys must be. Every round fired disintegrates the second it meets the glow pouring out of Mikey, disappearing before it can do harm. 

“Holy shit,” Leo says, eyes wide. It’s the way Mikey imagines he probably looked at Leo, when everyone else feared Raphael was a lost cause but Leo put his hand on Mikey’s shoulder and told him, I’m not giving up on him. I’m not leaving him behind. A sailor lost in a storm and their first glimpse of the lighthouse in the dark, close enough to save them.

“Hold your fire!” the man in the black suit barks suddenly, his voice viciously angry. “I did not clear any of you to fire!” 

Mikey doesn’t care who the scary Men In Black guy is, or what reason he has for tracking Mikey and his brother down, or why he’s calling the dogs off now. He cares about helping Leo get back on his feet, scooping the crutches up off the ground and getting Leo’s arms in them, and staring right into Agent Sunglasses’s stupid face while the supernova burns and burns and burns inside him. 

Try it, he doesn’t say. Just try it. If the Krang couldn’t take my brother from me, what hope do you think you have?

He feels Leo’s arm slip around his, locking them together at the elbow. Leo’s ninpo, a soft breeze instead of the playful gale it’s supposed to be, weaves through Mikey’s own to lead it. 

‘Like this,’ the wind tells the sunburst, guiding it through the process it wants it to take the same way bigger hands used to guide a smaller Mikey through katas, readjusting his arms and poking him playfully on the beak when he scrunched it in frustration. The golden portal that opens beneath their feet costs him nothing, appearing as effortlessly as Leo’s spinning blue ones always do. 

The agent’s face goes slack with shock the second before the turtles disappear. 

They land on the sofa with enough force that it almost collapses, and Leo makes a pained noise, hands pressed to his plastron like he’s trying to contain a full-body ache with sheer willpower. Mikey scrambles off of him and falls off the sofa for his trouble. His clothes are prickly, like he’s covered in static electricity. A magazine left on the coffee table begins to move, pages flipping as if in a breeze. One of the beanbag chairs lifts up slightly, like gravity has gotten lighter in that specific spot. 

He feels too big for himself. There are multitudes inside him, a million different things that are all true at the same time. He’s still so angry, and he’s still so afraid, and he’s still just Mikey, who couldn’t be what Leo needed him to be until the last possible second. 

Just Mikey, who Leo saves his best smile for. Just Mikey, who Leo hugs like it’s the easiest thing in the world to bring another person that close and trust them right next to his heart. 

“You’re the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” Leo says, like it’s another truth Mikey can keep for as long as he wants. Forever, even.

There will be hell to pay when their brothers get home. There’s a brand-new danger their family needs to be made aware of. Leo tried to leave him behind again and it reopened a wound that was still raw and healing.

But for now that wild star in his heart doesn’t need to burn so bright. It can put all the furniture that began to float back down and go back to sleep. And Mikey can press his face into the cracked print of Leo’s favorite Chappell Roan hoodie and say, “Hope you enjoyed your last taste of freedom for the next hundred years.”

Leo laughs, but doesn’t let go of Mikey right away. He clings extra hard for an extra long minute.

He would have left, Mikey realizes, but he didn’t want to go. When he was alone on the Technodrome, staring down a monster and a portal and the truth of how to save everyone, he didn’t want to go. If there was any other choice, he would have taken it. He would have come home. 

Mikey isn’t Leo, who will do what he has to do no matter what it costs himself. Mikey isn't Raph or Donnie. Mikey is and always has been the spoiled baby of the family, who will do exactly what he wants to do and damn the consequences. He’ll tear a thousand holes open in the universe if that’s what it takes to keep his family together, and if the Hamato ancestors don’t like it then they can come and take their ninpo back. 

They can try, anyway. 

[davids-cartoon-corkboard]

Do you think Donnie will turn to the dark side and betray his bros? That’d be pretty cool and heart wrenching. Also a great device for the development of the Bros relationship.

(This is the blog’s very first ask! Thank you!)

I don’t think Donnie would ever outright flip his lid and say “forget you guys, I’m gonna go live with my evil dad now”. He loves his family and also he’d be at risk of getting thrown off a roof.

Buuuuut Draxum has a lot of powerful magitech. A situation might arise where the turtles need to get some of it to stop a bigger threat. The Shredder, for example.

Draxum has no doubt increased security since the turtles jacked up his lab in the first episode. They won’t be able to sneak or force their way in. So how do they get Draxum to let them in?

Remember, Draxum isn’t being evil for evil’s sake. He genuinely thinks turning humans into mutants/yokai is the right thing to do, and that killing those who get in his way is perfectly acceptable.

My theory is that Draxum is the only one of his family left alive after humans killed all the rest. Because sheep yokai are animals, monsters, less than human, and hey, this one has a pretty good rack! And so a young Draxum watches them remove his father’s head and carry it away. Later it will be mounted on a wall as a conversation piece. A trophy. The kiddies will play ring toss on it.

The rise turtles, as a nod to the ‘87 cartoon, are comfortable walking around in public with minimal disguises. None of the humans give a shit, because New York is just Like That.

Right?

That won’t last forever. Mutants are animals, monsters, less than human. They’ll eat our children! Make our homes vanish! Wreck our china shops!

People are going to run from our boys. People are going to throw things at them. People are going to call them names. Agent Bishop is going to crawl out of the depths of Hell and try to pick them apart in the most painful way he can.

If the turtles need something from Draxum, they’ll be able to use this treatment (and his backstory) to their advantage.

Donnie alone will approach Draxum, because a single turtle is less likely to make him feel threatened. And Donnie alone will approach Draxum because Draxum will see his young turtle, the one that took after him the most from the start (arrogant cynical softshell genius), exhausted and frightened, with no weapon and a new scar beginning to form on his shell.

He’ll hear Donnie speak to him humbly and say “The humans have discovered us. We can’t go anywhere anymore without being attacked. We’re running low on supplies. None of us can sleep at night. They’re eventually going to find out where we live. The others think there’s a peaceful solution, but I know better, and I don’t want to die. Please, help me.”

If there is any heartstring of Draxum’s left to tug, that will be it. What a young Draxum wanted more than anything else in the world was for someone to help him when he was alone, and the Hidden City was a terrible place to grow up without help. These days he’s not soft, of course, but another mind put towards his project would be useful…

He lets Donnie inside, but doesn’t let his guard down.

It was mostly a trick, on Donnie’s part. Sure, humans have given them some shit, but they’re not in immediate danger. Donnie prepped for this deception. No sleep for a week, with difficult training and splashes through the sewer throughout. It took him ages to convince Raph to rough up his shell. But now he’s inside. And if he’s patient, he can get what he needs.

Donnie learns that the “Baron” in “Baron Draxum” isn’t just for drama- he actually holds some status in the Hidden City. Draxum brings back things he considers scraps and trinkets, and they’re unlike anything Donnie has ever seen. Magic has opened up a whole new field of study for him! Imagine what he could do if he had access to more of Draxum’s stuff! He might be able to get his hands on the thing he needs now… but his chances would be better if Draxum trusted him more.

He should stay a little longer.

Huginn and Muninn’s chatter provide a familiar level of background noise, but they’re wise enough not to bother Donnie- they only watch him, as Draxum commanded. They bring him food and medicine to help him recover. They’re quiet when he sleeps. They don’t poke at and accidentally break whatever he’s tinkering with. They recognize that streak of Draxum in him better than anyone else.

Donnie hasn’t been able to focus so well in- well, ever.

While watching Draxum work, he casually offers a suggestion -human gametes form like this, so if you tweaked the mutagen like that then they’d transition to yokai gametes more easily- and Draxum smiles, adjusting his formula. Later, Draxum monologues about Unified Runic Laws in Donnie’s general direction. Sure, Donnie probably shouldn’t have helped out with the whole evil plan thing, but knowing those Runic Laws is going to make the lair’s antimagic security system go from theory to reality!

Surely Donnie could learn even more if he stayed for another week or so.

Big Mama sends some of her minions to attack Draxum’s lab- more to annoy him than anything, but they knocked a couple of things loose. Instead of grabbing some gizmos and running off in the confusion, Donnie helped fight off the interlopers and solder some things back together afterwards. Draxum examines his handiwork. Precise, organized, efficient. “Well done” he says. “Thank you.”

Donnie could stick around for a bit more, couldn’t he?

Donnie’s been gone a long time, and of course he couldn’t take his bo or any communication devices with him. The rest of the turtles fear the worst. They try to “free” him. He “rejects” them. But that’s all right. It’s just a trick to get Draxum to trust him. Giving his brothers a few bruised scales is worth the artifact he has to bring back.

He tries not to think about how Leo ran off with a limp.

Baron Draxum is not a trusting yokai. But seeing how the boy’s eyes lit up at the slightest hint of praise, how much effort he put into whatever he worked on, how fascinated he is by the magitech under Draxum’s roof… it seems unlikely that he’ll just run off.

But just in case… a present. A test. Children like presents, right? And Draxum likes tests. He gives Donnie a glowing purple staff.

Now, Donnie had refused this staff in the first episode, back when things were simple and he still had his titanium bo. But now that he knows a bit more about magic, he’d really like to see what makes this one tick.

Leo’s sword creates portals through space. Why not have his twin’s weapon create portals through time?

While tinkering with the staff, Donnie accidentally flings himself into a future where he sees what will happen if Draxum continues to influence him. If he stays too long, he’ll never want to leave.

He meets his brothers, aged and weary over a thirty year gap. And he is reminded of the pile of notes and gadgets he has back at Draxum’s lair.

Leo is blind (Donnie was working on a flashbomb/curse combo).

Raph lost an eye (Donnie had scratched out some ideas for magical whirlwinds that selectively picked up the sharpest shrapnel).

Mikey’s arm is severed (a simple reversal spell, and his kusari-fundo turned on him and sawed it off).

April is cold, so different from her bright and vibrant teenage self. She leads what little resistance there is, and used up all her warmth to try and keep hope alive.

They all buried what was left of Splinter ages ago.

Future!Donnie is Draxum’s right-hand turtle, his favored, only son, and if he can hold out just a little longer, Draxum will die (of old age or of coup, Future!Donnie could go either way), and he’ll be in control, and he will fix the world, and make it as it should be.

Future!Donnie got Draxum’s praise, he got his trust, he got his knowledge, he got his artifacts, he got, he got, he got…

He got a swift kick in the teeth from his pissed-off past self.

Donnie is shaken. For how long had this mission been about him, at the expense of everything and everyone else? How much time had he spent listening to Draxum ramble instead of gain intel on the object he needed? How far had he been willing to go?

The ensuing battle leaves Donnie victorious… sort of. He’s the only one left alive. He doesn’t have time to process what he’s experienced, because the staff re-activates, and rockets him back to the present.

Donnie breaks it over his knee, takes the item he was after, and burns Draxum’s lab to the ground.

[thenerdytomboynewb96]

Samantha Allan Park Ch. #37

Any references to TMNT or anything from popular media and culture is NOT MINE. I only own my OC’s. Any references to “TMNT Out of the Shadows” DO NOT BELONG TO ME. Only my additions that I came up with myself belong to me. Anything from the films or other series ARE NOT MINE, only my OC’s and my ideas that I have added onto the story FOR FUN. Thank you.

Chapter #37

*Sunday June 7th, 2015. 11:00a.m. in the plane. Location: somewhere over the Caribbean Sea, just crossing over the border over top of Venezuela.

Sam and Leo had begun watching Space Heroes around 9a.m.and by 9:30a.m. the rest of the brothers had woken up as well. The group turned to Sam, knowing that she would be the one to have snacks either because she packed them herself, or because Mikey had snuck them into her bag. After they had all eaten some, they went back to just relaxing on the plane as they waited for their time to arrive in Brazil. It was now about 11a.m. Everyone had remained calm during the nighttime because the air had been nice and cool…but now that it was the middle of the day, the hot and humid air was kicking in, and everyone felt miserable. Mikey was slouched against the right wall of the inside of the cargo space of the plane. Raph was sitting not far off from Mikey’s spot as he threw a small red ball as it bounced off the floor and then off the box in front of him. He needed to move in some way or else he would lose his shit. Leo was attempting to keep calm as he sat even further across the right wall. Donnie was sitting on the opposite side of the plane looking at one of his many tablets (which he gave Sam a huge thanks for charging them once he officially woke up). And then there was Sam herself, who was setting her gear up and attaching and tightening her nylon webbing chest harness on her body (and setting up some other materials now that they were a couple hours away from reaching their destination. You never know what random situation might come up, so one always needed to be prepared).

“Ughhhh” Mikey groaned as he fanned himself, “aren’t there supposed to be like, pretty stewardesses handing out warm hand towels and stuff?” Raph sighed as he tried to remain calm, knowing that getting worked up would just make him sweat and overheat even more. “Not down here Mikey, not for us.” Raph then looked over towards Sam who was standing in the middle of the space between himself and Leo. At the moment she was pulling her hair back and tightening it as much as she could. Raph smirked. “Sam’s the closest thing we’re gonna get” he said with an expression that made it known he wanted her to hear him. Sam froze for a second after hearing her name and then processing how it was used. Once what she thought was the message had been received, she turned towards Raph with a cocky smile. “DAMN. STRAIGHT!” she said pointing at him, “I’m the best at the best at being prepared for anything!” Leo covered his mouth, trying to hide his laughter at Sam unintentionally admitting that she was like a stewardess or like a maid. Obviously she had heard Raph wrong or missed part of what he said. Even Mikey shot Sam a weird look, confused at her response. Raph just smiled and shook his head. “Alright stewardess, throw me a towel.” Sam was taken aback. “I’m sorry, I’m what now?” Leo started laughing a bit louder. “Hey, you’re the one that admitted to it, now fork a towel over” Raph said playfully. Sam paused, now finally realizing that Raph hadn’t teased her about always being prepared, but obviously had actually said she was like a maid and she admitted to it. Sam pouted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about” she said as she crossed her arms and looked the other way. Raph just rolled his eyes. “Oh please. Everyone here knows that you have at least one small towel so that if someone starts bleeding you can stop it” he said matter of factly, crossing his arms over his chest. Sam turned her head some and peeked through one eye at him. “Ugh, fine. But I’m not your stewardess though!” she said as she launched a small cloth at him. “Heyyyy” Mikey pouted. “I only have two, so you have to share” Sam said with a serious expression as she pointed back and forth between Mikey and Raph. She then turned around and tossed the other small cloth to Leo. “You share with Bill Nye over there, got it?” she said as she shot him the same expression she made towards the other two. Leo smiled and nodded as he wiped off his face, blessed to finally get some of this warm sweat off his body. Even he was having difficulty just sitting here in the scorching humid air.

The room lit up some as the screen from Donnie’s tablet now projected in the air right in front of his face. Donnie then stood up, a worried expression taking over his face. “Oh boy. Bebop and Rocksteady are already in-route back to New York.” “What?!” Leo said as he stood up and rushed over to his brother’s side. Raph also stood up. He gritted his teeth, acknowledging that the fight was about to start earlier than expected. Mikey continued to hang back some, knowing there was nothing he could do. He looked at Sam who was now standing next to him. He assumed that she would want in on the action, yet she continued to hang back with him. He gently threw his arm around the girls shoulder as a way to let her know he appreciated her actions, and she then smiled as she was physically informed that he received the message. They both returned to their serious expressions once they heard Don’s voice. “They must have retrieved the last piece they needed to open the portal” he said as he continued to press different images on the projected screen and analyze the information they provided. “What game is he playing?” Mikey whispered to Sam, curious about the image of the two planes that looked like they were about to hit each other. “It’s not a game. He’s playing around with the coordinates, seeing where our route intertwines wither theirs” she whispered in reply. Donatello then snapped his finger, pointed in Sam’s direction, and then gave her a thumbs up, all the while never looking away from the images in front of him. Leo continued to look over the screen as he stood next to Donnie. “It looks like our plane is about to cross right over theirs. Right?” Leo asked. “Yeah, with about a 3,000 foot separation” Donnie replied. Raph was now looking over Leo’s shoulder, watching Donnie type away at the floating images. Even Mikey had grown interested and had moved closer, though this was more so because he was distracted by the floating images. “So what’s the plan D? If they retrieved the piece then we need to get to them now” Sam remarked. “Uhhhh, I can plot a course for intercept, but we’d have to jump” Donnie replied. All Raph heard was one word which switched his gritted teeth expression to a worried eyes wide open expression. “Jump?” “Jump. J-U-M-P. To push oneself off a surface and into the air by using the muscles in one’s legs and feet. Synonyms include-” “Sam I’m about to rip your freaking face off” Raph snarled. Sam’s eyes went wide as she threw her hands up in defense. “My bad” she said, though she was trying her hardest not to smile while doing so. She was expecting some type of sarcastic remark, but definitely not such a defensive one from the rough and tough Raphael. Mikey was nodding his head in excitement. “Man this is gonna be sweeeeeet!” he said as he ran over and high fived Sam. “Uhhhhhhh” Raph droned, not knowing what to think. Donnie picked up on this immediately. He pat his older brother on the shoulder and shot him a smile. “Raph, it’s the only way to catch them. You got this, okay?” Raph pursed his lips and nodded. Knowing that he didn’t have much of a choice, he tried his hardest just to suck it up and get this over with.

As quickly as he could, Donnie explained the plan to the rest of the group. He would use his grappling gun with the metal bridge to secure him to the plane using the suction cups on the metal bridge device. He then instructed his siblings on how to wear the nylon webbing waist harnesses which was basically a belt (Sam wore a chest harness instead just because the guys wanted to be extra cautious with her) and that once they reached the plane they would then snap the snap hooks on their belts to the metal base attached to the plane. They all made sure their harnesses, their thick lanyard cables (the material between the snap hook and the metal base) and their snap hooks were prepared and being worn correctly. Donnie then made sure Sam had an ear piece set up so that he could communicate with her while they were both in the air. He then made sure her pack was secured as tightly to her as it possibly could be, that her harness was tightened and worn correctly, that her ear piece was in right, and even that her hair was secured tightly enough that it wouldn’t interfere with her vision. It literally looked like an adult securing a child in for an amusement park ride. “Ughhhh Donnie I’m fineeeaaa” Sam groaned, tilting her head and body back slightly to show how annoyed she was. Donnie sighed. “Just be careful, okay? I’ve been keeping records of the results from all the times we’ve tested your powers, but this is something we’ve never tested before. Please, just be as safe as you possibly can be” he said, resting his hand on her shoulder. Of course, Sam was a little shit, and in situations like this she could only respond to show she understood in the only way she knew how: pure sarcasm. “No” she said shaking her head, “I’m just gonna jump out of that plane and free fall. Safety is not a word in my vocabulary” she said with a kindhearted smile. To a normal person, this would be seen as extremely rude. However, Donnie knew Sam well enough to know that this was her way of saying she understood what he was asking and would do everything she could to keep herself out of harm’s way. He gently lifted his hand to the side of her head and then, without being too rough, pushed her head to the side and down some. “Idiot” he said with a grin.

Raph and Mikey had been standing next to Leo who was holding Donnie’s device from before. “Donnie, it’s almost time” Leo called. Donnie nodded as he walked over and collected the device. He made sure all his materials were ready before walking over to the door. His brothers and Sam walked right behind him. The door opened. From left to right stood Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Sam, and then Michelangelo. Huge gusts of wind blew into the back of the plane as soon as the door made even the slightest crack and began to open. Raph’s instant reaction was to throw his left arm up and gently push Sam back some so that she was as far away from the opening as possible, to which her face scrunched up in confusion from the unexpected protection. Donnie instantly started looking down as he tried to locate the plane that should soon be appearing in sight. Leo just looked out into the open space and gritted his teeth. He didn’t mind being up high, but being up THIS HIGH was nothing he had ever experienced before. This was definitely different from the building heights he was used to. He kept turning his head to check on his younger brother who made it clear he was not enjoying this portion of their mission. “Uhhhh guys, I don’t think this is such a good idea!” Raph announced. Sam was still shocked. “And I thought I had a fear of heights” she thought to herself. Normally she would react the same way, but ever since she gained her new abilities, heights did not scare her anywhere near as much as they used to. Plus, she had a target, so it wasn’t like she was actually free falling. Sam looked to her left and began to smile at Mikey who had a huge smile on his face as he leaned onto the edge of the door way so that he could get a better look at the sights below. Sam found it interesting how Mikey seemed to think this was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, while Raph seemed to think this was the most terrifying thing her had ever seen. Mikey heard his brother’s worried statement. He then turned and patted his brother on the shoulder (though it made Raph shudder because e of how nervous he was). This shudder allowed for Sam to slip under the large turtles arm so that she could also take a step closer and get a better look at the view. For once in her life she could actually enjoy a view like this without panicking like her life was about to end. “Aww come on Raph!” Mikey exclaimed, “this is gonna be fun!” he said as he more playfully slapped his brothers shoulder, again, making Raph shudder. Leo then turned to smile at his younger brother. “Come on, you’ve faced tougher things than this” he encouraged, throwing an arm around Raph’s shoulder. “Like?” Raph growled, though he’d be a liar if he said he didn’t feel more comfortable with his brother’s arm around him. It was like it was an anchor keeping him grounded. “Likeeeeee when we almost came crashing down from that tower” Leo replied. “What?!” Sam shouted, turning around in excited shock. “Where was I when that happened?!” Leo shook his head and smiled. “Didn’t know you yet.” “Awwww man you missed it! Raph cried and everything!” Mikey announced. “WHAT?!” Sam shouted. “I MISSED THAT TOO?!” “MIKEY!” Raph bellowed, aiming to punch his brother in the shoulder.

What these four didn’t realize was that this whole time Donnie had crouched down and used his goggles to zoom in and pin point the location of the oncoming plane. He stood up and turned to face his brothers, realizing that literally now was when they needed to jump. “We gotta go now-” Donnie started, only to be cut off as his other three brothers nodded and turned around to start putting on parachutes. Donnie just stood there dumbfounded, wondering what they were doing wasting time when they needed to jump NOW! He then turned to see that Sam was staring at the other three with the same exact expression that he had on his face. “Thank god for the same someone who always gets it” Don thought to himself. Sam turned back to face him and smiled, excited to wait for further instructions. “Well, NOW we only have a 30 second window. You guys know the plan” he said as he waved a hand behind him, even though he suspected his brothers wouldn’t see it. Sam walked up next to him, and right before they departed from the vehicle, she looked up at him with a confident look and put her fists up to demonstrate the ‘fighting/hwaiting’ expression that many of her k-pop celebrities displayed. The two nodded towards each other and leapt out of the plane.

Mikey literally had just happened to turn around and see the two exit the plane. “Uhhhh dudes?” “What?” Leo responded after just finishing securing a parachute to Raph’s back. “They jumped.” This got the older two’s attention as they both deadpanned to see the empty space behind them. “THEY JUMPED?!” Raph shouted, his eyes large and his mouth wide open in horror. “Uh huh” Mikey smirked. A cocky smile formed on Leo’s face as well. He expected this bad assery from Sam, but it was more surprising to see Donnie act this way. Regardless, his brother’s confidence meant it was time to move. “Alright, one for all” Leo said as he walked to the open entry way. “WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! YOU DON’T HAVE A-” “Whooo!” Leo shouted as he jumped out of the plane. Mikey was excited now that it was finally his turn. “I don’t need a chute” he said in a calm and content manner, “I got my BOARD!” And that fast he had joined the rest of the group in jumping out of the plane. He placed his skateboard at his feet as he spun in circles. He tilted forward and spun and then spun in circles sideways. This was definitely the most exciting moment of his life right here. It was like he was in a cycle of completing skateboard tricks that never ended, like he was in a loop filled with excitement. No one noticed that Raph was freaking out as he moved around frantically, reaching his arms out as if he could still reach his brothers who were spiraling downward towards the other plane.

Meanwhile, at the front of the line, Donnie was getting closer and closer to his target. Sam, using her powers so that she was flying like Iron Man, hung back some so that she could monitor her friend. Donnie shut his grappling gun. The suction cupped prongs launched forward and made a direct connection and stuck to the top of the plane. Donnie pressed a button so that he now was being pulled even faster towards the plane. The momentum of the movement allowed him to swing all the way around from one side of the plane to the other as his body was then slammed down onto the top. Once his body connected to the top surface, Sam was instantly by his side. She helped him quickly stand up and connect his snap hook and lanyard cable to the metal bridge on the attached device. Sam was now currently her strength powers to keep her feet planted, as if she was literally fighting against the wind. She looked up to see two more figures moving in closer towards the plane, recognizing who was who. She saw that Leo was in the front and that Mikey was still spinning around in circles. “That dork” she thought to herself with a smile. Her smile soon faded as she calculated Leo’s landing spot. “Leo’s off” she said, positioning herself as she was about to fly upwards to get him. “Wait!” Donnie called out to her. “Mikey can help him. You need to savor as much power as you can. You don’t know your limits here.”

Sam nodded as she continued to look upward. Mikey had reached Leo and moved both of them upwards so that they would land on the plane, but now they were coming in uncontrollably fast. Sam quickly leapt to her left side and zoomed around to the back tail of the plane, prepared to catch one of the brothers in case they couldn’t stick their landing. She was now standing along the right elevator wing on the plane, her increased strength keeping her body stabilized in place. She looked up to see Leo and Mikey make their impact on the top of the vehicle. Sam cringed as she saw Mikey land on his shoulders, grateful that her turtle friend had his shell on his back to brace most of the impact. Leo landed hard as well, but he managed to slam down onto his hands and knees. He rolled forward once and then, being the smooth and collected ninja he was, managed to land on his side with his hand and foot propping him up at an angle where he was able to slide down along the top of the plane. Mikey’s landing, however, was not so graceful. He landed on his shoulders, then spun around on his side, and then landed on his back. Because of this he was never able to place his arms or legs onto the plane and was not able to stick a solid landing like Leo had. Bouncing off his shell also launched him a bit higher off the surface as well as he soared over top and past Leo.

Although he wasn’t always graceful in his movements, Michelangelo was as quick as a bullet. He grabbed onto his nunchuks and extended them in hopes that Leo would be able to grab on. Leo was able to grab a hold with his right hand, but Donnie was now holding onto his left so that Leo and Mikey wouldn’t go flying off into the air. Because of this, Leo and Mikey both slammed against the rudder of the plane. Within that split second Mikey had lost his grip and let go of his side of the weapon. Sam picked up on this immediately and launched herself forward. She grabbed onto Mikey’s left hand while the momentum of her launch moved her body so that she continued to travel forward. She twisted her body so that her feet were flat on the plane as she stood sideways on the side of the plane, perpendicular to Leo. In doing this, Mikey’s body was pulled in the same direction. In being pulled forward so swiftly, the position of his body had not moved at all as he continued to face forward with his arms extended outward. Because of this, he was able to once again grab ahold of the nunchuks in Leo’s hand so that now two people were holding onto him. As quick as he could, Donnie walked over and grabbed hold of the snap hook and chord around Leo’s waist. “Sam!” Donnie shouted. Sam nodded and switched places with Donnie who had walked around Leo. Donnie was using both his hands to hold onto Mikey’s right wrist. Leo quickly pulled Mikey’s arm forward and then switched his own hands so that he was now using his left arm to hold Mikey’s wrist, his right arm now holding onto the rudder of the plane with all the strength he had. Meanwhile, Sam had used all her strength to fly forward and snap Leo’s hook onto the metal platform. “You’re good!” Sam shouted, using her strength to stay put in her spot. Leo and Donnie used all their might to pull Mikey forward. The two held onto their baby brother’s hands for dear life as they all fought their hardest to walk forward. Sensing their struggle, Sam walked forward and used both her hands to grab onto Leo’s open left hand in order to help the group move forward. Donnie placed his free hand on Mikey’s back in case his younger brother fell, that way he could grab onto him in some way and still try to keep him safe. Mikey leaped forward and connected his snap hook to the platform. Now that he was safe, he let the wind pull him back. Suddenly, Sam’s vision went black. For literally two seconds her body went limp and the wind began to take her backwards, but luckily Mikey and Leo both grabbed onto one her arms. By the time her consciousness returned, she was flying backwards with the two turtles being the only reason she wasn’t flying into midair by herself. She pulled herself forward and was able to get her feet back onto the plane’s surface. Mikey now pulled Sam in front of him so that her body could lean against his rather than flying backwards if whatever just happened would happen again. “What was that?!” Leo called out to her. “Uhhh, I slipped” Sam lied. She honestly had no idea what had just happened either, but she wasn’t about to admit that. Not now at least. Sam looked around and realized she was only standing with three brothers. “Uh, guys? Where’s Raph?” “There!” Mikey shouted as he pointed upwards at a figure falling towards the plane. “Looks like he’s coming in kinda fast” Mikey said, slightly worried about his brother’s location towards the plane. They saw Raph deploy his shoot due to him falling to far forward and almost missing the plane completely. The group cringed as they saw the chute pull Raph up and slam him into the front window of the plane. Sam noticed that the parachute was pulling to Raph’s right and was aiming down towards where the jet engine was. Terrified that Raph would get sucked up and torn to shreds, and without considering how weak she felt, Sam ran and launched herself forward and then down some so that she was in the open space between the engine and the body of the plane. She made it just in time to pull Raph closer towards her and out of the direction of the engine and then upwards. What Sam didn’t see was Raph now holding onto the wing of the plane. He held on as much as he could, but the pull of the wind was stronger. Raph was ripped from the wing as he went soaring back, but luckily was caught by Leo who had leapt outward and to the side, knowing that the lanyard cable connecting him to the metal platform would keep him safe. The two brother’s latched onto each other as Raph then dug his sai into the plane, keeping them both still. “Nice catch!” Raph shouted to his older brother. The two used all their might as they pulled themselves back towards their other brothers. Raph latched himself onto the plane and then looked around. “Where’s Sam?!” he shouted. Mikey shrugged. “We saw her fly back that way and we thought she was with you!” Donnie then pressed the button on his ear piece. “Sam?! Sam where are you?!” he shouted. “Ummmm I’m in a bit of a situation.” “There!” Leo said. He was turned around and pointing towards the rudder of the plane where Sam was holding on for dear life. “Sam what’s wrong?!” Donnie shouted.

What the brothers had not seen was a weak Sam use the last bit of energy she had left to save Raph, and because of this, her body went limp again as she was dragged to the back bottom side of the plane. Luckily it had only been for a few seconds again, so when she gained her consciousness she was able to grab onto the bottom of the plane. She had literally used the last of her energy to pull herself up and angle herself so that she was now hugging the rudder as she faced away from the brothers. Once Sam had explained all this through her ear piece, all four boys felt their hearts beating in their chests harder than before. Donnie quickly tried to think of a plan. “Alright Sam! You’re going to launch yourself straight forward one more time! There’s four of us, so one of us will catch you, but you have to aim straight and low, okay?!” Donnie shouted, the wind starting to bring tears to his eyes since he had been standing here the longest. Sam gulped and then agreed. She took a deep breath, mustered up all the strength she had left (which was little to none) and launched herself towards the guys. For the third time now, Sam’s vision went dark and her body went limp. The wind quickly pulled her body back, but she had four large turtles watching her every move. Sam’s body traveled straight back and, ironically, she was pulled right in Raph’s direction. The largest brother jumped up and grabbed onto her as he held her close to his body. Donnie instantly grabbed for the snap hook on her chest harness and locked her in so that she could no longer fly away from them. All four brothers sighed in relief once Sam was locked in place.

By the time Sam’s eyes opened back up she could no longer felt the wind on her face and could no longer feel the sunlight on her skin. Her ears picked up the sounds of male screams and as she slowly began to open up her eyes, she saw four green figures tossing black figures. She began to sit up, but she stopped as she felt a slight pounding in her head. The boys had just tossed the last Foot soldier out of the plane when they heard a noise and looked over to see Sam wincing. Mikey and Donnie walked over towards Sam while Leo and Raph shut the door. Donnie began checking to make sure her vision, heartbeat, and other vitals were okay (which they were to his relief). “You okay?” Sam asked him. Donnie’s eyes went wide. “Me? You’re the one that blacked out three times.” “Hehe, well it looks like we’re learning more about my limits.” “Not funny.” Sam turned to see Leo staring at her with angered concern. Sam nodded. “I know. Sorry” she said feeling guilty. “Is everyone okay?” She looked around to see all four turtles were with her, and this brought a smile to her face. Mikey and Donnie helped her stand up. The group then walked over to a large box in the middle of the room. The boys each took a side and ripped it off. All five of them now crouched down as they looked at the device behind the glass that was emitting a purple glow. “Okay, this must be what they came to Brazil for” Leo said, looking at the object with curiosity. “It’s an interdimensional portal opening thingy mabob” Mikey stated, eyes wide as he wondered how exactly this device worked. “Well there’s probably a more technical name for it” Donnie stated. Sam smirked, she wasn’t sure what was funnier: Mikey saying typical Mikey gibberish, or that Donnie was already nerding out and examining the new device as he pulled his goggles over his eyes. Sam then noticed something moving on the other side of the glass as she stood up between Mikey and Donnie. Raph had noticed this as well as he also stood up. He then grabbed onto Mikey’s head and turned it to face forward. “Uh, guys?” Raph asked with wide eyes. Mikey looked up with an excited smile at what was now in front of them. Donnie and Leo both turned to look forward and were now mimicking Raph’s expression. “Oh” Donnie said, placing his goggles back on top of his head. “Oh boy” Leo remarked. In front of them was a HUGE rhino and warthog mutant duo, kicking their feet and snorting loudly. Of course, Mikey was unphased as always and was more focused on how awesome this sight was rather than focusing on the fact that he needed to fight these giants. “Dude, bringing back the Mohawk! Good for you” he said as he stretched his arms out in a ‘smooth and cool’ motion. “Oh you guys have jokes huh?” the warthog asked as he smoothed his hair and put on his purple glasses. “Well let’s see how funny you are, after he bash your heads in!” he announced as he punched his fist into his head. The two giants charged at the group of five, and that’s when the true battle began.

Author’s Note: So I just recently finished watching the 2012 Nickelodeon series and my goodness this show was amazing. I’m slightly pissed at the extremely vague open-ended ending, but I also know that this is part of a contract deal that Nickelodeon has based on an article I read. Regardless, I still loved the series and I enjoyed everything it had to offer. I loved the romance (though I’m also slightly irked that it was hinted that Mikey ends up with Renet. I like him and Shini together way more. I liked his adorkable and comical side mixed with her smooth and badass personality. There was something about them where they had obvious differences but they were also mischievous and could easily get along well together. Totally shipped the hell out of those two as I did all the other couples). The action was intense and there were even emotional moments I was not expecting. I know everyone is allowed to their own opinion, but I’m shocked that there are people who basically bashed the hell out of this series. But hey, to each their own, and I will always respect others as long as they respect my thoughts back. But man I loved this series and I’m sad that it’s over, but I’m also extremely interested to see how this new series will play out. Like for…what, about 20 to 30 years since the turtles debuted (if I’m doing my math the right way, which mental math is my worst subject ever, so please don’t judge me) I feel like a solid 70-90% of what happens in every TMNT film/tv series is OVERALL very similar. For example, Raph clashing with Leo because he wants to be leader instead of his big brother, April always being a white woman (don’t worry, I know she was a black woman in the comics either in the beginning or at least at some point, sorry I still have A LOT to learn from the comics) who is either a reporter or a lab assistant, Leo attempts to stay calm and collected and usually ends up being an ass because of it but hey it’s okay because in the end he works together with his brothers and they all come together as a team, Leo usually being one of the most mature ones (though not always), Mikey usually being the main (not only) dork and goofball in the family, etc. But this new series is changing up a lot of things that I feel fans have just become accustomed to. Like, at first I was getting a bit upset as I heard all these new changes, but then I thought this mindset over and actually became more excited for the new show. Guess I’ll just have to wait and see how it all plays out once it airs! For now I’m going to attempt to watch episodes from the 03 series while I also read the Batman and TMNT collab series and MAN THAT COMIC IS FREAKING AMAZING SO FAR!!! I’m reading it at a ridiculously slow pace, but man what I’ve seen so far is pretty dang cool. Thank you for reading my rant: -TheNerdyTomboyNewb96