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tangledinink · 2 years ago

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Chapter Six of I'm Sorry, Teenage Mutant What Now? is up! Read it on ao3 or below the cut!

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Donnie was getting a bit tired of hearing his baby brother scream bloody murder from up the stairs. And, dammit, you would think that they would be used to it by now, with just how vocal Mikey could be. But he was also pretty sure there would never come a day where he heard Mikey scream and didn't immediately start running in that direction.

The loud crashes that followed shortly after were fairly motivational as well.

Taking the steps two at a time, Donnie sprinted up the stairs from the Lair, skidding to a halt at the top. They had to cling to the railing to avoid completely falling over, their knees threatening to give out for just a moment as they gawked at the scene in front of them. As if echoing the very state of him, the entire house seemed to shake from the force with which his father was slammed against the drywall, the towering form of some alien stranger pinning him in place and snarling.

"You have them? They've been here the entire time?!" The intruder cried, the sound of family pictures falling from the walls and shattering against the hardwood harmonizing with his howls. Move. Move. Do something. Move your legs! Donnie's internal monologue hissed at them furiously. But their body wasn't responding.

Vaguely, he heard shouting and footsteps from upstairs. But he couldn't take his eyes off his father, whose back was pressed up against the wall, held forcefully in place, but with his feet finding footing against the drywall regardless, arms braced firmly out in front of him to hold his assailant at bay. For just one second, his eyes met Donnie's, and they could see his ferocity twist into panic for just that brief moment.

"Purple! Get your brother into the basement! Now!!!" He bellowed, twisting his body sharply to slam his leg into the side of this-- man? Creature? In front of him, the force of the blow sending him stumbling to the side, allowing Hamato Yoshi the space to wrench his way free and launch a strike of his own.

Donnie's eyes flashed over to his little brother, pressed up against the wall, and his terrified expression was enough to get their legs to begin working again, darting over and grabbing Mikey by the wrist.

"What the hell happened?! Who's this!?"

"I don't know! I don't know! He just-- They just started fighting! I don't know!" Mikey gasped out, not even looking at Donnie, their breath tumbling out of them in panicked cries. Donnie's eyes snapped around to follow the sound of a horrid crunch-- their dad's foot connecting with the side of the stranger's head-- before turning back to his brother.

"Come on!" He hissed, yanking at his brother's wrist, but Mikey yanked back.

"But-- but Dad!"

Oh God. Why was it him? Why wasn't it Leo or Raph? Why weren’t they here to handle this? He was way past overwhelmed, their heart hammering in their ears, their chest aching, their head buzzing. Jesus christ. Were they dying? They were pretty sure the world was ending. They couldn’t hear. They couldn’t breathe.

Their father wheezed loudly at a blow to his chest, staggering backward, but staying on his feet, immediately surging forward in a counterattack.

You know martial arts. You've been studying martial arts since you were five. Why aren't you moving?

Their dad's fist connected with the man's jaw, but the second blow was countered, his fist caught in the stranger's hand and used to toss him aside, narrowly missing the coffee table.

Dad said to get to the basement. He said to get Mikey to the basement. You have to protect Mikey.

He was still on the ground, but he lunged to sweep the intruder's legs out from under him when he approached, leaping back up to his feet.

You could help. He needs help. You could help him.

There was blood on his dad's face now.

You've never been in an actual fight before!

"Dad!" Leo yelled as he reached the bottom of the stairs, April and Raph following suit, all three bristling with horror. But Leo didn't hesitate the way Donnie did. Leo didn’t freeze up or second-guess. Leo didn't even think for a second-- he lunged.

"Blue!" Their father screamed.

Everything was happening too fast. Donnie could barely see anything. His eyes weren't working. His ears weren't working. His lungs weren't working.

They could still see, however, in slow motion, this strange man's body snapping around, away from their Dad, turning instead towards his brother, his twin, his arm lashing out to meet his assault. Calculations tumbled through Donnie's head. Leo's entry angle was wrong, he was moving too fast, his arm wasn't in the right position, he couldn't block, his head was open, his throat was open--

Out of the very corner of his eyes, Donnie saw a small streak of yellow dart inside through the still-open front door.

And then the stranger disappeared in a flash of blue light.

So did their dad.

---

Dully, Yoshi recognized that he was no longer in his own house. He recognized that his sons were not here any longer. He recognized that they had been moved, teleported away, and his entire body seemed to fizzle slightly with the leftover touch of mystic energy. But all of this was a gentle echo bouncing around in his skull, as inconsequential as a single raindrop.

Because the one thought that dominated his mind, the single, roaring thunderstorm pulsing through his body, sending him flashing forward at a speed that surprised even him, was all-encompassing.

"Stay away from my sons." He snarled, his own throat staggering painfully with the force with which he screamed out his warning, his hands flashing forward to grab Draxum by his throat, snatching fistfuls of his hair, and slamming him into the ground-- flinging him bodily away from the space Leonardo had once occupied.

His entire body ached, all his muscles lit on fire and his joints actively wailing in protest to each movement. His face was hot with blood, he recognized, but it didn't matter much to him right now. He would sooner die than allow Baron Draxum to lay a finger on any of his children.

He could hear Draxum hiss as he dragged himself back to his feet, quickly shifting back into a fighting stance that echoed his own. He barely allowed himself half a moment to glance around, taking note of the new terrain. Where were they...? Was this the Hidden City? He could recognize the skyline off in the distance. How did they get here?

A furry yellow creature snarled weakly at Draxum's feet, clearly injured but jerking forward to attempt to bite the alchemist anyway. Draxum dismissed it quickly with a swift kick, sending the small yokai tumbling to the side in a scuffed heap. Yoshi curled his lips with disgust, leaping forward once more. He hardly even had to command his body. He had trained to fight for nearly his entire life. It knew what to do even without him.

He could hear Draxum's harsh breath even over the sound of his own, even over the sound of each impact, repeatedly striking out only to be blocked by the other, and blocking his attacks in return. A bitter laugh worked its way from his throat even as another frontal assault was shut out, forcing him to dance backward, recalculating his entry point.

"Prison has treated you well, Draxum!" He cackled. "I see your mystic powers have faded."

"Still enough to best you," he growled in return, but Yoshi noted an absence of vines at his feet, foliage failing to furrow up to the surface and aid in the battle. Thank god.

"You have no business with me and my family!" He spat.

"Those turtles are mine." Draxum surged forward, and Yoshi just barely managed to dodge his well-timed kick, biting back a curse. He couldn't keep this up for much longer-- not at this pace. He suddenly regretted not keeping up with his fitness and training regimen once his acting career was no longer considered a priority.

"They are children," he snapped, his eyes darting around frantically as he dodged a series of wild blows, ducking out of the way as he took rapid inventory of their terrain.

There, over there. The dry patch. We have to get there.

"They're my life’s work!" Draxum hissed, and Yoshi grit his teeth, his mouth set in a scowl. Oh, this was going to be unpleasant.

The glass of his assailant’s mask was already cracked. He just had to finish the job. Yoshi shut his eyes tight as he pitched his entire body weight forward, the front of his skull smashing into the surface of the helmet with a horrid crunch. His entire body groaned in protest as stars danced in front of his eyes, whiplash turning his stomach while shattered glass fell to the ground around them. Almost immediately, the wind was knocked clean out of him when Draxum's fist swung into his gut-- an instant punishment for leaving himself open. The world seemed to slow for just a moment before he went flying backward with the force of the blow.

But the opening was intentional.

Though the world was reeling around him, he steeled himself, twisting his body in the air just enough so that he could find his feet again on impact. And the impact wasn't going to be fun. It would be happening any second now, he noted, and he wasn't planning on enjoying it. But he would land where he needed to be.

A choked cough wrenched its way from his body as he bounced across the hard ground, forcing his body to right itself before gravity dragged him back down again. It was not a good back feel. Or ankle feel. Or body feel, just, like, generally speaking, and he lurched once he was finally on his own two feet again, his vision spinning, briefly threatening to overtake him.

Adrenaline was a powerful drug, however, and he stood his ground. His teeth bared and his stance firm, even as Draxum approached, his fangs split in a smile and his gaze predatory. Yoshi shifted slightly, feeling the loose, sandy dirt beneath his feet shift.

That's right. Come closer.

"Ready to admit defeat, Lou Jitsu?" Draxum laughed, mockery dripping from each word, his stance rigid and smug, as though the fool thought he had already found his victory.

What an idiot.

"Not yet," Yoshi muttered, rolling his knees ever so slightly, the side of his foot digging into the dry earth. He twisted his entire body hard to one side, kicking his leg out in a wide arc, and all at once a rippling cloud of dust took to the air, blinding Draxum, forcing him to stagger backward as he choked.

By the time the dust cleared, Lou Jitsu would already be gone.

---

Leo had been expecting a collision.

He expected pain. He knew that his footing was off. He knew, even as he was doing it, that his attack was sloppy and reckless. He would never move that way in a tournament. So why was he now? What was wrong with him?

He had left himself wide open. And he was expecting to be punished for it.

But the impact never came.

He stumbled slightly, in the space where the stranger had once been, just barely managing to catch himself and avoid toppling over. He looked around, dazed, tilting his head from side to side and checking over his shoulder. There was this ringing in his ears that swallowed up everything.

"... Dad?"

Mikey screamed again, but this time it sounded less like fear and more like grief, which only made Leo's heart rate spike even higher.

"Dad?!" He repeated, a bit more frantic this time, spinning in a few circles. "I-- Dad?! What happened?! Where did Dad go?! Who-- who was that guy?"

"I don't know!" Mikey wailed. "He just-- He just came to the door! He knocked on the door, so, I, I answered, and-- I didn't know! I'm sorry, Dad came, and they just-- I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn’t know!"

Donnie's knuckles were pale from how hard he was hanging onto Mikey's arm, and he was staring intensely off into the middle distance.

"Where'd Dad go!?" Raph demanded, thundering the rest of the way down the stairs. April stayed frozen on the spot, fumbling with her pockets.

"I don't know-- I-- he was right here, I--"

"He just disappeared!" Mikey cried.

"He didn't disappear. People don't just disappear!" Leo protested, his voice strained. "He was here. He was right here, there-- there has to be a logical explanation, I--"

"Mom?" April's voice cracked as she held her cell phone up to her ear.

"Who the hell was that?! They-- they've gotta be nearby! They can't have gotten that far!" Raph insisted, his tone quickly growing panicked. "You check the house, I'm gonna check outside."

"What was that light?! Why was there a light? It was-- it looked like electricity or something!" Mikey whimpered.

"Mom, are you home? S-someone just, just broke into The Hamato’s apartment. I don't know! No, I'm fine, they're gone. But I-- I don't know what to do--"

Donnie still wasn't moving. Leo basically ran through the apartment, throwing open every door that he could find, resisting the urge to fucking open cupboard drawers. He had to be here. They had to be somewhere, they couldn't just be gone. Their dad couldn't just be gone. He had just been looking at him two seconds ago! He just heard his voice!

He had just heard his voice screaming his name. It was still on loop in his brain. His blood was still on the floor, for fuck's sake. He couldn't just be gone.

"They're-- they're not outside," Raph called, his voice cracking, jogging back through the front door.

"Who the hell was that guy?! What was he-- was he wearing a costume or something? Did any of you recognize him? He had-- he had, like, armor on, and, and facepaint, I think? Or. Or a mask--" Leo stammered, stumbling his way back into the living room, clinging to the door frame like it would hold him up, like it would make the world stop tilting around him.

"He had fangs. Like-- like sharp teeth." Mikey whispered.

"Why is there a guy in movie make-up showin' up to fight Dad? Is he-- did they know each other? Like, from acting, or something? I don't-- why else would he be here!?"

There had to be an explanation. A reason. Something that he was missing that would explain everything and show him how to fix it, like, right now. Leo wracked his brain, running blindly through every possible scenario he could conjure and praying that he would trip over an answer as he did so.

"He just. He just showed up, and, and he started screaming for Lou Jitsu." Mikey said, holding out a hand helplessly, as if trying to reach for something, grab for something, and then burying his fingers in his hair instead, yanking at his locs. "He was-- he was asking for... for something. He said Dad had it-- I think? Looking for... for 'them.' For someone?"

April hung up the call with her mother, punching three digits into the keypad and holding the phone back up to her mouth. "Hello--?"

Raph stiffened, his mouth halfway open as he stuttered for a second. A look of dawning horror slowly spread across his face as he paled.

"... Was he looking for us?"

---

"I am telling you, he is out there right now!" Yoshi insisted, just barely resisting the urge to slam his hands down on the police desk in front of him. It was more out of concern for his bruised and battered body than it was out of respect if he was being honest.

"Look, sir, I understand, but what do you want me to do? Go running out there myself and comb the old train yards for him?" The purple Yokai in front of him scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair slightly, looking way more irritated than he had any right to be. Yoshi grit his teeth.

"YES!" He hissed. "Yes! You! Your coworkers! Every officer you have-- go look for him! He cannot have gotten far, and this is an incredibly dangerous criminal--!"

"Okay, okay. Look. We will do everything we can." The policeman insisted, holding out a hand as if to dismiss or quiet the other. "I just need you to fill out this report for me, and everyone in the Hidden City is gonna get the BOLO, okay? We'll look for him. We're looking for him. He's Hidden City's Most Wanted right now! Just... I need the paperwork. Alright?"

Yoshi sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping. He had never in his life felt so old.

"Fine." He muttered, reluctantly taking up the offered pen and beginning to fill out the required forms. Ridiculous, long, difficult-to-read forms... He walked into it feeling defeated, resigned to his fate, but the longer he slogged for it the angrier he became, his frustration building up over and over again.

Baron Draxum was out there right now. For all he knew, this very second he was putting into motion some plot to go after his sons again. His sons-- who were no doubt terrified at home, with no idea where he had gone. His sons who were sitting ducks should Draxum turn right around and return back to their apartment, who had no way of defending themselves properly against him...

And he was filling out a glorified questionnaire!?

He completed the form. He gave it to the officer and thanked him for his time. He politely declined the suggestion that he seek medical treatment, and he walked out the door, the way he had come in some twenty minutes ago.

His bones themselves ached, as did every bit of him layered atop. He had run all the way here. He wasn't sure how far it was, or how long it had taken, but it had felt very, very long. It was the most cardio he had done since his body pillow brand was still in production. At least the bleeding had stopped, and, miraculously, nothing was broken.

It had been a long time, but he knew what a broken bone felt like.

He walked about a block away from the police station before he sat down wearily on the curb, burying his face in his hands and sighing deeply. What now?

What could he do? What options even were there? He couldn't very well just return home and pretend like this had never happened. He knew Baron Draxum would come back. He could hope, of course, that the Hidden City police would apprehend him soon, but... What if they did not? Could he really afford that kind of a chance?

He couldn't just allow his children to sit in oblivious danger like that.

But then what was the alternative? Go into hiding? Return to a life hunkered down in the sewers? Tear his family out of society and bring them back to isolation, living alone underground? How could he possibly do that to his family? Every single day he watched the joy that they found in simply living, and saw the potential that they had to do whatever they wanted with their lives-- potential so bright and potent that near everyone he met felt compelled to comment on it. Mikey has a dance recital next week, he thought to himself. And Donatello had not stopped excitedly talking about their upcoming robotics competition for months now. They hardly went even a day without seeing April or another one of their friends.

He and Raphael had begun discussing college.

Even just thinking of his children losing the life they had made him want to weep. Truly, the only thing stopping him from curling up on the asphalt and crying was his need to focus on the problem in front of him, his brain moving too fast to allow for tears.

If he started crying, he knew he would not stop. It was not the time for that. His family needed him.

He could not ignore this threat... But he could not throw away his sons' lives, either. They had something good. His sons had something good. He had to protect it.

Yoshi inhaled deeply, picking his head up and resting his elbows on his knees. His jaw set in a deep frown, he scanned the streets, before finally he settled on a bustling tent just down the block, tucked in with the many other stalls, shops, and stone statues that made up the hidden city, all dramatically lit by a combination of flashing neons and massive bioluminescent mushrooms. “Luxury Simurghs,” the sign advertised proudly, and true to its word, several massive feathered creatures lazed idly outside the business, their bridles tied to nearby posts, a driver milling about nearby.

“Excuse me,” Yoshi called as he approached, holding out a hand to hail them down. “I need to get to the Battle Nexus. How much is the fare?”

---

"Look, I’m telling you, they’re out there right now! They couldn’t have gotten far!" Leo insisted, just barely resisting the urge to throw his hands up at the police officer in front of him. It was more out of concern for his shaking knees and unsteady footing than it was out of respect if he was being honest.

"Look, I understand. I know this is difficult, kid, but what do you want me to do? Drop everything and go running out through the city myself looking for them?” The policeman responded, looking way more irritated than he had any right to be. Leo grit his teeth.

"YES!" He cried. "Yes! You! Your coworkers! Your coworker’s coworkers! Your friends and family, your dog, your LinkedIn connections, I don’t care-- just go look for them! Please, they’ve gotta be close by, and our Dad is hurt, there’s no way he wouldn’t be home by now if he wasn’t--!"

"Okay, okay. Look. We’re doing everything we can." The policeman insisted, holding out a hand as if here were calming a spooked horse. "I just need you to answer a few questions for me, OK? And everyone in New York is gonna get the BOLO. We're looking for them. We’ll find your dad. I just need some more information to help us.”

Leo sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping. He drew his arms in around himself, hugging himself tight and suddenly feeling very small, like a child who had been scolded by their teacher.

"Fine," he mumbled. “Just-- tell me what you wanna know.”

“Okay. So, the intruder came in the front door, at about eight-forty-five. You said he had a mask?”

“Yeah,” he bit out, swallowing hard. “He had, like, uh… It had glass on it, like, on the front, so you could see his face? But I think it was tinted. And there, was like… gold or bronze around the edges, I guess, and there were these big horn things coming out the side.”

The officer nodded along, taking a few notes down as they spoke. “And did you get a good look at his face? Any discernible features?”

Leo hesitated. “He had… uh. Kind of a long face, I guess? Like… angular. I don’t know. I didn’t get a super good look at him.”

“Mmm-hm,” the officer frowned a bit. “Maybe your brother…?”

“Mikey already talked to you.” Leonardo snapped, immediately bristling, a flash of protectiveness lighting through his chest again. Mikey had hardly been able to get through his own interview for how much he was weeping the entire time, barely able to get the breath to stutter out words.

“Right,” the officer said, and Leo could see how the corners of his lips twitched a bit. “Well, we’ll just wrap up a few questions and paperwork, okay? Do you know where your neighbor went?”

“She’s in the kitchen,” Leo muttered, his brows furrowed. April’s mom, (Carol, some far-off voice in his brain provided, her name was Carol,) had gotten here about thirty seconds after April called her, and had quickly taken control of the situation, much to Leo’s relief. He was pretty sure she was still answering questions and filling out police forms and emergency custody papers. Leo didn’t think he had ever seen so many people in his house in his entire life, what with all the cops, the social workers, the detectives… There hadn’t even been this many guests at his ‘I Was An Extra In An Episode of Gossip Girl Premiere Party.’ And he had invited a lot of people.

Swallowing dryly, he watched as people hustled and bustled through the room, pulling anxiously at his sleeves. Mikey (still in tears,) and Donnie, (non-verbal,) had long since retreated back down to the Lair with April after they were permitted to leave the scene, but Raph still lingered, talking to a different officer across the room. Frowning, Leo waited until he was alone before wandering over in his direction. He swore his feet were moving on their own.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” Raph echoed, and his voice sounded sore and wrung out, all the moisture squeezed from it. “You holdin’ up okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Totally.” Leo muttered, frowning a little, and then frowning further when Raph’s eyes darted away. He didn’t mean to be a sarcastic shithead, this just… sucked. “What about you?”

“I’m fine,” Raph said. Uh-huh. Liar.

“Did your cop actually tell you anything useful, or just ask a bunch of stupid questions?” Leo hummed. “Because mine was totally worthless.”

“Not really,” Raph admitted. “Just said they’re… lookin’. Or they’re gonna look. I mean,” Raph laughed nervously. “I mean. Technically, it ain’t even been an hour yet! Dad could be comin’ home any minute now.”

“Right,” Leo said, though he both knew neither of them believed it.

“Right,” Raph echoed weakly, the forced smile falling back off his face. Leo swallowed the lump in his throat quickly, looking down at his feet.

“My guy said that April’s mom is gonna… stay? Until Dad gets back?” He ventured, almost hesitantly.

“Yeah. Yeah. They said, uh, that the O’Neils would have. Uhm. Emergency custody, or something. Just. Uh. Until this gets sorted out, and stuff. So that’s good.”

“Yeah,” Leo said, nodding a tiny bit. His grip on the edges of his sweatshirt sleeves tightened, repeatedly smoothing his fingers over the soft fabric, pressing it tight between the pads of his fingers. “... Did you know Dad had a will? With… emergency custody arrangements?”

“... Nah. I didn’t.”

“He’s not that old.”

“Yeah, I know, Leo, but, I mean, Dad is… He probably just wanted to be cautious. I mean. Just in case something… bad happened, or something. He is a single parent ‘n all.” Raph defended, shooting a sidelong glance at Leo.

Leo immediately fled from the eye contact, looking down at his sneakers instead, his shoulders hunched. “Yeah. Probably,” he said.

What Raph was saying made sense. But his stomach still turned like something was really, really wrong.

“... How’re Donnie and Mikey holding up?” Leo finally asked after a long, heavy beat of silence between the two.

“Could be better,” Raph muttered, and Leo winced a bit. That meant ‘not good.’

“Think anyone’s gonna care if we head downstairs? We already answered all their questions. My guy said they were just finishing paperwork and stuff,” Leo said, nudging his brother slightly, ‘cause he knew that if he was anxious to check on the other two, his older brother had to be about five times as bad in that big head of him. Raph hesitated a bit and then nodded stiffly.

“Yeah. They can come find us if they need us,” he muttered, slowly turning his back on all the lingering crowds of adults, as though he was waiting to see if anyone was going to stop him, before leading the way down the stairs to the Lair.

The good news, Leo immediately noted, was that Mikey was no longer weeping. No, he had tapered down into very soft sniffles and hiccups, practically curled up in a ball in April’s lap, his face hidden against her shoulder. It took Leo a little bit to spot his twin, but eventually, he caught sight of them-- all the way across the room, pressed up into a corner, his back on the rest of them. April glanced up at Raph and Leo’s appearance, visible relief washing over her expression. Her face said, thank god you guys are here. There’s only one of me.

Leo watched his older brother all but physically flounder for a second, clearly torn, before Leo finally nudged him with his hip.

"Go squeeze the shit out of Mikey. I've got Donnie."

Raph frowned a bit. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I've got it," Leo repeated, not waiting around to listen and see if Raph had any further concerns or protests, heading off in the direction of his twin.

Donnie wasn't collapsed in a limp little ball like Mikey was. He was stiff and sharp, his shoulders held square and firm, all his limbs tucked in on himself and held there awkwardly, facing the wall and staring it down like it owed him money. It didn't look like it could possibly be comfortable, but to be fair, Leo thought that about a lot of things that Donnie did. There was no trembling, no shaking, no sniffles or hiccups or sobs. They were just still.

Very slowly, as though he was afraid he would spook them and scare them off, Leo moved to crouch and sit down next to them, getting settled on the cold concrete floor. For a good minute or so, they simply sat together, just the three of them-- Leo, Donnie, and the silence.

"Hey Don," Leo said quietly, and received no response. But that didn't really surprise him. If he wanted a reply, he had to give them something more tangible to hold. He knew that Donnie didn't have the grip to hang onto the smooth surface of small talk or vague prompts right now. They needed something straightforward. They needed something that required an answer.

"Did you get hurt at all or anything?" He asked. That should work. Uncomplicated, objective, based in fact. If he was being honest, it was what he wanted right now, too.

It took a minute, but finally, Donnie moved, (Leo swore he could hear their muscles untense, creaking and grinding and unsticking, like opening up a window that had been painted over,) his hands uncurling from tight fists so that they could sign instead.

'No.'

"Good," Leo whispered, because he didn't know what else to say. He was tempted to switch over to sign language as well, but with the way Donnie was sitting, their face practically shoved in the corner and Leo slightly behind them, with the way their eyes wouldn't focus on anything, he got the feeling that it wouldn't be very effective right now. "The police are almost done. They should be gone soon. They said they're just finishing up paperwork and stuff, I guess. And the O'Neils are gonna stay here with us until Dad's back. So we don't gotta go anywhere or anything."

Donnie didn't respond. They didn't make a noise. They didn't move. There was no change in their posture, no change in their expression, no change in their eyes. But Leo swore that he could feel their relief.

Of course, Donnie would refute such a claim. They had run multiple experiments as kids to test theories such as 'twin telepathy' or 'shared senses.' (Looking back, Leo was pretty sure it was just an excuse for the others to repeatedly hit him with a big stick, and Donnie had just wanted to see if he was dumb enough to fall for it. Unfortunately, he was.) And, okay, no. They couldn't feel each other's pain. Leo wasn't capable of finishing Donnie's sentences, he couldn't magically sense where Donnie was or if he needed help, and they had no telepathic or mind-meld abilities.

But they were twins.

It was just... their thing. They weren't just basic bitches like everyone else; they were twins, they were special. Leo adored being a twin. Any time they did icebreaker games at the beginning of a new school year or training camp, Leo knew exactly what his fun fact was gonna be. When he and Donnie were together, Leo took joy in just being around them, of getting to be the visible half of a pair. And when they were apart, he always looked for any opportunity to casually mention his twin in conversation to try to spark a reaction. So that people could go, oh god, there's two of them?

And to be clear, their Dad had never been the type of parent to treat them as twins. They didn't have matching names or anything. Never were they dressed in similar clothing or identical outfits. They were never 'The Twins,' they were 'Leo and Donnie.' Two separate people living separate lives. But that didn't stop it from being a part of them. That didn't mean that 'twin' wasn't something that Leo held onto as a piece of his identity.

'Dad told me to bring Mikey to the Lair.' Donnie signed.

Leo frowned a bit, opening his mouth and then closing it again. "... And?"

'I didn't.' Donnie's face tensed, a folded crease forming between his eyebrows. 'I didn't do anything. Dad was getting attacked and I didn't even move.'

"Dee," Leo sighed, his breath leaving his chest all at once. "Come on. What were you supposed to do? Everything was really fast! I mean, that guy was literally in and out of our house by the time I could get down the stairs--"

'You moved.' Donnie's motions were quick, harsh. 'You helped.'

"Helped?" Leo bit out an angry laugh despite himself, running his fingers through his hair exasperatedly, tugging at his curls. "Oh, yeah, big help I was! They could literally put that in the Hall of Martial Arts Fame for 'worst opening move ever.' Do you consider 'embarrassing our father and his dojo franchise by getting throat punched' to be helpful? If so, then sure, I was super helpful."

Donnie stayed quiet for a second, frowning, examining Leo's face as if he were searching for something.

'You weren't.'

"What?"

'You weren't throat-punched.'

"Well, I should have been."

'But you weren't.'

Leo bit the insides of his cheeks.

"... Yeah. Guess not."

Neither of them said anything else for a while, because what was there to say? 'So, anyway, what's your running theory on why our Dad straight up disappeared in a flash of neon light like this is a goddamn Jupiter Jim film? Wanna compare notes? I'm thinking maybe 'kidnapped by fairies,' any thoughts?'

There was this lump in Leo's throat that he did not want to be there, and he screwed his eyes shut, focusing on the pressure he created there instead of everything else in the universe right now. It wasn't working.

Donnie had never been a hugger. Even when they were younger, he really didn't like being touched or grabbed by anyone outside of his family, and even his dad and brothers had to learn not to push their luck when it came to physical affection 'cause Donnie liked what he liked and that was it. And the worse his headspace was, the narrower the field of 'acceptable touch' became.

Leo knew that their headspace was definitely not good right now.

His wasn't either. His was really not good.

"Dee," He found his voice again after a bit of trying and winced at how it kind of quivered ever so slightly at the end. "Are you... like. Hard no-touch right now, like, none at all, or--? Like. I mean. It's-- it's cool if you are, I just--"

After several long, heavy beats of silence, Donnie shook their head a tiny bit.

Leo scootched a bit closer to Donnie, hesitating for a second before very gently tucking his head down to rest against Donnie's shoulder. He moved slowly, watching, waiting to see if their brother would flinch or try to stop them-- purposefully giving them a chance to take it back and pull away. But they didn't. Leo's shoulders sagged as he settled, and eventually, Donnie leaned into him back, his body tilting in his direction, meeting the gentle, reassuring pressure with their own. Leo burrowed in just close enough to hide his face in the thick purple fabric of their hoodie, tucking himself away and letting Donnie hold a tiny bit of his weight for a while as he did the same for them.

Leo loved every member of his family. They were close, closer than most, and had been ever since they were little. And he would be the first to admit that Donnie and he didn't always get along. They were both too competitive for their own good and took way too much joy in getting a rise out of the other. They fought often, and between that and their busy schedules, they would sometimes go days at a time without so much as speaking to one another.

But Donnie was his twin. They had been conceived together, for god's sake-- they had always been there, every single step of his life, and there was something reassuring about that, somehow. Leo had never really had to face anything on his own because he had come pre-packaged with a partner.

"Purple, may I speak with you for a moment?" Their Dad's voice had both boys' heads popping up slightly in response, looking up from the video game they were currently occupying themselves with.

Donnie's head bowed back down quickly enough, only giving a short nod. Leo recognized that Dad probably wanted to talk to Donnie alone, without the video games, but he also recognized by now that Donnie probably either didn't or just didn't care. Either way, Leo wasn't gonna point it out. Dad seemed to think about it, but then let it go, kneeling down next to them.

"You're doing very well in school, Purple," Dad said, and Donnie nodded a little. This wasn't news for anyone in the room.

"Your teachers are very impressed. Your classes are pretty easy for you right now, aren't they?"

Donnie nodded again, and Leo rolled his eyes a little bit. Yeah, whatever. Show off. Donnie always acted like everything was so easy, Fractions were not nearly as simple as he made them out to be!

"What would you think about learning some harder things? New things?"

This caught Donnie's attention. Their head bobbed up again.

"Your teachers think you could skip a few grades. And begin taking some more advanced classes," their father continued. "That would be fun, right?"

Leo's heart climbed up into his throat as he listened in. Wait, skip a few grades? As in, like... take classes with other kids in some other part of the school? Without him? He blanched a bit at the thought of being left behind. But... but they went to school together. They took classes together. If Donnie took different classes, then who was Leo gonna sit with at lunch? Who's fruit snacks would he steal? Who would help him cheat on math quizzes? If he wasn't in class with Donnie, then who would defend him from dodgeballs in gym class? What would happen if Donnie had to touch something he didn't like if Leo wasn't around to do it for him...?

"... What about Leo?" Donnie asked, and Leo looked over at him in surprise. "Could he come, too?"

"... No," Dad said slowly, his brows furrowing a bit. "Leo would stay in the second grade. But you would still see each other every day after school, just like you do Mikey and Raph."

Donnie had lost interest in the conversation. He looked back down at the screen again, re-engaging in their Pokemon battle once more and turning his energy back to beating up Leo's poor Wartortle.

"If Leo can't come then I don't want to."

Sometimes, Leo felt guilty. Like he had held Donnie back somehow. They had figured out the hybrid-schooling model that Donnie still did today a bit after that, and Dad later said that he was glad it worked out that way. That he wasn’t so sure about Donatello skipping grades, that he wanted Donnie to have a chance to ‘make friends his own age’ and ‘socialize…’ But still. When people called his brother a ‘genius’ they weren’t kidding around, and he often wondered where Donnie could be by now if he had skipped those grades. If he had enrolled in some advanced math and science academy, had steamrolled ahead with no hesitations or holds barred...

But he would have missed them if they had.

They were close, the two of them, in this weird, mismatched sort of way. Leo recognized that. But on nights when he couldn't sleep, sometimes he would think about what things were like when they were little. They were inseparable back then. A teacher had tried to sort them into two different groups for an activity in kindergarten once, and Donnie had screamed so loud that they got calls from neighboring buildings. Leo couldn't help but look at the two of them, back then, and then compare those memories to them now.

And there was this gap. There was this space between them now that hadn’t been there before, and Leo wasn’t sure when it had formed. Donnie wasn't far. They were still within arm's reach, even. But there was this distance between them that hadn’t been there once, and though most days it didn't bother him, some days Leo couldn't help but look at the distance and wonder how much bigger it could get. What would that gap look like in five years? What about in twenty?

How much further away was Donnie going to go? He was smart. He was gonna go places, Leo had known that ever since they were tiny. There was no way he was going to spend the rest of his life standing in one place, within Leo's easy reach. And Leo, if he was being quite honest with himself, had no idea where he himself was going yet.

He would never say this out loud, never in a million years, but... Leo needed his family. A lot more than they needed him, he figured.

He sighed softly, wrinkling his nose, pressing a bit closer into his brother.

Their Dad had better come back soon.

---

Whoever said ‘time heals all wounds’ was an optimist and a fool.

Time changed wounds, that was certain, shifted and molded them, but heal? Yoshi wasn’t so sure. Despite the many years gone by, each time he found himself back at the Battle Nexus, it made his stomach flop and his chest ache in about fifteen different ways. Most of them unpleasant. It felt like somehow time failed to touch this place. Each time he came back, it seemed like the only thing that had changed were the names on the flyers, endlessly cycling from one champion to another. Even the faces of the guards didn’t seem to change. Not that it really mattered. So long as they knew well enough to let him in to see Big Mama when he demanded it, he didn’t especially care.

He and the employee who escorted him didn’t speak, which was just fine by him. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to talk. The long, winding stone hallways that they wandered through were cold and familiar, and even now, he could hear the distant cheer of the crowd.

He didn’t need an escort. He knew this place well enough that he could navigate on his own. But he didn’t want to waste his breath arguing. It had, admittedly, been a long time.

The last time he had been in this place was nearly a decade ago.

Hamato Yoshi had approached the Battle Nexus, panicked, floundered, and turned back around to re-gather himself around the block about five times now. Each time, he would eventually settle himself down, wringing his hands anxiously and smoothing his whiskers, talking himself up once more and telling himself, ‘this time, I will go. I will just walk in. It will be fine,’ only to turn around at the last second and retreat again.

Yoshi didn't understand why this was so difficult. Was this really what did him in!? Of everything he had faced in his life!? This was the thing that left him cowed-- seeing his ex?!

To be fair, it was his ex who had kidnapped him and held him as a hostage and forced him to fight for his life as a source of entertainment for yokai for over a decade... and he did look a bit different than he had the last time he had seen her, which certainly didn't do anything to strengthen his courage.

Do it for your sons, do it for your sons, do it for your sons... He chanted internally, taking a few long, deep breaths. This was the only way forward, and if he wanted this to work, (which he desperately did, both for his children's sake and, admittedly, for his own as well,) then he was going to have to man up and go talk to his ex-girlfriend.

What's the worst that could happen?

No, actually, don't think about that.

His next approach was not aborted. He marched up to the guard at the (least populated) entrance of the Battle Nexus, wearing all the faux confidence and swagger that he could possibly muster.

"I am here to see Big Mama."

The guard seemed unimpressed, raising one fuzzy eyebrow and giving a soft snort of doubt as he looked down at the other. Yoshi so dearly missed being 5'11".

"Right... Do you have an appointment?"

Come on, Yoshi. Stretch those acting muscles. "I am quite confident that she will want to see me, appointment or otherwise." He insisted coolly, taking care to keep his posture relaxed.

"Uh-huh." The guard said, all but scoffing down at him. This would be so much easier if he didn't look like a damn rat, Yoshi thought dejectedly. If he were still himself, he would just be able to walk in. No one would even think to stop Lou Jitsu from waltzing into the Battle Nexus! The hired muscle pulled a walkie-talkie out of his belt loop, one hand on his hip as he spoke into the device, never taking his slitted yellow eyes off of their guest.

"Big Mama? There's a rat out here to see ya'. Says you'll want to talk to him."

There was a beat of silence before a staticky, but familiar, voice chimed from the other end, making Yoshi's heart-rate jump embarrassingly.

"Afraid I'm a tad busy at the moment. Tell them to toddle off, please."

"You heard the boss," the goblin yokai grunted, crossing his arms over his chest, taking an intimidating step forward as if to try to start herding his guest away. Yoshi bristled a bit. It wasn't as though he were afraid of this guy, quite confident he could make quick work of him if he so pleased... but he also knew there were about five hundred more versions of him scattered about the facility, and he didn't especially want to make a scene.

He groaned in frustration, burying his burning face in his hands for a moment. Was this really what he was reduced to!? Oh, how he had fallen from grace!

"Fine! Fine. Tell her... tell her that her… Snuggle Muffin Beefcake is here."

Honestly, the guard had no right to blush at him back. Yoshi wasn’t necessarily proud of his methodology, but eventually, after some flurried back and forth and some more private walkie-talkie conversations, he was finally allowed entry into the infamous Battle Nexus.

Yoshi grumbled softly to himself as he trudged through the familiar halls of the Nexus, his tail dragging on the cold stone behind him. The guard who was escorting him, to their credit, did not even bother to look back at him as he shuffled his feet and fussed anxiously. The trip up to Big Mama's luxury box felt longer than it used to be. But he had a feeling that this was just nerves.

"Wait here. Don't touch anything." The employee said shortly, holding the door to the private viewing box open just long enough for Yoshi to shuffle in, before closing it firmly behind him with a dull thud. Yoshi grumbled under his breath, squaring his shoulders, straightening, and then finally daring to look around.

It looked different than it had the last time he had been here. He supposed that made sense. It had been-- what? Five years since he had last been up here? And he knew how important being in the latest fashion was to Big Mama. She never went more than six months before updating at least some part of her personal spaces, whether this be new furniture or a fresh coat of paint.

He wandered slowly through the place, finding everything that was still familiar, one by one. The couch had been reupholstered, but it was the same one. He recognized the tiny chip on the front left leg of it. She was still using the same crystal plates and goblets. And the balcony was nearly untouched, with the same ghostly green glass barrier and smooth stone floor. The surface was uneven, worn away from thousands of footsteps moving across it over the years. Yoshi wondered how many of those footsteps were his.

He had spent over eleven years here in the Battle Nexus, and he had spent countless hours up here. Countless hours in the fighting ring below. Countless hours in the dungeons and cells even further below that. He and Big Mama's relationship had been a bit... uh... hot-and-cold during that time.

He would piss her off and be locked in a cell underground for a few weeks. They would kiss and make up and he'd spend a few weeks lounging in the Luxury Box when not in combat, free to wander the Hidden City as he pleased. Then he'd eventually grow restless, or something would happen, he would try to escape, he'd get caught, the cycle would repeat...

It was complicated.

He leaned over the balcony slightly, the roar of the spectators below made his pink ears twitch. Even now, two Battle Nexus champions fought far below, their grueling battle caught in high-res and displayed on the massive jumbotron mounted above. Yoshi observed for a moment, quietly thinking to himself that his money was on the smaller, masked yokai darting about the arena. The hulking crocodile creature they were up against was certainly a formidable opponent, but his strength could not match her agility, and Yoshi could already see the exhaustion in his movements from here. He would not last much longer.

He didn't recognize either of them, but he reminded himself coldly that this really shouldn't be of any surprise to him. It had been years, after all, and even more pointedly, he had likely ended the careers of most adversaries he met in the Battle Nexus. If they survived at all.

Yoshi swallowed those memories back down. This wasn't the time. Just as he turned away from the balcony, not wishing to observe any longer, the double doors to the room opened.

Dammit. He had really been hoping she wouldn't be in spider form.

"Snuggle Muffin Beefcake? Where did you hear that naughty little nickname, rat man?" Big Mama hissed as she approached, her legs clacking against the floor, circling the other almost like a lioness waiting for an opening to pounce. Yoshi wasn't quite sure if this was terrifying, thrilling, or both, and he hated every option.

Charm, don't fail me now.

"From you, as we tangoed the night away, my sassy sugar badger."

"It is you!" The woman gasped, all six of her beady red eyes lighting up with joy, melting into Yoshi’s embrace. It was sweet, Yoshi just really wished that she had hands instead of insectile claws. But he supposed he did have little rat paws himself, so maybe he didn't have the room to complain. "And more fetching than ever, my fuzzy cuddleofagus…!"

The emotion in her voice made his chest all gooey, and he internally scolded himself. Weak, weak man.

"I did not come for the trip down kidnapping lane!" Yoshi huffed, glancing slightly to the side, separating the two of them. "... I am here because I need your help."

Big Mama straightened herself once she was standing on her own eight feet once more, giving a soft little hum and smile (Or was that a snarl? A sneer? Honestly, it was hard to tell.)

"Lots of people need my help, huggypoo, I'm afraid you'll have to be just a skosh more specific about the situation."

Yoshi sighed deeply. "Okay, fine. Do you know of Baron Draxum?"

"Oh, there's not a noogin in the whole Hidden City who doesn't know Draxy by now."

"So you've heard of his arrest."

"Of course, everyone in the city is all a-fuzzy-buzz about the whole nasty business."

"Okay," Yoshi said, taking a deep breath. "Okay, so, basically, what happened is five years ago Draxum sent his gargoyles to kidnap me so he could use my DNA to create mutant super soldiers to wipe out the human race, and also I think he is a fan? But then the lab caught on fire, and there was quite a large explosion, I got turned into a rat, he made four mutant children with some turtles and ooze and probably other things, I think, and when I escaped I took them with me, so I guess now they're my sons, and also they have my DNA, so I guess they’re biologically my kids, too? And we have been living in the sewers in hiding because I'm pretty sure that he thinks that we died in the fire and I would really rather not deal with him coming after us and trying to do a whole custody battle thing, I'm pretty sure it would be messy, and obviously, he is not fit to be a parent, I mean, come on, have you met that guy? But here is the thing, living in the sewer is sort of a bummer and not really the best environment to raise four small children if I'm being completely honest, but now Draxum has been arrested and so I don’t really have to worry so much about him hunting us down or whatever, which means we do not have to be in hiding, which is great, but obviously we cannot go up to New York with... this whole situation."

He gestured to all of himself.

The silence that followed, though brief, was deafening.

"Oh my," Big Mama finally said. "You do need my help."

Yoshi sighed deeply, feeling himself slump slightly. "Please, Gumo. They are just little boys. I do not want them to spend their entire lives in abandoned sewer tunnels all on their own."

Big Mama narrowed her eyes slightly, giving Yoshi an almost sharp look. The space between them was long and heavy before she finally spoke again.

"So you want cloaking crystals, then."

"And," Yoshi hissed, pointing a finger. "I want your word that you will leave me and my sons in peace!"

Okay, this one was definitely a smile. "I suppose that can be arranged, cuddlekins. But! It's going to cost you!" She all but giggled, tapping the tip of his nose teasingly, sending Yoshi reeling back with a loud huff.

"Cost me!?" He snapped. "Don't you think you owe me after, I don't know, kidnapping me!? I still have not gotten an apology, by the way!"

"Oh, don't be such a Prickley Petey," she laughed, waving him off. "Business is business. And besides, you loved fighting in my Battle Nexus!"

"I most certainly did not!"

"Oh, pish-posh. I don’t want to hear that sort of taradiddle. We had such magnificent times together! Just thinking about it makes my heart get all fizzy-pop!" She sighed happily.

"You tormented me!"

"Oh, is that so?" She chirped, tilting her head to the side. "That is just the most confoundfiddly thing, because I was quite sure you were enjoying yourself in that hot tub up on the rooftop that time when we--"

"Enough!" Yoshi shouted, his face flaming. No, no, no, he was not here to get tangled back in her web! They did not have to touch on such memories! "Are you going to help me or not!?"

"Well," she sighed dramatically as she made her way over to the couch in the middle of the room, draping herself across it and pretending to consider her answer. "I suppose I could… for a price.”

That was what Yoshi was afraid she would say. He knew her deals. He had seen many poor souls fall victim to them over the years, and been on the receiving end of them plenty of times himself... And he knew that it never ended well. No one ever outsmarted Big Mama. In the end, she always came out on top.

But he had already known that when he came here. He wouldn't have ever asked her for help if he had any other choice, but it had been weeks now, and he had exhausted every other option he could possibly find. Every shady Hidden City dealer, every run-down pawn shop, every charity or old connection he could find, he had tried, and every time he had run into dead ends. No one had the resources he needed to be Hamato Yoshi again. No one had the resources he needed to give his sons a fighting chance.

He had always known he was going to have to face her at some point. He couldn't bring his sons to the surface with a loose string like her still dangling behind him... He just wished he had been able to come here asking for less. Maybe then his knees would feel a bit less shaky.

Walking up to the negotiation table without anything in his pockets was not a good feeling.

Yoshi narrowed his eyes but then sighed softly. "What do you want?"

---

The Hidden City was carved into the earth, deep underground, and as a result, there was no moon or sun here. No stars or sky above. All the light in their world came from the massive glowing mushrooms that grew in abundance here, and the only hint at the passage of time came from the slightly cooler hue that they shifted to during the night.

Draxum estimated that, based on the current color, it had to be at least two in the morning, if not later. It had been several hours now since Lou Jitsu had fled from him, much to his irritation, and he had been forced to use every moment he had since on damage control.

Lou Jitsu may have escaped, but it had been quite easy to capture the little golden yokai who had brought them here in the first place. They were of little threat while still unconscious, and though he did admit that his mystic powers were still much weaker than they had once been, it was easy enough to create a hard-light structure capable of keeping the teleporting creature in one place. He would deal with them properly later.

He had no doubt that Lou Jitsu would immediately run to report him to the Hidden City Police, and he could not risk still being nearby when they came to investigate. Once the agent was neutralized, he could work on the next biggest issue.

Where was he going?

He couldn't return to his former lab... They would no doubt look there if it was even still standing to begin with. He also knew full well that his face was likely plastered all over the city by now. He couldn't risk showing himself there, at least not until things had died down a bit. He had already pushed his luck enough as it was, boldly launching a full-frontal attack on the Hamato Clan. He recognized that he had perhaps been reckless, but what else could he have done!? All these years, he thought that his studies had all been lost... here he was, prepared to start his life's work over from scratch... only to learn that it had been stolen from him over a decade ago.

Lou Jitsu had had them this entire time.

He had been shocked to find posters up in the city with his arch-enemy’s face plastered on them. Draxum had all but thrown himself at every underground, low-life contact he could still find in the city to dig up the man’s location, making full use of the precious time he had before news of his escape broke and people began looking at his disguise with more scrutiny. A simple location potion from a street vendor in Witch Town was all he needed.

To think that the legendary Lou Jitsu was not only alive but hoarding his experiments as his own, thinking that he could trick him with simple cloaking crystals! The turtles’ mere existence on the earth brought him so much closer to his goal than he would have ever dared to dream. All he needed was to return them to his possession and unlock their full potential. And once the human threat had been eliminated, and yokai would once again be free to live peacefully on the earth, his name would be cleared, his record expunged, and he would finally be free to live in peace as well.

He was so close. And once he had achieved his goal... this will have all been worth it. He felt this more than anything else he had ever experienced in his entire life. He always had. And if he had to give his life for the survival and happiness of yokai-kind, so be it. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

This thought alone was almost enough to send him straight back to the surface, to make another attempt at reclaiming his mutations right at this very moment, but he knew it would be too risky. If he was caught now, it would be much harder to make a second escape, and he couldn't afford to waste any more time. He was forced to be cautious for now, and seek shelter. And with the Hidden City off the table, this left him with very few options.

He could stay out here, on the outskirts of the city, and hope that no Hidden City police patrols found him, but he knew that this wasn't wise. The police force wasn’t exactly known for their efficiency or competence, but that didn't mean he should stay here and simply trust that no one would manage to find him. He could flee to the human world, but the very thought gave him hives. Live amongst those abominations? The scourge of this planet? He’d sooner turn himself over to the Talking Heads themselves.

He had spent quite some time now raking through every possible option, and though none of them were great... he was fairly convinced now that this was his best possible choice. Breathing slowly, he focused his energy in his core, summoning it up through his limbs and allowing it to settle and pool in his gut. Making a portal in this state was rather ambitious, but he didn't have any other reliable or subtle means of transportation, and he had very little time to waste... So it was a price he would simply have to pay.

He could nearly feel the mystic energy trickling from his fingertips like blood from a wound, his brows twitching slightly with the strain as the pitch-black swirl of magicks curled open in front of him, pushing outward like a flower bud blossoming. A soft, whispering hiss filled the air around him, the portal itself trying to beckon him forward and inside, hungry for a guest to escort, shifting the air around him.

Draxum smiled smugly to himself, letting out a low, heaving breath. Taxing, but achieved easily enough. Even in this weakened state, he was four times the sorcerer than any other wielder in the Hidden City. He stepped confidently through the portal, allowing it to snap shut behind him as his eyes adjusted to the new lighting.

If he was not safe in the Hidden City, and he could not bear the human world... Then he would live in between the two.

He would admit, the abandoned sewers of New York were not the most ideal place to rest and regain his mystic power... But it would work for now as a temporary hide-out. He had much work to do.

---

"Here's what I can offer you."

Yoshi rested his elbows on his thighs, listening intently.

"I give my solemn word that neither I nor any of my employees or associates will pester you or your family. You won't hear a peep from me, snugglykins. The little turtley-boos won't even know I exist."

Okay, a solid start.

"I can also arrange to have everything you'll need to move up tippy-topside. I'm sure there will be lots of questions and paperwork, and as you can imagine, the hotel has people for precisely that kind of prickley-snitch. You'll have all the forged documents, lawyers, and helpful little enchantments you'll need to move everything along smoothly and get this sorted without any sort of tribble."

That was pretty good!

"Lastly, I can give you five Cloaking Crystal bracelets. Top of the line quality, guaranteed to last, complete with anti-removal magicks... and unlimited 24-7 tech support."

Unlimited tech support?! Dang, that was really good!

"All I ask for in return is that you return to the Battle Nexus as my champion."

Yoshi almost choked on his own tongue. "WHAT?!" He spat, spluttering and coughing for a moment. "Are you crazy!?"

"Oh, come now. I think that's more than generous." She tsked in return, crossing her forearms. "And because I have a soft spot for my cuddle muffin, I'll even be willing to take an I-O-U. I'll give you and your turtley-boos five whole years to bauble about New York together before I collect and you come back to work for me."

Yoshi gaped. "Five years!? Five years is not nearly enough time!"

"I should think five years is plenty!" She protested. "That's more than enough time to get them adjusted to all the bafflegab of the city and arrange for new guardianship."

"They're children!" Yoshi floundered. "I knew you would do this! Always has to be something in it for you!!!... My Battle Nexus days are behind me! I have made that very clear!"

"Those are my terms."

"There has to be something else you want! Look-- there will be royalties, once I get back to the surface, lots of them, I'm sure--! I can pay you."

"No."

"We could arrange a monthly fee--"

"I have no interest in your money, dearheart." She tsked. "I have plenty of money. And besides that, nothing you can offer me will be even near as much as what you'll make me when you're my fabtabulous champion again!" She grinned at him, looking almost predatory. “I don’t want your money. I want you.”

"Please. There has to be something else."

"I'm afraid this is the only deal I can offer you, flutterbum." Big Mama replied cooly. "Take it or leave it."

Yoshi balled his hands into fists, resisting a growl of frustration. How could he possibly agree to this? Even putting aside how the thought of returning to the Battle Nexus filled him with terror, he couldn’t leave his sons to grow up without a parent! How could he ever bring himself to abandon his children…?

His mind flipped through every alternative he could possibly conjure. In the time that the two of them sat together in silence in the Luxury Box, Yoshi ran through half a million different schemes, plans, and possibilities. But every single one came up blank.

How could he bring himself to walk away from his children’s chance at a real life?

“... Eighteen years.” He said. That was enough to see Mikey through to college.

“Eighteen? Aren’t we feeling optimistic!” Big Mama laughed aloud. “Let’s not waste our time on bafflegab, sweetheart. The highest I’ll go is ten.”

“Sixteen.”

“Twelve.”

“Fourteen.”

“Thirteen.”

“Fourteen.” Yoshi pressed. His youngest was four. At the very least, he wanted them all to be legal adults before he left. It would be easier that way.

Big Mama stayed quiet for a bit, humming softly and narrowing her eyes. Yoshi resisted the urge to fidget in place. God, what was he doing?... He didn’t even know if she’d agree to this. Fourteen years was a long time. And he wasn’t exactly young, even now, already creeping into his forties (good lord,) would she even still want him in fourteen years?...

“... Fine.” She finally said. “But I reserve the right to begin advertisement for the eventual re-launch of your career as I see fit. Agreed?”

Yoshi blinked slowly.

She was willing to take the deal.

He took a long, deep breath, holding it for several seconds, and then let it back out.

He could not walk away from his children’s only chance at a real life.

“Agreed.”

---

The Luxury Box had changed again since Yoshi had been here last. She had replaced the couch entirely this time. The new one was red velvet.

“Well, fancy you dropping by!” Big Mama hummed, seeming absolutely tickled by his presence. “I don’t suppose this has anything to do with that whole hullabaloo with Draxy, does it, huggypoo?”

Yoshi bristled, clenching his fists. His mind raced looking for anywhere else he could turn to besides where he currently was. But he still wasn’t finding any good answers.

“... You promised that my children would be safe. That was part of our deal.”

“Nice try, dearheart, but I do believe that the deal was that your children would be safe from me.” She corrected primly, offering him a cool smile and crossing one leg over the other. Somehow this was worse than when she was a big spider. “And I haven’t touched a single hair on the little turtleyboos’ heads, now have I?”

Yoshi frowned. He knew she was right. He knew that that had always been the deal. He just hoped that, maybe, she had forgotten…

Maybe this would be easy.

“I know you are far more connected to the city than the police are.” She employed most of them, after all. “Do you have any word…?”

“No progress yet, I’m afraid. Draxy dearest is still at large, and beyond that little report you put in, there are no leads yet.” Yoshi winced, grinding his teeth. Of course… A little part of him said, maybe she’s lying, but he knew that was just hopeful optimism. “I see you two already caught up.” She remarked with a tiny smile.

Yoshi grumbled, knowing that all the various bruises and scrapes were probably starting to turn brilliant shades of purple and blue, red and orange, slowly discoloring at each former point of contact.

“He came after my sons.”

“Hmmm. That’s a shame.” Big Mama said, not sounding the least bit concerned as she sipped at her tea. “And you just decided to pop in for a visit while you were in the neighborhood, is that it…?”

This was a game to her. Yoshi knew that. But that didn’t stop it from frustrating the hell out of him.

“... My children are in danger.”

“And I suppose you want me to do something about that, don’t you?” She questioned, throwing him a glance. Yoshi frowned but did not reply. “A bit bold to ask me for more help, when you still haven’t even paid me back for the last time.”

“Look. I have money. I have mystic artifacts! I have ancient scrolls with unhelpful glowy guys in them if you want!”

Big Mama laughed. “Huggypoo, I’ve already told you what I want.” She told him, and Yoshi’s heart sank. “I’ll tell you what,” She continued, setting her teacup down in its saucer, the china clicking together very softly. “I can make arrangements to ensure the safety of your little turtleyboos. Between my guards and my magicks, Draxxy won’t be able to touch them, and they won’t be even a nudge the wiser. And, in return…”

Her smile grew wider.

“We can move the timeline of our last deal up a smidge. That sounds fair, wouldn’t you say?”

[ next ]

#sorrywhatnowfic #sorrywhatnowaufic #tmnt #rottmnt #tmnt human au #tmnt fanfic #rottmnt fanfic #fidgetwing #rise donnie #rise mikey #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt mikey #sorry the chapter art is a bit lackluster I am super fucking sick lol #sorrywhatnowau

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