#rottmnt scene edit

[minor-dot-inconvenience]

Rottmnt scene edits‼️ Jello/Jeretello Edition

Bonus Jellytech and Kitty Headphones :3

[daboyau]

And another rise hunger games chapter! Wow, just training and interviews to get through, and then the real fun begins. First person to correctly guess who the president is gets a prize or something idk

prev/next

tag list! as always, let me know if you’d like to be added or removed. 💚 thank you to everyone who reads and interacts with my stories. I definitely wouldn’t be updating as often or as eagerly without you guys.

@boots-with-the-fur-club @theonlybrightowl @dandywonderous @dandylovesturtles @elijah-doodle @fredquinn @sady-is-secretly-an-alchemist @heckitall @beannary @brightandfullofglory @purplepixel @pomelined @imagionationstation @daughterofskylark @eb177 @lilysplash @burritello3000 @midwesternvibes @justchillininthebackground-06

The roar of the crowd is deafening as they emerge into the City Circle. Donnie doesn’t drop to his knees and cover his ears, no matter how much he may want to. Kendra presses herself subtly closer to his side, making his skin crawl as she tests her weight slightly against his arm, and once she’s confident that he isn’t going to let her fall, she lifts both arms high in the air in a dramatic flourish that has the crowd going wild. 

Well, that just won’t do. The competition for attention (and for their lives, though he’s trying not to think about that right at the moment) has begun, and Donnie has been a middle child for far too long to let someone else win. With a hand still bracing her, he lifts his free hand high to call attention to himself, then sweeps into a graceful bow as he uses that hand to flip the train of his costume and show off the way the scales shift and change with his movements. The excitement that gets him makes Kendra elbow him hard, digging into the leftover bruises from when Kendra had tackled him. Despite the slight sting, he turns to smirk down at her, smug as she glares back. He’s grateful for the distraction. It makes it feel a little easier to ignorr the ever increasing urge to start screaming.

White and yellow chrysanthemums rain down all around them, carpeting the streets and getting crushed beneath the wheels of the chariots. Donnie sputters as one nails him in the face, and when Kendra tilts her head back and laughs, he forces himself to do the same, all too aware of the eyes and the cameras trained on them. Kendra plucks it from where it had fallen to his shoulder and tucks it behind her ear, grinning at him with a gleam in her eyes before turning a bright smile towards the cameras. More cheers, and suddenly the flowers raining down around them feel a lot more intentional. Oh, she is good. 

There’s not much room in the chariot for them to do much more than wave or bow, or make a few subtle gestures at one another as they try to disguise jostling and thrown elbows as incidental closeness. Every time either one of them does a little half-twist or bows, the crowd goes crazy as their costumes ripple and change in a complimentary dance of beautiful colors. For one stupid moment, Donnie can almost forget what’s at stake; this just feels like hassling April or his brothers over the last piece of a birthday cake or for their dad’s attention. It is stupid and childish and all the meanness without any of the malice. It’s almost nice. 

And then the feeling of a new set of eyes on him sends a prickling up his spine. This gaze is different. It is not the attention of the thousands of cheering fans, or even the grave watchfulness he can almost imagine he feels from the District people settled in their homes, watching the proceedings on their holoscreens. It is cold and dangerous and close. 

Donnie snaps upright from his latest sweeping bow, careful to maintain his facsimile of a smile as sharp eyes sweep the crowd for the source of the gaze. He knows that it is foolish to actually believe that he can pick out or even feel a single glare amongst a crowd of over one hundred thousand, but he doesn’t know how else to classify the sudden creeping, choking sensation that has crawled up his spine and circled his neck like a noose. Alarm bells are ringing inside his head, drowning out all other sounds.

He scans the crowd, taking in the gleeful smiles and hungry excitement, before his eyes finally settle on the massive raised platform that they are barreling towards. The presidential mansion looms above them, bright and beautiful and utterly sterile. Lights are projected onto its side, fake fireworks exploding over the bone white surface in a colorful facsimile of true celebration. Standing high above them all, the president stares out with an expression that Donnie can only think of as regnant. He is impassive as he watches the proceedings, and indifferent to the fact that he holds so many lives in the palms of his hands. He is completely confident in his control of the situation and the people as he stares down at 24 soon-to-be killers. The distance between the procession and the presidential manor is still far too great for Donnie to delude himself into thinking that their eyes can meet, but he still shudders when that cold gaze passes carelessly over him. He knows where that sense of danger is stemming from now. 

Though his features are wizened and long greyed with age, the president still cuts an imposing figure. He has not let power make him soft. The cushion of Capitol living hasn’t done anything to dull his sharp edges. 

Not that Donnie is surprised, really. The man has been in power since before papa was born; an impressive feat, considering the immense power struggle that had occurred after the first rebellion failed. From what papa has told him - and what the cobbled together and highly sanitized history lessons have conveniently left out - there were an impressive number of assassinations during that time. He would have had to be sharp to survive. Unless, of course, he was the one ordering said assassinations in the first place.

Donnie narrows his eyes as they draw closer to the man who has created an age of prosperity for Panem, and has kept the Districts crushed thoroughly beneath his heel. He’s always looked minatorial during every holoscreen appearance he’s made, and papa used to warn them all of his propensity towards cruelty in hushed, fearful whispers. Donnie had never questioned his father’s words, but he hadn’t realized before now just how accurate those statements had been.

He keeps the smile in place, even as the lump in his throat grows and threatens to stop his breathing. He can’t tear his eyes away from the platform, or the figure standing atop it, flanked by his counsel. They watch the procession with a detached interest, like the children they are sending to their deaths are nothing more than pawns to be moved across the board.

Those cold eyes settle upon their chariot, raking over the beautiful costumes and sparkling gems, assessing the Tributes encased within. The president doesn’t seem impressed. He turns his attention on to the next set quickly, and Donnie feels tension prickle across his muscles as their chariots begin to slow, raising goosebumps across his bare skin as each one settles upon its predetermined spot before the presidential mansion. 

The crowd falls silent as the president steps closer to the podium, the slight electronic feedback of his microphone enough to have the entirety of the Capitol holding its breath. Donnie does his best not to wince at the sound as it needles at his skin and scratches uncomfortably inside his brain. The president’s eyes sweep over the gathered tributes again, slow and thoughtful. He does not smile, but he does incline his head at each chariot, as if acknowledging each individual District. 

“We gather today, to welcome our tributes,” he says, his deep voice soft but commanding the attention of the crowd with enviable ease. Donnie can almost feel each onlooker sit up a little straighter. “We salute each of you for your courage and your strength.”

The crowd erupts into applause, more subdued now than the previous raucous cheers and screams, but no less enthusiastic. The president smiles, just the slightest tick of his lips, and his gaze moves slowly over the crowd before snapping back towards the gathered tributes once again.

“We honor our tributes,” he says slowly, as his eyes come to rest directly upon Donnie. “—and their families. We recognize the sacrifices made for the sake of peace and prosperity. We thank you.” 

His gaze moves on, but the feeling of it lingers. Donnie stays frozen, fingers digging hard enough into the handrail that he can almost feel the flimsy metal warp beneath his grip. His heart is pounding. The lights are too bright. Everything is so loud.

He just wants to curl up in the familiar comfort of his own bed, tucked beneath the weight of his blankets. He wants Mikey to sit on his thighs to to provide much needed pressure while he hides away in the darkness of his covers. He wants Raph to hum and rub careful, comforting circles on his back. He wants Leo—

Well. He just wants to be home. He wants his family. 

“We wish you all a happy Hunger Games,” the president says serenely. “And may the odds be ever in your favor.”

The crowd cheers. Fanfare plays. The fake fireworks pop and explode all across the walls of the mansion, painting it bloody red and fire orange. Donnie stares at the bursts of color, wishing the fires were real. The president stares back, eyes narrowed like he knows the thoughts inside his head. 

The chariots begin to move with a lurch that nearly sends Digi and Gizmo stumbling off the back of theirs, and has Kendra clutching at his arm to keep her balance. He can almost feel that chilling gaze lingering as they ride away. Kendra bumps him gently with her shoulder, and when he turns to look at her, she gestures for him to lean down. He obliges, mostly out of the desire for a distraction from the creeping unease.

Her lips brush the shell of his ear as she whispers, “That speech was total bullshit, huh?” 

His smile feels a little more real all of a sudden. 

.

There is a stranger waiting for them when the elevator doors slide open to reveal their fourth floor apartment. He is seated primly upon the pristinely clean and stupidly shaped sofa, ankle crossed over his knee, hands folded in his lap, head held high. He is invading the only marginally safe or private space afforded to them within the Capitol, and it rankles how much he looks like he belongs within this stupid fancy apartment.

He assesses them as they pile off the elevator, Donnie and Kendra both shuffling awkwardly forward as they clutch at the trailing fabric of their costumes to keep it from getting caught in the elevator door. They each keep a wary eye on him, suspicious of the interloper in their apartment. Atomo goes silent when she sees their visitor, her excited chattering about their Chariot Ride and the burgeoning sponsor interest cutting off with a sharp gasp. Donnie glares at the stranger, who surveys him with an expression that he has no idea the meaning of in return. He looks…excited, maybe? But that doesn’t quite fit. Certainly not upset, but not happy either. There’s a strange shininess to his eyes as they focus on Donnie’s face. He wishes Mikey or Leo were here to tell him what that expression means.

The stranger doesn’t stand until papa steps out from behind the cover of their small crowd. His eyes light up, yet his lips pulls down into a frown. He smoothes the fabric of his skirt and crosses his arms, muscles bulging in a way that even Donnie can tell must be purposeful. Yikes and gross. Talk about desperate. 

“Draxum,” Yoshi says, his voice low and full of a quiet rage that Donnie rarely gets to hear. His hands flex at his sides before curling into tight fists. Donnie steps to the side, train dragging in his wake and shimmering even in the dim apartment lights, intent on keeping both of them in his sights. As if sensing the brewing danger, Kendra and Atomo both hurry to join him, standing a few feet back like they hope he’ll act as a buffer.

“Yoshi,” the man returns, sounding more amused than angry, which tells Donnie all he needs to know about who holds the power between the two of them. The stranger’s eyes narrow as they move slowly up and down Yoshi’s body. It’s something that he’s seen done to his father before, but it makes Donnie’s skin crawl worse than usual this time. “I see you are as pathetic as ever. Maybe even moreso than usual, considering the…special guest this year.” 

Donnie stiffens as those sharp golden eyes drift towards him once again. Draxum’s lip curls, and if he didn’t know any better Donnie might have said that it almost looks like a smile. He stares back, too exhausted to bother trying to force even the barest hint of emotion into his expression. His papa hisses between his teeth, sharp and deliberate, and Draxum’s attention snaps back towards him immediately. 

“What do you want?” he snaps, and though Draxum has a significant height advantage, he somehow manages to look down his nose at him in the way only someone who knows their own strength can. This time, the twisting of Draxum’s lips can only be a smile, small and cruel as it is.

“There has been a report that your son requires medical intervention,” Draxum says, slow and soft, and Donnie feels his stomach drop at the way those words make his father’s face go all twisted and pale. He really doesn’t want to deal with this right now. 

So he won’t. 

“I’m going to shower,” he announces, refusing to meet any of the eyes that snap towards him. “If you’re still hanging around when I’m done you can look at my back then.” 

And then he turns and stomps away, ignoring the voices that call after him as he goes. It feels good to slam the bedroom door behind him, and as silence falls over the room he finally feels like he has a chance to catch his breath. Leaning against the door just in case anyone decides to follow him, he takes a moment to just try to breathe. His eyeballs feel hot and his chest feels tight. He can hear the blood rushing in his ears as his heart pounds, echoing the dull throbbing at the base of his skull. There is an uncomfortable tingling in his fingertips. 

Thankfully, no one tries to follow him. There is no pounding at the door or jiggling of the knob. He’s not sure what he would have done if someone did try to get in, but he’s sure there would have been blood. Exhaling slowly, Donnie steps towards the bathroom, mindful to stay close to the wall and out of the range of the camera’s ever watchful eye. Glittering gems trail in his wake, silent as they fall to the carpet. The sting as they’re pulled from his skin feels good. It feels real in a way very little else has today. 

He leaves the beautiful, glittering gown in a heap on the bathroom floor. His hands are steady as he turns the faucet, water gushing forth and filling the air with steam almost immediately. For a long while, he sits on the side of the tub and just watches the water as it circles the drain, breathing in the steam and the lingering smell of the shampoo he used when he last showered.

The water burns when he finally steps beneath its strong spray. His back tingles at the heat and the pressure, but it does not hurt. He thinks about the stranger in the living room, and wonders what he plans to do during the so-called medical intervention. His hands do not shake even though his lungs feel too small inside his chest. He takes his time. Thankfully the Capitol never runs out of hot water.

When he leaves the quiet sanctity of the bathroom, he’s not surprised to find Draxum in his room. The man is standing by the floor to ceiling window, which has been made clear again, and is staring at the city beyond. There’s something thoughtful and fond in his gaze, though Donnie couldn’t begin to guess at what he might be thinking as he looks out at the glittering expanse of white and silver. He clears his throat, impatient to get this over with, and Draxum turns slowly to face him.

“I’d rather this be fast,” he says simply, arms crossed tight over his chest, refusing to look Draxum in the face. 

“It should be a simple matter, as long as you haven’t caused any undue damage to yourself,” Draxum concedes with a tip of his head. Dark pink hair cascades over his shoulders with the movement, silky and long. Teal lines his eyes and lips, a strangely vibrant pop of color against his dark skin and dull grey clothes.

“Close the window.” 

Draxum arches an eyebrow at being ordered around but thankfully complies, and the late evening sunlight is dampened as the window goes opaque again. Donnie grits his teeth and stands by the foot of the oversized bed, wishing there was a chair or a desk or something besides a bed in this stupid room. He feels vulnerable. He hates it. 

“Shirt off,” orders Draxum, and the cold clinical tone he uses is actually almost enough to soothe some of the nerves sparking inside Donnie’s chest, screaming that this situation holds the hallmarks of both stupid and dangerous. Donnie shrugs his shirt off, but keeps it clutched tightly in his hands. Draxum slips on a pair of gloves, not looking at him. “Turn so I can examine your back.”

There is no gasp of shock as he takes in the scarred expanse of flesh and the metal exo-spine. He doesn’t even hum with interest or ask how a boy from the Districts could have come into possession of such a piece of technology. All he does is press forward, far too close for Donnie’s comfort. He can feel each of the man’s cool breaths on his back and feel the press of latex covered fingers as he examines the seam where skin and metal meet. Donnie grits his teeth and tries not to snap. 

“You don’t seem surprised by it,” he says instead, eyes trained on the ceiling, trying to take deep breaths to calm himself. Draxum scoffs, and his fingers press a little harder, almost to the point of pain. His gloved hands trace the metal spine, and Donnie feels his legs tingle. He hates it he hates it he—

“Why would I be surprised?” Draxum demands as he prods at one of the keloid scars on his shoulder. “I made it, after all.”

[temva]

United by grief au part 0 -> part one (wip)

This takes place 3 years after the events of the movie

Finally finished this yay!! This is technically the prologue and not part one because nothing happens its just kinda here to sett up the setting:) the brothers will be in the next one along with dialogue promise!! Part one is when stuff starts to happen so this part is pretty short.

[lordfreg]

EMO BOY!! 💜🖤

been meaning to do a emo donnie ^.^ been seeing the 2000s scene kid rise !!

IM SO FAMOUSSSSSS!!!!!! ( > ♡<) SO DRAMATICCC!!!!!!!

[millipede-menace]

Happy valentines y’all! (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) /♡

Spoiler for ch10 of No Flirting with the Lifegaurd ;)

(I know I’m super slow with updates, I’m so busy and tired and sick ;w;)

[joyfuladorable]

How long did it take for her to master this?

[twicethetrouble]

Chapter 7 everyone!

[sug4rc4ne]

i feel like we dont talk about the scene where donnie pilots the technodrome enough can we please talk about the scene where donnie pilots the technodrome

[tommyinrottmnt]

Bunch of quirky little uckers boys sludging all over the place

Lame version without the extra mud action

[twin-disaster-tutel-brainrot]

Guess who finished their fanfic and sent it to their beta readers??? 👀👀👀

(I'll give you a hint. It's me. I'm probably gonna post it in the following week.)

[dangerous-drabbles]

iwf part vii. on the outskirts is up!!

this chapter was very fun to write and very painful to revise/edit.

(little sneak peak, if you don’t mind mild spoilers:)

[mono-lee-mmxxii]

11 Days Dead - Day 1

Summary: Leo couldn't believe he was waving his arm in front of his brothers' faces, wondering how in the hell this was his life? Afterlife? He wasn't entirely sure anymore.

Or: What if the portal closed before Leo could cross the threshold? What if he's stuck somewhere between dimensions, a lost soul?

Night of The First Day

- 240 Hours Remain -

The Krang invasion had happened.

The memory felt like a film reel, when Raph recalled it later. He remembered Leo telling Casey Jr. to close the portal on him. The technodrome shattering under the unstoppable, ever smaller tear in space and time. He remembered Mikey, trying desperately to unlock his mystic ability.

He recalled telling him it was over. He remembered Michelangelo opening the portal anyway, in a spray of golden sparks and scars and tears that had stung in each of their eyes.

Leo, looking so battered and bruised, and so  hopeful to see them.

The feeling of his ninpo rushing through him, flickering and protesting because he was so very tired, and his vision was still blurring with every step. He could remember the phantom feeling of Leo in his projection's grasp, hauling him backwards and towards them. The Krang had come after him, a roaring, raging fury that would destroy them all if they didn't time everything perfectly.

Mikey's hands had faltered at the sight but he'd steeled himself and the coursing gold energy hadn't stopped.

They were so close. Donnie's drill had come out of beta for more than hero poses, dug viciously into the Krang’s face, and Leo was so close. Raph gave another pull, tugging his brother from the suffocating non-gravity of the prison dimension to them. There’s a moment where he knew Leo would feel only sparks and heat, he saw it in the way Leo’s eyes watered at the acrid, biting, searing scent of the portal, but he was reaching for his brothers.

Leo was going to be safe.

He'd let go when his wrist hit the portal, certain that Leo was still being propelled forward, momentum being a concept he was well familiar with. Donnie had been certain too, reaching out with his arms ready to catch Leo as soon as he was through. The portal flickered along the edges, but they were all gonna be okay.

Mikey's hands faltered, but Leo was right there, surrounded by shining gold and reaching for them. They'd all reached for him and Mikey had let go of the portal to grab onto him. It was okay to let go, Leo was through, they could see the light of the sun illuminating his face even now.  The mystic was burning like ice and fire and acid and sharp words in his veins, and his nerve endings screaming they were alight with sheer pain, but it would be worth it, to have Leo home, to know he was okay.

But when the portal had collapsed into nothingness, Leo wasn't there.

He was still gone.

They stared, at their hands, the glowing scars and lines, at the spot where their leader, their brother should be. Donnie was crying again, worse than before. Raph wasn't sure if the softshell was turning purple from shock or lack of oxygen, but either way he was breathing shallow and he hadn't stopped staring at the spot where Leo had just been. Leo had just been there.

For Raph, it was an echoing silence in his bones, in his heart.  It took several moments for his brain to string together the right words to describe this situation.

Leo was gone.

At the mercy of the Krang and trapped.

Probably dead or dying.

He heard a gasp, a little exhaling huff and the sounds of movement. He looked up in time to see Mikey headed straight for the concrete, eyes half lidded and unfocused.

There was nothing that would ever be worse than this, he thought. The weight of his youngest brother as Raphael lunged to catch him, the way he could smell ozone and the acrid stench of smoke and something burning, the feeling of Donnie's hand on his arm. There was a wave of mystic energy, violet squares dancing to give way to a purple raft.

Without a word, Donnie began ferrying them back from Staten Island.

Their father was waiting for them. April and Casey were too. She was standing in between them, had a grip on their wrists like lifelines, and they look so much like Leo. Bruised and bloodied, but that light - that hopeful look that Raph hadn’t gotten to see shatter on Leo's face the way he saw it on theirs when it registered who wasn’t with them.

"Sensei?" Casey's horrified whisper was lost in the wind, the movement of the word the only thing that made Raph aware he'd reacted at all. He was otherwise completely still, an unmoving statue. Anything Raph could have said to reassure him was lost in the next moment.

A scream split the air, so violently devastated and inhuman that for a moment he turned to the sky, searching for the horrifying pink light that would truly herald the end of their world, because without Leo there'd be no chance for them to win. Not now. The anguish was loud, and desperate and Raphael realized it was coming from their father.

"No! No! My son!"

Splinter was on his knees, covered in mud and dirt and blood and his frame was wracked with heaving sobs, claws gouging deep marks into the gritty shore. He was wailing, and Raph stumbled forward to hug their dad, Mikey still cradled in one arm. He wrapped the other arm around Splinter and pulled him close, not trying to hide his own hitching breath.

April stared, the same way Raph had at first, until she joined them, trying to tug Casey along with her before she let go to throw her arms around them all.

  Clang!

The metallic clatter drew their attention to Casey, who was shaking. He'd dropped Leo's katana, and he was staring at his hand like it was confusing and strange, shaking his head.

Donnie grabbed him, ignoring the wide eyed, startled look Casey gave him, and pulled him into the hug without a word. The softshell didn’t bother to hide his discomfort but he still clung tightly to their little group nonetheless, memorizing the sound of their breathing and this moment.

When they pulled away some time later, the tears had slowed and the emptiness crept in, and Mikey had woken back up.  

"Can we go home?" He asked.

April and Splinter had shared twin sounds of devastation, like they had bad news they didn't know how to share. Raph felt Mikey’s fingers dig into his arm weakly.

"Our  home ?" Mikey whispered, face crumpling as a fresh wave of tears began falling. "Our home, our family-" Any more words he had were lost in the sobs, and Raph never let go of him once, rocking gently.

"We still need to go back." Donnie said, practical and put together if he weren’t still visibly fighting hyperventilating. "We need to see if we can salvage anything, especially medical supplies."

It's smart, a logical next step. The one Raph should be planning, because he was the leader again. The thought hurt, and it made the cold drops of Mikey's tears all the heavier when they fell. He nodded belatedly, but no one noticed or was concerned.

They disappeared into the sewers, beginning the trek home in silence. None of them wanted to think about what came next. It all felt so unreal.

After a while of walking, they came to a tunnel blocked by rubble and wreckage, completely impassable. Rather than try and find an alternate route and run into any number of blocked paths, it was easier to go to the surface and figure out how far the damage went, how bad it was, and Raph prayed to the universe it wouldn't be bad.

It was bad. It was devastatingly bad.

There was half of a building embedded in the ground, ripped and torn metal twisted into the earth, a crater from the impact and deep gouge-like skid marks. There were scorch marks from Mikey's chain all around the building, and Raph could tell he felt bad. They all could.

And none of them wanted to go home right now.

“Help me clear this rubble.” Mikey said, voice determined and hoarse, and they got to work. It hadn’t taken long for Raph to find the first tunnel, and April and Donnie uncovered another a few moments later.

They couldn't move the skyscraped that had made the crater, but their goal was changing the longer they worked.

Once the rubble was mostly clear, there was an uneven ground floor that needed to be leveled and cleared of debris, but it connected the sewer tunnels with a subway station that was boarded up, empty and dusty.

"If we could connect these, this would be a good spot to rebuild." Donnie observed, glancing around before he smiled at Mikey. "The actual walls and floor are in pretty good condition. You managed to use the building to excavate a hallway between the sewers and the subway when you threw it. Now, this hall just needs a roof."

A little investigation yielded that the station had been abandoned by the city long before the invasion, due to a collapsed tunnel, and was being used to store vacant, broken train cars. No one would come poking around if they made a home there.

"We need some building supplies. And I think I know just where to get them."  April agreed, a tired grin pulling at her lips.

Their new home would have room for all of the Hamato family, even if only most of them were there.

“April, no.” Michelangelo protested, frowning.

“It’s not like they’re going to notice.” April pointed out. “And it’s a part time job anyway. With the inside information I got on the herbicide, I’m about to blow the lid off of the corporate chemical experimentation and I won’t have time for a job anyway. At least, I won’t if Donnie can get the video from my phone.”  She waved the cracked device at Donnie, who sighed as she tucked it back into her bag.

“Of course I can, but I do wish you’d let me design you a better phone.” He grumbled. “Or at least a better phone case.”

“I appreciate the thought Don, but I don’t dig purple half as much as you do.”  

Donnie’s reply was lost when Casey shuffled, feet dragging in the gravel as he looked around. They all turned to look at him, and he froze when he realized it.  

“Are you okay?” Mikey asked, and Casey stiffened further, shoulders edging up as he looked away.

“We should get out of the open.” He reiterated, glancing around the rubble; there was no sign of anyone, and he wondered if the humans here had managed to evacuate in time, or if the area  had been empty before. “How are we doing that?”

“We’re stealing concrete and building supplies from the construction company I’ve been doing temp work for.” April clarified.

“We are then going to hide the tunnels.” Donnie added. “If we work fast, we should be able to get this done before the rescue and recovery teams get this far. I’d say we have a few days, maybe a week?”

There was a beat of silence while they all waited for something, for someone else to speak.

“Then we should get to work.” Raph said, feeling the weight of the decision wrapping around his shoulders, heavy on his shell.

“April, Donnie, go get the supplies. Casey, help Pops move the rubble out. Mikey-” he stopped to assess his younger brother, noting how his shaking hands were clenched into fists “-keep watch, the last thing we need is humans finding us unawares right now.”

April and Donnie nodded, and disappeared into the city. Michelangelo climbed out of the cater, picking his way up the incline carefully before he disappeared from view. Casey and Splinter began working, and Raphael wasted no time in helping them. He was exhausted, and his ninpo rebelled against being called on again, a static numbness dancing along his arms.

But he pushed through, the projection scooping up piles of rocks none of them would have been able to move, and depositing them out onto the wrecked street. When April and Donnie got back, they were fast to get to work. With all of them working, it doesn’t take long to build a ceiling, the framework going up fast. The rocks Raph had gotten rid of were reused decorate the bottom of the now shallow crater, layers of dirt, chunks of asphalt and rock piled on top; it’s almost a spitting image of the damage they’d first come across.

“It’ll take a few days for this all to dry.” April said, passing out bottles of water as they all collapsed on the ground under the night sky.

It would be dawn in a few hours, and exhaustion stuck to Raph’s limbs like thick syrup.

“We should go home. See if there’s anything… anything we can bring back.” Mikey said, and Raph stared at the stars as he wondered if anything in his room had survived.

“I wonder if I can salvage our security system to bring it over.” Donnie’s voice was listless. “Maybe something in my lab survived.”

“I want to know if my movies survived.” Splinter added.

Raph shifted, trying not to let the pain and tiredness show as he pushed himself up, lumbering to his feet.

“Then I guess we better get moving.” He said tiredly, and they all blinked at him. April smiled faintly, joining him on her feet. The rest were quick to follow.

They had to move more boulders and rubble from the damage before they could get into the Lair. When they did, the group froze just as fast, crowding in the doorway as Raphael came to a halt.

Raph stared in horror at the shattered, broken pieces of the skateboard ramp, the halls bent and slashes, bits of broken wood and dust and cement that covered everything. He could feel the sharp edge of wood digging into the soles of his feet, but the pain was absent and far away in the resounding shock of seeing their home so thoroughly demolished.

The bedrooms were ransacked, and there was hardly anything left anywhere, at all. The kitchen was a mess, and glass crunched underfoot when April ventured in, shining her flashlight around the dark, room. It sparked with shattered glass, shards of it everywhere from where the Krang had ripped through the rooms one after the other in search of the Key.

In the  TV room, the projector came back to life after a long moment where Raph was certain another thing their family had cherished would be destroyed. Without a word, Raphael and Splinter split up to search the Lair, dragging the salvageable bedding into the TV room.

They turned on the first movie that Raph picked up -  Jupiter Jim Sails The Seven Galaxies . No one said anything when the title screen appeared but they all flinched, shifting away from the screen. It had been Leo's favorite.

The familiar sounds of the movie washed over them as they shuffled and piled onto the makeshift nest. It was a pile of limbs and angles and not the most comfortable but none of them were, none of them had been, and at the moment, none of them wanted to be. They were all here, safe, and they were going to rebuild.

It was going to be okay again. Eventually.

[starseline]

So I wanted to watch the movie again and...

I NEVER NOTICE THAT APRIL WAS THERE????

like you can even see her broken bat in the middle.

So im guessing she just died huh.

:(

[daboyau]

I was watching lilo and stitch and that “you can never belong” scene came on and I got this idea in my head for that, but with ROTTMNT. So since I don’t do edits or draw, I wrote it out instead. Don’t think too hard about the logistics. :)

It is cold, when Leo slips out of the lair. He can feel Mikey’s gaze on him as he leaves, raising goosebumps over his flesh. He can’t bear to turn back, knowing that his resolve would crumble immediately if he did. His footsteps are too loud in the loneliness of the sewers. His heartbeat pounds in his head. He keeps expecting to hear a voice calling out for him, or the soft sound of footsteps following him. 

But of course it never comes. Mikey had been so hurt. So sad. Of course he wouldn’t follow him. 

When Leo finds a portal into the Hidden City, he doesn’t hesitate to throw himself through it despite the danger it puts him in to be there. The sounds and the sights are familiar to him, yet nowhere calls to him as loudly as the lair had. It’s only been two weeks since he was first brought into their home. They hadn’t even wanted him there, and yet the urge to go crawling back is so strong. He had messed everything up from the moment he’d manipulated his way into their lives. Of course they wouldn’t want him. 

(Why don’t they want him?)

Leo wanders the back alleys and the side streets, letting his feet guide him to nowhere in particular. The picture he had swiped on his way out of the lair is stored safely in the pouch tied around his waist, and between steps he’ll reach in to slide his fingertips over the stiff paper. Just to make sure it’s still there. It soothes him.

He doesn’t stop walking until he’s far outside the city, tucked away in the scraggly rock forests that surround the Hidden City. The aching in his chest has turned into more of a twisting knife, the small knot of sadness becoming more like a gaping chasm. An open wound. A bottomless pit of longing and loneliness that he had never felt before he forced his way into the lives of the Hamatos. 

He hadn’t had anything to lose, before. He hadn’t known the kind of pain that loving something would bring. He wishes he could go back to not knowing. He wishes he could return to a life of never having to make the choice to walk away, to spare them all the pain his existence brings them. 

Leo settles on the ground, curling into himself, shoulders trembling under the weight of everything. When he closes his eyes, the image of Mikey’s face as Leo made his choice haunts him. Donnie’s quiet voice rings in his ears in the silence of the forest, you ruined everything, again and again. Raph’s soft squeeze on his shoulder lingers like a phantom. Leo trembles, tucking his knees to his chest. Then, he pulls the photo out. 

Raph, Donnie, and Mikey grin up at him. It’s almost mocking, how happy they look here. A reminder that they are better without him around. He hadn’t seen them smile like that since the first five minutes they’d found him, back before they learned the truth of how much of their lives he can ruin. 

He runs a careful finger over those smiles, then he squeezes his eyes shut and holds the photo against his chest. His throat burns, and the ache in his chest feels like a black hole that will swallow his body whole. He does his best to breathe through the pain and when he opens his eyes again, the light speckled ceiling overhead is blurry and indistinct. It reminds him of the stars they had taken him to see, wind tickling his skin as they sat on the rooftop of the tallest building of their strange human city and stared upwards at something beautiful.

“Lost,” he whispers to the open air, and he can almost imagine that single word floating upwards, towards the city and the sewers. Finding its way into the only place he’s ever found that might have one day held happiness. But only for him. Not for them. There was only danger if he stayed.

“I’m lost,” he repeats, words like some trouble confession, and hot tears roll down his cheeks.

Some small, selfish part of him hopes they’ll hear. He wants them to come for him, and to bring him back home. It is a stupid, foolish wish. It’s better for everyone that he stays gone. He can’t hurt them this way. 

He falls asleep with tears drying on his cheeks, and body curled tight around the only evidence he holds of a dream he knows can never be. 

When he wakes hours later, it’s to the sound of heavy footsteps over gravel. He jolts upright, heart pounding, eyes wide, and for one foolish, terrible moment he really believes that his family has come for him. 

But no. Of course not. When Draxum emerges with a weapon pointed at his head, Leo can’t find it within himself to feel surprised. He stares back blankly, shifting slowly to stand, halfway wishing that Draxum would just take the shot and get it over with. He doesn’t think he has the energy to raise a hand to defend himself. 

The gravel has left his legs peppered with indents and marks from where they’d pressed into his flesh as he slept. They sound like something breaking as they shift and crunch beneath his feet. Draxum’s eyes dart between those markings and Leo’s tear streaked face, before his expression twists into something complicated. Almost pitying. 

“Don’t run,” he says, voice low. If Leo hadn’t heard what true kindness sounds like these last couple weeks, he would have said that’s what he hears in Draxum’s tone. “Don’t make me hurt you. You were difficult to make. No need to ruin a perfectly acceptable specimen.”

Leo shuffles, eyes darting between Draxum and the stacked stones surrounding them. He makes a sound low in his throat, hurt and uncertain, but he does not bolt. Draxum smiles, already assured of his victory, and steps closer. Leo watches with wide eyes. 

“Yes. Yes, that’s it,” Draxum murmurs, careful and soft, like he’s trying to soothe a scared animal. “Come quietly.”

“I…I’m waiting,” Leo admits, and he watches Draxum’s brow crease. His head tips, curious. He’s not used to this side of his creation — quiet, yet resisting his orders. Leo shuffles a half step back, heart pounding so hard in his chest that he feels a little dizzy. 

“For what?”

“For…for my family.”

“Aahhh. There is no use in doing so. You don’t have one. I made you.” 

Leo shakes his head, hands trembling, photo creased from how tightly he is clutching it in his fist. The thought of ruining the only evidence he has hurts, but the fear of Draxum getting his hands on it, of him finding out about the others, it terrifies him in a way he’s never felt before. He can’t let Draxum know about them. 

“Maybe…maybe I could—“

“I don’t know what yokai fool you found, or what nonsense they’ve been filling your mind with, but banish the thought of family from your mind.” His voice has lost that careful, gentle farce. It is harsh and cutting now. A familiar sound that Leo had hoped he’d left behind forever when he ran away. “You are built to destroy. You can never belong. Now, come quietly and we can begin your reeducation once—no! No no, don’t run, don’t—!”

His voice fades as Leo darts through the towering stones, vines curling at his heels and snapping at his shell as Draxum tries to recapture him. The picture flutters from his fingertips as he trips, lost amongst the shadows of the stone forest. Leo sobs, but he does not turn back for it. It is better if it is lost; at least then, he may be able to move on. 

[selective-insomniac]

Rottmnt fics i found, ao3 edition. Join me in my misery

Updated: March 14, 2023

Key

word count guide:

🟣 - long finished (70k+)

🔵 - long unfinished (70k+)

🟢 - short finished (70k-)

🔴 - medium unfinished (20k-70k)

🟠 - short unfinished (20k-)

🟡 - comic

Subject:

🐢 - Future Leo

🐬 - Crossover

🐙 - Recovery/Aftermath

🌈 - LeoSagi

🦍 - Trapped Leo

📦 - Seperated Au

🐆 - Different World

🌂 - Donnie Centric

🦊 - Mikey Centric

🍓 - Raph Centric

🐊 - 2012/other iteration

💧- Major Character Death

Ottherwise, it’s Leo-centric lol

🟣📦Red Rover Red Rover Send My Brothers On Over! - Theserpentsnight

🟣🧢🐢🐆His World - SkylerSkyHigh

🟣🌂👾The Dawning of the Hour - Faiakishi

🟣🌂🤕Causa Scientia - urlocalllama

🟣🐙🧢Aftershocks - Katiemonz, McBethins, octolingkiera, theashemarie, this_kills_the_man

🟣🧢🐢💧Dead Man’s Deal - loneAnonon

🟣🐬🐊Dagger From the Mirror - TotallyNotASecretAO3Account

🔵🧢🐢Mutant Ninja Midlife Crisis - a_platypus

🔵🐬A Tale of Spirits - unorthodoxx

🔵👓🧢I May Be Invisible, But I Still Look Good - Dandy

🔵🧢🌈Worlds Apart - ash_kunoichi1925

🔵🐙The Aftermath - Starcrossrose

🔵🧢Change of Perspective - characcoon

🔵🧢🐬Shredder’s Vendetta - Cass_Phoenix

🔵🧢🐬Two Souls - Virgilisspidey

🔵🧢Like Father Like Son - eternalglitch

🔵📦Blood is Thicker than Ooze - mybrainisacandywrapper

🔵🧢🐬💧Tattered Remains (the sequel to Frayed Knots)

🔵🧢🌂🐙Brother Dearest - Wardenov

🔵🧢🐢Trial and Error - ApatheticRobots

🔵🍓🐬The Eldest Brother - dEBB987

🔵🐙Power Up - pickledcarrotsandradish

🔵🦊A Mystic Connection - rytheoneandonly

🟢🧢🌈🐙Rest With Me - sometimesimakebadchoices

🟢🧢🐙The Call Back Home - Gooselnsurance

🟢🦍🐙What Happens After - Fandom_Brat

🟢🧢🐆The golden flowers of life - Fandomnerdfrogs

🟢🐬Recoil - unorthodoxx

🟢🦊Empathy Amplified - Filsamek

🟢🦊🐬The Fight for Mikey - hinacu_writes

🟢🌂 Unmaking - corvidown

🟢🧢🐬Of Leo’s and Leonardo’s - Toothlessbored

🟢🍓First Words - less_depresso_more_espresso

🟢🧢Would It Really Matter? - Angelpuns

🟢🐢Remember Me - VanillaVengeance

🟢👾👓🐙So Many Different Ways To Say It - CupidsAroAce

🟢🐢🧢🦇if i don't make it back from where i've gone, just know i loved you all along - purpleturtle9000

🟢🌂With (Internet) Friends Like These - StormFireGirl

🟢🧢🌈Paper rings - lydiasgrace

🟢🧢Games We Play - NewFallenLeaves

🟢🌂Dial Tone - SleepyCyborg

🟢🧢🐬Frayed Knots - renawaywithme

🟢💧Fading Memories - HellsTrojanHorse

🟢🐊B.E.A.S.T - skylerskyhigh

🟢💧🌂🦊Quiet Your Mind - daedelweiss

🟢Bed bargain - VeryCoolKid69

🟢🌈🐙give me something that’ll haunt me when you’re not around - taizi

🟢🐙🐬waiting on a miracle - lydiasgrace

🔴🧢🐢Odd man out - cosmoscrow

🔴👓🐬Behind the Scenes - catboycamdotcom

🔴🐢🧢At My Worst - teainthesnow

🔴🐢🧢Yesterday (it was so far away) - Midnight_Duel

🔴🦍🧢Never Do That Again - DiscowingSuit

🔴🌂Carapace - SkeletalConstellation

🔴The Same Little Faces - awkwardusagi

🔴🧢🦍Adrift - Zanrelle

🔴🧢🐬Neon - characoon

🔴🧢🐢We’ll meet again, soon - chiangyorange

🔴🍓📦We Share Blood - Clovrtree

🔴🧢🐆Rotten Reflections - Nicoforlife

🔴🐊Fusions - AmevelloBlue

🔴🐊🐬The hogwarts remix aka screaming and magic at all times - cxlesstial, HeyAssbuttImBatman

🔴🌂🐙Do The D. A. N. C. E. - Pariscite

🔴🧢🐢Last Grain Of Sand In The Hourglass - TjLockticon

🔴🌂📦Nothing Left To Lose - halfwayzone

🔴🌂Donatello’s guide to overanalyzing things - LasciviousEnby

🔴🌂🐬👓Ghost in the Shell - AmevelloBlueb

🔴🦁Fracturing Time - ofdogsandwriting

🔴🐬🐊🌂Arcadia - SkylerSkyHigh

🔴🧢🌂👓The Old College Try - theashemarie

🔴🦁Too lucky to count - iooiu

🔴🧢And… We’re Off!! - SailorSaysAhoy

🔴🧢🐢🦇In The Bottom Of The Bottle (I See Your Reflection) - BeeCeit

🔴🦁🐢Just this once, everybody lives - TheDragonTribes

🔴💧🦊Mystic Hands - characoon

🔴🧢🤕Every Night the Longest Day - ashtreelane

🟠🧢🐢🦁🐀Not quite kintsugi, but close - katterv

🟠🧢🐢Three-Sided Coin - Willow_Wept

🟠🧢Let’s Make A Deal - BeeCeit

🟠🧢🐢To See Another Day - teainthesnow

🟠🌂🤕Young Root, Old Rock - SirryGray

🟠🐢🦇Traveling Memories - Camiliero

🟠🧢🦍💧Ghost with the most - Moth_mutant

🟠🐢I think I would prefer the prison dimension - PurpleCatGhost

🟠🐬💧Different Places, Different Faces - RoyaltyStudios

🟠🌂🦊🐬The Purpleest Man Alive - Cloud_Hater

🟠🧢🦍Krang Graveyard - Blue1Pheonix

🟠🧢🐢Wrapped in Regret - Vallmo_05

🟠🐙🌂Seven Times - Fastern

🟠🐬Is This A “No Way Home” Reference? - ShadowOfFandoms

🟠🐙🧢In Time, We’ll Be Alright - MetamorphicRocky

🟠👓Brotherly Snippets - Secret_Universe

🟡🍓🌂The Brains and the Brawn - jadethestone

One shots:

Shellshocked - redhairedmuses

On Understanding Caring Hearts - ParvumAutomaton

Lined with gold - mad_and_thick_as_thieves

Catch - Annkey

Promise? - TechnicalMachine

Indigo Sunset/Indigo Sunrise - TheObsidianSun12

Bar the door - ApatheticRobots

A Throbbing Headache - DiscowingSuit

Someone just as inspiring - mad_and_thick_as_thieves

🦊Angelo - daniartonline

Leonardo's Secrets - ofdogsandwriting

Patterns - FanGirlFreak16

🐊In The Aftermath - sccredhead

Nothing to Say - morning_sun

It’s About the Peace of Mind - characoon (sequel to Neon)

🐙🦊Hold him tight (and never let go again) - ItzZaira

Somehow It’s Worse - Filsamek

🌈Fifty Cents - emiartse

🌂Switch 404 (dead man's error) - VeryCoolKid69

💧Meteor Shower - Surmie

Lay It All Out - NicoleAW

💧🐀A Ninja’s Greatest Weapon - get_scrambled

🐢🐙Chiquitita (Or, The Complicated Act Of Forgiving Yourself) - Bubbly_Kandy

💧🌂🍓Rocks fall, everyone dies - Tenka

💧🌂Forget-me-not - TheArchetypeArchives

Feel the Colors in Between - GalacticDreamer

🐙Electric Blue - MidnightDuel

😷Who’re you hiding - sunflowerstarfruit

🤕Sword and Shield - The_City_Kitty

🤕👾This heart of mine that’s guilty, not remorseful - strawberryfwog (karamarinara)

🤕🌂🧢I Feel You - GriffinStone

I guess this is my life now

[lonehandsmisc]

I’m a little over 2k words for the Rottmnt Assassins & Hitman AU one shot fic. But I still gotta write the smut scene and edit. So this fic might be posted late Sunday or late Monday just for fyi! So please be patient and stay tuned!