I actually RPed these guys a while back, with a friend of mine, LadyKatana. Three years later, I went through some old documents on my computer and stumbled across our boys inadvertently and realized I had never given them a background story… So, without further ado, here they are! With permission from LK, of course! Please let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I only created part of the concept, Lycurgus, and Mahfuz. LK is responsible for many of the great ideas behind them, Raghu, and Donovan. Thanks, hon! I also don't own the original turtles; these are an AU set we came up with to play in the Late Night Chat on Stealthy Stories.
Chapter 1: A Typical Day
"Mahfuz!" The command was crisp, clear – and terrifying. The thin turtle shrank away as his door opened; he shrunk farther into the thin blanket he cowered under. "Time for breakfast." The looming shape in the doorway flicked on the light and stormed away; Mahfuz waited for a moment before emerging from his blanket. His room was sparsely furnished; it had a few comic books neatly placed on the low table next to the pile of rags that served as a bed. The bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling provided enough dim light to leave the corners in darkness.
It also lit his features as he cautiously emerged from his room; he was a male mutant turtle, with blue eyes dark with fear and caution. His skin was a pale green, slightly sickly looking even for him. When standing straight, he stood at 5'2", but usually stood around closer to 5 feet tall. His plastron and shell were a deep brown and unmarred by scars; he wore no bandana. He kept his chin tucked down and timidly scurried into the kitchen.
He could hear his brothers waking up. Donovan was the first one in the kitchen. The second-youngest turtle stood four inches taller than his younger brother and had a darkish green skin. His plastron and shell were scarred, and he wore no mask, either. His eyes were a kind light brown, and he had left his Bo in his room this morning.
Mahfuz was just finishing the bacon when Lycurgus and Raghu walked in together, covered in sweat from a morning workout – or something of that nature. Lycurgus was the alpha male, though the same height as Donovan, he was built along more solid lines. He wore two katanas on his shell, which was a light brown that nicely contrasted his dark gold plastron. His eyes were a rich brown that contained flecks of gold.
Raghu was four inches taller than Lycurgus and had golden-brown eyes with a scar over his left eye; he was heavily scarred on his medium green skin, dark yellow plastron, and medium brown shell. He carried several throwing knives in various sheaths around his body, usually, but this morning only wore his customary pair on his hips. He wore a red bandana around his right arm.
The youngest turtle ducked into a corner, frozen lest his brothers notice him, as the two eldest served themselves, ate quickly, and then left their dishes on the table. Donovan gobbled down a plate of eggs, the two eldest having devoured all of the bacon, and went to tinker in his lab.
Mahfuz toasted some bread, spread a little jelly on it, and ate it timidly as he washed the dishes, watching for someone to enter the kitchen. He then prepared a cup of tea and two slices of buttered toast for Master Sensei.
The youngest knocked timidly at the wooden door, received the allowance to enter, and kept his eyes on the ground as he delivered breakfast to the old rat. Splinter motioned for him to wait until he was finished eating; once he was done, Mahfuz carried the dishes back into the kitchen and washed them carefully before placing them back in the cupboard.
The he began his chores. It was Thursday; this morning he had to dust the lair, make the beds, clean his room – not that it needed much cleaning – and clean the mats of the dojo. He hated Thursdays; everyone complained of the dust, which usually led to being denied dinner. It was hard to judge when it was safe to enter his eldest brother's room to change his bed, and the mats of the dojo were covered with more than just sweat and blood this time of the year.
He began with the dusting, making sure to keep a spray-bottle of water close at hand to keep the dust from getting into the air. Thankfully, he was able to keep the dust from annoying his brothers as he carefully shined everything in the lair, avoiding the lab – under Donovan's orders – and the rooms of his family. He then cleaned his room, preparing himself for the harder chores. All that was required was a small amount of sweeping and mopping. He turned over the rags to get to the cleaner ones on the bottom, spread his blanket out over the rags lovingly, and re-hid the single picture he had of the family, all smiling during happier times.
Taking a deep breath, he finally crossed the hall and walked up the stairs. He shivered but knocked timidly at Lycurgus' door; upon hearing nothing, he opened it slowly. The leader's room was as neat as only Lycurgus could be; dust seemed just as afraid of the alpha male as Mahfuz was. The timid turtle quickly stripped the bed, put new silk sheets and down covers on it, and hurried out. He placed the soiled sheets – he accidentally placed his hand in a sticky patch and winced – by the head of the stairs and knocked at Raghu's room.
He couldn't hear anything beyond the door and opened it slowly. Inside, various weights and barbells lay scattered over the floor. There was a medicine ball in one corner, leaking slowly and covering the floor in sand. The collection of motorcycle magazines littered a corner opposite the sand pile and the smell of sweaty turtle covered the room. Mahfuz quickly stripped the sheets – hardly used, really, but it was his duty – and remade the bed, avoiding looking at the Playboy collection under the mattress.
As he turned around, Raghu's shadow in the doorway engulfed him. He shrank and gulped. "What are you doing?" Raghu asked, his voice harsh from a long workout.
"M-m-m-making t-the b-beds-s-s-s," Mahfuz whispered, clutching the sheets to his plastron. "It's-s-s Thurs-s-sd-d-d-day…"
"Then move it!" Raghu ordered, shoving past the smaller turtle. Mahfuz bolted out the door and nearly tripped over Lycurgus. The eldest smelled of sweat and that smell the two youngest had come to associate with a time to disappear.
Lycurgus disappeared into Raghu's room; Mahfuz quickly picked up the sheets and darted back downstairs. He had escaped punishment – the two eldest were too focused on each other to pay attention to him. Next, he stripped Donovan's bed – easily done, since the braniac was sequestered in his lab – and then took the sheets to the laundry machine.
He set the load to washing and then went into the dojo. He could see the signs of Lycurgus and Raghu's sparring match that had ended as so many did these days. The smell of sweat permeated the dojo, and nothing could get rid of that. However, another smell was beginning to make itself apparent. Mahfuz shivered and picked up the mats, taking them to the stream running through the lair. He dipped each one in the clean water, scrubbed it ferociously, and laid it out to dry. They were old and worn out, but he and his brothers had grown up on them.
Mahfuz glanced at the clock and squeaked in alarm, rushing into the kitchen. Master Sensei was already there, making himself a cup of tea. The rat glanced at Mahfuz with admonishment in his black eyes; the turtle hung his head further, shrinking in upon himself.
"You are late," the rat said in a disappointed tone. "What took so much of your time that you forgot to bring my tea?"
"I-i-it w-w-w…will n-not happ-pen again, M-master," Mahfuz said quickly, trying not to stutter. Their father hated it when his youngest stuttered.
"Speak clearly, Mahfuz," Splinter barked. The little turtle shrunk in further upon himself, whispering apologies. "Do not forget next time. To improve your memory, you may spend the time while your brothers eat thinking about the importance of timeliness."
Mahfuz bowed his head mutely as the aging rat made his way slowly from the room. He then sprang into action; he only had a half-hour before his brothers would expect lunch, and he had been told that chicken was expected. He resorted to an emergency measure – chicken noodle soup. He dressed it up using spices and chopped up a chicken breast to make it seem as though he had made it from scratch.
Lycurgus and Raghu proceeded Donovan into the kitchen; Mahfuz served lunch and then retreated to his corner. Donovan glanced at him sadly; he had overheard Master Sensei's orders and felt bad for his little brother.
Once the three bigger turtles had finished their food, they left. Lycurgus and Raghu went to watch a show on television; Donovan went back to his lab. Mahfuz quickly cleaned up the kitchen again before beginning his afternoon chores. They included cleaning out the fridge of old food – which he was allowed to eat so long as it would not make him sick – polishing the various metal bits and pieces throughout the lair, sweeping every room, and arranging for another shipment of groceries and necessities. His brothers had already given him a list yesterday; on it were such items as new towels. Lycurgus had rewarded him for a good week's worth and allowed him to choose one item; Mahfuz had asked for a pillow. His request had been granted, and he could hardly wait for the delivery.
He decided to place the order first and gently knocked on the door of Donovan's lab. The second eldest answered the door and, upon seen the list clutching in Mahfuz's fist eagerly, smiled and let the youngest brother in. Mahfuz relaxed slightly as the door shut; Donovan hugged him and offered him a granola bar.
"It's not much, but it should hold you until dinner," Donovan said apologetically.
"T-thanks, Don," Mahfuz whispered, nibbling on a corner of the bar. Donovan smiled, kissed him gently on the forehead, and took the list.
"I'll put in the order for you; why don't you get started on the rest of the chores? Come back when you're done." Donovan tried to blunt Lycurgus and Raghu's treatment of Mahfuz, but it was hard. He dared not show open rebellion to his big brothers; Lycurgus was absolute in his role as alpha male, and Raghu was quick to answer a perceived threat to his brother's station.
He was also engrossed with his studies; Lycurgus had ordered him to build a suit for him that would replicate the cloaking of the Foot Tech they fought. It was difficult to replicate the technology when the only samples of the technology they had were smashed, because they had learned that smashing the control button on the Tech's chest would disable the cloaking.
Mahfuz quickly cleaned the fridge, finding a few questionable items that he quickly gobbled down including a slightly moldy piece of cheese and limp hank of lettuce caught in the back of the vegetable drawer. He then began sweeping, careful to time it so he didn't sweep the dojo while his brothers were in there and sweeping their rooms when they went to take a shower.
Mahfuz then put the mats back in the dojo, dry now, and began polishing everything metal except the weapons. Ever since he was young he was forbidden from touching real weapons. He finished with a few minutes to spare and gently knocked at Donovan's door; once again, his brother let him in and he relaxed for a moment.
"I got the list ordered. It will arrive on Monday." Mahfuz sighed silently; he had hoped his pillow would be there Friday. But it was not his place to complain, so he hugged Don in thanks. "I also ordered a special part for Gus's suit." Only in the privacy of his lab did they dare call the eldest "Gus" – otherwise it was "sir" or strictly "Lycurgus."
Donovan nuzzled Mahfuz's forehead gently. "Be careful, Fuzzy," he warned. "Mating season is almost over, and you know how pissed off Raghu gets. Don't give him any reason to get angry. And try not to let Gus see you at all." Fuz nodded; they had survived several mating seasons so far. The first had caught them all off-guard, but since then a system had been put in place.
Mahfuz and Donovan, as underlings in the hierarchy, didn't feel the urge to mate nearly as strongly as their dominant brothers. Lycurgus and Raghu, however, went through the same cycle every season – uncontrollable anger, destructive fury, and finally catastrophic rage. They spent most of the time battling for dominance, but, in the end, Lycurgus always came out on top.
Once mating season was over, all three of his brothers would be more relaxed, Mahfuz knew – they might even allow him a trip outside of the lair. His last trip outside had been over four months ago, long before the month of mating season affected the eldest brothers. Since then, several events – including an argument between Master Sensei and Lycurgus – had prevented Mahfuz from asking.
"Time for d-d-dinner," Mahfuz said quietly. Donovan tilted his head up; Mahfuz winced slightly but didn't resist. The burned mark on the youngest turtle's throat pulled slightly, stretching the zeroes and single one branded into his skin.
"Keep your head up, Fuzzy," Don said in a gentle voice. "It'll be over soon."
Somewhere, buried deep in Fuzzy and only emerging when the turtle was the most relaxed, his old self piped, It'll never be over – your brothers will never see you as an equal. Not since… Mahfuz shook his head slightly and ducked his chin back down, hiding the brand again. Showing it to his brothers would make his oldest brother furious.
The youngest hugged his only friend in the world and then scurried into the kitchen. He cut open a large package of rice – the only possible weapon-like item he was allowed to use being the dulled kitchen shears – and began a vegetable stir fry. At the planning session of the week, Lycurgus had expressed an interest in a vegetarian dinner. Mahfuz wanted the alpha male in the best possible mood tonight.
They gathered around the dinner, the only meal at which Mahfuz was not a corner ornament. Splinter said a blessing in Japanese, Raghu repeated it in English, and then they ate. Mahfuz took very little food; taking more would incite a lecture on the dangers of gluttony when he burned very few calories during the day, not working out as his brothers did. Lycurgus and Raghu ate a lot; they worked out all day and, in the words of Master Sensei, deserved the food for being the dominant males.
Donovan avoided eating a lot as well, since sitting at a computer all day required little energy, if any at all, despite the fact Mahfuz knew he had been lifting heavy parts all day trying to put together the suit Lycurgus had ordered. Master Sensei hardly ate anything, but then he was only four feet tall and a thin as a rail by choice and lifestyle. He drank enough tea to float a ship, though.
Once the meal was finished, Mahfuz cleared the table, washed the dishes, dried them, and put them away. He then cleaned off the table and chairs, swept the kitchen, and took the trash to the trash chute. Lycurgus had told Donovan to put it in so the youngest didn't have to leave the lair to do his chores.
Finally, he was allowed to join the family in the living room for a family activity; Lycurgus declared that they would watch a movie. Raghu chose the movie as Mahfuz made the popcorn and then shifted it through by hand to ensure no hard kernels or burned pieces remained. He made Master Sensei another cup of tea – chamomile this time – and brought the popcorn in bowls. He gave a bowl to each of his brothers and sat on the floor, off to the side where he wouldn't interfere with the movie.
Master Sensei fell asleep half-way through despite the movie having explosions that made Mahfuz wince every few minutes. Raghu and Lycurgus finished their bowls of popcorn and sent Mahfuz for more; Donovan ate half of his and then stealthily began putting the rest in his bag – he had brought it out to continue working on the suit – for Mahfuz later.
Once the movie was finished, Lycurgus and Raghu went off to bed. Mahfuz carried Master Sensei to bed and tucked him in gently before cleaning the lose kernels from the couch and floor, taking the dishes to the kitchen to clean them, and finally stealthily joining Donovan in the lab. They shared the popcorn and watched a few funny Youtube videos together, careful to keep their chuckles as quiet as possible.
They fell asleep quietly together, sharing the one chair in the lab. Donovan was leaning on the desk; Fuzzy's head was pillowed on his brother's shell. The youngest turtle slept soundly; his nightmares stayed well away with the warmth and safety of his brother and friend next to him. At one point, Mahfuz woke when his head slipped; he glanced at the clock and winced slightly. It was nearly 6 PM already; he would be woken by Raghu at 6:30. Quietly, Mahfuz made sure Donovan was comfortable and crept back to his own room, curling up under the thin blanket on the bed of rags, shivering in both fear, cold, and loss.