A/N: I'm so sorry (for lack of updates)
And for thinking that I could write a straight pairing.
But I can't, I'm so sorry but there has to be Jonatello, even if it means a little. (which I'm sure there will be)
But I vow to at least add some Apritello as well so not to scare away the non-slash readers xD Once again, so sorry.
P.s. I'm happy that you're taking Alex' intrusion so well –w- and that so many of you reviewed! Makes me very happy indeed~
III: Adaption.
"I gotta admit; when you guys called I seriously thought you were tryna fool me."
"Yeah, s'just proves that it took five tries to finally make ya realize that we didn't."
The young, dark-haired hockey-player huffed, arms folded as he sat upon a chair with his legs crossed as well. "Well excuse me, for thinking twice about actually trusting what you said! 'Cause hey; you were just humanoid turtles less than twenty-four hours ago, and now yer…just human. That's seriously mind-blowing."
As earlier told, the girls phoned Casey and quickly filled him in with the most needed details and a note about bringing a large bag of clothes for the now human teenagers who so urgently required it. He had arrived half an hour later and as much as his reaction of pure bewilderment proved to be absolutely hilarious, the four brothers decided to just take his bag instead and grab whatever piece of clothing they could find. (Because only wearing a blanket on your naked frame tended to get a bit chilly.)
"It's so easy to pull clothes on when you don't have a shell," Mikey remarked excitingly, looking himself over from all angles and aspects and rolling the sleeves up on his white shirt to reveal more of his new skin. "We totally need to get us a mirror; I can't get enough of me!"
"We can," Raph replied dryly. "Hence the lacking mirrors."
"That was then, now is different," the blonde ignored the comment with a hand raised to wave it dismissively towards his older brother. "If you got more taunts up your sleeve, I suggest you talk to the five-fingered hand. Now with an added finger only meant for you!"
Leonardo rolled his blue eyes at the answering growls emerging behind him, playing with the small threads of fabric from the grey sweatshirt he wore as a distant and slightly worried look crept over his features. "Sensei's almost done with his meditation, guys. Any ideas on how we're going to deliver the bad news?"
None replied the leader as the sound of shattering glass created dramatic silence as well as causing everyone to turn their heads towards the source. Leo's breath hitched as he saw the widened eyes of his Master; how they slowly gained their normal size as a more calculated and analysing look overtook him, his long tail swishing more than normal thus revealing his true emotions than those on his face that he had hidden away so well.
"Nani…" the rat master said breath-taken, though the steady and hard gaze that fell on the four newly-transformed humans was a strong contrast to the tone in his voice. "April, Casey and Alex; what is the meaning of this? Who're these men that you have so openly brought into our home?"
The two girls slowly glanced on each other, before April replied Master Splinter, her gaze slightly lowered and a hand tugging a strand of red hair behind her ear awkwardly. "…they're…they're your sons, Sensei. I-It may not look like it…but it's the truth."
The mutant rat once again let the surprise overtake him as he eyed the boys individually and his sharp eyes could clearly make out the facial and characterizing traits that used to lay in his terrapin-sons and that now were shown through the bodies of these human men. Splinter's breathing became a little irregular as the realization dwelled upon him slow but firmly; a hand was run through his dark-brown fur on his head in order to calm himself down, and in those seconds he noticed how all four boys had surrounded him. They supported him, guided him to the couch and asked to his well-being, their voices having slightly changed but had the same clang as usual.
But despite the major changes in their physical appearances, he could see how the blonde boy with the curly hair bit his lower lip and how his eyes were slightly larger; a usual habit for Michelangelo whenever some member of the family were ill or had become injured. Master Splinter also noticed that the frown upon the redheaded boy's face was similar to that of Raphael; when his concern and worry for a brother would make him go to the extreme in order to insure the health of said brother; even if it meant ignoring his own limits. The way the tallest boy with the wavy brown hair attempted to make him sit more comfortably and took his temperature was clearly akin to that of Donatello; the turtle blessed with intelligence as well a thirst for knowledge that not only lead him to become the inventor of the team of four turtles; but also the one with the necessary medical equipment that was required if needed and therefore becoming the doctor of the team as well.
Last but not least, the boy who stood right in front of the rat master, bend down on the same eye-level and with a hand placed upon his shoulder was without any doubt none other than his oldest son; Leonardo. The dark-blue eyes that held emotions such as fear and insecurity were those who haunted the turtle whenever he would question his Master's choice of his position as the first-in-command as well as his leadership. Master Splinter knew those eyes all too well and he most definitely wouldn't mistake them for anyone else than his oldest and most skilled son in the art of ninjutsu.
"Master…" the dark-haired boy before him gulped nervously.
"I…will require a throughout explanation with all the necessary details involved," the rat said quite shakily. "But…I do no doubt for a second that you four are my sons."
Slowly, the four brothers began to smile in response to their Father's words and Mikey threw himself at his Sensei with a bear-hug. "Master!"
"A throughout explanation wouldn't sound so bad," Casey waved to catch their attention. "Er, not to interrupt the family-bonding."
"Amen," Alex nodded in agreement. "I think it'd be good time to tell us. And don't let out the part where you explain why the hell you're even humans to begin with."
Still sitting around their Master, the three other brothers turned to their intelligent member, their gazes prompting him to explain the cause of their transformation. Annoyed by the fact that he was left to justify the consequences of their actions, Donatello tapped a finger against his thigh in thought of how he was going to formulate his words so that he would get around the most essential details while he wouldn't get interrupted for speaking in terms that possibly only Splinter and April would get. "Very well, it all began like this…"
They all listened closely to his formulation, the tall human only pausing to ensure that they had understood so far which they answered with a simple nod. After explaining what had happened to them, Donnie started to voice his theory on how the retro-mutagen didn't have the desired effect that should have turned any mutated creature into their original form, but instead due to possible miscalculation and most likely also due to lack of sleep, the unpredictable alien substance had therefore been modified with the undesired effect of turning mutants to humans when exposed with a certain quantity. The questions that came afterwards were similar to those that circled in his own mind; questions that he himself had no answer for as of now.
"I cannot say much about the state of our transformation or for how long exactly it will last; if it even does have a time-limit," the dark-haired boy said, raising himself to make his way towards his lab. "I'll have to run some tests and do some research to find out – whoa!"
The whole living-room had gone upside down in a matter of seconds and the boy was certain that his face would've been lying smack against the floor, if a pair of arms hadn't caught him just in time. Startled, he steadied himself with the support of his rescuer who happened to be Casey. The hockey-player eyed him from top to toe in friendly concern while his hands hadn't completely gone away from the other. "Easy there, Don. No need to rush things."
"Right," Donnie replied hesitantly, wondering why he didn't feel bothered by the displayed affection from his rival in love. Sure, he knew that he and Casey got along with much less hostility than when they first got to know each other, but then again, Donnie had expected Casey to simply let him fall and make him look like a fool in front of April.
He knows that'd be his plan if the roles were reversed.
"I'm afraid I'll have to wait with those tests though; judging from how we're capable of moving our bodies but only for a certain amount of time before the disorientation kicks in, we need time to adjust not just physically but mentally as well," Donatello placed a hand on his forehead. "I know that's what I need if I'll ever find a way to turn us back."
"We know you'll find a way, Donnie," April said, sending him a hopeful smile that helped boosting his mood. "But try not to overload yourself, okay?"
Donatello nodded, sending a smile of his own over his shoulder before turning to open the door to his lab. His breath hitched in shock as he took in the sight before him; all of his precious and valuable items were spread across the room, each in a worse state than the other. He remembered bits of what had happened way earlier as the substance hit him; in the moments of chaos and utter pain, he must've knocked over the desk at his working-space; thereby causing all of the objects he had used nights before to become damaged. Some were even exposed with leftovers of the acid-like mutagen and wore holes as a result; his measurement devices, his working tools, his paper-journals of past work with the mutagen…all gone.
He couldn't believe how he had overseen this. Of course he had a lot of other things to worry about back then, but maybe if he had reacted quick enough, he could've at least saved something.
"Whoa…" Alex replied as the others inched closer to the tallest brother who appeared more or less shells-hocked. "Aw, Donnie…s'everything-."
"Damaged beyond repair," the dark-haired boy replied quietly, gazing down upon his five-fingered hands. "I'm not so sure I even could repair them if I had the chance."
"Well, uh…" Mikey scratched his curly head, trying to find to something to say that would cheer his brother up. This was kinda his fault anyway. "Your laptop's still intact! Don't you do much of your research on your computer anyway?"
"Yes, but…" Donnie shook his head. "What good would they be if I don't possess the required equipment to study our new bodies?"
There was silence in the Lair as none held the answer to the spoken question; all gazes cast downwards in concentration while Donatello still mourned over the loss of his tools.
A snap of fingers broke the silence.
"That calls for a trip to the surface, don't you think?"
A/N: I hope this update proved good enough to satisfy you for a few weeks until the next arrives xD Once again, thank you so much for the reviews; they're very encouraging and very comforting x)
