So in this chapter I introduce my adaptation of a character from the Archie Comics Version of the TMNT you may know his more famous partner in crime Armaggon a Mutant Shark particurally if you played the classic video game TMNT Tournament Fighters in which he's a playable character in watching the video about Archie's Future Shark Trilogy on YouTube cahnnel the Turtle Nexus I learned about Manx who would later be known as Verminator-X who was an apprentice to Future Donatello who helped him with combating Rats invading the city and spreading diseases because of rising sea levals (Yeah, it was typical 90s enviromentalism) later Manx became fixated on immortality and turned himself into a cyborg calling himself Verminator-X I immediately became more fasinated with Manx because he was a former ally of Donatello making him feel like a more personal villain it's kind of like the Meme with the guy with two cars saying "This (Armaggon) is brilliant, but I like this" (Manx) Apparently at the end of the arc Manx is freed from the machine that had taken over and poisoned his mind and becomes good again, here since at this point Don is still barely out of his teenage years I'll portray Manx as a Peer, not an apprentice, in the Comic it said he was educated at MIT (Since this was taking place in the future I assume Mutant Equality) here Manx was also educated at MIT he was also a secret experiment at MIT and he might be a little warped from that treatment and rather than simply being grateful that he's now free and can live in Beautiful Forest, he instead feel envious of Don and is determined to prove he's the smarter mutant, sort of a Riddler and Batman dynamic

Meanwhile back at First Earth, Ichabod tried to assure Gus that Marzipan was in no danger from him or his parents,

"Look," Ichabod said "I admit when my parents first found out I had become engaged to a Humanimal, because they had been propagandized to think of Humanimals as filthy, disgusting creatures since they were very small, they were initally a bit hostille...OK...Maybe very, very hostile..." (He didn't want to admit his Father had attempted to kill Marzipan with extra potent fear gas because that might make Gus, blow a gasket) But after nearly a year to calm down Father saw the light and came to see what a brave and sweet Girl Marzipan is, and now loves her like she was his own daughter!"

Gus despite his reputation as a loud mouth party animal was smarter than he seemed "...And what of your Mother?"

"Mum...All right she doesn't like Marzipan she just tolerates her...But that's better than nothing, right?"

Gus's tail lashed angrilly, his feline ears flat against his skull, he didn't seem convinced at all.

Sensing what might happen Marzipan turned to the trick she knew from when she was little...Turn on the waterworks.

Beginning to sob bringing her fists to her eyes she cried "I can't believe this is happening again!"

Everyone stopped and looked at Marzipan, female tears have been proven to lower testosterone in men.

"We had this same thing when Ichabod was trying to convince his parents!" Marzipan sobbed "Can't we have a moment where we're not fighting to prove we should be together?"

Clearly the Cranes more flowery theatrical way of speaking was rubbing off on Marzipan, but also she was learning how to express herself more eloquently when she was stressed instead of resorting to just screaming like she did when she was a child

That seemed to calm Gus, seemed she really did love him, seemed she had been with him quite a while, and ever since he had known her Gus loved Marzipan because he saw she was smart as a whip, he thought and realized if Ichabod was dangerous, Marzipan would have seen the signs by now and would not be with him, nevermind seem head over heels in love with him...Looking again at Ichabod while he did look like a spitting image of his father, of which the Humanimal Slaves had seen TV Screens showing the Empire's Most Notorious Criminals (In an effort to warn the human citizens 'You see this Man or Woman outside of Alderbaren, stay away and alert the authorities!) but the Humanimal ability to read body language much better than a human, revealed to him Ichabod seemed much sweeter, much gentler than his father, while the lean muscles of his sinewy body told he could be dangerous when he needed to be, his soft doe-like eyes told he would rather be a 'male mother hen' he would much rather be a lover than a fighter.

"All right," Gus said "I would like to meet your Father to see if he has really changed as you say...You might be safe Ichabod but I still have reservatiosn about your parents..."

"Thank you Sir." Ichabod sighed sloghtly relieved

Marzipan lashed her tail, didn't matter weather Gus liked his parents or not she was sticking with Ichabod and Gus would have no say on her choice! She had survived seperated from her family for seven years she felt she had matured enough during those years to make her own choices!

Meanwhile, Leo returned to the lair, feeling very good about the progress he had just made for the school,

Just then a scowling Donatello, lugging a Duffel bag full of bits and pieces came out of his room.

"Hey Don..." Leo began to say

"Not in the mood Leo." Don said curtly "I only came to the lair to gather bits for something to work on," He began setting to cordiinates to Belladonna's apartment "I'm going to First Earth to work in peace and quiet!"

With the portal forming he jumped through and the portal closed behind him.

"Leo..." April stepped out of Don's room "I can explain...Last night, Don and I were at the Diner near Forest," (A place where Mutants mingle with their new human neighbors) "There Don met a new Mutant, a Cat named Manx, Manx said he had been educated at MIT, Don was interested and tried to be friendly, seems this Cat was more interested in just proving he was smarter than Don and became increasinly infuriated when Don kept proving himself smarter the other patrons were getting rowdy and itching for the two to fight, Don suggested he and Man take it outside, I don't know what the heck happened but when I finally came out...Don had stuffed the cat in a trash can and he was wiping away tears, I didn't see any wounds on him...I think Manx had said something that really...Hurt Don..."

And I think I'll leave it there