The sounds of rushing water fills the kitchen as I rinse the last of the dishes from supper. It's been two days since I woke up in my bedroom and my family has been borderline hovering ever since I exited the bathroom. With my chi still so depleted, Sensei won't allow me to train with my brothers nor will he let me meditate just yet because I'll just fall asleep instead of doing what I need to. And Donnie. Sweet, genius Donnie has been monitoring my symptoms every time I so much as cough.
It's sweet.
It's caring.
I feel very loved.
And INCREDIBLY annoying.
Like, I know that, on their end, all of this has been super hard. Not knowing if my body would just shut down from being driven to the point of exhaustion. And I don't remember anything after I fell asleep in the HoverShell. So, unlike my bros, I don't have any memories of just how sick I really was.
I bite my bottom lip as I shut off the water and place the last dish to start air drying.
Shell. I'm lucky that my bros are even allowing me to do this. I argued with them all day yesterday about allowing me to cook, tired of just eating water down broth and tea. I've never had to pee so much in my life! I was starting to fear that I might wet my bed and as a teenage mutant NINJA turtle, that would just be embarrassing. And not to mention all the jokes Raph would come up with if it actually happened.
No. I wanted solid food and I was gonna get solid food even if I had to use every tool in my "How to Persuade Big Bros to Bend to My Will" handbook.
So, I knew I couldn't start off too strong or my brothers would outright deny anything I asked. No, I needed to start small. Which happened to be while Donnie was giving me a checkup with Sensei in the room and I asked about slightly more solid foods that I could eat. Something like potatoes or even oatmeal. When Donnie agreed to us trying potatoes for lunch, I was ecstatic! And Sensei even agreed to make me some while Donnie waited for his results. I think Sensei knew what I was doing because he gave me a look and that little secret smile of his.
Then again, when DOESN'T Sensei know when we're up to something, I think, stifling a cough in my shoulder as I snicker.
"Yo! Anyone home?"
"My friends?"
A smile splits my face as I exit the kitchen and spot Leatherhead and Slash. The two larger reptiles instantly brighten when they notice me.
"Hey dudes!" I say, waving and ignoring the slight ache in my limbs. "How's it shakin'?"
Leatherhead's face softens as his expert yellowish eyes scan me.
"It is good to see you up and about, Michelangelo." Leatherhead's smile slips a little. "Donatello told us that you were quite sick after they brought you home. We did not get a chance to see you after the fight finished."
I grimace, rubbing the back of my neck as I offer my two friends a sheepish grin.
"Oh, yeah. Apparently my body didn't really like being used as a real-life Frankenstein's Monster creator." My snout wrinkles as I wince.
I jump when Slash walks forward and places a large hand on my head. Glancing up, Slash offers me a smile as he rubs my head.
"Don't let it get ya down, Mikey. Nothing that happened in Rahzar's place was your fault. So don't let it get ya down, squirt." Slash's smile morphs into a slight smirk. "Besides, we brought ya somethin'."
Excitement springs up inside me as I beam up at the much larger turtle, vibrating in place.
"You brought me something? What is it?"
Slash glances over at Leatherhead, who gestures toward me with his hand.
"Ta-da!"
My eyes widen as Slash holds out my skateboard.
"My board!"
Squealing, I take it from Slash's hands and hug it.
"You left it in our living room after we rushed out to find Rockwell and Muckman," Leatherhead says, chuckling.
"And since we were already heading over this way, we thought we'd drop it off fer ya," Slash finishes.
"Oh, my sweet board," I coo, spinning one of the wheels lovingly. "I'm sorry that I left you behind. It won't happen again."
Slash and Leatherhead exchange glances but I'm too happy to worry about me weirding them out. Both have lived with us so one would think that they know just how much I love my skateboard. Donnie and I built this when we were 16 from entirely new parts! And April and Casey gave me all the wicked stickers that are covering the entire deck.
Hugging it to my chest once again, I glance up at the two larger reptiles, beaming.
"Thanks, dudes!" I tilt my head in curiosity. "But was there a reason the two of you were heading this way? I didn't think your rounds brought you over this far?"
I lead my two friends over to the TV pit, mentally reminding myself to put my board in my bedroom later. Sitting on the sofa, I giggle as Slash sits next to me causing me to bounce up a little as he outweighs me. Leatherhead sits in one of the arm chairs, mindful of his bulkier build on our more 'human-size' furniture.
"We were mainly coming over here to see if we could get an update on how you were faring, my friend."
Slash nods as he throws an arm behind my head, resting it on the back of the couch.
"We've also been extending our patrol out further while your bros were watchin' ya. So, with them not goin' on their normal patrols, we wanted ta help out a little. Your bros just didn't want ta be too far from the lair after what happened at dog-breath's dojo."
I purse my lips. I didn't realize that my brothers didn't leave the lair while I was sick. I just assumed that one of them would stay or that Chichi would just sit with me until they came back. But, well, I guess with the scare of everything, they just didn't want to risk it. I wince.
I mean, it's not like I got turtlenapped twice in one week or anything, I think dryly, fiddling with my board's wheels again.
A firm but gentle tug on my bandana jerks me from my thoughts and I pout at Slash, slapping at his hands.
"Hey, what was that for?"
Huffing, I reach up and fix my mask as Slash smirks at me.
"You weren't payin' attention, Mike." Slash pokes my forehead with one of his fingers. "Ya got lost in yer head again, kiddo."
Heat rushes to my cheeks and I slide down in my seat, crossing my arms.
"Give me a break," I say, whining. "I've been sick the last few days." These two are lucky to catch me in at least my belt and mask. Since I woke up I haven't even been wearing my mask all that much just because I would tend to fall asleep if I stayed in a single place for too long.
Again, it's not like they haven't see it before. Slash as Raph's pet Spike and Leatherhead when he was staying with us after we rescued him from Bishop.
I whine again when Slash rubs my head and Leatherhead leans forward to pat my knee.
"We are not making fun of you, Michelangelo," Leatherhead states, shooting Slash the stink-eye when the larger turtle smirks at the crocodile before offering me a crocked smile. "We are fully aware that your mind is constantly active and being sick probably has not helped at all. We merely said that we were coming out this way because we wanted to invite the five of you over to the train station. Dr. Rockwell has been working on something that he would like to share with all of you and—"
"And we think that the lot of ya deserve a nice night of bein' with friends."
My eyes widen and another surge of excitement rushes through me. Oh. That does sound nice. Give us all something else to focus on rather than the looming gloom of knowing that the Shredder is back and his lackies are searching for me, I'm sure. And maybe this will help my brothers and Dad relax as well. I know that they've been trying to hide it from me but I can see the tension in them. It's like they're just waiting for the other shoe to drop. That at any moment something else will go back. Shell, we don't even know why Stockman's Mousers were down here again.
Ugh. All this thinking and worrying is starting to give me a headache. Besides, worrying is Leo's department. I just want to have a night where NONE of us are worrying about anything bad and can relax now that I can stay awake more than 2 hours at a time. I stretch my arms, gauging just how sore and tired I am. I think I can last a few more hours awake. Now it's just convincing the rest of my family.
"Mike?"
I spring to my feet just as Slash says my name and I flash him a 'Mikey Smile'.
"I think that's a great idea, dudes. Let me go ask Master Splinter and my bros what they think."
Slash glances around.
"Where are they anyways?"
"They were training after supper and I'm guessing they're doing some meditation right now." I tilt my head back to glance at the digital clock above the wall of TVs. "Sensei only wanted to do about a two-hour session today and that's almost over, so I should be able to talk to them without interrupting anything."
Slash raises an eyebrow ridge, a skeptical look on his face.
"And why aren't YOU also in there with 'em?"
I bat my blue eyes at him and smile innocently.
"Well, I was doing dishes from supper before you guys got here and I'm excused from training until Donnie gives me a clean bill of health." My smile turns a little more sheepish. "And I can't meditate just yet without falling asleep. Which won't help me whatsoever."
Slash goes to make a comment, his green eyes sparkling when Leatherhead smacks him with one of the many pillows that April keeps bringing for Sensei. I cover my mouth with my hand at the betrayed look on Slash's face when Leatherhead looks at me, smiling kindly.
"That would be wonderful, Michelangelo. While you speak with your family, we shall give Ms. O'Neil and Mr. Jones a call to see if they are available."
Nodding, I offer the two older reptiles two thumbs up before making my way over to the dojo. Humming to myself, I head for the dojo. Peeking inside, my lips twitch as I spot my brothers and father all sitting in the center of the space. All four appear to be quite deep into their meditation, faces tranquil as they try to find their center.
Or, in Sensei's and Leo's case, HAVE already found their center and are just vibing there, I think as I quietly enter the space. Raph and Donnie don't even twitch when I reach the spot between Master Splinter and Leo. Kneeling quietly, I wait patiently for my father and/or oldest brother to notice me. Tapping my fingers on my thighs, I tilt my head as I study my family. It's not often that I get to see them like this. Leo and Sensei, maybe, but not Donnie or Raph. Those two are usually doing something. Donnie is usually focusing on his machines or inventions and Raph is usually beating the stuffing out of his punching bag. Shell, those two are the ones who leave the lair the most out of the five of us. I used to when I worked but now that Cowabunga Carl is out of business, I spend more time in the lair. I mean, I've taken to doing art commissions, which has been working on earning us some extra cash. And Donnie has saved enough from his IT gig that we really don't need to worry about cash for a while. But, it's just nice to have the extra funds around to do something special, especially for Casey and April. They've done so much for us that it's only right that we give back to them.
"Is there something you need, Michelangelo?"
I squeak when Sensei's voice rings out in the quiet. Glancing over, I see the small quirk of my father's lips and I swear that Leo's shoulders are shaking as he opens a single eye. Forcing down a pout, I look up at Sensei just as he opens his dark brown eyes. Smiling sheepishly, I rub the back of my neck.
"Sorry, Sensei, I didn't mean to interrupt. But, uh, Leatherhead and Slash are here and they wanted to invite all of us over to the old train station for a few hours tonight. Apparently the doc has something that he wants to show all of us and thought that maybe getting us all together tonight to just hang might help all of us relax a little."
This got my other two brothers to open their eyes, a slight look of hope on their faces as they also look at Sensei. Master Splinter reaches up and strokes his little beard as he hums in thought. His eyes flicker over me, giving nothing away as he searches me. I have a feeling that he's looking to see any signs of fatigue or lingering effects of my recent sickness. Honestly, while I still don't have my usual measures of energy, I do feel far more active than I felt even yesterday.
"Donatello," Master Splinter says, turning to look at our bo-wielding member of the family. "Do you believe this would be a good idea for your brother?"
This time I don't hide my pout as Donnie stands and walks over to me. He presses a hand to my forehead and then my cheeks. He tilts my head up to get a better look at my eyes.
"Do you feel any wariness, Mikey?" Donnie asks, a stern look in his brown eyes as he watches me. "And I need honest answers, Mikey. I don't want you relapsing just because you're bored of the lair."
I would NEVER do that…but doesn't mean I haven't THOUGHT about doing it.
Huffing, I actually think Donnie's question over. I shrug.
"I mean. I feel a little achy, but it feels more like a full day of intense training after having a few days off. I have a slight cough but only if I breath in too deeply and too quickly. But I honestly feel better than I have since I woke up, Don." Sticking out my bottom lip, I turn pleading eyes up at him. "Please, Donnie? I wanna see what the doc made. I promise to tell you if I start to feel icky. Please?"
On the second 'Please?' I turn my gaze over to Sensei. Our father continues to watch the two of us. His eyes flicker to my face before quickly moving over to Donnie when I widen my eyes slightly. Donnie sighs and I focus on him once more. My immediate older brother's face softens as I stare at him and he rubs my head affectionately.
"All right. I think he'll be fine, Sensei. Both Leatherhead and myself will keep an eye on him. And you WILL tell me the moment you start feeling bad again, Mikey," Donnie states, poking me in the forehead. "Your body can't afford to go into relapse."
Making an 'X' over my heart, I launch myself into Donnie and hug him.
"Thanks, Don!"
Donnie chuckles as he returns the embrace and the five of us stand.
"Where are LH and Slash?" Leo asks, reaching over to detangle me from our tallest brother. Releasing my purple-cladded brother, I smirk and cling to Leo instead, causing him to sigh in irritation but the small smile says otherwise.
"They were calling April and Casey to see if they wanted to come down as well," I answer, beaming up at my brother before letting him go to skip out of the dojo with them following me. I wave my arms as I spot our two larger friends. "LH! Slash! They said 'yes'!"
Slash grins at me from the couch while Leatherhead glances at me, smiling as he continues talking to someone on his ShellCell. Raph and Slash fist bump as we join them in the pit before Leatherhead hangs up.
"Ms. O'Neil and Mr. Jones will be down in about a half an hour. And good evening, my friends." Leatherhead bows slightly in respect to Master Splinter, who inclines his head respectfully. "Will you also be joining us, Master Splinter? Dr. Rockwell managed to locate some new teas that he thought we might make tonight. Ms. O'Neil also mentioned something about a cheese plate."
I bite my lip when Sensei perks up at the mention of 'cheese'. His left-hand drums on his walking stick as he strokes his beard.
"Then I shall bring some teas that I have been meaning to give Dr. Rockwell as well. Let me go grab them then we shall depart."
Giddiness feels me as I bounce on the balls of my feet as Master Splinter swiftly enters the kitchen. We're actually gonna do something fun! With ALL of us! This is going to be amazing!
A hand lands on my shoulder and I grin up at Raph as he lifts an eye ridge at me.
"Geez, Mike, calm down. Yer gonna wear yerself out before we even get dere."
Shrugging, I peek around him just as Sensei exits the kitchen.
"Dude, I can't help it! We haven't done something fun in weeks! Let alone have all of us in one space for a GOOD reason, ya know?"
Raph's face softens as he chuckles and roughly rubs my head causing me to squawk as all of us start filing out of the lair.
"Yeah, squirt, I know. C'mon before we leave ya behind."
Swatting at his hands, I roll my eyes but my grin never leaves my face. Out of everyone here, I think that my brothers deserve this the most. I know that Leo's been pushing himself so hard these past few months. I think he's still mad about getting turtlenapped. But that wasn't anyone's fault. We can't be responsible for every person that brings in ancient statues of people they once considered brothers. Shell, we shouldn't HAVE to be responsible. Well…Okay, my BROTHERS shouldn't have to be responsible. I mean. They're not a part of the Justice Force, who ARE responsible for protecting everyone. Yeah, they're honorary members, but I'm the only one who actually has the Justice Force's emergency communicator. So, truly out of everyone in this family, I'M the only one who actually has any obligation in helping those in need. Not that I mind at all. I WANT to help people. I want to make sure that the bad guys lose and that the good guys win. But seeing just how much strain there is on my brothers' shoulders whenever the Kraang start acting up or back when the Shredder was trying to take over all of New York for his own personal gain really hurts. I feel like my bros start to lose themselves. Raph gets angrier and more aggressive towards everyone. Leo constantly trains and meditates all day, every day. And Donnie obsessively works on his inventions and foregoes sleep and eating. Even Sensei would have days that he appears much older than he actually is. His fur always appears slightly duller and he moves slower. Almost as if there is an invisible weight pressing down on him.
It breaks my heart to see my family like this and I know that there isn't anything I can really do until it all blows over. I do my best to make it more bearable but even that has it's limits. I do my best to be the one who takes the brunt of Raph's anger. I try to coax Leo out of his routine by talking him into playing video games or going skating with me. With Donnie, I make sure that he doesn't skip a meal or I make sure that he has fresh coffee ready. Sometimes I even badger him until he sleeps. I only do that when I know that he's about to collapse because if I try too soon, I run the risk of angering Donnie or having tools thrown at me. Have you ever been hit by a flying wrench? It really hurts, dude.
Then there's Sensei. He's always the hardest one for me to try and help. Mainly because he does his best to keep the four of us from seeing him in his bad days. I know that there are days that Sensei misses being human, being allowed to walk out in the sunlight with everyone else. The year that we were in the future, Sensei SHINED. He was social. He gardened. He SMILED more. LAUGHED more. He even went to events with us that Cody would invite us to. It was glorious.
But it got me thinking of how Sensei was BEFORE we went to the future. Sensei only ever left the sewers to scavenge for us and he only ever left the lair to go on his days long 'meditating missions'. But rarely would he go above ground unless invited over to April's or Casey's and even then, most of the time, Sensei would decline. And thinking back on it, I truly think that Sensei was depressed. Sure, we helped him a little bit by being someone to help and love. Being a reason to CONTINUE LIVING. But he just had to deal with the person he had called 'brother' for so long, who he was raised next to and looked up to, trying to kill him right before Sensei adopted us as eggs.
Sensei told us the story of him choosing our eggs from the pet store, having asked the storekeeper if he could try raising four of the new clutch of eggs that the female turtle had. Sensei told us the odd look that the storekeeper gave him but also all of the information he shared with our father to make sure that he hatched us correctly. Sensei said that he had just moved to New York and was quite intimidated by all the people and buildings, having never truly experienced a city while being raised by the Ancient One. And when he raised his concerns to the Ancient One during one of their meditating sessions, the Ancient One suggested to him to get a pet. It was Sensei's idea, however, to choose four turtles to hatch and raise as his own. Leo was the first to hatch, then Raph, then Donnie, and then me. Sensei did admit that he thought he did something wrong when the rest of us didn't hatch soon after Leo, that we took our time hatching. And to fully help him tell us apart, he painted single stripes of color down our shells, the colors that he sensed radiating from our tiny little souls.
Blue. Red. Purple. Orange.
It was merely a few days after me hatching that the Shredder and Hun burst into his home, intent on killing him. Sensei had grabbed us and ran from his apartment into the alleyway down below. When he ran into the alleyway he came across a Kraang fighting with a few Utrom Guardians. The Kraang had just stolen some mutagen (something we didn't learn until years later when the same Utrom Guardians greeted us after saving us from Gross Alien Shredder's ship). The Kraang had just taken a blow from the Utrom when Sensei exited the building. Sensei said that he wasn't looking when he ran out, us in his hands when he rushed forward and hide, placing us down to pull out a handkerchief to wrap us in. Sensei had just smacked a curious rat away from us when he heard a crash and the mutagen splashed all over the five of us. The effect was immediate, Sensei turning into his current form and my brothers and I turning into infants. The Utrom Guardians had told Sensei to run, to hide underground as more Kraang started to spill out of the shadows and the enraged echoes of the Shredder and Hun could be heard from the building's rooftop.
And I can just imagine how frantic poor 20-year-old Sensei was feeling, escaping down into the bowels of New York while his murderous brother searched for him above ground and him now a huge rat person with four turtle tots to care for. I feel like even the most optimist person would freak out just a little bit. But Sensei is strong and a smidge stubborn. He didn't allow his own insecurities destroy him. Didn't let this sudden change of lifestyle keep him from living. Although, I'm sure the Ancient One was pretty surprised when Sensei showed up in his new body with us in tow. I don't remember much from our very first trip to Japan, only that the only reason we went was because it was the day Sensei promised to return home to see if he wanted to remain in the states or to return back to Japan and live there.
I think, on Sensei's hard days, he regrets not agreeing to have us remain in Japan with Ojīchan. The area that Ojīchan lives is enclosed and FAR away from the prying eyes of society. Shell, we would have been allowed to go OUTSIDE. In the DAYTIME. But, I think I understand WHY he chose to return to New York with us. The memories would have been too much. Sensei was raised alongside Saki in that home. He would have a constant reminder everywhere he went if we stayed there and I think that would have made everything WORSE. Shell. I think that was part of the reason why Raph was almost never home the two years Leo was gone. The entire space just echoes with memories of all of us. And when we were younger, Leo and Raph were so close, inseparable even. And with Leo gone, it just HURT to be there. Especially when Leo didn't return when he was supposed to and he stopped sending letters. The only reassurance we had that Leo wasn't dead was Master Splinter telling us so.
So, I get it. I really do. But, what I don't think my brothers understand is that I have spent a lot of time just OBSERVING them. That I use the time when I'm sketching them in my notebook to truly study my family. It's how I learned what to do to help them relax. It was how I finally figured out that Sensei relaxed the most when one of us would either meditate with him or, in my case, read to him. And when I got a little too big to need the practice on reading and I know that Sensei isn't overly fond of my comics, I would ask him if I could sketch him while he meditated. Especially when Leo was gone. Sensei got really bad during that time and sometimes I would catch myself right before blurting out:
"Why did you have him go in the first place?"
Because I knew why. It was to give Leo the same chance that Sensei was given all those years ago from the Ancient One, even if Sensei made the time frame shorter to one year instead of five. And I know in a few years, he's going to give another one of us the option of going out into the world for a year. I have a feeling that it's going to be Donnie who he gives the option to next. His thirst of knowledge being able to expand if he could just go out into the world. Shell. Sensei might even give him the option to travel through space with Dr. Honeycutt for that year. I know that Donnie has been dying to explore more worlds and I've overheard Honeycutt and Donnie talking about it the few times that they chat in private.
My hands squeeze together as the thought of Donnie being gone for an entire year enters my mind. My heart sinking at just the idea of one of my brothers not being here again. I truly don't know how I'd handle another one of my brothers leaving for such a long time. Raph would probably go insane, especially if it was Donnie who leaves next. Sure, the two argued ALL THE TIME when Leo was gone, but that was because Raph couldn't stand not knowing what exactly happened with Leo nor did he understand WHY Leo didn't come back on time.
At least Donnie would have a way to communicate with us if he did go into space for a year, I think dryly, even though the thought of Donnie in a Star Trek outfit would be pretty sick. He would DEFINITELY be put into the blue uniform for science officer. And Leo would totally be in yellow for captain. My snout wrinkles as I realize that would mean that Raph and I would be in the red uniform. The red shirts ALWAYS die first. But then again, maybe not Raph because I think he'd be more of an engineer for the space ship, seeing that he's really good on working on cars and motorcycles with Donnie. But me…
I don't wanna be a red shirt! I'm too pretty to die in one episode!
"Mikey? Are you okay, bud?"
I jump when Leo's voice cuts through my inner whining and I glance up to find everyone staring at me. Heat rushes to my cheeks as I chuckle nervously.
"Uh, y-yeah? Why wouldn't I?"
Leo's eyes narrow as he steps closer.
"Because we've been walking for nearly seven minutes now and you haven't said a single word."
"And ya also just let out da most pathetic whine we've evah heard from ya," Raph adds gruffly, crossing his arms as his gold eyes also narrow.
My mouth barely opens when Donnie is filling my vision and touching my face.
"Are you not feeling well? Does something hurt?"
"Dude, chill," I state, pulling my face from my brother's hold and offer him a goofy grin. "I'm fine. I was just…" I wince, suddenly debating whether or not my bros would be as amused by my Star Trek thought as I was. (Like shell I'm gonna tell them about the REST of my thoughts during our walk.)
"You were what, my son?"
Rubbing the back of my head, I puff my cheeks.
"I was just think what each of us would be wearing if we were Star Trek characters. And I realized that I would be a red shirt."
Silence.
Self-consciousness starts to creep in when Raph suddenly wraps an arm around my neck and pulls me in, giving me a nuggie.
"Heeeeeey! Raph! Let me go!"
"Seriously, baby brat? Dat's what you've been thinking about since we left da lair? What are ya tryin' ta do? Give da lot of us heart attacks?"
I smack at Raph's hold as we all start walking again.
"No! It was just a random thought that I had and couldn't stop thinking about!"
"Raph, let him go," Leo orders, chuckling as we round a corner. "We all know that Mikey has these types of thoughts all the time." Leo roughly rubs my head causing me to glare at him too as he smirks at me just as Raph releases me.
"You guys are so mean."
"Deal with it, twerp."
Sticking my tongue out, I follow after my family, this time actually listening to the conversations around me and even adding comments of my own. I can see my big brothers shooting me glances every once in a while when I remain silent for a smidge too long.
"Yo, guys! Wait fer us!"
Jumping, the seven of us turn around just in time to see April and Casey jogging to catch up with us. April's eyes sparkle when she spots me but her hands are full with a paper bag, so she only nudges me with her side as the two of us share a grin.
"Hey, Mikester," Casey says, rubbing my head as the now nine of us start walking once more. "Thought we were gonna be da last ones dere."
"I'm just glad that we caught up to all of you," April states, turning her sparkling eyes on Casey. "If I had to listen to one more story about the new motorcycles that Casey's work just got in, I think my head was going to explode."
"New bikes?!" Raph and Slash exclaim and Casey hurries up near them, already talking animatedly with his free hand of the case of pop that he's carrying. April must of put a kibosh on him bringing beer. Leatherhead merely shakes his head as he opens the secret door to allow us into the old train station.
"Good evening, friends," Dr. Rockwell greets, floating over to us while Muckman waves from their TV area. "I am so pleased all of you could make it."
Master Splinter bows his head respectfully as he approaches the floating doctor.
"We are honored that you are willing to share one of your inventions with us," Chichi says, holding out a small tin full of tea. Rockwell's eyes light up as he takes the tin.
"Oh, there truly is no one else I would rather share this moment with than all of you. And the fact that my teammates do not seem to share the love of tea the same way that some of you do. I have been meaning to share some new blends of tea that I was given by my sister when she visited a few months back."
"The doc wouldn't allow me or Muckman anywhere near the lab while he and LH worked on his secret thing," Slash stage whispers to Donnie who laughs.
"It truly was quite the feat, my friends, what the doctor was able to create," Leatherhead states, leading us further into the room as Rockwell, Sensei, and April head to their kitchen area.
"You helped me a lot, my large friend," Rockwell states as he approaches, steaming mugs of tea following behind him in the air. "Your knowledge of Utrom technology is the only reason we were able to complete this, I assure you."
I grin as Leatherhead smiles bashfully just as a cup of tea floats over to me. I hesitantly take it, Leo giving me the stink eye when my hand hovers for a second too long, already holding his to his lips. Pouting, I eye the pop Casey is holding with a sense of longing before refocusing on the conversation around me. I'll sneak a pop later when everyone is more relaxed.
"What did the two of you create, doctor?" Donnie asks, gratefully taking a cup of tea from the air.
A giddiness comes over the once human as he telepathically hands out the remaining teas to April and Sensei.
"Donatello, do you remember that brainstorming session the three of us had two months ago?" Rockwell asks, his voice getting more excited by the second.
"The one where we were just throwing out ideas about cool inventions that we wished we could create?" Donnie asks and when the doctor nods, my brother smiles. "Of course I do. Some of the stuff we thought about were amazing!" A confused, but thoughtful look crosses my brother's face as he taps his chin. "But what about it?" Donnie's eyes widen. "Did you actually make one of our ideas?"
Leatherhead walks forward, his own steaming cup of tea in hand as he rests his free hand on Donnie's shoulder.
"Well, my friend, you truly inspired the two of us when you told us about the dimension hopping that you and your brothers have experienced many times," Leatherhead explains. "First with the one you called the 'Ultimate Drako' and then next with the Kraang Shredder."
I nearly choke on my tea as a look of awe and surprise crosses my brainiac brother's face.
"You didn't," Donnie breathes out as he looks over at the floating doctor, who grins. "You did!"
Leo and I exchange a glance at the excited tone in Donnie's voice as Rockwell motions for us to follow him. Leading us to a further corner of the train station, my eyes land on a large tarp that appears to covering something.
"Uh, doc?" Slash calls out as the doctor floats up. "Did you and L make what I think the two of ya made?"
Rockwell motions for Leatherhead to join him on the other side of the tarp. Once Leatherhead grabs the corner, Rockwell turns back toward us.
"Well, I was think, if the Shredder could create such a contraption, why couldn't we? And with just how detailed Donatello was with the Shredder's contraption, I felt like we could create this and surprise, well, mainly you, Donatello, but everyone else as well. And I truly believe that we might need some extra help in our fight against the newly resurrected Shredder and this will allow us to find that extra help." Rockwell grins as he motions for Leatherhead to drop the tarp. "My friends, say hello to our own personal inter-dimensional gateway! Or what Leatherhead and I have been calling the I.D.G!"
The tarp falls away and a large, half-circle structure gleams in the artificial light. My mouth falls open, a swarm of different types of emotions filtering through me. Excitement. Giddiness. Awe. Nervousness. Uncertainty. Unease.
Massive, massive amounts of unease.
Why am I getting a sense of déjà vu here? And not the good kind…
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Hello everyone! Hope for anyone celebrating a holiday these past few weeks had a good time! I'm sorry that this took so long to post. This chapter just had me really stumped on how I wanted it to go. I wanted a believable downtime chapter but I also know that not everyone enjoys a downtime chapter. I promise a little bit more action in the upcoming chapters. Maybe not the next one, but for sure the following ones. I also want to thank everyone who has stuck with me through all of this. I appreciate all of you and it is truly all of you that have been keeping me from just giving up and allowing my slump to rule my writing. So, thank you. Because I WILL finish this story. For not only me but for all of you. 😊 So, thank you again and until next chapter! Happy reading! And cowabunga!
