Soft beeping fills the air, slowly pulling me from slumber. Rolling over, I blurrily stare up at the ceiling in confusion. Why am I in Don's lab? I didn't get sick again, did I? Narrowing my eyes, I glance over to where the beeping is coming from. A spark of panic shoots through me as I realize that none of the equipment matches my brother's. Shooting up, my heart pounds and I frantically glance around. A desk covered with papers and beakers rests just pass the end of my bed. Another bed to my left catches my attention, looking as though it has yet to be used or is freshly made. My head snaps around as soft footsteps enter the lab.
"Oh! You're awake!" Tiny Donnie says, offering me a gap tooth smile and sips from his steaming mug. "We were beginning to worry that you might sleep the day away."
Blinking stupidly, I try to process why I'm seeing this shorter and leaner version of my brainiac brother. I groan as yesterday's events plays through my mind. Helping the doc. U.P. contacting me. Trying to rescue Leo and Donnie from the Fist. Leo kicking Sensei and I through a portal. Doc's bracelet breaking. Fighting this dimension's Foot ninjas. Locating the sewers and fighting Kraang. Running into this dimension's version of me and my brothers. Then coming back to their lair. Getting patched up.
Shell.
Running a hand across my face, I shift and sit on the edge of the bed. A warm hand jerks me from my thoughts and I glance up at the concerned face of Tiny Donnie.
"Are you all right?" Red-brown eyes scan my face and I can't help but think how young this version of my brother looks. "Are you feeling sick?"
A small smile spreads across my lips as he presses his palm to my forehead. No matter what universe or dimension I visit, Donnie will always be ready to help. Reaching up, I gently pull TD's hand from my head.
"Nah, I'm okay, dude. Just a little disoriented, ya know?" I glance around once more and finally spot my mask, chucks, and pads on a chair near the bed. TD purses his lips at me as I reach for my items and tie my mask around my eyes.
"If you're sure…You do feel a little warm to me…"
Yanking on my kneepads, I wave a dismissive hand as I try to get my stiff and aching body to cooperate.
"Course I'm sure, dude. If I wasn't, I'd let you know. My Donnie has made it very clear to take my health seriously." Shooting him my best disarming 'Mikey Smile', I stand, with only a slight wobble, and pull on my elbow pads. "What time is it anyways?"
TD narrows his eyes at my attempt to change the subject but when he sips his coffee, I know I at least won this round.
"It's 1:35 PM."
If I would have been drinking, I would have spat it out. 1:35?! Seriously? Why didn't Chichi wake me? He never lets us sleep that long!
"Seriously?" I yelp, nearly tipping over as I rush to make the bed. "Dude! Why didn't someone wake me? We have so much to do!"
Tiny Donnie catches my elbow when I turn too quickly and start to tip over.
"Whoa. Calm down, Mike. Mikey? Michelangelo?" TD's snout wrinkles and he shakes his head. "I'll worry about what to call you in a second. But first, your sensei asked us not to wake you. He said that you need as much rest as possible and from how you were acting yesterday, I agree. You needed that sleep. From what you've told us, you've been really sick for awhile and the body doesn't just bounce back from an illness overnight."
A pout fights its way onto my lips. Leave it to Donnie to be right. AGAIN.
Doesn't mean I can't be a drama queen about admitting it.
Crossing my arms, I huff.
"All right, fine. You win. I needed to sleep. But we still need to work out how Sensei and I are getting back to our dimension."
Tiny Donnie smiles again.
"Actually, that's why I came in here. I was hoping you were awake so that I could ask to see the device that you used to get here."
"Oh, sure."
Reaching into my belt, I tug out the Dimension Bracelet and place in TD's outstretched hand. Curiosity lights up this Donnie's eyes and a look of awe spreads across his face.
"Whoa! This tech is incredibly advanced! Far more advanced than even the Kraang tech I've managed to salvage." Bright eyes land on me. "Where did you get this?"
"Our friend, Doctor Rockwell, made them with our other friend, Leatherhead." I snicker and shake my head. "Their mad scientist juices started flowing after my Don told them about us dimension hopping. I think they might have used a combination of Kraang and Utrom tech." I scratch my cheek sheepishly, wincing as I accidentally brush the stitches there. "But, to be honest, I wasn't really listening while the doc was explaining how he made that and his big dimension portal thing. That kind of stuff just goes right over my head."
"'Utrom'?" TD echoes back, a flash of confusion on his face. "And why would Leatherhead be helping Dr. Rockwell with making this? Is he his assistant?"
Oh. Right. Different dimension means that some things might not match up to my dimension.
"Um, well the Utrom are kinda like the Kraang but far less evil and can actually talk in full sentences. And less brain-like and more octopus-like." I wiggle my fingers like octopus tentacles. "And, uh, our Leatherhead isn't really the doc's assistant, more like they help each other with their inventions."
Surprise and disbelief flashes across Tiny Donnie's face.
"Whoa, wait. Are you saying that your dimension's Leatherhead is SMART? Not just some big brut?"
A brut?
Blinking, I nod slowly.
"Uh, yeah? He's like my Donnie but in crocodile form, ya know?"
"Fascinating," TD breathes out. "Not only is your Leatherhead smart, but he's a crocodile as well. I wonder what other versions of Leatherhead are like?" A thoughtful look crosses the purple-cladded turtle's face. After a moment, he glances at me. "Your Leatherhead doesn't like to grab your Donnie's face, does he?"
A surprised laugh escapes me.
"Wait. What? No! Our Leatherhead has never grabbed our Donnie by the face! He's lifted and thrown me across our lair once but that was more my fault then his," I add, shrugging at the horrified look on TD's face. "I'm fine and it hasn't happened since. But why do you ask? Does your Leatherhead do that?"
TD opens his mouth and a splash of red spreads across his cheeks. He mutters something into his mug, taking a sip and holds the bracelet close to his plastron. Amused, I open my mouth to gain more information, only to be cut off when my stomach growls loudly. Heat spreads across my face as TD turns his own amused look on me.
"Leo should still be in the kitchen making himself and both of our fathers tea. He should be able to steer you toward some food. I think Mikey set aside a plate for you last night but I can't guarantee that he or Raph haven't eaten it already."
Chuckling, I shrug.
"Eh, if it's gone, it's gone. I'm a big turtle. Just show me where you keep the food and I should be able to make something."
TD nods but his gaze is back on the piece of tech in his hands once more. Knowing that I'm probably not gonna be getting anything else out of this brother, I exit the lab. The sounds of grunting and a fist against something solid greets me. Glancing over to the training dummy, I spot Tiny Raph going to town and punching and kicking the crap out of that poor training dummy. The angry scowl on his face tells me he's experiencing a 'Raph Mood' right now and it would be good for my health to NOT interact with this version of my hotheaded brother at this moment. Because, if his temper is anything like my Raphie's, then he needs his alone time. I learned the hard way when we were younger not to bother Raph when he was in one of his 'Moods', especially at this age. After he accidentally broke my wrist flipping me over his shoulder, I just learned to let him get into a slightly better mood before teasing him. He hasn't experienced such temper-tantrums in a long while and after he broke my wrist he started staying in the garage or the dojo when he experiences an episode. Or, once we met Casey, would go out and beat up thugs.
Shaking my head, I move on to the kitchen, a little surprised that Mini Me wasn't in front of the TV. But, then again, he could be anywhere. For all I know, he could be up in his room drawing. He is a Mikey after all.
Reaching up, I scratch at the stitches in my cheek as I enter the kitchen.
"Don't scratch."
"AH!"
My hand flies to my chest and I shoot a wide-eyed stare over to the table. Tiny Leo is sitting there, a mischievous gleam in his dark blue eyes as he watches me. A hint of a smile is on his lips and I drag in a deep breath, heart pounding.
"Geezums, Leo. You can't just do that. Appearing out of nowhere. Give a turtle a heart attack. I swear. All Leos are just out to give their baby brothers heart attacks."
A grin fully forms on Tiny Leo's face, no longer trying to hide his amusement.
"I wasn't trying to give you a heart attack. As ninjas, we should always be aware of our surroundings."
Yup. Definitely Leo.
Huffing, I turn my snout up and walk further into the room.
"Yeah, well, I think I deserve a little slack. I just woke up and haven't been able to train in awhile. If I was at top form, you wouldn't have gotten the drop on me."
"Is that so?"
Well. If he's anything like my Leo then actually, no. But there's no reason to tell him that. And, besides, my Leo spent a year training under the elite ninja master, the Ancient One, and I swear he gave him super powers, so of course my Leo would be able sneak up on me. I think it's Leo's life mission to see how long it takes for him to make my heart stop.
"Yes," I state, trying to look as dignified as possible, even after such a high-pitched scream. Tiny Leo chuckles and stands just as the tea kettle starts to whistle.
"Mmhmm. Well, my previous comment still stands. Don't scratch at your stitches. Donnie won't be happy if you rip a stitch." Leo pours the boiling water into four mugs and stirs. "But, I'm sure you're hungry. There is a plate in the fridge that Mikey made up for you from supper last night. And don't worry. It's nothing weird. April taught him how to make ravioli and wanted to share with us. It was actually pretty good."
My eye ridges furrow at the 'weird' comment but walk to the fridge anyways. Pulling the plate from the fridge, I pause for a moment when I hear a strange muffled noise coming from the freezer. Concern spikes in my chest and I reach up, opening the freezer door.
"Mrew?"
My mouth falls open as two beady black eyes stare back at me and a glob that looks strangely like ice cream shifts and moves. The blob slowly sits up and the top half forms into the shape of a cat. Tiny ice cream paws wiggle at me, as if waving. Still very confused, I cautiously wave back and glance back at Tiny Leo.
"Uh, Leo? I…I think there's a cat made of ice cream in your freezer. Or I'm still really tired and just imagining things."
Tiny Leo looks at me over his shoulder, blue eyes shifting from me to the freezer.
"Oh, yeah. That's Ice Cream Kitty. She's, uh, Mikey's pet…cat? She got mutated with some ice cream by accident in Donnie's lab and Mikey's been taking care of her since."
A small stone drops in my stomach and I silently vow to keep Klunk as far away from Donnie's lab as possible. There is just no way that I'll let my poor baby turn into a being made of ice cream. Ice Cream Kitty mews again, regaining my attention. A little, dopy smile forms on her ice cream face and I feel a small piece of me melt a little. Smiling back, I reach in and gently rub the top of her head with a single finger.
"Hey there. Sorry for invading your little home here. I'm Mikey from a different dimension. Not sure how long I'm gonna be here, but it's nice to meet you."
"Mrew!" Ice Cream Kitty says, purring and rubs against my finger.
After a moment, I pull my hand back and wave at her. Ice Cream Kitty waves back and I close the door, wiping the ice cream on my finger on a towel hanging off of the fridge before turning. Only to jump as Tiny Leo is now standing right there. And the smug smirk on his face tells me that he saw my twitch.
My eyes flicker down to his hands only to find a steaming mug before moving back up to this Leo's face. Which, is a little weird, seeing as we're almost eye to eye. It's kinda nice having bros that are close to my height once again. My neck doesn't hurt as much.
My eyes narrow.
"Yes?"
"I made you tea by request of your sensei."
Hesitantly, I take the mug from this smaller version of my brother and stare down at it. Tea…Great…My favorite thing in the world… I smile politely at Tiny Leo.
"Oh, uh, thanks so much. I love…tea…"
Tiny Leo rolls his eyes and takes my plate from me. He pops it into the microwave. My anxiety spikes when I realize he didn't put a paper towel over it. Oh. The inside of that poor microwave.
"Why am I not surprised. Tea isn't gonna hurt you, Mikey. I even added some honey to it. Because if you're anything like our Mikey then you need your tea sweet." Tiny Leo motions for me to sit.
Smiling, I slide into a chair.
"Welp, you got me there. I appreciate it." I sip the tea, my face twitching as I force myself to swallow.
Tiny Leo leans against the counter, crossing his arms as he stares at me. My fingers flex on my mug and I look around. Why is he looking at me like that? Smiling nervously, my leg bounces and I clear my throat.
"So, uh, do you come here often?"
A snort escapes Tiny Leo and he lifts a hand to hide his grin which causes my smile to widen to a grin.
"Seriously?"
Shrugging, I sip my drink, shuddering a little.
"Well, you were just staring at me and I'm not a big fan of silence. What were you staring at anyways?" I bat my eyes. "My pretty face?"
Tiny Leo drops his hand and an uncomfortable look crosses his face. He shuffles from side to side and my smile slips.
"Leo?"
The blue-cladded turtle sighs. His eyes shift off to the side before landing on me again.
"May I ask you a question?"
Intrigued, I lean forward on the table and nod.
"Sure, dude. Fire away."
Tiny Leo purses his lips and drums his fingers on his forearm.
"Is…You don't have to answer if you don't want to because this might be kinda personal."
I shrug.
"That's fine. I'm sure I've been asked worse."
That earns me a tiny smile once more and Tiny Leo grabs my plate from the microwave as it chirps. He places the food in front of me and my mouth waters. Oh, glorious food. How I've missed thee.
"All right, but I'm sorry if this is too personal. But…is there something…blocking your chi?"
My fork pauses halfway to my mouth, surprise hitting me. Can he sense my chi? Tiny Leo tenses and rubs his arm.
"I'm sorry. I know that's kinda personal but I can feel your sensei's chi just fine and it feels very similar to our father's chi. But when it comes to you…" Tiny Leo bites his lip and slides into the seat across from me, picking at the wrappings around his fingers. "I don't feel anything. Well, it's not that I don't feel anything but it's super faint. And Mikey, our Mikey, noticed it too. He came to me last night and asked if the reason you were sleeping for so long was because your chi is gone. But someone's chi doesn't just vanish."
Fiddling with my fork, I let Tiny Leo finish his thought. To be honest, I don't know what exactly Chichi told them last night. Pretty much after Tiny Donnie finished stitching me up like Frankenstein's Monster, I fell asleep. Not on purpose, I just wanted to rest before talking with everyone but I guess I was more tired than I thought. But this is telling me that Sensei didn't mention my chi depletion. Whether because he was only explaining how we got here and the events that led up to it or because he doesn't want them to know, I have no idea. It's not like I would mind them knowing. This is, after all, just another version of us. And, if they're anything like us, then they hold the same values for family as we do. In this world we only have each other. If one of us falls, then we all fall.
But…
Maybe Sensei doesn't fully trust them? But if that's the case, I feel like he would have tried to say something to me. Or he would have at least stayed by my side until I woke up if he didn't trust our hosts a little bit.
Focusing on Tiny Leo once more, the two of us make eye contact. There is a spark of anxiousness in his eyes and he's clasped his hands together on the table to keep from picking more at his bindings.
I guess this is where Chichi would tell me to follow my gut.
I run a finger along the handle of the fork.
Why am I even debating this? This is Leo! Not MY Leo, but he's still Leo. And I know Leo wouldn't ask such a personal question unless he was concerned for that person. And this Leo isn't even wearing his swords. If he wanted to do me harm, I don't think he would be without his favorite weapons. Doesn't mean he doesn't have some sort of hidden knife on him, but Leo is too honorable to resort to that type of trickery.
Twirl my fork, I stab into a ravioli and smile at this younger version of my eldest brother, chuckling to myself.
"You know, I'm not even surprised that you noticed. I mean, you ARE a Leo, after all. Nothing ever gets pass you." I grin as Tiny Leo flushes from the praise. "The reason why you can't really sense my chi isn't because it's block."
TL's eyes widen before his eye ridges furrow in confusion.
"It's not? But if it's not blocked, why can I only just barely feel it?"
"That would because my son is suffering from chi depletion."
Tiny Leo and I look over at the entrance of the kitchen where both Chichi and Master Splinter are standing. Sensei's eyes land on me as he enters and he walks over, placing a hand on my head, rubbing gently. Easing a slight ache I didn't even know I had.
"Good afternoon, Michelangelo."
"Afternoon, Sensei. Master Splinter," I chirp back before stuffing a piece of ravioli into my mouth. Sensei smiles softly, shaking his head.
Tiny Leo frowns at us as he processes my father's words.
"'Chi depletion'? But how is that even possible? I thought the body constructed chi walls to make sure that never happens."
Master Splinter nods as he approaches the table, two mugs in hand and hands one to Sensei.
"Normally, you would be correct, Leonardo. However, if there was something that damaged a person's chi walls then it is quite possible for more chi than normal to leak through. And if a person is not careful, they can quickly overuse their chi."
Sensei nods as he takes the seat next to me.
"Correct. However, in Michelangelo's case, his chi walls were not just damaged but destroyed completely. He no longer has that barrier that the rest of us have to be able to monitor how much chi he is using."
"What's destroyed?"
Glancing over, I smile as I spot my Mini Me standing in the doorway, sky blue eyes wide and curiosity pouring off of him. The two of us make eye contact and I nod toward the open seat next to Tiny Leo. He skips over, grabbing the final mug of tea as he moves and places it in front of Tiny Leo before plopping into his seat. He turns eager eyes toward Sensei.
"We were just discussing the reason why you and I haven't been able to really feel Mikey's chi signature," Tiny Leo explains. Mini Me turns his wide gaze on me, concern written on his face.
"Are you okay?"
My expression softens and I shrug.
"For the most part, dude. Don't worry too much."
His cheeks puff out, obviously not believing me, and looks up at Sensei. Chichi smiles at him and sips his tea.
"As I was explaining, Michelangelo's chi walls were destroyed a few weeks ago so he no longer has the same barrier between his chi and the rest of his being. Because of this, Michelangelo is able to access all of his chi, not just a small portion of it. He and I have been working on trying to create a wall for himself so that he does not experience chi depletion." Sensei sighs and glances over at me. I offer him a sad smile. "However, we have not made very much progress. A destroyed chi wall is a very fickle thing and it is incredibly rare to happen so there are not many techniques out there for us to reference. We have been doing trail and error. Trying very hard to make sure chi depletion did not happen. The first week that Michelangelo had full access to his chi, he almost entered chi depletion. Luckily, he did not."
I wince as Sensei shoots me a secret smile, mirth sparkling in his brown eyes. Oh, sweet Silver Sentry. Please, oh please, don't tell them about me shrinking down to the size of a child. I think I might just combust.
"So, what happened that caused you to have your chi depleted?" Mini Me asks, his eye ridges furrowed. Grimacing, I stir the sauce still on my plate.
Uh oh. The not so fun part of this story. What if we tell them and then they kick us out because I brought back our Shredder? I mean, it's like I had a choice! But he's still the number one enemy of our family and I'm sure it's no different here.
Sensei reaches down and catches my wrist in his hand, squeezing gently. Staring at his hand, I follow the limb all the way up to my father's face and I relax at the calm that is radiating from him. Shell. Even if they do kick us out, I know that Sensei will stay by me no matter what and we'll figure something out.
As if sensing that I'm no longer going to panic, Sensei turns back to our three hosts. Mini Me draws a circle on the table, looking up with an upset expression.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."
Chichi shakes his head.
"It is quite all right, little one. You are merely curious. It is just still quite fresh in our minds and it was a pretty traumatic event."
Boy, you could say that again, Sensei. Oof.
Sensei straightens in his seat causing both Mini Me and Tiny Leo to lean forward.
"Into the second week of Michelangelo no longer having chi walls, he was take by two of our foes, Tiger Claw and Hun. Two very dangerous individuals who have tried for many years to harm our family." Mini Me and Tiny Leo look over at me, eyes wide and I duck my head, eating the rest of my ravioli. "Unfortunately, Michelangelo was already in a weakened state when Tiger Claw and Hun came for him and with us outnumbered, they managed to bring him back to their hideout and—"
"They used me to bring back our world's Shredder," I mutter, flinching when I realize I just cut my father off. I smile sheepishly. "Oh. Oops. Uh, sorry, Sensei."
Chichi shakes his head. Mini Me leans further onto the table.
"You brought your Shredder back? Where did he go? And could we send our Shred-head there too?" My stomach drops as a flash of fear sparks in Mini Me's large sky-blue eyes. "He's really scary."
Biting my lip, I exchange a look with Sensei. Uh oh. I really don't want to be the one to tell him what exactly we mean.
"That's exactly what we've been tryin' to do, doofus."
The four of us turn and watch as Tiny Raph heads for the fridge, poking Mini Me in the back of the head causing the smallest turtle to pout. Tiny Raph glances our way, bright green eyes narrowing as he spots me and Sensei. He reaches the fridge and sticks his head in as Tiny Leo glares at his shell. Mini Me stares after his brother, confusion overriding his pouting as his brother's words sink in.
"We are? I thought we've only been trying to stop him and save Karai?" Mini Me looks at Tiny Leo. "Where are we trying to send him?"
A slightly panicked look appears on the older turtle's face, most likely having the same thought as me. How in the world are we supposed to explain to this innocent little freckled turtle that we mean the big D-E-A-D? Tiny Leo grabs his mug and drinks some of his tea as Mini Me continues to wait for someone to answer.
Master Splinter places his mug down, his ears drooping a little as he looks over at his youngest.
"Michelangelo, we are not talking about actually bringing Sa…Shredder anywhere. I do believe what your counterpart is trying to say is that when their world's Tiger Claw and Hun took him, they used him and his chi to bring their Shredder back to life."
"Meaning their Shred-head was dead, knucklehead," Tiny Raph says gruffly as Mini Me only looks more confused. "And now he's not."
Mini Me's mouth forms a small 'o' and he sits back in his seat, deep in thought. Tiny Leo and I exchange a concerned look just as Tiny Raph joins us at the table, drinking from a bottle of water but his gaze is locked on his orange-cladded brother. After a beat of silence, Master Splinter leans forward.
"Michelangelo? Is everything all right?"
Mini Me nods absentmindedly, sky-blue eyes slowly refocusing and losing their glazed appearance. A strong urge to scratch my cheek hits me when the two of us make eye contact.
"So, you're kinda like a necromancer? You can bring people back from the dead?" A wide grin forms on the younger turtle's face and I mentally sag in relief. "That's so cool!"
Tiny Leo groans and buries his face in his hands as Tiny Raph snorts and rolls his eyes. I smile at my counterpart.
"Not exactly like a necromancer, but that's kinda the idea of what happened, little dude. But our Shredder didn't stay, uh, undead-like. He became true flesh and blood." My snout wrinkles. "It…was no pepperoni and sausage pizza either. Tiger Claw forced me inside the U.P. and then with the use of this jade pendant, ordered the U.P. to use my chi to bring that…" I pause and glance at Sensei. "Uh…bring Shredder back to life. And let me tell you what, my dudes. That was NOT a pleasant experience."
This dimension's turtles exchange a look before Tiny Leo leans forward.
"Tiger Claw forced you inside of a 'U.P.'?" He asks. "What's a 'U.P.'?"
Oh. Right. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned U.P.. Maybe Sensei didn't want them knowing just yet, so maybe I shouldn't have said anything? I side eye Chichi but he doesn't seem any more perturbed then before. But, then again, Sensei has a nasty habit of becoming harder to read in front of new people.
"Michelangelo is referring to the being who is responsible for break his chi walls in the first place," Sensei explains, sipping his tea. "Their true name is Kyūkyoku no purotekutā, otherwise known as the 'Ultimate Protector' in English."
A heavy dose of alarm flares from the Master Splinter to my right. Glancing over, unease builds in my stomach at the distress in the once human's eyes. Master Splinter's ears are flat and his fingers are nearly white on his mug. His gaze, however, isn't on me but on Mini Me, who is staring back with worried confusion. Sensei, who also sensed his counterpart's alarm, turns and a grim frown forms on his face.
"I take it that you know of such a being."
Master Splinter slowly pulls his gaze away from his youngest just as his three sons look at him. He and I make brief eye contact as he nods stiffly.
"Yes. But I only believed it to be a folktale that my father would tell me and Saki before bed." Master Splinter glances at his children. "It was a story that I would also tell you four when you were very little. Stories of a large being made of jade armor, crafted out of the chi of a ninja master to protect the Kyūkyoku no buki." The once human shakes his head. "I had no idea such a being was real. Let alone capable of destroying the chi walls of a person."
"But what is the Kyūkyoku no purotekutā for?" Tiny Leo asks, rubbing his chin. "Only to protect the Kyūkyoku no buki? To make sure no one finds it? And why would it destroy Mikey's chi walls?"
Words catch in my throat and I swallow thickly. I really don't think I should tell them that I'M the Kyūkyoku no buki. Their sensei might have an aneurysm. But…But what if their Mikey is also the Kyūkyoku no buki of this dimension? And me sharing this helps keep him safe from this? Or better prepared for it? A lightbulb hits me. That's why he looked at his Mikey! Master Splinter already knows that I'm the Kyūkyoku no buki and is fearing that his Mikey will suffer the same fate.
"Well?" Tiny Raph gruffs out, dragging me from my thoughts. "We don't got all day."
"Raphael," Tiny Leo and Master Splinter say at the exact same time. A flash of amusement washes through me. Tiny Raph huffs and takes a swing from his water bottle, glaring off to the left.
A warm hand lands on my forearm and I look up at Sensei. His warm brown eyes lock with my own blue eyes, as if silently asking if I'm truly okay with this. Placing my hand on his, I squeeze Sensei's hand before looking at Tiny Leo. I rub the back of my neck, not entirely sure how I'm going to phrase this without freaking all of them out.
"If you're not comfortable with telling us, Big Me, you don't have to say anything," Mini Me states, offering me a comforting smile.
My shoulders relax and I return Mini Me's smile.
Maybe if I hint at it, they'll pick it up and not be as freaked out?
"No, I want to tell you. It's just…hard thing to talk about, ya know?" I rub the pad of my thumb on the fork as I try to formulate my thoughts. "To answer the question about why the U.P. guards the Ultimate Weapon… It's…" My snout scrunches as I try to get my thoughts to work with me. "What the U.P. thinks protecting is and what he's actually been doing is, uh, two separate things. Now, I don't think that U.P. is a bad dude. Just…a bit misguided in the way that he helps, ya know?"
Confused stares are my only answer from the three smaller turtles. Shell. Where's Leo or Donnie with their awesome way with words when you need them?
In a whole other dimension fighting off Fist Ninjas that's where, I think tiredly as I try not to groan.
Mini Me's face scrunches as he tries to understand what I'm saying.
"So, like, this U.P. dude truly thinks that he's protecting the Ultimate Weapon when in reality he's not?"
Oh. Thank Silver Sentry that I have someone here who understands my brain. My entire body nearly sags in relief.
"Yes! Exactly!"
Mini Me beams brightly while Tiny Leo rubs his chin.
"But how do you know that? Were you and your brothers trying to get to the Kyūkyoku no buki? And if so, why? Wouldn't it just be better to leave it with the very thing made to protect it?"
Sensei places his mug down.
"Not when the Kyūkyoku no buki himself has no say in the matter, Leonardo. For the Kyūkyoku no buki is not an 'it', but a 'who'."
Alarm flashes across the three turtles' faces as they exchange concerned glances. I risk a glance at their sensei. Only to find him staring directly at me. My heart skips a beat and I swiftly look forward once more.
"So, you and your brothers went to go and rescue whoever the Kyūkyoku no buki is and in return, the Kyūkyoku no purotekutā decided, in retaliation, to destroy your chi walls?" Tiny Leo asks, eye ridges furrowing. "That…seems a little extreme to me."
"Uh, not exactly," I say, wetting my lips nervously. They're really gonna make me say it out loud, aren't they? "Um, the U.P. destroyed my chi walls because he wanted me to be able to achieve my full potential and the walls were limiting that. So, they had to go." My hand moves to my chest as a phantom pulse hits me and I chuckle weakly. "It wasn't the most…PLEASANT of experiences. Definitely gets a 0/10 in the Yelp review."
I can see the wheels turning behind Tiny Leo's eyes as I talk and I swear I see a little lightbulb above his head the moment he gets what I'm hinting at. His eyes grow wide and he turns a lighter shade of green. Tiny Raph and Mini Me notice the change in their older brother immediately with Mini Me actually reaching out and resting a hand on his big brother's bicep.
"Leo, bro? You all right?"
"You look like yer about to be sick, Fearless."
Tiny Leo jumps and turns to look at his brothers. His gaze lingers longer on Mini Me for a beat then he looks back at me. Dragging in a deep breath, Tiny Leo closes his eyes as he releases it slowly, steadying himself in a way that my own Leo does to not lose himself just yet. When Tiny Leo finally centers himself, he reopens his dark blue eyes and locks a hard stare on me.
Shell. And I thought MY Leo was scary. Apparently ALL Leos are scary! No matter how old or how tall!
"Leo?" Mini Me whispers in concern but his brother ignores him, keeping his gaze on me.
"You're the Kyūkyoku no buki, aren't you, Mikey?"
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Hi everyone!
Hope you're all doing well. 😊I'm sorry that this chapter was a day late. I really wanted to get all of you another chapter before the end of April but this chapter was giving me a lot of issues and I ended up just restarting the entire thing. But I'm hoping that by the end of this upcoming week to have Chapter 26 up for all of you to read. I know my updates have been pretty slow as of late but I appreciate all of you who have favorited and stuck around to read the new updates. And to everyone who has commented, thank you so much! I do read them all and they always bring a smile to my face and keep me motivated to keep this story going on here and AO3, so just know I appreciate all of you 3.
Until next chapter, my fellow half-shell heroes! Have a great week!
