Chapter 23: Holding a Grudge.
EDIT: THIS DAMN APP I SWEAR!!-
Agh! In case you read this after i update it, the chapter was cut off mid way :'( But I've fixed it now!
(Thank you Professoryeti for pointing it out!! :3)
Hello everyone! Again, I know I said before August was over, but I just kept putting it off. I procrastinate over this chapter so much it's unreal! So I'm sorry in advance if any bits feel repeated, or out of place, or if the writing is just whack? Because I just kept coming back to this chapter and rewriting bits and pieces.
But even with that said, I still very mich like this chapter, and I hope you guys will too?
Also! A question for this week? Which episode was your favourite in the 2k12 series? I know I have a few personally, but mone would definitely have to be either Heart of Evil or Race with the Demon. Because I love a good Donnie centred episode lmao. But I just sort liked the vibes of them haha.
Now to the reviews:
finger guns: Yes! I love Bradford and Xever's lil duo! And they have some really good and funny moments in the show :3 And we do love a lil LGBTQ headcanon hehe. We all secretly have our own :)
Thank you for your review too!
Musiclover435: Thanks for your opinion! It'll help alot when deciding! :')
ScribeofHeroes: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you like the lil bits I put in every now and then :3 And tbh, I get what you mean about April's mother? Like why build all that up, just to lead nowhere?? XD And the Bradford mutation episode wasn't my fav to begin with, but as I wrote it up and added to it, Its very much become one of my top favourites hehe! Thank you again for your review! X3
SpaceSafeYo: Yes! I loved Kavaxas too! He had flaws yes, but I think he was written well! And it was cool to see him sort controlling dead Shredder! And we do love Mark hamill haha! Thanks for your review! And choice on the 2nd story! :3
ProfessorYeti: Hello again! And thank you for another review! (Though I see it was cut off again lmao! This app just doesn't like your long reviews)
As for the review, if it helps at all, Mikey asking Donnie's favourite colour was something different from this chapter, though it will be brought up very soon! :) Also, I said you 'maybe' have one of the serum users right! Whahaha! (Who knows? :) )
If a chapter is taking too long or anything is wrong I will try to update asap so don't worry about that, but I am still trying to get one chapter out every month! (But as you can tell, recently that's not done so well lol)
And thanks on your thoughts on the 2nd story I'm writing! I will update on this fic when that fic is out or being written, and which one I choose ofc!
I loved the Kraang in the 2k12 series, they were definitely my fav as a kid, and even now I still love their weirdness lmao.
And Shredder in this version was definitely one of the best, especially considering all the others were very child like and not really too dark and menacing.
Also I realized that a few chapters ago you ask where the Hamatos get their money from? And like-
Where do they get it? XD
I think in this fic, Donnie would have his own which he earned from the foot, but he had like a separate account to keep it in? I don't really know lmao! And maybe Splinter just withdrew all his when he went to America with Miwa? Another mystery I suppose?
Yea! I wanted Mikey to have a better excuse to literally try and mutate himself other then he wanted to be cooler. So I thought I'd take it a step further and go in the route of him wanting to be a better version of himself so to speak to help his family.
I thought Mikey having a fear of needles would be funny, but also I could totally see it! XD
With Donnie's fighting skills, he's definitely holding back during training, and Splinter knows this, but he enjoys the more pacifist training Splinter does, rather then the kill or be killed trying of the Shredder. And sometimes I feel I write him too weak if that makes sense?
Though, if Donnie was ever caught alone or by himself, or put in a kill or be kill situation, I don't think he'll hold back. Because you can't just erase 10 years of intense training like that. And who knows, maybe you'll get to see that side of him soon? :3
I think that's most of the review covered lmao. Thank you again! And I can't wait to read the next review you put!! :33
This is based on the 2k12 series.
WARNING: 'Dyslexic writer lol'.
Chapter 23
A cool springtime breeze greeted the early morning air, as the sun began to rise above the buildings. Dyeing the sky in a soft pink hue with scattered yellow clouds.
One would think that the sun had no way of reaching the darkened depths of the city's sewers, but they'd be wrong.
As the time struck 07:00, an alarm clock went off, only to be punched to the floor by a raven haired Asian girl, now beginning to stir in her sleep. She opened her amber eyes slowly, allowing the spilling daylight from the small grate above to calmly wake her from the memory like dreams she was having.
A memory of the place she once called home, long, long ago, where she grew up and spent her first year on this earth. The grand Hamato dojo, covered with it's infamous Crest was a sight to behold. With a lush forest surrounding the area and a babbling river to calm the land. And there, her mother and father, alive and human, stood atop a little bridge with proud and loving smiles.
Wrapped safely in her mother's arms, their one year old daughter enthusiastically threw sticks into the water below and watch as they floated across to the other side with a heartwarming giggle.
It was a faint but well cherished memory, and one of the only ones Miwa still held of her mother. Everything else she knew of her was a passed down memory from her father, or photos and story's.
She used her long pyjama sleeve to rub her eyes, keeping away whatever was left of her drowsiness as she reached for the T-phone on her nightstand with a yawn. And upon seeing the time, and date, she set the device back and lied down again with a contented sigh.
Today was finally the day. A day to kick back and relax. Where her brothers and father showed her all of their appreciation and love, and everyone did as she asked, without any questions. Just the thought of today made her smirk contently. And this year, she even had another little brother she could boss around.
Apart from that, it was sure to go the same as it did ever other year. She would go to the kitchen for a homemade breakfast from her family, then they would spend the day in the lair watching movies, playing video games and opening presents, until dinner in the evening. Then she would finish off her day with a traditional Japanese tea ceremony with her father, where the two of them would share stories and memories together.
A gentle smile graced her lips as she sat upright, pushing her messy bed hair back and into a low ponytail before sliding her slippers on.
As she left her room, she could hear the hurried voice of Michelangelo from the kitchen telling everyone, 'Miwa is coming!'. Followed by multiple shuffling feet running about the floor.
She grinned and shook her head, and knew to mentally prepare herself for an upcoming mess.
She arrived beside the kitchen and was immediately hit with a sweet, nostalgic smell, which caused her lips to curl upwards in anticipation for the sweet treat. She then walked through the curtains to greet her obviously waiting family, only to get attacked by rainbow confetti and multi coloured streamers coming at her from every direction.
"Happy Birthday!" Leo, Raph and Donnie cheered in unison. As the eldest turtle held out a huge three layered red velvet cake covered in white piped frosting with coloured candles on top.
"Otanjōbiomedetō, My daughter." Splinter hummed with a proud smile as his now eighteen year old child picked bits of confetti out of her hair. He stepped round the kitchen island which held presents of varying sizes and colours, as well as a lovingly prepared breakfast of waffles and pancakes, with what looked like homemade mochi sakura balls as a sweet little treat on the side, and tiny turquoise paper cranes lined around the table.
Miwa was about to address her family, but not before the loud shout of her youngest turtle brother cut her off.
"Happy B-day Sis!!" Mikey screamed in overdramattic excitement, sliding across the floor and stopping beside her, where he then let off yet another steamer in her face.
She coughed on some of the confetti for a moment, before grabbing hold of Mikey and scratching his bold head teasingly. "Thanks guys." She laughed joyfully. Feeling loved and excited to start her day off right.
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As predicted, the rest of Miwa's day played out considerably calm for the usually overworked teenagers.
Once the confetti explosion was cleared up, Mikey had offered slices of cake around to everyone once they had sang happy birthday and eaten breakfast, but not before allowing Miwa to blow out her candles, of course.
The freckled turtle even managed to force Donnie into having a slice, though only a couple of bites were taken, it was still something he took pride in.
The teens and Splinter then spent some time together watching Miwa's favourite movies, or exchanging some of her best memories and moments throughout her life, filling the lair with the blissful sound of laughter and joy, all as the day continued to swiftly fly by. Until the late evening eventually rolled around.
The family had just finished having their dinner of Pizza Gyoza, as was Miwa's request. Which Leo and Raph were sent to fetch. Only to bring back five whole bags full of the stuff, as Murakami-San had thrown in a few extra things for the birthday girl.
The four boys offered to clean up any mess made and put away the leftovers, while Splinter took Miwa into the dojo for a very special tradition of theirs.
Now, the eighteen year old Kunoichi sat in a seiza position across from her father, taking a long sip of the hot green tea he had made only moments before, with a hum of contentment.
Splinter smiled to himself with a gentle chuckle as he watched his daughter, "How has your day been so far, my child?"
She shrugged and lowered her cup away from her dark red lips, "It's been pretty calm," she said gratefully, "But I don't mind that too much."
Splinter hummed, "It is nice to have a day to relax every once in a while." He agreed as he took the tea whisk beside him, stirring the contents of his own cup ever so steadily.
"And, I enjoy this time I spend time with you, father." Miwa added thoughtfully.
The rats ears drooped slightly at the heartwarming compliment. "You are always welcome to join me, my daughter."
He smiled, though the curve of his lips faded ever so slightly as a thought came to him.
He stroked his beard and said quietly, "Though you have reminded me of something..." The ninja Master pondered, before politely excusing himself as he left to his bedroom a few feet away. Once inside the room, he pulled open a sliding door in the far wall to reveal multiple shelves filled with things from his past.
Some items were covered with dust from not having moved for a while, like boxes with various labels and documents he no longer had need for. And other items were clean from previously being used, like photo books and even a sketchbook, which Splinter was regularly seen using in his downtime.
The old rat reached to the top shelf and pulled free a short, rectangular box, caped in dust. He blew on it and brushed away the remainder, before gently letting his long, slender fingers run carefully over a label attached.
His amber eyes seemed to linger on it with a unreadable expression, before Splinter exited the room and rejoined his waiting daughter, taking up a lotus position in front of her.
He smiled fondly as he presented the old but still colourfully wrapped box to her. "A final gift." He explained and handed her the item.
Miwa scanned the worn box over with a curious eye, noticing how it had been wrapped with light turquoise paper, and finished off with a ribbon and bow a dark shade of blue. All together, the gift held up rather well over the years in storage, minus it's dusty exterior, and Miwa doubted the actual present inside was harmed at all.
But as she finished inspecting the box, her eyes froze on the yellowed paper label slid underneath the ribbon. Her hand reached forwards and pulled it free, allowing her to read the slightly faded writing on top. And as she did, she felt her heartbeat stop for just a moment.
'To Miwa,
Happy 18th Birthday,
Love Okāsan.'
Splinter noticed his daughter's change of emotion and placed a understanding paw on her knee.
Miwa felt her mouth open a few times in shock, but her eyes remained glued to the label. She stuttered a few times, which was very unlike the confident girl before she managed to form words, "Mother... got me a gift?" She asked with a lump caught in her throat.
Her father nodded, and began to stroke his beard again as nostalgia greeted him. "I am not sure what it is?" He confessed with a smirk, "She refused to tell me."
"Just that she had brought it when you were only a baby." Splinter informed her with his eyes now curiously glancing over the box. "But, she thought you would grow too it quite well."
A faint frown pulled on Miwa's lips as her father continued to talk, and something inside her started to hurt by the words. She was a baby, how well could her mother of known her?
"She wanted to give it to you on your eighteenth birthday. So I saved it from our apartment all those years ago." Splinter informed her.
Miwa stared down at the gift in her hands cautiously, like it was an alien object, and not a present picked specially by her mother for her eighteenth birthday. Because to her, it pretty much was.
"I..." She tried to speak, but her unsure words tangled in her throat. She felt resentful, even slightly hateful, just by looking at the gift. But she didn't want too be!
She wanted to tear of the wrapping, knowing her mother had gotten her something she would love, something she knew her daughter would love. Tang Shen's, daughter would love. She glanced up to see her father's hopeful eyes, only to have to look away with a burdened sigh. "Perhaps I could have it later?"
Splinter was stunned by his daughter's reaction, and tried hard not to show any outward emotion. Only his amber eyes moved about, as he searched her conflicted ones for a reason. "You are nervous?"
The girl exhaled, and shook her head at her own confused anger. "I never got to know mother because of the Shredder. I don't have anything to remember her by, other then stories and pictures..." She stated, noticing the way her father's ears drooped again. "I was a baby? How well could she have known me?"
Sorrow filled Splinter's face and his ears had dropped flat. "Miwa..." He began softly.
"It's probably something she intended for her daughter to have. A beautiful, elegant women just like her?" Miwa shrugged, her arms slowly coming up to hold herself. "Not...me."
Hearing his daughter talk about herself like this, as if she wasn't his wife's child hurt Splinter more then he knew was possible. It even broke him a bit too know his child had felt this way about herself.
"My daughter..." Splinter began with only pure love in his voice, setting the present aside, and taking both her hands into his own as he spoke. "Your mother would of been proud to see the amazing young women you have grown into."
"And yes, you may of been but a baby when Shen passed. And she may not be present in your life now. But she knew you. She knew the strong women you would become." Splinter glanced up to her amber eyes, and with a warm smile said, "She knew her daughter."
Miwa listened to her father's words carefully, wanting nothing more then to believe him. But her heart just kept telling her she it wasn't true... She sighed, and begrudgingly asked, "Perhaps we could come back to it at a later date..."
Splinter closed his eyes for a minute and hummed, "Very well." He said quietly, holding out his hand to receive the gift Miwa hesitantly gave him. "Whenever you feel you are ready, my child. I will keep it safe."
"Hai, Father..." The Kunoichi muttered, swiftly getting to her feet and making for the dojos exit.
Splinter watched his retreating child with a heavy heart, ears drooping in his sadness as he placed a worried paw onto his muzzle. His eyes wondering to the picture of the late Tang Shen on the shrine.
"Shen, what do I do? How can I fix this?" He quietly begged his wife once his daughter was far enough away. Something the widowed rat had done too many times before...
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Miwa huffed out a stressed breath as she descended the stairs, moving quickly away from the dojo. She didn't want to leave her father like that, but she just felt like she needed some air. And time to really contemplate things.
She'd never really voiced these true feelings of hers out loud, mainly because she didn't want her father to feel as if he had done something wrong. When really, he was just as much a victim as she was. But this fear, was something she always felt. This fear she carried of never truly feeling Shen's daughter.
In her mind, Tang Shen's daughter was a beautiful girl, with grace in every step she took. A delicate tessen in hand, and soft spoken voice. She wouldn't be messy or loud, but well mannered and gentle.
Everything Miwa wasn't...
She arrived at the pit, where her fidgeting eyes soon landed on a figure walking past the lab, heading for the turnstiles. She squinted in the dark room until she realized who it was that was leaving.
"Don?" She asked loudly, catching the boy off guard and causing him to yelp out in shock. "Where are you going?"
With a hand on his chest, Donnie pivoted round to see Miwa stood across the pit from him and exhaled out, "Oh, well I needed some bits and pieces from the store, but then Mikey overheard me and said he wanted me to pick up his order from Murakami's-"
"He ordered more food!?" Miwa interrupted him in disbelief, "We had two bags full of leftovers!?"
"He ate it all after we cleared up." Donnie added simply with a hint of frustration.
"Oh! And grab some cupcakes, D!" Mikey called cheerfully from the kitchen as Donnie groaned and shook his head. "You can never have too much cake!"
"Last time I checked, it was also my money!" Donatello retorted loudly back.
Miwa snickered at her brother's annoyed face, and realized she could probably use a break out herself. "Want me to come with you?"
"Sure." Donnie nodded and ran a hand through his hair, not minding the extra company, "Though it'll probably just be a boring trip to the grocery store?"
"I'll take it." Miwa reassured him and moved to join him by the turnstiles.
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-A few hours earlier-
The abandoned church used as the Foot Clans base was quiet. With the Master away overseas for business, and the rookies and henchman out with tasks and duties of their own, the place was left more or less empty.
That was, apart from Tigerclaw, who bowed down in the centre of the throne room with a Mouser hologram of the Shredder in front of him.
The feline mutant had been reporting all businesses that have happened recently in the Clan. He had even proposed a new plan to his Master with a confident snarl, which he now awaited judgement on.
"So, you truly believe that this new 'weapon' the Kraang have produced is capable of stopping the Hamatos?" The Shredder asked with his voice laced in doubt, already expecting the tiger to fail before his plan even commenced.
"I do, Master." Tigerclaw reassured him with no hesitation, "Though I can not stand the thought of those creatures. I know that they are capable of delivering on their word." His displeased manner was clear to see. But he knew the Shredder's union with these creatures was handy to their Clan. "In just a few hours it will be ready for use."
"Hmm." The Shredder's eyes focused on the tiger, never letting up for even a second, "Then in a few hours we shall see if this scheme of yours has failed miserably, or prevailed unexpectedly." But nevertheless, the man looked on with a glint of interest. "You may go ahead with this plan. But Miwa is not to be harmed. Especially today." His brows narrowed, cloaking his eyes in a dark shadow. "Disobey these orders in my absence, and the consequences will be...unfortunate."
With a pleased smile, Tigerclaw bowed once more, "Understood, Master." He waited for the hologram to vanish, before making his exit.
Only minutes later, the Tiger arrived at a rundown apartment and entered, revealing a secret hidden Kraang base underneath the building's interior. He stalked through the tunnel, until he came into a round, circular room. Filled with droids and flying saucers occupied by Kraang brains.
But in the centre of this room was the real masterpiece. An Android, unlike anything seen before, hung inches from the ground, attached to massive charging cables.
Tigerclaw audibly growled as a few Kraang floated too close for comfort, scaring them off a feet or two as he continued to walk towards the bot. Having to climb a few steps in the process, before stopping in front of it for brief examination.
The tiger's eye skimmed over the bot sceptically, but he let out a loud chuff, acknowledging the craftsmanship. "How long until the robot is online?" Tigerclaw addressed a Kraang saucer beside him.
"By Kraang's calculations, two Earth hour units." The alien supplied, before continuing it's business on the bots maintenance.
Pleased with the work, the feline nodded, "Very well. Once the robot is complete, you will test it immediately." He turned to the Kraang-droids below him, "You will retrieve the red haired Girl, who is friends with the Hamatos. Then, you will bring her to me. Understand?"
The Kraang brains looked to one another, with an almost shocked look to their alien eyes. One droid turned to the feline to reply, "Kraang sees no foreseeable problem, one called Tigerclaw."
"Excellent." Tigerclaw smirked, "Now continue your work. You do not want to keep the Shredder waiting, now. Do you?" At that comment, the aliens seemed to shift into a faster gear, not wanting to be on the other end of Shredder's blade.
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The grocery store bell chimed as Miwa and Donatello came out onto the street, both carrying bags full of Murakami's food, Donnie's supplies, and now, a dozen cupcakes.
Miwa blew a loose strand of hair out of her face, and turned to Donnie to continue their conversation, "Okay. So, your favourite present?" She asked again as the two finally made their way home.
"Hmm..." Donnie hummed in thought, thinking back over the past years of his life. His face then lit up as a memory hit him. "Oh! I got a whole bunch of physics books for my seventh birthday." He said ecstatically. Miwa smirked at the reminder of just how much of a nerd her little brother was.
"They didn't last very long though, as it only took me a week to read them all." Donnie quickly added with a sly smile.
However, Miwa's own smile turned into a frown as she realised something. And she raised a sceptical brow at him, "Chris Bradford brought you books for your birthday?"
The brunet shook his head absent-mindedly, "No, they were a present to myself."
"Yourself?" Miwa asked in a surprise tone, frowning harder.
"Bradford's schedule always had him in America around that time of year. So I was usually alone on my birthday." Donnie added, but seeing her abruptly change to a saddened expression, he quickly gave her a reassuring smile and said, "It's ok, Miwa. I'm used to it."
However, the raven haired teen wasn't going to let that slid. She furrowed her brows, with a strong smile to accompany. "Your birthday is in December, right?"
"Yeah?" Donnie answered sceptically.
Miwa put her hands on her hips smugly, "Oh, I'm sure Mikey already has something huge planned for that, being so close to Christmas and all?" She implied with a knowing smirk, "So you better prepare yourself for the best birthday you've had in years, Donatello Hamato!"
Donnie laughed along and smiled at the thought, "It would be nice." He sighed, "I haven't really celebrated my birthday since..." His words drew on for a moment, before he shook his head clear of any lingering thoughts, "Anyway, it's your turn now, Birthday Girl. What was your favourite present?"
Miwa smiled understandably and patted his shoulder, thinking for a second, "Hmm... Actually," She began, "A few months after I was born, Father had the Morikawa's make a weapon for me. Which he gave me on my tenth birthday."
"The Morikawa's?" Donnie asked half-mindedly, his thoughts already taking him back roughly eighteen years ago. Which was about the time that his father, Genki, was taking over the shop for his then ill Grandfather, Kenzo.
The thought that his father had made a weapon for Miwa, which she still probably had in her possession today caused him to go quiet for a while. As he remembered how he had lost his old bō staff, one of his families few surviving weapons, which now lay shattered in two pieces at the bottom of Donnie's desk drawer. "What did he make?" He asked with a quiet tone, but his curiosity was still there.
Miwa knew that Donnie had meant 'he' as in his late father, and smiled back sympathetically. "A Tessen. A black bladed fan with the Hamato crest and cherry blossoms embedded on the inside of it."
Donnie squinted at her carefully as he recognised the details of the weapon. "So it looked sorta like April's tessen?"
The raven haired girl snorted, "Actually, I mean April's tessen."
Donatello's jaw physically dropped as he pivoted round gobsmacked to face her, narrowing his eyes on her as if she had grown snakes for hands. "You gave away the fan your father had made specifically for you?"
Miwa's answer back, was a vague nod. Her eyes fell to the floor, and she rubbed her arm.
Donatello was taken aback by her nonchalant response, but it only peaked his interest all the more. "Why?" He questioned with new curiosity.
"It was never really my thing, you know? Tessenjutsu." Miwa shrugged, and looked away, "The whole frail Kunoichi with a hidden, and deadly tessen wasn't really me."
"I've always liked to have my strength on show, it's something I pride myself on. Or wear on my sleeve so to speak?" Miwa explained, "And the Tantō blade, the feel, the weight? It just felt right. It felt like me."
"But...yeah." She sighed out, "That was probably the best present I ever got."
Donnie hummed, "Well, I can't argue with that." He responded thoughtfully, "You definitely handle your blade well. Alot better then many other ninja to be honest."
To which Miwa flashed him a grateful smirk. "Thanks, Don."
The two teens continued to chat amongst themselves for the next few minutes, until they rounded a corner nearby, leading into an alleyway. Donatello stepped forwards and accidentally bumped into someone coming the other way, knocking both himself and the other person backwards with 'Oofs!' As they fell.
The brunet stood back up with his grocery bags in hand, having managed to kept a tight grip on them, but he was quick to drop them and rush over to help. Going red faced at the incident and hurriedly trying to apologise all at the same time, "Oh gosh, I am so sorry-" But as he looked down at the girl infront of him, he felt his brain turn into mush, as words failed to come to mind. All but one that was, "April?"
The redhead looked up at the familiar voice, and her blue eyes locked with his mahogany ones, "Donnie?" She said almost stunned to see him.
"April." Miwa stated bluntly, clearly still annoyed at the girl.
But April was also still holding a grudge, and quickly reminded herself as such. She crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, "Miwa."
Donnie sensed the quickly rising tension between the two, and tried to defuse it, "Um, Funny us all passing through this shady back alley at the same exact time, huh?" He chuckled awkwardly and scratched his neck. Yet the two girls continued to remain silent as their glares slowly turnt onto him.
Donnie gulped anxiously, and focused back on the redhead, "So, um, h-how have you been?"
April scowled at him, before sarcastically answering, "Oh, you know, the usual? Homework, Chess club, dealing with a father who turned into a homicidal mutant bat!" The volume of her shout was loud enough that Donnie took a fearful step away from the enraged girl.
"It was an accident!" Miwa was quick to bark out, making her way toward her. "Are you seriously still holding a grudge-"
Before Miwa could escalate things further, Donnie pulled her back slightly with his hands on her shoulders.
"April, it wasn't completely our fault?" Donnie agreed, but tried to take a more peaceful route.
"It wasn't any of our fault, Donnie!" Miwa seethed under her teeth. But as she glanced back, she saw Donnie giving her a pleading look that begged her not to make things worse for them. And she reluctantly backed down with a irritated sigh. Facing the other way, so his puppy eyes wouldn't work on her again.
With an calming exhale, Donnie turned to face April once more, "I understand that your angry with us-"
"No Donnie, I'm more then just angry." She cut him off quickly. But her furrowed brows soon dipped as her expression turned depressed, "I lost my father. My dad...You don't understand how it feels to lose someone-"
"Try us." Miwa snapped rapidly with crossed arms. Sending a hard glare, as sharp as needles, the redheads way. Even Donnie had to look away from her momentarily to get his bearings.
Her eyes widened in realization and her hand momentarily moved toward her mouth, "I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't of said that-" She shook her head of any guilty thoughts and tried to put back on an annoyed voice, but it came out more desperate than anything, "Look, I just want to be left alone. No more talking mutants or ninjas in my life!"
Donnie frowned, "April, don't you think that I- we, of all people would understand how your feeling right now?" He reasoned. "Being alone with all your going through isn't good. You should have someone to talk too?"
"Donnie," The redhead stopped him with a tentative sigh, knowing he was only trying to look out for her. "I don't know if I can just forget what happened." She paused for a moment, and looked to the floor below, trying to keep her emotions in check, "And my dad, he's still a..."
"I'm not asking you too forgive us, April." Donnie interpreted with a understanding smile, "But I am asking that you give us a chance to fix our mistake."
April glanced up to see the determination and willingness in his eyes, something she had always loved about him. But she also didn't miss the bags under his eyes, the tiredness and exhaustion that threatened him. She could only wander how badly Donnie had been taking this all, but she was still angry at the world- at them, for what they did. At least, she thought she was still angry? So she tried putting Donnie's state aside, and focusing on anything other then him. She frowned to herself, "Donnie-"
"Donnie, we didn't do anything..." Miwa spoke up, cutting April off completely.
Donnie acknowledged his sister's words, but dismissed them anyhow, addressing April completely as he spoke. "I'm trying to find a retro-mutagen as we speak."
Taken aback, April blinked quickly as she repeated his words, "A retro-mutagen? You mean, a cure!" She said hopefully, feeling even more so, when she saw that optimistic sparkle return in his mahogany eyes.
The young genius nodded back with a bright smile, "Yes! We could fix your dad, and Timothy, and anyone else who's been affected!" He began explaining, "It's likely that if your dad was hit by one of the falling canisters, that one of the other sixty may of hit someone else too-" Donnie realized he was rambling and quickly waved his hands in front of him. "But my point is, I am fixing this, slowly but surely!"
April's mouth formed a smile as she listened to him ramble, she had always liked when he go into 'doctor mode', but part of her was sceptical. Even of his abilities, which she knew were the best when it came to anything sciencey. "But what if you can't?" She reluctantly asked, "What if the cure doesn't work?"
"I-" Donatello was caught speechless, as he tried to think of an answer. One he had purposely avoided himself. Because he had to find a cure. No matter how long it took him. "It was our accident, so we have to fix it..." He told her, giving her his word of honor. "But..."
"April." He started unsurely, "Some things are just beyond our control..."
Giving him one last reluctant look, April sighs, and turns away down the alley. Leaving Donnie feeling heartbroken as she did.
"Donnie?" Miwa's voice brought him out of his head, as she joined his side, passing him his grocery bags again. "Why try to fix things, even when she clearly doesn't want too?" She asked unsurely.
"I don't think she wants to be mad anymore, Miwa." Donatello said thinking it over. "I think she's just having a hard time at letting go of her grudge and going back to how things were."
"Sometimes grudges can make you just... Just so angry with everyone around you." He said clenching the bags handles a little bit too tightly for Miwa's liking. "It stays with you, even if you don't want it there, making you miserable for no reason. And no matter how hard you try to fight to be rid of it-"
Miwa noticed his eyes glaze over, as if he were having some sort of flashback, and grabbed his shoulder swiftly, making sure to shake him slightly, "Donnie?"
The distracted teen blinked a few times as he adjusted back to his surroundings, before giving his sister a sheepish look. "Sorry! I got a bit...um, deep there?" He chuckled nervously.
Miwa sighed sympathetically, and couldn't help but put her arm around his shoulder, "It's alright." She said reassuringly, "Come on, Don. Let's head back." Though her words were assuring, her thoughts were not. And she mentally made a note to mention this to her father at a later date.
Though, she was also thinking about what he said. Was she holding a grudge herself? Against the Shredder? Definitely. But with her mother...?
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Within the sewer lair, the three turtle members of the Hamato clan were currently watching SRMFF in the pit, awaiting their human siblings return from the store.
Leonardo kneeled down a respectable distance away from the TV, whilst Raphael stood up just behind him with his arms crossed, and a tiny turtle relaxing on his shoulder.
Michelangelo then came into the pit with a large bag of popcorn, and took a spot a little too close to the television for Leo's liking, but he decided not to comment on it and concentrated back on the show.
Mikey licked his lips at the buttery treat, throwing one piece into the air to catch it with his eyes closed. Yet the piece never fell into his mouth. He shrugged it off and chucked another piece up, allowing Raph to catch it yet again and eat it, while Mikey grew slightly concerned.
He chucked another piece in the air and made sure to chomp down hard this time. Only this time, his jaw caught Raph's arm as it went in for his popcorn piece, and Mikey bit down hard, "AGH! OWW!!?" Raph cried, and slapped Mikey round the head, causing the panicked turtle to slink back into his shell.
At the same moment, Miwa and Donatello made their way passed the turnstiles of the lair. The brunet tried to slink away into his lab to be alone, but was stopped by Miwa forcefully grabbing hold of his sweater collar and tugging him into the pit, until the two were stood beside Raph.
On screen, a giant kraken monster was attacking a nearby planet, leading to the SRMFF having to pull out all their weapons.
Then the show cut to Captain Coolstar in the head of the Mecha, giving one of his heroic commands. "Unleash Mighty Super Robo Mecha laser-force energy blast now!"
The team did so and released a red beam straight at the kraken, knocking it thousands of light years away. They rejoiced at their victory, only to notice one member of the party was not celebrating.
"Hmm, why not laughter and merriment, Princess, eh?" Dr Blip asked.
Princess Zee crossed her arms and looked away offended. "You have all forgotten my glorious royal birthday, Dr. Blip." The remaining members of the party had shocked and distressed faces as they realized their error.
"Whoa! Sis, you share the same birthday as her!" Mikey awed at the screen.
Miwa raised an eyebrow at him, "You know this is a recording right?"
Princess Zee unattached her left leg from the Mecha and shoot away into space, "I am hurt beyond all recognition. I never want to speak to you agaaaaain!"
"Princess Zeeeeee!" Dr Blip yelled after her, but the Princess was long gone.
"Whoa, dude. This show, like, totally paradoxes your life." Mikey muttered towards Donnie. "Kinda owie in the corazon. That means heart."
"It's 'parallels', and it does not, okay!" Donnie retorts with a snappy attitude. "It's just a cartoon!"
"Besides, the Princess has quit the team, like, twenty seven times." Leo added casually, "She always comes back."
"Yeah, but let's face reality." Raph butted in, "April's gone for good. And we'll probably never see her again."
Donnie looked shocked at Raph's words, before seeming to deflate. "I'll...be in my lab." He exhaled, leaving the others with confused glances his way.
Leo nodded his head in his retreating brother's direction. "What's up with Donnie?"
"We bumped into April while we were out." Miwa supplied to her siblings, as she took a seat on the couch.
"How uh, was it?" Leo asked tentatively, knowing fully well what the answer was going to be.
"She's still annoyed at us, obviously." Miwa snapped, before frowning, "But Donnie promised to work harder on the retro-mutagen for her."
Raph let out a long and annoyed sigh, "As if it were easy enough to get him away from that damn thing."
Leo didn't like his language, but nodded his agreement to Raph's comment anyway, "If we didn't stop him every few hours and drag him outta there," He tilts his head in the labs direction, "I don't think he'd leave until he collapsed from exhaustion."
Miwa then turned to Mikey with slight hope. Since the freckled turtle became Donnie's lab partner three days ago, the two of them have been getting alot more done in the way of experiments and tests, "Are you two getting any closer?"
But Mikey's sour face soon told her all she needed to know. "D says we haven't even scratched the surface yet." He answered sympathetically, "And he's been making it for weeks dudes!"
"Dammit." Raph grumbled under his breath, "The longer April holds this grudge, the longer Donnie's gunna force himself into an early retirement."
"He believes it's his fault, and his responsibility to fix all of this alone. I'm not sure how we can changed his mind on that?" Leo questioned.
"Yeah. No thanks to her." Raph added bitterly. "If she hadn't of put the blame on him, he wouldn't be this worked up over the cure."
"Surely she can't stay mad forever?" Leo asked rhetorically, though it did leave his siblings to wonder...
Until Michelangelo spoke up, "Maybe she's just finding it hard to go back to how things were?"
"That's-" Miwa began, as she was reminded of the exact same thing Donnie said to her earlier. "Not a bad idea..." Perhaps Mikey and Donnie were right? And she was struggle to just say sorry-
"Guys!"
Donatello's alarmed shout drew all their attention to the lab doors, where the brunet hung out, holding the Kraang communication Orb, looking frantic. "We have a problem!"
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Only minutes later, the five teens were piled into in the Shellraiser, racing across the city. They had to leave quickly, leaving Miwa and Donnie to grab their gear and bring it with them to change on the way. Which has happened multiple times before, so both teens were reasonably quick at the task.
From his spot in the back, putting on his boots, Donnie struggled out, "From what I could translate from the orb, it seems the Kraang are building some kind of advanced heavy weaponry."
"Any guess what it could be?" Leo questioned aloud, but never taking his eyes off the road.
"Ooh! Lasers disguised as burritos!" Mikey raised his hand and blurted out, making heads slowly turn towards him. "Yes! It all makes sense now."
"It does make sense!" Raphael agreed surprisingly, before pivoting round with a hard glare. "You have the brain of an avocado!"
Michelangelo shot him a hard look and raised his finger to Raph's forehead, only for the older turtle to swat his hand away and poke the freckled turtle back harder.
"All right, guys, stay focused." Leo interpreted their bickering, and brought their attention back to the mission. At this point, Miwa and Donnie were also now ready, and pulled up their face masks as the final part of their gear.
"So what's the plan, Fearless leader?" Miwa asked as she fiddled around with her turquoise bandana, being mindful of her ponytail.
"We find the weapon, and we destroy it." Leo answered simply from the driver's seat. "And then we get mexican, pizza."
Miwa gave it some thought before nodding back with a smirk. "Alright, sounds like a plan."
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Meanwhile, across the city in the local ice rink, Casey Jones was out late practicing his hockey skills for a big game they had coming up soon.
After having convinced his coach to let him practice after hours, Casey began to use the rink in the evenings alot more frequently. He just preferred to have the rink to himself, with no people or distractions from him and the game.
Casey slide a puck around the ice, knocking it roughly to the left, then the right, before whacking it straight into the goal. He skidded forwards and fist-pumped the air, only to glance to his side once the puck hit the goal, and catch a person leaning against the wall.
"Red?" Casey said perking up, he leant on his stick in the middle of the ice, and tilted his head with a laugh. "Ah, I miss a study session again?"
April shook her head at the boy and smirked. "No, I'm just here to hang out."
Casey's smile grew into a smug toothless grin, "With the infamous Casey Jones?"
April raised a brow his way, "Unless you only like me for my trigonometry."
Casey shrugged, and dropped a puck down on the ice, "So what's your deal?" He asked while skillfully balancing the puck on the end of his stick, before shooting it straight through the goal. "Never seen you hanging out with anybody except that goth chick? Anti-social much?"
April noticable frowned at the statement, making Casey feel slightly guilty for a moment.
"Not really." April replied sadly, "I- I had five really close friends... But I don't talk to them anymore."
Casey nodded, completely understanding her pain. He threw another puck down and knocked it around on the ice. "It happens. Me and my best friend Nick were up against Tromatown in last year's playoffs, right?" He slammed his hockey stick into the puck, and launched it into the goal. "He came up behind me just as I was about to sink the winning goal, and wham! Smacked his helmet straight off. Swollen face, split lip my best friend since second grade," Casey looked away with a hurt expression, something that the redhead hadn't seen from the hockey player before. "Never spoke to me again."
April's brows sank as he talked about his ex-best friend, and she sympathised with his pain. "But it's not like you meant it." She said with a genuine smile trying to make Casey feel better.
"Right." He nodded and agreed, "Some stuff is just beyond our control."
April's warm smile quickly faded away as the words stayed with her. The exact same words Donnie had said not even a hour ago...
Casey lifted his stick up and grabbed his remaining pucks off the floor, before joining her behind the benches, "Give me a sec to grab my gear. We can get something to eat." He smirked, "Pizza."
The redheads frown deepened as Casey left. She went to grab her phone, scrolling to the purple coloured caller ID and photo, she sighed heavily, with her thumb hovering over the call button. "Donnie..."
Before anything else could happen, the ceiling above the benches exploded, and a couple of Foot soldier fell down. Landing gracefully and staring April down with dead red eyes.
"Foot soldiers?" She said with wide eyes, before quickly pulling out her tessen as the two advanced on her. They pulled out katanas and started to slice precisely at the girl, but luckily for her, April had enough defensive training to dodge their blows.
She managed to get herself a good distance away from them and jumped to the safety of the rinks wall. Yet, as she turned back to see the two Foot soldiers, she stared in horror as they both grew an extra pair of arms. As well as weapons. "Uh, didn't you guys used to be human?" She stuttered out quickly, before flipping herself over the wall to avoid the sudden morning star slamming into the bricks.
She kicked herself off the wall and into the centre of the rink to get away, and watched as the robots clumsily followed after her, skidding and sliding all around, before dropping on their backs. For a second, April thought she was in the clear to make a getaway, only for the robot's eyes to glow red, as they swiftly got to their feet, and started skidding perfectly towards her.
"Yo!"
The robots halted all movements at the call behind them, and turned to see a boy stood at the side of the rink.
With a pleased look on his face, Casey yelled, "If there's one thing Casey Jones has, it's crackerjack timing!"
"Casey, run!" April tried warning.
But the ever cocky hockey player shrugged her off with frilled smirk, jumping over the rink's wall and joining her on the ice. "What, so you get all the fun?"
As soon as his blades hit the ice, Casey was rapidly skating towards the robots, sliding his stick along as he went. He threw down two pucks, and launched them at the Foot-bots, knocking them down momentarily. "I got 'em! You go!" Casey hollered to her, confident he could handle the bots on his own.
What he didn't realise was that one of the robots was getting back up from behind him. Until April slid across the ice and kicked it's knees out from under it. "No, I got 'em. You go!" She yelled back, getting up again and running for the next Foot-bot.
All she saw, however, was the robot in front of her suddenly get hockey tackled to the side, as Casey barrelled into it. "Cross checking, Two minutes!" He grinned as the bot spun away across the rink. Before turning and skating back over to the other robot.
"High sticking!" Casey said, swatting the other bots legs straight out from under it, sending it crashing down, where he then slammed his hockey stick into it's chest.
Casey took a breath, before spinning his stick heroically and laying it across his shoulders. "It ain't a penalty if they deserve it, right?"
The Foot-bot clearly didn't agree, as it swept Casey's feet out, knocking him to the floor with it. For a second Casey thought he was going to receive a giant spiked ball to the face, and let out a short scream. Only for the robot to get hit in the head instead, courtesy of April's tessen.
"Whoa! Mad fan!" Casey awed at the bladed fan as April pulled it free from the Foot-bot. "And you got some serious rink rage, Red."
April smirked, and helped the taller teen up. "You should see me play Ping-Pong." She quipped back.
Casey snickered, before glancing back to the downed bots. He couldn't help but feel a little concerned for April's safety, especially since the whole goo monster situation. "So you owe these guys money or something?" Casey tried to ask, hoping to get some sort of idea as to what was happening with his friend.
But as quickly as they had downed the two bots, four more seemed to materialise out of thin air. Bearing weapons of their own as they gathered on the rink, skating quickly towards the two teens. But not before tripping over themselves first.
"Or something..." April muttered worriedly. She swiftly turned to the other teen and started to try and pull him away. "Casey, just go. I didn't mean to get you into this-"
"Are you kidding me?" Casey stopped her with an excited grin. "Do you know what this is? This is Casey Jones versus evil robo ninjas! Coolest freakin' thing in the universe!"
Before April could say anything else to try and stop him, the hockey teen rushed blindly into the fight with a victorious scream of, "Goongalla!"
He tried his hardest, and for the most part, succeeded in fighting off four Foot-bots all by himself. But as the robots continued to hammer down on him, April knew she had to try and lead them away from him.
She ran to the edge of the rink, and shouted back, "Hey, Foot-bots! You want me? Come and get me!" Before running straight for the door with two bots closely behind her.
"April!" Casey yelled hopelessly. He grunted in annoyance, and slapped his stick against the ice a few times. "Alright. Now the fight's fair!" He smirked with a devious glint in his eyes, before charging the bots. "Eat this!"
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The Hamato ninjas arrived at the hidden Kraang facility with no drawbacks. Parking the Shellraiser in a nearby alley, before taking to the rooftops on the opposite side of the street for surveillance.
Perching on the edge, Leonardo took note of the guards stationed outside and said, "There's our entry point. We just need a distraction."
And before anyone could give any ideas, Mikey's hand shot up as he started waving frantically. "Dude, I got the best plan!" He then went to the billboard behind him and grabbed hold of one of the lights illuminating the sign.
"Why do I feel slightly nauseated?" Raph muttered to himself displeased.
Only to have Mikey wave off his bitter judgement. "Check it out! I been practicing." He announced, turning the light to the Kraang facility and putting his hands in front. Casting a silhouette on the building.
The Kraang guards quickly became aware of the light behind them, as well as the large shadow on the wall. And one droid pointed and called, "Kraang, creatures known as 'Rabbits', have infiltrated Kraang's lab."
Mikey then switched up his silhouette to a grazing elephant, leaving his siblings with their jaws on the ground.
"No, Kraang, clearly a small but obese Pachyderm has breached Kraang's security." Another Kraang said before Mikey changed the shadow again.
This time, Kraang interrupted Kraang by saying, "Kraang are both wrong. It is a belly dancer wearing what is known as a flamenco dress."
With the three Kraang droids preoccupied, the rest of the ninja dropped down from the rooftop with their weapons beared, and knocked them out silently.
As the teens gathered together again at the side of the building, Miwa turned to her youngest turtle brother and grinned. "You've got some mad shadow puppetry skills, Mike."
Michelangelo beamed back proudly, and dusted his shoulder off, "Like a turtle do."
Wasting no time, Raphael crouched down and placed his hands on his knee, giving Donnie an extra boost upwards when the human jumped up into the second story window.
Once in the dark room, Donatello noticed a large ventilation grate in the floor, leading straight down into an open tunnel bathed in pink light. If nothing screamed 'Kraang lab this way!' like that, then he didn't know what did.
Using his naginata blade, Donatello wedged open a gap, and managed to flip the grate backwards, allowing the ninjas too slip into the lab. Just as the other teens came through the window one at a time.
Once together again, they jumped down the hole, landing in a metallic tunnel with pink lights, leading to a huge circular room with Kraang droids floating around.
But that wasn't the main spectacle. In the centre of the room was a smaller circular platform with stairs around it. Multiple large cables were connected to what looked like a Android version of Chris Bradford, suspended in the air by even more cables, clearly charging the bot.
Donnie shivered at the uncomfortable nostalgia the robots appearance gave him, before whispering to the team, "I'm guessing we just found the secret weapon."
Leo scanned over the Android right away, and deduced that it needed to be taken down asap. "All right, Donnie, think you can shut that thing down?"
With a confident nod, Donatello began to analyse over the large bot in front of him. "No problem." He announced, as the ninjas quietly began to stalk forwards.
Though the silence that followed after was cut off by a sudden buzzing noise. The teens looked around for the source, before Mikey looked down at Donnie's leg pocket. "Dude, you're vibrating?" He pointed out.
As the brunet reached into his pocket and retrieved his T-phone, a yellow caller ID and picture of April gretted him. "It's April!" He gasped in surprise, as the others looked to him in equal shock. He cleared his throat, before bringing the cellphone to his ear and answering in a stuttery mess of words, "Hi, this is Donay- Diner- Dono- Dano- Dino...mite?-"
"Donnie! Remember this morning you said how sometimes things are out of our control?" April interpreted in a hurried tone, making Donnie immediately stop and focus.
"Yeah?" He said with a slightly hopefully voice.
"You were right- Aah!" She yelled out as a Foot-bot tried lodging a kama straight through her head, only for her to duck out of the way and run for her life. "Things are really out of control right now!"
Donatello felt his heart stop in dread at the sound of April's scream, and the other ninjas quickly picked up on the fact that something was wrong. "Wait! Are you ok?"
"No!" She yelled back into the phone, "Definitely not ok-" The call went silent.
"April!" Donnie exclaimed, but it was too late, the call was cut off abruptly, and April was in danger. In one swift spin, the brunet faced his siblings with worry, "She needs our help, guys! We gotta go!"
"Donnie, we have a mission? Remember?" Leo tried reminded him.
"Ok," Donnie said as he took a calming breath in, before shooting down the tunnel. The wrong way. "Then let's split up!"
"Wait! Donnie, we need your help!" Leo yelled in a harsh whisper, but by that point, Donatello had already climbed up the ventilation shaft and was now making his way out of the building.
Raph scoffed aloud in disbelief, "He ditched us?"
Miwa frowned, and stepped forwards, patting the leader on the shoulder. "Leo, think you three can hold down the fort here?"
"Yeah sure, You leave too I guess." Leo replied sarcastically, though when he felt her hand move from his shoulder, he swiveled round to see her disappearing upwards aswell. "Hey! I was joking!-" He tried to justify. But she too, was now long gone.
And as if to add salt to the wound, the alarms started to blare around the remaining ninjas.
"Dudes...That's cold." Mikey pouted sourly, as the turtles pulled free their weapons.
"Alerting of one known as the intruders." A Mrs Campbell droid announced, as she and multiple regular droids charged up their weapons.
Leonardo groaned in defeat, before pointing his katana blade forwards. "Turtles, attack!"
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Donnie sprinted across the rooftops in a hurried race against time, mentally cursing himself over and over as he tried to figure out April's location. But her T-phones coordinates had been offline since she left them a month ago, leaving him with only the recent calls location to go off of.
"Donnie!"
At the call of his name, he slowed his running, but not by much. And glanced back to see, "Miwa? What are you doing?"
"Coming to help, genius." She said as she finally caught up to him. "Where's April?"
The brunet shook his head in defeat. "I'm not sure, the call cut off before she said."
"Ok." Miwa took note, but by the look on Donnie's face she knew he was already working on a plan B. "Options?" She asked.
"I'm guessing by the calls location, she's either heading to the park, or the ice rink." Donnie replied hurriedly.
"Ice rink?" Miwa questioned.
To which, Donnie rolled his eyes, "She might be with Hockey boy."
Miwa smirked at her brother, and ordered, "Right, I'll head to the rink then, you go to the park."
"Got it." Donnie replied and jumped up a fire escape beside him, heading up the building, "And, thank you!" Before rushing off in the opposite direction.
Miwa grinned and cracked her knuckles, "Who said Birthdays couldn't have a little excitement to them?" She quipped before dropping down the rooftop.
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"Wrist shot, slap shot!" Casey Jones yelled as he sent two pucks toward two Foot-bots, downing them in a single hit. He dropped down another puck and then hit it into another ones face. "You might want to get that looked at." He snickered to himself.
Three more Foot-bots approached him with multiple shurikens and kunai in hand, they skidded forwards, before sending them flying his way. But the bots were no match for Casey Jones, as he professionally weaved his way around the weapons and leaped into the air. Landing on top of one robot, he used the blade on his skates to decapitate it, before hitting it's sparking head into a nearby goal.
"One-zip. Home ice leads." Jones whooped smugly, before skidding to a stop and tapping his stick against the ice. "Who's next?"
The Foot-bots replied by ejecting more weapons free from their arms. To which Casey flashed a toothless grin. "Come get some." And charged without hesitation.
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As Miwa arrived at the ice rink, she caught sight of a hole in the roof, and quickly moved over to glance through it. As she did so, she noticed a familiar person on the ice, though he was now clad in hockey gear.
As she watched the hockey boy beating the robots mercilessly, she was greatly reminded of Raphael, which made her smirk. Though she couldn't help but wonder what horrible things would happen if the two rage-addicts ever met.
However, she admitted to herself that he could hold his own pretty well. He was cocky, yes, but he had skill. A small amount, but still some.
But he was so absorbed in smashing and bashing robot heads in that he failed to see the Foot-bot getting back up behind him, with a katana aimed straight for his back...
As Casey Jones slammed another bots head into the ice, he spun round to see the rising robot behind him. He let out a short shout as the bot drove down it's blade, only for it to suddenly short circuit and collapse in front of him.
"Whoa!" Casey started in alarm, totally having believed he was about to be stabbed. He kicked the lump of metal over to see a throwing star lodged in the back of it's head. "What the-"
He had no time to dwell on the strange weapon though, as multiple Foot-bots began flooding in from all over the rink. Too many for Casey to handle on his own. But he stood his ground bravely and brought out a handful of pucks. "Alright, bring it punks!" He yelled and slammed the pucks down ready.
Yet as the first couple of Foot-bots entered the ice, slipping before getting back up and skating toward him, a sudden shadow dropped down infront of him and glided forwards. Slicing through their metal arms with her tantō as if they were made of butter.
Casey's jaw dropped in awe as this lightening fast person clad in dark maroon bolted between the bots, "A ninja?" He questioned in shock.
On closer inspection, he realized that this ninja was actually a girl, a human girl! Though most of her face was covered by a mask and hood, what he could see were two Asian eyes, a vibrant amber in colour, serious and beautiful at the same time.
Casey Jones grinned toothlessly at her while she slammed her foot into a robot and sent it flying across the rink, "A hot ninja!"
"You just going to sit there, smug guy?" The female ninja inquired sarcastically, with a light Japanese accent. She raised the hilt of her blade against one bots head and knocked it sliding toward the hockey player.
Casey glanced over the amber eyed ninja in front of him, and slammed his stick onto the downed robot's head. "You got some moves, Sweetheart!" He smirked back, sending three pucks outward and smacking three bots down.
Miwa frowned at the nickname as she proceeded to knock two bots heads together. "Call me that again and I'll knock your teeth out."
Casey snickered back, showing off his very obviously missing teeth. "Too late for that."
With the two teenagers working together, it was relatively easy for them too clear the ice rink of all the Foot-bots.
"Not bad." Casey remarked with a broad smile. "We make a good team, Sweetheart-" As he turned to glance her way, he noticed she was running for the exit. "Hey! Where ya going?" He called out.
"I've gotta go help April." She yelled back and burst out the door, hoping he wouldn't follow.
"You know April?" Casey questioned after her, grabbing his sneakers on the way out of the rink and kicking off his skates to the benches with the rest of his stuff. "Hey! Wait up!"
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April managed to outrun the gaining Foot-bots by mere seconds, but having to narrowly avoid multiple shuriken and kunai flying her way quickly became tiresome.
She turned a corner and immediately recognised the study park her and Donnie would use, and continued to run through it.
Yet despite her best efforts to get away, the Foot-bots had once again caught up to her. Circling round her and trapping her in their path.
"Fine, you want a fight?" April breathed out in annoyance, she then drew her tessen and prepared for the bots to come at her. But an unseen Foot-bot dropped from the rooftop above and grabbed hold of her, crossing it's arms around her torso and trapping her arms against her sides.
She wiggled and squirmed, trying to break free, but the sturdy metal arms held tight. Allowing a second bot infront of her to start making it's way toward her.
Only for said robot to immediately get impaled right through the chest by Donnie's naginata blade.
"Donnie!" April yelled in ecstatic relief. Seeing him dressed in his ninja garbs felt like a nostalgic memory as she watched him skillfully take out the Foot-bots with ease.
Using the park equipment to his advantage, he jumped on top of the swing set and dove for the bot holding April. She moved her head to the side and saw as the naginata blade stabbed through the robots face. Leaving it sparking on the floor with Donnie stood over it.
"Ugh, took you long enough." April joked with a relived exhale.
Donnie smiled back in relief once he saw she was unharmed, and still holding onto her humor, before shaking his bō to try and dislodge the bots impaled head. "I'm sorry, I had to figure out your coordinates on my T-Phone."
Remembering that she had broke the phone by accident using it as a shield against shurikens, April blushed from embarrassment and rubbed her neck. "Oh, right. My bad."
As Donnie pulled in his blade to get the head off his staff, April smiled at him warmly, taking in his face, though partly covered, as if she hadn't seen him in years. But then, a guilty frown pulled at her lips as she remembered the things she said to him. And the rest of the Hamatos...
She reluctantly reached her hand towards him, and said "Donnie... I'm-"
As quick as a flash, Donatello struck out his bō beside her face, cutting her off her sentence completely. Catching a shuriken in the wood of the staff before it could graze April's cheek.
Their eyes shot forwards to see more Foot-bots pouring into the park from above, and dozens more of them coming from seemingly nowhere.
"Um. Think we can handle this?" April asked with hesitation as she pulled her tessen back out.
Donnie exhaled to himself nervously and placed himself in front of April, "I hope..." Before pulling his bō across his body ready.
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The turtles continued to cut down the Kraang horde as they fired their lasers relentlessly at them.
Eventually the three had made their way to the centre of the room, and onto the platform. Battering away at the few floating Kraang in saucers before eyeballing the secret weapon.
"Whoa, that thing is awesome!" Mikey exclaimed in awe, before coughing awkwardly, "I-in an evil kind of way?"
Although, as soon as the words left his mouth, a control panel beside the bot started to chime, signaling that the weapon had now done whatever it was doing, and was finally ready. The cables connected all around the droid snapped off and sunk into the ground, leaving the robot standing menacingly on it's own.
"Um, guys, giant freaking robo-ninja just finished charging!" Shouted Leo as he back up along with Raph.
Mikey glanced over the droid, before letting out a smug laugh, "You don't look so tough." He said and charged the bot. However the Android had pulled out a metal rod and produced a long pink laser whip from the end. Which it then used to slap Mikey away with.
"Mikey!" Raph shouted, quickly having to dodge away as the droid sent laser beams from it's eyes, leaving behind a scorched trail behind.
Raphael and Leonardo ran forwards with their weapons at the ready, only for the droid to produce it's own laser sword and bat the turtles away easily.
Using both whip and sword, it managed to keep Leo at bay, but it was also oblivious to Raph leaping at it behind him with his sai. The red-clad turtle stabbed deep into the droid's metal back, but was swiftly thrown off, high into the air. Where the robot then flew upwards using it's rocket feet to catch him and kicked him back down to the floor with a loud crash.
It landed back down, and Leo tried to make a quick dive for it. But in one simple leap, the droid was behind the turtle, and sent it's whip at him. Bounding him tight enough that he could not break free.
The droid slowly began to drag him closer, ignoring his struggles and angry threats. "Let me go!" The leader shouted. But his sapphire eyes soon went wide as the droids own eyes went pink, charging up a laser straight for the turtle's head. He winced and prepared himself for the upcoming pain.
Yet the droid began to randomly power it's eyes down at the very last second. Before a male robotic voice spoke up. "Subroutine program taking over. Target April O'Neil located."
Then before anyone could say or do anything, the droid had deactivated it's weapons and started up it's rocket feet once again, propelling it upwards and through the roof.
The three turtles exchanged fearful glances as they got back to their feet, "It's going after April! Come on!" Raph snapped, and immediately all three were running back over to the vent. Hoping they'd make it in time to warn the others.
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Across the city in the rarely used park, Donnie and April were still holding their own against the horde of Foot-bots pouring in. But with each couple they took down more seemingly came out of thin air to fill their place. And the teens were quickly losing their stamina.
April knew Donnie was capable of holding out for a while, but with him having to constantly dash about to aid her or block random attacks she didn't see coming, he was going to run out of steam just as fast as she was. She chewed on her lip as her and Donnie were backed together, and prayed for someone to help them and fast!
And luckily for them, their help arrived only seconds later, as Miwa jumped down from a nearby fire escape, landing on top of a few bots.
"Miwa!" April yelled out thankfully.
Donnie smiled as well, "Glad your here, Sis!" As he, April and Miwa advanced on the robots together, now a force to be reckoned with.
April threw her tessen away and backed up a few spaces, luring a couple of bots her way, before the bladed fan spun back downwards and decapitating the two.
While Miwa slunk round behind her to stab a Foot-bot through the chest, which tried to get the jump on her, before the Kunoichi then jump kicked another one away and charged a fleeing bot to her side.
Donnie twirled his bō above his head and sliced down the bots that got too close, doing a good job at keeping the majority of them at bay. Until pretty soon, most of the Foot were destroyed, save for a few scattered across the park still advancing toward them.
The brunet smirked and charged a handful of them, only for hockey pucks to come flying seemingly out of nowhere. Knocking down the robots as they made contact with their heads.
"Yo! Another ninja?!" Casey Jones grinned enthusiastically, as he ran into the park, hockey gear still on. Save for his skates that he changed on the way. "This is too awesome!"
"Uh...?" Donnie blinked in confusion as the roughed up teen stopped infront of him to thwack of the head of one of the bots, before turning to him with a smirk.
Donnie recognised the teenager almost immediately as the hockey guy April was in the park with, and frowned under his mask.
Casey stood a good few inches taller then the brunet teen, and gave the masked ninja an introduction. "Casey Jones." He said, and raised his fist up expectantly.
"Rrrright" The ninja said drawn out, also with a Japanese accent, though his was slightly stronger than the girl's. He then slowly lifted his hand up to push Casey's fist back down, not willing to participate in the fist bump.
By now the two girls had done their part in taking out the rest of the bots, and April now became aware of a fourth person in the park.
"Casey?!" She shouted accusingly at the teen, though he was oblivious to her tone.
"April!" He called back as the two girls joined him and Donnie. "How'd ya know all these guys?"
The redhead rubbed her arm unsurely, "Um, remember those friends I told you about?" She chuckled nervously.
"Your friends are rad ninjas?" Casey questioned with a raised brow. Before flashing a quick smirk, "Your even more secretive then I thought, Red."
"Red?" Donnie sputtered out offensively at the nickname. "Her name's April-"
"April O'Neil."
All the teens shot round to face the new presence in the park, with Donnie and Miwa already holding their weapons at the ready.
What the teens could not of prepared themselves for though, was a giant Android stalking it's way towards them. Looking like a bigger, and meaner cousin to the lesser Foot-bots they had been taking on.
"That thing again?" Scoffed Donnie aloud.
"So much for taking care of things, Leo." Miwa muttered under her breath.
"Yo!! That thing looks totally metal!!" Casey's enthusiastic holler echoed around the park.
The Android trudged on unfazed, until halting just before the four teenagers and scanning them with it's eyes. "Scan Complete." But it was only after one teen in particular. "Target: April O'Neil. Located."
April audible groaned to herself, "Why is it always me?"
"You just suit the whole damsel in distress thing best." Miwa supplied jokingly.
The bot reached down and pulled up two silver hilts, that produced plasma pink katana blades from their ends. And wasting no time at all, it charged the teens like a stampeding buffalo.
They screamed and barrelled to the side too avoid the bot, narrowly missing it's swinging blades. But the Android was clearly set on a target, and continued after the redhead even after she had dodged.
It grew closer to the downed girl and tried to strike, being stopped at the last second by Donnie's bō staff in it's path. "Leave her alone!" He growled under his teeth as he twirled his staff and jabbed it into the bots chest. Watching as the emotionless bot stumbled backwards only mere inches.
However, the glowing eyes of the Android seemed to narrow, almost in frustration, and it stood back to it's full height.
It lurched forwards, grabbing hold of one end of the wooden staff and sent it quickly forwards into Donnie's chest. Knocking the teen down with a pained wheeze.
"Eat this, Jerk!" Casey Jones yelled while throwing down three pucks, hitting them all with his stick into the robot's face. But once more, the Android remained unfazed, and even managed to catch one of his pucks before sending it hurling back into Casey's own face. Luckily the hockey player was used to such hits, or else that would of left a seriously mark.
Miwa and April jumped the Android at the same time and tried pinning it's arms to it's side. But the droid raised it's arms up abruptly, and flung them upwards, sending both teens to the floor painfully.
It then stalked forwards, intent on being rid of the distractions around it, only for it's scanner to alert it last minute. "Scanning. Do not harm: Miwa Oroku."
"Well, at least it likes you?" April coughed out to Miwa, holding her aching side.
With the teens all down on the floor, the Android stood eerily above them. Before raising both it's arms up, and starting to bring them down to smash their heads in.
But Donatello was quick to get back up, and pushed his bō across the bots raised arms.
He struggled, as the Android's weight was significantly heavier than it looked, causing him to lose his footing for a moment. Luckily for him, Miwa came to his side and pushed back on the bot, and then Casey joined them, followed by April too, shoving the huge robot back enough for it to lose it's own footing, and knock it over.
With the Android down for mere seconds, Miwa grabbed hold of April and started retreating, with the boys following suit.
"How do we stop that thing?!" Casey questioned to anyone who would listen and answer him.
"We can't on our own!" Miwa yelled behind her to the others as they weaved their way out of the park. "We should split up!"
"What?" Donnie questioned back in shock.
"No way!" Casey also shouted out.
"It's April he's after!-" Miwa felt a sudden vibration in her back pocket, and pulled out her T-phone to see a text from Mikey. Though the warning part of the message was a little late now, she took note of Mikey saying they were on their way to Miwa's T-phone location as they speak.
Normally that would of been fine, handy even, but with Casey here, she risked exposing her brothers to more humans. And that was a risk she wasn't going to take.
The Kunoichi gripped her phone tighter in annoyance, and stopped in her tracks. She let go of April and pulled Donnie aside with her stern big sister look. "Your job is to get rid of Hockey boy!" Miwa ordered, "I'll try to lead April away from that thing until the others arrive!"
"But!-" Donnie's plea went unnoticed as Miwa took off, grabbing hold of April once more, before disappearing down an alleyway. "Ugh!"
At the exact moment the girls vanished, the Android turned out of the alleyway leading to the park, facing the people in front of it and began to run a face scan on both.
In the short time he had free, Donnie rushed to pull out a few shurikens and smoke bombs, ready to distract the bot long enough for Miwa to get April away.
"So like, are those real?" Casey inquired beside him, holding his hockey stick outwards.
Donnie glanced over his shoulder and saw the teen staring at his weapons with child-like awe, and rolled his eyes. "Do you want to find out?" He asked sarcastically, flashing a shuriken at him.
The answer he got back, was Casey ecstatically yelling, "Heck yeah dude!" As he tried to swipe one of the stars from Donnie.
The brunet just sighed in exasperation, and turned away from him in disbelief, whispering, "Baka..."
"Hey! I know what that means!" Shouted Casey accusingly.
By now, the Android had finished it's scan. And if it were capable of showing emotion, it would of worn a look of frustration at it's results. "April O'Neil: Not located." The Android turned away from the two teens, making both stand up right in confusion, before it activated it's rocket feet and shot off into the sky.
"Yoo!!" Casey exclaimed.
"Oh shoot!" Donnie said tensely as the robot took off overhead. He pocketed his weapons and broke out into a run after it.
Beside him, Casey also began to bolt down the alleyway, hollering, "Hold up! Casey Jones wants part of the action!"
Letting out a lengthy sigh, the genius teen ran just a little bit faster, before remembering he had to ditch 'Mister Vigilante' behind him. For his brothers sake!
But, more for his own at this point.
So, with no regret whatsoever, Donnie stopped and faced him. "Sorry, but not sorry?" he said before reaching into his pocket and pulling free a small round ball.
He slammed it against his thigh, exploding the powder filled capsule, before using his hand to direct the flow at the other boy.
Casey's eyes immediately started to sting and water, blinding him momentarily as he dropped to his knees coughing. Through the thickening smoke, he saw the ninja shrug smugly before dashing off out of the alley. "H-hey! Wait!" Casey hacked out, punching a fist to the ground in defeat. "Not- Not cool dude! I'll remember this!!"
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Temporarily catching their breath, the girls hid down beside a dumpster a few blocks away, remaining on high alert. They had run for a good few minutes, making sure to zigzag their path up, in hopes that the Android wouldn't find them until backup arrived.
April took the moment to sit down, trying to get her bearings. "You think 'Chrome Dome' will find us?" She wheezed out uncomfortably with a hand to her chest.
Miwa shook her head back and crouched down beside her, "I don't think so" She starts uncertainly, but she quickly realized something and smirked at the blue eyed girl. "Wait. Did you just say, 'Chrome Dome'?"
April stared at her in confusion before she catches on. Her eyes go wide and she begins quietly chuckling to herself with a worried expression, "Oh gosh, don't tell Mikey I named something without him."
Miwa throw her hand up as she snickered, "Well duh? Do you remember how he was with the 'Newtralizer'?"
April snorted, "He wouldn't talk to Donnie for hours!" The two girls burst into laughter at the memory.
April swiped at a tear while Miwa held her sides, just like old friends would when reminiscing about the past. However, the laughter quietly died down into chuckles, then to awkward coughs, then to a strong silence as both girls looked away unsurely.
At first, neither of them felt the courage to speak up. Until Miwa was able to get her ability to speak again. With a defeated exhale, she turned to April and asked, "Why are you holding onto this grudge for so long?"
Her blue eyes darted to the floor, then back to the older girl, not really sure of how to word her thoughts "T-to be honest, I don't know anymore..."
She lifted her shoulder into a half shrug and exhaled dejectedly, "I miss all you guys so much... I miss Donnie, and training, and hanging out, and pizza almost every other day of the week!" Her eyes lit up as she remembered how much her life had changed because of the five teens, before she physically deflated, and slumped against the wall. "But, I think maybe it's easier to blame you guys, then to face the reality of it all..." April sniffled slightly, "That my dad is gone. And probably going to be a giant bug-eating mutant bat for the rest of his life."
With a confident attitude about her, Miwa grabbed April's shoulder and squeezed gently, "Don't worry about that, April. We'd never let that happen. And you know for a fact that Donnie wouldn't either."
The redhead hugged herself tightly, and gave a small nod with an affectionate smile. "I know... He's always looked out for me like that."
Miwa frowned, and her eyes flickered downward. "Since the day it happened, Donnie's been working on that Retro-mutagen." She said quietly, before shaking her head. "I don't think you realise just how much damage you did to him."
"Damage?" April asked back in a horrified whisper.
"He works constantly on that damn cure, never giving himself a break. He doesn't eat or sleep somedays because he's dedicated every waking hour to making it." She sighed, and slammed her back against the dumpster. "He believes this is all his fault. Because you made it seem like it was his fault."
"No! I..." April started quickly, but the day her father mutated came flooding back to her. Aswell as the words she had said, and who she said them too. "Oh, Donnie..." She choked on a sob. "All he's ever done was try to make my life better- He did make my life better. And I just threw him away like he meant nothing! I threw all of you away!"
"Does he mean anything to you anymore?" Miwa asked, as she took a closer seat toward April.
"Of course he does. He always has..." She said firmly, "But, I'm not sure he feels the same way-"
"Trust me. He feels the same." Miwa stopped her dead with a snort. "The nerd won't shut up about you. It's sickeningly sweet."
April smirked and wiped her eyes, stopping the tears from flowing anymore. She knew now that holding onto this grudge was a petty thing to do, and it would only hurt her, and the people she cared about the most more. With that, she turned to Miwa with a thankful smile and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Miwa. And Happy Birthday."
The older girl was slightly taken aback by April, who seemed a little offended. "What? You didn't think I'd forgotten did you?" The redhead scoffed with a raised brow.
Miwa winced, and glanced at her sheepishly, "Maybe? We were never really that close. You know?"
A hard laugh came from April as she pushed Miwa away playfully, "Rude! Your birth month is literally my name! Plus, how could I ever forget my friends birthday?"
April smug smile quickly faded, and she looked away to the other side of the alley. "Even if I was being a totally jerk..." She sighed sadly, "I'm sorry. If it's ok with you, I'd like to try and be a better friends?"
"Well, I was a bit of a jerk too." Miwa shrugged at her actions from this morning, and pushed April back, hard enough that the smaller girl toppled over.
Miwa stood up, out stretching her hand to the redhead. "But that's behind us now, right?" Miwa smiled. "Me and you, April. We may not have much in common, but we have enough to know that we're the same. Where it counts."
April knew Miwa was never really one for apologies and thank you's, and knew just from her tone and expression, that she was ready to forgive her, and move on from this as friends. "Right." April nodded back. A smile graced her lips as she took the other girl's hand and got up, dusting herself off ready to go.
Yet without as much as a warning, April felt a sudden constricting pain around her waist, and gasped, before being yanked upwards into the air effortlessly.
"April!" Miwa yelled out as the Android, now named 'Chrome Dome' by April, hovered above with said girl tied up in it's laser whip.
Now aware of her situation, April began to desperately struggle against the plasma whip, "Let go of me!" She ordered defiantly and pulled out her tessen from her pocket. She sliced through the whip easily only to be dropped down to the floor with a thud.
"You good?" Said Miwa double checking her, but never taking her eyes off the bot.
"I will be once we get rid of tin-can here!" April scoffed back with a smirk Miwa's way.
Which the Kunoichi returned back and pulled free her tantō. "Screw waiting for the others, Let's take him down!"
The Android landed heavily in front of the two girls and pulled out it's plasma swords. "Capture: April O'Neil. For the Kraang." It announced yet again, and stood it's ground.
Miwa and April got ready, and charged in with all their might. Swinging their weapons in sync to slice at the bot.
The Android quickly brought up it's swords and deflected their blows, knocking April against the dumpster behind it, as Miwa managed to stab her blade right through it's eye.
Miwa hopped away and helped April up as the robot hunched over to try and dislodge the blade in it's eye. Revealing a rectangular control panel on it's back to the two girls.
"Miwa! Look at it's back!" Yelled April as she pointed.
Miwa followed her finger and nodded, "That's a good start and all, but how do we even reach it?"
By this point, Chrome Dome had managed to grab hold of the blade's hilt with both it's hands and yank the weapon out, leaving a trail of wires hanging lose as it sparked with electricity. With an intense glare, it tried scanning it's surrounding, but with it's eye broken, it's program was messed up to say the least. "Threat detected. Eliminate threat." It spoke, not specifying who the threat was, before launching the tantō blade back at the two girls.
Miwa jumped in front of April, knowing that she wouldn't be able to dodge the flying blade in time, and braced herself with her chest armour facing the weapon.
Yet the blade never hit, As a stray shuriken flew down from above and tipped the blades trajectory off enough that it crashed into the dumpster behind them.
"Need a hand?" Said Donnie as he jumped down from the fire escape.
April smiled joyously as the genius joined them. "D!"
Miwa smirked, and leant close enough to Donnie that April couldn't hear her whisper, "Where's Hockey boy?"
"Occupied." Donnie snerked, which was a good enough answer for his sister. "Now, anyone got a plan as too how we take that thing down?"
"Actually, we do!" April replied immediately back. To which, Donnie looked up shocked for a moment, seeing both girls giving him a cunning smile.
He grinned, and gestured forwards, "Well then, lead on!" They nodded, and at once, the three teens charged the robot yelling, with the two ninjas of the group pulling out weapons from their pockets.
Miwa and Donnie threw shurikens and kunai at the Android, causing it to raise it's arms too block. Which gave the teens the chance to slip behind it.
"Donnie, try and access the control panel on Chrome Dome's back, while me and April hold it's arms down!" Miwa order.
"Got it!" Donnie called and got ready to jump, only to wait a moment, and turn in confusion. "Wait 'Chrome Dome'?"
The freckled teen rubbed her neck sheepishly, "Heh heh, that's was my bad..."
The brunet chuckled, understanding her nervousness. "Don't worry, I won't tell Mikey!"
With that, Donnie and the girls leapt at for the bot, but this time Miwa managed to firmly grip the metal arm between her arms and hands and twist, so that the arm was tightly against her chest, leaving it no way to struggle against her. While April clung on to the other with both her arms and legs, which was enough to kept that arm down also.
As they took care of the arms, Donnie managed to get on top of the droids shoulders. Pulling free a kunai, he jammed it into the control panel and pried it open, before starting to snap the wires inside aimlessly.
Chrome Dome gave a sudden twitch as it's interior cables were meddled with, and began spinning like a fairground ride gone wrong. Though the three teens now clinging to it for dear life were definitely not having fun.
The spinning caused their grip to slip, and soon all three of them crashed to the floor while the droid continued rotating madly. Even it's plasma swords shot out of their holders. Almost impaling April, before Donnie jumped in and pushed her away.
Giving Miwa the chance to grab one of the swords and throw it like a javelin straight into the robots chest. The Android twitched and sparked, before finally collapsing onto the floor lifeless.
"Nice one, Miwa!" April called ecstatically as she and Donnie joined the other girl by the bot.
"Thanks." She smirked back, and rested her elbow on April's shoulder, "Not too bad yourself-"
"Hey Dudes! We found them!"
Mikey's yell came from above as he and his brothers came jumping down the fire escape. But as soon as they saw Donnie, April and Miwa standing by the remains of the Android looking quite pleased with themselves, they blinked in unison.
"What'd we miss?" Leo asked first, but was shoved out the way by an excitable Mikey, gleeful to see the old gang back together.
"You guys took Chrome Dome down by yourselves?" He beamed and waited for answer.
"Chrome Dome?" Raph snorted.
"It has a nice ring to it, right?" Mikey smirked proudly to himself. To which, the two human ninjas began quietly snickering to themselves as April wiped her forehead comically.
Raph shook his head and made his way over to the beaten Android, scanning over the sword through it's chest. "Way to leave some for the rest of us?" He said with a grin.
"Well, I think we handed that pretty well?" Miwa laughed and wrapped her arm tighter around April's shoulders. "Wouldn't you?"
"Yeah! We're a force to be reckoned with." The redhead smirked back.
"Ooh yeah! Team Kick Butt Babes is back!" Mikey rejoiced, and wrapped himself around the two girls. His hand waved frantically around behind them, trying to find Donnie who ran beside Raph to get away from the inevitable bear hug.
"Don't call us that." Miwa muffled out as she pushed her youngest turtle brother away and dusted herself off.
Unfortunately for everyone else, he happened to land right next to the other plasma sword. Picking it up, and turning it on, his eyes widened. "Oh!" Mikey glowed in awe and started waving the sword around. "Can I keep it! Can I keep it!" Slicing it through the air with ease, and barely missing Raph and Donnie's heads in the process.
Needless to say, once the two brothers stood up from ducking Mikey's near fatal hit with murderous looks in their eyes, the freckled turtle was quick to drop the sword and shuffle away nervously.
April laughed joyfully at the brothers antics, and remembered just how much she missed it. She felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder and glanced over to see Leo smiling. "We're glad your ok, April." He said.
"Thanks, Leo." She replied back gratefully, before letting a sad sigh escaped her. She turned to the rest of the brothers and Miwa and spoke, "Guys, I'm sorry for everything, I... I have so much I need to say to you all!" She started regretfully, "I just... I wanted to say-"
As she looked round, she was quick to notice someone missing from the group. But now that she really thought about it, she hadn't seen this person for a while. "Wait, where's Casey?"
The turtles looked physically stumped as to who she was referring too, and Miwa herself didn't exactly know where the boy was either.
So it was a good thing that Donnie crossed his arms and waved Casey's absence off with a lack of worry. "He's probably still stumbling around the park?" He said with a scheming look.
"Stumbling?" April repeated tentatively. Feeling like the answer wasn't going to be something she wanted to hear.
"I hit him with some blinding powder." Donnie added smirking.
"You did what?!" April practically coughed out, and began running back toward the park, but not before glancing back to Donnie saying, "We'll talk about this later!"
Once the redhead had turned the corner, Miwa moved closer and shoot her brother a questioning look. "Blinding powder?" She snickered out, trying not to laugh out loud. "I meant shut him in a dumpster or something?"
The genius teen clicked his fingers at the missed opportunity, and shook his head. "Ah, I could of done that!" He said sadly, "Always next time I suppose?"
"Who's Casey?" Mikey asked, slotting his head inbetween Miwa and Donnie's.
"No one." They answered, both laughing in unison.
"Now, let's get home, boys." Miwa addressed them and wrapped her arm around Mikey's head. "I'm feeling all birthday'ed out if I'm honest with you. And Leo promised pizza!"
"Yes!! You the best, Leo!" Mikey cheered, as he and Miwa began leaving the alley.
Leo scoffed, and ran after them, with Raph and Donnie following behind laughing at his misfortune. "Wait! I didn't say I'd buy it!"
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When the teenagers finally arrived home it was late into the night.
They all went about changing their gear and sorting out any injuries, before all joining together again to relax and unwind, watching movies in the pit to finish off the rest of Miwa's day.
They had stopped by Antonio's on the way back and grabbed a few Mexican pizzas to go. Courtesy of Leo's saved up money.
Donatello and Michelangelo sat together on the left side of the couch, while Miwa and Leonardo had the middle and right sides to themselves, as Raphael took up the beanbag on the floor with Spike rested comfortably on his shoulder. Even Master Splinter had come out from the dojo to spend the rest of the night with his family, and took a seat beside Leo.
Miwa went ahead and picked a horror movie first, and set the tape in the player, just as the turnstiles at the entrance clanked.
Six pairs of eyes shot over to see their red haired friend coming into the lair with a bag in hand, a sight which they hadn't seen for almost a month.
And when April saw them all hanging out in the pit, she couldn't help the bright smile that lit up her face. "Hey, guys! Hope I'm not too late for the party?"
"April!" "You're back!" "What up?" Leo, Raph and Mikey called as all five of the teens got up to greet her. Donnie smiled with relief to see her back, and stepped back as Miwa made her way through.
"Glad to see you, O'Neil." Miwa added as she slapped her round the back, almost knocking the girl over.
"Hmm, it is very good to see you indeed, April." Splinter said delighted at her presence, joining her above the pit.
"I missed you too, Master Splinter. I missed all of you!" April responded back, "And, I hope we can start training again soon?"
Splinter beamed at the girl, "Of course. Whenever you wish." He said and bowed politely, which she copied back.
Once their bow was over, April turned back to the teenagers in the room, with a face filled with remorse. "I never got the chance to tell you guys that I'm sorry... For everything!"
"You're sorry?" Leo asked confused, "But we were the one's that screwed up-"
"It was an accident!" She interrupted him, "And more importantly, you're my friends. I don't ever want to hold a grudge ever again." Miwa nodded beside her proudly, and April couldn't help but smile back in appreciation.
"You da best, April!" Mikey exclaimed as he slide on his knees up to her, presenting something green looking in his hands. "To mark this day, I offer you the slice of eternal reunion." The 'Slice of eternal reunion', was a piece of moldy pizza, cover in all sorts of junk.
April glared the vile thing down, and ran a finger across it's molded and crunchy surface with a distasteful frown. "It has lint and dead bugs all over it!"
"I know." Mikey acknowledged proudly, "I just found it under my bed. It's eternal." No words or warning were said, before the turtle shoved the pizza slice into his mouth. "Mm, good!"
April cringed and quickly looked away before her dinner came back up, and changed the subject to the bag she brought with her. Handing it out to the eldest girl. "Oh! Here, Miwa. This is for you."
Miwa rose a brow, "You didn't have too buy me anything?" She started, but was cut off by April swiftly shaking her head.
"I totally did." The redhead smiled, and waited for her to open the bag.
Miwa shrugged and looked inside the green bag. She gasped quietly, and pulled out a bottle of hair bleach. "You remembered!" She said in astonishment, knowing the last time they had any conversation about hair was months ago!
"Of course!" April responded with a grin, "I'll help you do it later if you want?"
"That'd be great!" Miwa said abruptly, failing to hide her excitement about getting her hair done. "Thank you."
With Miwa's present given, and having made her peace with Master Splinter and the turtles, there was only one person left for April to apologise too. The one she felt, she needed to say the most too.
She walked down the couch and crossed the pit to where Donnie was stood tentatively watching her, clearly struggling to find words of his own to say.
So April started, with a deep feeling of regret washing over her. "Donnie, thank you for always being there for me, even when I didn't think I needed you."
He shrugged and looked away, "It's the least I could do."
"No, it wasn't!" April said a little louder then intended. "I shouldn't of blamed you, D!
You were never the reason any of this happened!" April held a hand to her chest, as tears threatened to fall. She took a step closer to him, and felt everything just spill out, "It was an accident! And I shouldn't of put the blame onto someone else to help deal with it...Especially you!"
"All you've ever done is try to make my life better, and I realise now that without you in it, my life just got so much darker..." Without warning, she moved quickly forwards. Temporarily taking the breath out of Donnie, as she jumped up too him. Wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. "So thank you for being there for me..."
Donnie was stiff for a while, before slowly, and shakily, wrapping his own arms around her. "Your welcome..."
April sniffled, and wiped her tears away as she moved her head backwards to look into his mahogany eyes. "I know you probably don't feel the same way about me like you used too, and I completely understand that. But, do you think you could ever forgive me?-"
Before she had her final words out, Donnie had bent down slightly and kissed her cheek. "I forgive you, April." He said contently. Only to pull away to see a bright red blush covering her face, and quickly started to change a few shades redder himself. And in a flustered and stuttering mess, he attempted to apologise, "Oh gosh! I-I I'm sorry! I should of asked first- T-that was wrong of me-"
He was swiftly shut up by April dragging his sweater back down to her level, and covering his lips with her own.
"Ugh..." Miwa, Leonardo and Raphael cringed and looked away. Raph even covered up Spike's eyes, to avoid the gross scene before them. Splinter shook his head at the teenager lover's, while Mikey clasped his hands and awed at the sight.
When the two teens finally separated, Donatello was left feeling like he was on cloud nine. He felt triumphant and joyous, and if it were scientific possible, he swore he could of flown around the world, yelling about how much he loved being a ninja!
They chuckled awkwardly and quickly stood apart when they saw the other's faces. Only to get jumped by Mikey, as he hung his arms around their necks. "Gah! I missed this!!" He cried out loud, ignoring Donnie and April's struggles to get him off.
Splinter chuckled softly at his children, before making his way over to Miwa, and placing a paw on her shoulder. "My daughter. I see you have had quite an eventful birthday."
She laughed at the statement, remembering her earlier comment from their evening tea. "Yeah... But, it was one of the best." She looked to her father with a drawn out hum. And after much thought, she said, "There is one last thing though..."
Splinter paused a moment, before sharing a pleased, and almost proud look with his daughter. Before making his way to the dojo. Moments later, he returned with the turquoise rectangular box, and handed it over to her with care. "Your Mother's present."
The others had long since forgotten what they were doing and gathered round as Miwa took a seat in the pit. Soon surrounded by her friend and all her family.
"Ooh! What is it?" Mikey asked as he tried desperately to peer into the closed box.
Miwa pulled the ribbon off, taking off the label and pocketing the small piece of paper. She held her breath and prepared herself for the gift awaiting her, only to throw back the lid and be greeted by an envelop and large rolls of tissue paper, clearly wrapped around something.
Miwa picked out the envelope and torn it open to reveal a handwritten letter.
"What's it say?" Leo asked over her shoulder. To which, she cleared her throat and read aloud...
To my darling daughter, Happy 18th Birthday.
Even now at such a young age, I can see what an extraordinary woman you will become when you are grown. I see the spirited young warrior inside of you, and I wish for that girl to flourish to her full potential.
As such, I had this gift made for you as soon as your father had his tessen finished. He has, and always will, see you as our pretty and delicate flower, and though I do agree to some degree, A Mother knows her child best.
Miwa. I wish for this gift to guide you when times are hard, or for when you find yourself doubtful of your abilities. And I hope that you will keep it close, as a reminder that you are an amazing young Kunoichi. Bold and daring, intelligent and strong. A true Hamato by spirit.
Know I will always be with you, even when we are apart. You are my pride and joy, my most cherished gift,
My Beautiful Harmony.
Love, Okāsan.
A warm feeling filled her heart as she held the letter close to her heart, and tears threatened to fall.
She heard sniffing come from beside her as Mikey wrapped his arms around Donnie for emotional support and began softly weeping, and said human patted him reassuringly on the shell.
She saw how April swiped away tears on her cheeks, and even Leo and Raph looked slightly emotional afterwards.
And her father, a strong and stoic ninja Master unfazed by most emotional things, had wet patches on the fur around his eyes after hearing his beloved wife's written words.
Miwa smiled, and lifted the tissue paper up from the box. The inside of the box was filled with tiny hand made origami paper cranes, but that was not what drew her attention. Her amber eyes fell immediately onto the gift.
A sheathed tantō blade.
The hilt had an intricate and beautiful design of black and maroon leather swirling into a branch-like pattern at the top. And resting at the bottom was the Kanji for the Morikawa's shop.
She held the weapon carefully and unsheathed it. The blade itself, polished metal with a hint of turquoise in the light, had delicately carved cherry blossoms along it.
Miwa felt a joyful sob get caught in her throat as she held the weapon close to her, and with a relived smile she let the tears flow down her cheeks. "Okāsan, arigatō..."
So yeahh? I got them back together? Was it too soon? Too quick?? Idk X'D
I feel like I can make it work out? You know, and not be a ultra cringe fest lol.
Plus I feel like if Donnie was human, him and ape probably would've been a thing?
Idk let me know what you guys think?
And what did you guys think of Shen's present?
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please leave a review! I love to see people's thoughts and opinions on this fic!
Till next time! 3 \(•v•)/
