Chapter Text
“Okay, Donnie. Interview prep time. You ready?”
“I suppose. Why is Sunita here again?”
“Because I wanted to hang out with her and she volunteered to pretend to be the camera.”
“Yup! Remember you’re not supposed to look at me. Pretend I’m not here.”
“Alright, Holly Blue gave me a reference list of questions to consider. If yōkai reporters are anything like the surface they’ll open with stuff about your work. So let’s start there.”
When Holly Blue offered to let him join in on a few interviews, he expected them to just be quick questions that would end up in a paper somewhere. And the first one was. A tiny and chipper moth asked just a few things about how he met Holly Blue and started working for her.
But this?
“Good afternoon Hidden City!” The elegant crane threw out her feathered arms as she faced the camera. The crowd sitting behind it cheered and clapped. “Today we have something exciting. A live interview with the two hottest topics of the week. But first, let’s talk about some recent events.”
Donatello sat in a chair that presently was off stage. They’d be called up during a short break before the interview. He could still feel the crowd trying to peer around the curtain to look at him.
Holly Blue perched on a stool right next to him, calm and poised as ever. He wished he could feel like that. It felt like a thousand eyes were on him. He tugged at the collar of his turtleneck that seemed to suffocate him. At one point in his life he would have dreamed of a moment like this, but all that time in the stadium made the attention feel bitter.
“Are you sure about this?” He couldn’t help but whisper.
“Are you? You said you wanted to do a few of these.”
“I didn’t think any were going to be on live TV.”
“Relax. You prepared yourself with April, did you not?”
“Yeah, but even then…”
The frankly terrifying version of cameras that yōkai used were much harder to ignore than Sunita’s phone. The unblinking eye stayed focused on the host, even moving left to right as she did.
What if he didn’t have the script? What if everyone watched him fumble? What if that gave them doubt to Donatello’s skills? He could ruin all of this.
Holly Blue touched his shoulder. “Donatello, breathe. Relax.”
He did. “Who said I’m not relaxed?”
“I suppose I haven’t mentioned it before, but I can literally smell when you’re frightened.”
He’d ask how, but he recalled that bugs were quite good at sniffing out hormones in the air. Plenty of them even used it to communicate. That explained why she was often so aware of his moods.
“Alright folks, we’re going to take just a short break. When we get back we’ll be chatting with our special guests.”
Another round of applause and one of the stage hands gestured him and Holly Blue toward the stage.
Alright, showtime.
“Hold on, Donnie, you’re saying too much.”
“You asked about what I do for Holly Blue.”
“Yeah but it’s better to keep it short and let the interviewer prompt you for more. Don’t give too much away. Try again. So you and Holly Blue are business partners? What does your part of the business do?”
“Holly Blue hired me to develop and build tech that is compatible with the Hidden City for yōkai to use.”
“Tech? Like technology?”
“Yes, for example, I created a compatible, digital store front for multiple businesses to keep count of inventory and perform sales with.”
“That’s too complicated, can you make it simpler?”
Donatello swallowed. “Well, for example, a few business owners no longer have to physically catalogue their stock. They now have a machine and a program to do it for them.”
The crane kept her feathered hands folded together on her desk. Her head stretched towards him. “Just how big is this machine?”
“Oh, not big at all.” Donatello fished a tablet out of the bag of props Holly Blue suggested he bring. “Just around this size.”
The feathers on the top of her head lifted. “Oh? Like a larger version of a call stone?”
“Precisely! Of course, all the tech I build for the Hidden City is fitted to run on mystic stones.” He wanted to ramble about how he’d been steadily working on reworking the wire systems to be more efficient with that energy, but he held his tongue.
“Incredible. I can see now why Holly Blue wanted to hire you so badly.”
“He does good work.” Holly Blue kept her back straight and fiddled with her cigarette holder. “Work that I think many citizens can agree is better for the city than just being some extra muscle in a fighting arena.”
The host chuckled. “I have to say, that recent display has created a lot of chatter about the Battle Nexus. Some viewers are questioning if perhaps the entire practice is getting outdated.”
The wasp shrugged. “I’m sure plenty of people get a thrill out of watching someone else duke it out in a fight. But I’ve always questioned the level of violence required in that place. Though, naturally, my aim has never been to bring the Nexus down. I just wanted to carve my own place in the city.”
Donatello knew part of that was a lie, but these interviews weren’t about being honest.
“Well, now that we know what you do, why don’t we get to know you both a little better?”
“There’s no way at least one or two of these interviews don’t get a little personal.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re gonna ask about you, Donnie, not just your work. Your family. Your childhood. All that stuff. Holly Blue noted that since most of the city knows she’s a mutant, it’s fine if you declare you are too. But I mean… how much do you want to share with them?”
“Is there any way to get out of these questions?”
“Completely? No. But you can try and be vague. Or if it’s really a no go you can try for a ‘that’s too personal’ but the audience might think you’re hiding something nefarious.”
“Ugh, so what do I do? Lie?”
“Eh, if you do, I wouldn’t make it a big one. Let’s try a couple of typical questions. So, you’re into making tech huh? What led you into that hobby?”
“Ah, yes, well. I didn’t actually grow up in the Hidden City. Most of my life was spent on the surface, actually, which is how I adapted to all this human technology.”
“The surface?” The crane eyed him, head turned to the side so she could look right at him. “I am curious about that. Yōkai have chosen to live on the surface for centuries, but always in hiding. Was it like that for you?”
“Well, yes. My family also lived under the city, in a way.” He didn’t dare bring up the fact their home was literally a sewer. “We only made friends with one human in that time. At least until the um, outbreak occurred.”
She nodded and leaned back in her seat. “Oh yes, the city got into a buzz when the mutants sprung up. But we don’t need to get into that today. You grew up with your family, you said? Are they also mutants? How big is your family?”
Donatello swallowed. Lying and dodging the question wouldn’t do him any favors here. “Yes, all mutants. It was just my father and my three brothers.”
“Three brothers? Are they as tech savvy as you?”
He hoped his nervous laughter wasn’t obvious. “No, no. But they were…” His lungs locked up. He failed to inhale properly. Holly Blue kept glancing at him. Come on. Say something. Anything. “They were incredible, in their own ways. An artist, a tactician and an inspiration. My passion for tech wouldn’t have gotten nearly as far if it hadn’t been for them.”
Despite their lack of understanding about it, and the occasions where they didn’t want to listen, they were still in his corner. Mikey loved to help with design ideas. Leo would scrutinize his concepts, but mainly to ensure they worked better. Raph would help him obtain the proper scrap, no questions asked. Any of them were eager to join him for a junkyard dive.
His throat closed as tears formed in his eyes.
Holly Blue suddenly spoke, “They must have done well, given you’re such a success at only seventeen.”
“Seventeen?” The crane put her hands on the desk. “And here I thought you were mid twenties.”
Donatello forced a smile, relieved for the subject change. “Yeah, I imagine the scars add a few years.”
The host laughed along. “No, no, that’s not what I mean. Just so accomplished at a young age.”
“Also, depending on what kind of gossip they’re fishing for. There’s no doubt they’re gonna ask this question.”
“Which is?”
“I suppose that also begs the question.” Her head stretched towards him again. “Is this successful entrepreneur single?”
His cheeks burned just as hot as they did when April asked something similar. “Apologies, but I’m not sure how that’s relevant.”
“Just something the viewers love to know.” Her beak curled into a smile.
Donatello sighed. “Well, I am afraid I will have to be boring and say I’m not interested in pursuing anything like that right now.”
“Business only, huh?”
“For the time being, yes.”
But his heart still raced like it did during the practice interview. His mind tangled itself in daydreams against his wishes. He thought about his fingers sliding between someone else’s. A comforting smell filled his sinuses and warmth spread across his skin as he pulled this person closer. And the worst part is that he felt all these things before. He’d felt this odd thirst in the back of his throat.
And he’d remember Jase. The way his warm hands feathered over his skin and his scars. The way his black eyes stared up at him. The way he’d hold screws in his mouth as he weaved wires through his long fingers like he were making a scarf rather than a machine.
Donatello forced himself away from his thoughts as he heard Holly Blue answering a question he hadn’t even heard.
“Potential clients are always welcome to come and chat about what they’re looking for. Of course, Donatello is just one person. Depending on the amount of orders there may be a waiting period.”
Should he mention his plans to eventually automate his lab to build most of the items in question much faster? No. Better to leave that as an announcement later.
He shifted in his chair and hoped this interview would be over soon.
“Are they always like that?” Donatello properly exhaled as he and Holly Blue left the studio.
“More or less, but you did quite well.”
That was good to hear. He had a lot of doubts going into that.
“Would a stop at Bueford’s help you relax?” Holly Blue offered and he accepted.
They entered the coffee and bagel shop, Bueford giving his usual warm greeting and checking if they wanted their usuals. With that confirmation they picked out a two seat table near the wall. Donatello stared up at the small, framed painting of a glittery cave.
“Does Big Mama also do interviews?” He decided to ask.
“She does. I can grab one of the papers and check if there’s a recent one if you like. I forgot you don’t really know where to look for news down here.”
“Been keeping track of it?”
"I have. Interestingly enough she claims that the additional broadcasting wasn’t her doing. I don’t know if I believe it or not.”
Donatello frowned. “If it wasn’t her, then who was it?”
“It’s entirely possible someone on the inside did it intentionally to smear her name further. After all, we know plenty of moles among her staff. But she could have just as well been trying to make a statement only for it to fail when your family interfered. It’s hard to say.”
He rolled up his sleeve, picking at a scab that still remained from his Nexus injuries. “And what is she saying about us?”
Holly Blue tapped his knuckles with her cigarette holder to make him stop. “Nothing that helps her reputation at this point. She claims that you broke a deal when you left the Nexus and she was just trying to remedy that. But of course she has no physical contract and thus no evidence.”
Donatello ignored the itch of the scab as he watched her. Still poised and confident, but her eyes wouldn’t stop darting over to the doorway.
“Are you doing alright?” He dared to ask.
“I’m fine, Donatello.” Her tone bit the air. Something even he figured out meant that she didn’t want to speak on the subject further.
He just replied with an, “Okay,” as he sunk into his chair and waited for their coffee to arrive.
He hated this barrier that formed between them.
He didn’t know how to fix it.
Donatello tried to tune out the sound of his own voice as he checked April’s homework. She currently lay on her bed, stone in hand to watch the recording of the recent interview. He was on the floor, surrounded by a couple of text books, notes, and the laptop where she’d typed in all the answers waiting to submit it.
“Man, I can see you trying not to have a breakdown while you talk about the guys.”
Donatello sighed. “Yes, I was aware. Thank you.”
“Sorry, I just mean like, sucks that it went in that direction. Glad Holly knows how to change the subject.”
Yes, he should have thanked her for that over coffee.
“You did good though! Are there any others?”
“Holly Blue arranged an interview for a magazine, so not filmed.” He used the red pen to mark where April missed a step on one problem. “But she said someone else wants to do a short interview and a tour of my lab so… I’ll need to get that prepped.”
“Sounds exciting though.” April rolled over and let the stone slip onto the floor. “Bet that’s gonna bring in way more customers.”
“Something I’m honestly worried about.” He let out a ragged sigh. “I only just found time to finish the last couple of projects. And while Varii’s arms are almost done his legs aren’t.”
April just hummed out an agreement.
He continued to proofread, finding two more questions with incorrect answers. If she needed help working it out, he would do that.
His phone buzzed next to his thigh. He picked it up off the floor and checked the notification. A text from Jase, or a photo rather, showing off a freshly finished model.
Donatello smiled as he opened the window and typed out at least three compliments to both the mecha and the person who put it together.
“Hey, Donnie?” April said just as he hit send.
He glanced over at her. “Yes?”
“Do you have a crush on Jase?”
Fire lit under his cheeks and he shoved his phone to the other side of him. “Wh-what? What makes you think that?”
“Okay, well, first of all you’re stuttering.” She pointed at him. “Second, I saw your pause during that interview when the crane lady asked. Third, you always get this weird smile on your face when you read texts from him.”
“It’s not weird! It’s a normal smile. I like talking to my friend.”
“Same smile you used to make when Atomic Lass showed up in the Jupiter Jim films.”
“It is not!”
“If I find a picture, I’ll make a comparison.”
Donatello growled and turned away from her. “It’s not… It doesn’t even matter, alright?”
“Donnie, best friend asking here. Do you have a crush on Jase, yes or no?”
“Why do you even want to know?”
“Because I’m your best friend. Yes or no.”
He wanted to slam his hands against the floor, stand, and walk out of the room. Anything except answer this because what did it matter? It didn’t make a lick of difference if he wished he could spend more time with Jase. Lay on his bed while they watched a movie and cling to his pillow just so he could enjoy the smell of it. Listen to him ramble about the latest game he played or machine he built. Or taste more of his cooking because oh, there were some dishes he could make like nobody else.
“Fine, maybe I do,” he mumbled. “But it doesn’t matter.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It doesn’t matter. Even if I do… there’s no point in pursuing it right now.”
“Excuse me?” He could see April’s expression without looking at her given her tone. No doubt staring at him like that was the stupidest thing she ever heard.
“There’s no point. I’m already caught up in all of this right now and Jase… he doesn’t deserve to have me dragging him back down.”
“Donnie, you are still not making any sense.”
He groaned and scooted so he could face her. “You were hesitant to start a relationship with Sunita because you feared that all the junk you were dealing with would make you a terrible partner. It’s pretty much the same thing. Jase is still trying to repair his life from… a lot of stuff.” He didn’t dare share the details without permission. “I highly doubt he needs to get deeply involved with me who has three dead siblings, a bloodthirsty woman after me and my business partner, and also trying to figure out how to deal with a new turtle suddenly entering my life.”
April rolled her eyes. “Uh huh. And what did you tell me when I said I wasn’t dating Sunita?”
“It’s different.” He pointed at her. “She actually confessed and you lied and said you weren’t interested.”
“Okay, so if Jase confesses you’re gonna tell him the truth, right?”
His cheeks burned again. “What makes you think that’s gonna happen? He’d never…”
Donatello looked down at his arms, feeling every scar on his skin despite most of them being covered by clothing. Come on, a human like Jase being attracted to a mutated turtle who looked like he’d been through a garbage disposal? Maybe Donatello would have had a shot before the Nexus chewed him up and spat him back out, but now?
April slid off the bed and crawled over to him, taking his hand in both of hers. “Hey, you two used to hate each other and now Jase is texting you like, every day from what I can tell. I think he likes you to some degree.”
“Scoff. That doesn’t mean he’s attracted to me.”
“No, but what I’m saying is, it isn’t hopeless. So don’t go all doom and gloom on me.” Her hands snapped up to squeeze his cheeks. “Even if you don’t wanna go after it with things being how they are right now, maybe you can in the future?”
The future still felt like such an empty void for him. Even now with him steadily getting past those thoughts of wishing he wasn’t alive anymore. At most he planned for things a week in advance, just to keep up with work. But then what? Imagining a future that his brothers weren’t part of was still impossible.
April applied just a bit more pressure to his face. “Come on. At least talk to me about it sometimes. You used to love gushing about Atomic Lass.”
Donatello huffed. “Fine.” His voice came out wrong since his lips could barely move. “But for now, you have math to correct.”
April groaned but removed her hands and grabbed her notebook. “Fine. Let’s hurry and finish this because you know I want details.”
Yeah, Donatello knew that.
He just didn’t know how much he wanted to say on the subject right now.
The moment Donatello got home, he went looking for his father.
Not for any reason in particular, just to let the man know he was back and talk about dinner plans. But as he checked the obvious place—the main room—he heard his father speaking to someone as the television played in the background.
Donatello peeked inside and saw Frida over on the loveseat, her sharp blue eyes glowing even harsher against the light from the projector. They immediately flicked over to him, expression blank.
“Hello, Donatello.” She greeted.
He grumbled back a hello as his father turned in his seat to say hi as well. He still didn’t know what to think about Frida. Day by day she felt less like a potential threat, but he didn’t know how to interact with her. Was she a possible friend or just a temporary ally? They hadn’t even touched the subject of the scepter since he first brought it up. Where would they really start?
She had on what must have become her favorite outfit. That golden scarf—most of it hanging down her back—and the dark pants that his father had embroidered flames onto. Otherwise she just had some wrappings over her pointed elbows and now had her nails painted orange.
“Purple, how is April?” Splinter hopped off the chair.
Donatello raised a brow. “Can’t you just text her and ask?”
“She is not always honest. You know that.”
“She’s fine. Hating her math classes.” He puffed his chest out. “That’s why she has me.” Then his gaze moved back to Frida. “What is Frida doing here?”
Splinter twitched his whiskers. “She is allowed to visit whenever she likes.”
“Not what I asked.”
Frida stood. “I came to speak to you, actually. Splinter told me to wait until you got back.”
That got him to straighten his shoulders. “What for? Something about the scepter?”
“No.” She crossed her arms. “If I remember any details about that I will let you know.”
“I will let you two chat.” Splinter walked past Donnie and up towards the door. “I need some more tea.”
Donatello waited until his father was well and gone before speaking again. “So, what do you need?”
“Cassandra suggested I speak to you about getting a new crossbow. Not only did you leave my old one in the stadium, but I think it’s time to change it up a bit. I’m willing to sacrifice some power for speed.”
Donatello hummed and put his hand to his chin. “I did design Holly Blue’s.” Which thankfully was easily recovered on the roof of her shop rather than going missing. “Though I imagine you’ll want it bigger than that.”
“If possible, yes. I still want to be able to support from a distance.”
He waved a hand so she’d follow him into the hall and towards his lab. “I’ll want to measure a few things before starting. Holly Blue’s weapon is constructed to work with her needles. Do you just want typical bolts?”
“Whatever it is, I imagine you don't want it to be frustrating to replace.”
“Very true. But I could design some special ones to knock opponents out and that sort of thing.” He undid the lock on his bedroom door and then the one to his lab.
Shelldon flew over to greet him. “Hey Donnie. And… Frida.” His electronic tones dipped before rising again. “Got all the dusting done while you were out.”
“Thank you.” Donatello reached up to scratch the metal that made up Shelldon’s chin. The droid’s rotors hummed just a bit higher. “Jase wants to meet up at the junkyard tomorrow afternoon. Did you want to join us?”
“Can I?”
“Sure, it should be safe.”
The most unusual giggle came out of Shelldon’s speakers. “Alright, I’m gonna go take a break. Be back in a bit.” With that he zoomed out of the lab.
“Who’s Jase?” Frida asked as Donatello stepped up to his computer and woke it up.
“A human friend of mine and none of your concern.” He pulled up a fresh spreadsheet and left it there as he grabbed some equipment. “Let’s do some measurements real quick.”
After Donatello had the numbers in terms of how big to make the handle, he punched in more to calculate the length and the maximum power a crossbow could do with that size. Some of it depended on the weight of the bolts, so he listed a variation of numbers.
Frida watched him in utter silence. He glanced at her a few times to even make sure she was still there. Her gaze often drifted around the lab, sometimes fixing on a spot just above him.
His fingers tensed on the keyboard. Were his brothers in here?
He didn’t ask her that. He didn’t want to know.
But then Frida suddenly said, “Donatello, can I ask you something?”
He huffed a breath out through his nose. “Scoff. Technically you just did.”
“Hilarious. Let me rephrase then. Are you feeling chatty?”
“That highly depends on the topic.” He quit trying to type in numbers, no longer able to focus on them properly.
“Your brothers. Just how did they… die?”
His nails lightly scraped over the plastic keyboard before he pulled his hand away from it entirely. “Why does that matter to you?”
She let out an aggravated sigh. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed that I see them around from time to time.”
“Then just ask them.”
“I prefer avoiding talking to any spirits that aren’t Monty.”
Donatello didn’t even know how much he believed that. Maybe as luck would have it, his brothers just didn’t want to speak to her.
“I admit, I’m just curious.” Frida’s chair creaked as she moved. “You were all formidable enough to create a pillar of light when you took out… whatever it was near the Crying Titan.”
“Shredder.”
“So that was Shredder.” She muttered.
“And so what? Didn’t you hear anything about that invasion even if you weren’t directly under it at the time?” He swiveled his chair to look at her. “I’m sure if you did, you’d have some guesses as to what happened.”
She narrowed her blue eyes. “You don’t have to tell me. But at least just say that instead of getting mad at me for being curious.”
His nails dug into his knee. He didn’t want to talk about it. The only reason he spilled the whole story to Holly Blue is because he’d hit a new low with nowhere to go.
But more interviews down the line might ask similar questions. Even if he dodged them, he needed to reach a point where he could talk about his siblings without almost having a breakdown.
“Fine, but you’re getting the summary version.” He leaned back and let his shoulders bump into the chair. “Or the best way I can summarize the events. Those aliens, the kraang, my family and I tried to cut off their arrival. The Foot Clan planned to use a sort of portal key to summon them.”
Frida raised a brow. “The same Foot Clan that Casey mentioned?”
“Yes, though she was not among them at the time.” He emphasized. “The point was they… got the key earlier that evening. We tracked them down to their hideout and tried to take it back but we were too late. The portal opened and the kraang came out.”
Thankfully she didn’t interrupt. Just rested her elbows on her knees as she leaned forward.
Yeah, her piercing gaze definitely didn’t make him feel nervous. “When the kraang emerged, one of them cut off our mystic powers. We were already struggling to fight one with them, without we were… practically helpless. Raphael, my oldest brother, called for us to retreat. I thankfully had some escape pods prepared that I launched but…”
His gaze moved to the wall. He hadn’t even seen what happened. He’d been in the pod and then safely in the lair. The horror didn’t truly hit until Leo stumbled out of Raph’s pod with blood splattered on his chest and his face.
“During our escape, Leo tried one more time to get the key. I never even learned the details from him but during that Raph… took a hit for him and then gave Leo his pod. The kraang captured Raph. And while I didn’t know it at the time, my brother had already received a fatal wound to his chest.”
Frida’s eyes scanned the floor, clearly thinking about something, but she didn’t reply.
Donatello took a deep breath and shifted in his chair. “We gave it our all to get Raph back, but even when we found him the kraang possessed him. If you didn’t see it, they can do that, with kraang matter. They turned him into a puppet.”
“That’s awful,” she muttered.
“We thought we had it beat, when we got to the ship and initiated a plan to trap the kraang on the other side of the portal. Leo managed to talk Raph down and get him back. Our ninpo reignited and burned the matter away. Raph kept up with his wound using his mystics but… the victory didn’t last.”
Sometimes his arm still twinged as he remembered the direct hit from the kraang leader. The one that sent him and Mikey spiraling through the sky in a daze.
“After a nasty blow, Raph, Mikey and I ended up on the ground. Leo stayed up on the ship and by doing… something. He teleported him and the kraang leader inside the other dimension. Then Junior closed the portal.”
“And you lost Leo.”
He shook his head. “I mean, we thought we did at the time. And then it just got worse when Raph couldn’t keep his injury blocked. He bled out on the concrete and I couldn’t help. And then Mikey refused to lose two siblings in one day, so he ripped open a portal with his own mystics.”
Frida sat back up in an instant. “What? To another dimension? But that—”
“Killed him.” Donatello snapped, even showing his teeth. “It killed him. I tried to help him with it, but it wasn’t enough. He shoved me off before the energy burned him into nothing.”
He clenched his fist, still able to feel the odd burn from the fading light that his hand passed through as he tried desperately to grab hold of his little brother.
“But he did it,” he exhaled. “He opened the portal and I saw Leo in there. I managed to pull him out before the kraang leader could escape. But he… I guess he sustained too much damage. He didn’t even last three minutes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I failed to do anything.”
“Was there anything you could have done?”
He stood, his chair sliding back. “There must have been something! I have the damn mystics to construct pretty much any machine I know how to build. If I just thought of something—”
Frida’s eyes locked on his. “Would anything have worked?”
“What do you know? You weren’t there.”
“But I’ve been in a similar position.” She stood as well, reminding him that she stood just a few inches taller. “Thinking about hundreds of scenarios where I managed to save Monty and myself, but it didn’t happen. The best I can do now is stay far away from Big Mama and maybe get hold of this scepter.”
Donatello let his anger leave his nose with a sharp breath. She was right. Time travel may not be impossible considering Junior was literally here, but he didn’t know the first thing about making it happen.
“Monty tells me often that I shouldn’t waste time blaming myself. I imagine your brothers would think the same.”
He snorted. “An easy thing to say, but much harder to practice.”
“I know.” Frida nodded. “Apologies for asking. I just… see so many ghosts around here. It’s hard not to wonder.”
Donatello nodded.
“Do you know why your family has this connection with spirits?”
“No. Karai might, our very great grandmother. She told us the basics before she… died.”
Frida blinked. “What? You traveled back to meet her?”
“No, no, she…” Shoot, now he had to get on another tangent. “Ugh, trying to summarize another long story. She is Shredder’s daughter. Years and years ago to seal him away she used herself as a key of sorts, putting them both in the Twilight Realm. When we thought the Foot Clan revived Shredder with the armor, we opened the Twilight Realm and pulled her out. Unfortunately this released the actual Shredder.”
“So she never passed on. She was just in a stasis of sorts.”
“Yes, but when Shredder arrived at our old lair to capture her, she… didn’t make it out.”
His chest ached all over again. He hadn’t even known her for very long, but the crater of that loss lingered on over the next couple of months as they had to rebuild their home. It’s part of the reason he hesitated to allow Cassandra close, even though Mikey and then Raph apparently didn’t have the same hang ups about it. To finally meet someone new in their family only to have it ripped away in an instant. It simply wasn’t fair.
“She’s also around, you know.” Frida shifted on her feet. “Like I said there’s… a lot of them.”
Donatello frowned. “How do you know which one she is?”
The snapper smirked. “She might have mildly threatened me when I inquired about her identity. She doesn’t like me much.”
“Well, that just makes you seem more suspicious.”
She rolled her eyes. “She thinks when we find the scepter, I’m going to stab you in the back and take it.”
“Would you?”
“No,” she stated flatly and headed for the door. “I guess you don’t have to believe me, but no. Whatever limitations or tricks that scepter may have, I won’t rob you of the chance to get your siblings back.”
He frowned. “But what about Monty?”
“As much as I want her back, I have the advantage of seeing her whenever I want.” She shrugged. “Though I’ve heard you could speak to your ancestors at any time as well.”
His shoulders tightened. “Yes, well—”
“It’s your business.” She left the lab. “Let me know when you make some progress on that crossbow.”
Donatello ground his teeth together before forcing his jaw to relax. He knew that he should at least say something to his brothers, but it still terrified him. He didn’t want to see them again and have to let go a second time. It would hurt too much.
Though maybe opening the door for Karai or another ancestor wouldn’t be the worst idea. He’d neglected them for too long.
Whatever. He could think about it after he drew a blueprint for this weapon. Maybe.
“Shelldon, you’re supposed to be helping!” Donatello snapped at his drone who had rushed by giggling for the seventh time. Clearly doing tricks through a made up obstacle course from protruding pieces of junk.
Jase shook his head when he smiled. “Let him have some fun. You’re such a stickler.”
Donatello rested his hand and his wrist against his hips. “Need I remind you of the very dangerous drone race you dragged him into by encouraging this behavior.”
“Okay,” Jeremy joined in the conversation as he came over with a stack of various metal sheets. Probably ripped from other machines. “But the junkyard is way safer for this sort of thing.”
Donatello just redirected his glare, then stuck his nose in the air. “Fine. But if he crashes into something and Repo insists I pay for it all, he’s going to be working that off.”
“Hear that Shelldon?” Jase called out. “Better make sure to steal extra money from the ATM later.”
“Don’t say that out loud.” Donatello grabbed his friend’s shoulder and shook him. “Repo’s going to be demanding some of it anyway.”
Jase just laughed and gave a half hearted shove to get Donnie off. He smiled wide enough that he squinted, making his eyes all the more captivating.
It made Donatello lose whatever he planned to say next and he just stood there.
“So,” Jeremy interrupted. “This the kind of stuff you were looking for?”
He forced his attention on the pile. “Yes, actually. I can work with this. I still need to find enough wood scrap for that crossbow though.”
“Why not just make all of it metal?” Jase tilted his head.
“Part of it will be, but I think Frida will feel more comfortable with the wood given that’s what her old one was made of.”
“Who?” Jeremy asked.
“Uh…” Donatello forgot he failed to fill the guy in on all of this. “Another turtle. Not related to me. We recently picked her up.”
“Oh, cool. Did you just uh… find her on the side of the road or something?”
“No! It’s… complicated. Apologies, I can discuss it at length another time.”
“Yeah, no worries. We’re still getting lunch after this, right?”
True, a restaurant would be a better place for a long talk. Donatello nodded and then began to pick through the scrap as the guys went to find more. Shelldon kept on laughing and looping around the yard.
Donatello sorted through the stuff his friends left, leaving most of it inside a crate to take home later and casting the rest aside onto the nearby pile. Jase then returned with actual wood scraps. Pieces that must have come from doors, handrails, and maybe even old playgrounds.
“Any of this help?”
He immediately tossed out one piece that had too much rot to recover. “Some of it can certainly be worked with. Thank you.” He straightened back up to look his friend in the eye. “You do make this go by so much faster.”
Jase hummed in agreement, glancing behind Donnie and then back at him. “I know I ask over the phone a lot, but are you doing alright? Injuries still healing?”
“Fully healed by now.” He rolled his shoulder. “And yes, still fine. As nervous as Frida makes me at times, I believe she is safe to keep around.”
“And Big Mama?”
Donatello frowned. “Casey mentioned some of her underlings tried to snag Frida near the brownie headquarters. With her permission, I have since set up some additional security measures there and at her apartment. No sense in letting my friends get snuck up on.”
Jase’s gaze moved down. “Aren’t you worried about her tracking you down as well?”
“A bit. But I’m mostly still worried about Holly Blue.” The wasp stayed in the Hidden City most of the time. A miracle nothing happened to her yet. Maybe Big Mama wanted to focus on getting Frida back before anything else. But why not just snatch up the wasp and threaten them again? Too afraid of the potential backlash if it got to the presses?
Jase rolled his lip between his teeth. “You know, I could try and—”
Donatello sighed. “Jase, don’t get involved.”
His friend glared. “I want to help.”
“I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Well I don’t want you getting hurt either.” Jase reached out and pressed a finger to Donnie’s chest, right next to the crater in his plastron. “I can help keep an eye on the Brownie Headquarters or whatever. Let me talk to Casey.”
“Jase—”
“I’m not going to sit around and do nothing while you do a bunch of dangerous shit.” His friend raised his voice louder than he ever had.
Donatello stood there, staring at his sharp, black eyes.
Jason let out a sigh and stepped back. “Look, Donnie, I know I seem useless but—”
“You’re not useless!” He immediately snapped. “I promise I don’t think that. I just… Jase I’ve already lost so many people. I almost lost another recently. I don’t want to think about you…”
Something in his chest screamed. He wanted to take Jason’s hand, pull him close, find any way to make it abundantly clear that Donnie cherished him more than he probably should.
But he shouldn’t be this hesitant. He’d learned his lesson more than once that no good came out of keeping his family and friends away from the danger. They always faced it better together.
“Fine,” Donatello sighed. “I’ll let you talk to Casey. But you’re going to need to keep up with mystic security on top of regular stuff.”
“Just show me. It can’t be that hard.”
“Smart ass.” Donatello jabbed his friend in the side and Jase let out the cutest yelp when he jumped away.
“Don’t do that.” The human grumbled.
“No?” Donatello found himself smirking. “Ticklish?”
“Stop.”
He didn’t. He tried to strike again only for Jase to weave out of the way. Then it turned into a chase around the mountains of junk. Jason shouted at him to stop but laughter could be heard between it all.
Donatello finally caught up, but as he attempted to grab hold of his friend’s hoodie, Jase tripped. Donnie slammed into his back and they both hit the dry ground. A cloud of dirt made him sneeze as he tried to push himself up.
Jase lay under him, on his side until he rolled onto his back. Dust covered his black hair and even part of his glasses.
Donatello snorted and pulled the lenses off. “You’ve got to work on your balance.”
Unfortunately the smug feeling vanished when Jase glared at him again. Fuck, hell, he looked even more gorgeous without his glasses. Or at least his eyes did. The long lashes catching the last bits of stray dust.
Were his cheeks turning pink? No, of course they were. They just ran around the junkyard. “Donnie are you g-gonna get off?” What was with the stutter?
But the softshell pushed himself up and offered his arm so Jase could follow. He handed the glasses back and his friend carefully wiped them with his shirt before putting them on.
“You okay?” Donatello finally asked. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“I’m fine.” He said that just as he lifted his hand to adjust the lenses again. A massive red scrape ran up the side of his palm.
Donatello immediately snatched it and studied it. “Fine my ass.”
“It’s literally just a scrape.”
“We should still get it disinfected. It’s bleeding.”
Jase pulled his hand back, cheeks even darker than before. “Fine, fine. I’ll go to Repo’s to get the first aid kit.”
Donatello began to follow only for Jase to insist he’d take care of himself. Then he broke into a sprint and disappeared around a pile of junk.
Donatello’s shoulder sagged. Ugh, he’d really ticked his friend off this time. He needed to apologize better.
Shelldon appeared a few moments later, hovering down in front of him. “So…”
He frowned. “So what?”
“Did you and Jase kiss or something?”
“Wh—” Donatello sputtered and almost swiped his drone right out of the air. “What are you talking about? Why would we be doing that?”
Shelldon let out a not very innocent sounding whistle as he drifted up and down. “No reason. Hey anyway, Jeremy found some more cool stuff, come look.”
Donatello really didn’t like his mechanical son’s tone. Definitely up to something. But that running wore him out just enough that he wouldn’t keep questioning it. Better to sort out the rest of the scraps and get some food.
He really needed to focus on work again and not this worsening crush.
Donatello spent too much time fiddling with Frida’s crossbow. He needed to shift his attention. Especially with that tour of his lab scheduled for tomorrow.
So after getting some water and a snack, he decided to shift gears. He opened the portal to his lab, despite the late hour, and stepped inside.
The blare of the alarm greeted him.
Donatello’s heart stopped. He closed the portal and summoned a staff and his prosthetic. The interior of his lab seemed undisturbed, everything right where he left it and the lights off apart from the flashing ones overhead.
Without any other suspicious sounds or movements, he darted to his computer. He opened the security details. Something outside had triggered it almost two hours ago.
Donatello shut the sound down and brought up the footage. Something approached the front of the lab, but he couldn’t hope to identify it. Not only was the figure cloaked—he presumed—but they must have something on them that the camera didn’t like. The visuals around the figure kept warping and distorting almost like a fish eye lens. Did yōkai have magic that could get around tech? He had to find an answer for that.
In the meantime, he kept trying to put the pieces together. What even triggered the alarm? The figure approached the wall and started doing… something. Impossible to tell with the distortion.
Donatello paused it and darted over to the front door. He listened carefully but heard nothing. Then he shifted over to the windows and tugged on the blinds to force them to rise up.
He immediately saw the paint. Part of a word smeared across the glass. But all he could make out was an M and a U.
Against his better judgement he unlocked the door and darted outside. He turned to finally see the full picture.
RETURN TO WHAT YOU ARE MUTANT TRASH
A chill ran over his shell and he didn’t hesitate to return to the safety of his lab, locked doors and all. Something kept his lungs from expanding all the way. What was that? What the hell was that? Where had it come from and why? Something left by Big Mama to scare him? Or maybe he’d sorely overlooked something about the culture in the Hidden City.
Maybe they were questions best answered by Holly Blue.
He went for his call stone that he kept in his desk drawer presently. After just a couple of moments of static, Holly Blue appeared.
“Donatello?” Her antenna sat low, probably annoyed. “Why are you contacting me at this hour?”
He frowned. “Someone painted something over my lab.”
“Pardon?”
“Someone painted a message over my lab.” He clarified and quoted the entire thing.
Her orange eyes shrunk. Her antenna went straight up.
“Is this something from Big Mama?” He asked. “The person who left it wouldn’t show up right on my camera and—”
“No, it… damn it.” Holly Blue sighed. “I should have mentioned it before, Donatello, but not every yōkai thinks mutants should… exist.”
He straightened up in an instant. “What?”
“It’s better now than it was. When I was mutated, however, they were far less forgiving. It’s one of the reasons I even ended up with Big Mama.” She ran her antenna through her hand. “Over time, a majority of the population couldn’t care less, I would say. What is one magical creature compared to another? But I’ve still gotten a threat letter or two, especially as my reputation grew.”
“Why didn’t you mention that before?”
“It wasn’t relevant.” She shrugged.
As if! A threat letter isn’t relevant? Someone could put her in danger and it just didn’t matter? He wanted to snap but held his tongue.
“I guess with your added publicity now, those yōkai are now aware of your presence and our growing popularity. I think they don’t like it. Did they break in?”
He shook his head. “No, just left that there and fled I presume. I haven’t watched all the footage.”
She hummed. “Well, we’ll need to clean it off before the tour tomorrow. If you can think of any additional ways to fortify the place, I would do it.”
Yeah, no kidding. He couldn’t shake the chill under his skin.
“Holly,” he had to add. “Your shop isn’t nearly as secure. If they show up there—”
“That isn’t your concern.”
“Stop saying that!” He shouted.
She glared at the screen. “Worry about your lab and I will worry about my shop. Now go and get some rest. Preferably at home and away from any potential threats.”
And with that she just hung up.
Donatello threw the stone onto the floor. It banged against the concrete and a corner of it chipped off, but the rest of it remained intact.
He didn’t get it. He didn’t get it at all! Why was she so damn insistent on refusing his help? As if it would even put him in danger to add some security to her building? Like she just wanted whoever this extremist was to show up at her place and—
Donatello clenched his teeth and even ground them together. He stomped up to the stone and snatched it off the floor before tossing it onto his desk this time.
He opened the portal and returned to his lab. “Shelldon?”
His drone flew off his dock. “Yeah?”
“We’re going to have to work double hard on cleaning duty. Early morning. Don’t let me sleep in.”
“I thought you were doing it tonight?”
“Change of plans.” He muttered and headed for his room. He tossed off his jacket and his pants before sinking into the mattress. Fear kept thudding against his ribcage.
Like Big Mama wasn’t enough of a threat to worry about. There were things like this too?
His mind raced. He couldn’t fall asleep. So Donatello slid out of bed and walked all the way to his father’s room, tapping on the door.
“Dad?” He whispered. “Mind if we crash in the TV room?”
His father grumbled as he rolled out of bed in the dark. But then he straightened up, his back popping as he did.
“Of course, Purple, lead the way.”