Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

April heard the girl scream just as she was reaching for the manhole cover.

She'd been in enough deadly/crazy situations to know that scream.

That girl was scared for her life.

April didn't think. She pulled her bat from her backpack, adjusted her glasses, and ran for it.

The screamer was easy to find. No sooner had April turned the corner did she see the victim as she raced past.

She was surprised that she recognized her. She didn't know the girl's name, but she was in her English class. She was shorter than everyone else in school, had platinum blonde hair, and almost never spoke.

Right then, though, she was certainly making herself heard. The reason why appeared soon enough.

It was a yokai, albeit no one the sixteen-year-old recognized. They seemed to be a cross between a dog and a raccoon with largely black fur. He was dressed in an electric blue pinstripe Italian suit that clashed horribly with his baby pink, too small fedora.

The girl, her backpack in a death grip, realized that she'd accidentally run into a dead-end alley. She turned around, her ice-blue eyes going everywhere as the raccoon dog came closer.

"Give it to me," he growled at her. "You took what was mine, and I want it back. Hand. It. Over."

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," the girl pleaded.

April'd been around a lot of bad people (human and yokai alike) while helping her brothers. Thus, she'd learned how to tell when someone was being honest.

The girl truly had no idea what he was talking about.

"You lying little thief!" He yelled, punching the wall above her head.

She seemed close to a panic attack. "I haven't stolen anything, I swear--"

"If you won't tell the truth, then you're coming with me!"

He raised his hand, as if to grab her.

April jumped out of hiding, her bat raised high.

The raccoon-dog-man never knew what hit him.

She poked him with her shoe after she knocked him down, and let out a tiny breath of relief when he gave a groan.

The girl was staring at April like she'd materialized out of thin air... Which, to be fair, she kinda had. Splinter's ninjutsu training must've been paying off...

"Are you okay?" She finally asked her classmate.

She gave a quick nod, looking confused but slightly less scared.

April gave the yokai one last look before she focused on the girl.

She and the Turtles hadn't really discussed what to do if a human saw them in action and knew who April was. Up until then, they'd kind of relied on the fact that most people couldn't alert the authorities about mutants in the sewers without either sounding crazy or exposing their activities in the process (the latter was the main reason why they didn't worry about the Purple Dragons as much, even if they had busted out of juvie again). 

But this girl... She was an innocent. And while April didn't know her too well, her intuition told her that she was trustworthy. And her intuition was almost always right...

Besides, she'd almost been kidnapped by a yokai. She deserved an explanation.

She just hoped Raph and Donnie wouldn't kill her for this.

"Come on." April held out a hand to the (still shaking) girl. "I'll take you somewhere safe."

- - - -

The girl wasn't as hesitant as most people would be to enter a sewer tunnel (although she needed April's reassurance first that it was a storm sewer and not the other kind of sewer). 

"So," April began as they started the walk to the lair. "I know we have English class together--"

"And history."

"...And history," April amended, embarrassed she hadn't noticed the girl in her latter class. "But, um, I don't think I've ever caught your name?"

"Elsa. Elsa Queen. And it's okay, I try not to draw attention to myself."

She noticed the way Elsa looked at her boots instead of April. She was wearing dark blue jeans, a light blue long-sleeve top, gray-blue ankle boots, and a black sweatshirt with the hood up. Her hair was in a French braid, with said braid tucked over her shoulder. The nicest thing she was wearing was a dark blue pendant around her neck: the jewel was dark blue, probably sapphire or something, and shaped like an icicle. She walked with her eyes locked either right ahead or on her boots, only occasionally glancing at April as if to reassure herself that the other girl was still there.

She looked like she was afraid of attention... But for some reason she also seemed lonely.

"I'm twelve."

"What?" April asked, startled as she was pulled from her train of thought.

Elsa finally looked at her, then blushed. "Sorry, sorry... Most of the time when kids at school stare at me like that, they're trying to figure out how old I am."

"...You're twelve years old and you're in the eleventh grade?"

"...I worked ahead, and skipped a few grades."

"...Donnie's gonna love you..." April muttered so only she could hear.

"April?"

"Yea-- Wait, how do you know my name?"

Elsa blushed again. "The teacher's called your name in class a few times."

"Oh, gotcha. Anyway, what'd you want to ask?"

"...Well, you still haven't explained why we're going to your 'safe place' via sewer tunnel. I'll admit it's cleaner than the subway, but it's kind of unusual. Plus, you didn't seem as scared of that tanuki man as I was."

"The what man?"

"Tanuki, a Japanese raccoon dog. I did a report about them last semester. And you're dodging my question: do you know more about what's going on than I do?"

April took a breath: there was know going back once she told Elsa.

She hoped her gut was right about this girl.

"Everything I tell you stays between us. You can't tell ANYONE. Got it?

"Got it." There wasn't any deceit in her eyes, so April decided it was worth the risk.

"Okay, this is gonna sound a little crazy--"

"I just got ambushed by a Tanuki Man and saved by a classmate I barely know with a glowing green bat. I think we're beyond what I will or won't believe."

That was a very good point.

"...What would you think if I told you that there's an entire city of yokai hidden in New York?"

- - - -

"...So your friends--"

"Brothers. They've been my little brothers since I was eleven."

"Right, sorry. Your brothers are genetically modified mutants created by an evil mad scientist?"

"Yep, though the scientist is on our side now."

"And they were raised by a former human who got mutated into a rat man?"

"Yep."

"And there's an entire society of magic yokai living right under our noses who hate humans?"

"'Hate' might be too strong a word, most of them just don't care about us. But, yeah, that's the gist of it."

"Okay... Wow."

Elsa had a look of shock on her face, though all things considered she'd taken the reveal way better than April might've thought. Though getting attacked by Tanuki Man might have made her more willing to believe it.

All the time she'd been telling her new friend about the Hidden City and the Turtles, they'd been walking through the sewers to the new lair.

The Hamatos had only been in their new home for about three weeks, but April thought the place had really come together. A surprising number of their belongings had survived Shredder's destruction, so other than a different layout the place wasn't much different from their old lair. Even Splinter's movie collection had survived (though he complained endlessly about how the collector's addition cover on one movie had been scratched).

April blushed when she realized she was basically bringing a stranger into their new home without warning them. She pulled out her phone and shot off a text to the last turtle she'd texted with, who turned out to be Leo.

Heads up, bringing a friend over. Hope its okay.

The slider texted back a second later.

mayhem driving your mom crazy again?

April thought about correcting him but didn't have time; they were ten feet from the entrance to the lair.

Elsa's eyes blew wide as she took in the lair, pulling her hood off her head. It was far homier than one would expect part of a sewer to be, not to mention bigger. The fairy lights, Mikey's art work on the walls, household items hand-built by Donnie, scuffs from skateboard wheels on the floor, the occasional shuriken here or there... April'd long grown used to the controlled chaos of the Hamato home (both the original and the new one). She could only imagine what it might look like to an outsider...

Just then, the Turtles came in from different parts of the lair. Leo'd probably told them that April was almost there and bringing Mayhem... Which was why they all froze when their eyes fell on Elsa.

She froze, too. Hearing about four mutant turtles probably hadn't prepared her what they actually looked like. 

"Hey, guys," April broke the silence, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. "Sorry I'm late, I got sidetracked. This is Elsa Queen, a friend from school. I know this is kind of out of nowhere, but--"

Mikey, naturally, was the first one to break out of his funk. He was across the room in a fraction of a second, hugging Elsa and talking a mile a minute.

"Hi, it's so cool to meet you, I'm Mikey! I almost never get to meet friendly humans, we're gonna be best friends! What's your favorite color? Food? Animal? Movie? You like painting? If you don't know how I can teach you! I'll show you how to paint rainbows first, they're so easy--"

"Let her breathe, Miguel," Leonardo cut him off, releasing the poor Elsa from Mikey's death-grip of a hug. "I'm Leo, the cooler turtle. Nice to meet you, sorry about Mikey, he hugs anything that doesn't run away first. And you are?"

"...Elsa," she managed, still looking surprised but not afraid (which April decided to count as a victory). 

As Leo kept chatting with Elsa, April found herself pulled aside by a not-very-happy-looking Raphael and Donatello.

"What were you thinkin'?" The snapping turtle asked, trying to keep his voice low. "We just finished settin' up the new lair, and you're already tellin' complete strangers where it is?"

"You know I wouldn't just bring in anyone off the street," she argued back. "It was a sensitive situation, and I didn't have a lot of options!"

"Care to elaborate on this sensitive situation, he said with air quotes?" Donatello asked, his drawn-on eyebrows showing he was not impressed.

"She's a girl in my class--"

"False," Donnie interrupted. "She doesn't seem old enough to be in the eleventh grade--"

"That's because she isn't. She's super smart or something and worked ahead. She's twelve years old and already on my level."

That made Donnie pause long enough for her to keep going.

"I was heading to the lair when I saw her get ambushed by a yokai. I don't know why: he kept saying she stole something from him, but she told him and me that she hadn't. They way she looked at him... She had to have been telling the truth. And trust me, that was definitely the first time she'd seen a yokai."

Raph's anger/worry/irritation started to melt away as April continued to tell the story. She knew that, while he wasn't always the most trustworthy of new people (they'd been betrayed too many times for that), the fact that this girl was younger than Mikey and had been ambushed left him concerned.

Donatello didn't look too convinced. "So she's a yokai victim, I'll admit that justifies saving her. But why bring her here? How do you know she won't tell all of her friends about this place?"

"She won't," April retorted. "I already told her how important it is that she keep you guys a secret. Besides, she's the quietest girl in school and doesn't like calling attention to herself. I'm willing to trust her. Besides, look at her: does she look untrustworthy to you?"

She gestured to where Leo was showing off his teleportation skills by opening a portal and sending Mikey from one end of the lair to the other, then back again. She watched with shock and fascination, then gave the two a polite round of applause. They both took (overly dramatic) bows.

The oldest turtle let out a sigh.

"Raph doesn't know about this..."

"I know you don't want to trust her right away," April admitted. "I get that. But you do trust me. So you can believe me when I say that she's harmless, and that she needs our help. At least until Tanuki Man, or whatever his name is, is dealt with. Okay?"

Raphael shot a glance at Donnie, who rolled his eyes.

"You two will make a decision regardless of what I say, so I'll abstain. If she stays, I'll tolerate her, but I'm reserving judgment on her until we know for certain she's not a threat."

April shrugged. "I'll take it."

Raph took another look at how well Leo and Mikey were getting along with Elsa, and seemed to make a decision.

"...Okay, we'll help her. But I'm trustin' you on this, April. The last thing we need is to lose another lair."

"Thanks, big guy. And don't worry, we can trust her. Hey, Elsa?"

The twelve-year-old looked over from where Michelangelo'd been showing off his nunchucks, and walked towards the other three.

"Raphael, right?" She asked as she walked up to the fifteen-year-old.

He looked at her suspiciously. "How'd you know?"

"April told me you wear a red mask... and that you're probably the tallest person I'll ever meet."

"What else did she tell you?" He asked, still clearly uncertain. April fought the urge to facepalm: subtlety was not one of Raph's strengths.

Elsa, however, wasn't dissuaded.

"She said you're the good guys... And that you might be the only ones who can help me with... What happened tonight."

"What did happen?" Mikey asked.

"Keeping secrets from us?" Leo joined in, looking offended (though April'd known him long enough to tell it was an act).

"Elsa was ambushed by a tanuki yokai earlier this evening. He's currently known as Tanuki Man due to his true name being unconfirmed, and based on what April told me about his appearance, his taste in fashion alone should put him behind bars."

"Donnie!" Raph and April glared at him while Elsa looked at her shoes in embarrassment.

"What?!" The soft-shell retorted. "A blue suit and a tiny pink hat? Excuse me for wanting someone to have better fashion standards!"

"That's not what--You know what, never mind," April gave up. "Leo, Mikey, it's true. Elsa got chased by a yokai tonight; I was able to knock him out and bring her here."

"Any idea why he'd come after you?" Leonardo asked. He was trying to act calm and cool, but his older sister saw the tension in his eyes.

"No," Elsa admitted. "He kept saying I stole something from him, but I've never stolen anything in my life. Then... I think he might've wanted to kidnap me. I never got a chance to find out, though, since April showed up..." She looked at the older girl. "I don't think I ever thanked you for that."

"It was implied," April dismissed her, caring more about the topic at hand.

"Why would he kidnap you?" Raph asked, a subtle growl in his voice. His role as older brother meant he had a VERY low tolerance for those who hurt kids, especially if it was for no reason.

"I swear, I don't know," the girl repeated, looking a little frightened at the snapper's anger. "All I did today was go to school, leave school, hang out in a pawn shop for a few minutes so I could wait out a rain shower, and then head home... Or, at least I tried to do that last part, before..." She trailed off.

"Pawn shop?" Mikey asked.

"The rain caught me off guard, and I knew I couldn't catch a cab at this time of day. So I just ducked into the first store I saw to wait it out. It turned out to be this old pawn shop. The owner told me that unless I bought something, he wouldn't let me stay, so I bought this."

She held up her pendant, letting the blue crystal shine in the light.

"Pretty," Leo commented.

"When the rain stopped, I left," she finished the story. "That's when Tanuki Man started chasing me. You know the rest."

"What was the name of the pawn shop?" Donnie asked, typing at his wrist computer.

She blinked in confusion, then took a second to think.

"It was... The Second Time Around. On Chambers Street."

Donnie finished typing, then swiped at a few screens.

"Confirmed," he stated. "The traffic camera on that part of Chambers has a view of that shop. Forty-seven... Now forty-eight minutes ago, it showed you leaving the store... And there's Tanuki Man. No wonder you think he came out of no where, he was using a Cloaking Broach to hide in plain sight. That must be why no one else panicked..."

"What's a cloaking broach?" Elsa asked. "And why does Donatello have access to traffic cameras?"

"Both are really long stories," April admitted.

"How'd you know my name?" Donnie asked, looking at her with obvious suspicion.

"April told me that Donatello wears a lot of purple and loves tech. I assumed that was you."

He raised a drawn-on eyebrow, but said nothing else.

"Okay, so..." Raph spoke up. "Looks like you're gonna need some protection for a while. Do you think your parents would believe you if you told them you were bein' stalked?"

Elsa turned red and looked at her boots.

"My parents are gone, right now... They're on a business trip."

"They left you by yourself?" Mikey asked, looking worried and saddened.

"Oh, no, they have someone watching me. It's just... They don't like it when I call them on business trips unless it's an emergency."

"...You got chased by a yokai and almost got kidnapped," Leonardo countered. "How is that NOT an emergency?"

"They think an emergency is anything involving death or financial ruin," she responded in a monotone.

"But, hey!" Mikey spoke up, clearly trying to lighten the conversation. "The important thing is that if your parents aren't around, we should make a game plan on how to keep you safe until Tanuki Man's dealt with... Ooh!" He grabbed her face, squishing her cheeks (making her blink in surprise). "What if you hung out here after school with us? Oh me gosh, we could hang out all the time!"

"I did not agree to that course of action," Donnie chimed in.

He, however, was the only one who disagreed.

"That's a good idea, Miguel," Leo spoke up, leaning on his younger brother as he spoke. "We keep Elsa away from Tanuki Man til he gives up, and she gets to see how incredibly awesome it is to hang out with four ninja turtles."

"I can walk with you to and from school, until you know the way," April agreed. "We have similar class schedules, so it won't be a problem."

"We can keep you safe," Raph promised (though the look in his eyes suggested he still wasn't sure about the twelve-year-old). "What'd'ya say?"

Elsa looked... conflicted. April saw her go through what seemed to be an entire mental battle before she looked at them with a smile.

"If you'll have me... That'd be great. Thank you."

In the back, Donnie sighed.

"Fine, I guess we're doing this. But I refuse to be the one to tell Papa."

"Tell me what?"

A bipedal rat the size of a very short man walked into the room, a cup of tea in his hands. He locked eyes with Elsa, who looked as shocked to see him as he was to see her.

"Right, forgot about that," April chided herself.

"Hey, Dad!" Leo greeted before putting his arm around the twelve-year-old. "Meet Elsa!

Chapter Text

"So, ever use spray paint before?" Michelangelo asked as he tossed Elsa a scarf.

"No," she admitted, and copied him when he tied his own scarf over his beak.

"That's okay, it's super easy!" He promised once their scarves were both in place. 

It was the day after she'd met the Hamato family... and been attacked by the Tanuki Man. She was amazed that she wasn't more shocked at everything she'd seen/learned in the last twenty-four hours... Maybe she was still processing it?

On the whole, the family seemed pretty nice: April, Michelangelo, and Leonardo had easily been the most welcoming. Raphael seemed... okay with her there, but he didn't seem to know what to think of her. Master Splinter, their dad, was... hard to read. He didn't seem to have a problem with her being there, but she hadn't seen him since then. Donatello didn't seem to like her at all: he gave her skeptical looks every time they crossed paths.

Before she could try and ask what she'd done to make him hate her (she hadn't even had a conversation with him!), Michelangelo had tugged her away.

That was how she found herself holding a can of spray paint, facing a blank wall.

"We just moved in here a few weeks ago!" Michelangelo told her as he shook his can of orange paint. "I loved our last lair, but I'd painted so much of it that I kinda ran out of space."

"What happened to your last home?"

"A giant demon ripped it up."

"...You're not kidding, are you?"

"Nope! Later we'll tell you all about it. But, hey, on the bright side, now we have a ton of new walls to paint! That's where you come in: just pick a spot and go nuts!"

"What should I paint?"

"Whatever you want! No one's gonna care... Well, Donnie hates it when you misspell things, but that's just him."

She gave a nod and stared at the section of wall he'd offered to her. She'd... Never been the artsy type. She'd doodled in her notebooks at school, sometimes. Maybe...

Before she could think too hard on it, she began spraying paint. After a while, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Startled, she almost dropped her can; she hadn't even heard him!

"Sorry!" Michelangelo apologized. "Didn't mean to scare you! I just wanted to see how you were doin'... This looks great!"

She'd ended up painting a collage of snowflakes. Her can of light blue paint had been perfect for it. Most of them were simple, but even she had to admit they'd turned out pretty nice.

"Thanks," she replied, glad the scarf was hiding her blush.

He then told her that they'd been painting for over an hour, and decided it was time for a break. He led her into his room, which was made out of an old subway train car. It was easy to tell which train car belonged to who: the cars were all painted with the same colors as the Turtles' masks. Michelangelo's was covered in graffiti, all in his signature shade of orange.

"So!" He leapt into his hammock while Elsa sat on a beanbag. "What do you do for fun?"

"...What do you mean?"

"You know, got any hobbies? Movies, crafts, sports...?"

“I mean… I watch movies sometimes. Or read. I mainly just do schoolwork.”

“...That’s it?”

“Well, my parents say that it’s really important. People who graduate high school early get more respect. That’s what they said, anyway. They think the more time I spend studying, the better.”

Michelangelo seemed…conflicted. “Don’t you have friends you hang out with?”

Her cheeks went red and she pulled her knees to her chest. “I… I don't like to try and socialize much. I tried when I was younger, back when I first started jumping grades. But everyone was a lot older than me and… Well, trying to make friends just got me picked on. Eventually I just stopped trying.”

She hadn’t heard the turtle get out of his hammock (she’d been staring at her boots while she talked) but suddenly his arms were around her. Leonardo’s words about him being a hugger went through her head.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “I’m sorry people were mean to you! I think it’s cool you’re smart enough to skip grades–”

She winced but he didn’t notice.

“--but you shouldn’t study so much!”

He let her go and wiped at his eyes (Had he been crying? Over her?) before smiling.

“Come on, we’ve got a while before April takes you home. We’re going to try out every kind of art I know about until then: cooking, origami, Raph might teach you how to knit if you ask…”

“Raphael knits?” She didn’t see him as the knitting type.

“Yeah, it helps him relax. He’ll show you how if you ask… Come on!”

He took her by the hand and all but dragged her out of his train car. The rest of that afternoon was spent trying numerous art forms in rapid succession: first cooking (she was a nightmare at making anything but sandwiches), then origami (she ended up with a wad of paper), then drawing (which she was decent at, but it was obvious her skills needed improvement). Raphael was busy with his punching bag, so they never got around to asking about a knitting lesson.

Eventually, it was time for her to go. Mikey gave her a big hug as April started leading her out of the lair.

“We can try out more art tomorrow, if you want. Oh! And I made these while you were drawing…”

He handed her a bracelet. It was rather simple, made of braided pale blue yarn that could be tied to fit on a wrist. Mikey wore a matching one made of bright orange yarn.

“Friendship bracelets! Now you always know you have a friend.”

Her eyes went misty. She took a page out of Mikey’s book and gave him a big hug.

The next day, shortly after Elsa arrived for her daily lair visit, Mikey found a bundle of brand-new, top-of-the-line paintbrushes sitting right outside his room. Thrilled as he was to get them, he briefly wondered where they came from… Before he decided they must have been a gift from April and resolved to thank her later.

Chapter Text

“You ready for this?” Leonardo shouted, a cocky grin on his face and a skateboard under his arm.

“Go for it!” Elsa returned from where she was watching. She hadn’t known what the skate ramp was for when she first saw it, which had led to Leonardo deciding he needed to show off his “mad skills”.

He put the skateboard down and hopped on, then leaned forward onto the ramp. She’d seen kids in Central Park on skateboards before, but she had to admit that Leonardo was very skilled. He pulled off jumps, turns, and tricks that she didn’t think were possible (though that was partially due to her lack of knowledge about skateboarding).

The only mistake the slider made was at the end, and it wasn’t his fault. As he jumped off the ramp and back onto solid ground, the skateboard seemed to wobble. Leonardo’s eyes went wide as he lost his balance and fell forward onto the ramp. His skateboard rolled back down the arced part, wobbling more.

“Are you okay?” Elsa asked as she tried to get up the ramp. She didn’t have to bother; Leonardo simply used his katanna to make a portal to get back to the floor. He looked more than a little upset.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he muttered as he went to his board. “But something’s wrong with my… Dang it!”

“What?”

“The trucks are worn out!”

“...The what?”

“The thingy that attaches the wheels to the board. When they wear out, the board becomes unstable. I won’t be able to ride this until Donnie makes some new ones. It took two weeks last time!”

“Sorry,” she apologized. Her only experience with upset people was dealing with her parents whenever they were mad. She found that simply saying sorry for whatever was upsetting them was the best way to get by.

The turtle noticed that she was uncomfortable, and his whole demeanor shifted. His posture became more relaxed and he appeared as though he didn’t have a care in the world (though his eyes were still sharp and focused on her).

“Nah, it’s no big deal. Don-Tron’ll make new ones eventually… He’ll definitely speed it up if the trucks on his board magically wear out…”

“Don’t sabotage Purple’s skateboard,” Splinter said without missing a beat as he walked past, a cup of tea in his hands as he made for the TV.

Leonardo looked upset at being caught, but didn’t push the issue further. Instead, his face lit up.

“Hey, April told you about the Hidden City, right?”

“Yeah?”

“You wanna see it for yourself?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she responded, shaking her head. “Tanuki Man is still out there and we still don’t know what he wants. For all we know, another yokai might hand me over to him. And April said most of them don’t like humans–”

“Some of them don’t like humans,” Leonardo corrected. “Big Mama sees them as labor for her hotel or in the Battle Nexus, Draxum used to hate them but he’s getting better… Honestly, most yokai just don’t care. April’s been to the Hidden City with us a bunch of times, and most yokai don’t give her a second look.”

“Even if most yokai won’t hurt me, how do we know we won’t run into Tanuki Man?”

“If we do, I’ll just portal us out of there… After I kick his butt. I’m a ninja, after all. I can handle whatever he can dish out. Promise.”

Elsa still wasn’t sure. But… She had been curious about the Hidden City since April told her about it. An entire city of magical people right under their noses… Plus, Leonardo said he’d protect her and he had magic swords… Maybe they could make a quick visit?

“Okay, but just a quick trip.”

The red-eared slider brightened. “Great!”

He took one of his swords from its scabbard. The stripes on his arms, legs, and face glowed as he swung, a portal appearing in front of them.

“Ladies first,” he drawled, gesturing for her to go through.

She hesitated only a second (she’d never traveled by portal before), then stepped through. It was as easy as walking through a door.

Leonardo was right behind her, with the portal closing behind him.

She stared in awe. The city in front of them was unlike any she’d ever imagined. Instead of metal and steel, the city seemed to be made mostly of organic matter (she noticed several giant skeletons doubling as buildings). People… yokai of all shapes and sizes were everywhere, simply going about their day. The city had a type of… energy that pulsed like a heartbeat, making it feel alive.

It was so different. So strange. So… beautiful.

“Cool, right?” Leo asked. They’d landed in an alley in the city, and no one nearby seemed to notice (or care) that two teenagers had appeared via portal. “We’re super deep underground. Donnie said something about the city only being a couple thousand feet from the outer mantle… Whatever that means. Draxum says that’s why the Hidden City is so warm all year round.”

With that, he put her hood over her head and started leading her out. While he acted calm, she noticed he seemed a little tense.

“I thought you said humans were okay here?” She whispered to him.

“Mostly,” he whispered back. “But better safe than sorry. Just in case that Tanuki guy is anywhere near… Or any of his friends. Plus, not all yokai are just going to let it go if they see a human here… If anyone asks, you’re a naked mole rat yokai, okay?”

“Are you serious?” She returned through clenched, anxious teeth.

“Hey, we’re already here!” He replied, still whispering as he watched the yokai around him. “I’ll just show you a few cool places and then we’ll go back. Deal?”

She wanted to say that it’d be better to leave right then and avoid being seen by ANY yokai until she knew Tanuki Man wouldn’t be an issue. But… The Hamatos were the first friends she’d had in… ever. She didn’t want to upset them and make them think she didn’t want to be their friend. She’d just have to grin and bear it until they were done. 

“Okay, but just a few places.”

Grinning, he took her on a brief tour of a few places he knew about. He showed her the entrance to a place called Witch Town (“It’s where April got her bat, but we can’t go in there because of what Donnie did last time he was there.”). Then he showed her a potions market Draxum and Mikey frequented, and quickly led her past the entrance to some sort of club (“They don’t like me there… You REALLY don’t wanna know.”).

He’d just started talking about going to some place called Run of the Mill when he paused. Two rabbit yokai were nearby, flipping through magazines on a nearby rack.

“Mind waiting here? I might have two potential dates,” he whispered to her.

She gave him a teasing grin.  “I thought I was your date?”

He chuckled. “Sorry, but you’re not my type.”

“Who is your type?”

“Dudes.”

“Then I’m definitely out of your league.” She grew a little nervous. “You sure I’ll be okay here?”

“Positive,” he replied. “Here–” He handed her one of his swords. “If you see something that scares you, just think of somewhere safe you want to go and portal there. I’ll be right back.”

Now with only one katanna, he walked over to where the two rabbit yokai were.

“Hey,” he began, a charming smile on his face. “You two from around here?”

The larger of the two rabbits gave him a look. “I’m his husband, buddy.”

“Oh, got it,” Leonardo replied,  his cheeks coloring with embarrassment. He backed away, not looking forward to Elsa’s reaction to what he’d just done…

Only she wasn’t there. And his katana was on the ground. And he could still smell the ozone-y scent of a recently closed portal.

“...This is bad,” he muttered as he picked up his katanna.

- - - -

She didn’t know where she’d ended up; it had happened so fast.

When Leonardo stepped away to flirt with the rabbit yokai, she’d looked around.

Her eyes had landed on the Tanuki Man.

He was still wearing that awful blue suit and pink hat, and he now bore a black eye (courtesy of April). He hadn’t been facing her, but that had been a small comfort.

Without thinking, she’d taken the turtle’s sword and swung, creating a portal in mid air. While trying to think of a safe place, the thought of pizza randomly went through her mind. She was panicking too much to care: as soon as the portal was open, she ran. She dropped the sword in the process but didn’t realize it until the portal closed. 

She was about to pull out her phone and text April when the room flooded with light. 

She was in a store room; boxes of napkins, straws, paper cups, paper plates, and other restaurant paraphernalia were all around. Standing in the doorway was a yokai. He looked a bit like a giant mouse (though she doubted that’s what he was), had a curly blonde afro and a noticeably large blonde mustache.

“Hey,” he asked with a high-pitched voice, sounding more curious than mad. “How’d you get back here?”

“...I don’t know if you’d believe me…” She began.

“Heh, try me. Since you aren’t panicking yet, I’m guessing you already know about yokai?”

She nodded. His friendliness was putting her a little at ease.

“I was with my friend in the Hidden City. He has these swords that can make portals, and–”

“Hold on. Was this friend a red eared slider with a blue bandanna?”

She blinked. “Yes.”

“I should’ve known; bringing a human into the Hidden City is exactly something he’d do. Come on out of here, no need to be afraid. The name’s Todd Capybara.”

“I’m Elsa, Elsa Queen.”

He led her out into a restaurant. Despite it being late in the afternoon, the place was surprisingly empty.

“This is Run of the Mill, a popular yokai pizzeria,” Todd explained as he gestured for her to sit on a barstool. “Michelangelo recommended a while back that I partner with the owner to sell my famous lemonade. Turned out to be a good idea: the profits were so good that Hueso could afford to do some renovating. The renovations finished this morning; the grand re-opening is tomorrow.”

“Hueso?” She asked.

“That’s Señor Hueso.”

She turned and nearly shrieked (though thankfully she stopped herself). Another yokai walked into the room, this one a walking skeleton. He had a small mustache, and was dressed in a red and gray suit with a matching hat.

“Hey,” Todd cheerfully greeted him. “Don’t worry about her, she’s a friend of the Hamatos.”

“Ay caramba, another one,” he muttered. “Let’s hope she’s more like that O’Neil girl.”

“‘She’ can hear you,” Elsa replied, her fear of Señor Hueso already forgotten. “Do the Turtles come here a lot?”

“As much as they can,” Todd agreed as he got a glass from a nearby cabinet and opened a fridge behind the bar. “Hueso thinks they can be annoying, and I’ll admit they’re a little more… spirited than some would like. But they’re nice kids, and they’ve managed to do some good. For humans and yokai alike.”

He pushed a glass of lemonade towards her. “On the house. Any friend of theirs is a friend of mine!”

“Thank you,” she replied as she took the drink. Her eyes lit up; if all of Todd’s lemonade was this good, then she could see why the pizzeria was so popular.

“Now,” Todd began. “Mind telling us exactly how you got caught up with the Turtles? While I wouldn’t put it past them to befriend another human, they’re usually pretty secretive.”

She sighed. “It’s a long story, and to be honest I don’t have all the details yet.”

“Leonardo will come for you before long,”  Señor Hueso commented, pushing a plate in front of her. Two slices of pepperoni pizza were on it, both still steaming. “If he hasn’t figured out you’re here already, he’ll come here begging us for help and find you anyway. Either way, it’ll take a while. So you might as well talk.”

Elsa sensed the pizza was a bribe, but she was pretty hungry…

She ended up telling them everything that had happened between her and the Tanuki Man, and how she’d met the Hamatos. The two yokai listened intently… though she noticed Señor Hueso staring at her necklace.

“And you have no idea why he attacked you?” Todd asked, his voice kind and his eyes worried.

“No,” she answered honestly. “He said I stole something, but I’ve never stolen anything. Maybe he mistook me for someone else…?”

“Or you could have taken something of his without realizing it,” the skeleton spoke up, eyes still locked on the necklace. “That pendant. Where did you get it?”

“I bought it at a pawn shop the other day. I just ducked in there to get out of the rain; they wouldn’t let me stay unless I bought something. I thought the necklace was pretty–”

“The pawn shop owner,” Todd asked, his eyes serious. “Was he wearing any kind of jewelry? Maybe a broach?”

She racked her memory. “Yeah… Yeah, he was. It was a tie tack… Though it might have been a broach. It was a lime green color.”

The two yokai shared a look before Señor Hueso held out a hand. 

“May I see your necklace?”

Surprised, she nodded and took it off. The skeleton held the pendant in his hand, staring at it for a moment.

“Is something wrong?” She asked nervously.

“While a lot of yokai prefer to live in the Hidden City,” Todd began to explain, “some choose to have their homes or businesses in New York, among humans. They can hide among them by using mystic pieces of jewelry called Cloaking Broaches.”

She nodded; Donatello had mentioned those.

“It looks like you might’ve gone into a yokai’s pawn shop by mistake,” the capybara finished. “This necklace might have some sort of mystic power, or be of some value to the yokai who’s after you.”

Elsa gulped in fear. “Is the necklace… Dangerous?”

“From what I can tell, no,” Señor Hueso answered, handing the pendant back to her. “My brother and I briefly sold enchanted jewels, and I can tell when I see a dangerous one. That necklace does have power, but it’s nothing I can detect.”

“So… What should I do?”

“Keep it on you, no matter what,” Todd insisted. “Mystic necklaces are meant to protect their wearer, no matter the power. You keep that away from the tanuki yokai no matter what; if he wants that necklace bad enough to hunt a human for it, then it must be something powerful. Understand?”

She put the necklace back on, nodding.

Just then, the restaurant’s front door burst open.

“SeñorHuesoToddyouguyshavetohelpme!”

Leonardo raced in, eyes wide in panic. “I brought my friend to the Hidden City because she’s never seen it before and I wanted to show it to her but there was an accident with my swords and now I don’t know what to do plus there’s some kind of tanuki yokai after her and I don’t know what he wants or if he’ll hurt her– Oh, hi, Elsa—  and I’m starting to freak out a little bit so can you guys tell me if you’ve seen her…”

He finally realized that Elsa was sitting at the bar, looking at him with amusement and bewilderment.

“Elsa!” He ran over and hugged her. “I am so so sorry. I never meant for you to get lost and we never should have gone to the Hidden City. It’s okay if you hate me for it, I totally deserve it, but please know I’m so sorry–”

“Leo, it’s okay!” She finally got a word in edgewise. “I’ve been here with Todd and Señor Hueso the whole time! I’m not mad!”

If he was this apologetic over something that wasn’t really his fault, then she hoped she never got mad at him.

He finally calmed down, and searched her face for a second. When he saw she was sincere, he got a relieved smile and turned to the skeleton and capybara.

“Thanks so much you guys, I don’t know how to thank you–”

Smirking, Señor Hueso picked up Elsa’s emptied dishes and handed Leo a piece of paper.

“Here’s the bill.”

- - - -

“So, wait, your necklace is magic?” April asked, eyeing the blue pendant.

“That’s what they said,” Elsa shrugged as they started to walk back. Leo was coming with them, acting as extra protection (she could tell he still felt a little guilty). “Todd says that I should keep this from Tanuki Man at all costs; if it’s that powerful, then it shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“Well said,” April agreed. “At least now we know why he’s after you. We’ll keep you out of the Hidden City until then. I’m sorry, but it’s safest that way.”

“I’m really, really sorry,” Leo apologized again. He seemed so upset he’d put her in danger; he hardly looked like the cocky turtle she’d seen earlier that day.

“And I keep telling you I’m not mad,” Elsa said again. “You can stop blaming yourself, okay?”

He looked unsure, but nodded. As the girls neared the manhole cover that let out on their street, he held out a hand to Elsa. 

“Friends?”

She grinned back. “Friends.”

- - - -

The next day, shortly after April and Elsa came from school, Leo found a shopping bag containing brand new skateboard trucks sitting on his skateboard. He assumed Splinter ordered them for him and resolved to thank his father when he woke up from his nap.

Chapter Text

School had been a bit nerve-wracking that day.

Not because of the coursework (with all the studying she did it was fairly easy) or the other students (if she was quiet they didn't go near her), but because it was the first time in two weeks she'd felt alone.

April was out with food poisoning ("NEVER eat anything Donnie cooks," she'd warned Elsa over the phone), meaning that Elsa would have to go back to the lair alone for the first time since meeting the Hamatos.

As the math teacher wrapped up the lesson (geometry was the last class of the day), Elsa took a deep breath.

It didn't matter if April wasn't there; she'd befriended Leo and Mikey, Raphael was... okay with her, Master Splinter never left the TV room and Donatello never left his lab. She'd be okay in the lair without her.

Everything would be fine.

- - - -

She was fine until she got into the lair. Rather than hearing a few teenage voices (they were VERY loud for ninjas), she found a note taped to the wall as she walked in. "To Elsa" was written on it in an orange sparkly marker.

Taking it down, she read it.

"Elsa, Donnie's cameras saw Meat Sweats trying to rob a food bank in the Bronx. We can handle it, but we've dealt with the pig before and it'll probably take a while. Make yourself comfy, and we'll be back in a few hours!"

The note was signed by Mikey (though the fact that it was covered in orange doodles gave away who the writer was long before that).

"Meat Sweats?" She asked aloud, wrinkling her nose a little at the name.

While she was upset that she wouldn't be spending time with Mikey or Leo, she was relieved that there wouldn't be any awkward silence between her and Raphael (or any of Donatello's random, searching glares). 

She'd done her homework in study hall, so she was left without much to do. She was debating just pulling a book from her bag and reading when she heard a noise from the TV room.

"I'll get you, Boss Level!"

"...What?"

Too curious to ignore it, she followed the noises and found herself in the TV room.

Master Splinter, a look of determined glee on his face, was focused on the TV. Some eighties video game was playing (the poor graphics were a dead giveaway of its age), and the rat mutant's fingers were flying across the controller.

The TV gave several victorious beeps, triggering a cheer from Splinter... who only then noticed Elsa watching him.

They stared for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"The boys gave me this a while ago," he explained. "'Hot Soup: The Game'. It's my first time beating the boss level..."

"...There's a whole game about making soup?" Elsa asked, her confusion obvious.

He gave her an incredulous look. "It's Lou Jitsu's catchphrase."

"...Who?"

Now he looked offended. "You've never seen a Lou Jitsu movie?"

Her heart sped up. Bad things happened when adults got mad.

"No, no, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Maybe if she booked it to Mikey or Leo's room, she could hide until he calmed down...

It was Splinter's turn to look startled.

"What are you apologizing for? I'm not mad, just... surprised."

He... He wasn't mad?

She slowly relaxed.

Splinter cleared his throat, and switched the TV (which she realized was more of a heavily-modified projector) to a different setting. Then he got off his chair and went to a shelf. She noticed that it was full of DVDs and old VHS tapes.

"My sons and I have a similar taste in movies... Well, their favorite movies are Jupiter Jim, but my favorite is their second-favorite."

"Let me guess: Lou Jitsu?"

He nodded, pulling out one of the older-looking tapes.

"This is my first, so why don't we start with this one?"

"You mean it's the first Lou Jitsu movie you watched?"

"...Didn't April tell you?"

"...Tell me what?"

He paused, then took a breath.

"Did April tell you I used to be human?"

"Yes," Elsa nodded, wondering where this was going. "She said your real name is Hamato Yoshi."

"That is true," he admitted. "But over thirty years ago, when I first came to the U.S., I had a career as an action film star."

Her eyes went wide as she connected the dots.

"You're Lou Jitsu?"

"I am... Or, I was." He sighed. "It took me a long time to accept that the life I once had is over, and I sometimes still miss it. But I've finally made peace with my life now; I have my sons, April, and our home. That's all I need now."

He turned around and put the VHS in the VCR. "Sit down anywhere. I'm doing you a favor by letting you watch one of the films without my sons here; the next time you watch a film with them, they'll talk over each other trying to explain it to you."

"Not ones to let someone sit and enjoy a movie, huh?"

"That's putting it lightly. Mark my words, the first time you watch a movie with them, Blue will describe the plot in excessive detail and say the one-liners at the same time as the actors, Orange will start jumping on the furniture during the action scenes, Red will hug the nearest person during the intense parts, and Purple will either describe the special effects in detail or be on his phone the whole time."

He sighed and shook his head (though she could see the fondness in it).

As the previews played, Splinter sighed again.

"Frankly, it's a miracle we can still watch these films at all. The Shredder's destruction of our first lair cost us several belongings, including one of the films."

"Which one?"

"Hawaiian Hot Soup. It was filmed on location. It's not the best of my movies, in fact it had the lowest ratings of any of them. But it was filmed on location, and it was my first time in Hawaii. I loved it more for the memories than the film itself."

She nodded.

The film itself began. At first, she couldn't pay attention to the plot: she was too caught up in trying to figure out how Lou Jitsu and Master Splinter were one and the same. Appearance wise, they couldn't be more different (especially with the over-the-top eighties hairstyle Lou Jitsu had). But upon comparing their voices, she realized that they sounded a lot alike.

All in all, the film was pretty good. 

When it finished, she gave it a short round of applause. Splinter had a humble smile on his face.

"Thank you, but that was hardly my best film. My best movies came a few years later..."

"Could I ask you something?"

"You just did. But go on."

"If you loved being a movie star so much, why'd you stop?"

He froze, and let out a very deep sigh.

"In the end, it wasn't my choice. My movie career lasted about ten years. When I was in my late twenties, I met a woman. We dated for about three years... I was in love with her. Madly in love. After the release of what turned out to be my final movie, I planned on proposing to her... And she kidnapped me."

Elsa gasped, eyes widening.

"It turned out that she was a yokai... specifically a jorogumo."

"What's a jorogumo?"

"A Japanese spider demon. They appear as beautiful women to lure people to them, only revealing their true form once they've captured them. That's what Big Mama did to me..."

"Leo told me about her. He said she owned a hotel and a gladiator ring."

"The hotel is just a front for her dealings in the Hidden City. She leads a criminal empire, and isn't afraid to hurt, abduct, or kill whoever she has to so long as she gets what she wants. The Battle Nexus is her biggest source of business: she hires, coerces, or kidnaps the strongest fighters she can find and forces them to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowd. Most of the time, she uses yokai... but other times, she becomes interested in human fighters..."

He trailed off, staring at the now blank TV.

"Master Splinter?" She asked, tentatively. "It's okay, you don't have to--"

"She kept me there for ten years. Every day, I was only brought out to fight for the entertainment of others... and if I lost, I died."

"How'd you escape?"

"Technically, I didn't. Baron Draxum got me out."

"The mad scientist yokai?"

"The same. He needed a strong human test subject for his experiment. When he heard about Big Mama's powerful human champion, he decided I was exactly what he needed. He took me right from my cell... and I was grateful."

He shook his head. "At least I was, until I learned what he needed me for. He used my DNA to create the Turtles, intending to raise them as his super soldiers. The first of an army that he'd use to wipe out humanity... I couldn't let that happen to them. So I broke out, set the lab on fire, and escaped, the Turtles in my arms."

He gave a rueful laugh. "On the way out, a rat I was trying to save bit me. Seconds later I got blasted with mutagen. Hence why I look like this."

Elsa let out a breath. "Wow... I... I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry all of that happened to you."

"It was thirteen years ago... almost fourteen, now, with Red's birthday coming up..." He shook his head. "I've finally moved on. Besides, Orange was right about Draxum. He has been making a lot of progress in the last few months. Granted, he and I aren't exactly friends, but we have... an understanding. He's accepted his role as a parent to the Turtles, even if only two of them are willing to trust him."

Elsa nodded, still in shock at everything poor Splinter had gone through. It made some of the punishments she'd gotten in her life seem mild...

Voices started coming from the tunnels.

"Based on how far you threw him into the sea and his trajectory, I'd say he landed somewhere near Ellis Island. And, according to the traffic cameras, the police already recovered the crates of stolen food. They're being returned to the food bank as we speak."

"Good, Raph doesn't want to think about those poor people goin' without food. I know how I feel when I miss a meal."

"I still can't believe I managed to throw him like a skipping stone! I got twenty skips!"

"Yep, another successful mission. Guess you can say Meat Sweats didn't bring home the bacon."

There were several groans.

"The peace was nice while it lasted," Splinter commented as he turned around in his chair and shouted in the Turtles' direction. "In here, boys!"

They all filed into the TV room, looking surprised to see Elsa. Mikey and Leo instantly sat on either side of the couch, sandwiching her between them. Raphael still looked a little unsure, but he gave her a tentative smile before sitting down. Donatello gave her an unreadable look before he took the seat closest to his father and furthest from her.

Master Splinter chose that moment to tell the Turtles that Elsa had just watched her first Lou Jitsu movie, and hadn't seen any of the others. The four of them were shocked and immediately started bickering over which film to show her (finally settling on one of their collective favorites). As the rat had predicted, Leo quoted all of Lou Jitsu's one liners, Mikey started rocking on the couch during a motorcycle chase scene, Raphael hugged Mikey during a rather scary fight scene (not letting go until it was over), and Donatello spent most of the film on his phone (except to point out how the villain's anti-martial arts weapon wasn't scientifically possible).

When it was time to go home, Elsa got a text from April saying she'd need another day to recover before she could come to the lair again. She texted back, telling her to get all the rest she needed. The idea of going to the lair alone didn't scare her anymore.

- - - -

The next morning, Splinter was digging through his box of movies when he gasped for joy. Sitting near the top of the box was a vintage copy of Hawaiian Hot Soup! He wondered where it had come from... before remembering that Purple had mentioned going to the old lair to see if there was anything he could salvage. He must have found the film in the wreckage and cleaned it up.

Chapter Text

Things had been quiet when he woke up, but that wasn't anything to worry about. Raph was used to the quiet when he got up in the morning: that's what he got for being the family's earliest riser. That day, though, he'd slept in for the first time in who knew how long.

Dad had said he'd go out and get breakfast, which meant it would be at least ten before he got back (unless Mikey got bored and made toast or something while they waited).

Raph looked at his clock as he tied on his mask. It was a little after nine... He must've really been out.

Confused, he looked out of his train car. It wasn't unusual for Leo or Donnie to still be asleep at that time in the morning (Leo's insomnia was no secret and Donnie often stayed up late to work on projects), but Mikey was usually up by then, if not to make breakfast than to paint, skateboard, or play video games.

But he couldn't hear his youngest brother at all... and that worried him. NONE of his family members were quiet.

"Anyone here?" Raph called as he started walking through the lair, trying to calm his steadily climbing heart rate.

He took out his phone to try and shoot a text to the group chat... only to find that he'd never plugged his phone in the night before and it was dead. He gave a huff of annoyance as he put his phone on the charger by the lair entrance.

He searched the whole lair for anyone, and didn't find anything. Not even a note. 

He... He was alone.

"No, no, no," he muttered, his breathing getting faster. "No, Raph's alone, Raph can't be alone..."

Everything started spinning, and he was cold... His chest hurt, his fingertips and toes were getting tingly... Why was it so hard to breathe...?

Tears started to stream down his face as he ran through the lair, looking for any of his family.

- - - -

Elsa used to dread Saturdays: they were just a day where she was expected to sit in her room and study, making no noise.

But now, she could look forward to spending the whole day at the lair. Since April had fully recovered from her food poisoning (Mikey had sent the girls a text saying Donnie had gotten his second lifetime ban from the kitchen), she'd be at the lair, too.

As she started to walk through the sewer tunnels, though, her phone started ringing. She saw it was Leo, and picked up.

"Hey, what's--"

"Elsathisisimportantareyouonyourwaytothelair?"

"What? Leonardo, slow down, I can't understand you."

"Are you on your way to the lair?"

"Yeah, I'm heading there now. Is everything okay?"

"No. One of Donnie's silent alarms near April's apartment was triggered, and everyone went to check on it... except Raph, cause he was asleep. We thought we'd be right back, but it turns out that the silent alarm was triggered by Repo Mantis and we need to track him down."

"Who's Repo Mantis?"

"Long story. Bottom line: Raph's home alone, and he's terrified of being alone. We've all tried calling him, but he's not picking up."

Oh. Elsa nodded, starting to understand.

"Well, I'm not far from the lair. I'll get to him as soon as I can."

"Thanks. Be careful, I don't know how long he's been awake, and he might be... crazy."

He hung up before she could ask what he meant.

She started running for the lair, slowing down only when she got through the entrance.

"Raphael?" She called. "It's Elsa!"

Nothing. She dropped her bag on the floor next to the lair entrance, and saw Raphael's cell phone charging. It was only at five percent... That must've been why Leo was freaking out. If Raphael didn't know where anyone was and couldn't contact them...

She started searching the lair, looking for the snapping turtle. She called his name, searched any place she could think of (which was hard since she didn't have the lair's layout memorized yet), but hadn't found anything.

She was starting to wonder how such a big turtle could hide so easily when she found him in the TV room.

He was pressed against the wall, eyes unfocused. His breathing was fast, erratic, coming out as high-pitched gasps. He was shaking all over, and was curled up in as tight a ball as he could manage.

Elsa froze. Was... Was he having a panic attack? Her school's health class had covered those once, and she briefly struggled to remember what to do.

The teacher said to stay calm... He's already in a quiet place so there's no need to move him... I need to remind him to breathe and let him know I'm here.

"Raphael?" She asked quietly, slowly getting closer. "Can you hear me?"

He gave no response, so she kept getting closer.

"You need to breathe. Take deep breaths with me, okay? In, and out."

She didn't know if he was listening but she started taking deep breaths. Thankfully, he started copying her.

After a minute of breathing, he seemed to calm some: his breathing was more even. But he was still shaking and hadn't gotten out of his fetal position.

"May I touch you?" She asked. She'd heard that touch could worsen panic attacks in some people, but for others it helped ground them.

"...Please," he whispered, eyes starting to focus again.

Moving slowly she sat next to him and put a hand on his arm. She started speaking quietly, repeating the same phrases like a mantra.

"Everything's okay, you're not alone, and you'll get through this. Everything's okay, you're not alone, and you'll get through this..."

After a few minutes of the whispered words, the shaking stopped. His breathing evened out even more, and his eyes began to focus again.

She looked around, and saw a football lying nearby (partially hidden under a blanket). She picked it up, not questioning why it was there in the first place, and put it in Raphael's hand. 

His thumb ran across it, and he took another, deeper breath. He started to fully relax, coming out of the fetal position and stretching his legs out.

Finally, he looked at her.

"...Thank you, Elsa."

"You're welcome... What happened?"

"Raph... Raph doesn't do too good when I'm alone. I get scared... or weird."

She wondered why he referred to himself in the third person, but decided to just go with it.

"Do you have separation anxiety?"

"Mikey thinks so, he's kinda the expert on all things mental health around here... Do you know where everyone is? I know Dad said somethin' about goin' to get breakfast, but I don't know where..."

He started tensing up again, so she quickly responded.

"Leo called me when I was walking to the lair. Donatello's cameras saw someone named Repo Mantis stealing April's building's alarm system, and they all had to go deal with that. You were still asleep and they forgot to wake you or let you know where they were going. He got really nervous when he couldn't call or text you."

Raph let out a sigh. "They'll be back soon?"

"Once Repo Mantis is taken care of... Whoever he is."

"Mutant praying mantis we have to deal with sometimes. He likes to steal stuff... Though he calls it 'repossessin''."

She tensed up. It was a good thing she hadn't been asked to go on missions with the Turtles, yet: she did not like praying mantises.

"Well, they'll be back as soon as he's dealt with," she replied. "Are you feeling better?"

"...I'm tired."

"Then let's get you on the couch; we'll play a movie or something. Do you want anything to eat?"

"Pops is bringin' breakfast."

"I don't think he'll care."

"...Ice cream?"

She giggled. "Sure. What's your favorite?"

"Red bean. We don't have it right now, though."

"...There's bean-flavored ice cream?"

"Yeah, red bean's popular in Asia. Dad let me try some when I was little, now it's my favorite. It's really good, kinda nutty... But it's really hard to get in the U.S."

He looked depressed, but shook it off. "If we've got chocolate, though, I'll take that."

"I'll just go to the kitchen, then."

She made sure to come back quickly; even if Raphael was calmer, she doubted he'd handle being left alone for more than a few minutes.

He thanked her once the ice cream was in his hands, and she put in a random Lou Jitsu movie, putting the volume on low so as not to overstimulate him. She also found a weighted blanket in the nearby linen closet, and wrapped the turtle in it as best as she could.

"Thanks again," the snapper muttered later, when his ice cream was gone. "And... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Raph. No one likes having a panic attack--"

"No, not about that. I... I haven't been very nice to you."

"What do you been?" 

"I didn't talk to you a lot, or try to be friends with you, not like April, Leo and Mikey did. I just... We've tried to make friends before, and it doesn't always go great. I just... Don't always know if someone actually wants to be our friend."

"...I know what that's like."

He turned to her, surprise in his eyes. She was looking at her shoes, but still speaking.

"Back when I first started skipping grades, people would sometimes be really nice to me, inviting me over for study groups or asking me to eat lunch with them. At first I was always thrilled; I thought they didn't care that I was younger and wanted me as their friend. But it was always just them pretending to be nice so I'd do homework or projects for them. As soon as they got their good grades, they just ghosted me. Eventually I stopped hoping my classmates would want to be friends; I just shut everyone out."

"...That sounds lonely."

"It is."

They were silent for a moment before she felt a giant hand on her back, pulling her close.

"Well, you've got friends now. And you shouldn't let people push you around... Later today, Raph can show you some ninja moves, if you want. So you can defend yourself."

"From the kids at school? The teachers wouldn't like that--"

"No, sorry. I meant from Tanuki Man."

"...You'd teach me to fight?"

"If you want."

"...I'd like that."

A few hours later, the rest of the family came back. They found Raphael dozing on the couch, still wrapped in the weighted blanket. Elsa sat next to him, a book in her hands and the TV off, her finger to her lips as she silently asked them to be quiet.

April and Mikey cooed at the sight while Leo took a picture... Though no one knew if it was for blackmail or to capture the cute moment. Donatello raised a drawn on eyebrow, but his thoughts on the scene were indecipherable. 

- - - -

The next day, Raphael slept in again: the panic attack had left him feeling exhausted even a day later. Donnie'd said that might happen.

"According to the leading experts on mental health," the purple-clad nerd had told everyone after Raph woke up from his nap, "many sufferers of panic attacks get panic attack hangovers. The symptoms of such often include exhaustion, sluggishness, lack of focus, lack of awareness, muscle pains, soreness in the chest, stomach pains, headaches, etc. Raphala, you'll need to rest for the rest of the day, and probably for part of tomorrow, as well. 'Angelo, his meals need to be easy on the stomach. 'Nardo, keep the noise to a minimum..."

He shook himself. There was no need to worry about that anymore; his panic attack hangover symptoms had faded during the night. He was still a little tired and jumpy, but he felt more like himself.

He opened the fridge to pull out some waffles... and was surprised by what he found instead.

There was a massive tub of red bean ice cream, with his name written on it in Sharpie.

He looked around, trying to see if anyone nearby could/would explain it.

But he was alone in the kitchen... Maybe Dad had called in a favor with someone and gotten it for him!

Smiling, he decided to eat some of his favorite treat after lunch, then grabbed the waffles.

Chapter Text

Elsa muttered under her breath as she glared at the chemistry worksheet. 

Because of the amount of studying she did, most of her classes were fairly easy. English, history, geometry, they all came naturally to her. She didn't have a perfect grade in P.E., but thankfully that was one class her parents didn't care about. Chemistry, however, had always given her a bit of trouble. She could do it, sure, but it always took her longer to figure out the answers. Nor did she particularly enjoy it: she'd have much rather done a second geometry class, but her parents refused.

Right now, a problem in her worksheet was giving her far too much trouble. To make matters worse, it was the last question she needed to answer before her homework for the week was completed.

"Okay, are you trying to finish that homework or murder it?"

She looked up to see April slyly grinning at her. Her cat(?), Mayhem, was on her shoulder, looking at the homework like he wanted to eat it.

"Yes," she answered, not caring what April thought she wanted to do with it. She paused. "Do you think the teacher would understand if I told him a yokai ate my homework?"

"No, but he'd probably give you points for originality... Hey! Mayhem! She wasn't serious!"

She dragged the offending yokai away from the paper, pacifying him by grabbing a granola bar from her backpack and feeding that to her pet.

"I only have one more question to answer before it's done," Elsa groaned. "But this one's driving me crazy."

"What's the question?"

"'What is the force of attraction between two atoms or ions?'. I've gone through my notes, but I can't find the answer."

"...Yeah, sorry, I don't know that one either. I took chemistry last semester and I barely passed... though that was also because I was still recovering from the Albearto incident."

Elsa sat up, surprised. "I think I heard about that on the news. Were you there?"

She gave a sheepish smile. "I kinda caused it. I was working there and the animatronic broke down, so I called in Donnie and he went a little overboard... Hey, why don't you ask Donnie?"

"To reprogram a robot?" 

"No, about your chemistry question."

She dropped her pencil and looked at her boots.

"I... I don't think that's a good idea."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think he likes me very much."

"You've barely talked to him."

"Exactly. It feels like he tries to avoid me."

"That's just Donnie; he doesn't always realize how what he says or does can make people feel. He's getting better about acknowledging others, but... Well, sometimes he sends the wrong message. But trust me, he loves helping with homework questions. He never passes up a chance to show off his smarts."

"...Well, if you're sure..."

She picked up her worksheet and pencil, then went over to Donatello's lab doors.

It took a few tries, but she finally knocked on the doors.

They opened automatically.

"If this is about the rocket-propelled skateboard, Leon," Donatello said from his desk without turning around, "I said no and I meant no. While theoretically possible, you would be thrown off the board before it had gone two feet--"

"It's Elsa, actually."

He paused and turned around. His expression was unreadable.

"What do you need?" His tone was equally hard to decipher; she couldn't tell if he was bored, annoyed, curious, or all three.

She held out her homework. "I'm having a lot of trouble with the last question on my worksheet. April says you're good at chemistry and love answering questions, so I--"

A robotic arm sprung from the metal shell on his back, startling her. The robot claw took the paper from her, then held it in front of Donatello's face.

He looked at it for all of ten seconds before he handed it back to her.

"The force of attraction between two atoms or ions is called a chemical bond. Those bonds form when atoms share or transfer valence electrons."

He turned around and went back to what he was doing.

"Great, thanks!" She responded, and made to leave the lab--

"Tesla's coils!" The softshell yelled as something hit the floor.

"...Is everything okay?" She asked tentatively.

"It is not!" With obvious frustration and disappointment, he turned off the device he was working on (something that looked like a miniature tank). 

"I was going to use this miniature attack drone as a guard dog for the lair whenever we can't be here to defend it and I'm too out of range to activate my hidden defenses. But the cog I was using to connect the main internal engine to the tank tread just cracked! Agitated sigh, I'll have to find time in the next few days to order or dumpster dive for a new one."

"Will that take long?"

"Yes. This cog--" He took the ruined piece out of the machine. "--is a Pars Totius OI7K. It's one of the best cogs on the market, so no one just throws them away. They're also next to impossible to order online because the suppliers get so many demands for them."

He rolled his eyes and sighed, turning back to his work.

Elsa took that as her cue to leave... Especially now that she knew where she'd be stopping before coming to the lair the next day.

- - - -

It had been a decent day, all things considered.

Because he couldn't work on his miniature attack drone until he managed to replace the cog, Raphael was able to talk him into going to bed before midnight. He ended up getting eight hours of sleep instead of his usual six. After breakfast and morning training he'd gone into his lab, where he experimented with possibly 3D printing the piece he'd need. He lost track of time (as usual) and only paused when Michelangelo came in and made him eat a sandwich. Other than 'Nardo coming in and distracting him (his twin always did that when he thought Donnie'd spent too much time in his lab), the day had been largely quiet.

He'd only just realized that he couldn't 3D print his new cog (the details on the teeth were too complex for his 3D printer to replicate), the doors to his lab slid open. Expecting it to be one of his brothers, the purple clad turtle called out the greeting he usually yelled when he didn't want to be bothered.

"What did you come to annoy me with this time?"

When he got no response, he turned around. He saw not one of his brothers but Elsa, looking startled and hurt.

"I'm sorry, I-- I just thought... Never mind."

She dropped the bag she'd been holding on one of his nearby tables and all but ran from the lab.

She left a very confused Donatello in her wake.

- - - -

"We work hard to feed, clothe and educate you. You can pay us back by staying in your room and not being an annoying little brat!"

"The other students won't pick on you if you don't annoy them, dear."

"You think you're as good as us just 'cause you skipped a few grades? You're just an annoying lost baby who can't keep her mouth shut."

She didn't think she was annoying, but everyone told her she was.

She always vowed that if when she made friends, she'd do all she could not to annoy them, or give them any reason to hate her.

Donatello's reaction proved that she'd failed. She'd gotten on his bad side by showing him her homework paper, and then she'd interrupted him again.

Trying not to cry, she quickly grabbed her bag from where she'd left it, racewalking back into the storm sewers. She ignored the confused and worried Turtles who called after her... and she didn't notice the tears streaming down her face.

Maybe, after she gave Donatello some space for a few days, he'd be more willing to forgive her.

- - - -

The genius turtle was very confused.

He'd used that greeting on his brothers exactly five hundred and seventy-three times (he checked his apps to be sure), yet none of those times had sparked such a reaction. True, Elsa wasn't one of his brothers and didn't know about some of their typical...

Oh, right. She didn't know about his often misunderstood means of showing affection. Without context... That sentence was probably insulting.

Suddenly her reaction made a lot of sense.

Especially since he hadn't actually spent time getting to know her like his brothers. Her opinion of him had likely soured as a result of the most recent misunderstanding.

Thus, an apology and explanation was the most logical course of action. True, it meant dealing with feelings (ew), but if it meant their future interactions would go more smoothly, then it was a necessary--

He'd been en route to the door of his lab when he noticed the bag Elsa'd dropped on one of his work tables. It bore the brand of a rather well-known hardware store in Manhattan. He reached in, and pulled out a cog. No, not just any cog: a Pars Totius OI7K. Exactly what he needed.

He grinned and hugged the piece against his plastron... before the wheels in his head started turning.

Two and a half weeks ago, Angelo mentioned April gifting him paintbrushes, though she had no recollection of doing so.

Shortly after that, 'Nardo was anonymously given new skateboard trucks and assumed Papa got them for him.

Days later, Papa had gleefully shown them the copy of Hawaiian Hot Soup that was suddenly no longer damaged.

The morning after Raphala's panic attack, a tub of his favorite ice cream (which he blew through in three days despite trying to save it) appeared in the freezer.

And today, the day after a vital piece he needed for his project broke, Elsa had come in with exactly what he needed.

His mind still working overtime, he looked to his wrist computer and started flicking through his camera screens. It took a few minutes of work, but he quickly found what he needed. 

His cameras showed Elsa putting the paintbrushes outside Mikey's room, leaving the skateboard trucks on Leo's board, slipping a VHS into Papa's movie collection, struggling (but successfully) putting the ice cream in the freezer...

The gifts were all from her... But why hadn't she taken credit for them?

There was a pounding on his lab doors that could only come from Raphael.

"Donnie? You wanna tell us why Elsa just ran outta here cryin'?"

He flinched. He made her cry?

Leo didn't bother to knock and simply portaled in, glaring at his twin.

"Elsa didn't tell us what happened, so you better talk to us, Dee."

He went through his brother's portal without a word. Not only could he give his brothers and sister the answers they wanted, but he could also reveal the origins of their surprise gifts...

- - - -

She'd only been walking for a few minutes when a blue portal appeared in front of her. Leonardo poked his head out, his expression panicked.

"Elsa, you need to come back right now, it's an emergency!"

"What?!" Was someone hurt? Sick? Dying?

Leo held out a hand, and she took it, letting him pull her through the portal.

"What's wrong?" She asked before taking in the scene. 

The portal had led directly into the TV room. The Turtles (minus Leo), Splinter, and April (with Mayhem on her lap) were sitting around, looking at her.

Leonardo's portal closed, and he went to sit next to Donatello.

"What's going on?" She asked, her confusion clear. "Leo said there was an emergency...?"

"Yeeahh," the slider drawled as he sat on the couch. "I might've exaggerated. We did need you here, though."

"First," Raph began, glaring at his purple-clad brother, "Donnie has somethin' he'd like to say to you."

Donatello had been on his wrist computer, but looked up.

"I am sorry for what I said to you. I use that phrase on my brothers regularly, and I never mean any offense by it. They know that, and I did not realize until too late that you did not. If I hurt you, I regret it."

His words were in something of a monotone, but she could tell he actually meant them. She remembered what April said about Donatello not always knowing how his words could come across. Since everyone else seemed satisfied with his apology, she realized it was sincere.

"It's okay," she replied.

"Also," he continued. "Thank you for giving me the cog I needed."

"What?" She averted her eyes, cheeks going red. "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh, yeah you do." Leo stood up. "Plus, we need to thank you for everything else you gave us. Miguel's paintbrushes, my trucks, Dad's movie, Raph's ice cream..."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she repeated. Her face was doing an excellent impression of a tomato.

"Don't try to deny it," Splinter spoke up. "Purple's cameras caught you leaving the gifts."

It didn't seem possible, but Elsa's face got even redder.

"Hey, don't feel bad!" Mikey told her. "We love the gifts, and it was super nice of you to give them to us! But you didn't you tell us they were from you?"

"Not to mention that a lot of the items you gave us were either hard to get, expensive, or both," Donatello spoke again. "Where did you get the money?"

She let out a breath. Looks like she'd have to make a confession.

"So... My parents are pretty well-off. Have you heard of Queen Consolidated?"

Donatello's eyes lit up. "Who hasn't? They're one of the number one suppliers in the country for laptop parts and supplies."

"Yep, those are my parents," she replied. "We're not a famous rich family, but we're in the one percent. My parents gave me a charge card when I turned ten, saying that the company would take the money out of their account at the end of every month. As long as I keep my monthly total under a thousand dollars, they never notice."

"You're rich?" Mikey asked, eyes wide.

"My parents are," she insisted. "Anyway, my dad's always said that it's a bad idea to give people gifts without reason, or to tell them that you're rich at all. It just makes people see you as a meal ticket, and makes people pretend to be your friend to get stuff from you. I've done as he said and haven't told anyone the Queens are rich... until now, I mean.

"But even though he tells me not to give others gifts... I like giving people presents. It helps me show that I like them. So whenever I give a gift, I try to be secretive. Let someone think it was just a surprise from a stranger."

"Wait, is that why that art teacher who retired last year found a box of gourmet chocolate on her desk?" April asked, shocked.

Elsa got a small smile, though she was still looking at her boots.

"Mrs. Gordan was always so nice, I couldn't help it..."

"So, you left the gifts to show us you like us, but you didn't want us to think you were trying to buy our friendship?" Leo summarized.

Elsa shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Well," Splinter spoke up. "As Orange said, we are very grateful for your generosity. But you don't have to worry about us using you. You are our friend, Elsa, and you've proven in words and actions that you're worthy of that friendship."

She stared at the rat, eyes wide.

"Are we done with the feelings, now?" Donatello interrupted, looking very uncomfortable. "I only wanted to apologize, I didn't expect so much emotion..."

"Way to kill the moment, 'Tello," Leonardo glared at him.

"No, it's fine," Elsa bit back a chuckle. "Besides, I bought Donnie that cog, he probably wants to go install it."

Taking that as his invitation to leave, the softshell stood and left the room.

With one last disapproving look at his brother, Leo stood up.

"Welp, now that we're all friends, I think this calls for pizza. Elsa, you in?"

She crossed her arms. "That depends: are you going to make me pay?"

"I'd offer, but I'm broke."

"Then yes, I'll buy."

- - - -

Elsa's chemistry homework (a scale model of an atom) went much easier the following week.

As April'd told her, Donatello was more than happy to help her out... and equally happy to show off his chemistry knowledge.

Though she had to stop him from putting his "Genius Built" logo on the model (and narrowly avoided him disguising it among the neutrons in the nucleus). 

Chapter Text

"Got everything?" April asked as she locked the door to her apartment.

"I think so," Elsa admitted, adjusting the duffel on her shoulder. "It's kind of relaxing knowing I can ask Leo to send me back to my room in case I forgot something... Remind me why I need to bring an overnight bag if I'm not staying overnight?"

"Because the guys treat it like a full sleepover anyway. And, if things get crazy, you'll need a few things. Especially if Donnie and Mikey try to do a DIY chocolate fountain again..."

April had asked Elsa the day before if she wanted her to meet her parents and talk them into letting Elsa spend a night at "her half-brothers' house", but for some reason Elsa had shut her down. She'd instead said that her parents would prefer she just come over for the evening and not spend the night... Though for some reason Elsa taking an Uber over to the O'Neils' apartment building was okay...

The sixteen-year-old sensed there was more going on than Elsa wanted to admit, but she decided to drop it.

"So, have you been messing around any with your necklace?"

"Sort of... I guess I just don't know what I need to do to make it... turn on? Todd said that mystic necklaces are meant to protect their wearer. I haven't had anything really bad happen since I put it on, so... Maybe the magic's already working and I just can't tell?"

"...I don't think that's it," April disagreed. "From what I've seen of yokai magic, there's nothing subtle about it. Every spell casts some sort of light show before it does what it's supposed to... Have you seen a yokai put on or take off a Cloaking Broach yet?"

"No."

"Remind me to introduce you to Sunita sometime. Trust me, if that necklace's powers had activated, you'd already know."

With that, they made it to the alley that Leonardo said was the meeting point.

They hadn't waited long when the air in front of them split apart with a streak of blue.

Without hesitation, the girls stepped through.

Loud techno music was blaring from a homemade speaker system. April covered her ears while Elsa winced.

"Donnie!" Raphael called from somewhere. "Either turn off the music or change it to somethin' that's not ear-bleedin'!"

"Fine!" Donatello shouted from the TV room. "S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., put on Huntrix, half volume."

The music switched over to "How It's Done", and now played at a more tolerable volume.

"Bienvenidos, amigas," Leo drawled as he closed the portal behind them. "Come on in, mi casa es su casa."

"Is this really your first sleepover?" Mikey asked as he bounded over to greet the girls.

"Addendum," Donnie corrected from where he was setting up the projector. "It is not a sleepover because Elsa is not spending the entire night. Slumber party fits better because only most of us will be sleeping here."

"What Dee meant to say," Raph spoke up as he walked in with a massive pile of bedding, "is that we're glad you're both here tonight."

"No kidding," Leo interrupted, putting his swords down and throwing an arm around Elsa. "How have you gone your entire life without seeing a Jupiter Jim movie?"

"The same way I went my whole life without seeing a Lou Jitsu movie," she replied.

Michelangelo had left the conversation to get a few things from the kitchen, and came back carrying a tray piled high with food. There were bowls of popcorn, pizza-flavored Combos, tortilla chips, salsa, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate squares, and fresh strawberries.

"The strawberries are Raph's idea," the youngest turtle told Elsa when he saw her staring at the fruit. "He doesn't want us to eat a ton of junk without having something healthy with it."

"Which is why he's the family buzzkill," Leo remarked as he grabbed a handful of Combos.

Raph gave him a look, then smirked.

"Alright, Elsa, since it's your first time here, you should know that we always start the night off with Truth or Dare. Raph's gonna start this time: Leo, I dare you to tell Donnie he's cooler than you."

Donatello smirked while Leo choked on his Combos.

- - - -

After the round of Truth or Dare (where Leo was forced to swallow his pride, Mikey admitted that he once dropped Splinter's dumpling on the floor but gave it to him anyway, Raph ate a chocolate-covered Combo, Donnie had to admit his fear of beach balls to Elsa, April stood on her head for thirty seconds, and Elsa admitted her fear of praying mantises), the group got ready for the night. The blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags Raph had brought in were spread out, turning most of the TV room into a nest big enough for all of them.

The Turtles came together in what they called a "turtle pile", which definitely fit it's name. Raphael made up the base of the pile, lying on his stomach and facing the screen. Mikey draped himself over the oldest turtle's shell, lying in a sprawl that reminded Elsa of a cat sunning itself. Leo all but pinned himself under one of Raphael's arms, then grabbed several blankets and basically cocooned himself. Donatello was the least eager to form a pile, and ended up simply leaning against Raph with a blanket keeping the two from actually touching. But it was clear Raph knew he was there all the same.

April silently asked if Elsa wanted to join the pile, but she shook her head no. 

No sooner had the pile been formed did the first Jupiter Jim movie come on.

The film was the first of three, with the Turtles popping films in one after another. Elsa admitted that they were pretty entertaining (although she decided not to tell the guys that she thought Lou Jitsu's films were better).

She didn't know if it was the movies, the dim lights, the blankets, the food, or the fact that she felt safe in a way she wasn't familiar with, but she started feeling tired. She tried to shake it off, but the feeling persisted.

Maybe... Maybe a quick nap would be okay...

- - - -

April blinked awake, and glanced at the clock. It was one in the morning. She wondered why she was awake... Only for another one of Raph's snores to rattle through the lair. She wondered how the heck his brothers were able to sleep through that...

Oh, shoot, it was one in the morning. She quickly grabbed her phone and saw a few missed texts from her mom.

Where are you? Did you fall asleep at the Hamatos? It's okay if you did, just text me and confirm.

She let out a sigh. Fortunately, this wasn't the first time April'd accidentally fallen asleep at the lair. Despite having only talked with Splinter and the Turtles on the phone, her mom trusted them and was pretty understanding whenever something like this happened.

Hey, Mom. Sorry, we were having a movie marathon and I dozed off. Good thing it's Saturday, right? I'll be home at around ten tomorrow morning. Thanks for understanding, love you!

She slid her phone back into her backpack, then looked at the other side of the couch. Elsa was lying in an inelegant sprawl, her arms in different directions. Somehow her braid had ended up over her nose, making it look like she had a mustache.

April had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing... before the realization struck.

Elsa hadn't planned to sleep over, and she doubted she'd called her parents. They must be freaking out.

"Elsa?" She started jostling the younger girl. "Wake up."

"Mmm... wha?" She muttered as she started to wake up, her braid falling off of her face.

"It's really late. It's okay if you want to stay the night, that's what I'm doing, but you need to call your parents and let them... know..."

Elsa didn't look alarmed by what April said. She just looked... sad.

"What's wrong?" 

"...They don't know where I am. They don't care where I am."

"What are you talking about?"

Elsa drew her knees to her chest, saying nothing. April was tempted to talk... but just waited. 

After a few moments of deafening silence, she spoke.

"My parents spend maybe four or five weeks out of the year at home. The rest of that time they're on business trips, at their office, or taking trips across the world. I'm the one who actually lives at the house. They make sure I have everything I need: the butler, security guard, and two maids make sure there's food in the pantry and takes care of me if I'm sick. But they're never there... and whenever they are, they just tell me to stay quiet. To not be annoying... Even if I was just existing near them.

"I didn't skip grades because I'm super smart or anything; if I had my way I'd be in seventh grade, going the same speed as everyone else. My parents make me take online classes during the summer so I qualify to skip. Then they make me study almost non stop so I can keep up with everyone. It's why they want me at home all the time. I don't think they know I've been spending time with friends... The security guard does, but luckily Kevin's not a snitch."

"Why would your parents force you to skip?"

"Partially so whenever people ask about their daughter, they can brag that they have a genius kid who'll probably end world hunger or something. The other part, though... I overheard them talking about sending me to college by the time I'm fourteen. They hope that I'll live on campus, then be eighteen by the time I graduate. That way... They won't have to deal with me anymore."

"...I'm so sorry." April was at a loss. Her mom was busy a lot, too, being a surgeon and all. But she still tried to make time for April and even apologized if she thought she wasn't spending enough time with her. The idea of a parent actually ignoring their child... She couldn't fathom it.

"It's fine," Elsa replied. "It's always been this way. I've always known that... That they don't really... I wonder sometimes if I did something, or said something to... To make them..."

She sniffed, and tried to hide the tear rolling down her cheek.

April didn't hesitate and pulled the girl in for a hug. Elsa froze... then broke.

"Why don't they want me?"

She hadn't noticed until then that Raph's snoring had stopped.

Another set of arms joined the hug, this one speckled with orange spots. A set of striped arms joined right after. A tentative purple-marked hand touched Elsa's shoulder, uncomfortable but still there. Two massive arms enveloped them all.

"We want you," Michelangelo muttered. "You don't deserve any of that. You're worthy of attention, and love."

"Those jerks don't know what they're missing," Leonardo added, squeezing a little tighter.

"While I'm not one to discuss, ugh, feelings, I agree with those statements," Donatello replied.

"Your real family is right here," Raphael finished. "You've got us, Elsa. You've got a home right here."

"...You want me?" She spoke, her voice breaking a bit. She sounded shocked... and overjoyed.

"Welcome home, little sis," April confirmed, using a thumb to wipe away some of Elsa's tears.

Unnoticed by any of them, Elsa's necklace glowed with a sky blue light.

Chapter Text

"You ready for this?" Mikey grinned as he led Elsa out of the sewer. Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello were right behind them.

"I guess? I mean, do you really think I can help?"

Raph had kept his promise to giving her a few self-defense lessons, but she was no where battle ready. And these missions usually had them fighting mutants or yokai...

"Sure," Leo promised. "This isn't really a 'fight crime and be heroes' mission. To be honest, most of the missions Dad gives us are just errands that he played up."

"Oh... Then what are we doing here?" She asked.

She then realized they were standing outside a food storage unit, which bore the logo of a local Asian supermarket on the door.

"The place Dad usually gets soy sauce from ran out," Raphael explained. "So we just need to get in, grab an economy-sized jug of soy sauce, leave some cash, and go."

"...Wouldn't it have been easier to just send me or April to a store and get soy sauce?"

"The stores are all closed at this time of night," Donatello chimed in, typing at his wrist computer as he spoke. "Besides, a twelve-year-old out at night in this part of the city, alone, would raise suspicion."

"Don't worry about a thing!" Michelangelo promised. "This will be the easiest mission--"

Leo and Raph clapped their hands over their little brother's mouth in perfect sync.

"Don't finish that sentence," the snapping turtle warned.

"Need I remind you of what happened the last time one of us said that?" Leonardo glared at his little brother.

Mikey gulped as his brothers released their hands. "Point made."

"What happened last time?" Elsa had to ask.

Raphael sighed. "Let's just say we don't rent movies much anymore."

"New York, what a town," Donnie commented.

Elsa sensed she was missing more of the story, but decided it was probably better not to ask.

"Anyway," Leo got their attention. "We've got a mission to finish, so let's focus, get in, get out. Donnie, you need to hack any security cameras in there so we don't get caught. Mikey, you've got the money? Good, make sure you leave it in an easy-to-find place. Raph, you're in charge of carrying the soy sauce. Elsa, you and I are on lookout duty. Once we're done, I'll portal us home and Dad will make us pot stickers."

"What are pot stickers?" Elsa couldn't help but ask.

They four of them looked at her in horror before Mikey hugged her, and Raph hugged them both.

"Shocked gasp. You have been deprived of too much," Donnie noted, putting a hand over his heart.

"Okay, change of plans: when we're done with this, Elsa gets a private plate of pot stickers," Leo amended. "But, like I said, no one's getting any pot stickers until we finish the mission. So, 'Tello, where are we with the cameras?"

The soft shell simply typed a few keys on his wrist computer before he gave his twin a nod. With that, the mission leader opened a portal into the warehouse (meaning they weren't technically breaking and entering). Once in, Elsa and Leo took their spots as look outs while everyone else went hunting for soy sauce.

That was when the crud hit the fan.

Just as Raphael lifted a crate of bok choy to get a closer look at the bottles on a shelf, a green energy seemed to envelop him. He shouted, then groaned and crumbled to the floor, the box of bok choy breaking against his spikes.

"Raph!" Mikey shouted, panic in his voice as he prepared to launch at the snapper.

"Wouldn't go near him, Tiny, unless you wanna be next!"

Elsa froze, and Leo drew his katannas, fire in his eyes.

The Tanuki Man was below, standing over Raphael like a hunter over his prize. But the yokai's eyes were locked on Elsa.

"What'd you do to our brother?!" Leonardo demanded, his usual jokey self nowhere in sight.

"It's my power," he admitted with pride. "Increasing someone's gravity until they can't hold themselves up. Relax, it only lasts a couple minutes... But that's more than long enough to take someone out."

"Gravity is not supposed to work like that!" Donatello fired back. "By Rutherford, this is why I can't stand magic!"

"Don't even think about touching him!" Leo took a step towards the Tanuki Man, his stripes already glowing.

"Thing is, Stripey," the yokai went on, not looking concerned. "I've got someone you want, and the human there has something I want."

None of them noticed Donnie sending Mikey a text message.

Elsa clutched her necklace, already shaking her head. Leo got in front of her.

"Not happening," she fired back, hoping she sounded braver than she felt.

"What are you turtles even doing with that human anyway?" The yokai continued. "You're not getting anything out of protecting her. All humans do is take stuff... Like she took that necklace." He smirked as though he'd done something clever. "You know she stole that from me?"

"False." Donnie was glaring at him, the marks on his arms and legs already glowing. "I reviewed the footage from the street cameras aiming at Second Time Around pawn shop. She bought it, and seconds later you ambushed her with the intent of causing harm. You were the one to commit an illegal act, not her."

Tanuki Man didn't seem to know how to respond to that (other than angry stammering). But even if he had, he would've been cut off by an orange-spotted turtle smacking into his gut shell-first.

"GET OFFA MY BROTHER!" Mikey roared.

Leo and Elsa ran to Raphael's aide, Donnie right behind them.

"Raph?" The slider asked, taking his brother's gigantic wrist in his hand. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah." The bok choy-covered snapper didn't sound very happy. "Feel fine, nothin' broken... Raph just can't move. Everythin's heavy."

"Your pulse is stable, you should be fine... Though after this, I guess we can say you're a little top heavy, right?"

"'Nardo, one more pun and I will hack all of your devices," Donnie warned. "If Michael can hold Tanuki Man off long enough for Raphael to recover, than we stand a chance at beating him."

Leo paused, then shook his head. "Not without a real plan. We still don't know a lot about this guy: our best bet is to get out while we can and track him down later. Raph, I'll open a portal to get you home--"

"And the soy sauce," he muttered, holding up a bottle he'd found during the fight.

Leo portaled the soy sauce home first (because apparently that took priority). He was about to open a larger portal for Raph when Mikey's cry rang out through the warehouse.

Elsa's heart nearly stopped.

The green glow was surrounding Michelangelo, keeping him from moving. His nunchucks were pinned under his plastron, leaving him defenseless.

Tanuki Man growled at the turtle, and picked up a nearby box of knives while eyeing the skin on Mikey's neck.

"One last chance, human! Give me the necklace, or your friend here ends up in soup."

Leo and Donnie shouted furious threats at the yokai.

But Elsa didn't hear it. 

She saw the fear in Mikey's eyes.

He'd helped her, protected her, comforted her... and if she didn't do something he would die.

Her fear turned to a righteous anger.

The pendant on her necklace glowed.

"Stay away from him," she ordered. Her voice had never sounded so furious. So powerful.

"You heard me, human!" Tanuki Man retorted. "Just give me what I want and I'll--"

"No!"

The blue glow surrounded her. The Turtles stared in shock as she lifted a hand, pointing it palm up at the yokai.

Elsa's blue eyes were cold with fury.

"I said, stay AWAY!"

For one split second, the blue surrounding her seemed to take the shape of a snowflake.

Then a blast of blue energy shot from her hand, right at the yokai.

Tanuki Man was thrown back and pinned against the wall...

No, not pinned.

Frozen by ice.

"How..." He muttered, staring at the ice. He was frozen from the neck down by an inch-thick sheet of ice. The box of knives had landed across the room.

"...We all saw that, right?" Raphael asked as the gravity magic wore off and he finally stood.

"Yeah, we did," Leonardo managed.

Michelangelo began asking questions at a machine gun speed while Leo checked him over for injuries (it seemed the gravity spell didn't last more than two minutes).

But their human friend heard none of it.

Elsa kept staring at the ice pinning Tanuki Man to the wall, then looking at her hands.

What... What just happened?

"Elsa!"

She became aware of a green set of fingers snapping in her face, then a robotic claw catching her by the wrist.

"'Nardo!" Donnie shouted at Leo. "I think it practical that we go home. Now."

"Okay, okay, everyone in the portal!" 

Still looking stupefied, the slider got a portal to the lair open. 

"Hey!" Tanuki Man shouted, still frozen to the wall. "You can't just leave me here! Do you have any idea what my employer will do if word of this gets out? Hey, are you listening to me?!"

As Donatello's battle shell arm led her through, Elsa kept staring at her hands.

What just happened?

Chapter Text

They hadn't been back in the lair thirty seconds before Donatello dragged the (still shocked) Elsa into his lab.

Leonardo and Raphael were right behind them; Michelangelo told April what happened, then ran off to tell Splinter.

April made a bee line for Donnie's lab, both to ask more questions and to stop Dee from going full mad scientist.

She walked in just as the twelve-year-old was made to sit on a bench. Without a word (which was probably for the best, as Elsa wasn't feeling too chatty), Donnie started attaching sensors to Elsa's temples and wrists.

"April, please put these on her chest," he offhandedly asked as he handed a set of wires to the sixteen-year-old upon realizing she was there.

"Are you trying to experiment on her?" Leo asked incredulously.

"Donnie, what did we say about turnin' people into experiments without their permission?" Raph groaned, his hand on his forehead.

"I am not experimenting on her," the softshelled turtle insisted. "I'm taking readings. We need answers on what just happened, plus it'll give me a good opportunity to check for any medical issues we might need to be aware of for future missions... Might be the proper time to implant a subdermal tracker as well..."

"Tracker?" Leo gave his brother a look. "Don't stalk her, Donald!"

"Scoff. It is not stalking, it is a highly efficient means of knowing when one of us is in danger. It's the same one I put on everyone else."

"The same what?" Raphael gave his brother a look.

"Okay, can we get back to the elephant in the room?" April asked as she finished putting the sensors on Elsa's chest. "In a way, Donnie's right. His tech might be able to figure out why Elsa suddenly has magic. Plus, could someone tell me exactly what just happened? All Mikey said was 'Elsa has ice magic and Donnie's about to experiment on her.'"

"I did not say 'experiment', I said 'analyze'," Donnie insisted. "The two terms couldn't be more different, not to mention having completely separate roles within the scientific method--"

From there (while infodumping about the scientific method), Donatello continued running scans of Elsa's muscular, cardiovascular, skeletal, and neural systems to check for any abnormalities. During that time, Leo and Raph filled April in on what had happened with Tanuki Man.

The tests were just coming to an end (Donnie was tempted to do a blood test but Raph shut him down) when Mikey and Splinter came into the lab.

"Is everyone alright?" Splinter asked, eyes landing on each teenager in the room before settling on Elsa.

"None of us were hurt," Leo reported, his eyes unusually serious. "And that gravity spell he put on Raph and Mikey didn't last long or leave any injuries."

"Felt scary, though," the snapping turtle admitted. "Felt like Raph couldn't move..."

"Test results are in, Donnie!" S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., who Don had rebuilt after they moved into the new lair, announced. "Sending the results to your phone now!"

"Thank you, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.," the scientist acknowledged as he pulled out his phone. He silently read through the results for a minute, his drawn-on eyebrows becoming closer and closer knit.

"Is something wrong with me?" Elsa asked, finally coming out of her stupor.

"There's nothing wrong with you," he replied. "And that's exactly the problem! My tech-- which is working flawlessly, I might add-- says there are no abnormalities. According to the tests, you're a perfectly normal human girl... SO WHY IN FLEISCHMANN'S NAME DO YOU HAVE ICE POWERS?!"

She flinched at his sudden shouting, with Raph immediately coming over to offer support.

Mikey gave his brother an odd look. "Dude, isn't it obvious?"

Everyone turned to the youngest turtle, who pointed at Elsa's necklace.

"Elsa said that Todd and Hueso said that the necklace has magic powers, even though they couldn't tell what those powers were. I saw her necklace glow before she shot the ice and saved me. So the necklace obviously gives whoever wears it ice magic!"

"...That's a sound theory, he said with reluctance," Donnie admitted. "But it doesn't explain why the necklace didn't activate until now..."

"She got super angry when Miguel was caught," Leo volunteered. "I don't mean 'Someone ate the last piece of pizza' angry, I mean 'How Dad looks whenever someone tries to kill one of us' angry. Maybe she has to want to protect someone or herself for it to work?"

"Great, so we're dealing with magic and feelings?" Donatello groaned. "Why can't we ever deal with a problem that could be so easily alleviated with technology?"

"Because then your life would be too easy," April teased him before getting back to the topic at hand.

"...I think Leo's right," Elsa spoke, Raphael's hand on her shoulders. "When I saw the Tanuki Man standing over Mikey... First I got scared, then I felt this urge to do something, anything to set things right. Then... I shot a blast of ice at him."

"You didn't hesitate?" Leo asked... Then gave a small smirk. "I'd have thought suddenly having magic powers would give you... cold feet."

"Not the time, Blue, " Splinter retorted.

"That's the weirdest thing," Elsa admitted. "It didn't feel strange... I thought of what I wanted to happen, and it happened. I didn't have to think about how I needed to act or anything. I just... knew."

There was a moment of silence before the rat spoke. 

"Can you still do the magic?" Splinter asked.

Elsa's necklace glowed a bit as she looked at her hand. She closed her fingers into a fist, then opened it. Light blue light shot from her palm, moving in an upward spiral and sending snowflakes into the air. As she relaxed her hand and the glow of her pendant faded, the snow fell to the floor.

"Yes, I can," she answered, sounding a bit shocked... but now she was smiling.

"Elsa has magic!" Mikey cheered as he ran over and gave her a hug.

"Congratulations," Donnie said in a monotone. "Do not ever do that in my lab again."

"Okay, now that we know why Elsa can make ice and why Tanuki Man wants the necklace," Raph spoke up, "maybe we should try and calm down for a while?"

"Red is right," Splinter spoke up. "This has been a day of surprises for all of us. The six of you need to rest... Come into the kitchen. I am almost done with the pot stickers--"

"Oh me gosh, we forgot about that!" Mikey started towing the amused Elsa out of the lab. "Dad, Elsa's never had pot stickers! She's gonna need a whole plate to herself, and I need to have my phone ready to catch the look on her face when she takes her first bite--"

He prattled on as Raph and April followed him out. Leo was about to follow when one of Donatello's robotic claws caught his arm.

"'Nardo? I need a word with you."

"Can that word be 'pot stickers'? I'm hungry."

"Leo."

"Okay, okay. What is it?"

The lab doors shut as Donnie rubbed his chin.

"First of all, you know that I will never admit that magic is superior to tech."

"No one's saying that, Dee."

"Good. However, I will admit there are those who know far more about the mystic arts than I ever will. 'Angelo, for example, seems to be particularly gifted."

"Yeah, I still don't know how he managed to pull off the rabbit-out-of-a-hat trick--"

"That was not a spell, that was a prank he had me help with. The rabbit was a puppet operated by S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N."

"Wait, what?"

"Happy belated April Fool's. Getting back to the point, of the magic users we know, Draxum is easily the most knowledgeable."

"Yeah...?" Leo asked, wondering where this was going.

The purple clad turtle looked more than a little reluctant to say what he was about to.

"Exasperated sigh. You know I wouldn't recommend this if I did not think it was the absolute best slash only option--"

Leonardo's eyes widened, and he started shaking his head.

"We are not calling Draxum. I know he's on good terms with Mikey, April, Raph, and even Splinter, but that doesn't make him trustworthy--"

"I'm not suggesting doing anything drastic, 'Nardo! Besides, he already knows where we live and there is a low probability of him causing any of us harm. I am suggesting filling him in on the situation to see if he knows anything about Elsa's necklace, the Tanuki Man, or Tanuki Man's employer--"

"Employer? What do you mean 'employer'?"

"As we were leaving, the Tanuki Man shouted something about how his employer would not be happy with him. If he was hired to get the necklace, it could mean he's working for another yokai who knows about the necklace and is desperate enough to kidnap a human to get it."

A chill went through Leo. It was bad enough they hadn't known who the Tanuki Man was or what he was capable of, but how did they know this mysterious employer wouldn't hire other bounty hunters to come after Elsa? How did they know those other bounty hunters wouldn't succeed?

"Our chances of protecting Elsa," Donnie continued, "even if she doesn't know everything about her powers yet, are a solid seven-to-ten. However, if we want ten-out-of-ten odds, then our best option is to contact Draxum and see what he says."

Leo still didn't like the thought of Draxum meeting Elsa, especially not when she didn't know what he was capable of. But... if there was a chance at keeping her safe from Tanuki Man...

"Alright, we'll give Draxum a call. But we'll ask Mikey to do it."

"Agreed. He's the only one who actually sounds happy to talk to Draxum."

With that, they left the lab. The smell of freshly made pot stickers brought them to the kitchen. Elsa was enjoying a plate of the dumplings, nearly inhaling one while Splinter put the rest of the batch on the table.

"Don't choke yourself, Snow," he chided before putting a few dumplings on Mikey's plate.

The box turtle was grinning, but it wasn't just because of the food.

"Hey, guys! Barry just texted me, he's on his way over! He says he needs to tell us something!"

The twins exchanged looks of shock.

Did he already know?

- - - -

"I swear, I-- A-CHOO!-- I had the necklace in my grasp! But the human girl figured out how to activate it, and then those dumb yokai boys helping her got her out while I was still fro- froze--A-CHOO!-- frozen to the wall! Next thing I know, I've got nothing but empty hands and the mother of all colds! If I ever see that dumb human again, I'll beat her skinny little-- A-CHOO!"

"Take it easy, dear," his employer replied, her sickly sweet, condescending voice filling the room. "The sneezy-wheezies aren't very becoming of a bounty hunter."

"I promise, though, I'm not done!" He insisted. "Once I pick up my healing potion from Witch Town, I'll get back to finding that dumb human, ice powers or no... Hey, you didn't tell me the necklace had ice powers."

"I just heard it was powerful. That's enough for me."

"Yeah, well, I'll still get that necklace if I have to throw that little snot at your feet. Even if I have to gut those dumb kids protecting her."

"Let's not get carried away, my dimbly dear. The less of a scene you make getting that necklace for me, the better. But if a few dipsticks I dislike get killed in the process... Well, that'd be just scrambulent."

Chapter Text

Draxum didn't seem impressed when he entered the lair and found a new human standing there, looking at him with wide eyes.

"Are you just collecting human friends, now?" He muttered.

"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Mikey responded, looking cheerful.

Raph gave Draxum a tentative wave before gently pushing Elsa forward. 

"This is Elsa Queen," the snapper introduced her. He then told the sheep yokai about what had happened between them and Tanuki Man... as well as Elsa's newfound powers.

The human girl then created a brief shower of snowflakes as a demonstration.

Draxum remained mainly stoic throughout the explanation, but his eyes betrayed his interest.

"Give me your necklace," he ordered as soon as they finished speaking.

Elsa looked at him with suspicion, as did Leonardo.

"To keep?" He questioned, giving their other father a glare.

"To look at it," Draxum replied, rolling his eyes. "Let me see the necklace, please."

"It's okay," Mikey whispered to Elsa, giving an encouraging smile.

With that, she handed over the pendant. Draxum looked at it for several minutes before sighing and shaking his head.

"It's fairly common for yokai to place spells on jewelry," he admitted as he gave the necklace back to the girl. "But those spells usually just increase the wearer's strength, durability, or luck. To my knowledge, there's no record of one granting someone elemental powers. Especially not a human... Yokai kind as a whole made giving humans enchanted items illegal after that lake-dwelling yokai gave that king that sword..."

"So maybe Elsa's just the first!" Mikey chirped.

"...I'll look into it," the alchemist decided. "But while the pendant is fascinating, it's not why I'm here. It's Big Mama."

That got the rest of the Hamatos' attention.

"What has she done now?" Splinter asked, giving the yokai all his attention.

"There've been rumors for the last thirty years that an old sunken building a few miles off the coast of Ellis Island was the home of an alchemist. According to some, this alchemist had isolated large quantities of empyrean."

"What's empyrean?" Elsa asked before she could stop herself.

"It's the very lifeblood of yokai kind," Draxum patiently (for him) explained. "It is what brought us into existence thousands of years ago, what gives us our powers, what separates us from the rest of the world, gives us our centuries-long lifespan... and, if used correctly, it can be used to turn any living creature into a mutant."

"Which is how he made us in the first place," Leo chimed in.

"What does this have to do with Big Mama?" Donatello asked. He looked a bit upset; any mention of magic tended to do that to him.

"While many have wanted to get to the sunken building and find the empyrean, no yokai has ever succeeded. Big Mama intends to get the empyrean for herself, and she's hired three humans to get it."

"What will she do to those humans after she gets what she wants?" Splinter asked through clenched teeth.

Draxum gave him a look. "You know as well as I do how much respect she has for human life. I might not love the human race, but even at my worst I didn't outright kill my test subjects."

"You killed my pride," Splinter muttered, though it was clear his mind was elsewhere.

"Do you know anything about the humans she hired?" April asked.

"The yokai I heard the news from said she found three delinquents who escaped from... joo vee, or something like that."

"...Were they cybercriminals wearing matching, luxurious synthetic purple jackets?" Donnie asked, fire in his eyes.

"...I don't know about the jackets," Draxum admitted, confused, "but they were arrested for online extortion and hacking."

"The Purple Dragons," April and Donnie said in sync.

"Who?" Elsa asked.

"We'll tell you on the way," Leo decided, "we've got a sunken treasure to find."

"...If it's okay, I think I'll stay here," Elsa admitted. "I don't think I have enough experience for that kind of mission yet."

"That's okay! We'll tell you all about it when we get back," Raph reassured her.

"After I blast those trolls and their gorgeously-designed jackets back into the hole they crawled out of..." Donnie muttered as he walked past, his bo staff already in his hands.

"Hey, maybe you can make the best of it," Mikey suggested. "Draxum knows more about magic than any of us, maybe he can tell you more about how to do your ice magic!"

Elsa shot Draxum an uneasy glance while he shot her a skeptical one.

April sighed as she saw a text from her mom. "I can't go either; my mom's got a dentist appointment early in the morning and she'll need me to take her home after. I gotta get home."

"Wish your mother well for us," Splinter nodded as the sixteen-year-old left.

"Alright!" Leo prepared his swords, his stripes already glowing. "Next stop, a couple miles under Ellis Island. If you need your floaties, get 'em now!"

He swung his swords, opening a portal into what seemed to be a dark room. 

Burying their discomfort, the four turtles walked through.

As soon as the portal was closed, Draxum turned to Elsa, who tried not to look uncomfortable. Thanks to the Turtles, she knew exactly what the alchemist/scientist was capable of...

"Show me what you can do thus far," he began. "It's not wise for someone with powerful magic abilities to go untrained, even if the source of that power is a necklace."

Blinking in surprise, she began shooting snow magic into the air.

- - - -

The building they entered was dark, dank, damp... all the bad words with a 'd'.

Mikey, usually the first to try and put an optimistic spin on things, made a face.

"Somethin' feels off about this place..."

"It's an old yokai mad science lab buried for a hundred years," Leo commented. "You were expecting the Plaza?"

"Technically, it's been sunken, not buried," Donnie corrected, already fiddling with his wrist computer. He made a face. "That's very odd..."

"What?" Raph asked.

"With how long this building's been underwater, there shouldn't be a lot of breathable air... I was prepared to dip into the emergency air canisters I have in my battle shell. But according to this, there's plenty of oxygen down here."

"Well, it was a yokai lab..." Raph replied. "Maybe there are spells or runes or somethin' in the walls that keeps air around?"

"That's what's wrong with this place!" Mikey exclaimed. "Back when he started giving me mystic lessons, Draxum taught me how to sense magical auras. But there's... there's something blocking it here."

"Wait, what?" Leo asked.

He swung his katanna, and nothing happened. Raph took out his sais and tried to make a magic clone... nothing. Mikey spun his nunchucks, and still nothing.

"Something here's blockin' our ninpo!" The box turtle stated. "Which means unless we found out what's blockin' it and turn it off--"

"Then we can't portal home," Leo finished.

"So... There's no magic involved in this mission?" Donnie asked, looking the happiest of the four. "No magic whatsoever?"

"Not until we figure out what's causing the block," Mikey muttered.

"This is fantastic, relishing chuckle." The mad scientist grinned. 

"Okay, we all know you're crazy about magic, 'Tello, but we have a mission here," Leo replied, giving his twin a look. "Now, is there any way to know if the Purple Dragons beat us here?"

"Jase, I swear, if you touch my tablet one more time..." A teenage girl's shouting came from down one of the building's halls.

"Time to put that stealth trainin' to use," Raph muttered, with Leo nodding.

When the Purple Dragons came down the hall, it was as if the mutants had never been there.

"Alright," Kendra took charge, holding up the paper map. "The rich old lady said that the green goo would be somewhere in this building. Once we have it, we use her magic portal gem or whatever to get back to her hotel, get paid, then book a flight for Canada. Everyone got it?"

"Uh, Kendra?" Jeremy muttered, looking worriedly at the gem in his hand. "I think something's wrong with the magic thing... Wasn't it glowing when the old lady gave it to us?"

"It's magic, who gives a flip what it does?" The purple-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Besides, we got everything we need right here."

She smugly held up her tablet and started to type... only for her eyes to go wide.

"What the--? My tablet's been hacked?!"

The device was showing nothing but a blue screen. Then before, their eyes, it shut down.

"Relax," Jeremy responded, pulling a phone from his jacket pocket. "We have other devices... Hey!"

The three of them started pulling out every phone, tablet, and smart watch they had on them. Each device showed the same blank screen.

"I thought you said our tech couldn't be hacked?" Kendra's stepbrother questioned, looking nervous. "Not after that firewall software we stole from Donatello--"

"Yeah, I thought so, too! Apparently, that weirdo isn't as good a programmer as he thought!"

"Then why did we still his coding again?" Jase asked.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed at him.

The three cybercriminals argued among themselves for a few minutes before their (now furious) leader led them further into the building.

As soon as they were gone, the four ninjas emerged from their various hiding spots. For someone whose tech had just been insulted, Donatello seemed more confused than upset.

"Do you think the thing blockin' our ninpo is also blockin' technology?" Raph asked.

"Negative," Donnie replied. "My tech is working fine... Maybe they accidentally installed a virus?"

"We don't have time to worry," Leo got their attention. "We have to find the empyrean first, and whatever's blocking our ninpo. Hopefully, with their tech out of commission, we'll be able to find it before the Purple Dragons do."

"Okay... Everyone be careful, alright?" Raphael spoke up as they started walking down the old building's halls. "Raph doesn't want anyone gettin' hurt when we have no way to get home..."

"Hey, come on!" Mikey chirped. "Even if it's under water, it's still just an old building. How dangerous could it--"

Before their eyes, all of the lights in the building turned on, glowing an eerie red.

"...Be." Michelangelo finished, his pupils shrinking.

An aged but working alarm started going off. 

"Intruder alert. Unknown beings within walls. Preparing isolation protocol."

"Okay," Leo spoke up. "Might want to complete the mission a little faster..."

The four began running down the halls, looking in random old doors as they went.

They didn't notice a bearded dragon with an odd little hat watching them.

"What do you think the 'isolation protocol' is?" Mikey shouted as they ran.

"Raph doesn't know, and Raph doesn't wanna know!" The snapping turtle answered.

As if in agreement, the surprised/startled shouts of what could only be the Purple Dragons came from just ahead.

"Sounds like they were caught off guard," Donatello noted as the four of them came to the end of a hallway. "Though the only thing I could think of that might startle them would be if they walked into a--"

A metal wall slammed down on the way back into the hallway, imprisoning the four.

"Trap." Donnie finished.

Numerous spots with writing inside lined the walls, each one a different color.

Raph, his claustrophobia triggered, started pounding on the metal wall while Mikey tried to calm him down and Leo tried to look for a way out.

Donnie, however, was focused on the colored spots. Leaning in closer, he saw that the writing within the spots wasn't writing at all, but equations. Algebraic equations...

Curious, he turned on his wrist computer and started solving each one.

"Okay... the answer to the first one is five... second answer is nineteen... third is three... fourth is one..."

There were six equations all together. He didn't understand why there were equations on the wall, though. Maybe the placement was significant...?

He stared at the equations for a moment longer, wondering why the creator of the trap hadn't left a note along with the clue... Then it hit him.

He rearranged the order of the equations, seeing that the answer to each equation corresponded to a letter on the alphabet. And those letters spelled out...

"Escape!" He said out loud, startling his brothers. 

Checking the order, he then tapped each equation based on it's answer's placement on the alphabet. After tapping the sixth spot, they all flashed green. The wall opposite the metal one that had trapped them opened up, revealing a new corridor.

Raph didn't wait; he gathered all three of his younger brothers into his arms and ran out of the room like an Olympian.

"How'd you do that, Donnie?" Leo asked when Raph finally put them down. The snapper was still battling a panic attack, and Mikey was trying to help him calm down.

"Whoever designed the trap left those spots on the walls as a clue on how to escape," he answered. "All I had to do was solve the equations, and--"

Another wall slammed down, this one separating Donatello from his brothers.

He heard their panicked shouts as he started trying to both process what had just happened (where had that wall come from?) and figure out how to get passed the wall.

He heard, to his terror, the hiss of a vapor leaving a vent. Then, the calls of his brothers went silent. There was a thud of something heavy (Raphael?) hitting the floor.

Donnie activated the buzzsaw in his shell, ready to rip the wall apart to get to--

That was when the floor dropped down from under him.

The softshell found himself falling, and quickly returned his buzzsaw to his shell. But before he could activate his jetpack, he hit the floor. Thanks to his weird mutant physiology, the fall did a lot less damage than it realistically should have. But his foot had been the first thing to hit the ground, and had done so at a rather awkward angle.

"Argggghhhh!" He groaned as white hot pain went through his ankle. That was definitely twisted, maybe even worse. Gritting his teeth, he pulled down his goggles and scanned his leg. Even though wherever he was had no light (it was pitch black all around), his scanner could still lock onto his injured limb.

"Just a sprain," he muttered, more to calm himself than anything as his goggles were placed back on top of his head.

Using the robot arms in his battle shell, he managed to stand, his bo staff in front of him.

"Are you hurt?"

He turned quickly at the sound of a female voice.

"Don't be afraid," the voice spoke, trying (and failing) to sound soothing. "You're not in danger--"

"False!" He shouted, facing the direction he thought the voice came from. "I was separated from my brothers, who have possibly been drugged by an unknown vapor, dropped from a significant height, injured... Data doesn't lie, and if you are the one who caused all of this--"

"So you are hurt." The voice sounded concerned... and the echo of the walls made it very hard to tell where she was.

"That is not the topic of this conversation!" Donnie shouted, trying to gauge where the speaker was. 

He was about to activate the lights in his battle shell when something bit into his shoulder.

No... a syringe.

"Shh... it's okay..." The voice spoke, now directly behind him.

He wanted to run, scream, fight, hit her with everything in his battle shell's massive armory... but he couldn't move. If it hadn't been pitch black already, he was sure his vision would have been spotty.

"Just take a nap, tortugito. Everything will be fine."

"Get... away... from..."

It was getting harder to talk. He felt two massive arms pick him up... He hated strangers touching him...

Then he passed out.

Chapter Text

His head felt a little foggy. He... he wasn't in his bed. That was weird... Where... 

Donatello gave a moan and reached up to rub his forehead. His arms felt heavy... It felt like most of his energy had been sucked right out of him.

He finally opened his eyes, hissing at the bright light that was on him. After taking a few moments to let his eyes adjust, he looked around. 

It looked like he was in a utility room that had been made into a living quarters. He was lying on a massive makeshift mattress, one that seemed to have been made by sewing several industrial tarps together then stuffing it with various papers. A light blanket had been draped over him.

How had he...?

It all came roaring back, his head rapidly clearing. He started to get up... only to hiss once again at the pain in his ankle. But... it wasn't as bad as before...

Donnie pulled the blanket off of himself, and saw that his ankle had been wrapped with gauze, with a (now melted) ice pack laying on top of it.

Mad as he was about being abducted and separated from his brothers, he had to admit his kidnapper was skilled in first aid...

He looked around again, and noticed that an old TV with a VCR was sitting on the table right next to the bed. Shifting his arm, he found a black rectangle next to him. Still suspicious of exactly what was going on, Donatello picked it up. It was an old VHS tape, with something written on it in Sharpie.

"'Watch me'?" He read aloud. 

Seeing no other options, Donnie turned the TV on and put the tape in.

After a second of static, the screen came alive. It showed a lab, with a Hispanic woman facing the screen. She was in her mid twenties, wearing a white lab coat over a red dress and a red beaded necklace. Next to her was a suitcase made of what looked like an alligator-skin briefcase. She faced the camera with a stoic expression, but her eyes betrayed fear.

"My name is Doctor Camila Ramona Ortega-Cabrera. I'm making this tape in the hopes that, someday, someone will know what happened to me and my mentor. I recently graduated from New York University with degrees in engineering and biology. Several months ago, I was recruited by one of my former professors for a project the government offered him. Local marine biologists had noticed animals behaving oddly near what they believed to be an old sunken shipwreck. Initial investigation by professional divers revealed that, miraculously, no water had gotten inside, and the air was still breathable. Our team was supposed to learn the cause of such a feat, as it could revolutionize deep sea exploration, possibly even space exploration. Because the government didn't want any nearby tourists to interfere, we were told not to tell a living soul what we were doing. Not even our families were to know... Not that this was much of a struggle for me..."

Doctor Ortega-Cabrera looked downcast for a moment before she resumed her story. 

"We were brought to the site by submarine, with enough food and equipment to last us months. It was just the two of us: Doctor Alistair and myself. At first, we mainly investigated the building, took what notes we could. It was during this period we discovered the skeleton, and the first tenant's notes on the building's construction. The skeleton was... impossible. From what we could tell it resembled some kind of animal, but the spine and limb length suggested that they were bipedal. The notes were far more confusing, talking about something called empyrean and yokai..."

That must have been the alchemist Draxum mentioned, Donnie realized.

She shook herself. "Things took a turn for the worse when Doctor Alistair found those canisters of a glowing substance. When taking a sample... I don't know how to possibly say this without sounding insane, but he touched it and... changed. He'd recently been in contact with a fish from the water outside, and transformed into a sort of fish person. I managed to get him to the water, and he simply swam away. I haven't seen him since, but that happened a week ago, and yesterday I saw a scrap of the doctor's lab coat float by the window... stained red. I fear the worst, and believe that I am now truly alone."

Once again, she steadied herself. "I sent a message to the government not to come here; whatever this substance is, it possesses metamorphic capabilities. No man should have access to such a power, but I lack the knowledge to dispose of it. Thus, the best I can do is stay here and make sure that it never falls into the wrong hands. If I'm dead by the time that this tape is found, I beg of you: do not allow this chemical to leave this site. Heaven help us if it should ever find it's way into New York City."

The tape ended. Donatello sat in confusion. The tape explained some things (such as why rumors about a lab with empyrean had gotten to the Hidden City), but there was plenty more it didn't explain. 

For one thing, what happened to Doctor Ortega-Cabrera?

"Ah, I thought you'd be awake by now."

His attention shot towards the entrance to the utility room, with several tools popping out of his battle shell.

Standing in the doorway was a crocodile slightly shorter than Raphael, but just as bulky. They had amber eyes, dark green scaly skin, a long mouth of sharp (but surprisingly clean) teeth, and were dressed in a long, slightly threadbare lab coat. And... the same necklace the scientist in the video was wearing...

"There's no need for that," the crocodile mutant said. "I showed you that video so you'd know I don't mean you harm. I'm a scientist, not a madwoman."

He paused, blinking. "...Doctor Ortega-Cabrera?"

"The same, though no one's called me that name in nearly thirty years. I call myself Leatherhead these days; it fits me a bit better. Now, I'd like to take a look at that ankle..."

Donnie saw his bo staff lying next to the bed, and grabbed it, holding it along with re-arming the weapons in his battle shell.

"Until I get some answers, you are not taking a single step towards me!"

Leatherhead shrugged. "Fair enough. What do you want to know?"

"Where are my brothers? Why did you separate us?"

"Your brothers are still sedated; I didn't want them to hurt themselves before I could explain. And I brought you here simply because I wanted to talk to you, and I doubted I'd be able to handle all four of you by myself."

That... made sense.

"Alright, how long was I out, why did you sedate me, and what is so important that you had to kidnap me talk?"

"One hour, no longer. I sedated you because I doubted you'd stay still long enough for me to treat your ankle. And I wanted to know why you came here. After seeing you solve the algebra room so quickly, I thought you'd be the most reasonable."

"...You saw that?"

"Well, Tiny did. But what he sees, I see."

"...Who in Curie's name is Tiny?"

Just then, he heard a cheep. There was a bearded dragon with a cybernetic leg and tiny helmet-like hat sitting on one of the shelves.

"He's my pet," she explained. "He's been with me since before I came here. He got injured a month into our investigation, so I built him a new leg. I also gave him that hat; it doubles as a camera so he can act as my security guard."

He wasn't the best at reading people (not like Mikey), but he was starting to sense that Leatherhead was trustworthy. Slowly, he retracted his weapons into his shell, and lowered his bo staff.

"Here." She passed him a pair of handmade crutches. "You can use these to get around, for now. I'll take you to your brothers. En route, I'll answer more questions so you can tell them what they need to know."

As they walked through the lab, Leatherhead kept her promise. 

"Barely a day after making that tape, I decided to take the risk and douse myself with the substance, which I realized from the original tenant's notes was called empyrean. I'd hoped that it would allow me to gain more survival skills that would help me survive down here. I'd most recently been handling my late professor's crocodile-skin briefcase. When my skin touched the empyrean, I became... well, who I am now. Still, as upsetting as my situation was, I decided to throw myself into learning about this place. And learn about it I did; it turns out that the scientist who created this structure dabbled in magic as well as science. That's why the air remains breathable, and why the walls are capable of disappearing or reappearing simply at a whim: runes have been deeply embedded within the structure. It took me a long time to figure out how to make the walls move for me--the algebra room had me stumped for a while-- but I came to understand this place as much as its creator did. Better, even: I managed to find a way in his notes to create a rune that doesn't allow any magic on the premises... that is, unless I say so. The same goes for technology; Tiny saw those three delinquents come here and talk about robbing me. So I willed the rune to shut down their devices. However, Tiny saw that you and your brothers wanted to prevent the theft of the empyrean, so I left your devices alone."

"Wait," Donnie finally interrupted. "If you've been down here since the nineties, then how come you know about modern devices?"

"I still get cable down here; I need some knowledge of the outside world."

"Oh."

"Anyway, I know that you four need the rune turned off... at least temporarily... so you can get home. Once we make sure those punks don't leave with the empyrean, I'll let you leave."

"...Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you so okay with magic?"

She stopped walking, letting him catch up.

"What do you mean?"

"...You seem so ready to just accept it, even use it instead of science to solve your problems. But for me... tech is the best thing I'm good at. If magic can do something better... I'm always trying to prove that my technology is the better long-term solution. But then 'Angelo or Draxum manages to do something impossible with magic, something science could never hope to do, and..."

He felt a clawed hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and saw understanding in her eyes.

"Professor Alistair used to say that the modern understanding of science has drifted from its original purpose. These days, scientists care more about being the first at something, or making a name for themselves. They forget what science truly is: it's the pursuit of knowledge, discovery, and uncovering the secrets of the world. It's why the sciences are so diverse; there is so much more out there than we could ever hope to study. Magic is much the same: it's a way of doing things and solving mysteries, and it has to be adaptable to fit with a diverse world. When you realize the two aren't so different, they both become easier to accept."

She looked at him with a crocodillian smile. "As for feeling inadequate, I know that's not true. Tell me, how old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Have you ever had any formal schooling? College classes? Scientific training of any kind?"

He shook his head.

"And yet you still managed to crack a math code it took me weeks to solve, you invented your metal shell, you understand areas of science people twice your age can't comprehend... You're a better scientist than you give yourself credit for... What's your name?"

He blinked, surprised he hadn't told her yet. "Donatello."

"Let me tell you something my mother used to tell me: Somos mejores que nuestros logros. That means, we are greater than our accomplishments. The people who matter most will always value you more than what you give them."

Donnie felt a weight he didn't know he was carrying disappear. And... why were his eyes stinging?

"Thank you, Leatherhead," he admitted. Then cleared his throat. "Alright, if we're done with the feelings, now, I need to get to my brothers..."

A sudden idea popped in his head, and he got a sinister grin.

"Oh, Doctor Ortega-Cabrera? How would you like an idea that could keep the Purple Dragons away from your home for good?"

Leatherhead turned, looking surprised and intrigued.

"I'm listening."

"Sinister chuckle. First, we need to tell my brothers what you told me. Next--"

- - - -

"Why didn't tell us you had that ninety minutes ago?!" Kendra chastised as Jeremy sawed at the net's rope.

"I forgot I had this, I'm used to hacking problems away!"

Finally, the Swiss Army knife cut through the net, sending the three of them falling to the floor. Jeremy landed on Kendra, who was sandwiched between him and her stepbrother. The latter two were not at all happy about the arrangement, and yelled at Jeremy to move.

Once they were all free of the pile, Kendra let out an annoyed huff.

"Okay, I've already had enough of this place. Forget the goo at this point; we'll just load a glass jar with glow stick juice or something and book it before the old lady realizes we conned her."

"Isn't tricking an old lady a little low? Even for us?" Jase asked.

"That old lady sent us to a nightmare maze where none of our tech works. She could step in front of a bus, for all I care..."

The lights all went out, leaving them in inky darkness.

"Great," the purple-haired girl muttered.

"Um, Kendra?" Jase nervously asked. The hallways were filling with steam. Eerie growling noises started filling the air.

The two boys clutched each other, nervous, while Kendra growled in annoyance.

"Naughty children..." A deep, spooky woman's voice rumbled.

"What was that?" Jeremy mumbled, his grip on Jase tightening.

"Hey! Who's doing this?" The group's leader shouted. "How'd you get your stuff to work? Is the tech working again?"

She looked at her smart watch to check, and frowned when she saw it wasn't.

She then tensed when she realized what that meant. If the tech wasn't working, then... how...?

"Naughty children..." The voice rumbled again. 

The steam started to curl around the three, surrounding them and them alone.

Then, there was a deep, guttural scream, making all three of them jump. The steam formed a wall in front of them, an image beginning to appear.

The skull of some unidentifiable animal formed from the steam. A circle of fire seemed to ignite from nowhere, trapping the three teens.

"YOU NAUGHTY CHILDREN HAVE DEFILED MY RESTING PLACE!" The skull announced, revealing itself the owner of the voice.

"We're sorry!" Jeremy screamed, falling to his knees.

"Please let us go!" Jase agreed, copying the other boy.

"T-This has to be a prank!" Kendra insisted. "From that April girl, or Donatello, or that kid we kicked out of the club for saying our jackets looked tacky..."

"Oh, a prank, is it?" The skull asked. "Does this feel like a prank?"

A hole of blue light appeared a foot away from her, and a giant hand covered in mud and bloody gore appeared, grabbing her by the ankle. She screamed bloody murder as the hand started trying to drag her into the hole.

"WE'RE SO SORRY! WE'LL DO ANYTHING, JUST LET US GO!"

"Leave New York City!" The skull announced. "Never return, and never commit a crime again!"

"...Not even pirating movies?" Kendra asked, her voice meek.

"Not even that! Piracy is not a victimless crime!"

"Okay, okay!" Jeremy promised. "Just let us go!"

"Very well. Leave, and never mention this place to anyone again!"

The hand, hole in the floor, fire, steam, and skull-made-of-steam all vanished. In front of them appeared a new blue hole. Through it, they could see the streets of a different city. 

They ran for it, terrified tears leaking down their faces.

- - - -

The second the teens were gone, the four turtles and one crocodile burst out laughing.

"I have never seen such an effective prank," Leatherhead admitted, "but I worry we might have taken things a little far."

"They've stolen my work, hacked my online profile, stole my robotic assistant, and once tricked me into playing a video game that nearly destroyed the city," Donatello told her. "If this scares them straight and prevents them from going after any other geniuses, then I'd say it's worth it."

"I think your fake-blood-and-mud really worked," Raph noted as he licked the back of his hand. "Who knew that chocolate syrup, brown sugar, and strawberry jam could be so convincing?" He licked his arm again. "Or tasty?"

"Same with all the steam," Leo agreed. "Having me make a portal into a sauna was a great idea."

"I'm really shocked you were okay with me using magic to finally take care of them," Mikey admitted. "Normally, you'd hate it if I used that steam-manipulation spell. Or the fire spell."

"Well," Donnie began, sneaking a look at the crocodile before continuing. "I must admit I've recently had my views on magic... altered. I still believe science is superior, but I will no longer veto magic as a possible solution."

Mikey responded by hugging his brother as tightly as he could for as long as he could before Donnie asked him to stop (all of three seconds).

"All in all," Leatherhead spoke again, "I'm impressed. You kids are great actors... How'd you make such a realistic scream, Raphael?"

The snapper winced. "That wasn't actin'... I stubbed my toe."

- - - -

"...and then we scared those Dragons away!" Michelangelo finished telling Elsa and Splinter. "It was awesome!"

"Leatherhead says she'll stay at the old lab until further notice," Leo added to the report. "She says that she still needs to guard the empyrean, and she won't leave until she knows it's no longer a threat."

"But!" Donnie entered the conversation, balancing on his crutches and grinning widely. "She agreed to do a biweekly video chat with me to discuss science! Do you know how long I've waited for someone to want to discuss science with me? By Hooke's microscope, I can't even think of what I want to discuss first...!"

He then began infodumping about the construction of his battle shell, throwing around words and phrases that no one else in the room understood. Mikey managed to escape by going off to call Draxum and tell him what had gone down.

Leonardo and Raphael finally managed to escape by silently slipping into the kitchen.

"Hey, Leo?" Raph asked as he pulled some pizza bagels from the freezer. "I forgot to ask: Where did you send those Purple Dragons?"

The slider smirked. "Someplace I'm sure they'll love..."

- - - -

"THAT STUPID GHOST SENT US TO NEW JERSEY?!?"

Chapter Text

"OHMYGOSHMIKEYI'MSOSORRYRAPHDIDN'TMEAN--!!!"

"Raph, I'm fine! It was an accident!"

Skateboarding while fighting each other with stale breadsticks had sounded fun (especially when Leo decided to film it on his phone). But the brothers had a change of heart when Raphael accidentally jabbed the thirteen-year-old too hard, sending him elbow-first down the ramp.

The limb was bruised and scraped, oozing blood, but on the whole didn't look that bad. To Raph, however, it was the equivalent of a bone poking out.

"Bring it over here, Mikey," Leonardo ordered, in full leader/medic mode.

"I'm fine--" The box turtle wasn't given a chance to finish; Leo was already taking bandages and an antiseptic wipe from the pouches on his belt.

"Okay..." The slider muttered, probably to himself, as he looked at Mikey's elbow. "Looks worse that it is... Bruising should go away in a day or two... Mikey, did you hit your funny bone at all? No? Okay, humerus' fine... That should do it."

Once the band aid was on, Leo finally let the (very annoyed) thirteen-year-old go. 

Mikey sighed, and hoped that was the end of it. He went to grab his skateboard... only for Raph to intercept.

"Uh, maybe we should take a break from skateboarding for a while? Don't want you gettin' hurt any worse--"

"It's a scrape, Raphael! I'm fine!"

"I know that! Raph just doesn't want--!"

Mikey sighed and trudged towards his room. 

It wasn't fair... He was just as good a ninja as any of his brothers, he took regular mystic lessons with Barry, he understood their ninpo more than any of his brothers, he cooked their meals... But they still treated him like a baby! He'd be fourteen in a few months, that was practically an adult! 

He gave a long sigh as he fell backwards onto his hammock. No matter how many times he tried to prove it, they still only saw him as a helpless little kid they had to protect.

In his mind's eye, he saw two small figures appearing on his shoulders. Both looked like Mikey in his therapist garb, orange turtleneck, glasses, and all. But one of them had a little halo and wings, while the other had devil's horns and a pitchfork.

"Your brothers are so protective because they love you," Doctor Feelings insisted, his little wings fluttering. "Especially Raphael. You four have gone up against some pretty scary stuff: yokai, bad humans, Dad when he has Rat Flu..."

"I know they love me," Mikey told his shoulder angel, "but..."

"But they'll never stop treating you like a baby if you let them walk all over you," Doctor Delicate Touch cut in, switching his pitchfork from one hand to the other. "The only way to stop 'em is to show that you're not some poor little baby who needs protecting all the time."

"No, I've tried that already," Mikey replied, shaking his head. While he had successfully gotten Hot Soup: The Game from that auction house, his brothers had come running to his rescue the second they knew Cassandra was there. Plus, the whole mission turned out to be pointless when the only one who liked the game was Splinter.

"So prove it another way!" Doctor Delicate Touch insisted. "Or better yet, show them how they act!"

"What, start babying them?" Doctor Feelings gave his evil counterpart a look. "That wouldn't work for a NUMBER of reasons..."

"No, I mean, act like an overprotective older brother to the one younger sibling you DO have: Elsa!"

Mikey considered it while Doctor Feelings looked concerned.

"Hey, now, think how you feel when your brothers smother you..."

"Too late! The devil on my shoulder won this round!"

The two imagined figures were forgotten as he took his phone from his belt. He was about to text Elsa when she texted him.

Well, it was actually the group chat, but it was good enough for him.

Hey, guys, I might need some help with something. Is it okay if I come over?

Mikey started to text, but Leo beat him to it.

always is! need a portal?

Yes, please.

Knowing she'd be there in a couple seconds, Mikey all but ran from his train car.

- - - -

"My parents were going to spend a few more days island hopping," Elsa explained to the gathered Hamatos in the living room. "But the original hosts for the Bourgeoisie Gala had to back out, so now it's going to be hosted by the Queens tomorrow night. Margueritte and Isabella are swamped with foods they need to make to prepare for it, so they promised me a favor if I agreed to pick up a special ingredient they need."

"What favor?" April asked.

"Have any of you ever had chocolate croissants before?"

The group shook their heads (though Splinter merely seemed reflective, like he was trying to remember if he had).

"I don't even know what a croissant is," Mikey admitted.

"Well, if I do this favor for the kitchen staff, they promised me two dozen of them, and I plan to share them with all of you. But we won't be getting any homemade pastries if I don't get what they asked for. We need handmade lingonberry preserves for the scones: if we don't have them, my parents will fire Margueritte and Isabella."

"They're your friends, aren't they?" Leo asked.

"My parents sometimes forgot to feed me, but they never did," Elsa confirmed. "Buying the preserves isn't the real problem. Based on what you guys have told me, the only store in the city that sells them is really close to a heavily-used Hidden City entrance. There's a chance Tanuki Man will be near there. Even if I have my necklace, I don't know if I'll be able to hold him off, especially not with his gravity magic..."

"Oh, baby!" Mikey sprung up from his seat, running over and hugging Elsa before looking her in the eye. "You don't have to ask, you've got yourself a bodyguard!"

"What?" Raph stood up. "Mike, that might not be a good idea..."

"Come on, I'm not a baby!" He gave his brother a look. "I've been doing the same training you have, been in the same fights, I'm not helpless! I got the mystic power, the squills, the ninja know-how... I am one-hundred percent capable of protecting Elsa AND me! We'll be eating chocolate craters before you know it!"

"Croissants," Elsa corrected.

"That's what I said."

"You can do that in a year or so," Raphael stubbornly refused. "Right, Pops?"

Splinter was giving his son a look, but it was his oldest instead of his youngest.

"I seem to remember you going out by yourself when you were thirteen," the rat noted. "It may not have been wise from most parents' perspective, but you proved that you were capable of defending yourself. Orange has proven himself several times. If he wants to go out, he's allowed to."

"But... But..." Raph seemed to be struggling with a reply.

"Come on, hermano." Leo gave his brother a weak punch on the arm. "Miguel's got this. I say let him go."

"Donnie?" The snapping turtle looked to the softshell. "Back me up, here."

Donatello was on his phone excitedly typing. "Did you know that Leatherhead found a new species of bioluminescent algae that could be used to power her underground heating system? If we can turn that into a renewable fuel--"

"Donnie!"

"What?"

"We're talking about whether or not Mikey should be Elsa's bodyguard..." Raph patiently began.

"Just go with whatever 'Nardo says, he's team leader," the purple-clad turtle cut him off, going back to his phone. "Now, to check if that algae's already in zoological records or not..."

Mikey tackle-hugged Leonardo. "Thanks so much, guys! I won't let you down! And Raph? You're getting the last coinrolls!"

"Croissants," April corrected with a smile.

Raph did not look happy as Mikey ran from the lair, towing an amused Elsa behind him.

- - - -

The handmade preserves were at a little store in the Bronx. Fortunately, it was seven o'clock on a Tuesday night, so a lot of places weren't busy. All Michelangelo needed to stay undercover was his orange hoodie.

"You're sure that's a good enough disguise?" Elsa had whispered when they first boarded the subway.

"It's worked a lot of times before," he whispered back. "So long as no one sees my face, we're good."

Thankfully, in a city like New York, most people were used to seeing strange stuff on the subway. Like Mikey'd predicted, most people either ignored them or seemed to think he had a weird skin condition (one old lady whispered to Elsa about taking him to a dermatologist). But, luckily, they only needed one subway ride before they reached the Bronx.

"Okay," Elsa began as she read off of her phone. "The preserves are at this little Swedish Mom-and-Pop shop a block away from here. The hard part will be keeping an eye out for Tanuki Man. You ready?"

Mikey gave a big smile. "You bet!"

He was no where near ready.

During the subway ride, he'd realized that he didn't really know how to be an older brother. He'd been the little brother his whole life, after all... Other than protecting Elsa from danger if she needed him, he didn't really know what to do. He almost wished he could ask one of his older brothers for pointers...

That was it! He just had to do whatever his brothers would do! After all, they were some of the best big brothers in existence!

Okay, he thought to himself, what would Leonardo do right now?

"For all we know," Elsa continued, keeping her voice low as she pulled up the hood of her black sweatshirt, "Tanuki Man could be hiding behind a Cloaking Broach. Or his employer could have hired a new bounty hunter we don't know about..."

"Don't sweat it, hermanito," Mikey replied, trying to talk like Leo would. "I can totally handle anything any yokai tries to throw at us." He threw an arm over Elsa's shoulder, just like Leo did to anyone he liked. "You're safe with me. Um... Mi sandía está llena de queso, ¿te gustaría acariciarme la cabeza?"

The twelve-year-old stopped and stared at him, looking like she was seconds away from laughing. 

"Mikey, have you ever studied Spanish?"

"...No, I was just trying to sound cool. Have you studied it?"

"Two years. You just said, 'My watermelon is full of cheese', and then you asked me to pat you on the head."

Michelangelo's face flushed as Elsa burst out laughing.

Okay, copying Leo was out.

- - - -

Despite the subway putting them in the right neighborhood, the directions on Elsa's phone weren't very useful. The fact that the store's name was a Swedish word neither of them knew (and Mikey wasn't going to try and pronounce it) made matters even more complicated.

"I've entered the store's names six times," she sighed, her eye twitching in frustration. "But either the Wi-Fi around here is terrible, or the store disappeared off the face of the Earth... There aren't any yokai with that kind of power, right?"

"I doubt they'd use it on a random store in the Bronx... I think... I'll ask Barry about it."

Elsa looked at him with wide eyes. "I... I was kidding."

"Oh... I'll still ask Barry."

She sighed. "Maybe it's a good thing I can't go back to the Hidden City for a while... Ugh, this phone!"

Now the phone was going through an automatic update, rendering it useless for the next few minutes.

Okay, phone problems are upsetting her... what would Donnie do?

He remembered that Donnie, before he gifted April one of his custom-built phones, used to bypass automatic updates on her old phone by pressing a few random buttons on the screen. He had a rough idea of how to do it, so he might as well give it a try!

"Scoff, I've got this!" He took Elsa's phone and started hitting the screen rapid fire.

"Um, Mikey? You sure that's a good idea?"

"Absolutely, he reassured her!"

"...Why are you talking like Donnie?"

He didn't get a chance to answer. Somehow his tapping the screen had stopped the update... But it also completely erased the phone's data and memory.

The box turtle didn't get a chance to tell her this because at that moment, a car drove by, startling them both and causing him to drop her phone down the storm drain.

"Oh me gosh, I'm so sorry--!" Mikey started to panic. 

"It's okay, it was an accident," she reassured him. 

"...I'll have Donnie make you a new one," he promised. "And I'll make you your favorite dessert whenever you want... Wait, you're not mad?"

"Kids at school used to break my phone to tease me, and my parents never noticed when I bought a new one. But I'll take a Genius Built phone if you're offering one... And I will take you up on the dessert offer."

"Triple chocolate ice cream cake?"

"You've got it."

Thankfully, Mikey's phone was better at getting directions than Elsa's was, so he let her use it to finally find the little store.

Unfortunately, they didn't get too far.

One of his first mystic lessons with Barry had taught him how to sense mystic energy in the air, as this was the key to dodging magical attacks. An attacking spell always made the nearby air feel... itchy right before it hit.

When the air around him became indescribably irritable, he knew what was coming. He leapt forward, tackling Elsa to the ground, just as the Tanuki Man's spell hit a nearby wall.

Elsa was about to ask why he'd done that, saw the Tanuki Man (who quickly reapplied his Cloaking Broach) across the street, and shut her mouth. Mikey saw the sign for the Swedish store up ahead, and noticed that there was a crowd in front of it. Yokai or no, Tanuki Man wouldn't risk attacking two kids in front of a bunch of witnesses.

"Just stay near me, everything's gonna be okay!" He reassured her as he took her hand and started running. Elsa had only just started getting into shape (something Raph was helping her with via self-defense lessons), but she managed to keep up.

They ducked into the shop, earning a few glances in the process. Thankfully, the other patrons in the shop thought they'd just been running for the heck of it and didn't say anything.

Okay, Mikey thought to himself. How does Raph act right after a battle?

"You okay?" He asked Elsa. "Any bruises? Cuts? Scrapes? Hangnail? Feelings of dread?"

"What?"

"You good?"

"I'm fine, you got us to safety, you did a good job."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you really sure?"

She was getting annoyed. "Yes. Now come on, let's get those preserves."

- - - -

"They've been gone a while," Raph muttered as he paced in front of the lair entrance.

"They've been gone for exactly forty-three minutes," Donnie replied from his place nearby, typing on his wrist computer while reclining on a beanbag. "And in that time, you've said 'They've been gone a while' once every ten minutes."

"I'm just worried!" Raphael defended himself. He froze. "My Overprotective Brother senses are tinglin'... I'm gonna call Mikey and make sure everythin's okay."

Donatello rolled his eyes. "Fine. Papa, Leo won the bet, Raphala called Mikey in less than an hour!"

"Really, Red?" Splinter shouted from his room. "You couldn't have waited fifteen more minutes?!"

Leo's cackling could be heard over the sounds of a video game.

Raph rolled his eyes and called Mikey's cell.

He was surprised when Elsa picked up.

"Hey, Raph."

"Elsa? Where's Mikey? You two okay?"

"We're at the little Swedish shop that sells the preserves. I'm in line to buy them while Mikey's drooling over a display of fresh elderflower. Apparently it can be used to make a special, caffeine-rich tea. He also made me promise never to tell Donnie about it; apparently it can keep you up longer than coffee."

Raph understood; if Donnie starting drinking that tea, it'd be even harder to get him to sleep.

"We'll just buy the preserves and come home," Elsa finished.

"Yeah... You sure you're both okay?"

"Well..." Her voice got quieter, likely not wanting anyone in the store to overhear. "Admittedly, you-know-who tried to ambush us. Luckily, the store had a crowd and he didn't want witnesses."

Raphael wondered why they were talking about Voldemort before he realized what she actually meant.

"But that's not the weird thing," she continued, now speaking at a normal volume. "Ever since we got to the Bronx, Mikey's been acting really weird. He's overprotective, keeps insisting he'll keep me safe, tries to solve every problem we come across, won't believe me when I say I'm okay... I know he's trying to be protective, but it's kind of smothering."

Raph sighed. "Sounds like it. I guess he's takin' his job as your bodyguard a little too seriously."

"Shouldn't you be proud of him?" Donatello asked, not looking up from his phone. "That's you treat Michael all the time. Your phone's on speaker, by the way."

The red-clad turtle froze. And guilt started creeping into his expression.

- - - -

Now that they had the preserves, they realized that getting home was going to be a problem. 

The Tanuki Man's Cloaking Broach did nothing to hide his hideous suit and hat, meaning they could still see him waiting outside the store. Even though there were other yokai shopping nearby (the Cloaking Broaches were evidence of that), they didn't know if any of them were working with Tanuki Man or not. Nor could they text Leo and ask for a portal: there were too many humans around.

"No need to worry," Mikey kept reassuring her as they tried to think of a plan (though he was more nervous than she was). "Everything's okay, I've got this..."

"I'm not panicking," she told him, nearing the end of her patience.

"You don't have to panic, I've got this..."

"That's it."

She grabbed him by the wrist and led him into one of the store rooms at the back of the shop. Once in, she shut the door, turned on the lights, pulled Mikey's hood off of his head, and gave him a glare that would scare the Shredder himself.

"What is going on with you? All night, you've been acting weird. Tell me right now, or I'll make sure you don't get any of those croissants. OR Margueritte and Isabella's recipe for them."

Mikey gasped. "You wouldn't."

"I will. Now talk."

He held out for all of three seconds before he sighed.

"I just... wanted to be a good big brother. But I don't know how."

"...What are you talking about?"

"I've been the youngest all my life. And I was so psyched when you joined the clan. I wanted to show everyone that I'm a great big brother. Plus, if I showed Raph that I can protect myself AND my little sister, then maybe he'd finally quit babying me all the time... But the thing is, I don't know HOW to be a big brother. So I started just doing what my brothers would do. But I stink at it... I can't make you feel better like Leo, I can't fix your phone like Donnie, I can't fight off every threat like Raph... And worst of all I wasn't thinking of you, I was just trying to prove myself. I'm sorry, Elsa..."

She cut him off by hugging him.

"You already are an amazing brother. Not because you're like the others, but because you're you. You helped me calm down when we got off the train and had to walk through a strange neighborhood, you came up with a solution to find this store, you protected me from Tanuki Man... and you did it all in your own way. You're a great big brother just by being you, and I don't want you to be anything else. Okay?"

He gave her a tear-filled smile. "Okay."

"Now, as for getting around Tanuki Man..." She created a few snowflakes. "I'm not exactly helpless..."

They went out the store's back entrance, where Elsa put her necklace to work. 

A minute later, they were walking down the street, seemingly without a care in the world. Tanuki Man, smirking, shot a gravity spell at them... and it had no effect. He tried again... nothing.

He didn't notice the snowballs that fell to the ground, suddenly much heavier than they'd been only a second before.

Elsa and Mikey giggled from behind the wall of snowballs she was levitating between them and Tanuki Man. A basic illusion spell Mikey had mastered was keeping anyone on the street from seeing the snowballs until the gravity spell hit them.

Once they were in an alley and well away from the confused Tanuki Man, Mikey texted Leo, requesting a portal. They were back in the lair in seconds.

- - - -

The chocolate croissants were everything Elsa'd said they'd be. 

"Chocolate cornholes are my new favorite dessert!" Mikey cheered after eating his first pastry.

"Croissants," Elsa corrected once again before biting into her second one.

The orange clad turtle grinned and was reaching for another.

Things couldn't have gone better: the preserves made it to Elsa's friends in time, the Gala (which a grateful Elsa didn't have to attend) went off without a hitch, and Raph hadn't babied him ONCE in eighteen hours (a new record). He was still plenty protective, and as huggy as ever, but now he backed off whenever he saw Mikey getting annoyed. 

"So," Leo asked after trying (and failing) to sneak a third croissant, "Elsa, are your parents gonna stick around for a while?"

"No," she shook her head. "Once everything from the Gala is cleaned up, they're booking a cruise to tour the islands of Greece. Their flight leaves sometime in the next week; I saw the tickets on the table this morning."

"Sorry," April offered. "You can always come spend a night with me and my mom. She works a lot, but she'd love to meet you."

"You also are always welcome here," Splinter reminded her. He still looked a little green from when he'd stuffed himself sick with croissants, but his smile was genuine.

"Thanks," she responded, smiling. Then her smile turned into a smirk. "Though I can't help but wonder: do you like me more, or the croissants?"

"Can't we love both?" April defended as she slipped a few extra pastries into her purse.

Chapter Text

"As far as missions go," Leonardo began as they all stood in Donatello's lab, "this one shouldn't be too hard--"

"Don't jinx us again," Raph warned.

"I said 'not too hard', not 'easy'," Leo argued back before continuing. "Donnie?"

Dutifully, the purple-clad turtle pressed a button on his keyboard. His massive computer screen showed the blueprints of a warehouse.

"I know that place," Elsa spoke up. "I've never been, but I know about it. My parents rent out one of their storerooms."

"Then it's a good thing you're on this mission!" Mikey chirped.

"Cassandra told us last week that the Sando brothers were scoping the place out," Leo continued. "And because they're so crabby--"

His brothers all groaned while Elsa looked confused.

"--we need to stop them before they get away with whatever they're planning."

"Am I missing something?" The twelve-year-old asked.

"The Sando brothers are mutant crabs," Raph answered.

"Oh... Then yeah, that was a terrible pun."

She didn't need to ask about Cassandra; while the woman was more of a loose cannon than the Turtles, Elsa'd been reassured that she was on their side.

"Anyway," Leo continued, clearly not happy about his tough audience. "We can't all go because there's way too much security around there. Even after Donnie uses his app to shut down the place's security cameras, the guards around the building might see us."

"Hold on." Donnie stood from his chair, glaring at his brother. "Are you just assuming I have an app that can hack into any security system I choose?"

"Oh, sorry," his twin responded, blinking in surprise. "Do you not have an app that can do that?"

"No, I do. I just don't want people assuming I have something. Ask first."

Leo gave his brother a look before he went back to mission planning. 

"So, once Donnie shuts down the security cameras, I'll portal two of us in. The team of two will look around for the Sando brothers, figure out what they're trying to do, and stop them. Any questions?"

"Um, yeah," Elsa spoke again. "Isn't April more qualified for something like this?"

"One, we love April, but she doesn't have a magical snow necklace," Mikey began. "Two, since your parents have one of the storage vaults there, you have a better chance convincing the guards to go away than any of us. And three, April's busy tonight."

"She got a job babysittin' a few kids in her apartment buildin'," Raph explained. "If Elsa's goin', I'll go with her. Whatever the Sandos are tryin' steal is probably big. Raph can get it away from 'em faster than anyone."

"Alright, sounds good," Leo agreed as Donnie stepped forward.

"Raphala, you already know about the distress button in your phone. Elsa, your new phone has the same feature, but we do not have time to go over it because someone used my 'How to Use Your Phone' guide as a napkin!"

He said the last part while glaring at Mikey and Leo, who both looked away with shamefaced grins.

"Because we don't have time," the softshell turtle continued, "you can use these to communicate without using your phone."

He put two purple stud earrings into her palm, each one bearing a Genius Built logo the size of a dime. Elsa opened her mouth to point out a flaw in his plan, but he shushed her and went on.

"Before you say anything, yes, I noticed you lack pierced ears. That's why I made them clip-ons. These earrings allow us to hear whatever you're hearing when you tap your left earring. Likewise, your right earring allows you to hear us. Any questions?"

When she shook her head no and put the earrings on, Leo took out one of his katannas.

"Alright, we'll be listening. Find the crabs, don't get caught, call us if you need backup!" He smirked. "Especially if you get in a--"

"'Nardo, if you finish that sentence with 'pinch', I will remotely change the password on every device you own and not tell you what it is for a month."

"--bad situation," Leo finished sheepishly as he swung his sword.

The portal opened up. Elsa, who was used to portal travel by now, simply stepped through. Raph was right behind her.

- - - -

Fortunately for the girl and snapping turtle, the guards for the warehouse mainly stayed outside, evidently trusting the security system to alert them if anyone else got in.

Raph correctly guessed that they hadn't predicted someone entering via portal... or thought that a fourteen-year-old mad genius would hack their cameras.

Said cameras were already down when they got in.

"Okay," the turtle whispered to his partner. "Let's split up. If you find the Sandos first, freeze 'em in place then come find me."

"What if you find them first?"

He smirked and smacked his fist into his palm.

"I'll take 'em out like a boss."

"You sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

"I know you're nearby, and I can text someone if I need to."

With that, the two split up.

After a few minutes of searching, Raphael saw a sight that made him stamp his foot in anger.

One of the vaults had been forcibly opened, with a few crates missing. A shed mutant crab claw told him who the culprits were.

However, a text from Donnie instantly made the fifteen-year-old feel better.

I looked at the information on that vault's owner paired with the footage the cameras took of the Sando brothers robbing it. The renter of said vault is Pablo "Putt-Putt" Perez, the owner slash proprietor of that mini-golf place in Queens. He recently replaced all of his course's golf balls with environmentally-friendly ones made of bio-degradable materials, and was using the vault to store the old ones. Relishing chuckle, they will not gain much from this heist.

Knowing that they didn't need to waste time here, Raph threw the shed claw into the trash (no need to make the security guards suspicious) and went to go find Elsa.

- - - -

She'd only been separated from Raphael for a few minutes when she heard two familiar voices.

Elsa quickly ducked behind a few spare storage crates. She was just in time: seconds after hiding, the Queens came out of their storage vault.

"I told you it'd be a better idea to store your golf clubs in the attic, darling," Mrs. Queen told her husband. "It would have saved us a trip."

"In my defense, dearest, I rarely use them," Mr. Queen defended himself. "But the travel agent told me that the resort we'll finish the trip at has a rather luxurious golf course. I didn't even know they HAD golf courses in Greece."

"Well, learning something new is one of the bonuses of traveling."

Mrs. Queen adjusted her supremely expensive leather jacket and scoffed, her plastic surgery-enhanced face forming a scowl.

"Can you believe that some of your business partners thought we'd bring the brat along on our trip?"

Said "brat" rolled her eyes; unless she did something to warrant it (like getting a B on a test instead of an A), her mother preferred to call her insults. At least "the brat" was light compared to some of her insults...

"As if we'd spend our well-earned free time keeping watch over her!" Mr. Queen replied, leaving the vault with his golf bag. "I still can't believe we took her in. She's not even ours."

Elsa froze.

"Now, now, you know I had a bleeding heart back then. Plus, we weren't given too much of a choice, were we? We had guests over, and when they saw me holding the one-year-old they all cooed and asked if I'd take her in. I couldn't risk my reputation by saying 'no', could I?"

"Don't beat yourself up, dear heart. After all, your plan to make her leave early has gone swimmingly so far. She's already set to graduate high school years early, and then we can ship her off to some university on the other side of the country... maybe even the world if we can talk her into attending Cambridge. Do you think we'd have to bribe someone to get her in before she graduates high school? It would speed things up quite a bit."

"I doubt it, dear, every college demands a high school degree before you even apply... except clown college, of course."

"Now, there's an idea..."

"Darling, please. We'll still be affiliated with her even after she's finished school. Would you really want to tell our friends and colleagues that we have a clown for a daughter?"

"Ah, once again, you're right. Ah, well, she'll only be around for another two years or so. Then we won't have to deal with an annoying ten-year-old we're not even related to."

"She's twelve, darling."

"Even better, she'll be out faster!"

With that, the two left the vault, and walked out of the warehouse.

Elsa was staring wide-eyed at the wall, not moving as she tried to process what she'd just heard.

The fact that they planned to send her away didn't shock her, she'd been suspecting that for the last few years.

But... They weren't even her parents?

Was that why they hated her?

How'd she end up with them?

What was... How had...?

Her shock and dread sent her mind spiraling, her thoughts spinning around in her brain. She started breathing again, but her breaths shallow and far too quick. The floor seemed to tilt... the walls were closing in.

Her stomach churned, and she somehow ended up on the floor, as her breathing became faster and sounded more like wheezing. Her heart was hammering, like it was trying to pound its way out of her chest.

She was raised by people who didn't want her.

Her real parents had never tried to come for her... Had they even wanted her at all?

No one wanted her.

No one loved her.

She was alone.

All alone.

A voice came through her earrings.

"Elsa, this is Donatello. What's happening? Your cardio and respiratory systems are elevated to alarming rates. You need to calm down."

She barely acknowledged the words, her mind still a whirlwind of panic, pain, and confusion.

- - - -

Raph had just started walking the way Elsa'd gone when he got another text from Donnie. This one was far less entertaining than the last.

Something has happened to Elsa. Her heart rate is elevated, as is her breathing. I do not believe she's under attack, but she is in a significant state of distress. Find her and get her back here.

"Elsa?" He called out, trying to be loud enough so she'd hear him but not so loud as to alert the guards outside. He started running to the other side of the warehouse. He would have missed his adoptive sister entirely if he hadn't heard wheezing as he ran past.

He immediately backtracked, and found her pressed up against a few storage crates. 

"Elsa, there you are! What's...?"

He took a second look. She was shaking, staring at nothing, gasping for breath with her palm pressed against her chest.

Raphael'd gone through enough panic attacks to recognize when someone else was having one. He briefly wondered what had brought it on, then disregarded that thought. He needed to help her through it before he asked questions.

"Elsa, it's Raph," he began. "You need to breathe. Take deep breaths with me. In... and out. In, one, two, three, four... Out, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight..."

While she did nothing to acknowledge he was there, Elsa followed Raphael's prompting. Once her breathing was slowing to a safer level, Raph shot a quick text to the group chat.

elsa had a panic attack need portal asap

He put his phone away and turned to Elsa again.

"Can you hear me?" He asked, whispering.

She gave a shaky nod, her breathing still too fast for his liking.

"Can I touch you?"

Another nod.

He put a large hand on her shoulder, trying to be as gentle as possible.

"Just focus on Raph, and breathe. You're gonna be okay."

The light of a portal appeared, and a concerned Leonardo was right next to him in seconds.

When it seemed she'd calmed down enough, Raph took Elsa in his arms and Leo portaled them back into the lair.

- - - -

The Hamatos were, of course, concerned about what had triggered the panic attack, but didn't press her for details. 

She was barely aware of the conversation around her, though things still got through. She heard Mikey nervously hovering around her, Raph explaining to Splinter what happened... Leo yelling at Donnie when he admitted that he secretly microchipped Elsa last time she fell asleep at the lair (which both explained why Donnie knew Elsa was having a panic attack AND was something the girl would need to discuss with the turtle later).

It was only after she'd been wrapped in a weighted blanket and given a while to breathe that she finally relaxed... and could tell the Hamatos what she'd heard.

"...They said taking me in was a mistake," she whispered, trying not to cry. "That they wished they could get rid of me faster..."

Mikey launched himself at her, hugging her like she'll disappear if he doesn't.

Raphael's expression was an odd mix of devastation and fury. Leo opened his mouth several times, and quickly closed it, evidently not knowing what to say. Donnie was in a similar state: sympathetic but clueless as to how to help.

Splinter was the first one to speak.

"Listen to me, Snow," he began. "Parents make mistakes. Sometimes they're mistakes that can be corrected and forgiven... and sometimes they're not. A good parent will do what they can to try and make up for those mistakes, in any way they can. But if someone outright tries to hurt or abandon their child..." His eyes glazed over for a moment, as if remembering something, before he shook it off and continued. "Then that person is no parent."

"I'm not even upset about them trying to get rid of me," she admitted, still struggling to keep tears from falling. "I've overheard them talking about sending me away plenty of times before. But... If they aren't my parents, then where did I come from? Why did my birth parents give me up? What... I... I'm just so confused. I don't know what to do..."

"Stay here," Mikey replied, finally releasing her from the hug.

"'Angleo's right... is not something I say very often," Donatello spoke up. "Given how little time the Queens spend with you, they likely won't notice for a long while if you move out. We have sufficient room in the lair... You'll have to make do with the couch for a time seeing as it is not easy to get another train car down here, but we've been meaning to build a guest room for a while..."

"And April said summer vacation's coming soon, so school won't be a problem either!" Leo added.

"...You... You're sure?" She asked, shocked at what she was hearing.

"We are," Splinter confirmed, walking over and sitting next to Elsa on the couch. "Even before we knew the truth about your parents, I was tempted to invite you to stay down here, anyway. Leaving you all the time, saying hurtful things... I'm not a perfect father but even I could see that was not a healthy environment. Our home is hardly a normal one, but you are welcome here."

"It'll be like having a sleepover every night!" Mikey cheered.

"But... the house staff, they'll notice I'm gone..." 

"Now they won't," Donnie replied as he finished typing at his wrist computer. "I just sent your parents an email and told them you've been accepted to a summer-long sleep away camp for gifted students. I included instructions on when you'll be leaving, how long you'll be gone, and even a included a link to a fake website that S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. is designing as we speak."

"...Donnie, how did you type that so fast?" Leo asked.

"I've created email templates for various falsified documents."

"...And you have that why?" Raph questioned, looking suspicious.

The soft shell shrugged. "I was bored one night."

"Getting back to the point," Splinter interrupted, "Snow, you cannot stay in your parents' house. Especially now that you know for certain they will never treat you right."

She flinched, but... Everything he'd said was true. And the lair did feel more like a home than her house ever had...

"...Well, if you'll have me..."

"Yay, new roomie!" Mikey cheered. "Once we have a train car or something for you, I'll help you decorate it! You can use your necklace to make icicles on the ceiling, or make it snow whenever you want--"

"I'll text April about what's going on," Raph told his father, Leo, and Donnie as he drew his sais. "Maybe she and I could--"

"No matter how tempted you are," Leo cut him off, "do not go beat up the Queens... That goes for both of you, Donald."

He glared at his twin, who was holding his bo. Scowling, Donnie lowered his weapon.

- - - -

Draxum wouldn't admit it, but he'd been wildly curious about the Turtles' new human friend... specifically her necklace.

Ever since he'd seen her use the necklace to create snow and ice, he'd been pouring over his collection of magic books. He'd even risked a visit to the Mystic Library (although he found that, now that he didn't have his henchmen, getting in and out without aggravating the librarian was MUCH easier).

He hadn't told Michelangelo how utterly impossible this whole situation was. There was SOME record of objects enchanted to perform simple elemental spells, like fire and water, but those had been weapons. There was no record of a piece of jewelry being enchanted with elemental magic. Especially not ice magic.

Draxum sighed, remembering that his shift at the cafeteria started early the next morning. He decided to flip through one more book before calling it a night.

When he opened the last book, he froze.

There, on the very first page, was a picture of the very pendant on Elsa's neck.

His first thought was why he hadn't started with this book, as it would have saved him a headache and four hours of reading.

His second thought was shock as he actually read the description under the necklace's picture.

"...I should have known," he muttered. "No wonder that tanuki yokai's after it. This was never meant for human or yokai hands..."

Chapter Text

"They literally said they wanted to get rid of you?" April fumed, her arms crossed. "Ooh, I just wanna take my bat and--"

"April O'Neil," the middle-aged pediatrician interrupted, giving her daughter a look. "Even if they deserve it, beating somebody up is not going to improve the situation."

"Sorry, Mama," the teen replied. "I just can't believe that they can get away with stuff like that!"

Elsa sunk a little lower in her seat at the O'Neil kitchen table as April's mother went on.

"Unfortunately, baby, most people don't recognize emotional abuse without first getting a big hint... Now we should probably change the subject, we're making Elsa uncomfortable."

"Sorry," April apologized to the twelve-year-old. 

"It's fine," she replied. "Everything you're saying is true. I actually thought about calling CPS a couple of times, but I always chickened out."

"Why?" Mrs. O'Neil gently asked.

"Because they never hit me or anything. I wasn't starving, I had a roof over my head, they were always telling me to do well in school... It didn't sound like I was being abused, even though I never felt safe in that house..."

"There are all kinds of abuse, sweetie. April, have I ever told you that sometimes I work with social services?"

April blinked. "No, I didn't know that."

"A lot of kids or even adults taken out of bad situations often have injuries or illnesses. But while physical abuse is one of the easier types to recognize, it's unfortunately not the only one. I can't give you two details due to patient confidentiality, but I've seen people brought into the hospital who've been neglected, screamed at, starved, hurt... All by people who were supposed to love and protect them."

The woman shook her head in sadness before giving her daughter a warm smile. "It makes me so much happier that I had such a good husband, and a wonderful daughter."

April gave her mother a slightly sad smile in return.

Elsa looked away; when she'd asked her human friend a few days before about her father, she'd been told he'd been in an accident when April was little. Elsa had known better than to ask further.

"Now," Mrs. O'Neil went on. "We have a few different ways we can approach this. We could get CPS involved, maybe find you a lawyer..."

"That's okay, Mama!" April stepped in. "We're already working on a game plan with the Hamatos."

After what they'd learned the night before, Donatello had done a bit of in-depth research into child protection laws in the state of New York. While Elsa COULD report her "parents" for emotional abuse, the results likely wouldn't be pretty: not only would her so-called parents try to fight the charges and turn the whole thing into a big public scandal, but it would put Elsa in the limelight. Since she was still trying to keep her necklace away from the Tanuki Man, this would NOT be a good idea. Not to mention she'd likely be placed in a foster home, which would make going to see the Hamatos and April a LOT harder. He'd briefly looked into child emancipation at the same time, but that would have caused similar problems.

Hence their current plan of simply ghosting her parents.

"Won't they ask questions if you suddenly stop coming home?" Raphael had asked the night before, when they decided on their course of actions.

Elsa'd given a small, mirthless laugh. "Only if I stop going to school at the same time."

The email about the fake summer camp had worked like a charm. Splinter had been prepared to put his old acting skills to use in case they tried to call the camp using the number listed (which called one of Donnie's backup burner phones). Unfortunately for him, Elsa had been right about her "parents" taking the email at face value and all too happily sending over payment information... along with a response asking if the camp had fall, winter, and spring sessions.

Faced with fresh evidence that the Queens were trying to get rid of Elsa, no one objected to Donnie taking the money they offered for "Camp Othello Von Ryan" and putting it into the family online bank vault he'd set up.

"Now," Doctor O'Neil continued, startling Elsa out of her thoughts. "Where are you going to be staying if you aren't with the Queens anymore?"

"The Hamatos offered to let me stay in their place. They're working on putting in a guest room."

"Alright, but I want you to know you're always welcome here, too."

She looked at her watch and muttered something under her breath. "Right, it's Friday. I've got an overnight shift starting in less than an hour. April, I made sure we have your favorite microwave pizza bagels in the freezer. Have you studied for your final exams, yet?"

"Math and science finished today. History and English are on Monday, and I already studied for both of them."

"Same," Elsa offered.

"Good. Are you two staying here or going to the Hamatos?"

"Hamatos," April replied.

"Okay. My shift ends at nine in the morning. It's fine if the Hamatos let you stay the night, but text me if anything changes. Remember--"

"Doors and windows locked, lights out, keep my charged phone on me at all times. I got it, Mama!"

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow!"

She was already dressed in her hospital scrubs and lab coat, so all she really needed to do was grab her purse and sneakers before darting out the door.

"Okay!" April clapped her hands together as she stood up. "Raph says Leo and Mikey are in the Hidden City, Donnie's upgrading something in his lab, and Splinter's on a food run, so he's thinking we just relax with a movie or two, and--"

Elsa had started tearing up a little, and tried to wipe the tears away before April saw them. No luck.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Her tone of voice made Elsa's tears flow faster.

"I'm sorry, I... I just..."

"It's okay." April pulled her chair closer, looking Elsa in the eye. "What's going on?"

"...If it wasn't for you, your mom, the Turtles, and Splinter... I don't know where I would have gone. I... I didn't realize how alone I felt before."

"... I kinda know how that feels."

Elsa looked up. April had a sad smile on her face.

"I've never really felt like I fit in anywhere. The Turtles accepted me, sure, and I'll always see them as my little brothers. But I always felt like nothing about my life was normal: no one else in my class had to deal with mutants or ninja stuff every day. The one time I tried to make a normal friend, she turned out to be slime yokai! It was okay, since Sunita and I still hang out a lot, but still... Feeling like you're not like everyone else and not being able to talk about it can make you feel pretty lonely."

"How do you deal with it?"

"Well, for one thing, normal's kind of overrated. If I'd never met the Turtles, my life would be pretty boring right now. Another thing is that I don't have to keep those feelings to myself; I talk about them with others. Splinter, Raph, and Doctor Feelings are all pretty good listeners--"

"Who's Doctor Feelings?"

"Mikey's therapist persona... Yeah, it's a long story. Anyway, all I'm trying to say is that you're not alone, Elsa."

"...Thank you."

She took a page from Mikey's book and wrapped her surrogate older sister in a hug.

"...Do you ever wish you had a normal life?" She had to ask.

"Every now and then, yeah. But that's usually when something stressful's happening, like the guys showing up at my bedroom window in the middle of the night, or there being a rash of mutant or yokai crimes in the middle of finals week... And, hey. Summer break starts on Wednesday, meaning we'll have a lot less to stress about for the next fifteen weeks."

- - - -

"Remind me WHY you needed me to portal you into the Hidden City last minute?" Leo grumbled as Mikey finished buying a bag of seeds from a botany stand.

"Barry needs to make a potion, ASAP," Michelangelo explained. He put the seeds in his bag before handing over some coins to the black cat yokai running the cash register. 

"That still doesn't explain why he sent you for ingredients..."

"Potions aren't something you can just leave once you've started them," the younger turtle explained as he lead Leonardo to the next stand. "Barry started working on it and then realized he was missing a few key ingredients. If I don't get these to him within the hour, he'll have to start all over again."

"Oh, no, the evil scientist will have to start all over?" Leo replied, rolling his eyes as sarcasm dripped from his words. "That's terrible."

"Hey!" Mikey stopped his brother in his tracks, glaring as he stuck a finger in Leo's face. "Barry's come a long way! He's trying to do better and he actually does care about us, he's just still learning how to show it. And you putting him down all the time isn't going to help, Leon!"

"Alright, alright! Put Doctor Delicate Touch away!" Leonardo raised his hands in surrender. He sighed. "I'll stop giving him a hard time..."

Mikey beamed and walked away, aiming for the next booth of potion ingredients.

"...When and if he apologizes for throwing me off a building," the slider finished, mumbling so Mikey wouldn't hear.

He understood that Draxum wasn't exactly evil anymore, and that Raph, April, and Mikey trusted him, but... Had they just forgotten everything he'd done? Even if his kidnapping Splinter had gotten him away from Big Mama AND made the Turtles who they were, he'd still wanted to make them human-killing super soldiers. He'd hurt April, tried to kill them, worked with Big Mama, made the Ooze-squitos, mutated an innocent delivery boy, worked with the Foot Clan... and, of course, he'd personally thrown Leo off of a building. 

Simply saying "sorry" and helping them out occasionally didn't undo a century of being a villain (or longer... how old was he again?). Until Leo had absolute, bona fide proof that Draxum was sorry about what he'd done, Leo was going to watch him like a hawk. After all, he was a ninja, the leader of an elite team of ninjas! He had EXCELLENT awareness skills...

An aura surrounded him, and he crumbled to the ground like a wet noodle.

"Hey!" A nearby red panda yokai shouted from a booth. "Using gravity magic on a sentient is against the law--"

"Take it up with Big Mama!" A familiar-sounding voice shouted.

If he wasn't pinned to the ground by gravity magic, Leo would have grabbed for his katannas.

Tanuki Man.

"Leo!" Mikey shouted, gripping his basket of potion supplies as he ran forward, his eyes wide open as he struggled to reach his nunchucks.

"If you want Blue Boy here back, alive," the tanuki yokai growled, "then have that blonde human of yours meet us at the Nexus. Big Mama's interested in a trade."

Leo wanted to stand. To run. To fight. To anything. But every part of his body was too heavy to even budge. Even blinking was an effort.

But he felt it all too well when Tanuki Man opened a portal with some bauble on his wrist, then pulled Leonardo through.

He heard Michelangelo's terrified shouts all too clearly before the portal closed.

Chapter Text

Despite the unpleasant revelations of the day before, Elsa had thought/hoped she could have a quiet evening in the lair.

Sure, "quiet" was a relative term with the Hamatos: nothing they did was quiet. But unlike in her old home, she was welcome there. She felt safe there.

That alone made staying in the lair worth a bit of noise. Plus, the group tended to split up and do their own things in the evenings: Raphael was lifting weights, Donatello was in his lab, Splinter was watching a movie, and April was polishing her bat (Elsa STILL couldn't believe it was magic, though it explained how she'd taken out Tanuki Man). Leonardo and Michelangelo weren't yet back from the Hidden City, but Mikey'd texted them saying that they'd be home within the hour. Baron Draxum was coming, too, as soon as he finished his potion.

The twelve-year-old had just finished taping a tear in one of her old textbooks (she'd promised to give Donnie all of them as thanks for helping her get away from the Queens) when the blue light of a portal caught her attention. Mikey burst through.

He was in a state of pure panic, holding one of Leo's katannas.

"LEO'S BEEN KIDNAPPED!"

There several cries of "WHAT?!?", followed by the sound of weights being dropped, a movie being paused, and a wrench thrown to the floor. April was the only one not to (literally) drop what she was doing.

In seconds, everyone was surrounding Michelangelo as he told them what had happened in the Hidden City.

"--and then he yelled 'Tell the blonde human to meet us at the Nexus, Big Mama wants to trade!' Then he used a magic bracelet or something to open a portal and dragged Leo through!"

Donatello was rapidly typing at his wrist device. "Not to worry, gentlemen, I'm tapping into my hidden cameras within the Nexus, hotel and arena."

Raphael, who'd been panicking at Leo's capture, paused.

"When did you hide cameras there?"

"I don't tell you everything. Regardless... Oh, Edison's bulbs! No visual. The downside of my brilliant espionage is that in the last few months, Big Mama started placing protective spells around the Nexus. Draxum and I theorized that this is to prevent any backlash from yokai who heard about her working with the Shredder. Those spells interfere with my cameras' feedback, causing it to occasionally cut out--"

"And you didn't try to update them?" April gave her surrogate brother a look.

Donnie gave her a look right back. "Ah, yes, of course. Just go up to Big Mama and say 'Hello, my good lady! It seems that the spy cameras I placed here without your permission are malfunctioning! Could I please update them so I can continue spying on your criminal activities?'"

"Everyone, please!" Splinter demanded. "Bickering won't help! If Big Mama has Blue, then we need to act as soon as possible."

"How?" Raph asked, still clearly fighting a panic attack. "Big Mama doesn't want us, all she wants is Elsa's necklace. The only way she'd let us in at all is if she thought she could take it. And there's no way that's gonna--"

"Um, guys?" Mikey started looking around. "Where'd Elsa go?"

The twelve-year-old was nowhere in sight. And the katanna Mikey'd brought home was gone.

"She wouldn't..." Donnie groaned.

There was a flash of blue light from the hallway.

"She would," Raph finished, sounding resigned.

- - - -

Elsa, despite being completely new to portal traveling, thought she'd done okay for her second try. Unlike last time, she actually knew where she'd ended up.

Her parents The Queens had talked about staying at the Nexus Hotel once or twice. It wasn't the Plaza, but it was well-known among the wealthy. She'd overheard plenty of dinner parties where the Queens' equally wealthy friends had talked about using the hotel for vacations or hosting events.

She couldn't help but wonder how many of those people would have stayed there if they'd known the place was a front for numerous yokai crimes... Not to mention the headquarters of one of the Hidden City's biggest kingpins.

The portal had landed her in a garden just outside of the hotel. As she dusted herself off, she realized a flaw in her plan: how did she find Big Mama? And, more importantly, Leo? While she knew she could enter the hotel itself (as human guests were more than welcome), she doubted Leo'd be anyplace where a human might accidentally find him... The same went for any possible entrances to the gladiator or "yokai only" parts of the hotel...

As she thought about it, her decision to just portal over to the Nexus seemed more and more like the wrong one. If she'd stayed and made a plan with the others, they might have found a way to get the slider out and keep her necklace out of Big Mama's hands... claws... Whatever spiders had.

She looked at the pendant on her neck, and the frost forming at her feet as her anxiety grew.

This necklace... It had given her a power she never could have dreamed of. She felt... strong, for the first time ever. When she used ice magic, she felt like there was nothing she couldn't do. 

Did... Did she really have to give it up?

Her phone buzzed, and she looked down. 

Texts from every one of the Hamatos (minus Leo, for obvious reasons) lit up her screen.

RatKing: Snow, do not do anything she says! She's a master manipulator, and she'll do anything to get what she wants!

RedBean: DON'T DO ANYTHING DUMB OR DANGEROUS! RAPH'S NOT READY TO CATCH ANOTHER FALLING SIBLING!

TinMan: I swear to Einstein, if you or 'Nardo get hurt I will put you BOTH on lockdown in the lair!

PizzaMike: Donnie doesn't mean that he's just being overprotective but please please please Elsa don't get hurt or killed or portaled to California wait your not responding did you end up in California oh me gosh hang on we'll book a flight to California dyfbhju

BigSis: We'll get there as soon as we can, PLEASE don't get hurt... Why is Mikey trying to buy plane tickets?

The texts, worried as they were, warmed her heart.

What was she thinking? The necklace gave her power, but the Hamatos had given her a family. She'd sacrifice all the magic necklaces in the world if it meant keeping them safe.

She knew what she had to do.

Rapidly, she shot off a text to the group chat.

IcePrincess: Not in California, outside the Nexus. Still have my necklace and Leo's sword if things get bad. Going in.

She saw several others in the group chat texting, but turned off her phone before they could reply.

Willing herself to be brave, she started walking around the hotel.

She knew that she couldn't just walk in while holding a katanna (for a LOT of reasons). But there was a good chance that a yokai employee who saw her walking through the gardens would alert Big Mama. Or she might stumble across the entrance to the yokai part of the building by chance. 

Of the two, she had more faith in the first possibility. After all, what were the odds that she'd just randomly stumble upon some sort of back door into one of Big Mama's secret rooms...?

As she walked, she accidentally kicked over a ceramic mushroom in one of the flower beds. Wincing (she hoped it wasn't expensive), she hurriedly turned around and righted the lawn ornament, twisting it a bit as she did.

Then the ground seemed to disappear beneath her feet.

Next thing she knew, she was lying on a large cushion, one big enough to hold someone quadruple her height AND size.

The katanna landed a few feet away from her; she realized that she was lucky it hadn't stabbed her during the fall. Or landed on her.

Shaking herself, she grabbed the sword and started slowly making her way through the space.

It looked similar to the hotel in a lot of ways, but the welcoming, ritzy feel of the decor was gone. The walls were bare of wallpaper, and weapons of every kind lined them. There were no windows, and some kind of odd bulbs (or were those jewels?) lined the walls, giving off light. The odd feel they gave off reminded her of when Mikey had taken her to see Baron Draxum's new lab... Were those magic?

The space lacked furniture, except for a few random chairs pressed against the walls (some of them far bigger than the average human could fit on). Elsa remembered what Splinter had said about Big Mama being a jorogumo, and tried not to shudder. Those things didn't look too big or scary... right?

It was as she turned the corner that she found what she was looking for. Leonardo was pinned to the wall by a massive spider web, looking both nervous and slightly annoyed. His arms were pinned to his sides, preventing him from using hand-to-hand or his ninpo. His katanna was against the wall, added to the weapon collection.

"Leo!" Elsa whispered as loud as she dared as she started running towards him.

His eyes shot up, locking onto her. There was no relief in his eyes, only panic.

"Elsa, get out of here!" He urgently whispered. "It's a trap! Don't worry about me, just run!"

"I am not leaving you!" She retorted, whispering sharply.

Focusing on the necklace's magic, she created an icicle in mid air and used it to slash at the webbing.

Only one strand came away, but she wasn't done yet--

"Oh, looky-wooky what we've got here!"

A woman's voice (and the odd phrasing) made Elsa turn around, holding the katanna in front of her.

An older woman was standing in the middle of the floor. She had platinum blonde hair, small glasses on the end of her nose, was dressed in couture clothes, and walked like she owned the room... Which, since they were currently in her hotel, she did. Elsa's eyes briefly locked on the Cloaking Broach pinned to her designer jacket.

This could only be Big Mama.

The Tanuki Man was right behind her, his face an odd combination of a sneer and a smirk.

"I can't tell you, dibblekins, how effertastic it is to finally see you," Big Mama continued. "The little human who stole my pendant."

"I didn't steal anything," she retorted, hoping she sounded braver than she felt. "Let Leo go."

"Oh, bitty baby," she replied, her voice as condescending as possible. "Didn't anyone tell you how this works? Since you ticky-took my necklace, Harlow here had to up-and-away with your friend--"

"Wait, you mean Tanuki Man?" Leo asked from where he was still pinned to the wall.

"You've been calling me Tanuki Man?" The yokai asked with disgust. "I have a name, you know!"

"Well we would have used it if we'd known it," Elsa replied, wondering if this was the right time and place for such a conversation.

"You could have asked!" He huffed. "No one gives unapproved nicknames to Harlow Lesley McFuzzbucket!"

Leo cracked up, and (badly) tried to hide it.

The tanuki yokai looked like he'd just heard his own name out loud for the first time.

"On second thought, call me Tanuki Man," he muttered.

"Back to business," Big Mama cut in. As Elsa watched, she removed her Cloaking Broach.

There was a flash of light. As it faded, the human girl tried not to scream.

Standing where the woman had been was a massive spider creature. She had eight eyes, eight limbs, messy pale hair, a mouth full of teeth the size of her arms... No wonder she was known as a spider demon...

"You want your blue buddy-boy back?" The spider asked, her voice sounding mostly the same as when she disguised. "Then hand over the pendant."

"Why do you even want it?" Elsa asked, holding the katanna with one hand as she put her hand over her necklace.

"Do you have any idea what a fight with an ice powered opponent would be like?" She replied, as though it were obvious. "It'd be enough to give me a brand new champion, one that might equal when Lou Jitsu was my star. Maybe even better! Of course, if you say no, then I'll just have to get my money some other way... Like having Lou Jitsu's son as my new star..."

Elsa's heart nearly stopped, and the air around her dropped several degrees. She remembered what Splinter had told her about being imprisoned in the Nexus, how hopeless he'd felt. How many times he'd almost died...

Leonardo seemed equally horrified by what she'd said. But only for a moment.

"Elsa, don't give it to her!" He warned. "Blast them with ice and run! I'll be--"

A web shot from one of Big Mama's legs and covered his mouth. The rest of his words were muffled.

"Come on now, she's a big girly-girl," Big Mama continued. "She can make decisions for herself."

"Hey, what gives?" Tanuki Man (Harlow?) gave the jorogumo a glare. "You said you'd give me the necklace and make me the new champion! What's this about using a turtle instead?"

She rolled all eight of her eyes. "I had to say something to get you to bring me that necky-wecky, didn't I? The fact that you've been dimbled by the Hamatos every time shows me you're not even fit to be a rodeo clown. Now, skedaddle."

He looked at her with pure fury. "You tricked me, you played me like a fiddle."

"Please, fiddles are hard to play. I played you like a cheap kazoo. Now get out before I webble you myself."

"You can't do that! You still need me! I can still get you those secret Foot Clan goons you wanted!"

"I can get them back myself!" She was suddenly furious. "Those cockadoodies tricked me, so it's personal! One more word out of you, and I'll incinder you!"

"I'd like to see you try--"

Without a word, she pulled on one of the axes on the wall. It wasn't an ax at all, but a lever.

The floor, which it seemed was really a trap door (had he not noticed he was standing on a giant x?) opened. With a scream, he fell through. There were three seconds of screaming before there was a splash... followed by the sickening sound of electricity.

"Hmm, looksy like he ended up in the electric eel storage tank," Big Mama muttered. "Wrong lever. Oh well."

She turned to Elsa again. She was still holding up the katanna, in spite of what she'd just seen. This woman/spider was dangerous, no question.

But she wouldn't abandon her friend. Her brother.

"Tell you what..." The jorogumo began, her eight eyes locked on the girl. "Since it seemies that you can't make up your tiny human mind, why don't we make a dealy-o? Either hand over that necklace, or I'll toss Lou's baby blue into the electric eel tank. Harlow wasn't much of a meal, after all, and Mama's babies get dawfully hungry."

Elsa's heart stopped, and ice coated the floor under her feet.

"I'll give you to the count of three."

She took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do.

"One..."

"Let him go, and the necklace is yours," she replied, not looking the spider lady in the eyes.

A massive, hideous grin spread across the jorogumo's face.

"Good, I knew you could be reasoned with. Hand over the necklace."

She raised the katanna higher.

"Let Leo go, first."

Two of her eyes stayed locked on Elsa while the rest of them rolled annoyance.

"Kay oh."

She grabbed a tanto from the wall and sliced through the webs trapping Leo. He fell two feet, and immediately started clawing at the web over his mouth.

"Now." She turned and bared her teeth. "The necklace. Don't make me ask again. I'm not that scrambulent when I'm in a tizzy."

Does she know those aren't actual words? Elsa wondered as she kept one hand on Leo's katanna. She used her other hand to slowly unclasp her necklace.

A line of blue light appeared between her and Big Mama. The portal spat out Leo, now web free and holding the other katanna.

"Here's a tip," he snarked at the startled jorogumo. "Don't leave your hostage's weapon right next to him."

He quickly took his other katanna from Elsa, who was beyond relieved.

"This doesn't break our deal," Big Mama hissed.

"Since when do you EVER follow deals?" Leonardo retorted, taking a stance. His swords were trained on the yokai. "Anyway, we'll be going now. Would LOVE to stay and chat, but it's pizza night at home."

Roaring, the jorogumo tried to swipe at them. His stripes glowing, Leo made a portal and started pulling Elsa through.

She was halfway through the portal when she realized something was wrong. Her necklace had been undone when Leo had gotten between them.

With wide, horrified eyes, she watched as the dark blue pendant fell to the floor. Right at Big Mama's feet.

And there was nothing the girl could do to stop it.

The jorogumo grinned as the portal closed. 

- - - -

The two of them were tackled in a group hug the second they entered the lair. Questions flew from all directions, most of them asking if they were okay.

Leo was trying to chalk the whole thing up as no big deal... until they all saw the crestfallen look on Elsa's face.

"Hey, everything okay?" Mikey was the first to ask.

"My necklace fell off while we were escaping," she admitted. "Big Mama has it."

The room went deadly silent, horrified looks crossing their faces.

"She won't have any use for it."

Surprised, everyone turned to look. Baron Draxum walked through the lair entrance, an unmarked bottle in his hand.

"It's a necklace that grants it's wearer ice powers," April replied. "I've only met Big Mama twice and I know how dangerous she'd be with that."

"She only thinks it has ice powers," he corrected. "I've done some reading, and I've discovered the necklace's true power. Believe me, it's useless to her."

Questions started to pour out of Elsa, Raph, April, Mikey, and Donnie, but he silenced them by raising a hand.

"I will tell you what I found, but first I need to finish this potion. Michelangelo, you'll assist..."

The little turtle gave him a look, and he sighed.

"Michelangelo, you will please assist."

Smiling now, he nodded.

"While we work," he continued as Mikey went to fetch the ingredients he'd bought, "Elsa and Leonardo, you two tell me exactly what happened."

Since everyone else wanted to hear what happened, too, no one objected.

While hearing the story, everyone had different comments.

"You fell how far?" Raph asked, clearly startled (and relieved she hadn't been hurt).

"Tanuki Man's real name is Harlow?" April noted.

"How many trap doors does this woman have?" Donnie rhetorically questioned.

"The eel tank? I don't think she's used that in twenty years," Splinter commented.

"Eighteen," Baron Draxum corrected.

The fact that Tanuki Man was dead surprised them, but they couldn't say he'd be missed. The only good thing they could say about him was that he was the reason Elsa'd found them.

Finally, the potion (which smelled like week-old garlic bread soaked in vinegar) was ready. Draxum poured the concoction into a bowl.

"Are you gonna make someone drink that?" Raphael asked, making a face.

"No, that would make it useless," he corrected. "To answer the questions about the necklace, it was created nearly fifteen hundred years ago. It's better known as the Larimar Amulet. But more on that in a moment."

Instead of continuing, he looked sharply at April.

"Put your finger in the bowl. Now."

Surprised at his tone, she did as he asked. The liquid rippled when she touched it, but otherwise didn't react. The yokai nodded and pulled it away from her.

He then placed his own finger in the liquid. It glowed a bright pink, causing those around the room to gasp or stare in surprise.

"For numerous reasons, there are some in the world's Hidden Cities that look more human than others," Draxum explained as he took his finger from the bowl. "This potion was created as a means of identifying whether or not one has empyrean in their blood. When it detects empyrean in someone, even the slightest trace--"

He paused, grabbed Mikey's hand, and placed it in the bowl. The liquid glowed a tangerine orange.

"--it glows," he continued.

He released Mikey and walked towards Elsa. She was very confused when he stopped right in front of her.

"Wait, hold on," April asked. "I thought you said humans can't go to the Hidden City unless they're mutated or invited by a yokai. Why would the yokai need a way to test someone?"

"Because of hanyos," he answered.

"What's a hanyo?" Leo asked.

Draxum took Elsa's hand, and placed it in the bowl.

The liquid glowed a brilliant shade of light blue.

Elsa's eyes widened in shock.

As she jerked her hand out of the bowl and Draxum's grip, ice coated the floor.

Light blue lines appeared on her hands, neck, and face, forming swirling, dimly glowing patterns. The slight glow from under her clothes proved that the lines were across her whole body.

Everyone looked at her in shock and surprise. Everyone but Draxum, who was watching her with a steely gaze.

"A hanyo," he explained, "is someone like Elsa. The offspring of a human... and a yokai."

Chapter Text

Donnie rubbed his temples.

"So there's nothing you can do?"

"Lo siento, tortugito," Leatherhead apologized over the phone. "Early summer is peak tourist season around Ellis Island. And I can't get spotted; do you know how much of a panic it would cause if they saw a giant alligator dragging a subway car?"

He tried not to be annoyed (that was a reasonable argument, after all), and sighed.

"I understand. Thank you for offering."

"Of course. Now, I have some marine botany experiments I need to check on."

"Send me the data?"

"Of course."

He hung up and sighed.

It had been approximately fifteen hours since Draxum revealed the truth about Elsa's necklace and origins. 

"The Larimar Amulet," the former villain had explained, "was created centuries ago. Back then, yokai were respected by humanity, even revered. Some humans became close to certain yokai... Very close. Hanyos were the result of these relationships. When humans began to fear and hunt yokai, the Hidden Cities were created so we would have a place to safely live out our lives. Some hanyos were able to live among yokai without a problem: those who had more yokai than human traits weren't given a second look. Others, though, looked a little too human, and there were even worries of them being spies for humanity.

"The Larimar Amulet, and the potion I used, were created by a troll yokai several hundred years ago. His name has been lost to time, but he had adopted a hanyo into his family, and wanted there to be a way for him to prove that he wasn't a spy. So, using the pieces of a shattered enchanted mirror, he created the Larimar Amulet. If a human or yokai wears it, it's simple jewelry. But if worn by a hanyo, it can activate latent yokai abilities. He created the potion shortly after as an easier means of identifying empyrean."

"So, wait," Leonardo had asked. "The necklace didn't give Elsa her powers, she's always had them?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, thank you for summing that up."

"So," Raphael had questioned. "What about those cool lines on her skin? Those weren't there before."

"Those are called elemental lines; only yokai... or in this case hanyos... with powerful elemental magic have them. I've only known of one other yokai who had such markings, and he was known as the most powerful fire-wielding yokai in existence. He passed away ten years ago."

"Did he burn himself?" Mikey asked, worried.

"No, caffeine overdose. He drank five pots of coffee a day."

"So," April asked, uneasy. "If one of her parents is a yokai, how'd she end up with the Queens?"

That was one question Draxum couldn't answer.

Donatello sighed again as he began typing at his laptop. The discovery of Elsa's true origins meant that she was definitely staying with them until further notice. He'd already accepted the Queens' payment for Elsa to attend "Camp Othello Von Ryan" in the fall, so there was no need to inform anyone of her whereabouts or enroll her at April's school for the next semester. And her former parents were still paying for her charge card, so providing for her wouldn't be an issue either.

Their biggest concern (or, at least, Donnie's) was finding a room for their newest housemate. Ideally, a train car would provide her the same privacy and space the rest of them had. Unfortunately, they'd lucked out last time when they found those disassembled train cars in that junkyard in the Bronx; the cars being in pieces meant that they were easy to transport. It took Donnie and Raph less than a week to get them all set up, and barely three days for every turtle's room to be decorated to his liking.

They weren't having as much luck this time around. Donnie'd sent out several drones to patrol the junkyards and subway stations, but they hadn't had much luck. What traincars they'd found were either too big to move or too damaged for even the highly-competent Donatello to put back together.

Grumbling at this latest plan not working out, he remotely sent his drones to search for abandoned subway stations. 

He doubted that getting a new room would pull Elsa completely out of her funk, but from little he knew about feelings (ew), it would probably help.

The softshell didn't know why he got an odd, sinking feeling in his stomach when he thought about Elsa sleeping in a sleeping bag in a storage closet, but he didn't enjoy the feeling.

- - - -

Mikey knew that, despite what she said, Elsa was not okay.

She ate when he, Splinter, or even Leo cooked (although Leo's cooking was limited to pizzas, sandwiches, and scrambled eggs), she talked if someone spoke to her, she sat with them for movies... But it was clear her heart wasn't in it. Plus, she spent most of her time in her temporary room, alone.

What was even weirder was that, while those elemental lines hadn't disappeared since they popped up, she hadn't used her powers once since yesterday. That didn't make sense to him; once they'd discovered their ninpo, Mikey'd spent the entire weekend messing around with his new powers. It was a good thing he'd chosen to practice in the old lair, as he'd scorched the walls more than once.

She clearly needed someone to talk to. Luckily, he had the perfect persona for the job.

He walked up to the closet that Elsa was staying in, and knocked on the door.

- - - -

She didn't know why she kept torturing herself like this.

And yet she kept scrolling through social media.

She'd never been into Instagram, SnapChat, TikTok... Anything, really. Kids didn't like her at school, so she doubted they'd like her online. But the Queens posted every day, twenty times a day.

Mostly they included pictures of themselves on whatever vacation they'd decided to go on that week. But, if she looked long enough, she found pictures of herself. The latest picture was of her graduating middle school at age eight. She remembered the day well: they'd had to get a cap and gown custom made because no rental company sold them in her size. And she'd gotten so many weird looks as she accepted her diploma from the principal. Most kids had gotten a party or special lunch after graduating: she'd had to pose for photos with the Queens for over an hour. Then they hailed her a cab and sent her home so they could go get lunch and cocktails. At least Margueritte and Isabel had made her a cake...

She stared at the picture of her eight-year-old self. Then she looked at her hand, covered in faintly glowing blue lines.

There was a knock at the closet door.

"It's open," she muttered.

The door nearly sprang open. Michelangelo walked in with a grin. She did a double-take when she saw him; he was wearing an orange sweater (turtleneck, naturally) and fake glasses.

"Good morning, Miss Elsa," the turtle spoke as he sat on the other side of the closet from her. "I thought you might wanna talk to Doctor Feelings about some of the stuff that's happened lately."

"...Doctor Feelings?" She questioned. Her lines seemed to glow brighter with her confusion.

Mikey's grin turned sheepish and he lifted the glasses.

"It's actually me; we can't really go to a normal therapist, so when someone needs to talk about whatever, I take them to..."

He dropped the glasses back on his face.

"...Doctor Feelings!"

"I don't need therapy, Mi-- Doctor Feelings. I think I just--"

"At least hear me out," he asked, giving her sad eyes.

She let out a long sigh. He was probably right. After all, wallowing in self-pity hadn't done her much good so far...

"Why don't we start by talking about how you felt about... What you learned yesterday. How did you feel when Draxum first told you about hanyos?"

"...Scared, I guess. And... confused. I spent my whole life thinking I was a normal human... and that my parents didn't want me. And now... Now I have proof they didn't want me."

Mikey's face fell. "...What makes you think that?"

"Mo-- I mean Mrs. Queen outright said that I was left on a doorstep. No note, no records, nothing. Whoever my real parents were, they abandoned me. They didn't... They didn't want me. Plain and simple."

"Hey, I've read a lot of fortune cookies, and several of them say that 'The truth is rarely plain and seldom simple'... I think, I sometimes eat the fortune by accident... But the point is that you don't know for sure that your birth parents didn't want you."

"Then why would they give me up?"

"Maybe they did it to protect you. We've been in the Hidden City a bunch of times. Even if you're just going for pizza or errands or stuff, it can still be a crazy dangerous place. And until those lines appeared... which look awesome, by the way... you looked totally human. Maybe your birth parents didn't want to risk trying to raise a normal-looking baby in a place like that."

"...You think?"

"Yeah, I do." He took off his glasses and set them aside. "I know that you're probably kinda scared by some of what's happening. I mean, I don't see magic as something to be afraid of, but it's different for my brothers and me: we'd technically been training in magic for months before we figured out our ninpo powers. Even though we gained magic, we still knew where we came from. You're dealing with a bunch of new stuff at the same time."

"It is scary," she admitted. Her lines glowed slightly brighter.

"But you're not going to deal with the scary stuff alone," he continued. "We said you're family, and we meant it. We'll be there whenever you need us... and probably whenever you don't. As for learning about the hanyo thing... Honestly, I think it's really cool. You have one of the rarest magic abilities ever! And your elemental lines are really, really cool... I think Leo's actually a little jealous since your stripes look nicer than his."

She couldn't help laughing a little at that. She looked at her hands again, at the blue swirls that wrapped around her fingers and snaked up her wrists, disappearing under her hoodie sleeves.

They were so alien. So strange. So... beautiful. And they were part of her, now. A half of herself she had to start learning about.

As she relaxed and let herself accept these new marks, their light dimmed. Before her eyes, they faded away. She willed them to come back, and they reappeared. She let out a relaxing breath, and they vanished again.

"Cool," Mikey commented.

She gave him a warm smile, feeling better than she had in days.

"Thank you, Michelangelo."

He pulled her into a hug.

"Any time, little sis."

- - - -

"Raph doesn't get it," the snapping turtle stated as Elsa led the four turtles, rat, and human girl to the hallway. "Why don't ya want us to keep lookin' for a train car for ya?"

"Because," she explained as she stopped in one specific spot. "I've got something even better."

She gestured at the space in the hall. Mikey had marked that spot on the floor as where Elsa's room would eventually go.

"...Is it invisible?" Leonardo asked. "'Cause an invisible room isn't gonna work for a number of reasons..."

She beamed at him. "Just watch."

Taking a deep breath, her elemental lines appeared, glowing bright blue. She took a small step forward.

Ice several inches thick materialized under her feet, spreading out as it formed the shape of a six-pointed snowflake. She waited until the snowflake was the length she wanted. Then she mimicked lifting something heavy. Thick pillars rose from the points of the snowflake, with thick, frosted-over ice filling in the spaces between pillars. When the walls were nine feet high, she slowly brought her hands closer together, making the walls connect into a pointed roof. 

Now that the structure was completed, she started moving her hands on instinct. Shelves appeared on the wall. A wardrobe taller than she was formed from the wall opposite her. The frame of a bed appeared against the wall opposing the door. Glowing icicles served as a light source, glowing bright enough to illuminate the room without hurting her eyes.

Finally, she created a door in the wall facing out into the hallway. Remembering that she was living with a bunch of boys who liked to drop in on each other unannounced, she added a latch to the door so it would only lock from the inside.

That done, she stepped out.

Mikey, Raph, Leo, and April were applauding. Splinter looked shocked, but impressed. Donnie had his goggles down, scanning her new room for who-knew-what.

Elsa looked at her room from the outside. It was the same height as the train car bedrooms, and looked like a fancy gazebo, albeit with opaque, solid walls.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Leo asked.

"I just... knew," she explained as her elemental marks faded.

"This structure defies the laws of thermodynamics!" Donatello shouted as his goggles went back on top of his head. "Despite being made entirely of ice, this structure maintains the same temperature inside as we have out here, does not respond to heat as it should... Once again, magic completely breaks the rules of science!"

He huffed, took a few deep breaths, and looked at Elsa. 

"I'd be impressed if I wasn't so annoyed..."

"Go video chat with Leatherhead until you feel better, Don Tron," Leo drawled.

- - - -

"Report," the clan leader told the colossal being behind him.

He handed him a tablet. While not a lot of yokai used modern technology, the most recent generation had started their own version of the Internet among them. Along with sharing information, they used it to make fun of some of the oldest, most controversial yokai families in the city. Because those same old yokai families shunned modern technology in favor of magic, the Yokai-Net users were free to say whatever they wanted.

Big Mama's meltdown over her latest relic not working was the most-shared story that day.

But the Lieutenant didn't care so much about that. It was what she might do to get her respect among the yokai back that made him pause.

"She's known ever since the second fall of the Dark Armor that we took her would-be champions from her," he muttered. "It was only the Hamatos showing up that distracted her from asking questions."

The Brute grunted in reply.

"And with the Recruit gone," he continued, grimacing, "we're at an even bigger disadvantage than before. Who knows what Cassandra might share with them about our weaknesses?"

He was silent for a moment, planning.

Then he got a wicked smile.

"If Big Mama wants those soldiers back, who are we to deny her?"

Chapter Text

Raph's big brother senses, as he called them (Donnie swore it was just intuition), often let him know when his brothers were in trouble, and would send him racing towards them as fast as he could.

This was the first time he'd followed his senses to find one of his brothers laughing his shell off.

"Raph!" Leo got out between fits of wheezing. "You... You've gotta see this!"

He held out his phone, still laughing. Curious, Raph took it and looked at the screen.

Sunita had told them that the more tech-savvy mutants in the Hidden City had set up their own version of the Internet (which Donnie had instantly connected them to as soon as he knew about it). The older mutant families (like those gargoyles Leo and Mikey'd met) wanted nothing to do with it, so the Yokai-Net let them say whatever they wanted. That included sharing stories about some of the more hated members of the City. 

Thus, it made sense that Big Mama was the most-shared story that day.

That previous night, Big Mama had advertised the Nexus' biggest battle yet: a gashadokuro yokai versus a fruit fly yokai wearing an amulet that granted ice powers (aka Elsa's necklace). The Battle Nexus had sold out of tickets in minutes. The jorogumo had pulled out all the stops to make it the Nexus' most successful night ever: music, pre-shows, magical pyrotechnics...

Raph could only imagine her embarrassment when the fly put on the necklace, and nothing happened.

The gashadokuro had stared at the confused fly making karate moves before squashing him and walking out of the arena. The necklace had been undamaged, but the same couldn't be said for the fly. The whole thing lasted thirty seconds.

The furious crowd had demanded refunds, with several bulkier yokai even destroying the ticket office. To save face, Big Mama gave back the ticket money, leaving the Nexus in need of only minor repairs. But the stands hadn't even emptied before she threw the biggest tantrum in recorded yokai history. She started throwing around the necklace, screaming at it to work while also blaming everyone from the Turtles to Lou Jitsu to Harlow... In the middle of the mess she fired the gashadokuro yokai as if it was his fault. He'd taken the firing surprisingly well... or maybe he just didn't want any part in Big Mama's drama.

The massive tantrum had led to the announcement that the Battle Nexus wouldn't be hosting any fights for the next week.

When they showed Splinter the news story, he laughed so hard he fell out of his chair.

- - - -

"She didn't even try to test the amulet before she sent someone to fight with it?" Elsa quietly asked, wary of discussing yokai, mutants, and magic in public.

"I know, right?" April giggled. "How stupid was that?"

The barista put their drinks on the counter: a latte for April and an iced white hot chocolate for Elsa. The twelve-year-old paid the man, and the two walked out with their drinks.

She'd been worried at first about going out for coffee with April, as she still hadn't gotten her elemental lines under control; they tended to flare up if she got too startled or excited. But the sixteen-year-old had reassured her.

"You'd be amazed what New Yorkers will accept as normal," she'd told her. "We'll just tell people you're trying out a type of glow-in-the-dark face paint."

"You think that'll work?"

"I think people are so wrapped up in their own stuff that they won't care if a random twelve-year-old decided to paint her face. Besides, it won't even come to that because I know you've got better control over your powers than you think."

She'd been proven one hundred percent right. The trip to the coffee shop had gone off without a hitch. Elsa had to admit it was fun; she'd never done something so... normal before.

The fun ended when April drank the last of her latte, and focused on something behind Elsa.

"Hey!"

Elsa jumped at the shout, turned and saw another young woman. She looked like a young adult, probably in her late teens. She was dressed in a sleeveless black top and matching pants. A red belt bisected her outfit, and she wore similarly colored fingerless gloves that went up to her elbows. She had her hair in a crew cut, and red earrings in both ears.

"You two dropped this walking into the coffee shop!"

She slammed a folded up piece of paper on the table. 

"...Thanks," April gave her a knowing smile.

"Oh yeah, I've mastered SUBTLETY!" The woman all but screamed, attracting the attention of everyone else in the outdoor seating area. She then jumped the fence surrounding the area, and attempted the same with a nearby trashcan, knocking it over and spilling its contents all over the sidewalk. A nearby cop starting yelling at her, only to get a boisterous laugh in return as the young woman ran across the street, the cop following her.

Elsa just stared for a second before looking at April. The other girl wasn't even surprised.

"Who was...?"

"That was Casey. Better known as Cassandra Jones."

"That's Cassandra?"

"I told you she was a piece of work."

"...Should we go after her?"

"Nah, she'll be fine. She gets into a police chase every other week."

Elsa blinked, then went back to her drink.

To try and avoid attracting more attention, the girls waited until everyone had gone back to their conversations before April slipped the piece of paper into her jacket and led Elsa out of the seating area.

Once they were out of sight, they ducked into an alley. April unfolded the paper, and glared at it before showing it to Elsa.

"'The Foot Clan learned that the New York Entomology Society has captured an Oozesquito, and they're going to steal it at noon today. You have to stop them!'... Who are the Foot Clan?"

"A group of criminals who brought back Shredder, twice, almost killed Barry, almost killed ALL of us, almost got Mayhem trapped in a mirror forever... Long story short, they're not good guys. Casey used to work for them, but she left when she saw how bad they really were. More importantly, though, if they're after an Oozesquito, we've got to stop them."

She grabbed Elsa's hand and started pulling her along, the other girl too surprised to protest.

"Um... What's an Oozesquito again?"

- - - -

"I thought most robbers robbed places at night," Elsa whispered after buying two tickets for them to "tour" the Entymology Society.

"That's what everyone thinks," April whispered back. "That's why no one expects anyone to steal something in broad daylight."

The building was nearly empty; it was lunchtime on a Tuesday, so most of the workers were at lunch and any other would-be guests were at work. The halls of the society were fairly quiet... although a few people were standing around the latest exhibition.

A terrarium on a pedestal was in the middle of the hall, showing off the society's latest edition. The creature inside looked like a fusion of a mosquito and a lightning bug, glowing with a faint, unearthly light. People were kept from touching the terrarium by four velvet ropes, though there weren't that many people to keep at bay. There was a man in a business suit and two bored-looking older teenagers, none of whom struck Elsa potential thieves.

"Looks like the Foot Clan isn't here yet," April whispered to the twelve-year-old. "This gives a chance to make a plan."

"How will we know when they get here?" She asked.

"Honestly, we might not. These guys are crafty, and they know as much about ninja stealth as Splinter and the guys do. They'll probably move like the shadows, disguising themselves as anyone or anything--"

"Would they hide in the trash?"

"...What?"

She looked where Elsa was pointing. A bulky man was pushing a janitor's trash cart, despite not being dressed like any janitor either girl had ever seen. Hiding in the trashcan was a man slightly smaller but just as bulky as his companion. Both were wearing headbands with an odd symbol on them.

"The Foot symbol," April whispered, sneering. "They're the guys, alright... Must be lower-ranking members since they don't have the face tattoos..."

Elsa was tempted to ask about that, but decided it could wait. They needed a way to keep those Foot soldiers away from the Oozesquito without causing the other guests to panic...

Her eyes landed on a fire alarm on the wall. Trying not to look too suspicious, Elsa walked towards it, pretending to examine a display of Jurassic insect fossils. Then, making sure no one could see her elemental marks, she created an arctic wind. The wind blew only on the switch, and forced it down.

Sirens screamed throughout the building, blaring in Elsa's ears. While April'd seen what she'd been doing and was prepared, the Foot soldiers and other guests were startled. The civilians quickly left, leaving the Hamato and Foot Clan members alone.

The one in the trashcan pulled a device out of his jacket and pressed a button. The various security cameras in the room all crackled, smoke coming from several of them.

"Grab the bug!" He screamed at his friend. "We don't get the bug, we don't get promoted!"

The bigger of the two ran for the display, only to find himself frozen to the floor.

"Going somewhere?" Elsa asked, her elemental marks glowing.

The two wasted a second staring at the glowing ice girl, which gave April the opportunity to run over and kick the other man's trash can.

"I've never liked trashy fashion," she commented.

"Get out of here, brats!" The larger man shouted before straining. To their shock, he broke his feet out of the ice.

"Yeah, the Lieutenant himself sent us here!" The trash-covered man joined in. "We either come back with the bug, or we don't come back at all!"

"Sounds like you need a better career path," Elsa commented before shooting a blast of ice at him.

He dodged it, pulling out a pair of brass knuckles. The other man didn't bother with a weapon, simply cracking his knuckles as he glared murderously at the girls.

Knowing they'd all have to flee when the fire department showed up, the four engaged each other. 

The two were better fighters than either girl could have guessed: not only was the larger one freakishly strong, but the smaller one was clearly an experienced street fighter. He dodged April's attacks like he'd seen dozens of such moves before, and only her magic bat allowed her to block several of his jabs. Elsa wasn't having much more luck with her opponent: every time she froze him to the floor or wall, he broke free in seconds.

In the end, Elsa could only think of one way to keep the men from the Oozesquito. After freezing the larger man to the wall for the umpteenth time, she turned and fired a blast at the terrarium. The ice wrapped around the podium, encasing it. The sudden temperature change was too much for the poor insect, who dropped dead.

"No!" The smaller man shouted over the blaring alarms.

From the society's entry hall came the shouts of firefighters. The larger man, who'd already freed himself from the ice, blanched. He ran over to his friend, hoisted him up with no issue, and ran down the hall.

Elsa evaporated her ice and the girls gave chase. They trailed the men until they found the employee's entrance busted open. The two Foot Clan thieves were long gone.

"Dang it!" April seethed. 

"At least they didn't get their hands on the Oozesquito," Elsa reminded her. "We still won."

April glowered at the busted employee door before she softened.

"I guess you're right. Good thinking with the fire alarm, but why did you use magic on it? Why didn't you just pull it?"

"Because people would have seen me and thought I'd done it as a stupid joke. And everyone would have known it was me because my fingerprints would be on it. It was all I could think of."

"Well, I'm glad you thought of it."

The two quickly got out before the firemen realized there was no emergency.

- - - -

"We were so close!" The larger man scowled.

"And what's worse," the smaller man groaned as they entered the Foot Clan base, "is that I lost that bet with the Brute. Now I have to wear my hair like this for the next month!"

Since he'd bet the Foot Brute that they wouldn't have to deal with magic on their first assignment, he'd had to stop at a hairdresser and get a purple mohawk. 

Despite his still being angry at their loss, the larger man smirked.

"I dunno, I think it fits you, Bebop."

"Shut up, Rocksteady!"

"Gentlemen," the Foot Lieutenant greeted them as they entered the heart of the base. "I want to thank you for what you did today."

The two paused, looking confused.

"Uh, but we told you over the phone. That girl who hangs out with the Turtles and an little witch girl stopped us."

The Foot Lieutenant chuckled. "That was all according to plan. Why do you think I let Cassandra think her spying wasn't obvious? Why do you think I let her hear about the plan to steal an Oozesquito?"

"Uh..." The two men were at a loss.

The Lieutenant rolled his eyes and continued.

"Because if they think we failed, then the Hamatos won't suspect that we actually DO have an Oozesquito."

He gestured at the Brute, who held up a jar. Two Oozequitos were buzzing around inside it.

"So, this whole thing was just to let the Hamatos think they won so they wouldn't think you won?" Bebop asked.

"My head hurts," Rocksteady moaned.

"Exactly," the Foot's leader replied. "For your work, you two should be rewarded."

"We're getting promoted?!" They asked in sync.

The Foot Lieutenant smirked.

"I have something much better in mind..."

Chapter Text

"Okay, now that one..."

Raphael rolled his eyes but patiently put the box of metal junk onto the shelf.

"Why did you need Raph to move your stuff anyway?" The snapper asked. "Don't you have a machine or somethin' that could move it?"

Donatello shook his head. "Pitying chuckle. Oh Raphala, as astonishing as my technology is, a robot's brute strength lacks the delicate touch to move some of these cardboard boxes without tearing them. Hence, my reason for requesting your assistance."

"Then couldn't you ask Mikey to move it with a spell?"

Donnie's expression turned sinister. "There will be no magic in my workspace."

Raph realized there was no point in arguing, and picked up the last box. Donatello had come to Raph's room that morning and practically demanded his help without giving much of a reason. Nor had he taken 'no' for an answer.

"I dunno why you wanted me to do this today," he thought out loud, "I mean, you know what today is, right?"

The softshell raised a drawn-on eyebrow and looked at his wrist device.

"It is Tuesday, eleven-thirty in the morning..."

"No," Raph corrected. "I mean it's..."

"DONNIE!" Mikey cut off his older brother by running into the lab screaming.

"Oh, Angelo," Donnie gave the most forced surprised look in existence, and spoke in a monotone. "You are panicking. Has some terrible thing happened?"

"Uh, yeah!" Somehow Mikey was a worse actor than his brother. "Leo, uh... Was skateboarding in the living room! And now, um... Now the couch is on fire! Come on, you both need to help put it out!"

Raph wasn't the brightest, but he wasn't stupid. He gave his younger brothers a look, crossing his arms.

"Okay, what's goin' on?"

"Just... PLEASE COME IN THE LIVING ROOM RIGHT NOW NO TIME FOR STUPID QUESTIONS!"

With that, Mikey's spots started glowing and he used his nunchucks to start dragging Raph to the door.

Donnie rolled his eyes and walked out of the lab, leaving them both behind.

Mikey's surprising strength got Raphael out of the lab (though he wasn't really resisting). Once his spots stopped glowing, Raph realized that the rest of the lair was surprisingly dark.

The nunchuku chains around him quickly unwrapped and disappeared, leaving him no clue of where Mikey was.

"Uh, what's goin' on?" The snapping turtle thought aloud, trying to keep his panic at bay.

His family wouldn't leave him alone, right?

That question was answered when a bunch of colorful lanterns lit up at once (whether it was Mikey's magic or Donnie's tech was anyone's guess). They illuminated the room, showing off a colorful banner ("IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!") and numerous red balloons. Leo, April, Donnie, Elsa, Mikey, Splinter, and (surprisingly) Draxum all stood under the banner. 

"Surprise!" The teenagers all yelled.

Relieved that he wasn't alone (and a little more surprised at the party than he should have been), Raph got a big grin.

"Happy sixteenth!" April grinned. "We're finally the same age again!"

"Well, technically you're still older than him by nine months, one week, two days and six hours," Donnie cut in, looking at his wrist computer.

The softshell's comment was ignored as the birthday party went underway. As always, their birthdays were pretty small: they couldn't really invite anyone but April over. But they always made the best of it: Mikey always went all out baking the coolest cakes he could, Donnie always tried to create some sort of high-tech gift, and Leo always ran a betting pool with the rest of the family to see which of the two would start a fire first (out of the last ten birthdays, Mikey had started six fires, Donnie had started three). 

That year, Mikey's cake was probably his coolest yet. It was Raph's favorite flavor (double chocolate with Pop Rocks), three tiers, covered with bright red frosting and decorated with rubies. The gems had surprised everyone before Mikey explained that they were actually rock candy he'd bought in the Hidden City: the candy-maker had put a spell on it to make it look like any gem the buyer wanted. As her gift, Elsa had brought along another big case of red bean ice cream (with her powers keeping it cold without the need for a refrigerator).

And, as always, April'd brought enough pizza to feed an army (though this year Elsa had been happy to foot the bill).

Once they'd eaten, they handed out gifts. Along with Elsa's ice cream, Raph got some great stuff: new wrist wraps from Splinter, a video game from Leo, a new plushie from April, a freshly repaired (and customized) punching bag from Mikey... 

Raphael had been a little hesitant to receive whatever Donnie gave him (especially after what happened the last time Donnie'd given his brothers "special gifts"). But to his relief, Donnie had just made an app for his phone that could better track his workouts, including monitors for when he needed a water break, when he needed to eat, when he'd trained to much, etc. Based on the looks on their faces, Raphael could see that Leo and Mikey had been fearing something worse, too. When he'd heard about Donnie's previous "gifts", even Draxum had admitted that the softshell had gone too far by putting Leo in a shock collar...

Speaking of Draxum, the yokai had seemed a little... uncomfortable during the party. Raph still didn't know their sort-of-second-father that well, but he thought he knew why. This was the first time they'd tried to include him in a family event (per Mikey's request). He'd mostly just stayed on the side and observed (though he'd been right behind Raph when they were cutting the cake). Honestly, Raphael hadn't known what to expect from the yokai... So it was a bit of a surprise when he handed him a present.

It was a small box, no wrapping. When he opened it, he found a bracelet inside.

"Michelangelo told me that you'd been having some trouble keeping track of your mystic clones," Draxum had explained. "I thought this would be useful. When worn, the gem on it--" He pointed to the garnet-like stone embedded in the metal. "--will display a number showing you how many clones you have at a single moment. If you generate too many clones and start to overwhelm yourself, the gem will begin flashing a warning."

Blinking, Raphael put the bracelet on and took a few steps back. Focusing on his magic (ninpo felt a little weirder than just relying on magic tonfa), he created two clones of himself. The clones glowed with bright red light, and stared at the bracelet with the same curiosity as Raph. The bracelet showed two lines. Raph created another clone, and a third line appeared in the garnet.

"I may have to teach you about Roman numerals," Donnie muttered.

Grinning, the clones disappeared.

"This'll help Raph out a lot," he remarked. "Thanks, Barry."

Leo gave the yokai a distrustful look, but he did look impressed at the bracelet.

"When do you think you'll get a chance to test it in the field?" Elsa innocently asked.

As if on cue, a monitor in Donnie's lab started beeping. Checking his phone, Donnie grimaced.

"Aggravated sigh. Warren Stone and Hypnopotamus were just sighted stealing vending machines from a local strip mall."

"I'm sorry, who or what is a Hypnopotamus?" Elsa asked.

"He's a hippo mutant who likes to hypnotize people and he's dating a worm," Leo drawled as he took his swords from their scabbards.

The twelve-year-old blinked. "Should I be concerned that I'm not shocked to hear that?"

April shrugged. "You get used to it."

Raphael grinned as he cracked his knuckles. Not only had he gotten treats and gifts, but now he got to fight, too?

"Ready, Birthday boy?" Mikey asked his oldest brother. In front of them, Leo's sword made a portal. 

He smirked at the box turtle. 

"Like a boss."

The four turtles and two girls charged through, ready to stop the mutants. 

- - - -

Once the kids were gone, Splinter resigned himself to picking up after the party. While most of the food had been taken care of (mutant or human, teenagers tended to eat a lot), there were still pizza boxes, paper plates, and soda cans that needed picked up.

He'd expected Draxum to leave right after the kids left. When he started helping him pick up, Splinter was momentarily surprised. He remembered that Orange had gotten their former enemy that job at a restaurant or something... Apparently those skills carried over even when he wasn't on the job.

There was a rather awkward silence between the two as they cleaned; they didn't often talk. True, they were in a much better place now than they'd been before (again, courtesy of Orange), but... 

Well, when someone kidnapped you, took away your humanity, then tried to kidnap and/or kill your sons, it was pretty hard to simply turn around and be friends.

But they were trying. For the Turtles' sake, at least.

Draxum broke the silence first. "I didn't know what to get Raphael. He doesn't often talk about his interests with me... I had to guess about the bracelet."

"He liked it," Splinter replied, not looking at him. "Red enjoys fighting; anything that helps him improve his skills is well-received. It's Purple you never want to give a mystic gift to."

"I can see that," he responded.

There was another pause before the sheep mutant broke the silence again. 

"The younger two don't get their acting skills from you, right?"

"What makes you say that?" The rat looked up, confused by the question.

"I heard Donatello and Michelangelo trying to get Raphael into the living room," Draxum admitted, smirking as he shoved a pizza box into the trash. "If they learned their acting skills from you..."

"My acting is fine," Splinter retorted, a smirk of his own on his face. "The poor acting probably came from you."

"As if any of my creations could have a flaw," the sheep pompously replied.

Splinter pointed at the used plates still sitting on the table.

"Then why can't they clean up after themselves?"

They both ended up laughing at that one. 

It was as he was gathering the plates that Splinter thought of something.

"I've always meant to ask... Why four?"

"What?" Draxum didn't turn around, but was clearly listening.

"Why did you start making an army with a specific number? Was it random, or--?"

"Numbers can be very important in the mystic arts," he replied. "Even if the empyrean I used was the only part of the experiment that involved magic, it's a known fact among alchemists that utilizing an even number of test subjects can better the experiment's results... Since we're asking questions...?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you only take the boys that night?"

"...What are you talking about?"

"I had two control groups for the experiment, four male turtles and two female turtles. Why did you leave the girls behind?"

Splinter dropped the plates in his hands, not caring that they shattered.

He slowly turned around, his shock plain on his face.

"I didn't know there were any others..."

Draxum's eyes widened. "No... No of course you wouldn't. How could I have forgotten... After the initial experiment that mutated the boys--"

Splinter winced at the memory of that night. He still had nightmares about being in that tube, wires poking into his skin as he screamed in agony...

"--once you were back in your cell and the males secured in a terrarium, I took the DNA collected from you and repeated the experiment on the two females."

"...I have daughters?" The rat muttered, still shocked.

"They'd be close to the Turtles' age by now..." Draxum seemed to be rambling, pacing the floor. "The musk turtle would be around Leonardo and Donatello's age... the painted turtle would be slightly older than Michelangelo..."

"Hold on!" Splinter finally snapped out of his shock. "If I didn't take the girls, and you didn't take them..."

The two stared at each other in silent horror, sharing one question.

What had happened to the other turtles?

And, more importantly, how were they going to break the news to the boys?

Chapter Text

The mountain stood in the middle of a massive snowstorm. 

Snow enveloped her, making it nearly impossible to see as she continued to walk upwards.

She was dressed in a long, light blue dress covered in sparkles, with a sheer ankle-length train. For shoes, she wore high heels the same color as her dress. Her hair was in its usual french braid.

Despite her being dressed completely inappropriately for the weather, she didn't feel uncomfortable. Each blast of arctic air felt as pleasant as a summer breeze.

Her elemental lines glowed bright, reflecting her utter pleasure as she stood in the storm.

As much as she enjoyed being there, she couldn't remember how she'd gotten there. Was there something she needed to do? Or maybe...

"Hello?!"

A voice. A girl's voice was calling out over the storm.

Panic went through Elsa; a normal human couldn't survive in this weather. She needed to find them, get them out of--

As soon as she decided to look for them, Elsa found herself facing the other girl.

She was dressed in an outfit that completely contrasted Elsa's, both in color and practicality. She had on a long dress with a dark blue skirt, black bodice, and pale blue long-sleeved undershirt. She wore a long pink cloak, and black winter boots. Her red hair was in two braids, which framed her freckled face. A single strand of blonde hair was woven into one of the braids. Her eyes were the exact same shade as Elsa's.

"How did you get here?" Elsa asked.

"I don't know..." The other girl shrugged. "I guess I'm having weird dreams again..."

Elsa blinked. "This is a dream?"

"Mm-hmm. My dad calls them lucid dreams, where you know you're dreaming. But my dreams are weirder than lucid dreams: in most lucid dreams you can control what happens. But I can't ever do that, which stinks because that sounds cool. I tried to make a mountain of sandwiches and a huge chocolate fountain appear once, but... nothing."

"...Can I control the dream?"

"Try it."

Elsa willed the snowstorm to stop. It did. She didn't even have to use her ice magic.

"Wow!" The other girl cheered. "I've talked to people in my dreams before, but they've never been able to control stuff before! Then again, I've never brought up that this is a dream before..."

"Wait, what?" Elsa shook her head. "Is this your dream, or mine?"

The other girl paused. "Wait, you're not just a dream-person?"

"I think I'd know if I was..."

"...Okay, that's weird..." The other girl seemed to consider that, then shook it off. "Oh well! Anyway, what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm--"

She shot up at the sound of two turtles yelling at each other.

"Watch where you're going, 'Nardo!"

"Says the turtle with night-vision goggles! What are you doing up, Dee?"

"I had welding to do, and the same question applies to you."

"My favorite web comic always drops episodes at two a.m., I couldn't sleep until I'd read it!"

The two continued their late night bickering as Elsa shook herself.

Her room's structure hadn't changed from when she'd first created it, but now it had a few more personal touches. Books (and a couple comic books Leo wanted her to try) lined the shelves, her clothes filled the wardrobe, a Genius Built alarm clock sat on her desk, a homemade blanket (evidence that Raph did, in fact, knit) acted as a bedspread, and Michelangelo had used his paints to give the walls some extra life.

She pondered the dream as she lied back down, the turtles' conversation fading as they walked to another part of the lair.

Like most dreams, the details were already starting to fade. But she knew that the girl in the dream hadn't been a figment of her imagination: she'd been real.

But how had they held an actual conversation?

And who was the girl?

- - - -

Mikey could tell something was up.

He wasn't that great at noticing stuff, but he ALWAYS knew when people were acting differently. It wasn't even something he'd learned how to do: he just knew when someone had something bugging them, and that bugged HIM unless he helped them resolve it. Sure, he got distracted a lot or hyperfixated on everything but what he SHOULD be doing (like that time he forgot about training because he couldn't remember the artist of a painting he really liked). But when it came to people and their feelings, he was almost always right.

So he knew something was going on when he noticed Splinter and Barry acting differently.

Dad, for one thing, had always been more into the TV than his phone. Sure, he used it to call them or look up how his old movies were holding up on Rotten Tomatoes (all of them still certified fresh), but other than that he didn't use it too often. But in the days since Raph's birthday, he'd been texting Draxum a lot (which he NEVER did) and looking up stuff a lot.

Draxum was also texting Splinter a ton; Mikey hadn't resorted to reading their texts (he was curious but he had standards!), but each one had Splinter grabbing for his phone like Mikey for the last slice of pizza. Not only that, but he'd started spending a lot more time in the Hidden City. He'd even canceled one of Mikey's twice-weekly mystic lessons because he "thought he'd found something".

The box turtle had thought about taking his findings to Donnie, but had quickly decided against it. Donatello didn't hate distrust Draxum the way Leo did, but he wasn't the yokai's biggest fan. Plus, while he loved Donnie to pieces, Mikey had to admit that his brother's conspiracy theories sometimes took things a little too far... Like that time he'd tried to convince them that the members of Huntr/x were secretly demon hunters and almost flew to South Korea to prove it.

But when Mikey'd put all of the clues together and really thought on it, he thought he'd found the answer: he knew why Draxum and Splinter were acting weird... They were finally getting along AND planning for his birthday in a few months!

It all made so much sense: Draxum was kind of a control freak so he'd want to start planning as soon as possible, Splinter would be texting him to tell him what Mikey liked or didn't like... And it would totally make sense that they were keeping it a secret so Mikey wouldn't find out.

He'd been planning on telling Elsa, Leo, Raph, and Donnie about what he'd found after breakfast. He'd even been in a good enough mood to make pancakes!

April hadn't been able to sleep over due to taking an early-morning babysitting job for someone else in her building.

Before he could tell everyone, though, Barry himself had sent him a text. One that was very much not about Mikey turning fourteen in two months.

"Uh, guys?"

- - - -

"So," Leo briefed the rest of the team. "Apparently, the Foot Clan got mad at Big Mama because... reasons, and now they're leading an attack on the Battle Nexus."

"Excellent, that means she'll be out of our metaphorical hair for the foreseeable future," Donatello commented.

"Donnie," Raphael gave him a look. "People are gettin' hurt."

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, Barry said that they're attacking the Nexus as a whole, not just Big Mama. The customers, the people who work there... Even yokai just walking by are getting attacked!"

"Look, none of us like Big Mama and none of us have a reason to," Leo admitted. "But if we wanna be heroes, then sometimes we're gonna have to suck it up and help people we don't like."

"The Foot Clan has not been particularly challenging since the Shredder was defeated and we began regular ninjutsu training," Donnie commented as he typed on his phone. "I see no reason why I will be needed."

Elsa looked at him for a moment... then smirked.

"Alright," she shrugged. "You heard him, guys. Looks like Genius Built tech is no match for the Foot Clan."

Donnie looked up, dropping his phone. His eye twitched.

"What did you say?"

"Oh, man, she's done it now," Mikey whispered to Raph, who gave a worried nod.

"I will not have my incredible engineering be challenged by low lives!" Donnie all but shouted as he took his bo staff in his hands.

Deciding not to get in his way, Leo simply made a portal and led his family through it.

As Barry'd warned, it was chaos. The Foot Clan had forgone their old origami ninjas, meaning that the soldiers attacking were capable of thinking for themselves. And they thought nothing of attacking innocent yokai. Some of them had been trying to fight back, but not every yokai's magic was good for fighting.

Elsa jumped right in and shot an ice blast. Four Foot found their feet frozen to the ground, allowing several yokai to get away.

From there, Leo was about to lead the group to take out the rest of the Foot soldiers... Only for them to run away.

"Uh... What?" Raph asked, voicing the thoughts the rest of them had.

"Are they afraid of us? Are we that awesome?" Leonardo asked, looking smug.

"Don't count on it."

At the sound of a new voice, the four turtles and one hanyo turned in sync.

Two mutants stood behind them. The first one was a mutant rhinoceros who was as tall and buff as Raphael. The other was a mutant warthog with a brightly colored mohawk who was about as tall as Donatello.

Both wore Foot clothes, and identical sneers.

"The Lieutenant thinks youse guys are becoming too big of a thorn in the Foot's side," the warthog spoke up. "So he sent us to break a couple shells."

"Looks like we're gonna hafta beat up a little girl, too," the rhino added, baring his teeth. "Especially after what she did at the bug place."

"Wait, you two?" Elsa asked, recognizing their voices.

"These are the guys who tried to steal that Oozesquito?" Raphael asked her. "You didn't say they were mutants."

"They were just normal humans, then!"

"Less talk!" The rhino shouted. "Let's rumble!"

That was exactly what Raph wanted to hear. The snapping turtle and rhinoceros collided, grabbing each others' arms and trying to shove each other off.

As Leo, Elsa, Mikey, and Donnie prepared to gang up on the warthog, he shouted into the air. The Foot soldiers who'd fled before reappeared, and started engaging the Hamatos. Elsa, Donatello, and Michelangelo engaged the Foot while Leonardo faced the warthog one-on-one.

Elsa, her elemental lines glowing brightly, hadn't had as much hand-to-hand experience in battle, nor did she have an actual weapon. But she knew that taking out other peoples' weapons or freezing them down would keep them from hurting others. As she froze one Foot soldier to the wall, she heard the sound of running feet as someone tried to ambush her. Gasping in surprise, she balled a fist and threw it in the air. A wall of ice suddenly appeared between her and the soldier, who ran into it face first and knocked himself out. Letting out a breath, Elsa returned her focus to the fight.

Michelangelo knew that nunchucks, even magically enhanced ones, weren't great for fighting off numerous people at once. Nor did he have anything super heavy nearby to throw as a distraction. So he decided that this called for hand-to-hand. He took a breath to steady himself as his first opponent ran towards him. Then, moving faster than anyone could have predicted, he delivered a specific blow to one of the Foot soldier's pressure points. He made a tiny, pathetic noise as he fell to the ground, temporarily paralyzed. The other Foot stared at their downed friend before giving Mikey a disbelieving look. He simply cracked his knuckles and readied himself to do it again.

Donatello was still ticked at what Elsa had said (he'd known it was a ploy and was mostly upset that it had worked so well), and he was more than willing to take out his frustration on the Foot Clan. 

"Don't worry about him, guys!" One of the Foot soldiers shouted. "That's the nerdy one! He'll go down easy!"

The softshell paused... then smirked.

"Have you ever seen a nerd do this?"

As the first Foot soldier ran at him, he began spinning his staff. Every time a Foot tried to come near him, he was kicked or whacked with a wildly spinning bo staff. In less than a minute, every soldier who'd tried to touch him was down. Only one was left, and he was trying to run away. Donatello's markings glowed purple, and a purple cage with a five feet-by-five feet perimeter surrounded him.

"How the--" the Foot muttered as he pounded his fist against the ninpo-constructed cage.

"Here's a tip for the future," the mad scientist told him. "Brain beats brawn."

The warthog was blocking Leonardo's katannas with two crowbars, because of course a thug would carry around crowbars. His reflexes showed that he was an experienced fighter, even if he wasn't skilled in ninjutsu. If Leon couldn't beat him with blades, then he's have to outsmart him.

"So, you kinda lost the mutant gamble," he quipped as he blocked a really obvious strike.

"What are you talking about, freak?" The warthog growled as he barely blocked both of Leo's swords.

"You're only the second mutant pig I've met, but he's got a cool power. All you got was that dumb mohawk."

"You think I don't have powers?!" He shoved Leo off, snorting in anger. "I've got the best hearing in the Foot Clan! Nothing gets past my ears! And nobody calls Bebop dumb!"

"Thanks for the info!" The slider grinned, already knowing his next objective. "And for the record, I didn't say you were dumb. You and your hair are dumb!"

Bebop charged him like the angry pig he was. Leo teleported out of the way and over to one of the Nexus' souvenir stands. Bebop stared at where Leo had been, quickly located him, and charged again... only to start squealing in pain and fall to his knees, his hands over his ears.

Leonardo taped down the button on the air horn, wincing a little at the noise, and held it close to Bebop. He quickly disarmed the warthog, using a portal to send the crowbars to a dump in L.A. Then he turned off the air horn. Bebop got two seconds of relief before Leo punched him out, knocking him to the ground.

"Sounds like you've lost this one," he quipped.

Bebop groaned, but no one could tell if it was out of pain or the terrible pun.

Raphael had long gotten used to being one of the strongest people he knew, so it was always a surprise when he ran into someone who was just as strong as him, if not stronger. The rhino mutant was his equal in strength, and their fight so far had no clear winner. He had no idea what kind of stamina his opponent had, and he knew that he couldn't stay locked in combat with this guy forever. He'd have to try and figure out what kind of tricks this guy had up his sleeve.

"So," he started as he dodged one of the rhino's punches. "You got a name?"

"Rocksteady," he admitted as he tried to give his opponent an uppercut.

The sixteen-year-old caught the fist, and kept talking.

"Raph didn't think the Foot had learned how to mutate people. I thought they were all just idiots. I'd bet you don't even have any mystic powers."

"I've got powers, you're seein' 'em right now! I'm super strong!"

"...That's it?"

Rocksteady paused, looking confused and a little offended.

"...What do you mean 'That's it?'"

"I mean, all you have is super strength?"

"Hey, it's a cool power!"

"Yeah, it is." Raphael started smirking. If he'd had markings like his brothers, they'd have been glowing. "It's also an easy power to defeat."

Thanks to his new bracelet, he knew that he could make up to twenty clones before he started to exhaust his magic. Luckily, all he needed right then were three. 

The four Raphaels (one real, three glowing) attacked Rocksteady. Shocked, the rhino tried to fight them off. But each of the Raphaels was as strong/skilled as the original, and were able to either tank or block his hits. Two of them held down the rhino's arms while the third put him in a headlock.

"Hey," Raph asked conversationally as he walked up to the immobilized rhinoceros. "What's the opposite of okay?"

Rocksteady paused, looking confused by the question.

The snapping turtle smirked. "K.O."

Then he decked the mutant.

Rocksteady was the last Foot member to go down. Since they'd openly attacked the Battle Nexus and several Hidden City citizens without cause, the Hidden City's guards started arresting as many members as they could. Because they had very few good experiences with said guards, Leo portaled them all back to the lair as soon as possible.

- - - -

"Right there." The Agent 87 asked, her expertly-painted nail pointing at the screen. "Do you see it?"

The security footage was from Grand Central Station. In the video, criminal dressed in gang attire bearing some kind of symbol met with a few others. They'd been sneaking around Grand Central Station for days, to the point that an employee had called the authorities. The authorities had called the agency.

"I do," Agent 203 nodded, his expression grim. "From what our sources tell us, that's the symbol of the Foot Clan."

"Foot Clan... What approach should we take with this?" She asked. 

"None, Agent 87."

Both agents stood and saluted as a third member entered the office, the security footage still playing on Agent 203's computer.

"Agent 12," they chorused.

"For reasons you don't have the clearance to know," the older man told them, "all footage pertaining to the Foot Clan and vigilantism in New York will be sent to higher authorities."

"...May we ask who, sir?" Agent 87 asked.

"The Earth Protection Force."

"They're real?" Agent 203 gaped. "I thought they were--"

"That's exactly what you were supposed to think," Agent 12 replied, wearing a stern look. "And if either of you tell anyone else about it, you'll be demoted to the janitorial staff. Understood?"

They both nodded. Agent 12 was infamous for demoting those who displeased him.

"Now," he continued. "I want all footage to be forwarded to me before twenty hundred hours. Then you are to pretend this conversation never happened."

"What conversation, sir?" Agent 87 asked.

"Very good."

With that, he left. As Agent 12 walked, he called back his superior on the Earth Protection Force.

"Sir? Yes, I'll have the footage sent to you before the day's over... What?"

He nearly dropped his phone in surprise.

"No, no, I'm not questioning you, sir. I was merely startled... Does this really necessitate calling in T.C.R.I.?"

- - - -

Thankfully, right after the Turtles portaled away, Bebop and Rocksteady had recovered long enough to fight off the Hidden City guards and escape. They were still a little banged up from their fight, but all in all they were in a good mood. They'd done exactly what they'd been told.

"Back again?" The Lieutenant asked as the two mutants entered the Foot's base.

"We did what you said," Rocksteady grinned, even though Raphael had left him with a black eye and two missing teeth.

"Those dumb Turtles have no idea what youse guys were doin'," Bebop smirked, even though his ears were still ringing.

The Foot Brute gave a pleased grunt.

"Yes," the Lieutenant agreed. "Our real plans are already being carried out. A few of our members have already planted the tools under Grand Central Station."

"Oh, uh, speakin' of," Rocksteady muttered. "A lot of our guys got beat up or locked up in the Hidden City. I don't know how many got out."

"We have reserves, that's none of our concern."

"Hey," Bebop spoke up, looking concerned. "Those Turtles and that witch girl are a lot stronger than you said they'd be. What do we do if they show up and ruin the party?"

The Foot Lieutenant gave a sickening grin as a figure wearing a ragged, black cloak walked in.

The new individual pulled the hood from her head. She was shorter than everyone else in the room, yet she seemed more threatening. Under the cloak she wore a black bulletproof vest and black hockey pants that stopped at her knees. She wore no shoes, revealing her two-toed feet. A black belt around her waist held a black battle ax, which was chipped and scarred from years of combat. However, her clothes and weapons did little to hide her appearance.

She had brownish-green skin, the color of swamp water. Two white lines ran down her face, starting at her eyes and ending at her neck. Her plastron was covered in scars and faded cracks leftover from fierce battles. Two bright pink eyes stared at the rhino and warthog; the eyes almost seemed to glow.

The Lieutenant spoke with a smug, slimey voice.

"Then I guess we'll just have to fight fire with fire..."

Chapter Text

"It was so weird," Elsa admitted as she and April walked to the lair. "I don't remember most of the dream, it's too faded. But the girl... She wasn't made up. She was was real... We had an actual conversation."

"Weird," April agreed. "Do you think it's a yokai thing? Some yokai have more than one power... Maybe you have more powers you don't know about?"

"No, I don't think it's anything I did. I actually asked Mikey if there was a way to tell if I had more powers..." She shuddered. "It didn't go well..."

Mikey had asked Draxum about her question. The next thing she'd known, she'd been sitting in Draxum's lab all afternoon. The sheep yokai had forced her to drink potion after potion and asked Michelangelo to write down his observations (evidently he was using the testing as an opportunity to give the turtle a magic lesson). The potion flavors had ranged from tasteless to horrible (she was pretty sure she drank straight sea water at one point), and no new powers had arisen. Elsa had thanked them for their efforts while internally promising that she would NEVER agree to potion testing again.

"Okay... Maybe it actually was a dream that seemed real. Maybe it's your subconscious trying to tell you something?"

"...Maybe..."

"Okay." April stopped, forcing the twelve-year-old to stop as well. "I've known you long enough. You've got something on your mind. Spill it."

"I... um..."

She wasn't looking the older girl in the eyes. She hoped she could wait her out... But she knew that April was as stubborn as they came, and would not let up. Finally, she caved.

"I've been thinking about asking Donatello for help with a personal project."

"That's it? What are you worried about? Ask him to help you with anything science related and he'll be your best friend--"

"It's not really science related, though," she interrupted. 

It was when she explained what she actually wanted to do that April understood.

"Oh... Yeah, that might be complicated." She bit her lip, taking a moment to think before she answered.

"You think he'll say no?" Elsa had to ask.

"'Course not, Donnie loves a challenge. It's just... This won't be easy, even for him. And you might not like the answers you get."

"I know. But if I never try, then it'll eat me alive."

"Okay," April replied as she and Elsa started walking again. "Just don't get your hopes up, okay?"

"I'll try."

- - - -

Ever since he accidentally insulted Elsa, Donnie now made an effort to actually turn around and see who was entering his lab before he spoke. Whether this was out of consideration for others or due to his reluctance to deal with others' feelings again was a matter of debate.

He alternated between actually turning around or using mirrors on his various work stations to see who it was, depending on what he was working on. 

When Elsa and April walked in, he'd been elbows-deep in what was either a weapon, a robot, or the toaster Leo'd somehow blown up that morning (which the slider swore was an accident and NOT his fault). He glanced at the mirror on his desk as they entered before returning to his work.

"Greetings, ladies, what do you need?"

"Um..." Elsa started having second thoughts. "If you're busy I can--"

April caught her by the hood of her jacket. "Elsa, it's fine. If Donnie's willing to reprogram a robot so I can keep my job, then he'll be willing to help you with this."

Donnie's interest was stoked, watching the girls' conversation as he took off his elbow-length work gloves.

"Are you going to ask me to disassemble and upgrade a robot again, he said hopefully?"

"Yeah, no, it's not a robotics project," April returned, earning a disappointed look from Donatello.

"I still can't believe that was you two," Elsa admitted. "The rest of the city still doesn't know what really happened."

"What can I say," Donnie puffed up, a hand on his plastron. "I know how to leave my mark and cover my tracks."

"Yeah, when I'm helping you," the sixteen-year-old replied. 

"Affronted gasp, I can fly perfectly under the radar."

"Right, and that's why I had to tell everyone at school that you're my cousin with a skin condition who gets way too excited visiting schools."

"That was one time--"

"Uh, do you two argue like this a lot?" Elsa felt the need to interrupt.

"We're not arguing," the turtle and human spoke in sync as they looked at the hanyo in surprise.

"We talk like this all the time," April told her. 

"In the words of Lin Manuel Miranda, I like to match wits with someone at my level," Donatello confirmed. "Now, if you don't want me to do anything involving robotics, and neither of you will have any homework assignments for the next seven weeks and five days, what did you want to ask me for?"

April gave Elsa a look, causing the twelve-year-old to sigh, her elemental lines glowing in sync with her rising anxiety.

The lines were another concern; while she could still make them disappear at will, they often appeared against her will. Especially if she was scared or anxious.

"I was wondering if you could help me with a project..." she began.

"That has been established, what kind of project?" 

"...I want to learn who my birth parents were."

Donatello raised his drawn on eyebrows, surprised.

"It's just... I've accepted that the Queens aren't my parents... It was kind of a relief, to be honest, knowing I wasn't related to them. But the thing is... Now I have no idea where I come from. I know it'll probably be impossible to find my yokai parent, but maybe we could find the human one?"

"Hmm..." Donnie had his hand on his chin, thinking. "Well, most of the time you need to go through the proper government channels to look at official identification and adoption records, and it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to get any results."

Elsa's face fell. "I understand--"

"However," the turtle continued, a smirk on his face that some might consider evil. "Very few government computer systems have ever gone up against the sheer brilliance that is Hamato Donatello, nor does any firewall exist that Genius Built tech cannot penetrate!"

"Really?" Elsa perked up.

"Really," April confirmed. "Donnie wouldn't know science ethics if it bit him on the butt."

"Untrue," Donatello denied. "I know about scientific ethics, I simply ignore them for the sake of efficiency." 

"Wow, I... You don't know how much this means to me. Thank you, Donnie."

"Please, I should be thanking you. Do you have any idea how long I've waited for an excuse to hack into government servers? Maniacal chuckle."

April gave him a look. "Donnie, please don't do anything that'll get you arrested."

"Scoff. You only get arrested if you get caught."

"And on that note, Elsa, let's go before we end up accomplices to something."

"Please let me know what you find!" The twelve-year-old called over her shoulder as they left the lab.

- - - -

"So... This does what again?" Raphael stared at the dried leaves in the jar.

"That's a special yokai tea," Michelangelo explained as he kept pulling jars, bags, and boxes from the shopping basket. "It's made of dried sunflower petals, schisandra berries, and moon bush roots. Barry says that the tea, when brewed right, can help someone either stay awake or fall asleep, depending on if they just woke up or need to sleep. I'm thinkin' about giving it to Donnie when he tries to pull all nighters."

"Raph's all for that," the snapper agreed as he tucked the tea jar into the pantry. "What about that stuff?"

"Oh, this is wormgrove acorn powder." Mikey held up the little bag in question. "Dad's been complaining about his back again, and mixing the powder with a glass of milk is supposed to be a great natural pain reliever."

"Cool... What's that stuff for?" He pointed to a parcel of dehydrated fruit slices.

"Those are dried mangoes. I got those 'cause I was hungry."

"Hey, hermanos."

Leonardo walked in, eyeing the basket on the table before continuing. "Where were you?"

"I was workin' out," Raph answered. "I just picked up Mikey in the Turtle Tank."

"I was in the Hidden City with Draxum," the box turtle added. "This is usually the time of year when the rarest potion ingredients are available, and he says that you have to be there if you want quality stuff..."

The slider frowned at the mention of the sheep yokai.

"Hey, Leo?" Raph asked, his chasm appearing on his forehead. "You good?"

"Yeah, sure," he muttered.

"Are you still mad at him?" Mikey asked, looking as concerned as his oldest brother. "I thought you said--"

"Yeah, I know what I said, but..." Leo held out for all of three seconds before he spoke. "Maybe I'm just not ready to forgive him yet."

"But he apologized!" The box turtle argued. "He's trying to do better, he--"

Just like that, Leo was done.

"Did he actually apologize to any of us? Maybe he apologized to you, but what about April? Did he apologize for trying to hurt her when we first met him? Or what about Dad? He kidnapped him so he could use him for an experiment against his will. Sure, he got us out of it, but did he ever apologize for making Dad a literal lab rat in the first place? Or what about that delivery boy? Or Meat Sweats? Or any of the mutants who were made because of his stupid Oozesquitos? Did he ever try to apologize to any of them? And I know he never apologized for throwing me off of a building!"

"Whoa, Leo, calm down," Raph stepped in, looking nervous. "You should--"

"No!" Leonardo snapped. "Look, I get he's technically our other dad. But that doesn't automatically erase every bad thing he's done, or all the bad stuff he tried to do! I get that he's trying to do better, and I'll admit that he's helped us out since then. But don't ask me to pretend to be friends with someone who tried to kill me!"

"Leo, please--" Mikey looked very nervous.

"No, I...I'm sorry I blew up like that." He sighed. "I need to be alone for a bit."

He walked out of the kitchen, still looking frustrated.

The two teenage turtles were silent for a moment before Raphael spoke up.

"You heard all that, didn't you?"

Draxum stepped out of the walk-in pantry, where he'd been organizing a few more ingredients when Leo began his rant. His face was perfectly stoic, though Mikey could see the hurt in his eyes.

"Leo's not... that mad," the box turtle began, trying to salvage the situation. "He just... Takes a while to let things go..."

"No, it's alright," Draxum replied. "He's right. I haven't truly apologized for some of what I've done... I guess it just slipped my mind."

"Well, he's wrong about the mutants," Raph added. "You mighta created the Oozesquitoes, but you didn't mean for 'em to get out."

"That was kinda our fault," Mikey sheepishly agreed.

"I still created the Oozesquitoes with the intent of mutating humanity, so I'm hardly blameless," the yokai retorted.

Neither teenager had a response to that.

Draxum sighed. "Look, he didn't say anything that I haven't been yelling at myself for since I left the Foot Clan. I'm not upset with him, or any of you. Let him cool off, and I'll talk to him when I can. I need to go, I have a shift in two hours."

With that, he left the lair. Raph walked over to his youngest brother, one massive hand settling on the smaller turtle's shell.

"You good, Mike?"

"I don't expect them to be best friends or anything," Michelangelo admitted. "I just... It'd be cool if we could have the whole family together without things being super tense."

"Yeah, it would be cool," Raph agreed.

He knew where Leo was coming from; at first, he hadn't been on board with forgiving Barry either. The day he threw Leonardo off the building was all too fresh in his mind: the terror in Leo's eyes, the pure panic sparking in Raph's chest as he tried to think of how to save him, the utter relief when the slider landed in the gigantic clone's hands... Raph still had nightmares about it sometimes.

But he'd also seen Barry's progress first hand. He was doing better when it came to dealing with humans (dealing with Karens was still a problem for him, but he still handled it better than some people), he helped them when they asked, he made an actual effort to get to know his sons and get along with Splinter... Raphael knew Barry's reform was legit.

He just needed to figure out how to get Leo to see it the same way.

Chapter Text

After her last run-in with the police, Cassandra Jones knew that she needed to work on her stealth skills.

With some trial and error, she'd finally realized that shouting her name whenever she entered a place (and humming her own super-spy theme music while snooping) gave away her position. That was why she never seemed to get any actual information from the Foot.

Using her new stealth skills (being quiet and not announcing her name), she'd started getting a lot more info out of her former clan.

First of all, she learned that the Foot Clan had been feeding her half-truths and fake info during her last few spying missions, which was why they'd gotten the upper hand on the Hamatos (which was... embarrassing, to say the least). On the bright side, that meant that none of them expected her to actually be quiet, which made her new spy methods much more successful.

Second, she'd learned that Bebop and Rocksteady had been mutated because of the Oozesquitos the Foot stole while Elsa and April were defending the etim... the ento... the bug place. 

Third, and the most alarming, was that they'd been planning something WAY worse for the last week.

After another couple hours of spying (which was REALLY boring when you couldn't sing your awesome spy music), she found out what they were planning. 

It took all of her self control to stay quiet until she was in the sewers. 

Then she ran to the Hamato base as fast as she possibly could.

- - - -

Elsa was quickly learning that simply going with the flow was the best possible way to deal with the Hamato family's unique brand of chaos.

It was why things like Donatello suddenly rapping about books, Leonardo and Michelangelo getting into a fight about Lou Jitsu and Jupiter Jim crossover fan fiction, or Raphael breaking open a punching bag and sewing it back up himself didn't surprise her anymore. 

However, Cassandra Jones running into the lair covered in war paint and screaming at the top of her lungs managed to surprise everyone. 

"FAMILY MEETING!" She screamed the second she entered. "I don't care if I'm a Hamato or not, FAMILY MEETING!"

Since her screaming had brought everyone to the living room, anyway, she got her wish.

"First of all," Raph asked, eyeing her choice of makeup, "why are you wearin' war paint?"

She'd taken at least three containers of green paint and applied in on every visible inch of her body. 

"To make myself look tougher, duh!" She retorted. "But that's not the important part! The Foot Clan's going to bomb Grand Central Station!"

That got everyone's attention.

"What do you mean bomb it?" Donnie asked first. "While some of the Foot Clan's past actions could be classified as acts of terrorism, they've rarely done anything that would gain them widespread attention from humans."

"They're not trying to! They're planning to use the bomb as a distraction. They think that such a big explosion at such a busy place will distract all the cops. Then until the mess is cleaned up, they can run around robbing banks and stealing stuff while the cops are too busy to do anything."

"That's... really dumb," Leo pointed out. "Just because the cops and firefighters will be working on Grand Central Station doesn't mean that other cops will stop patrolling the city. The NYPD's got at least a thousand cops!"

"Over thirty thousand, actually," Donnie corrected.

"Where'd they even get that idea?" Michelangelo asked.

"I think they got it from a superhero cartoon," Casey admitted. "They got under Grand Central using these special tunnels they dug that lead into an old utility room under it. They lined the tunnels with special yokai-made metal that keeps people from hearing them."

"The blast is far more likely to destroy the tunnels than the station itself," Donatello speculated. "But if the utility room is next to several subway tunnels... That could still cause untold damage. Especially if a train happens to be going by..."

"When are they planning to set the bomb off?" Elsa asked, deadly serious.

Cassandra's face darkened. "This afternoon at three."

April's eyes widened.

"Cass, it's two-fifty!"

"WHAT? I thought it was two!"

"When did you last look at a clock?"

"... Almost an hour ago."

"We have no time for this!" Splinter took charge. "I'll put in an anonymous call to the NYPD and tell them about the threat. I'll say that Cassandra's my niece and can tell them who set it... But cover up that war paint, first. Blue, get ready to send her to Grand Central Station."

Once she'd covered up her paint with one of Leo's hoodies, she darted through the portal.

"We should get rid of the bomb," Leonardo decided. "Dee, you think you can disarm it?"

"I've equipped my battle shell with numerous devices and techniques for defusing bombs," the softshell replied. "It won't take two minutes."

"Good, then let's go!" April barked, her bat at the ready.

Elsa's elemental lines glowed, betraying her fear. But she summoned her courage and nodded to show she was ready.

Weapons in hand, everyone but Splinter charged through Leo's newest portal.

The portal let out into a utility room. It was clearly the one Casey'd mentioned: the Foot Clan had tagged the place with spray-painted Foot symbols. 

"Can you believe that?" April asked with disgust.

"I know, right?" Mikey grimaced. "Those colors do NOT go together, especially not with spray paint art! They run together and look awful!"

"Come on," Leo called over. The utility room was about eighty by eighty feet, but the addition of tunnel entrances throughout made it seem bigger. There were man-sized holes dug into the walls, with there even being a couple in the floor. Each one was perfectly lined with shiny, unearthly metal...

They all froze when they saw the bomb. Someone had welded it to a pair of pipes, making sure it wouldn't budge. It was the size of Raphael's head, and held a timer that was rapidly counting down. They had five minutes left...

"One moment, ladies and gentlemen," Donnie pushed his way through. "I'll have this situation defused in a minute."

"Puns are my thing, Donald," Leo griped.

The softshell had only taken one step towards the explosive when a tiny sphere fell from the ceiling. It sent a cloud of teal-colored smoke into the air, going off right in Donnie's face. He coughed on the smoke, startled as he took a few steps back, stumbling before Raphael caught him.

"Raph doesn't think we're alone in here!" The snapper shouted, trying to find the source of the colored smoke.

"Bingo. Boy, we're dealing with a real mind, here."

A teenage girl's voice came from somewhere above them. With a heavy thud, she landed on the ground, between them and the bomb. She walked through the smoke, practically strutting as she emerged. 

She was a turtle yokai, with brownish-green skin (except for the white markings on her face). She wore an old, ragged cloak with the hood down, a bulletproof vest on her chest, and a pair of black hockey pants that stopped at her knees. Any part of her body not covered by clothing held scars. A utility belt around her waste held numerous multi-colored spheres...more smoke bombs. One of her hands held a black battle ax, which she casually carried over her shoulder.

"Who are you?" Mikey asked, his nunchucks already out.

"The name's Jennika," she drawled. "And you four are the ones who've been causing the Foot nothing but problems. So I've been sent to do some pest control."

"Don't come any closer!" April shouted, her bat at the ready.

"What she said!" Leo agreed. As one, the Turtles fell into battle stances. Elsa was behind them. Her elemental marks, for whatever reason, weren't showing.

Jennika just smirked. "Cute."

With a flick of her wrist, she threw another sphere. It landed between Raphael and Leonardo, and exploded. This one covered the two in a tacky turquoise substance. It hardened in seconds, trapping them.

"Ugh!" Leo groaned. "This is worse than the glue ball!"

Mikey ran at Jennika next, intending to wrap her in chains. She caught his weapons with her ax, then gave them a sharp tug, sending him flying towards her. The second he was in range, she performed a powerful kick. He attempted to dodge it, causing her foot to land a blow on his elbow.

He cried out, clutching his wounded limb.

She smirked as she shook his chains off of her weapon, dropping them at his feet.

"Don't you know not to send a little boy to do a man's job?"

She would have kept taunting him, but a metal claw caught her wrist. She was forcibly whirled around, and narrowly dodged a bo staff to the face.

"You will NOT harm my siblings!" Donnie declared, already preparing to strike again.

"Nice backpack, Dora," she snarked, already moving her ax. She swung at the softshell, distracting him long enough for her to click the claw holding her arm. It loosened its grip long enough for her to pull herself free. Donnie tried to hit her again... which proved to be a big mistake.

Jennika faked moving to the right, then stepped left. As Donatello lunged for where she'd been standing, the musk turtle's ax came down on his battle shell.

The smell of ozone and sound of sparking filled the chamber.

"No," Donatello muttered, staring at the state his armor was in.

"Aw, did I break your toy?" Jennika asked in a condescending voice, already preparing her ax.

She was startled by a bat smacking her on the shell.

"Don't touch them!" April roared, her magical bat glowing.

"Ugh," Jennika groaned in disgust. "I'd heard you four took in a couple humans. Gross, are you four so desperate for allies that you took in these soulless wastes of space? They don't even have magic!"

"Haven't seen you use any magic!" April pointed out. "Or do you have any?" 

The musk turtle's face twisted in fury. "SHUT UP!"

She kicked April in the chest, forcing her back. Then she aimed her ax at the girl's head...

A blast of arctic air threw the Foot soldier off balance.

Elsa had been trying to free Leo and Raphael, but seeing her friends... her family attacked had set her off. She took off her hoodie and threw it aside, leaving her in her pale blue tee shirt. Her elemental lines were glowing brightly, 

Jennika took a step back, startled.

"A hanyo..." She whispered.

"Get out," Elsa growled. "You're not going to touch any of them ever again!"

She felt magic pulsing in her closed fist. It felt like a snowball, but... alive.

Jennika lifted her ax, sneering. 

"I'm not about to do anything you say."

Elsa glared.

"Yes, you are."

She threw the snowball down.

A cloud of white steam rose as the snowball grew. It grew until it was twice the size and bulk of Raphael. It looked like a misshapen snowman, with icicles poking out of his body at various places. In one of his hands was long icicle, which it brandished like a sword.

"Did not know she could do that," Leo commented.

"Ditto," Mikey added.

Jennika, despite her surprise, charged the snow monster. Her ax shattered on contact with its leg. It kicked her away as though she were a soccer ball. She landed hard, panting with either pain, fear, or exhaustion. She locked eyes with Leo, and glared.

"This isn't over, Hamato. Have fun exploding!"

With that, she took a final bomb from her belt and threw it at Elsa before she dove into one of the tunnels in the walls, vanishing from sight.

The bomb landed at Elsa's feet, sending pink smoke into her face. The girl's eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell forward, out cold.

The snow monster roared after the vanished musk turtle before turning and using it's sword to stab the goo encasing Raph and Leo. The goo turned into powdery snow, freeing the turtles.

"Uh, thanks?" Raph told it.

It gave them a thumbs up before it, too, dissolved into powdery snow.

- - - -

Raph watched Leo examine both Elsa and Mikey. Elsa was okay, just asleep. Mikey's arm was sprained, but they couldn't treat it yet.

Donatello was cradling his destroyed battle shell, looking like a kicked puppy. Raph could understand why; his brother had designed and built that himself. He never took it well whenever it was damaged...

"Guys?" April called out, pointing at the timer on the bomb. They had a little over a minute.

And with Donnie's disarming tools wrecked... This wasn't good.

"Dee... Any ideas?" Leo looked at this twin with growing panic.

"Uh... Give me a second!" Donatello looked at his destroyed battle shell, as if it would hold the answers.

Raphael looked at his terrified brothers, worn out big sister, and knocked-out little sister.

He knew what he had to do, and it terrified him.

But if it meant that New York, and his family, would be safe, then it was worth it.

"Leo!" Raph barked. "Open a portal outside! Now!"

At that moment, Leonardo didn't care that he was the actual team leader. He created a portal that lead to an alley a block from the building.

"Everyone through!" The snapper ordered.

April, carrying the passed-out Elsa, obliged, with Mikey right behind her. Donnie, cradling the remains of his battle shell, followed.

Leo put one foot through... and stopped.

"Raph? Come on!"

The sixteen-year-old tried not to let his fear show.

"Someone has to pull the bomb off the wall. I'm the only one strong enough to do it."

"WHAT?!" The (conscious) siblings all shouted.

"Not happening!" Leo ordered. "I'll stay, you go!"

"No!" Raph refused. "You're not strong enough, Donnie's tech is fried, Mikey's arm's broken... I'm the only one who can do it!"

"I... I'm ordering you to come home!"

"And I'm not listenin'! GO!"

"Raph, please! If... If you don't go home, I won't either!"

The snapper's eyes widened. He bit his lip, anxious... Then took a deep breath. 

He opened his arms, silently asking for a hug.

"I won't make you stay, Leo."

Relieved, the slider gave his brother the hug he was asking for.

"I won't make you stay," Raphael repeated. "And I can't let you stay."

"Wait, what?"

Leo didn't have time to react before Raph shoved his younger brother backwards, through the portal. 

"RAPH!" The fourteen-year-old screamed as the portal closed.

"I'm sorry," Raph muttered. "But I have to save everyone."

He turned back to the bomb. There was less than a minute on the timer.

Donnie said that the Foot tunnels would absorb most of the blast, so all I need to do is yank it off the wall and chuck it. If it's in one of the tunnels going down, then it probably won't touch any of the subway tunnels. It's as good a plan as any right now.

He ran to the wall and pulled on the explosive with all his might. It budged, but barely.

Summoning his ninpo, Raph created three clones. With their combined strength, the bomb finally detached. His clones disappeared as Raphael saw he had only fifteen seconds to act.

With the rest of his strength, he threw the bomb down into the tunnels. 

- - - -

"What do we do what do we do what do we do..." Mikey was panicking, repeating the phrase on an unending loop.

"I've got Raphala's tracker on my phone," the terrified Donnie announced, his usual "emotionless bad boy" persona abandoned. "But the yokai-made metals in the Foot tunnels are interfering with the readings--"

"Just tell me where to go and I'll send a portal!" Leo demanded.

April shot him a withering look, Elsa still in her arms. "Panicking isn't going to help, guys! What Raph needs is--"

She was interrupted when the entire street shook. The subtle smell of smoke filled their nostrils.

The conscious Hamatos stared at the ground in horror.

"No..." Leo muttered.

"...Raphie?" Mikey weakly asked.

"...I can get a reading on his tracker in my lab," Donnie spoke, suddenly snapping into action. "If he's alive, it'll show his status and location. 'Nardo, we need a portal! Now!"

Leo didn't need to be asked twice.

- - - -

There was a ringing in his ears.

Something smelled bad... like something burnt.

He opened his eyes. The utility room/Foot's bomb chamber was a mess of ceiling parts, ash, and smoke. It looked like all of the really big rocks from the ceiling had missed Raph, which was good. What was even better was that his brothers and sisters were nowhere nearby.

They were safe. That's all that mattered.

The smoke was burning his eyes, and he had to close them again.

He tried to get up--

Pain.

Raphael sucked in a breath... only to let out a series of gross-sounding coughs. 

It felt like his lungs were full of gunk.

He tried to move again... and regretted it immediately.

His cry of pain was interrupted by more hoarse coughing. Briefly opening his eyes again, he looked at his left arm... and wished he hadn't.

Fierce, angry burns covered his arm from his wrist almost to his shoulder. They were swollen, blistering, and really hurt every time he moved.

And, based on his aches and pains, he had enough cuts and bruises to keep Leo busy for hours.

"Leo..." He whispered, screwing his eyes shut.

He'd known that the bomb would hurt him, or even kill him. But he hadn't thought of how he'd call for help...

A terrified tear leaked down his cheek.

Would he ever see his family again?

Screeching metal filled his ears. Like... like a metal door being forced open. Someone was coming in.

Weak as he was, he tried to turn towards the sound. 

The sound of multiple running footsteps filled his ears.

Had... Had they come back for him?

Hope bloomed in his chest, and he tried to let out a relieved sigh... only to start coughing again.

The footsteps made their way towards him.

"Help." He tried to call out, his voice weak from the coughing.

Someone must have heard him, because someone was standing next to him.

A hand touched his non-burned arm... a human hand.

A hand way too big and muscular to belong to April or Elsa.

His ears were still ringing, but he thought he heard voices. Adult voices, none of them familiar. 

His heart rate tripled.

Who... Who had found him?

There was a sharp prick in Raph's arm. He'd gotten enough shots from Leo's med checks over the years to know the feeling of an injection.

He was already weak from the explosion; he couldn't even try to fight off whatever he'd been injected with.

Raphael was unconscious in seconds.

Chapter Text

He heard beeping.

Raph felt really... weird. Kinda fuzzy all over.

He wanted to move, figure out where that annoying beeping was coming from--

Pain.

So much pain.

It felt like everything hurt, like every part of his body had been bruised or scraped up. But the absolute worst areas of pain were his chest and his arm.

What in the name of Pizza Supreme had he done to hurt this much? He didn't think he'd overdone it in the training room, he only did that if he was ticked off or something...

Voices.

As he woke up more, he could make out people speaking. He didn't recognize the sound of anyone's voice...

"...sure that amount was sufficient given the patient's body weight...?"

"...keep the oxygen on, don't want to lose him. We'll need more gauze..."

"...think we'll need to adjust the painkillers, soon, get me another dose of..."

Had he fallen asleep in front of the TV and someone put on a medical show? He hated those shows, they were always either sad or kinda boring.

He was about to try and open his eyes and figure out who'd changed the channel.

That's when an entirely new pain set in.

No, not pain. Agony.

It felt like... Someone was ripping the skin off his arm.

He let out a scream on instinct before gritting his teeth. There was a scramble and the sound of something metal hitting the floor. The voices around him started speaking faster, a few of them over each other. He didn't care; right then it was hard to think about anything else.

His throat was on fire, almost as much as his chest. He felt the urge to cough, and was about to turn his head--

A hand held him down, and pressed something round and cold to his throat. A wet cloth was put over his eyes, keeping him from trying to open them.

"Shh. It's okay," a woman's voice whispered at him. "Just breathe, everything's going to be fine."

He had the oddest sensation that he'd heard that voice at least once before... but the painful sensation in his arm (what were they doing to his skin?!) kept him from thinking about it.

As the seconds passed, he found the pain in his chest and throat diminishing. Within a minute, he was breathing freely.

"There you go," the woman soothed. "Just go back to sleep. It's going to be okay. It'll be over soon."

There was a hiss of a machine, and suddenly the pain in his arm went away completely.

He didn't have time to try and say anything before he was out cold once more.

- - - -

Donnie couldn't remember the last time he'd typed so fast.

The second Leo'd portaled them into the lair, he'd ignored their father's anxious questions and had ran for his lab. He all but threw his destroyed battle shell into a corner as he ran to his computer, booting it up and immediately opening his family tracker.

He read over the results as they appeared, his brain working overtime as possible reasons for what he was seeing popped up.

"Dee?" Mikey asked, still clutching his wounded arm. "Can you tell us anything?"

Oh, Hawking. He couldn't keep them waiting. As much as what he saw on his tracker confused and worried him, they needed to know.

"There is good news, and there is bad news." He turned around, finding most of his siblings and Splinter behind him. Elsa, still unconscious, had been left on the living room couch.

"The good news?" Leonardo asked.

"He is alive."

There was a collective sigh of relief.

"But according to my tracker, he has suffered injuries... His respiratory and cardiovascular systems show signs of distress."

"Physical or emotional?" Leo questioned.

"Both."

There was a moment of silence before April spoke.

"Was that the bad news?"

"Unfortunately, no. The bad news is that while I'm receiving readings for Raphael, I can't get a reading on his location. Why? I don't know. For all we know the bomb caused his tracker to malfunction."

"Were you kids in the room when the bomb exploded?" Splinter asked, horrified.

Donnie, Leo, April, and Mikey exchanged looks. How were they going to tell their father what had happened to Raphael?

Just then, Donatello's phone buzzed. He glanced down... and nearly dropped it.

"I just got a text message... from Raph."

There was an explosion of questions, but Michelangelo quieted them all.

"What does it say?" The box turtle begged.

"It says, and I quote, 'I am not your friend, but he is alive. He will be returned to you, but only if you follow the instructions I send.'"

"...What?" Leo asked, his voice betraying his relief, his fear, and his confusion.

Donnie typed back a response.

Who is this? How did you get into his phone?

A response came seconds later.

My identity will be revealed soon enough. Your friend was wearing his phone when we found him. 

He read the reply aloud. April, fearful and furious, took the phone from Donnie and sent a message of her own.

he's not our friend, he's our brother! give him back!

Once again, they didn't have to wait long for a reply.

Your brother was injured in the explosion; without immediate medical care, he would have died. He will be returned in approximately twelve hours time. You will receive another message with further details when we are ready to return him.

Donnie sent a few more texts (some with words he refused to let Michelangelo see), but they got no more responses.

"What do we do now?" Mikey asked, still holding his injured arm.

"We wait," Splinter replied, resignation in his voice.

Leo didn't look very hopeful, but one look at his baby brother's distressed face and he immediately changed his expression.

"No te preocupes, hombrecito. You know if Raph's in trouble, he'll just fight his way out. And you know how much he loves fighting. He'll be fine. Now come on, let's get your arm taken care of..."

His words seemed to lift Mikey's spirits as he led him to the med bay.

April led Splinter into the living room so they could check and see if Elsa was awake yet.

Donnie let out a breath. 

"Raphala," he whispered. "Please be okay..."

- - - -

This time, along with the beeping, Raphael woke to the sound of a weird whirring noise. 

He heard it every time he drew or let out a breath. 

And... was there something on his face?

With a small amount of effort, he finally managed to open his eyes. 

He... He was in a white room. It kinda looked like the med bay in the lair, only this was clearly a hospital room and not an entire hospital crammed into one space.

Raph was on a hospital bed, one that was just big enough to hold him. The beeping noise was coming from a heart monitor to the side of the bed, connected to several electrodes were attached to the skin above his plastron. A thin white blanket covered the lower half of his body, protecting him at least partially from the chill of the blindingly white room...

Wait, how'd he get there?

Last thing he remembered... He'd been hurt from the bomb. And... and a bunch of strangers found him...

The beeping monitor broadcast his climbing heart rate as he started to panic.

Where was he? Had he been kidnapped by scientists or something? Was he in a lab?

The familiar feeling of his mask against his face was missing; something must have happened to it... Or someone took it...

He tried to swallow, and noticed something was on his face. 

Did they muzzle me?!?

It took a few more seconds of panicking before he realized it wasn't a muzzle: it was an oxygen mask. He remembered how awful it had felt trying to breathe when he woke up after the bomb went off... Leo and Donnie had told the rest of them about smoke inhalation and how sufferers usually needed to be placed on oxygen for a while.

He tried to sit up... and let out a yelp as the pain hit his arm.

Considerably less than before, but still intense.

Wincing, Raph risked a look at his arm. It was covered in bandages, some of them stained pink. An odd-looking device was attached to the smallest of his fingers... It looked like that oxygen-reading thing Leo put on their fingers whenever they needed their six-month check-up. But this one looked like it had been slapped together quickly.

He felt a small discomfort in his other arm and risked a look. An IV had been connected to his right wrist, which probably explained why Raph wasn't in as much pain as he probably should have been. There was a bedside table next to the IV, holding a covered metal tray.

Okay, Raphael thought, trying to take deep breaths. If they're going to all this trouble to treat Raph's injuries, then they're probably not goin' to cut me open or anythin'. But who took me? Where am I?

The door at the end of the room opened, drawing Raphael's attention. He tried again to sit up, this time putting his weight on his uninjured arm.

A human man walked in. He had a dark brown brush cut, was about a foot shorter than Raph (though that was still tall by human standards), covered his eyes with dark sunglasses, and was dressed in a black suit and tie with a matching black overcoat. He was carrying two tablets, and looked perfectly stoic.

Raphael summoned his courage, trying to look stone-faced. 

"You're finally awake," the human spoke, his voice monotonous. "I have questions that need answers."

He handed one of the tablets to Raphael, who took it in his good hand with no small amount of surprise.

"You can't speak with that oxygen mask on," the human continued. "So you'll type your answers onto that tablet. My corresponding tablet will receive your answers."

Raph made no move to type. He had questions, too, and he wasn't going to type anything until he knew he'd get answers.

His stubbornness must have shown on his face, because the human man let out an aggravated sigh.

"You can ask questions, too. So long as the information isn't classified, you will get answers. But let me make something clear: unless my questions are answered, you will not be leaving this facility... No matter what your siblings have to say about it."

Raph tensed up, fear briefly flashing across his face.

"Yes, we know about them. Now, are you willing to answer my questions?"

The snapper let out a little sigh. Trying to swallow his anxiety, he started to type on the tablet.

Yes.

"Good. First question: did you or anyone in your family have anything to do with the bomb in Grand Central Station?"

NO!

"No need for theatrics, I had a hunch you didn't. I simply needed to confirm it."

How'd you know about it? How'd you know I was there?

Instead of speaking, the agent took a remote off a shelf on the wall. A panel opened, revealing a TV. He pressed another button. Instead of turning to a channel, there was an electronic ping.

"Play the security footage from the Grand Central Station Utility Room number nine-eight-seven, time stamp fifteen hundred hours."

The TV started playing footage. Raph recognized the people on screen instantly: it was him and his siblings. Leo had just opened a portal, shooing April, Elsa, Mikey, and Donnie through. Leo stayed behind. Every word of their argument could be heard clear as day. Finally, Raph threw Leo through the portal, then removed the bomb from the wall seconds before it exploded. The explosion sent a fireball out of the tunnel it fell into, sending up a shockwave that threw Raphael backwards. As he landed, his mask was torn from his face and landed in a pile of cinders... Which explained why he wasn't wearing it.

The shockwave apparently took out the security camera, because that's where the footage ended.

"I will admit," the human continued, "that removing the bomb at the risk of your own life was admirable. While the explosion did cause some damage to underground pipelines and knocked out the power in Grand Central Station, you did prevent any damage occurring to the subway tunnels. There were no casualties reported... minus yourself."

Raph let out a breath of relief knowing that he was the only one who'd gotten hurt. But he was still anxious; they knew about his brothers and sisters, that video showed both him AND Leo using their ninpo...

The human gave another aggravated sigh. "Please, the footage wasn't as shocking to us as you seem to think. We've known about your family for almost a year now."

Eyes blowing wide, Raphael typed his response into the tablet.

WHAT?!?

"Despite training with traditional shinobi weapons and martial arts, you're not as good at hiding as you seem to believe. Those hoodies you use as disguises might fool the average New Yorker, but not us."

Then why didn't you try and catch us? Isn't that the government's whole thing when it comes to people like us?

"According to Hollywood? Yes. In actuality? No. The fact is that my organization has known about the existence of you non-humans... or yokai... for over fifty years. At first, we tried to capture and study them, but those plans fell flat with the realization that the yokai are not only sapient, but are capable of magic. In the early seventies, we reached out to a few higher-ranking members of the Hidden City's government, and came to a mutually beneficial agreement. My agency makes sure that the yokai are kept hidden from the rest of the world, and in exchange they offer their aid whenever America or the world at large comes under a threat that conventional methods cannot solve."

He raised an eyebrow with amusement. "Have you heard of the Merman Uprising of '83?"

Confused, Raph shook his head.

"The Thunderbird Incident of New Mexico?"

Another headshake.

"The Gargoyle Outbreak in Paris last year?"

Another headshake.

"Exactly. Our Terrestrial Containment, Retrieval, and Investigation, or T.C.R.I. teams, are tasked with handling any yokai-related issues, and bringing in any troublemakers. As for you and your family, the main reason we didn't try to interfere with your activities was because you've done part of our job for us."

???

"We are well aware of the Oozesquito outbreak ten months ago. We have a handful of informants in the Hidden City who alert us of such things. Oozesquitos are not easily caught, and we couldn't simply quarantine the borough without getting the public's attention. And the mutants that appeared as a result of those mutagen-carriers would have been equally hard to handle. The fact that you and your siblings managed to handle it while also keeping the public largely unaware saved my agency a lot of trouble."

Raphael found himself blushing a little. Sure, they liked being heroes, but they also knew they couldn't really tell or show the public what they'd been doing; Stockboy had made it clear that the public would see them as monsters no matter what they did. Knowing that someone DID appreciate what they did to protect the city was... a weird feeling. Not a bad weird, though.

"Thus," the human continued. "I had a T.C.R.I. team retrieve you after the explosion and fly you here. It's in our best interest to stabilize your injuries and send you home. Continue to discreetly handle any mutant or yokai problems in New York, and we won't have any further issues."

His face grew hard, and Raph could see the coldness behind his sunglasses as he walked over to the turtle.

"But let me make one thing clear..."

He grabbed Raph's injured arm, earning a whine from the snapper.

"Saving your life was an act of pragmatism, not altruism. I am not your friend, and the Earth Protection Force is only your family's ally as long as you continue to aid us. Cause us any problems, give us any reason to think you might be a liability, and you'll see just how dangerous it is to get on my bad side."

He squeezed the injured arm even harder (causing Raph to nearly scream in pain) before he let go and stepped back.

"Now, I still have questions that need answered. How did you learn of the bomb?"

Since the human already knew about his family and the yokai, most of his questions regarded the bomb and who set it. Raph answered those questions willingly; it looked like the Earth Protection Force liked the Foot Clan as much as the Hamatos did. 

The human looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth.

"They did all this with the belief that it would distract emergency services from their committing other crimes in the city? These might be some of the stupidest criminals alive."

Raph grunted in agreement... then winced as he moved his arm.

The human noticed, and began walking towards the table next to the hospital bed.

"When I sent the text to your brother, I said we'd release you in twelve hours' time. That was eight hours ago; you'll be returned before sunrise."

Raph sighed in relief... Then gave the agent a look of suspicion as he typed in a question.

How'd you get into my phone?

The human smirked. "Next time you create a password, try using something more creative than 'one, two, three, four, five, six'."

Raph blushed in embarrassment. Okay, that one was on him.

"It's a bit of a flight from this base to New York," the man continued as he reached the table, eyeing Raph's IV bag. "It'd be best if you weren't awake for the ride."

He lifted the lid on the tray, showing Raph that said tray was full of drug bottles and syringes. The heart monitor broadcast the turtle's rising anxiety.

The agent filled a syringe as he gave an impressed grin.

"Whatever you are, exactly, you don't go down easily. The amount of Midazolam and morphine we first injected you with would have killed a human... and you still woke up during treatment. We had to give you twice the lethal dose of both drugs to keep you under."

Raph blinked; he'd woken up earlier? He didn't remember that...

The human agent finished with the syringe, and was about to inject its contents into Raphael's IV bag when the snapping turtle stopped him. He typed out a final question onto the tablet and turned it so the man could see.

Who are you?

The agent looked him in the eyes. The coldness was back in his expression.

"My true identity is classified. But you may call me Agent Bishop. And know this--"

He injected the drugs into Raph's IV. The turtle's vision went fuzzy, but he was able to make out the man's next words.

"If you or anyone in your family ever crosses me, my name will be the last thing you scream as you beg for mercy."

He had no time to type out a reply before the painkillers knocked him out.

- - - -

It had been an uneasy time in the lair.

Mikey needed a cup of the sleeping tea he'd bought in the Hidden City to help him sleep; partially because of his sprained arm, partially because of his anxiety.

Splinter shut himself in his room. Based on the sounds coming from it, he'd alternated between anxious pacing and meditating for several hours before he passed out in exhaustion.

Leo and the girls had opted to try and stay up by drinking through the red eared slider's soda stash and reading his comic collection. Despite the caffeine and several debates (such as the age-old Superman versus Batman argument), all three had gone down a couple hours ago.

Donatello was the only one who'd forwent sleep entirely. 

He had no idea who'd taken Raphael. While their messages implied that they wouldn't hurt him, the lack of information on his brother's status was eating him alive. Raph's tracker, despite showing that he was alive, still didn't broadcast his location... although it did show that he was healthier than when the bomb had just exploded.

Unfortunately, the only thing he could think to do until they got more information was to wait until Raphael's keeper sent another text.

To try and distract himself, he alternated between working on his projects (he'd have to start a new battle shell, as the damaged one was beyond saving) and watching the news with a cup of coffee.

While the explosion at Grand Central Station was hard to hide, there was good news. The bomb had caused plumbing issues in several nearby businesses due to broken pipes, and Grand Central Station's power was going to be out until Monday. But there were no reported casualties: the worst that had happened was that a subway that had been in operation at the time was stuck for a few hours (though the trapped people weren't so much hurt as they were annoyed). 

It was a few hours until dawn when he finally got a new text message.

In one hour, your brother will be on the roof of the Bank of America at 550 Fifth Avenue. Do not attempt to come to this location before that time has allotted. He is stabilized but may require additional care. Retrieve him as soon as possible, while exercising extreme caution.

The relief of knowing they'd soon have Raphael back washed over Donatello... but it was tainted with the fear of who'd taken him, where he'd been, and what exactly had been done to him.

He reminded himself that Raphael may have more answers, and that they had enough medical supplies to check over his injuries themselves.

Understood, Donnie replied to the text.

The softshell wondered how he was going to wake everyone and tell them the news... and then he smirked.

"S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.? Prepare Family Summoning Protocol Zeta four point three."

"Can do!" The droid chirped.

"Sinister chuckle," the turtle said to himself.

He'd been planning this ever since Leo woke him by dumping beach balls on his bed...

Barely a minute after giving the command, the lair's sprinkler systems went off while the lights flashed and Huntrix's "Takedown" (the most aggressive song they'd ever released) played at full volume throughout the lair.

The shouts of surprise and fear (and an angry scream of "DONALD!" from Leo's room) let him know that the protocol had done it's job.

- - - -

The last hour had been pure chaos.

First, the family had wasted five minutes yelling at Donatello for waking them up like that (Elsa was the only one who abstained, using her ice magic to clean up the water all over the place). Then, when everyone had gotten a chance to yell at him, Donnie showed them the text he'd received.

Then everyone started yelling for a different reason.

Mikey, his arm still in a bright orange sling, was running between the kitchen and Raph's room, trying to make sure he had all of their oldest brother's favorite foods on hand while also making sure his room looked okay. Elsa had appointed herself Mikey's babysitter in case his ninpo acted up and he set something on fire by accident (again).

April and Splinter ended up on the phone with Cassandra. After the bomb had detonated and the police confirmed no one was hurt, she'd been dragged back to the station to ask how she knew about it. She'd cooked up a relatively believable story about how her sister had just escaped the Foot Clan and told her about the bombing plan. While that was enough for the police to put in their reports, Casey had ended up tied up at the police station: apparently, more than a few cops wanted to talk to her about how many times she'd been caught committing misdemeanors and then fleeing arrest.

Donnie had planned to try and pinpoint when and where the best possible time to get Raph would be, but Leon had talked him into helping him prep the med bay to make sure they could give Raphael the check up he'd likely need.

"You think we'll need to get that fancy burn paste Mikey got from the Hidden City?" Leo asked.

"Affirmative; I refuse to believe that Raphala escaped an explosion without at least one burn. Even if his... captors managed to successfully treat it, the paste will ease his discomfort and speed up the healing process."

Leo flinched at the mention of the explosion. 

"Yeah, good point. I'll get it."

He missed the calculating look Donnie gave him as he walked into the med bay's supply room.

Raphael probably hated him, now. He'd been ready to try and stop the bomb, it didn't matter if he was lost, his brothers would do fine without him...

But instead Raph was the one to get rid of the bomb. Raph was the one who got hurt and turtle-napped by who-knew-what. 

Sure, it looked like he was going to be okay, but...

He walked back in, a squeeze tube in his hand. Donatello looked at what he'd grabbed, looked at his face, and grimaced.

"You're having... feelings, aren't you?"

He put on is Face Man persona. "Pfft, come on, Don-Tron. All I did was grab the paste--"

"False, you grabbed a bottle of that wart remover Papa likes to pretend he never uses."

Surprised, Leo looked down and saw he'd not grabbed the burn paste.

"Exhausted sigh. What is wrong, and please tell me without turning this into an overly sentimental conversation."

"...What if Raph hates me?"

"Nothing happened on that mission that could make him mad at you."

"But I'm the team leader! It's my job to get everyone out safe... And I didn't do that."

"Hmm..." Donnie put his hand on his chin, thinking. "Would you like my logical, free-of-emotional-bias opinion?"

"...I guess?"

"Excellent. You're being an emotional dum-dum."

"...Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

"You are so caught up in blaming yourself when you should actually talk to Raph and ask if he's angry. If not? Good, no more feelings. If he is? Then either talk to him or have Mikey talk to both of you."

That was... surprisingly good advice...

An alarm on Donnie's phone went off.

"Mother of Edison, we need to go!"

- - - - 

It took Leonardo all of ten seconds to get the group onto the roof of the bank. 

"Raph!" Mikey started calling out as soon as they were there. Even though he was down to one arm, he still had his nunchucks out, ready in case of trouble.

"Red?" Splinter was right behind him. He had a fearful look on his face, one Leo hadn't seen since their last battle with Shredder.

"Guy! Over here!" Elsa called out, standing near a tarp.

At first glance, Leo would have dismissed that as a bunch of rooftop garbage someone covered up. But then Elsa took away the tarp, revealing that no, that was not a bunch of rooftop garbage.

"Raph!" April shouted, running forward. Donnie and Leo beat her there, with Mikey a close second.

Raphael hadn't reacted to their shouts... or anything.

"Is he...?" Mikey asked, his voice fearful as Leo took their older brother's pulse.

He let out a relieved sigh as he felt his heartbeat.

"He's just asleep."

"Correction," Donnie cut in, his goggles down as he scanned the snapper. "He's been sedated. My sensors are picking up heavy doses of morphine and Midazolam... He won't be waking up any time soon."

The softshell's markings glowed, and a purple stretcher appeared under Raphael.

Leo's stripes glowed, too, and he created a portal directly into the med bay.

Chapter Text

Draxum was waiting for them when they got their oldest brother home; Mikey had shot him a text ahead of time. Leonardo wasn't happy about it, but given the fact that Draxum knew more about their weird mutant/magic origins then anyone (aside from possibly Donnie), he realized that Raph's well-being was more important than his comfort.

Luckily, once they got their older brother set up in the med bay, it didn't take long for the drugs to wear off. Raphael was awake barely an hour after they got home.

Mikey had been ready to hug him the second he woke up, but they all had to stop him: Raph's injuries were stabilized, but his left arm would be pretty tender for a while.

Once Raph was awake and drug-free, questions poured out of everyone.

"Who kidnapped you?" Leo asked.

"How did they know how to treat mutants?" Donnie questioned.

"Did the Foot Clan hurt you?" April worried.

"What happened to your mask?" Mikey panicked.

Splinter was the one to get them all to calm down so the snapping turtle could speak.

As the twins checked Raphael over, he told them what had happened.

"The Earth Protection Force?" Draxum asked, looking surprised but hardly shocked. "At least it was them who found you instead of any other human authorities--"

"Wait, you know about them?" Raph asked, taken aback.

The others wore equally astonished expressions.

"It's a well-guarded secret within the Hidden City," the sheep mutant explained. "Roughly fifty years ago, the Head Council met with a few representatives of the human government. If there's one thing humans and yokai completely agree on, it's the fact that keeping most of the world unaware of our existence is in everyone's best interests. As such, they have a long-standing deal: so long as the yokai help protect the world from any magical threats, the Earth Protection Force would work to keep our kind hidden. The Foot Clan has been one of their biggest source of headaches for decades... along with that water-loving lizard yokai in Scotland, those wildebeast yokai who make circles in cornfields, and that ape yokai who calls himself Bigfoot."

"Wait, Bigfoot's real?" Elsa asked.

"Told ya," April and Donatello chorused as they stared at the other turtles.

Leo, Raph, and Mikey suddenly looked very sheepish.

"Getting back to the point," Splinter spoke up. "Red, did they hurt you?"

"Nah, mostly they just patched Raph up," he admitted. "That Bishop guy told me that as long as we didn't cause problems for him and kept doin' what we've been doin', then he doesn't have a problem with us."

He frowned. "He doesn't like us, though. He said that he only helped me because we make his job easier."

"Ugh, Bishop." Draxum scowled. 

"You met him?" April asked, sounding as though she wasn't sure if that information shocked her.

"About eighteen years ago. He threatened to shoot me if we ever met again. You're too young for most of the details, but let's just say there's a reason Ben and Jerry's will never release a boysenberry flavor."

Splinter rolled his eyes. "So that's where the boys get their need to commit reckless stunts from..."

He shot the shorter adult a look. "Says the former action star who once spent two weeks in the hospital after a stunt gone wrong."

The rat glared right back before staring at Mikey. 

"Orange, I told you that in confidence!"

Mikey gave a shamefaced grin before scurrying over to where his purple clad brother was finishing Raphael's exam.

"Deep breath, Raphala," Donnie instructed, looking at his older brother through his goggles. He was wearing his spare battle shell; the new one wouldn't be ready for a few days.

The snapping turtle did the breathing exercise, and let out a few coughs as he exhaled. Donatello nodded to himself as he put his goggles back on his head, typing at his wrist device.

"With the yokai burn paste, your arm should be fully healed in a quarter of the usual time. However, you still show residual signs of smoke inhalation... Any pain?"

"A little in my throat."

"That is to be expected: common symptoms of smoke inhalation include a scratchy throat, coughing, and hoarseness... However, those are merely residual and should clear up in a few days. Your full recovery time should take approximately five days."

There were sighs of relief from around the room. Raph tried to sigh in relief, only to cough again.

"Did they take your mask, Raphie?" Mikey asked, looking at him with sad eyes.

"No, I lost it in the explosion."

"Oh my... I completely forgot!" Leo perked up. "Did any of us tell Dad about how Elsa made a giant snow monster?"

"A giant what?" Splinter asked.

Draxum's eyes locked on Elsa, whose elemental lines glowed with either pride or embarrassment). She'd left her hoodie behind at the explosion, thus making her marks far more noticeable. 

"Yeah, it was AWESOME!" Michelangelo jumped in, hopping out of his seat in excitement as he told the story (though he remembered not to jostle his injured arm too much).

"The Foot Clan sent this creepy assassin girl to try and keep us from stoppin' the bomb, and man was she scary! Then Elsa got ticked and yelled at her to go away. The assassin said 'I'm not doing anything you say!' And then Elsa's like 'Yes you are!' Then she threw down this snow ball or whatever, and it was like BOOM! Out of nowhere there was a giant snow-monster thingy! He beat up the assassin girl, and she was like 'Oh baby this isn't good!' and ran away! Then he freed Raph and Leo from that glue stuff and ran away! It was insane!"

"Interesting..." Draxum commented, his thoughts elsewhere.

"Glue stuff?" Splinter asked.

"Yeah, the crazy Foot assassin was throwing these potion bombs at us," Leo commented as he leaned against the wall, trying to look nonchalant. "One of them covered me and Raph in glue. You'd think a turtle would treat her fellow turtles with more respect--"

"Wait, what?" Draxum and Splinter spoke in perfect unison, wearing equally shocked expressions.

Leo, Raph, Mikey, April, and Elsa all turned to the adults, surprised at their reactions. Donnie, however, misread said reaction.

"It was a rather impressive battle... minus the loss of my battle shell, he said with bitterness. Nevertheless, I recorded the fight via the hidden camera in my goggles." He began typing at his wrist device. One of the med bay computers began showing static. "Observe..."

The fight began playing. Draxum and Splinter watched, transfixed. The second Jennika appeared, they both drew gasps. Both looked furious, though the rat mutant looked more sad than anything.

Donnie wisely cut the footage off before it could show Raphael sacrificing himself (which the older turtle would definitely get lectured for later).

Leo was gloating. "Wow, so awed by our battle finesse that you can't even speak?"

Mikey beamed. "Aww, they're proud of us!"

April and Elsa, however, were more observant.

"...Did you two know that turtle girl?" The hanyo asked.

Both adults blinked, and shared a look. Finally, Splinter sighed.

"Kids, there's something I need to tell you. First of all, you should know that I did not mean to keep this a secret: I promised you I wouldn't keep important secrets from you anymore and I meant it. I only recently learned this myself, when Draxum called it to my attention."

"I never brought it up," the sheep yokai defended himself from Leo and Donnie's judgmental stares, "because I had made an incorrect assumption years ago."

"Brought what up?" Raph asked (coughing briefly).

"...The mutation experiment created six mutant turtles," Splinter revealed. "Four boys, and two girls."

There was dead silence in the med bay as six pairs of eyes stared at the adults in disbelief. Doubting that his children would stay silent for long, the rat continued.

"I did not know about the girls back then... I only saw Draxum mutate you four. The girls were created after the five of us had been locked up. Had I known they were also there..."

He sighed, guilt and regret on his face.

"After my original lab burned down," Draxum joined in, "I didn't find any of you; I assumed all of you had died in the fire, and thus did not think to see if you'd escaped. I hadn't had a chance to ask Yoshi about the girls until recently... which was when we realized that they were likely alive out there, somewhere."

"We'd been searching," the rat jumped back in. "Looking for every lead on the Internet or in the Hidden City that we could find. But we'd had no luck... until now."

"One of the girls was a musk turtle," the sheep yokai finished. "The exact species of the girl you fought."

The truth dawned on each of the teens. Leo and Raph shared a horrified glance while Donnie seemed to be lost in thought.

Mikey, his eyes wide as physically possible, was the first of them to speak.

"So... you mean... There's a yokai out there that looks exactly like our missing sister?!?"

Leo facepalmed while Donatello gave the box turtle a look.

"I wish I thought you were kidding."

- - - -

"I HAD them!" Jennika raged to the Lieutenant. "If not for their stupid pet human and hanyo, I would have cleaved those mutants in half! THEY'RE the reason the plan fell apart!"

"That's enough excuses!" The Foot Lieutenant barked.

She knew he was in a rotten mood; they'd hoped that the bomb going off at all would still keep the cops busy while their soldiers worked on looting a Fifth Avenue jewelry store. No such luck: the few soldiers who'd managed to get away had come back empty handed. The Foot was short several soldiers and had absolutely nothing to show for the last few weeks of effort. It was never wise to yell at the Foot's leaders, especially when the Brute was in as bad a mood as his leader.

But she didn't care. The fact that it was HER flesh and blood who'd dared intercept her was unbearable. 

She'd make them pay for crossing her...

"I will not disappoint you," she growled at her commander. "The next time you see those pesky Hamatos, they'll be at your feet, begging for death."

"...You're dark, Jennika," The Foot Lieutenant replied. Then he smiled. "I like it. Go rest up. We'll be having a meeting to re-strategize at nine."

She nodded, then started walking to her quarters.

It was unbelievable. She'd known for years that she was an experiment created by the once-great Baron Draxum: the perfect blend of empyrean and mad science. The Foot Lieutenant had kept her hidden from the Baron the entire time he was "working" with them, waiting until the Dark Armor drained him before allowing her to return to her normal duties. She'd also known that she hadn't been the only one created in the mad scientist's lab: there'd been five others. Four boys, each one as capable a warrior as she was... and one sister.

Venus...

She growled, refocusing as she continued down the hall.

The past didn't matter. The Turtles had proved time and time again that they were enemies of the Foot Clan. They'd defeated Shredder twice(!), they'd defeated or antagonized some of the most feared crime lords in the Hidden City, now had close ties with Baron Draxum, they willingly spent time with humans... They were not a foe to take lightly.

That was why, the next time they crossed swords, she'd be even deadlier.

As she closed her bedroom door, she heard a familiar voice.

"Is this really what you want?"

"Leave me alone."

"Jennie, please. They're family. If things had turned out different, then--"

"Then they'd be fighting by our sides instead of against us! They'd be warriors, like me! They wouldn't be a bunch of stupid goofballs who are deadlier than they have any right to be!"

"Or you could have grown up in their home. You could've been happy."

She smirked as she took a grenade from one of her shelves, pulling the pin and tossing it into the air.

"I'm plenty happy. You know how much a good explosion makes me laugh."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

She rolled her pink eyes and tossed the grenade down the air vent that she knew led to the men's bathroom.

Seconds later there was a distant explosion, followed by shattered porcelain, screams, and a cry of "WHO THREW A BOMB IN THE TOILET?!?"

Jennika cackled. "See? Happy."

"Oh, Jennie. This isn't the life you should be living."

"This is the life I want."

"It's not the life I wanted."

"Shut up, what do you know?"

"I know that you've been lying to yourself."

"I said shut up."

"I know that this isn't the life you really want either--"

"I said SHUT UP!"

She turned around, glaring with fury at the empty room.

- - - -

The mountain was cold, just like last time. But this time, the snow was falling more gently. 

It was peaceful. If she could have, she would have stayed there watching it fall.

But she had a job to do. She had to find that girl.

"Hello?" She called out, straining her ears for a response. "Are you here?"

Nothing. Just an echo.

Then...

"Over here!"

She turned around, grinning.

There she was, the mystery girl from her dream. Her blond braid and blue dress were easy to spot.

She was several hundred feet away, but (despite their long dresses) they managed to run to each other.

"I've been looking for you!" She finally got out as she looked at the girl.

"Me too!" The other girl admitted, grinning as wide as the other. "I never thought I'd have this dream again!"

The redhead tilted her head in confusion. "What? Can't you just decide what you dream at night?"

"...No? Dreams are supposed to be random... Yours aren't?"

She shrugged. "Nope! Anyway, tell me about yourself! I've been dying to get to know you more! What's your favorite color? Do you like chocolate? Is winter your favorite season? What's your name?"

"Whoa, one question at a time!" The other girl stopped her. Despite her excitement, she was surprisingly calm and poised. "I like light blue, I do like chocolate, I love winter, and my name is Elsa."

"Elsa," the redheaded replied, grinning. "Pretty name."

"Thank you. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm--!"

The blaring of the alarm clock made her shoot up in bed.

Anna took a moment to wake up before she realized what happened, then glared at the offending device in question. It was summer vacation, why had she set an alarm in the first place?!?

Blushing, she remembered that she'd set it the night before so she'd remember to go over to a friend's house for dinner, and had told her Siri to set an alarm for five... Apparently, the AI had set it for BOTH hours of five.

She crossed her arms and fell backwards onto her bed, narrowly missing her plush reindeer and snowman.

As much as she'd hoped that she could talk to the other girl a little more, now she at least knew her name. Elsa...

"Elsa..." Anna wondered. "I promise I'll look for you in my dreams, and I'll find you again."

She couldn't explain it, but... She felt some kind of connection to the other girl. Like they were meant to know one another.

All the twelve-year-old knew was that she couldn't stop thinking about her... But in a good way.

"I'll find you again," she repeated. "No matter what."

As she curled up to try and go back to sleep, she didn't notice her freckles glowing gold.

Chapter Text

After spending the last twelve-ish hours either kidnapped, injured, or anxious, April decided that it was going to be an official Lazy Day.

"No lab time, no working out, no training, and no doing anything more strenuous than going to the bathroom or making a snack. We're gonna make a big pile of pillows and blankets on the TV room floor, we're going to spend the day watching movies, and we're not leaving until everyone's feeling more relaxed. Got that?"

She was going to make sure they did as she said; her mother had volunteered for two twelve hours shifts at the hospital (with only a ten hour break in between so she could rest) before the Grand Central Station incident. She wouldn't be back until that night and had all but begged April to stay at the Hamatos' so she wouldn't be by herself. Other than allowing Mikey to get a new mask for Raph (their masks were easy to make and they all had a few extras on hand), she refused to let up.

Even their weapons couldn't be involved: April made them leave all weapons on the table. Raph had been the most reluctant to do this: he'd been shocked/grateful that the Earth Protection people hadn't taken his sais (other than his mask and left wrist wrap, he still had everything he'd had on him when the bomb went off). But since the table would be in their line of sight the whole time, the Turtles were convinced to set aside their weapons.

Splinter seconded April's idea of a Lazy Day; he all but ordered them to follow her into the living room (but told them the cushions on his chair were off-limits). Based on the bags under the rat's eyes, he was going to need a day of rest, too.

None of April's younger siblings really complained: even those of them who'd gotten a few hours of sleep were exhausted. Donnie had objected to being kept out of his lab (he had a new battle shell to finish, after all), but was pacified when told he could at least have his phone on him.

After setting up an impressive pile of every throw pillow and spare blanket they could find (Raph was pretty sure there might've been a towel or two in there), Elsa popped in a movie without looking at it. It turned out to be one of their Jupiter Jim movies, and kept them entertained for a while.

Mikey, most likely because of the pain meds Leonardo made him take for his sprained arm, conked out halfway through the movie. Elsa held on long enough to put in a Lou Jitsu movie after the first film ended, but she passed out not long after. April followed her. Splinter and Draxum were still in the kitchen, talking about who-knew-what. Donnie had been quiet for a while, but the snapper didn't know if that was because he was asleep or he was hyperfixated on his phone (again).

As much as he wanted to, though, Raphael couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about... well, everything.

The bomb, Jennika (who was apparently their long-lost sister), Agent Bishop, getting kidnapped, almost getting blown up...

"Hey."

Leo's voice got Raph's attention.

"Yeah?"

"You, uh, you wanna talk about anything?"

"...Why do you ask?"

"You've just been pretty quiet since we got you outta the sick bay. And... you know..."

They were both silent for a second, the noise of the movie filling up the quiet.

After a moment, Leo spoke again.

"Do you hate me?"

"What? No. Why would you think that?"

"Because I'm team leader and I didn't think of a way to get us all out without anyone getting hurt."

"You had a plan, it's not your fault Jennika ruined it. None of us even knew about her, there's no way you coulda seen that comin'."

"But I should have had a backup plan. Or I could have stayed and gotten the bomb off so I'd be the one who got hurt--"

"Raph's stoppin' ya right there. First, you can't prepare for everythin', especially if we only had ten minutes to come up with a plan. Second, I only managed to get the bomb off by makin' several clones, and even then it was really hard. You couldn't of pulled it off by yourself, I was the only one who could've done it."

"But you got hurt, and kidnapped--"

"You couldn't've prepared for that, either. From what I saw of that Bishop guy..." He shuddered, remembering the cold look the man'd worn as he squeezed his injured arm. "I don't know what that guy's capable of, and Raph don't wanna find out."

"I'm a bad leader..." Leo continued, clearly not convinced.

"No, you're not. You're just new at it."

Sure, it had hurt a little bit when Splinter decided Leonardo should be the team leader from then on. After all, Raphael was oldest and he'd been looking out for his siblings for years. But he could see his father's point: while Raph was a good protector and caretaker, he sucked as a strategist and wasn't good at making on-the-spot decisions. Leo, on the other hand, knew everyone's strengths, was great at improvising, and had a good idea of how every mission needed to play out. 

He was actually pretty proud of his little brother; Leon was growing into something more than a goofy prankster.

"Agreed."

Donnie's voice startled both of them; turns out he wasn't asleep.

"You have only been team leader for a matter of months," the nerd continued as he typed at his phone. "Based on the level of injury and emotional distress that resulted from it, this was the most taxing mission we've faced as a team. Your only mistake as a leader, 'Nardo, was the fact that you did not plan for us to be ambushed. I am also guilty of not preparing better beforehand. Now that we know about our long lost evil sibling, we can better prepare for her. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. is preparing my chemistry set for tomorrow; when my newest battle shell is complete, I will begin work on a series of neutralizing agents that will theoretically..."

Both Leo and Raph got lost as Donnie went into speech mode, but his point had gotten across.

For what it was worth, Leonardo did look a little better.

"Raph?" The slider asked.

"Yeah?"

"Don't do that again. You scared us all... We thought we'd lost you."

"Hey, come on--"

"Promise me you won't do that again. Okay?"

"...Be less of a self-sacrificing idiot, and it's a deal."

"I am not a self-sacrificing--"

"Yes, you are." Donnie didn't even look up from his phone.

Leo sighed. "Okay, fine."

With that, they went back to the movie.

Only for Elsa to gasp and shoot up, wide awake.

"Hey, Els?" Raph looked at her with concern. "You good?"

"My dream..." she muttered, looking at the wall but not seeing it. "I saw that girl again..."

- - - -

After an hour of movie-watching (and an attempt at dissecting Elsa's dream), all of his siblings had fallen asleep. 

Donatello had been awake for twenty-four hours by that point, but he had no intention of sleeping yet.

With the help of that elderflower high-caffeine tea he'd secretly stashed in his lab (which Raph and Papa could not know about), he'd been able to continue with his most recent hacking project: finding Elsa's birth family.

Unfortunately, things hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped. He'd been able to bypass the government firewalls without an issue (leaving him practically giddy over the fact that he could finally cross "Hack the government" off of his bucket list). The problems had arisen when he started looking for Elsa's adoption records.

As it turned out, the Queens had never actually filled out adoption paperwork for Elsa. Further digging in a couple other places online revealed that the paperwork to get Elsa into school had a fake Social Security Number and numerous other signs of forgery. Not only that, but she had no true birth certificate, no real Social Security Number, no records from any hospital... 

In other words, there was no legal paperwork to prove Elsa existed in the human world. Nor was there any hint at who her human parent was.

Despite this, Donnie was not about to give up. If he couldn't find out what had happened to her human parent, then maybe he could learn what happened to the yokai one.

Unfortunately, there was only one person he knew of that had any knowledge of how to find someone in the Hidden City.

Sucking in a breath, he stood up from the bedding pile and walked towards the kitchen.

He overheard Splinter and Draxum in the middle of a conversation.

"--no idea how she could have gotten there. For all I know, she and the other female could have escaped the lab before you started the fire, with the Foot Clan finding them later."

"Ironic, isn't it? You tried to have six powerful, human-hating super soldiers under your control, yet the only one who became a human-hating soldier is the one who wants nothing to do with you."

"I know now that my plan was... extreme, and unnecessary. I had good intentions..."

"So does the road to Hell."

Donnie paused, unsure if he should interrupt.

He had to admit that he hadn't expected Draxum to outright admit he'd been wrong. True, Donatello wasn't the most adept at detecting the emotions of others, but he'd been fairly certain that Draxum did not feel true remorse for his actions.

Evidently, he'd been wrong.

"Speaking of the two females," the sheep yokai continued. "I'm curious about the other one. It doesn't make any sense that Jennika attacked alone; as our sons have shown, the Turtles are better fighters when they work as a team. So where was the other one?"

"We'll have to keep an eye out for her..." Splinter noted.

The softshell decided this was the optimal time to enter the kitchen.

He walked in, trying to act like he hadn't been eavesdropping.

"Draxum."

Both adults looked his way, surprised to see the fourteen-year-old.

"What is it?"

"I am loathe to say this, but I have been defeated."

"...Would you like to elaborate?"

"Several days ago, Elsa asked me if I would help her search for her birth parents. Since then, I have spent time attempting to find out who the human parent is, only to hit a wall. Whoever her parents were, they never completed the paperwork to prove Elsa's legal existence. Thus, the only way to learn her origins is to find her yokai parent..."

He swallowed his pride and finished what he wanted to say.

"I will require your assistance."

The normally stoic-or-cranky yokai looked stunned. So did Splinter, who was attempting to drink from his emptied mug.

Draxum cleared his throat and regained his composure.

"I can't make any promises, but... Yes, I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

He left the kitchen quickly; the elderflower tea was wearing off and his twenty-something sleepless hours were catching up to him. But he'd done what he'd needed to.

Before long, they'd learn where Elsa had come from.

Chapter Text

"The plan completely fell through," the Foot Lieutenant muttered, venting the Foot Brute in private. "Not only did those stupid Turtles keep the bomb from destroying anything important, but the police still managed to stop many of our people. Forty-seven of our soldiers are in prison right now, and if any of them squeal then we may have to relocate the base!"

The Foot Brute gave a grunt, but said nothing otherwise.

The Lieutenant took a breath, then stroked his chin.

"You know... There might've been an easier solution to this all along... Tell me, what is our greatest asset?"

The Brute said nothing, knowing his friend/boss would answer his own question.

"Other than the Dark Armor, Jennika has been one of our most ruthless and loyal soldiers for years... and we have her because of one reason: Big Mama."

He got a grin.

"It's time we pay another visit to the Hidden City..."

- - - -

"Remember," the snapper told the twelve-year-old. "Thumbs outside your fists, and make sure your stance is strong. Bad stance, bad fight."

"Got it."

She took a deep breath and faced her opponent... who resembled a man made entirely out of paper scraps.

Elsa'd been a bit put-off by "Frankenfoot" when she'd first met him, but upon the explanation that he was Raph's personal cursed-paper-sparring partner, she'd understood.

The fact that she could be so nonchalant about a living being made of shredded paper spoke volumes about her life.

Taking a deep breath (causing her elemental lines to glow slightly), she charged at the paper being. Frankenfoot dodged, and performed a very obvious haymaker. She blocked him, and kicked him in the chest. Her kicks had become more powerful, but they weren't enough to hurt Frankenfoot. She swung at him two more times before he took her by surprise.

Before she knew it, she was being dangled upside down by her ankle.

She struggled briefly before sighing.

"How long did I last that time?"

"A full minute, a new best!"

"Only a minute? Raphael, you're training me to fight! Being able to last one minute doesn't make me a good fighter."

"Raph's trainin' ya to defend yourself without ice magic. I could defend myself without magic long before I got my tonfas, and even then I didn't always use powers to fight. Trust me, this'll come in handy someday."

"Not if I can't defeat my opponent... No offense, Frankenfoot."

The paper man made a grunt before putting her on the ground.

"Did I ever tell you that Frankenfoot's actually three times tougher than a human?" The snapper told her. 

"What?"

"I made him 'cause I needed someone to spar with that I knew could handle my strength. With him, I can go all out. So any fight you have with him will last five times longer in a fight with a human... That's what Donnie said, anyway."

"So... I'd actually last five minutes in a fist fight?"

"Mm-hmm. Like I said, just practice at it and don't give up."

"...Thanks, Raph... You want to pick me up and hug me, don't you?"

"...I can't help it, you're too cute!"

She'd long gotten used to Raphael's habit of picking up and hugging anything he found cute. Much like Mikey, she'd decided it was just easier to let it happen.

No sooner had the turtle pulled her into a spine-endangering embrace did they hear the sound of a camera going off.

"Don't mind me!" Leo called from the dojo entrance. "Just taking pictures that I'm totally not going to use to embarrass you later!"

Raph gave his brother a look... then smirked.

"Hey, Frankenfoot? Wanna play a game? The first one to bring me Leo's phone wins!"

Frankenfoot gave a joyous groan while Leo began sprinting in the opposite direction.

- - - - 

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us," the Foot Lieutenant greeted as he and the Brute entered the Nexus' dining hall.

Big Mama had ordered the hall cleared out for the night, having the guests eat in the ballroom instead (telling the staff to give them some story about a plumbing issue). 

She was already seated at a table, with a member of the wait staff setting up a tea service. The Cloaking Broach pinned to her blouse revealed that she was a disguised yokai.

Big Mama did not stand to greet them, and stayed in her human form. She was giving them a look that could have melted solid steel.

"I think I'm owed a explanation or two-sy", she replied as the Foot members sat down. "I couldn't host any fights for a dimbly week after that attack you pulled! Add in that whole failed magic necklace snafu, and the Nexus' reputation is already hanging by a tread!"

"...You mean thread?"

"What did I say?"

The Brute grunted, getting the Lieutenant back on track.

"The attack on the Battle Nexus was a mistake," he purred. "We were simply trying to distract some of our enemies from one of our plans... An enemy I believe we share."

Big Mama's expression didn't change, but she slightly leaned forward. He had her attention, alright.

"Tell me, how many plans of yours have been thwarted by the Hamato Clan?"

She grit her teeth.

"Where do I start? First my star attraction vamooses off with Draxum, then his teen-turtles keep me from getting my Oozesquitos, then they turn my own bellhop against me, they're the reason why I don't have my Dark Armor Super Soldier--"

The Lieutenant bit back a remark at that one.

"--then they're newest human petty-poo tricks me into using a fake magic necklace! Turns out she was a hanyo all along! I could've locked her into a binding contract and made a fortune!"

"By binding contract, don't you mean you would have locked her up for years and forced her to fight for her life?"

She waved a hand at him. "Tomato, potato. Lou walked it off, she could've, too."

The Lieutenant decided they'd gotten off topic.

"You know, you weren't always without a super soldier..."

Her eyes hardened. 

"I know what you're ticky-talking about. Don't think I've forgotten how you took my girly-whirlys from me."

The Lieutenant still remembered that night years ago; he'd been running a personal patrol of the base when he found two young turtle yokai hiding behind a dumpster. Both were dressed in brightly-colored kimonos: flashy, but unsuited for a cold November night. They'd both in completely covered in bruises. After bringing the two in and getting their names, the Lieutenant learned that Big Mama had found them as babies, and was trying to train them to be her personal soldiers. The girls had been beaten if they didn't train to her liking, which led to the two of them running away.

That night, Big Mama's loss became the Foot Clan's gain.

"Believe me, if I'd known Venus and Jennika were yours, I would have returned them--"

She gave him a hard look, and he relented.

"Alright, maybe I wouldn't have. But I'm offering you an opportunity. Work with us to destroy those Turtles, and Jennika has agreed to fight in the Battle Nexus."

Big Mama looked very interested.

"...For how long?"

"Twice a week, every week, for as long as you want. The Foot Clan still needs every able body we can get, after all."

"And she has magic?"

"...She doesn't need it."

"So, no. But she's a good fighter even without it?"

"She's the deadliest soldier in our ranks. Possibly the deadliest fourteen-year-old on Earth."

Big Mama was now incredibly interested.

"...I always did have an eye for a dealy-oh. But if we do this, Jenny-Jay fights for a month straight. I have to get my money back somehow. Once the month is up, we go to twice a week for a year."

"But only after you've helped us destroy those Turtles," the Lieutenant insisted.

The Brute gave a grunt for emphasis.

Big Mama grinned.

"Of course; two stones, one bird, as they always say."

No one says it that way, the annoyed Lieutenant thought. But he masked is irritation with a pleasant smile as he and Big Mama shook hands.

She looked curious. "I'm curious... How come I haven't seen Turtle Number Two? Venus?"

The Lieutenant paused. Venus' disappearance had been a mystery for over a year; even he wasn't quite sure what had happened.

"...Venus is none of your concern. Jennika is all you need."

They poured the tea as they began to plan.

- - - -

"I still can't believe they let that Jenny girl fight the Turtles instead of us!" Bebop complained for the umpteenth time.

"What does that tiny turtle have that we don't?" Rocksteady agreed as he reclined on the best chair in their quarters.

They'd found themselves doing mostly grunt work since the failed plan at Grand Central Station: guarding the base, kitchen patrol, cleaning the dojo... It was humiliating and infuriating.

"Unless we do something big," the rhino mutant continued, "then we're never gonna get big jobs again. We're just lucky Jennika didn't kill those Turtles, she woulda been the Foot's hero!"

"...Say that again."

"Uh, she woulda been the Foot's hero if she killed the Turtles?"

"There's an idea," Bebop replied, starting to grin. "Maybe we should try and cook up a scheme for ourselves?"

"...Okay, but I can't handle a stove."

"Just shut up and listen up..."

Chapter Text

"Gentlemen and ladies! Thank you for coming to this most important of Tuesdays!"

Donatello stood in front of a tarp-covered table in his lab. His bare soft shell (something Elsa couldn't help staring at, given the few times she'd seen him without his armor) hinted at what he was hiding.

"Lemme guess," Leonardo drawled. "New battle shell?"

"First of all, don't ever steal my thunder again. Second, this is not merely--" He made air quotes with his fingers. "- 'A new battle shell'. This, my siblings and adopted siblings, is the result of my blood, sweat, brilliance, and blatant disregard for what most technicians think is possible! I give you, the Genius Built Battle Shell, Two Point Oh!"

With dramatic flair, he pulled the tarp from the table.

A brand new battle shell sat there (to the shock of no one, though Mikey pretended to be surprised to hype his brother up).

"This device," he explained as he put the new armored shell on, "not only provides me with protection, but it also contains forty percent more tools and weaponry than my previous one!"

"Why is it painted black this time?" April asked. "I thought you always colored your inventions purple?"

Leonardo smirked. "Did Jennika's insult hit deeper than you wanted?"

"That is none of your concern, 'Nardo," Donnie replied, his eye slightly twitching. "Regardless, I have also equipped it with my FAB spray, which is finally out of beta--"

"FAB?" Elsa asked, unable to help herself.

"Foam Agent Bonding spray," he replied, "a state-of-the-art chemical that can remove adhesives from skin. Considering how Leo and Raph were subdued by Jennika last time, I concluded that this would be a useful tool to keep on my person."

"Alright, Donnie, sounds good," Raphael approved... though any mention of Jennika still seemed to make him uncomfortable.

Before Donatello could go into "speech mode", as Leo called it, a voice called from the lair's entrance.

"Is anyone here?" It was Draxum.

Leonardo's good mood visibly disappeared.

"I didn't invite him..." Michelangelo thought out loud, audibly confused.

"I did," Donnie admitted before calling to Draxum.

"Why?" Leo looked at his twin, sounding shocked and slightly betrayed.

"There's a project he's assisting me with. While I am loathed to admit it, mysticism is the best possible solution. Hence, my... enlisting him."

Raph gave his brother a look. "Were you polite about it?"

"That is beside the point."

"He was about as polite as I am," Draxum commented as he walked into the lab, a bag in his hand. 

"So, no then," April stated, smirking a bit.

Elsa noted that the sheep yokai went out of his way to keep some distance between himself and Leo, who was giving him a not-so-subtle glare. Raphael and Mikey clearly noticed, exchanging a concerned look.

"So, what's this special project?" Elsa asked, hoping to dispel some of the tension.

"Actually, it involves you," the yokai admitted.

She blinked. "Me?"

"As I recall," Donnie mentioned as he took Draxum's bag from him. "You asked me to assist you in locating your biological parents."

Everyone perked up, intrigued. Elsa's eyes were locked on the purple-clad turtle, hoping for a miracle.

"Unfortunately, despite the best of my abilities, I was unable to find anything on your biological human parent. Whoever they were, they either never legally existed or someone managed to scrub their records so well that they're no where to be found.

"BUT!" He continued as he noticed Elsa's crestfallen look. "I did not give up! Logically, if we couldn't find your human parent, then we should search for the yokai one. Hence, my recruiting Draxum."

"With how large the Hidden City is," the yokai took over as Donnie began pulling things from the bag, "and how many of them there are around the world, it isn't uncommon for families to get separated, even purely by accident. So, there are many ways to try and locate one's lost biological relatives. The two most common, however, can't be used in this scenario."

"Why?" Mikey asked.

"The first involves holding a mystic sword and saying the name of the family member you want to find. The other method involves a ritual with a phoenix, a piece of DNA from the relative in question, and an ice cream cone."

"Why the ice cream cone?" April questioned.

"Phoenixes like treats. Regardless, we don't have Elsa's parent's name, or DNA, and it's impossible to find a phoenix on short notice. Thus, I chose this method."

As they'd been talking, Draxum had been pouring various vials into a clay bowl. After pouring a bubblegum pink liquid into the mixture and stirring it three times, he nodded and picked up the dish.

Elsa's elemental lines glowed a bit, showing her anxiety. But she still took the bowl when the sheep yokai gave it to her.

"You better not poison her," Leonardo muttered from somewhere behind her.

"Do... Do I drink it?" She asked, staring at the rainbow-colored potion with suspicion. 

Draxum shook his head. "Just put it close to your face and breath deeply."

Skeptical, the hanyo put her face as close to the potion as she dared and took a very deep breath.

She then had to quickly catch the bowl as she had an intense sneezing fit. Raphael managed to grab it, with only a few drops spilling, while Elsa turned away. She kept trying to cover her nose, but for some reason her arms wouldn't let her.

Finally, after seventeen or twenty sneezes, she stopped.

"...Bless you," Michelangelo finally managed to say.

"Was that supposed to happen?" April asked, looking equally confused and amused.

"Yes, the potion has a common side effect of making it's user sneeze. But it did work. Look." Draxum took the potion from Raphael.

While Elsa had been sneezing, the potion had turned black with colorful sparkles. As they watched, the sparkly bits rose from the bowl and went straight for Elsa. Rather than attaching to her, they spun around her in a weak, colorful tornado before freezing in mid air and slowly fading from sight.

"The effects of this potion aren't immediate," Draxum admitted as he started putting the empty vials back in his bag. "However, if one of your biological relatives is near and has any trace of empyrean in their blood, then the potion will lead you to them."

"'Lead her to them'?" Leo asked. "How?"

"It varies for each user, but it's always based on one of their senses. Sometimes it's a colorful trail leading them where they should go. Other times it's a smell, a sensation, even a taste. It's impossible to predict. But the bottom line is that whenever one of her yokai relatives appear, she'll be able to find them."

"It isn't as satisfying or brings as many answers as actually finding their records," Donatello cut in (a tiny trace of bitterness in his voice). "But at least now--"

He was interrupted by Elsa hugging him. Then, to everyone's surprise (including the sheep yokai's) she gave Draxum a hug.

"Thank you both so much," she said as she let them both go. "Just knowing I'm this close... It's more than I could've hoped for."

Draxum looked a bit uncomfortable (was he blushing?) and cleared his throat.

"Yes, well, you are welcome. I have to be at the cafeteria early so... Bye."

He gathered his things and quickly left.

"Wow," Leo commented with a smirk. "And we thought 'Tello had bad people skills."

"I resent that," the softshell replied. "I'll have you know my social skills have wildly improved since a year ago. I now talk to people just as often as I talk to robots!"

Before the bickering could go any further, Raph broke it up by suggesting they get a snack from the kitchen. Elsa was the last out, thinking about how great it would be that she was finally--

"Ah ah, ah ah."

She froze, and looked around the room.

She... She could've sworn she'd just heard someone singing...

- - - -

Anna couldn't focus on her breakfast. After that last dream, all she wanted to think about was who that girl was.

It didn't help that her summer so far was pretty boring. Her latest foster family were a couple in their late sixties who were content to stay in their house or garden most of the day. They were nice (even having her call them "Mom and Dad"), but they admitted when they met that they didn't really have the energy to entertain a twelve (almost thirteen!)-year-old. Nor did it help that her friends from the last neighborhood she'd lived in all lived in a different time zone, and were almost never able to text when she could. So her entertainment was restricted to her collection of tween romance novels, the Internet, and the TV (which mainly played a local movie channel since her foster parent's wouldn't get cable).

So, yeah, thinking about the girl was pretty much her biggest form of entertainment. 

But that morning was... really weird. She couldn't focus on her food at all. All she could think was that she had to find the girl. And... somehow she knew she'd find her in New York.

"Anna?" Her foster mother got her attention. "Are you alright, dear? You've hardly touched your chocolate muffin. Are you ill?"

"No, I'm fine, didn't sleep great... Could I ask you something?"

"What?"

"...Would you be okay if I took a bus trip for a few days?"

Chapter Text

Despite it being her first ride in the Turtle Tank, the story she'd just been told was what held Elsa's attention. She couldn't believe her foster brothers had been that stupid.

"Wait, wait," she tried to understand. "You mean to tell me you found flyers for a magic show specifically tailored to you four just laying around, and none of you thought that was weird?"

"In hindsight," Donatello replied from where he was tinkering with one of the Tank's panels, "it was not our finest moment."

"Todd told us later that even Draxum was kinda shocked we fell for it!" Mikey called over from where he was unwrapping a hoagie he'd packed.

April sighed as she pulled her magic bat from her bag. "To be honest, sometimes I'm amazed these guys are still alive."

"Any chance we can try and find some plutonium on the way back?" Donnie called as he used his goggles to scan the Tank's innards.

Meanwhile, Michelangelo tried to shove his entire sandwich into his mouth without chewing it.

"...I wonder why," Elsa dryly replied to her friend as Mikey inevitably started choking. Her lines glowed a bit brighter in sync with her amusement. She'd recently swapped out her old long-sleeve top for a cold-shoulder one in the same color, better showing the lines.

"Yeah," Raph commented as he gave Mikey a whack on the shell (sending the sandwich sailing across the floor). "We were pretty lucky to get outta that one."

"But we're a little older and wiser," Leonardo cut in from where he was driving the Tank. "Which is why we actually checked out our 'invitation' this time."

Earlier that day, numerous flyers had been found scattered around the city's storm sewers. Each one boasted a new escape room, aimed specifically at 'teenage boys with green skin and girls with glasses or braided hair'. The flyer had several spelling errors, the pictures of the "escape room" were clearly taken from random sites on the Internet, and there was a sentence on the bottom in fine print that read "This was definitely not made by a warthog and rhino."

Needless to say, it was pretty clear that Bebop and Rocksteady were trying to lure them into a trap, something confirmed by Donatello looking up the listed address and finding that the "escape room" was actually a slaughter house that had gone out of business twenty years earlier.

While they knew it was a trap, though, none of them felt good about leaving Bebop and Rocksteady to their own devices. Thus, their current mission.

"We've fought these guys before, so we know what to expect," Leonardo continued. "We stop their plan, beat 'em up, then go home, easy. You know, it actually makes sense these guys work for the Foot; they're always tasting da-feet!"

His brothers all groaned while Elsa and April rolled their eyes. The slider looked offended.

"I'll have you know Dad laughed at that joke!"

Raph gave him a skeptical look. "Did you tell it to him while he was watchin' sitcoms again?"

"Uh... Oh look, we're here!"

The pictures they'd found online of the old slaughterhouse didn't do it justice; it was much creepier in person.

Leo shut off the Tank and they filed out. April was the last one to disembark, and gave the building a sneer.

"Inviting," she commented, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"I don't think it looks inviting at all," Donnie replied, looking confused. "Especially with those blood stains on the cellar door--"

"Wait." Leo pointed to a grove of trees near the slaughterhouse.

A nondescript, completely black van was sitting there. If not for the slider pointing it out, none of them would have seen it.

Elsa's elemental lines glowed, revealing her anxiety.

"You think somebody else found one of those flyers?" Mikey wondered, his hands already going to his nunchucks.

"It's statistically likely, given how many of them were strewn around the storm sewers," Donnie commented, lowering his goggles. "According to my scans... Yep, the van's empty. But there's still plenty of gas in the tank. Whoever the van belongs to, they're around here somewhere..."

"Hold on, Don," Raph spoke up, glaring at the van's front license plate. "Anyone else see that logo?"

"Yeah..." Leo squinted at it before reading it out loud. "E-P-F."

"What's Epf?" Mikey asked.

"It's not a word," the snapper noted, growing visibly tense.

"It's an acronym, isn't it?" Donatello realized. 

Michelangelo noted how anxious his oldest brother was, and his eyes grew wide.

"Those're the guys that took you, aren't they?"

Raphael took a deep breath, held it, then let it out slowly before nodding.

While the government people who took Raph hadn't really hurt him (even returning his weapons, gear, and mystic bracelet), the whole thing had been pretty traumatic for the poor turtle. Elsa'd heard him wake up in the middle of the night enough times to know that.

"So," April asked, glaring at the van. "What does E-P-F stand for?"

A new voice spoke up, one that made Raphael freeze up.

"Earth Protection Force."

The six teens spun around, weapons at the ready. A man with a brush cut, sunglasses, a three-piece-suit, and a trench coat stood six feet away from them. Four people decked out in black fatigues and opaque helmets stood behind him, watching the Hamatos but making no move towards them.

"Bishop," Raph growled.

"This is the guy?" Leo asked through clenched teeth.

"What do you want?" Elsa asked, her voice deceptively calm as her elemental lines glowed. If anyone noted the air growing cooler around her, they said nothing.

Bishop seemed curious about the markings crossing her skin, but said nothing as he pulled a piece of paper from his trench coat pocket. The group instantly recognized it: it was the same flyer they'd seen.

"It seems we're here for the same reason," the agent replied. "Outside of Miss O'Neil and Miss... Queen, is it?"

The girls both tensed up at the mention of their names, though Elsa was upset for a different reason.

"Outside of the girls, few civilians know about you four. So I knew the makers of this flyer were either yokai, the Foot Clan, or the Purple Dragons."

"You know about them, too?" Donatello asked, unable to hide his surprise.

"Their hacking broke numerous Internet safety laws, but they shot themselves in the foot when they partnered with that yokai kingpin. Because they worked with a yokai to commit a crime, they'll be within the EPF's custody for a while."

Donnie tried and failed not to look pleased about that.

"More to the point, the flyer also fails to hide the fact that it was made by a warthog and rhino, meaning they're either yokai or mutants. It seems you're here for a similar reason as us."

Raphael did not look happy. But he sighed and shot a look at Leonardo. They had a silent conversation before they sheathed their weapons in sync. The others, while surprised, also stood down.

"Their names are Bebop and Rocksteady," Leo explained. "Two of the Foot Clan's low-level people. They got mutated two... maybe three weeks ago. I don't know if they had anything to do with the bomb thing, but I wouldn't be shocked."

Agent Bishop nodded, processing the information.

"You know..." Mikey stepped forward. "If we're all here to try and catch slash stop Bebop and Rocksteady, maybe we'll have a better chance if we do it together?"

Donatello gave his younger brother a look before he glared at the agent and his people. He seemed to think for a moment before he gave a sigh.

"As much as I distrust someone who abducted my brother, if we're here for the same purpose then logically we'll all get out of here faster and with a smaller probability of risk if we were to team up."

The agents behind Bishop exchanged looks, but their body language suggested they weren't against the idea. Bishop himself was perfectly stoic.

Leo looked at the girls.

"I don't like the looks of these guys," April whispered, "but it's your call."

Elsa nodded in agreement.

Leonardo looked to Raphael. His older brother still seemed unsure, but sighed again before giving Leo a nod.

"...We're willing to work this mission with you, but just this once," the slider finally told the humans. "And you'd better not try to kidnap any of us again."

"...Alright, deal." Bishop nodded. "We arrived several minutes earlier. The entrance has been heavily booby-trapped, and many of the traps are poorly constructed, bu lethal. I know that you, Leonardo -- Yes, I know your name, don't look so shocked-- can create temporary portals to any location. So, if you please..."

He phrased the last sentence like more of an order than a request.

As much as he didn't like being ordered around, Leo also knew that he didn't want anyone getting hurt trying to get inside. He sighed and pulled out his katannas.

His stripes glowed as a portal opened up, the other side revealing the interior of the building.

As the Turtles and their foster sisters started through, Bishop gave orders to his agents.

"All of you out here; make sure we don't have any civilian interference, and prepare to enter in case we need backup."

With that, he stepped through the portal.

- - - -

The walk through the old slaughterhouse with their brother's kidnapper/savior was... awkward, to say the least.

Leo, Donnie, and April were visibly tense, with Elsa appearing more... uncertain than anything.

Mikey decided it was up to him to try and keep the peace.

"So," he began quietly, his arms on his head as he walked. "Is it true that government agents have memory-wiping devices?"

"Where did you hear that?" Agent Bishop asked, his voice not betraying anything.

"Saw it in a movie."

"Was it a science fiction movie?"

"Yeah?"

"There's your answer."

Michelangelo scrunched up his face in confusion before deciding to move on. 

"By the way, not sure if anybody said it, but thanks."

"For what?"

"We're all still kinda upset about, you know, you kidnapping Raph and all. But you did still save him, so thanks for that."

"As much as I don't want to," Donnie cut in from his place a few steps ahead, "I must concur. My scans indicated that you were able to perfectly treat his injuries. But that does not excuse your kidnapping him or refusing to give us any actual information."

"The nature of my work means I can only divulge so much information at once."

"Can you answer me this?" Leo asked, turning around. "How come you knew how to treat a mutant turtle? Our bodies are similar to a human's, but there are a lot of ways you can mess up."

Raphael looked increasingly uncomfortable with the topic, but didn't say a word.

"Agreed," Bishop nodded, as if expecting the question. "I didn't partake in the actual treatment of your brother. I was simply an observer... Though I was the one to bring in the yokai expert who helped us treat him."

"Yokai expert?" April asked, her eyebrows raised.

"You mean... like Draxum?" Elsa asked.

Bishop groaned. "Don't mention him around me. No, it was not Draxum. It was--"

"HOW'D YOU GET THROUGH THE DOOR?!?"

Everyone jumped, even Bishop. Anyone who hadn't yet drawn their weapons did so; the Hamatos formed a close formation while Bishop stood to the side and drew his gun.

"BEBOP?" The sound was coming through an intercom system along the wall. "I thought you said they couldn't get through without settin' off the traps!"

"That's what I thought! I did research and everything!"

"What research?"

"I watched those movies with those kids and the burglars at Christmas!"

"Oh for the love of..."

Donatello had been typing at his wrist computer the entire time the two were snarking at one another. Finally, he gave a nod.

"The intercom isn't wireless, so they'll be in the building's main office. We find the source of the intercom, we find them."

"Let's stay together," Raph immediately stated.

"My thoughts exactly," Leo agreed. "Everyone keep an eye out for traps..."

He hesitated, then turned to the agent. 

"Bishop, were those traps you found out front easy to see?"

"Yes. With the right tools, they should also be easy to dismantle. You--" He pointed at Donatello. "How many tools and or weapons do you have in your... armor?"

Donnie smirked. "How many do you need?"

"You and I will dismantle any traps we find."

Leo seemed a bit miffed at Bishop usurping him, but Raph put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

Bebop and Rocksteady had been bickering all that time, and only then seemed to realize that they could still be heard throughout the building.

"Uh, anyway! You stupid freaks completely fell for our plan! There was never an escape room! We brought you here so we can kill you once and for all and finally get promoted!"

"Yeah, I'll probably get promoted first, it was my idea!"

"No, it was my idea!"

"Mine!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!"

The sounds of fist fighting could be heard over the intercom. 

Mikey sighed. This was going to be a long mission for a lot of reasons.

- - - -

Fortunately, Bebop and Rocksteady were so absorbed in their argument/fist flight that they didn't notice the group of seven making their way through the slaughter house and dismantling traps. Most of them didn't even need to be dismantled: they looked dangerous, but there was no way they'd actually work. The ones that did work weren't well put together and fell apart if someone touched it in the right place.

Unfortunately, this meant that Bishop was able to ask questions.

"I know what the Turtles are," he admitted to Elsa while the Turtles were distracted dismantling a bigger trap, "and I know that Miss O'Neil is a normal human. But what exactly are you?"

The almost-thirteen-year-old gave him a glare, her elemental lines glowing brighter, but she answered.

"I'm a hanyo."

"The offspring of a yokai and a human? Fascinating..." He began staring at her like she was a bug under a microscope. "What can you tell me about--?"

Raphael was suddenly between them, glaring at Bishop.

"She's still a person, make sure you treat her like one."

With that, the snapping turtle led the hanyo away from the irritated agent.

"I could've handled myself," she weakly defended.

"I know. But Raph doesn't want you dealin' with that guy at all. Trust me on that."

During that time, Donnie had been scanning the surrounding area with his goggles.

"If my tech is correct, and it always is, the main office is right through there."

He pointed straight ahead.

Leonardo's stripes glowed as he prepared to make a portal.

"If you could do that the whole time," Bishop asked, visibly unimpressed, "then why didn't you portal us straight into the office when we first got here?"

"Because I didn't know exactly where the office was," Leo replied, venom in his words. "Trying to portal somewhere without knowing exactly where you're going almost always gets you lost."

"Ah, so it does require a bit of thought," the agent noted, seemingly thinking about something.

"It's hard to explain, okay?" Raphael growled, still glaring at the agent.

"I know for a fact you're hardly an expert," the human returned.

"Hey!" Mikey defended his brother. "Leave Raph alone, he's real good at using his ninpo!"

"Oh? I know for a fact that one of his powers is turning himself into a giant. If he can do that, then why did he use clones to stop the bomb in Grand Central Station instead of turning into a giant to avoid injuries?"

Raph blanked, then facepalmed. "Why didn't I do that?"

"You were busy saving Grand Central Station," April reminded him. "Most people get a little panicky and don't think straight in scary situations."

"And who cares how you did it so long as you saved people?" Elsa asked while glaring at the agent.

Bishop rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, offering no apology.

Leo muttered something his older brother would never let him say before his stripes glowed once more.

"Alright," the agent tried to take command as he held up his gun. "When we get in, you six distract them and I'll--"

The teens ignored him and all jumped through Leonardo's portal.

The rhino and warthog were so busy arguing with/fighting each other that they didn't notice the portal, nor did they see the six teenagers.

"Looks like they haven't gotten any smarter since we first met," April noted, smirking.

"Right now," Elsa replied, ice magic swirling around her fists, "that's a good thing. Mikey?"

The box turtle held up his nunchucks and grinned.

The other four teens looked at one another, nodded, then ran towards the fighting mutants.

Noting that the main office's ceiling had caved in years ago, Raph used his ninpo to grow to twice his normal height.

"Hey, Rocksteady! Ready for a rematch?"

He bodyslammed into the rhino before he could reply.

Bebop tried to go after the two, only for a blade to swipe at the air above his head.

His eyes locked on Leonardo as the smirking slider landed.

"Ha!" The warthog heckled. "You missed!"

"No, I didn't."

That's when Bebop noticed that his mohawk had been sliced off, leaving only stubble in its place.

Furious, the warthog charged at Leo, who jumped away at the last minute. At that same moment, Raphael shoved Rocksteady into his raging partner's path.

The two collided, knocking each other senseless for a few seconds. That was long enough for glowing orange chains to wrap around them and tighten.

"Raphie said knock you out!" Mikey cheered from where he held his nunchucks steady, his spots glowing. Raph shrank down to his normal size, grinning like he always did after a good fight.

"You can't hold us forever!" Rocksteady shouted. "Good luck draggin' both of us outta here! We'll fight ya the whole way until we're free!"

"That's why you're gonna take a nap!" April responded, glancing at Donatello.

The softshell's battle shell transformed into a jet pack, and he lifted his best friend up to the Foot mutants' eye level.

His goggles scanned the two before nodding.

"Hitting them in the forehead will knock them out without causing severe concussion or brain bleeds. Unsurprisingly, they have very thick skulls."

"Well in that case, g'night!" April quipped before giving each criminal a whack with her bat.

They dropped like rocks.

"As for dragging them out..." Elsa motioned for everyone to stand behind her, then stepped on the floor. Everywhere but where the group was standing was covered in an inch of thick, blue ice.

Leo created a portal big enough to drag the two unconscious fighters through.

Bishop was the first out, with Raph and Mikey (dragging their prisoners) coming last.

The group found two dozen masked EPF agents and two large black unmarked semi trucks waiting.

Elsa, April, Leo and Donnie prepared to fight, but Bishop raised a hand at the gathered agents. 

"Leave the turtles and girls alone, they're not our priority. Michelangelo, if you please?"

Mikey stared curiously for a moment before realizing what the agent meant. The chains unwrapped, freeing the unconscious mutants. His nunchucks returned to their normal length and he tucked them in his belt.

The second Bebop and Rocksteady were unchained, agents descended on them. Handcuffs too big and thick for human wrists were used to bind them, while blindfolds were wrapped over their eyes and rolled-up cloths were used to gag them.

"What are you gonna do to 'em?" Raphael asked Bishop, visibly unnerved at the sight.

"They assisted in an attack against New York that could have resulted in numerous deaths, and are personally responsible for untold amounts of property damage. If they were human, they'd be in prison for the next few years. Seeing as how they're mutants, however..." The man gave a cold, satisfied smile. "They're under my jurisdiction. And I'll see to it that they pay for what they've done."

"You're gonna make 'em pay for all the damage they caused?" Mikey asked. "I don't think they've got that much cash..."

"I don't think that's what he meant, Angelo," Donatello cut him off, staring at the agent.

"Clearly you're the more intelligent one," Bishop responded. "Other than Raphael's brief... stay with us and information from our mutant and yokai expert, we haven't had many chances to research what empyrean does to a human body. These two will make valuable research tools."

"You're locking them up to experiment on them?" Leo realized, his eyes wide in horror.

"That's messed up," April commented, glaring at the agent.

"Well, that's your opinion," he brushed her off. "Fortunately, this is a matter of federal safety, something you have no say in."

He watched as his agents finished loading the unconscious Bebop and Rocksteady into their individual trucks, then turned back to the teens. 

"Thank you all for your assistance in capturing these two," he continued, sounding as insincere as possible. "But you are no longer needed. I suggest you leave."

His tone implied that it wasn't a suggestion.

Despite all of them still feeling intense disgust, horror, or anger at Bebop and Rocksteady's fate, Raphael got them all moving to the Tank. None of them said a word until Raph started the Turtle Tank and got them driving down the road.

"Do you think they're going to cut them open or something?" Mikey was the first to speak, horror and sorrow in his voice.

"Negative," Donnie answered from his place in the co-pilot's seat, typing at his phone. "The belief that scientists dissect any unusual creature is something Hollywood cooked up. Modern scientists are more likely to use non-lethal methods of experimentation to keep a subject around longer. More likely than not, they'll just subject them to MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds, probably a lot of blood and urine tests--"

"Thank you, Donatello," Elsa cut him off, silently pointing at how his words were making Mikey look nervous while Raph looked sick.

"Do... Do you think they did that stuff to me?" The snapper asked. "I was out for most of my time there, I wouldn't know if they did..."

"Bishop said there was a yokai expert there," Leon interrupted, "and most yokai experts we've met are yokai themselves. If there was a yokai there, there's no way they'd let them do any unnecessary tests to you. Besides, I've studied medical textbooks: unless a patient or someone the patient trusts can give the okay, no self-respecting doctor will run a test without consent."

Raph started to look a little better. However, Michelangelo looked worse.

"But Bebop and Rocksteady aren't patients, they're prisoners. Who's gonna stop someone from running tests on them?"

None of them could answer that.

Just then, one of the Turtle Tank's screens started beeping.

"Interesting," Donnie noted. "It looks like we're getting a call."

"You can get calls on this thing?" Elsa asked incredulously.

"Yes, I'll explain later. It looks like this one's coming from... Todd Capybara."

Curious, he hit the answer button.

It wasn't Todd Capybara's voice they heard.

It was Jennika's.

And she sounded panicked.

"I know you don't want to hear my voice," she began. "But please don't hang up. Don't speak either; I don't have much time and I don't know who might hear this. I borrowed that capybara's phone because I know he knows you. Please listen: the Lieutenant has lost it. I found out he's plotting with Big Mama to end you four once and for all. What's worse is that to get her to agree, he sold me to her as a gladiator. If I don't find a way to escape, I'll spend the rest of my life fighting to the death in the Nexus. I know I have no right to ask you for help, but I'm desperate. If you help me, I promise I'll join you and your humans. Please, please, I need your help. Please, I--"

The call cut off, leaving six speechless teenagers staring at the screen.

Chapter Text

The Turtles and April all started talking at once.

"...have to help..."

"...could be a trap..."

"Statistically speaking, we have..."

"...don't want her to fight in the Nexus..."

"...tried to kill us, I don't know if..."

The arguments were cut off by a blast of arctic air hitting them. The cold-blooded members of the family all shot Elsa a dirty look. 

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "but I had to. I know we're all... surprised by what we just heard, but we're not going to solve anything by yelling."

"She's right," Leonardo agreed. "Okay, let's do it this way. All in favor of finding a way to help Jennika, raise your hand."

Raphael and Michelangelo's hands went up.

"She's our long-lost sister, how can we not help her?" The box turtle asked.

"They sold her to the Battle Nexus," the largest turtle agreed, shaking his head. "We all know how messed up Dad was after fightin' in there. If we don't do somethin', Jennika's gonna end up either dead or traumatized."

"Okay," Leo continued. "All those who think we shouldn't?"

April and Donatello raised their hands.

"I know she's your long lost sister," the human began, "but she's also been raised by the Foot Clan. We know they're willing to lie to whoever they have to so they get what they want. Need I remind you what they did to Barry?"

Elsa didn't know what she was talking about, but based on the uncomfortable looks on Raph's and Mikey's faces, it wasn't good.

"I concur," Donnie added. "The last time we fought her, she had a fighting style based on identifying and attacking weak spots: she went for my battle shell, used Angelo's weapons against him, and took out the two biggest threats, Raphala and 'Nardo, first. It's probable that she's realized our strong belief in family could be a potential weakness. If so, the distress call could easily be bait to lure us into a trap."

Leo nodded, looking troubled. Elsa did, two.

"So, looks like you guys are the tie breakers," Mikey pointed out.

Raphael looked at the slider. The leader seemed reluctant, but certain.

"Leo?"

"If she's telling the truth, then she could be in serious danger. And we all know it'll be easier to break her out of the Foot Base than the Battle Nexus."

"Unfortunately, I agree," Donatello interrupted. "All my recent attempts to put more cameras in the Nexus, hotel and gladiator ring, have proven unsuccessful."

"Did you try and send them in with drones?" Mikey asked.

"No."

"Did you pretend to be a delivery boy and hide them in there?"

"No, she's too smart for that."

"Did you train a monkey to hide things in vents and then send him in with a bunch of tiny cameras?"

"...No, and why in the name of Grace Hopper would I use that method? It would take far too long to train a monkey--"

"Getting back on topic," April interrupted. "Looks like Leo wants to help Jennika. Elsa, what do you think?"

The hanyo looked at her feet.

"I know that it isn't the same, but... I know how much it would mean to me to meet a member of my real family. What if Jennika's realized that she's fighting for the wrong side and honestly wants to defect?"

"Then we have to bring her home," Raph agreed. "Maybe she can tell us what happened to the other sister. I can't be the only one who's been wonderin' where she is."

There were a few nods before Leo punched his palm with his fist. 

"Alright, looks like we're doing this. Dee, where did that call come from?"

Donatello gave his twin a look that radiated disapproval, then began tracing the call.

- - - -

After a quick call to Cassandra (who was on house arrest until next month), Raphael confirmed that the place the call came from was an abandoned origami paper factory turned Foot base.

They also decided as a group to try and return Todd's phone to him ASAP.