Guys, I swear I have been working on this ending and didn’t forget. Life has just been very busy lately, and it’s crazy that the anniversary landed at this time lol. Anyway, next part!
As the sun begins to set, Drax brings the turtles to his fixed lab, where they see parts of their life they never had before, baby pictures, charts on growth, etc. Leo recognizes Rocko is missing and asks Draxum where he is. Drax is confused again about asking for another turtle and replies that he’s doesn't know what he's talking about and that he mutated four male turtles and one female turtle. This throws the boys off, and Raph asks about the fifth turtle. Draxum explains the history of how they came to be (they also discover they were not born in the hidden city but the human world) and the history of Julia and how he regrettably left her behind for dead. Donnie exclaims that she isn’t dead and that they actually met her. Drax realizes that he has made a huge mistake, but he also has the opportunity to see ALL of his children again.
Before they can create a plan of action to save the other turtles, Drax insists that he take care of them because they were in no shape to face Big Mama. Raph and Leo protest, but Donnie sees Drax’s logic, even though he wants to get his brothers back. He helps convince the two to stay and rest.
This was going to be my favorite part of the comic because I love comforting/caring scenes, especially for characters who’ve never really felt it before. So here’s just a list of comfort things I wanted to draw:
Getting a proper meal (probably a stew or soup filled with vegetables and maybe botaots) also the kids not understanding how to use utensils, and Drax’s heart would break a little bit, but just show them how to hold it up to their mouths
Turtles taking a bath with warm water and soap for the first time, and having fluffy towels
Sitting by a warm fire and falling asleep on a fuzzy rug after being out in the cold night of the Hidden city (also just being exhausted mentally and physically, as not only did their world turn upside down, but also they’ve never run that much before)
Even though Raph is distressed, exhaustion takes over him, and he curls up with Donnie and Leo on the rug, and Drax puts a blanket over them.
Meanwhile… Rocko and Mikey are having the worst time of their lives.
Rocko is kicking and fighting all the guards while trying to protect Mikey. Mikey is curled up in fear on the floor of Big Mama’s office. She tries to explain that this is the best outcome, that once their other brothers and Lou Jitsu are found, they can all be a big happy family. She starts into a speech about how life can be so much better with her and no longer Drax, but Rocko interrupts, saying that he has no clue who “Draxum” is, lady, and that they'd better let them go or he’ll rip up the fancy floor rug. This throws Big Mama off, but she chalks it up to him lying to her; instead, she decides to invest her time looking for the others. She tells her guards to lock the two away. Frida looks at the distressed siblings, and the guilt starts creeping in. She begins having doubts if Big Mama has the best intentions for the turtles. She leaves the hotel as Big Mama ordered and tries to find the other three.
Cut back to the Raph, Leo, Donnie, and Drax, they wake up with new determination. Drax tells the turtles that he will go and rescue their brothers by himself that they will stay at the Lab. Immediately, they protest and tell Him that it’s their fight too. Drax raises his voice and insists that they have had no fighting training and could be taken or worse, killed. The boys immediately flinch at the yelling, and Drax realizes what he’s done. He apologizes and tells them that he just wants to make sure that they will be okay. Raph tells Drax that he needs to be there for Rocko and Mikey, that he failed them once, and he couldn’t do it again. Their creator reconsiders but tells them that they don’t have a way to fight back. Silence falls over them when Donnie speaks up, reminding them of when Raph created a larger projection of himself and was able to fight back against orphanage security. This excites Drax as he realizes the Hamato blood is in the turtles and that they could possibly access it.
(Sorry, this part isn’t super detailed.) They basically train under Draxum’s guidance, where they learn to access their power, and Drax learns how to be a parent. Eventually, Leo and Donnie can unlock their powers too through the determination to save Rocko and Mikey. Later that night, it becomes stormy and starts to rain. They break into Big Mama’s hotel, sneaking around trying to find the cells where Drax believes they’re located. Along the way, they run into guards who start attacking. They all start fighting as a family with their Ninpō and Drax’s vines. (side note: Donnie hasn’t been able to experiment with weaponry like cannon Donnie has, but I think through the images and descriptions he’s found in the library books, he can fabricate basic machinery). Eventually, more guards start coming, and Drax tells the turtles to find their brothers, and he’ll handle the attackers. They eventually find the cells and look through them all until the last, where they find Rocko and Mikey curled up on each other in the corner. Raph rips the bars apart with his Ninpō and runs into the cell, embracing them. He apologizes and tells him he’s so sorry for leaving them behind, that he should’ve been with them. Mikey insists that it’s okay and hugs Raph, Leo, and Donnie tightly. Rocko finally stops being so strong and cries in Raph’s arms, telling him that he’s also sorry for everything he’s done, and he doesn’t want to be alone.
They run to get out of the prison, trying to catch up with each other and explaining what the heck was that glowly thing they just did. They round the corner and run into Draxum, where he lets out a sigh of relief at the sight of them. His eyes fall to the two missing turtles, one darker and covered in cuts and bruises, trying to wipe tears from his eyes, and the smallest turtle with a very messed-up leg. Probably for the fifteenth time that he’s spent with these turtles, his heart breaks at the sight of them. Filled with determination and protectiveness, he gets ready to make a portal out of there. Right before he can, though, a throwing knife whirls past him, and he turns around ready to fight. Instead, he stops as he finally sees his long-lost daughter standing before him.
Aaaaaand imma leave it at that. Again, sorry this one came out later. But! I think it should be wrapped up by the next update! And I promise it won’t be as far apart as this one was from the last. Anyways, let me know what you think, I’d love to know! :]
