A link to the brackets is here. Updated (here) (here) (here)
Hi!! Welcome to the
Competition, what sort?
The competition will be a bracket voting system, much like other competitions in this fandom, but with the addition that there will be plenty of small side polls in between rounds, twists and turns, and an ongoing narrative that ties the whole comp together. We want it to be a fun event, even if you're not directly participating or don't win the main thing!
What works can enter?
Any work with an ongoing narrative from any TMNT iteration! (In fact we'd like to encourage submissions from non-rottmnt works) Comics, fics, anything! Doesn't have to be an AU but can be, the AU just has to have a set plot.
We'll be doing nominations like other comps, and we're happy with just about anything! We love seeing a diverse range of works! But! We do have some rules:
-> The submitted work doesn't contain any NSFW, Tcest, AprilxTurtles or CJxTurtles content.
-> The creator(s) must consent to their work being entered. (We will be reaching out to everyone, and if we can't get confirmation, or the creator(s) don't want their work in, it will not be included)
-> If a works creator is found harassing or mistreating other members of the competition or community, their work may be removed and disqualified.
Other than that, have fun, and remember to treat each other with respect and kindness! ✨
Comp Team
Everyone on the comp team is 18+ and has been around the fandom for a while! We want to remain somewhat anonymous, but our own works are not allowed to compete.
Mod Cheese - 🧀 - Main moderator and comp runner
Mod Blueberry - 🫐 - Co moderator and artist
Mod Buckthorn - 🍊 - Co moderator and artist
Mod Tomato 🍅 - Background team, artist
Mod Coffee ☕️ - Background team, artist
Who's the turtle I keep seeing?
That's Masaccio, or Massy.
He's a 14 year old mutant turtle, part of the Hamato clan who loves horror games, emo music, but most of all, stories.
And he is very, very excited to meet you all :)
{ He shows you pictures of a grumpy future Leo wearing a hood and a future Leo with half of his face covered in metal looking like Raph }
{ He blinks in realization } WAIT A MINUTE- MASSY!?
"Have I seen a... HOP?!" Massy cocked his head to the side as he looked the turtle in front of him over.
"Geez, I feel like I've been so clocked out of everything! Is this how you all felt when we played our game together? If so, I apologize for the stress. This is just... Wow! And is that... Captain? Is captain around here???"
(Massy is actually in the game now I swear- @tmntaucompetition )
The air is crisper than it usually was. A breeze whispered through, hushing the loud angry simmering. It took far too long for him to realize his eyes were open. Everything in front of his eyes was black, there was the slightest shine to it. Blue undertones that broke up the monotony of nothing. He jerked his head to the side, searching for the source of the light. There was nothing, just more darkness that seemed to fill his vision.
Suddenly, he sucks a breath into his lungs. The bitter, acrid taste of ink filled his mouth. It clogged his nose all the way up to his brain. He felt it back behind his eyes. He lost feeling in his hands, lost feeling in his feet. He couldn’t force the ink back out of his lungs.
There was a point where Massy couldn’t tell what part of his body was even his anymore.
It all swirled together in the endless abyss. Massy pushed his mouth open, tried to force the ink out as he coughed and hacked and did his best to squeeze the ink back out of his body. As his grandfather always told him, Will was always the most powerful piece of a person. Spirit and Will and Endurance to exist. Power and Strength, those were fleeting and variable. Losses that would fall away with time.
But Will… Will would carry you through.
Will… You certainly are a fun character.
What?
The fight, the emotion… I admire it. You hold power.
I don’t hold any power.
You don’t? Then How did you get here, Masaccio?
Massy sat up quickly, sucking air deep into his lungs. His eyes flickered over to the alarm clock on his nightstand, the time 7:30 p.m., on the dot. Massy stared at the bright green numbers, unyielding to his gaze until the 0 slowly clicked over to a 1. Massy sat back against the headboard, his hand coming up to rest over his heart as it thudded in his chest.
His mouth was dry, he reached over for his water bottle. It was just a nightmare, again. It was always nightmares. Massy popped open the lid of his bottle and held the cold metal to his lips. He drank it down like a man abandoned in the desert. He drank until he finally had to take a breath.
With a swift hand, he twisted the lid back onto his bottle and tossed it back down onto the bed. His head tipped forward, resting against his hands with surprising ease. He never knew what these dreams meant, they were always different.
The same voice, calling to him. Telling him something new. Telling him something different. Massy reached over to his nightstand and pulled out his journal. Pulling open the leather bound notebook, his eyes looked over all the lazily scribbled notes from previous dreams. Black, tar beaches. Dark, empty woods. Libraries with aisles upon aisles upon aisles of cobweb covered books.
Vacant.
Abandoned.
Massy wrote down his latest dream, pausing with his pen pressed to the paper. His mind wandered back to the ink. That time he spent floating in nothing… Uncle Leo said he knew what that feeling was.
Massy didn’t believe it.
Respectfully.
Uncle Leo said he knew what it was like to float aimlessly through the void. To lose sense of time with nothing but space to keep you company. That the isolation was just as painful as any battle he ever faced.
Massy didn’t doubt that. He didn’t doubt that his uncle knew all about the isolation of space.
But that’s not what happened to Massy.
Massy didn’t just float aimlessly, he lost himself in that ink. Just like in his dream, he didn’t know where he ended and where the ink began. Massy wasn’t just dissociating within the world around him, he was becoming a part of it. He was drowning in it, dying by its cold hands. Massy couldn’t pull himself away, he could only dig his heels in further.
“Massy? I thought I told you to take a nap and put the pen down.”
Massy lifted his head to see the concerned expression on his father’s face as Mikey peeked his head into the room. Massy blinked slowly and then lifted his pen up from the page.
“I uh.. I did. Nap, that is. I took a nap.” Massy responded. Mikey watched him for a moment longer before he nodded.
“Okay… Well, dinner is done. Come out, yeah?” Mikey hesitated in the doorway, his hand resting on the frame of the door. “You know, your Auntie April is going to be here tonight? Donnie and Leo… They’re already waiting.”
Massy nodded, his thumb picking at the edge of his paper. His eyes remained focused on his father, as if maintaining this eye contact would prevent Mikey from peering into his thoughts.
“... Are you okay, son?” Mikey asked softly.
What a loaded question.
“Yeah, I’m fine, dad.” Massy replied just as softly.
And what a lie.
Mikey’s jaw tightened for a split moment before he nodded his head and replaced his flat expression with a small smile. He let the curtain fall back over the doorway as he retreated from Massy’s room, leaving the teenager to his own thoughts once again.
Massy looked down at his notebook page.
The white paper, all of his previous writing, had been consumed by a dark blue ink from where his pen had bled. Massy groaned, lifting the page to see the blotch had sunk deeper than just the single sheet. The dark blob breached about five pages of his journal. Massy went ahead and closed it, rubbing his temple gently.
He tried to push his father’s concern out of his mind. All Mikey would know is that Massy was okay. He was! Okay! No need to question any further. Massy couldn’t talk to him about this stuff anyways. He couldn’t talk about how he always needs something to be making noise because the silence is too suffocating. He couldn’t talk about how sometimes he still felt a dark, sadistic thrill whenever he held a pen.
He couldn’t say these things. He couldn’t talk about the hateful things he thought about back then.
Because that’s his dad. And his dad, for good or for bad, always tried to talk it out. Massy didn’t want to talk it out. He didn’t want to be told that he was understood.
Call him an angsty teenager, but no one could possibly understand what he went through. What he did.
And what did you do?
Did you just stand there and watch?
Or did you play along?
Massy shook his head as he pulled himself out of his bed. He left his things haphazardly on his bed as he made his way out of his room. Something was wrong, he knew that for sure. Maybe he should…
As Massy turned the corner into the kitchen, he was greeted with the sight of four adults sitting around the kitchen table. Uncle Leo was sitting at the head of the table. It was still weird to see him in the spot that once occupied his own grandfather, but after Massy’s stint last year, Uncle Leo had really stepped up and became head of the family.
On his right, Uncle Donnie and Auntie April sat, chatting away about their next big project. Massy heard pieces of it as he walked over to the open seat next to his dad. Apparently, they were going to expose a corrupt CEO- As if that was anything new for them.
Then to the left of Uncle Leo was where his father sat, and now him. Massy sank into his seat some, his hands coming up to rest on the table. No one addressed him, he didn’t mind. It seemed the adults were all having an adult conversation, and Massy didn’t even want to be a part of that.
Suddenly, a piece of casserole was gently put on his plate followed by fingers pinching his cheek. He looked up to catch his Aunt had leaned over the table to serve him. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment too long before she turned back to where Donnie was ranting to Leo about how impractical the current bathroom schedule was.
Leo was questioning when they even put a bathroom schedule into place.
Massy focused on his dinner, tapping his fork lightly against the ceramic plate as he slowly ate. He tried to listen in to the conversation.
“… And I don’t feel comfortable sharing a bathroom anymore so I am moving to install more…”
“… Install more bathrooms? Was that always an option?…”
“… For me, not for you…”
Massy tuned it back out in favor of pulling the layers of his dinner apart. His eyes focused in on what looked to be a small chunk of ham and it suddenly occurred to him that he had absolutely no idea what he was eating. His father could probably serve him literal trash and Massy wouldn’t even be any of the wiser.
The young turtle lifted his head when he realized the table around him had gone silent. He looked up at the adults and they were all looking at him expectantly, like he had something to share with them.
“What?” Massy questioned softly, setting his fork down next to his plate.
Leo arched his brow and leaned forward some, “Messy, I asked if you were interested in starting your training back up.”
Massy resisted the urge to clench his fists, opting to clench his toes instead. Much less of a release but far more discreet.
Masaccio hadn’t stepped foot in the dojo in quite some time, and no one knew why. Well, no one else knew why. He had been trying to practice with his ninpo- He had that now! He always had it, but now he could actually use it. Now it took a form.
Then he woke up back in his room.
You know there’s more to the story.
Not that they need to be concerned with yet.
But Massy had been avoiding going back to training. Even just the simple meditation led his mind to wander down paths he wasn’t entirely comfortable taking. Now Leonardo, head of the Hamato Clan, was asking him if he wanted to continue training.
He should say yes, shouldn’t he? He wants to be part of this clan, he’s said before that he wanted to be a more active part of the family, he wanted to make up for what he had done.
Massy wanted to be a powerful ninja just like his father, right?
“I think I’m going to need a little bit more time before I can start training again,” Massy responded, looking back down at his plate.
There was a small, mumbled ‘okay’ that stabbed him in the back of the neck. This time, his fists did clench and he pushed himself abruptly out of his seat. Massy offered his family a smile, even as he was met with confused expressions.
“Massy?”
“I’m going to my room, I’m not that hungry,” The youngest turtle muttered before he quickly made his way to his room. He could hear them talking behind him.
“Maybe we should follow after him?”
“No, he just.. He needs time. I’ll.. I’ll talk to him in a little bit,”
Massy shook his head and closed the curtain behind him as she walked over to his closet. He pulled at the pile of blankets that he had tossed in there. He tossed the fabric behind him until he found a small shoe box buried inside. Taking a quick peek over his shoulder, he made sure no one was coming in as he pulled the box open.
Nestled inside, cushioned by torn and crumpled scraps of paper, laid a familiar glowing pen.
That’s the only sound that escaped his lips after what felt like years sitting at this desk. His hands shook. He blinked, squeezing his eyes shut tight until the cracks of light through his eyelids blurred into a messy blur. New moisture stung his dry eyes, demanding that he take a rest from everything.
But resting had never really been his strong suit. The family that he ran with, sitting still wasn’t really all it cracked up to be. Sometimes, he swore his father was still bouncing off the walls. And to be honest, he wasn’t all that far behind him.
But now, he just felt… Tired.
Massy slowly opened his eyes, glancing over at the water bottle on his desk. It wasn’t quite empty. He would argue there was enough in the bottom to keep him hydrated for a few more hours, but it couldn’t hurt to stretch his legs. Slowly, feeling the creak in his young bones, he pushed himself up out of his chair. The wheels squeaked some, Massy cringed as the sound seemed to echo through his room.
Massy looked back down at the chair, rubbing his lip before he snagged the bottle. Decorating the bottle were various stickers– His father had gotten into making them more, said he felt like he could make a small profit off his art. His uncle Donnie said it was unnecessary, they had all the money they could need with their tech company that was developed.
Massy’s father was always a free spirit.
Which brought him back to identity. This past year has been a battle of identity, searching for anything that could be latched onto. He thought he had found it, truly. He was the child of Michelangelo and Taina, two mutants who loved each other once upon a time. Two mutants who loved him, each in their own ways. And such things were accepted by Massy. Massy was part of the Hamato Clan, the youngest member- No, the second youngest. He had a cousin now.
Casey Jones. Not to be confused with Cassandra Jones, or with C.J. Jones. There were too many Casey’s in his life, it was confusing enough. However, Casey Jones Junior (the baby) was born just a few months ago. He didn’t live in the lair, it shouldn’t affect him as much as it did. But Massy wasn’t the baby anymore.
But, he was still a child. Technically. His birthday had passed, he was fifteen years old. How much of a baby can he be?
So, he knew who he was. Knew who he was in respect to his family, at least. Even without his mother, he knew who he was.
Massy was a writer. He loved stories, he loved writing, and he loved reading. These were things that he loved without a shadow of a doubt. These were pieces of his identity that were so etched into the walls of his heart that they changed his energy forever.
If that were the case, if he were truly a writer…
Why was it so hard now?
Massy scoffed as he turned on his heel and made his way out of his bedroom, the open document on his laptop only having a measly paragraph on display. His hand pushed through the small amount of hair that he had-
Yeah, that was another change over the past year. Hair. His father told him that if he had his genes, there was a good chance that he would grow hair just like him. Massy knew it was coming, but he just didn’t expect it to take a.. Toll.
But appearance had just as much to do with your identity as your heart did, did it not?
Massy walked into the kitchen, pausing as he saw the timer on the stove quietly ticking away. He leaned down to peek into the oven and saw what appeared to be a lasagna baking inside. He blinked slowly, what time was it?
Massy turned and looked at the clock on the wall, the one that read 6:43 p.m…
When did it get so late?
Or.. Early?
Massy didn’t know how long he had been awake for, but he walked over to the coffee maker that was far too high tech for this kitchen. He slowly set his water bottle down on the counter and pulled a mug down from the cabinet. Massy set it in the machine before pressing a few buttons, looking over the machine with a small sigh. The machine hissed at him before pouring the coffee into the mug. Perfect mix of coffee and creamer, a teenage dream.
“You know, you’re still too young for a caffeine addiction,”
Massy turned slowly to catch his father walking into the kitchen. Mikey walked over, his hand coming up to the back of Massy’s head to angle his head downwards. He planted a kiss on the crown of Massy’s head, smiling as Massy groaned in response.
“I’m just tired, I don’t want to fall asleep before dinner… That is dinner, right?” Massy asked as he gestured his hand towards the oven. Mikey nodded his head, taking a step back so he could pull the oven door open.
“Yeah, I got a bit of a late start. You, however,” Mikey poked the end of Massy’s snout with his finger, “Should take a nap instead of consuming more caffeine. Caffeine can only sustain you for so long, sleep will help you re-energize your brain,”
Massy shrugged his shoulders as he went to grab the mug of coffee, only for Mikey’s hand to lightly swat his.
“But dad, I’m trying to write-”
“How long have you been trying?” Mikey cut him off, and the question caused him to take pause. His jaw clenched for a moment and he looked down at his hands as they rested at his side, they were still shaking.
“Exactly. Massy, I know being creative is hard right now-”
“It’s not.”
“... But when you drain yourself like this, you can’t think straight. I promise, a nap will help you feel better. Now, go. I’ll wake you up when dinner is ready,” Mikey offered a small smile. Massy frowned to himself, running his fingers through his hair. Weird.
“I.. Okay…” Massy responded softly, he snagged his water bottle and walked over to the sink to fill it back up with water. As he did so, Mikey walked about behind him gathering fruit from the fruit bowl, likely to make a smoothie.
Massy watched for a moment, tightening the top of his water bottle. He opened his mouth to say something, maybe to let an ‘I love you’ slip by.
But he didn’t.
Massy clenched his jaw and turned back to his room, his thumb rubbing over the worn edge of a sticker. Fine, he would take a nap.
Has the comp already started? Or can I still submit a story?
Oh homie I'm so sorry, you missed the whole thing qwklehqweqe
We might be doing something here in the future though on this blog, but we're not sure yet, so feel free to stick around 🧡💚
(written for @tmnt-write-fight for @nights-flying-fox)
Fandom: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Prompt: Hop visiting your au!! Hop is the Dimension Hopper Leo AU Leo btw :3 I wanna see him interact with your sillies!! Hop masterpost
Word Count: 1,455
Read On AO3
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Mass. I can’t bring you down to the Hidden City. Your dad said no. Now, I would love to bring you down to the city, you know that, but I really can’t do it.”
Massy frowned as a large hand came down on his head. He huffed, looking up at his Uncle Leo. Leo gave him a sideways grin, a mix of pity and something else.
“I don’t want to just.. Sit around and do nothing,” Massy muttered, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his beanbag. Tossed around the floor was a bunch of Leo’s old comic books, they had been searching through them before for some storyline Massy remembered when he was little. But then Leo’s phone rang, and it seemed important.
“I’m sorry, Messy! You know what your dad said, you are grounded for a month following your little dimension hopping incident. Let me tell you, your dad is a hard-”
“I’m a what?” Mikey questioned as he stepped past Leo, carrying a laundry basket.
“You are a delight to this family and we all love you,” Leo responded, grabbing the knot of Massy’s mask. He jerked it to the side, covering up Massy’s eyes. Mikey scoffed lightly, but he smiled, waving his brother out.
Leo shrugged, “Sorry, kid. Maybe next time.” The slider gave a half hearted salute before he dipped out the doorway of Massy’s room.
Mikey shook his head, looking down at his son. He set the laundry basket down on Massy’s bed, looking to his son, “You better make your bed, got it? It’s nasty to sleep on mattresses without a sheet.”
“Dad..” Massy groaned, pulling the mask off his head as he looked up at his father.
“I know, I know. Spoons and what not, but I’m telling you that it would be more comfortable if you used sheets. And your bed would stink less,” Mikey explained as walked over to Massy. He crouched down, licking his thumb before he started to wipe something off of Massy’s cheek.
“Guh- Dad, come on, please?” Massy turned his head away, trying to push Mikey’s hands away.
“Fine! Fine, I will leave you alone. I get it, you’re a big boy now-”
“I’m a teenager..”
“Yes, I know that. You will never let me forget it. But you were my baby boy once upon a time so let me have this, okay?” Mikey leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Massy’s forehead. Massy groaned, but a smile settled on his lips anyways. Mikey smiled, lightly poking Massy’s snout as he pushed himself back up to his feet.
“Uncle Raph is bringing pizza home from Casey’s hockey game, are you going to join us or do you want me to bring you a slice?” Mikey questioned, cocking his head to the side.
“No, no, I’ll join you. Now leave me alone.” Massy said dramatically. Mikey laughed, shaking his head once again as he turned on his heel
“Make your bed!” Mikey called as he walked out of the room, leaving his son back in his room.
Massy let out a soft sigh, pushing himself up from the beanbag. His fingers fidgeted with the fabric between his fingers. Massy pulled the mask up onto his head, playing with the tails. The comics were still spread out across the carpet, he needed to pick them all up before he got told to clean his room after making his bed.
The young turtle started to pluck them all up one by one, setting them on the desk. As he was gathering them up, the telltale woosh of a portal appeared behind him and Massy turned quickly with a grin.
He knew Leo would come back! Leo knew that Massy was able to hold his own, he would bring Massy along and-
Massy paused as he looked down to see a very familiar version of his uncle on his floor. The blue scarf was pulled up over his head, but Massy could recognize it clearly enough.
“... You come for more ice, Hop?”
“Massy!” The turtle on the floor very quickly pushed himself up onto his feet. He swayed a moment but then grinned, putting his hands on his hips. “Huh.. Actually, I didn’t mean to show up here…”
Hop stepped forward, looking down at the comics on Massy’s desk.
“Oh!! Oh, oh yes. I haven’t seen this one in a hot minute!” Hop shouted as he pulled the comic off the desk. He flipped it open, looking through all the panels with a small grin.
Massy cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms, “You know that one?” Massy asked curiously, sifting through the comics for a moment before he pulled out another one.
“Do you know this one?” Massy asked, passing it over. Hop lifted his head and looked over at the comic.
“Uh.. Yeah, yeah! I know that one. I never got to read how it ended because it was all burned up…” Hop muttered, setting the comic in his hands to the side and grabbing the one from Massy’s hands.
Massy hummed, the gears in his head starting to turn. His own uncle was once a dimension hopping turtle, and he said he sometimes brought back souvenirs. But his uncle says he hasn’t been out of this dimension since before Massy was born.
“... So, what have you been up to?” Massy asked as he moved to sit on his desk. Hop pulled his nose from the comic and grinned up at Massy.
“Me? Oh you know, what I’ve always been doing. I have found tons of other versions of me, though. We are kind of making a family thing. I keep telling them that we should swing by and pick you up, but honestly, your dad’s light show kind of freaked us out and kidnapping is not a charge I want on my rap sheet.” Hop explained, rolling his wrist.
“A family? .. Huh. Well, yeah, I shouldn’t really be joining any extracurriculars right now. I am grounded,” Massy explained, resting his chin on his palm.
“Yeah.. I mean, I want to say that I can’t believe it but I don’t know, I probably will be on some kind of house arrest when I get home too.” Hop noted, but then he shrugged his shoulders, “What have you been up to?”
Massy looked down at his desk, “Oh uh.. Not much, really. I mean, I’ve been writing letters to everyone but I realized I had to idea how I was going to send them,” Massy explained, picking up a stack of envelopes from his desk. “Other than that, I’ve been doing chores. And school, really. Not the most exciting life.”
“Delivery? I’m great at delivery! Hand it over,” Hop snagged the letters, “Do I have one in here?”
“You? Yeah, of course. It should be the blue one near the body, I color coded them,” Massy gestured to the stack.
Hop let out a small ‘ooooh’ before tucking them away in his fanny pack. He did pause to pull his own letter out, tucking that in a separate pocket.
“I’ll get to delivering them ASAP! And maybe I’ll come back with some. I’ll be an interdimensional postman!” Hop grinned as he turned back to his portal. Massy’s eyes widened, a frown coming to his expression as he realized Hop was leaving.
“You’re leaving already?” He asked softly, cocking his head to the side. Hop seemed to hesitate.
“I mean.. Yeah? I don’t mean to bombard your living space, you know? So, I’m going to head out..” Hop explained, gesturing back to his portal.
“Massy! Raph is home with the pizza, come on!”
Massy lifted his head, somewhat startled by his father’s voice coming from the kitchen, “One moment!” He shouted back. His hands fidgeted against the fabric on his arms. He let out a sigh, thinking for a long moment before he looked to Hop, “Join us for pizza? Come on, you’re like, the only friend I’ve spoken to since everything happened.”
Hop’s eyes lit up, setting the comic down on the desk. “Um.. Am I allowed? I don’t know if a version of me is going to appreciate uh… Me.” Hop gestured to himself, though he did glance over at the door.
“Hm.. I say you’re allowed. My family loves strays,” Massy joked as he pushed himself off the desk. Massy pushed his door open, gesturing for his friend to walk through.
Hop looked from the door to Massy, then back. He seemed to consider for a moment before he grinned and very quickly bounced through the door. Massy laughed some, following behind.
An old pride piece that was a discord server exclusive for our pride event lol
Massy stared at the rainbow flags that were thrown across the floor, but mixed within them? A plethora of various other identities. He pulled his legs up onto the couch, leaning against the arm with a huff as he narrowed his gaze.
It was that time of year again. When Leo would throw his flags everywhere and declare it was Pride month again. And Massy hated it.
Everyone had a set identity, everyone knew who they were. And in a way, Massy felt like he was supposed to know as well.
With a huff, his face became half buried within his crossed arms. He kicked a flag off of the couch, but his gaze shifted when a large green hand caught it.
“Hey, you watch out where you’re kicking stuff. Leo will throw a fit if you’re caught disrespecting the trans flag,” Raph laughed, carefully setting the flag down on the coffee table.
“Who cares what Nardo believes? If he didn’t want things getting stepped on, or broken, he wouldn’t have left them laying around the floor like this. Honestly, it’s almost more disrespectful.” Donnie spoke as they walked past Raph, tapping away at their screen. Massy had half a mind to ask what Donnie was up to, to distract himself from the mess that is the living room.
But he caught sight of the two magnets attached to the metal shell that the softshell wore and he kept his mouth shut. A white, purple, and gray flag with a black triangle was mounted right above one that was purely yellow, white, purple, and black.
“Come on, Donnie. You know Leo is just excited.” Raph elbowed his brother lightly, causing the nerdy one to scoff.
“I would prefer his excitement-”
“What about my excitement?”
A portal opened and Leo came through it, dumping another box of flags onto the floor with a big grin. This time, it was purely green and blue flags. Massy remembered them distinctly as the MLM flag. Leo claimed that it was the best one, Massy wasn’t so sure.
“I think you’re making a mess of our home,” Donnie bit out.
“And I think someone isn’t in the pride spirit.” Leo teased as he plucked up a rainbow flag from the ground and tucked it against Donnie’s goggles as the purple turtle glared at him.
“You have thirty seconds to run before this becomes a hate crime.”
Leo’s eyes went wide, but his grin only seemed to grow as he turned on his heel and sped out of the living room. Donnie watched their phone, counting down the seconds before they chased after him. This left Massy with the largest turtle.
“.. You look sad, Mass. What’s going on?” Raph asked as he moved to sit on the couch next to the boy.
Massy huffed, tapping against the fabric of the couch before he sat up, moving to face the large snapper.
“Everyone has themselves figured out. They get to celebrate who they are and be happy about it. And I’m not.” Massy complained, glancing back down at the array of flags that seemed to stare at him like starter pokemon.
“Oh! Well.. Maybe you should start with identifying what you like? I mean.. Do you like girls?” Raph asked.
And Massy paused, because that was a loaded question. He thought girls can be pretty, and certainly he has found himself swooning over some of the female characters in cartoons he watched as a kid, but he wasn’t sure. So, he answered with a shrug.
“Okay.. Do you like boys?”
And again, the same response. He didn’t know. He certainly wasn’t opposed to boys. He saw a lot of attractive males in the world. But he didn’t know.
“This is.. Tougher than I thought.” Raph admitted, laughing awkwardly as Massy’s eyes narrowed in on him.
“Maybe you’re bisexual? Or pansexual? I mean, if you kind of like both boys and girls, surely you would be in one of those categories?” Raph offered, and Massy mulled them over for a bit.
He knew what they meant. Though he would admit, the difference between the two was still confusing in his mind. But… Maybe he was? Afterall, he didn’t have a particular interest in either gender. Just.. Interest. So.. Bi/Pan Massy. That was the answer. It had to be… But if it were, why did it still feel so off.
“I’m not sure that’s-”
A loud crash came from the kitchen and Raph was on his feet in a moment, making his way over to the doorway to peer inside. Massy hopped up, following the large turtle. He managed to squeeze his way past Raph in order to see what had happened.
An entire shelf had been knocked over in some kind of struggle, Leonardo was soaked from head to toe. Donnie had him pinned down to the tile with the rainbow flag stick being jabbed into the knot on Leo’s mask.
“Stop! That one doesn’t fit my aesthetic!” Leo shouted, but Donnie just kept at it.
“Donnie! Come on, get off him,” Raph instructed as he made his way over. He grabbed Donnie by the shell and hauled them up. But Donnie’s hands gripped Leo’s mask and pulled the slider up as well.
“Hey! Won’t you- Oh hey, squirt,”
Leo seemed to focus in on Massy standing in the doorway. The preteen started to laugh, watching the awkward display that the older turtles had found themselves in. Leo reached up and pinched Donnie’s hand, who released their grasp with a squawk.
“Leo, come help me clean this up!” Donnie shouted, but Leo rolled out of Raph’s grasp and scooped Massy up into his arms.
“Sorry, gentleman. I have favorite duties to attend to.” Leo spoke, sticking his tongue out. Massy laughed more, laying his head on Leo’s shoulder as the hero made his way to the dojo.
Massy seemed to perk up more, he always enjoyed watching Leo train. He wanted to be a ninja too, but he was always told he was too young. It felt ridiculous, especially knowing that he was currently the same age Mikey was when he started fighting.
But as they made it to the dojo, Leo set Massy down on one of the mats and moved to sit next to him. The slider sat cross legged, hands folded in his lap as his eyes closed and-
“Nooo, wait. Meditating is so lame, come on, slice something,” Massy complained, falling dramatically back onto the mat.
Leo laughed, peeking one eye open to look down at Massy.
“Meditating is an excellent way to find yourself, troublemaker. It centers you, keeps you focused. I would argue that it’s actually the coolest form of training that we were taught by our father.” Leo noted, straightening his back some.
“You’re just feeling lazy,”
“That’s irrelevant.”
Massy huffed, moving to sit cross legged next to Leo, hands folded in his own lap. He looked over Leo for just a moment before letting his eyes close as well.
But he didn’t see anything. No, he had no idea how to find himself. He had no idea where he was. Everything still felt like a confusing whirlpool of different words and phrases that didn’t feel right at all.
But maybe starting out with sexuality wasn’t the best way to start. Afterall, how can you determine who you like if you don’t even know who you are yet?
“.. How did you know you were trans?” Massy asked the quiet of the room.
“Mostly clerical error,”
“Leo..”
“Okay! Okay. It just.. Is a feeling. You feel a certain way in your heart and sometimes it matches your sex and sometimes it doesn’t. For me, it didn’t match. I do not match biology.. But I am still me. And there is nothing that is going to change me.” Leo explained.
Massy opened his eyes to find the older turtle smiling down at him. Massy tries to examine himself in that light.
“I.. Don’t know if I match.” Massy responded. His body wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, not in the way he knew Leo to complain sometimes. But, it did feel like he was struggling to fit into it. Pieces didn’t always line up in his puzzle. Like he was trying to fit two separate pictures together. It just.. Didn’t seem to make sense to him.
Leo grinned, lightly smacking the kid on the shell before pulling out the all too familiar blue, pink, and white flag. Massy let the flag fall into his hands and he stared at it, eyebrows coming together.
“Then congratulations, you’re trans,” Leo spoke definitively before pulling out his sword and swinging a circle around Massy. “Now get out of here, you’re disturbing my meditation,”
Leo’s laugh echoed as Massy fell through the portal and the kid tucked himself into his shell. He tumbled against a hard floor, skidding against it for a moment before poking his head back out. Everything was purple and dark, leading Massy to know exactly where he had landed.
He pushed himself up to his feet and stared at the flag still in his hands. Definition wise, Leo had to be right. If he wasn’t cis, he was trans. In some way, shape or form, because he didn’t identify fully with being a boy. Right? Right??? Massy didn’t know. And he dropped the flag to the floor as he started to walk his way to where he could hear the clacking of a keyboard and angered mumblings.
“This is why I hate this month, there is no such thing as subtlety anymore…” Donnie muttered from their spot in their chair, lounged back and glaring at their large screen.
Massy paused for a moment, but then glanced back at the flag that was almost consumed by darkness. He should pick it up, lest Leo get blamed for something he didn’t do.
“Masaccio, I see you’ve been deposited in my lair,”
Massy turned back to Donnie but the purple turtle’s eyes were still glued to the screen. Massy forwent the flag and made his way over to the desk, grabbing the smaller chair that he had helped design personally for himself.
“Leo said I was ruining his focus,”
“Ha. That’s rich. I don’t believe that he’s focused ever a day in his life.” Donnie mocked before finally tearing their eyes from the screen to lock onto Massy.
“Is there anything you need my help with?”
Massy stared at him for a long moment, rocking in the chair before he nodded his head. Donnie’s eyebrows shot up for a moment but they turned themselves to face Massy, gesturing for him to continue.
“.. I don’t know who I am. I don’t know who I like, I don’t even know if I actually like people,” Massy rambled out, crossing his arms over his chest. And Donnie seemed mostly uninterested with the concept at hand.
“Sexuality is.. Complicated. But for the most part, irrelevant. You will find someone you want to click with. I mean, look at me. I don’t find many people fascinating. But, I have had a very select number of partners. Maybe, you just want to connect with someone before you like them. There’s no shame in being demi.” Donnie instructed, holding one of their fingers up.
“So.. I could just like people I’m attached to?” Massy asked, cocking his head to the side.
“Absolutely! After all, isn’t that what any relationship is? You don’t particularly care for anyone, but then you get to know them and they become important to you. That’s how that works.” Donnie waved their hand around, and Massy extended his legs out to rest them on Donnie’s armchair.
“Is.. Is that your stance on gender too?” Massy asked.
“For the most part? Yeah. Obviously, every being is different and one’s gender won’t fit the mold for other people’s gender. It’s statistically impossible. But, at the end of the day, being one hundred percent masculine or feminine is.. Not possible. You can definitely lean, and most people do. That’s how you form the gender binary. But it’s a scale between the two ends and sometimes you find yourself not even on the scale. I actually made this chart that describes gender as more a plane than a spectrum if you want to see-”
“No thanks! I uh.. I think I get the picture,” Massy cut them off as he pulled his legs back and moved to stand up from his chair. The young turtle quickly pushed his chair in, starting to walk away from the genius with his head still spiraling.
“Sure! Just leave before I can go on my detailed exploration of gender and society!” Donnie called after the younger turtle.
Massy just picked up his pace, starting the trek back to his room to attempt to process all that he just learned in such a short timespan. His hands came up to his head as if that would stabilize anything, but it wasn’t much help.
“Hey Massy- Massy?”
Massy kept walking to his room, not caring much that Mikey had just gotten home and was on his heel.
“Hey, kid, what’s going on with you?” Mikey asked, but their voice was laced with far more concern than it was joy. Massy whined as he collapsed onto his bed, grabbing his blanket to wrap himself up with.
Mikey was instantly concerned as he moved closer to sit on Massy’s bed.
“Come here, kiddo. Tell me all about it,” Mikey offered, holding his arms out. Massy peeked out from his blanket hiding spot, tears already filling his eyes. But he moved quickly, pressing himself into Mikey’s side and letting the orange turtle’s arms wrap around him.
“What’s wrong, hun? Did something happen?” Mikey asked.
“I.. I tried to figure myself out so I could actually participate in pride this year. You guys have so much fun and I.. I just don’t know myself. I want to know myself but I don’t. Raph says that I’m likely bisexual or pansexual because I don’t have a preference between genders. Leo says that I’m trans because I don’t feel like my sex matches me fully. Donnie says that I could be demisexual if I don’t have a preference but then he also said that gender is-”
“Gender is a plane?”
“YES! And now I don’t know! Because nothing feels right, but nothing…” Massy chokes on his tears for a moment, pressing his face into Mikey’s plastron as the older turtle rubs his shell.
“Oh, baby.. It doesn’t matter what or who you are,” Mikey offers, pressing a light kiss to the top of Massy’s head. The darker turtle looks up at him, “How does it not?”
“Well, first of all, you’re thirteen. You aren’t supposed to know who you are yet. You haven’t lived enough yet. Sure, people figure themselves out at any age. But there is absolutely no shame in not knowing anything. You have an entire lifetime,” Mikey offered, wiping away Massy’s tears carefully with his thumb.
“And? You may never know. You may just like what you like, feel how you feel. Labels are an easy way to describe and connect to others, but they aren’t required for you to feel prideful and proud of who you are. You are so many wonderful thing, Masaccio, you don’t have to put a label on it,”
Massy stared up at Mikey and he nodded slowly, and finally, that felt right.
“I don’t need a label,” Massy states, and his voice is filled with more confidence than it had been before.
“You don’t need a label,” Mikey responds.
Massy, filled with relief, turns to deadweight in Mikey’s arms. He huffed softly, cuddling into his side while Mikey kept rubbing his shell.
“I would still enjoy a pride flag…” Massy muttered, which caused Mikey to laugh.
“Luckily, you have one,”
By the end of the day, Massy had his own little flag hanging in the living room with all the others. This one was lighter, but it was perfect.
Hi hi! I realized if you followed the blog but weren't in the discord then you may have missed some of the hidden hints and clues that we had. Here you go!
The Notes:
From Raph
Hey Mikester,
I just wanted to reach out and see how you were doing! I know it’s been a rough past couple of weeks, being alone again probably isn’t all that fun.. But you’re welcome to we want you to come home.
We want to support you right now, even if you’d rather be alone but..
You can’t do it alone. And we want to help. Come home, Mikey.
Sinserly sinceraly Love, your big brother Raph
From Leo
Miguel!
You need to answer my texts, I should not have to send you notes via portal. BUT. I am trying to respect your space because you are my little brother and I love you.
However.
As someone who has had my fair share of awful break ups: You didn’t need her. There are plenty of.. Fish in the er… Yeah.
Listen, my point is that moping around alone is only going to make you feel worse. Come home and we can mope together.
Your favorite brother, Leo
From Donnie
Salutations, Angelo.
It has come to my attention that you are in need of help, and fortunately for you, I am more than willing to help.
I have already taken it upon myself to research the best online courses I can find, cross referencing them with affordability- not that we need to worry about that. Your old room is just the way we left it, and I’m sure we can expand it for your expanded inventory. But of course, we can’t do that until you come home.
I expect a swift reply.
Sincerely, Donatello.
From April
Hey Mikey!
It’s been awhile! But I heard what happened. I get it. And it can’t be easy raising a little one on your own. You know, my cousin had a baby recently, and I’ve gotten real good at taking care of that!
And you need a break. Come on, I want to see the little one. It’s been far too long and who knows how big they are! And! I’ll get pizza on my way over, does that sound like a deal?
I miss you Angie, and I’m bringing toys for your kid.
Love you, April
From Splinter
Orange.
I AM NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER. I HAVE BEEN ASKING YOU, MY SONS, FOR GRANDCHILDREN SINCE YOU ALL TURNED OF AGE. I WANT TO BE A GRANDFATHER.
If you do not bring young Masaccio back to the lair, there will be dire consequences. DIRE. I will not die not knowing my little grand baby!
And we can have tea. I hope you will tell me all that troubles you, my son.
Forever, your father.
The Letters:
To Massy
Dear Masaccio,
I bet you have a lot of questions. And many of them I don’t have answers to. I wish I could explain everything to you.
I wish I could have been better for you.
But you’ll come to find out that taking care of someone else is.. well, it’s a big responsibility. One that you have to be prepared for in order to give them the best chances. And I want you to have the best chances you can have.
I can’t give that to you.
I wasn’t prepared for the toll that having you would have on me. And I can’t be your caretaker any more. I’m not strong enough for you, and I understand if that leaves you angry with me.
You deserve to be angry with me.
But it’s important you understand. I may dislike being your parent, but I have always loved you.
You probably won’t remember, but as I’m writing you this letter, I have you curled up in my tail. We had spent the entire day together. You were practically bouncing off the walls, my little frog. You have so much energy, just like your father. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up!
Today, you learned how to finger paint. Daddy sat with you the entire time, he said you had the magic touch, just like him. You smeared paint across the table and the pages and the carpet. You were having fun and your laughter was infectious.
I’m trying not to laugh now at how happy you looked with splotches of red, green, and blue every which way. I remember making daddy swear he would clean it all up..
But then his brothers called. You know how daddy is a hero. He’s always out there keeping our city safe. But, with daddy gone, it was just you and me.
You fought the bath, you fought dinner, you wanted him. And I wasn’t him.
Maybe you remember then… how I raised my voice. I shouted at you to behave and you looked… so sad.
I’m so very sorry Massy, I should have never raised my voice, I should’ve never said those things to you. But I can’t promise it won’t happen again.
Like I wrote, I’m not prepared for a wonderful child like you. And because of that, I need to go before I deal any more damage to you.
You cried yourself to sleep because of what I did, because I couldn’t bring myself to hold you and wipe your tears. Daddy’s home now, and he’ll be there when I’m gone.
I believe in the turtle you can become, Masaccio.
Taina
To Mikey
Dear Michelangelo,
This isn’t how I wanted to do this, he’s only just a kid. I look at him now and wonder how I was silly enough to let these years pass me by. He’s so little now, his eyes are so full of light that sometimes it’s hard to peer into them.
Sometimes, it stings. But even now as I write this, I have him curled around my tail and you’re fast asleep. He’s almost cute. But then I remember the tantrum that I battled just to get him here. Just to get him to stay quiet so I have a few moments of peace and suddenly he’s not the cute toddler that I had hoped. He’s a screeching monster of tears and snot.
And I love him. I love him so much. But Michelangelo, he’s not mine to love. He’s not my baby. I can’t be here to raise him.
And I’m sorry.
But I can’t do more. You keep saying that if we just push through it then we will come out the other side but the further I push the deeper into the earth I feel.
I shouldn’t have allowed this to go so far, but you were so happy.
Do you remember the night we met?
It was raining in New York. I was just freshly mutated, I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I’d heard stories of mutants in New York for years by then but I guess I never believed them. I was squatted underneath a bunch of cardboard and you…
I still smile thinking about the way you fell into my life. You said you’d been dancing on the rooftops and slipped.
Dancing, while the city around you was nothing but gloom, you danced until you came tumbling into my life.
We were so happy. I was happy. And I found the place where I belonged in your arms and everything was fine.
Late nights staying up, playing with the soft strands of hair along your scalp as you showed off drawing after drawing. Taking in the soft glow of the candles every which way. We were in our very own slice of heaven. Then you asked me to marry you and the world came to a halt.
I could’ve sworn my heart had exploded that day from my excitement…
… maybe it did.
Because we were wed and we were happy and we were- We were us! Nothing could tear us down until..
Until you said you wanted a baby.
And I was hesitant. Were we even ready for that? Was I ready for it? No.. and I said that, you understood and we waited a year and you asked again. And you looked so hopeful that I would say “Yes, I’m ready!”
But I wasn’t.
I’m still not.
But I said yes anyways and you were so excited that I convinced myself I wanted this. And that’s when we had our Masaccio…
I love him t
o the moon and back, Mikey, I really do. But I’m not ready to be his parent, and he needs someone whose ready. He needs someone who won’t grow to resent him just for being a kid. I can’t grow to resent him.
Your family will love him, pick up the burdens that I leave behind. You will love him.
You’ve always been extraordinary, Mikey. You’ve always been as bright as the sun. I don’t want to eclipse our little planet.
I love you, Michelangelo.
Be brave,
Taina
Massy's Father's Day Poem
Happy Father’s Day,
I say to the man who told me I was loved,
Who has been there in every way,
Splattered paints and shiny toys,
A happy home to grow my heart,
Happy Father’s Day,
I say to the man who kept me safe,
Who tended to scrapes whenever I’d play,
Bruised knees and tiny cuts,
A safe home to protect my heart,
Happy Father’s Day,
I say to the man who lied to me,
Who told me everything was okay,
Ancient letters and pleas to stay,
A quiet home to pierce my heart,
Happy Mother’s Day,
I say to no one who cares to listen,
Who left because I was too much a fray,
An old photograph and mental strain,
An empty home to break my heart.
Remember how I said Massy was extremely close with his grandfather? :3
Sometimes, at night, Massy would wake up without any reason. Usually, he would sleep through the night. He would be wrapped up safe in his bed, safe and sound. But like all minds, sometimes his liked to play little tricks on him. That’s how the young turtle found himself sitting up in bed. Sweat covered his body and tears brimmed his eyes as they threatened to spill.
Massy didn’t remember his dream. Nothing was visual enough to point out, to describe what monster was haunting his young mind. There were no sounds, no little whispers that raised goosebumps along his arms.
All he could recall was the feeling. His heart felt tired from how hard it was pumping, his lungs ached from his heavy breathing. Fear, he knew what that was. These nightmares weren’t uncommon in his small little life. There was always a hidden something in the back of his mind that kept trying to make itself known. A lingering figure that he couldn’t remember that haunted him and dragged him back to that place once again.
The young mutant pulled his knees to his chest, soft sobs escaping his throat. Massy’s fingers trembled as he pulled his comfort blanket up around his shoulders. He was scared and he couldn’t even find the threat, he didn’t even know if there was a real threat.
Usually, dad would rationalize with him. “Dinosaurs are extinct, how could one chase you, baby?” But how do you rationalize the unknown? It was too much, too much for him at least, but dad would know. Dad always had the answers.
His eyes flickered over to the door to his room, his small hand coming up to rub the tears from his chubby cheeks. The light filtered in from the hallway, low enough to not disturb the darkness of the room but enough to banish away the monsters. Dad is just down the hall, his door is always open.
Massy slowly pushed himself off the bed, dragging his small orange blanket along with him. His small feet lightly patted against the floor, crossing the dark obstacle course of scattered books and toys. The small child slipped through the crack of the door and found himself in the low light of the hall.
He could hear the soft sound of a TV down towards the living room, but Massy turned the other way. He stayed close to the wall, following the small crack that led the way down to the tunnel entrance. Saying his dad’s door was always open was incorrect, because that implied that his father even had a door. Nope! Nothing but a long, maroon curtain hung over the circular door frame.
Massy’s small hand reached out, grabbing the curtain to pull it aside in order to pull the fabric aside. He peeked around- Usually at least a small candle would be burning over beside the bed. His dad always said he didn’t like the dark. Massy didn’t either.
But the room was dark. Empty. Devoid of any life and simply just his father’s belongings.
This.. Was new.
Not unexpected, but still new.
Dad said he was going to start paw trolling at night with his brothers again, he said that papa Splinter would be watching him at night but he wouldn’t even notice. Massy would be asleep, he clearly wouldn’t know his father left.
Massy trembled, his fingers gripping the curtain fabric. His tears started to roll again and he fell down onto his rear, legs splaying out in front of him as a loud wail ripped from his throat.
He wanted his dad. This wasn’t fair! He needed his father and he wasn’t there! He was gone! It hurt, almost physically. His feelings were so big but his body was just so small. How was he supposed to contain it all?
Quick footsteps rushed down the hallway behind him, followed by ragged panting.
“Young Masaccio, what in heaven's name are you doing out of bed?” A voice panicked as it got closer, clawed hands coming out to carefully grab his arms.
Massy is lifted up from the ground, his arms wrapping around the furry body as he sobbed. Short, unfulfilling breaths become muffled. His voice reduced to nothing but nonsensical babbling as he tried to get his feelings out.
“Young one, I cannot understand you when you are in hysterics,”
Massy pulled his head away to look up at his papa, the rat looking back with concern.
“You do not have to speak, just move your head, do you understand?” Splinter asked softly.
Massy nodded his head, sniffling.
“Okay.. Now, are you hurt? Boo boos?” Splinter asked, and as he did, his eyes started to track over the child’s body for any obvious sign of injury.
Massy quickly shook his head, then he turned his head back to the door, pointing to the curtain that had now fallen back down into its normal position.
“Oh, do you miss your father?”
Massy whined, nodding his head. Splinter hummed thoughtfully as he started to walk. He kept the child on his hip, his clawed fingers lightly rubbing the carapace. Massy’s eyes stayed locked onto the curtain. Even as Splinter turned the corner and it fell out of view.
His arms tightened around Splinter, the coarse fur pressing into his face. His eyes squeezed shut, hiding him from the world. Splinter moved to sit in his old recliner- and it was old. Dad once told him that it was older than dirt. Massy didn’t know how old dirt was, but it seemed like a lot.
“You know where your father is, right?” Splinter asked as he settled in. He pushed the turtle away, just enough so Massy couldn’t hide anymore.
“Daddy said he was paw trolling…” Massy muttered as his body curled up against the arm of the chair. His tears started to dry, but the pout stayed stagnant on his face as Splinter started to laugh.
“I believe you mean patrolling, young one!” Splinter barked out between laughs, shaking his head, “Patrolling means he’s out looking for trouble. He’s out there trying to stop the bad guys.”
Massy lifted his head from the armchair with confusion. His previous fears were set aside for the moment as he looked up at his grandfather.
“Like.. Like a superhero..?”
“Not like, he is a superhero!”
Massy’s eyes widened. He knew about superheroes. Recently, it’s become a habit to lay on Uncle Leo’s shell and look at the cool pictures in his comic books. Usually, Uncle Leo would read the words to him.
But his dad? His dad? How could he not know??
“Is that why he is always sp.. Sparring..?” Massy questioned.
He knew his dad and uncles enjoyed playing rough together. They would go into the dojo- Where Massy was not allowed to go- and would fight each other.
Dad always said it was for fun!
“Yes, I raised your father and his siblings from a young age to fight battles. To protect themselves, to protect others.” Splinter explained. Massy stared at him for a long moment, the gears in his mind starting to turn slowly.
“And daddy is good at fighting..” Massy muttered.
“Your father is a natural,” Splinter responded.
Massy frowned some, his arms crossing over his chest. His fingers fiddled with the light blue fins that contrasted heavily against his darkened green skin.
Dad always felt so safe, and maybe that’s why. Maybe because he’s a superhero. Massy’s gaze turned down to his hands.
“... I wish I was strong like daddy..” Massy admitted softly. Instead of being scared and hiding, he could beat up the scary things! He could keep himself safe, he wouldn’t have to wait for his dad to come save him. Wouldn’t have to waste the time.
“You could be,”
“WHAT?”
Suddenly, Massy pushed himself into Splinter’s face. His bright yellow eyes staring up at the elder. Splinter’s eyes widened, chuckling softly as he gently pushed his grandson back once again.
“Did you not hear the part where I said I raised your father?” Splinter questioned. With careful hands, he lifted the child off his lap and gently dropped him to the floor. Massy stumbled for a moment, but caught himself before he could fall.
“If I raised your father to be a fighter, I’m certain I can train you as well. Come with me,” Splinter gestured with his hand as he pushed himself off the recliner. The chair creaked as it rocked back and forth with the loss of weight.
Splinter started to walk down another hall- One that Massy rarely ventured down. Once, Massy was allowed to bring cookies to Uncle Donnie as they worked on the giant turtle tank. But he knew further down the hall was the Dojo. He was not allowed down there…
But sometimes he snuck on down and watched his family sparring. He remembers peeking through the curtain and watching the flash of colors. Orange, red, blue, and purple. All dashing through his vision with a speed he couldn’t even imagine for himself.
One day, he would be just like them.
But that meant taking the first steps. Massy raced down the hall after his grandfather, his blanket left on the chair and a bright grin gleaming from his teeth. He pushed past Splinter in order to push the old, rickety shoji doors to reveal the large dojo.
He ran to the center of the room, his feet slapping against the hardwood floor. The lights clicked on as Splinter entered and Massy’s eyes widened with delight. Weapons lined the walls, mats were rolled up and out of the way. Big humanoid dolls were placed sporadically, not fully cleaned up since the last they were used.
Splinter made his way to the center of the room, cracking his knuckles.
“Let’s start with something simple, try to land a hit on me,” Splinter said as he placed his hands on his hips. Massy’s eyes widened as he looked up at the rat. Immediately he pulled his hands to his chest, fidgeting with the small digits.
“Daddy said hitting is bad-”
“Hitting is bad, which is why you need to learn when it is appropriate. Such as, when I instruct you to hit me,” Splinter stated.
Massy’s brow ridge scrunched up before he held his arm back. With an open palm, he swung his arm out wide to the side, smacking his hand down on Splinter’s stomach. The rat didn’t even flinch, in fact, he seemed disappointed.
“Now, what was that?” Splinter asked as Massy pouted.
“I hit you.”
“No, you flailed. Here’s how you really throw a punch..”
And just like that, Splinter walked over to one of the large dummies and through a punch. His form was loose, but his feet were planted. His movements followed the motion. Massy cocked his head to the side- But it seemed to be the superior method. The mannequin flew across the room and slammed into the wall, teetering on its pedestal for a moment before it crashed down to the floor.
Massy’s eyes widened, then his hands started to flap quickly as he bounced up and down.
He raced up to another one, planted his feet on the floor, and threw a punch. There was a small thud, but the dummy was still stagnant in one spot. In contrast, Massy was sprawled out on the floor. He had tried to be fluid- But he ended up just throwing himself to the ground. He looked to Splinter with worry, but the rat just laughed.
He laughed, and Massy followed along with his own bubbly giggles. He pushed himself up from the ground.
That’s how their night continued. They were just working on punches, and not even a fancy punch like Massy had seen Uncle Raph do once upon a time.
Massy was laughing, his fears beforehand were long since forgotten as his mind focused on this. This punch, that punch, a swing and a miss, a tumble, a scraped knee.
The once empty dojo was filled to the brim with thuds and laughter and encouragement. And he was learning quite fast. He wasn’t hitting like Papa Splinter was, he couldn’t slam a dummy back towards the other side of the room.
But he could hit them, he could make them teeter. Splinter said it was fine, he was just a kid. This was his first time hitting anything! And Massy trusted that. Especially because Papa was so old! Massy found himself growing tired, but once again, he found himself standing in front of Splinter.
“Try to land a hit on me,” Splinter instructed.
Massy found himself planting his feet once again, his knees bent as he focused on his target. His fist clenched and he shot forward, flowing with the motion of his swing and landing a solid punch in Splinter’s gut.
The elderly rat grunted, curling forward as his arms wrapped around his abdomen.
Massy’s eyes widened and he retracted his hands quickly, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry-”
Splinter lifted his hand up and shook his head. He lifted his head to smirk at Massy.
“That was a great hit, Young Masaccio,” Splinter stated, slowly straightening back up. His hand landed on Massy’s head, “You’ll be a great fighter..”
Massy beamed, bouncing on his feet.
“Massy?!”
The shoji door suddenly slammed open and Massy turned his head to see his father, his chest rising and falling quickly as he panted.
“Daddy!” Massy shouted as he turned on his heel and raced over to his father. Mikey was quick to cross the floor and scoop his son up into his arms, holding him close. Close up, Massy could smell smoke along his father’s cloak. Looking down at the fringes, noting the burnt up ends.
“What are you doing in here? You know you’re not allowed,” Mikey said as his hand cupped Massy’s cheek. Massy grinned.
“Papa was teaching me to be a hero just like you!”
And Mikey’s eyes widened.
Massy didn’t like that look. He didn’t have the words to describe it, but he did know that his stomach sank. Mikey slowly looked to Splinter, who didn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest.
“Massy, go back to your room,” Mikey said softly, slowly letting his son back to the ground. Massy hesitated, looking up at Mikey.
“But dad-”
“I will be there soon to tuck you in, Massy, please. I need to talk to your grandfather.”
Massy slowly turned his head to shoot Splinter a glance. The rat nodded his head, and Massy let out a soft sight.
“Goodnight Papa..” Massy said softly as his feet pattered over towards the door. As he hit the hallway, he caught sight of his uncles. Uncle Raph and Uncle Leo were discussing something, he didn’t understand the words. But Uncle Leo had his fingers pinching his chin. His eyebrows were scrunched together. Uncle Raph looked concerned, his hand on Uncle Leo’s shoulders and speaking lowly to him. Uncle Donnie was off on their own. They just seemed irritated, stalking off to their lab.
But then he heard the low speaking in the dojo.
“Dad, I said I didn’t want Massy learning to fight..”
“Which is ridiculous.”
“He’s too young!” Mikey argued. Massy peeked his head around the shoji door. Mikey’s hands were up in his hair, he looked frustrated.
“He’s no younger than you were!” Splinter retorted.
“I was too young!”
Silence hung in the air for a moment, the two adults staring each other down.
“It’s too dangerous, I don’t want him to do what I do.” Mikey’s shoulder’s fell as his arms dropped to his sides.
“It’s too dangerous to leave him defenseless, Michelangelo.” Splinter’s hand came up to rest on Mikey’s arm, squeezing gently. “The world we live in is dangerous, you need to give him the tools he needs to be safe.”
Mikey slowly shook his head, “I don’t want him to get hurt..”
“... He’s just like you,”
“What?” Mikey moved into a crouch to be eye to eye with his father. Splinter nodded, lightly petting the old wrappings around his son’s forearm.
“Young Masaccio.. Fighting comes naturally to him, just like it did to you,”
Mikey laughs, and it’s wet.
“Of course he does..”
“That’s enough, you little eavesdropper!” A whispered shout precedes the large hands that pluck Massy up from the ground. He squeaks, looking up to see his Uncle Leo. His previous contemplation was replaced with a relaxed grin.
“I was not dropping anything,” Massy complained as he was tucked under Uncle Leo’s arm, the large slider making his way down the hall and towards his bedroom.
“No, but you were listening to conversations that don’t involve you,” Leo argued, lightly shaking the child. Massy laughed, kicking his legs.
“It was about me!” Massy laughed, the sound kicking up as Leo’s fingers tickled his feet.
“That doesn’t mean you have to hear it, nosey! Come on, let’s get you in bed before your dad has another heart attack,” Leo joked.
“Another??”
“Another!”
Leo brought Massy to his room, dropping the child down onto his bed. Massy complained he wasn’t tired, he didn’t want to go to bed. He wanted to stay up with everyone else! But as Leo started to babble about something, Massy found his eyes drifting shut.
He doesn’t remember Uncle Leo leaving, he only vaguely remembers hearing “I love you, son,” as his orange blanket was laid across his body and tucked around him. But that was it.
As morning came, Massy found his body feeling stiff and angry. His arms hurt! With a grunt, he pushed himself out of bed. He stumbled, everything felt heavy, but he stumbled his way out of his room.
The lair was louder than it was the night before. Distantly, Massy could hear the muffled music from his uncle’s lab. But what drew his attention was the movement down in the kitchen- along with the smell of waffles.
Massy made his way to the kitchen, his eyes lit up as he saw his father using scissors to cut waffles into sticks- his favorite.
“Oh! Hey, my little planet,” Mikey grinned as he moved a plate to the table, along with a tiny cup of syrup, “I was about to come wake you up, I made waffle sticks,”
Despite the ache in his arms, Massy rushed over to the table and pulled himself up into his chair, his eyes wide as he looked down at the plate.
Mikey smiled, patting Massy’s head. “Are you going to have a good day?”
As he asked, Mikey walked back over to the counter in order to start the clean up process. Massy nodded his head, grabbing one of his waffle sticks and dipping it in the syrup. His eyes tracked the syrup excitedly as it dripped down into the bowl. Then, he stuffed it into his mouth.
“Good, because I was going to have Uncle Donnie get the old Jupiter Jim movies out.” Mikey said from his spot at the sink. Massy’s eyes widened and he grinned, mouth full of waffle and all.
“Mikey! Come check this out!”
Uncle Raph’s voice echoed from the living room. Mikey paused, then looked to Massy, “Are you going to be okay here for a second?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Massy responded as he stuffed another waffle stick into his mouth. Mikey quietly left the room, leaving his child to eat his breakfast. Massy hummed, lightly kicking his feet as he chewed.
Massy’s mind wandered to the night before, thinking about the time he spent with his grandfather… He hoped Papa wasn’t in trouble. He was just trying to train Massy, it’s not his fault. It was hard to tell what the outcome was, he could barely remember that time before he fell asleep.
He also hoped that he could do it again. Dad said no but… Massy had fun. And wasn’t that all that mattered?
“Young Masaccio,” Massy looked up to see his aforementioned Grandfather standing there. He looked around quickly, trying to figure out where he came from. Ohmigosh.. Did he summon his Papa? Was he a magician?
“I brought you something, close your eyes,”
Massy arched his brow ridge but closed his eyes. There was shuffling before something wrapped around his face. Massy whined, opening his eyes before Splinter could instruct him too. He reached up, with his clean hand, to touch the black mask that was now wrapped around his eyes.
Just like Uncle Raph.
He gasped loudly, nearly choking on his food before he swallowed.
“There, now you can train like a proper hero,” Splinter spoke softly, a small smile on his lips. Massy grinned, even as the mask fell down his face. “Ah! Seems like you’re still too little..”
Splinter pulled the fabric from his face, gesturing for Massy to lift his arms. Massy followed suit, cocking his head to the side as the fabric was wrapped around his shell.
“You’ll grow into it, all heroes do,” Splinter decided. The rat pinched the tip of his snout before he disappeared, just as suddenly as he had appeared in that kitchen. Massy’s fingers trailed over his new black mask.
Raph grumbled as he walked from his room. It wasn’t often he was up this late, in fact, if he had a choice he would be snoring away in his bed right now. His feet dragged against the floor as he made his way to the kitchen, rubbing the soft fabric that covered right eye socket.
The lair was silent, not even the muted sound of techno bounced through the lair from Donnie’s lab. There were no late night video game sessions in the living room, no laughing up in the makeshift arcade. There was no late night gossip sessions going on anymore-
Geez, they really were getting old. He was nearly 40…
But, that was okay. Because the peaceful nights were becoming more and more welcoming as the days wore on. Raph would personally attribute it to the feeling of being safe, that there had not been a “big bad” in quite some time. They were able to let their guards down. In fact, the last big catastrophe hadn’t even been all that dangerous to the world at large.
Not the entire world, but for their small world beneath the city? It was a family’s worst nightmare.
Massy had been gone for a while, so long that his little yogurt cups in the fridge had expired. Raph remembered seeing that when he was doing some chores, something to keep his mind busy. Mikey had been panicking, jumping every which way in order to find a solution for something. Leo was split between trying to find answers from the Hidden City and trying to comfort Mikey. Donnie was locked up in their lab trying to make the machine that ultimately brought Massy home.
Raph had been.. Admittedly, useless. There wasn’t much he could do beyond try and comfort Mikey. And yes, he provided adequate distractions, but there’s only so many punching bags that Mikey can destroy before it’s considered unhealthy.
But, Raph could pick up on chores. That was something he could control. Mikey always preached about how important a stable home is for his son, always. So, Raph would do his best to try and keep the house just as it was when Massy left.
He had tried, maybe not the best, but he had tried. Along with keeping up patrols so his siblings didn’t have to worry.
He had tried.
But now, the house was quiet. Massy had been back for two weeks and there were no worries. Sometimes, Raph would catch Mikey peeking into Massy’s room. To make sure he was still there.
Raph found himself doing the same thing.
But as he ducked into the kitchen, he pulled a mug down from the cabinet in order to partake in another thing that made him feel old. He was going to drink some tea.
When Splinter was alive, Raph wasn’t one to care about drinking tea. Mikey and Leo loved it, Donnie couldn’t even have coffee pulled from their cold, dead hands.
But Raph hadn’t taken anything. He kept himself up with training, he didn’t need to drink anything.
Now, with the ache in his body and sleep eluding him, he could at least try and drink something to aid his efforts of sleeping.
Chamomile was his tea of choice, stirring the water around in the cup as he dipped the bag in. He’d let that steep as he made his way back to his room.
The large turtle turned slowly, listening to the swish of his tail as it dragged across the floor. He could lift it up, but why expend the effort.
His footsteps were soft as he made his way down the hallway, but then he paused seeing light peeking out from the door to Massy’s room. He sighed, breathing out a soft sigh as he considered if this is a battle he should pick.
He.. He probably should.
Raph continued closer to the door, cocking his head to the side as he heard rapid shuffling and then the light within the room went out. He rolled his eyes as he stopped outside the door, lightly knocking on it with his knuckle. When silence followed, the older turtle slowly turned the knob and opened the door.
“What a good child, always sleeping..” He spoke softly as he reached over and flicked the light on.
Standing right before him, Massy had wide eyes. His arm was extended out to the light switch and he was frozen stock still. Raph felt a smirk come to his face as he brought the mug up to his lips, leaning against the door frame.
“Would you like to explain yourself, young man?” Raph questioned. Massy’s arms dropped to his sides. The teen shifted on his feet for a moment before he walked over to his desk, gesturing to the papers on his desk.
Raph carefully made his way into the room, tilting his head to the side as he looked at the papers.
At first, it seemed like letters to the family. The names Leo, Donnie, Mikey, and Raph are very obvious. But when he saw Danny, Ms. Morrison, and Saki? He knew who these letters were meant for.
“I’m writing letters to my friends… I um… I miss them, I guess.” Massy admitted as he moved to sit at his desk, picking up his little black pen. But he didn’t start writing, he just tapped the end of it against the wooden surface. Raph moved to crouch next to Massy, his hand coming to rest on the back of Massy’s chair.
“It’s okay, you’re allowed to miss them, I guess,” Raph mimicked before he looked to Massy.
The young turtle’s face screwed up into something unreadable. It was hard to decipher what he was thinking, but he was thinking. Raph let out a sigh, carefully nudging the chair.
“Come on, I’m not your dad. I can’t read your mind. Tell Uncle Raph what’s going on,” Raph laughed.
Massy seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he turned his head to look at Raph. “Should I miss them?” He asked softly. Raph went to open his mouth- but luckily Massy kept talking so he didn’t have to answer yet. He didn’t even know what to say.
“I mean- We had fun, yeah. But I’m home now. I probably won’t see them ever again. I forced them to be my friends! Why should I care?” Massy bit out, tossing his pen to the desk. He moved to pull his legs up to his chest, eyebrows pulled together.
Raph stared at him for a long moment, considering his words carefully before he opened his mouth again.
“Because they became your family,”
“What?”
Massy’s expression softened as he processed the words, cocking his head to the side. “They didn’t.. No, they didn’t.”
“They did. Not in the same way that we are a family, but you spent a long time with them. You bonded with them, you spoke to them. They became your family. And even if you don’t see them again, they’ve left an impact on you. Massy, you aren’t the same kid as you were before. There is no way to get rid of that.” Raph took another long sip of his mug, looking over one of the letters.
It spoke about hanging out, playing video games. Being kids.
Massy didn’t get to be a kid often here, not when you’re surrounded by other kids.
“Don’t beat yourself up for missing your friends, Massy. Even if you’re happy to be home.” Raph moved to get up. “But maybe you should write them in the morning, you’re starting to misspell your words.”
Massy hummed, nodding his head. He had been up too late, and Mikey wanted him up early in the morning for mystic training with grandpa Drax.
Massy moved to get up, but as he did, Raph’s hand came down to his head.
“Thanks uncle Raph…” Massy said softly, and Raph smiled, his snaggletooth digging into his lip some. Massy always wondered if it hurt.
“Get some sleep, kiddo,” Raph instructed as he got back up to his feet, groaning as his knees ached. Yeah, he was ready to sleep. Once again rubbing the fabric over his eye, he left the room with the hopes that sleep would come to him.
Massy stood next to his desk for a long moment, looking down at the letters. He would need to reread them later, he may need to rewrite them too..
WIth little effort, he pulled a paper out from the pile. It was easy to identify, crumpled up and stained with some tears. He considered his uncle’s words, about impacts and bonding. With a small smile, he crumpled up the letter and threw it back in the wastebasket- a spot where it had laid many times before.
As he shut off the light and climbed into bed, he left that letter amongst the trash. He didn’t need to send one to Taina.
With a small sigh of relief, Massy hugged onto the old bear plush given to him by his red uncle and he found himself dozing off to sleep. He had to be up in four hours.
Massy felt aimless, suspended in a pool of his own making. His fingers itched, a burning to reach for the pen and try to write his way out of this one. With his words, he could free them all. His words were his promise to get everyone home, all the friends he had made. He could save them.
But his hands remained steady, extended far above him as he tried to find anyone. There would be no point to grab his pen and notepad, to write a simple escape that would solve all their problems. The words would simply disappear into the void he created.
Funny, wasn’t it?
The effort he had expended for all of this was now going to eat him alive. His skin already felt like it was dissolving, mixing with the energy that swirled around him. It would be funny to be consumed by it. Ink didn’t have problems, it simply existed. It morphed to your will and refused to be anything but permanent. Unapologetically on the pages, staining the world in which we see it.
Wouldn’t it be funny to be so permanent?
The warmth in the ink was fading, the sounds of crying in his ears was so close that he didn’t even realize they were his own.
He reflected on his past. To all the friends he had made here. It was odd, he wouldn’t give that up. Seeing versions of his family who were so young, so uninhibited, so damaged. They were strong, but they weren’t the turtles that Massy knew. They were softer, more guarded.
He wondered if they hated him now, he hoped they did. Massy didn’t know where they were, spread out into the beyond. Who knows, maybe they were already home. But if they hated him, then they wouldn’t miss him. And that would make it easier to justify never having to see them again.
“Come on, Massy, you’re going to be okay.”
Massy hummed, the distant voice grew louder. He smiled, thinking of his father. The look of hurt in his expression when Massy held up the letters to his face. Massy felt guilt course through his body.
Massy had felt curious for awhile. He had known his mother wasn’t in his life, but he wanted to know more. He had asked anyone he could think to ask about it, but got a wide range of answers that ultimately lead him to nowhere.
Uncle Raph would get all nervous when he asked. He would say that his mother was very kind but it was so long ago he couldn’t remember. Massy thought that was a load of crap given that Uncle Raph would be more than happy to tell Massy about the good ole days in his attempts to inspire Massy to be a better person. It seemed that Uncle Raph was trying to preserve something, but the young turtle couldn’t figure out what. So, no luck there.
Uncle Donnie would flat out say they weren’t allowed to talk about her. They would carry a different expression, angered at the prospect of her mere existence. Massy tried to figure out why they were so angry, but Uncle Donnie would just push him out of the lab and tell him to come back later with better questions. Massy never had any.
Uncle Leo wouldn’t answer at all. He would just laugh and tell Massy to stop worrying about what wasn’t there and focus on what was. He didn’t have a mom, but neither did Uncle Leo and he turned out fine. But Massy had an entire family who loved him and took care of him, couldn’t that be enough? Massy didn’t know why it wasn’t.
Auntie April would fume, much like Uncle Donnie, but she didn’t hold back her words. She didn’t actually tell Massy anything he wanted to know, but she would grab him by the face and tell him that he didn’t need her. If she didn’t bother being in his life, he didn’t need her there. She would kiss him on the forehead and Massy would forget what he asked in the first place.
But Dad would tell him something completely different. Dad would say that she simply disappeared one day and he had hopes she would come back. She was beautiful, kind, loving. She was a fantastic person. But Massy could see the sadness in his dad’s eyes everytime, so he tried not to ask.
He wanted answers, but no one would give them to him. He snuck into his dad’s room while he was making dinner. Massy searched the closet and through some of his dad’s old sketchbooks, trying to find any piece of the puzzle he was missing. He tried to ignore the sketches of darkness that invaded some of the pages.
Ultimately, he flopped into the old yellow beanbag, wrapping himself up in the tattered shawl that his father would wear. He lightly kicked at the carpet, letting his eyes gaze around the familiar space-
Until they stopped on an old, worn out shoe box that lay under the bed. Massy moved to grab it, pulling it into his lap as he opened it up. The first thing he saw was a picture of a woman. A blue lizard woman who looked so tired but so happy. It was a candid shot of her on the couch, trying to tie ribbons onto her tail.
Massy flipped the polaroid over to see the writing on the back.
“My Taina learns the beauty of having a tail!”
My Taina.
Massy flipped the photo back over and stared at her. The fins on her arms. Massy’s fingers brushed against his arm warmers, feeling the identical fin beneath the fabric.
There was no denying that this was his mother. He looked through a few more pictures, looking at how young and happy they were. They were smiling in every photograph, they looked in love. Massy couldn’t help but smile to himself, maybe his father was right.
But then he found a new picture with a new member of the family. He’d never seen this picture before, his eyes growing wide.
His parents and the little baby they held between them. Massy stared at himself, at the bright blue hands that held him secure.
It was hard to imagine she once held him. He couldn’t remember her at all, and yet he could almost imagine her hand on his arm. His eyes flickered to his father, and he sighed. Dad had always told him how the day he was born was the best day of his life. But then Massy drifted over to her and his blood went cold.
Why did she look like that?
Why did she look so.. Unhappy? She looked scared. Massy kept digging through the pictures and saw the change in pattern. No longer did his mother look happy in all the photos. Now, even when she smiled, there was something hollow within it.
And what had changed? Massy was born.
He tried to ignore the ache in his chest at the realization. His mom wasn’t happy with him. Did she hate him? Did she regret him? Massy had no answers, but he reached for the final few papers in the box.
The infamous letters.
Massy poured over the words again and again, trying to process what they could mean. Why would she write two very different letters? Why would she leave him?
“Massy, what are you doing in here, firefly?”
The young turtle turned his head to see his father standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide, guilt overtaking his expression.
And the fight started.
Massy yelled at his father, asking him why he would lie. Why would he dare tell Massy that his mother- That Taina was a good person at all.
His dad would try to argue back, to justify himself.
“I didn’t want you to hold anger towards her,”
“She truly did love you,”
“I just want us to move on,”
Massy laughed, bitter and angry, at the last one. How could he even begin to move on from this. He finally knew who his mother was and her tired, sad expression was etched into his brain.
Was that how he always saw her?
Dad had tried to reach for the tearstained letter, but Massy held it tight.
“He’s a screeching monster of tears and snot.”
The words stuck out on the page. She hated him. She always hated him, clearly. And how dare his father keep this letter?
And Massy reacted out of anger.
“I hate you! I wish I was never even born!”
His dad stood frozen, staring at him as he tried to process how to proceed. But Massy didn’t stay to see the damage he had caused. He didn’t want to know he was truly the monster she thought he was.
Massy shoved past him, stuffing the letter away as he ran to his room and shut himself away. He cried, his body shaking as he grabbed the old magical pen he had snatched from his father days before and he wrote out-
“I want a place where no one can find me. Where everything is under my control.”
Massy’s eyes opened, a small smile gracing his lips. That last half really fell through, didn’t it?
Slowly, Massy pulled the letter out from his sleeve, holding it up and letting go. It drifted away from him, the black ink sinking into the old paper and corrupting the words. They disappeared.
“Masaccio!”
Suddenly, the page burst into an orange flame, the ashes swirling in the ink. The sudden light exploded, forcing the ink back into the void to create a pocket of hope. The light swirled, energy crackling at the edges in a manner that was all too familiar.
A figure pushed through the light looking around frantically for something. It was hard for Massy to make out, but he reached out, desperate-
The hand grabbed his, pulling him out of the ink. Arms enveloped his body and Massy pushed his face into the familiar body. The smell of ink was quickly replaced by the sweet smell of old paints. The strong notes of incense that still burned Massy’s nose no matter how many times he smelled it.
“It’s okay, Massy, daddy’s got you..”
Massy gripped the other turtle’s body, his own shaking with broken sobs as he clung on. His eyes squeezed tightly shut.
The ink, burned by the energy of the portal, started to recede. It sank lower and lower, the tendrils trying desperately to grab at the small turtle but were ultimately banished back.
Mikey slowly sank to the floor with his son, landing on the bright white plane with his son in his arms. It was back to normal, no signs of libraries or woods or buildings. Just an empty white void with a crowd of recently undrowned bystanders.
“I’m sorry, dad, I didn’t mean it..” Massy spoke softly and Mikey only tightened his hold.
“I know, Massy, I know.. It’s okay, we can talk about it when we get home,” He spoke softly and pressed a kiss to Massy’s temple.
Massy nodded and pulled his head away in order to look at all the people around them. “I don’t know how to send them home…” He admitted softly.
Mikey looked around, he could feel the energy coming off of every single one of them. Different universes all pulled into one location. His hands gripped Massy’s shoulders and he nodded, “Yes you do, come on, believe in yourself,”
Massy stepped away to pull his notepad from his pocket, grabbing the pen. He lifted it up then paused, looking at all the people.
Permanence.
These strokes of his pen could not be reversed, they could not be altered. He could not take back the words.
“I’m sorry I trapped you all here and forced you to play my games. But I.. I had fun. I hope you all had fun too. Maybe.. Maybe one day we can all come back and play again. But.. I have to go home now, and so do you, so.. Goodbye!”
Massy dotted his sentence with a period and suddenly inky portals opened up all around them. Contestants started to shuffle back to their respective dimensions, but Massy was caught off guard by the small group of turtles who pulled him into a group hug.
“You better come visit! Well.. Maybe after you’re not grounded anymore.” One of the Leo’s said, followed by a metal hand coming down to pat his head. The group dispersed, all talking amongst themselves as they planned their next adventure and Massy smiled to himself. Maybe he could come visit.
A hand on his shoulder pulled him back to reality and Massy looked back to see his father smiling down at him.
“Let’s go home, my son.”
Massy’s small smile turned into a large grin and he leapt into his father’s arms, the two tumbling back through the portal where Mikey had emerged.
The white void was left empty, nothing occupied the space except for a small piece of note paper that read “Until next time” along with a small pile of ashes.
