TMNT 100 Theme
Chapter 19
Sacrifice

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Donnie prepared himself. He did not know why the idea of getting to know his counterpart in this world was so nerve racking. But, he was scared. If this world’s Donatello was anything like his brothers then he was going to welcome him with open arms. But, there was still a lingering doubt. What if he felt like Donnie was encroaching on his territory?

It was better to get it over with, sooner rather than later. Steeling his nerves, Donnie opened the door and looked in. “Are you decent?”

With a slight chuckle, Donatello looked up from his book and smiled, “Yes.” Placing the book on the bedside table, Donny waved Donnie over. “Come in. I’ve been eager to properly meet you.”

That was a relief. Donny genuinely looked happy to see him. Donnie made his way over to look at Donny’s stats then sat down next to the bed. “It looks like you are going to be okay.”

“I have you to thank for that,” Donny stated. “Thank you.”

Donnie blushed and rubbed the back of his head. “I couldn’t sit back and do nothing.”

“Do you still have some of your world’s mutagen?” Donny asked. “I would love to study it.”

Nodding, Donnie answered, “I do. I had collected several containers. I brought them with me because I was afraid of them falling into the wrong hands.” He scoffed and looked down at his hands. “It’s not like it mattered. Shredder has vats of the stuff. It’s already in the wrong hands. The only good he has ever done with it was reversing Karai’s mutation.”

“My brothers have told me all that they know about you,” Donny said. “I have a vague understanding of what you went through.” Letting out a soft chuckle, Donny looked up. “I was sent thirty years into a possible future where my brothers were in a hellish place ruled by Shredder. It was a horrible place…. Long story short, we fought and I saw each of them killed. That future has been plaguing me. But it wasn’t my future. It was just another world within the multiverse. I was at least able to return to my home and my family and put that trauma behind me. But you…. This is by far worse than what I went through.”

Donnie shrugged as he fought back tears. “At least I’m not alone anymore and I was able to save Karai.”

“It’s gonna be strange,” Donny chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, “having two Donatellos and two Karais.”

Wiping his eyes, Donnie shook his head. “Actually…, Karai and I talked about it. She said that she wants to go by the name she was given by her parents; Hamato Miwa.”

“Hamato Miwa?” Donny repeated with a raised eye ridge.

Donnie nodded with a slight smile. “She’s Master Splinter’s daughter. She was taken from him when she was just a baby and raised by Shredder. The saddest part about all of it was that she never got the chance to know either of her parents and she never will.”

They sat in silence for a moment, unsure of what else to say. Then Donnie cleared his throat, “I figured that I could change my name as well.”

“That’s not fair,” Donny shook his head. “I would never ask you to give up the name your father gave you. It makes sense for Ka… Miwa. She is taking back what was originally hers. But, for you, that would just be cruel.”

Donnie shrugged, “It the best thing to do to avoid confusion. And, this is your world so it’s only right that I be the one to change.”

“We’ll figure something else out,” Donny insisted. 

“Like what?” Donnie asked, rubbing his head. 

“Well,” Donny thought for a moment. “What about simply giving up your nickname?”

Donnie looked up at Donny and waited. 

“How about we start calling you…. Tello,” Donny offered. “I take the first half of the name and you can have the second.”

“There’s still gonna be some confusion,” Tello pointed out. 

“We’ll survive it,” Donny smiled. “This way we get to both keep the name.”

Tello thought for a moment and then nodded. “Okay. That could work.”

“It’s gonna be great having another genius in the lair,” Donny smiled. “My brothers told me that you built robots…of….” Donny stopped talking when he remembered that the robots were built to replace Tello’s brothers.  Clearing his throat, Donny changed the subject. “So, were you and Leatherhead in a relationship in your world?”

Tello’s eyes went wide. “No!” he blurted out, shaking his head. “Not at all. He was always grabbing my face.” Tello relaxed and sighed, remembering. “He calmed down a bit after spending, what was to him, decades in Dimension X. He was Mikey’s best friend. I was in love with April.”

Donny smiled, “Have a thing for older women.”

“She wasn’t an adult like your April,” Tello corrected. “She was only a year older and the most beautiful….” His throat closed up on him and he had to swallow a few times to clear it before he could continue. “In the end she chose Casey.” Looking at Donny, Tello asked, “Did you ever have a crush on your April?”

“No,” Donny shook his head. “I admired her intellect, but to say that I had a crush on her would be a gross exaggeration. I’m gay, through and through.”

“And now half female?” Tello prompted. 

Donny nodded, “Thanks to Agent Bishop and his cloning procedure.”

“So,” Tello hesitated for a moment as he shifted in his seat. “Do you think there are or will be more clones of you?”

Donny shook his head, “If Bishop could make more than one clone at a time I believe there would be more of him. He brought a clone to life once and the creature lost its mind. I think there needs to be a transfer of consciousness for the cloning process to be successful. This might not be my original body but I am still me.”

Tello nodded, “I think I understand.”

Donny craned his neck to look down at Tello’s hands. “You’re definitely built different than we are.”

Tello chuckled and held up his hands. “Yeah.” 

“Mikey tells me you have three toes,” Donny said as he tried to look down at Tello’s feet.

“Yep,” Tello said, bringing his foot up to rest on his other thigh so Donny could see. “I have big feet and big hands. It made tinkering with electronics and running quietly a bit of a challenge but I managed.”

“Those large hands saved my life,” Donny said. “You are a genius in your own right. I’m grateful to have you here. And I can’t wait to spar with you in the dojo.”

A gentle knock on the door had the two genius turtles turning to see who it was. Raph poked his head into the room. “Miwa wants to talk to you,” he said to Tello.

“Thank you,” Tello stood and looked down at Donny. “I’ll see you later. You should be able to return home today.”

“Bye,” Donny said, grabbing Tello’s hand. “We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

“We will,” Tello agreed, turning to leave as Donny let go of his hand. 

As he walked down the hall with Raph, the red banded turtle turned to address him. “Did you get the whole name thing sorted out?”

Tello nodded, “We did. The only thing we are going to change is my nickname. I’m going by Tello now.”

Raph chuckled, “I like it.” They walked for a while longer before Raph said, “How you holding up?” 

“It’s all happening so fast,” Tello said with a shrug. “Just the other day I was giving up on life and today I am walking through the halls of the Foot compound in another dimension after saving my counterpart.”

“It’s been a lot to take in,” Raph agreed. “When shit happens too fast to really process, it all catches up to you later. I want you to know that I’m here for you, whatever you need. You don’t have to go through it alone.”

Tello stopped causing Raph to do the same. With patient eyes, Raph watched Tello sort out what he wanted to say. “Well… It’s just… I don’t…. I don’t want to be alone right now. Sleeping next to you last night… it helped.”

“Do you wanna keep sleeping in my room?” Raph offered. 

Tello blushed as he nodded. “It’s nothing funny. It’s just….”

“It’s fine,” Raph said, placing his hand on Tello’s shoulder. “I don’t mind. And, in fact, I like the company. Nothing funny,” Raph chuckled, “but having someone close would be nice. Don and I were close and if I was into guys we would be together but I’m not. Mikey and Leo share a room. They are as intimate as two people can be without sex.”

Raph hesitated and cleared his throat, stopping himself before he said too much. But Tello could read between the lines. “You want to, maybe, establish that kind of relationship with me?”

Raph shrugged, “I desire companionship, someone to be close to. You don’t have to, but the offer’s there.”

“We can try,” Tello smiled earning a smile from Raph in return. 

“Let’s find out what your sister wanted,” Raph said and turned to continue back down the hall. Raph led Tello to a room and opened the door for him. “She’s in here.”

“Thank you,” Tello said as Raph left the two of them alone. 

Miwa stood in the center of the room, dressed in a shinobi shozoku. Her hair was still long but was pulled up into a tight bun. A light amount of makeup covered her face but nowhere near as much as she had in the past. Smiling to himself, Tello wondered what Leo would think if he saw her now. 

She looked up as Tello approached. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Tello replied. “Where did you get the outfit?”

Miwa looked down at herself and answered. “Karai gave it to me.”

“You look good,” Tello said. He took a moment to look around the room before getting to the reason for being there. “Raph said you wanted to see me?”

Miwa nodded and looked down at her hands. “Karai has offered to let me stay here.”

Tello’s heart sank and all he could manage to say was, “Oh.”

Hearing the pain in his voice, Miwa walked up to Tello and placed her hand on his cheek. “I need some kind of sibilance of normalcy. Living in the lair with the Turtles is good for you because it is something you know but for me, it’s the Foot. I’ll come visit. I’m gonna want to see you and the shrine but I need to be here. Karai is great and she understands me and we have a lot in common. The Shredder of this world raised her too and she wants to regain her honor.”

Fighting back the tears, Tello nodded, “I understand.”

“There’s more,” Miwa whispered. “Remember how father said that he is going to be reborn in this world?”

Tello nodded. 

“Karai’s pregnant,” Miwa stated as she leaned in closer to Tello. “My gut tells me that her baby is father. He told me that he was going to be close and that I would be able to find him. I want to be here so I don’t miss a moment with him.”

“Okay,” Tello smiled. “It’s okay. As much as I would love to keep you around, I’m not going to make you live in the sewers with me. You’re human, you don’t have to stay in hiding. As long as we don’t lose touch, that’s all that matters.”

Miwa wrapped her arms around Tello. “Don’t worry. We’ll see each other often enough.” When they pulled apart, Miwa wiped some tears from her cheeks. “So. Did you ever work out what you were going to start calling yourself?”

“Tello,” he answered.  

Miwa let out a light chuckle. “I like that.” She leaned in to hug him again. “We’re gonna be okay.”

“Yeah,” Tello sighed. “We will.” 

TMNT 100 Theme
Chapter 20
Heal

Tello was helping Donny pack his things in preparation to leave when Dr. Chaplin entered the room. “Do you think that, maybe, we could make a trade?”

“Trade?” Donny asked, lifting an eye ridge. 

Dr. Chaplin held up a small vile of the pink mutagen. “I will give you some of mine for some of yours. I would love to study the differences and similarities between them. Something tells me that you would too.” 

The two genius turtles shared a look then Donny said, “I never got the chance to study the mutagen that changed us so I’m intrigued.”

Tello nodded in agreement. “I am too.” He turned to look at Dr. Chaplin. “You have a deal.” Reaching into his bag, Tello pulled out his canister of ooze. “I’ll just need…” Before he was able to finish Dr. Chaplin pulled out an empty vile and held it out to Tello. “… something to put it in,” Tello mumbled, taking the vile. 

“I like to be prepared.” Chaplin smiled. 

Tello poured a small amount of the mutagen into the vile and passed it back to Chaplin. “Just so you know. The mutagen from my world is milked from a large creature from Dimension X, called a Kraathatrogon.”

“Really?” Donny asked. “Is it like a cow?”

“No,” Tello answered shaking his head. “It’s a large worm like creature with a face on its butt.”

“That… sounds… interesting,” Donny said slowly. 

“They were large enough to ride on,” Tello said flatly then added. “One swallowed Casey whole. I saved him with salt.”

“Is that the most bazar thing you have ever experienced?” Chaplin asked. 

Tello shook his head. “No. I also encountered a Bigfoot…. She developed a crush on me. It was a little creepy. And then there were the Dream Beavers.”

“I look forward to the stories you have to tell.” Donny smiled. “I thought I’ve had some bazar life experiences.”   

“Not all of them are funny,” Tello stated. 

Donny placed a reassuring hand on Tello’s shoulder. “Neither are mine. Talking about them, though, will help you heal.” He lifted his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I’m ready to go home.”

Tello nodded. “Yeah. I’ll go get Ka…Miwa. She has a few things at the lair. It’s not much but it’s all she has.” Turning to Dr. Chaplin, Tello smiled. “Thank you for this. I look forward to sharing notes.”

“So do I,” Chaplin replied. “I hope we get to see more of each other.”

“Me too,” Tello said before walking out the door. He placed the small vile into his bag as he walked down the hall. He thought back to Donny’s statement of wanting to go home and he wondered how long it was going to take before he started to feel like this place was home. 

……

Miwa had one request. She asked to be allowed to use the portal to enter Tello’s old lair. The Turtles had agreed to let her go but stayed ready to come to her aid. They still did not know if Shredder was watching the lair. 

Miwa entered alone and walked into the dojo. Climbing the tree to get to the higher branches, Miwa cut some of the smaller, new branches with a small knife. With her acquisition in hand, she jumped down from the tree and hurried back to the portal. 

Tello was there to help her through. 

Opening her hand she showed Tello the cuttings. “I will attempt to grow a bonsai with these so that I can always have a little piece of home.”

With a sad smile, Tello nodded. “That is a wonderful idea.”

“Karai has all of the supplies I will need. I will try to grow you one as well,” Miwa promised then looked down at her hands. “It will take some time and it’s not guaranteed.”

“I understand,” Tello said. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Thank you for thinking of me.”

Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tight. “Thank you for getting me out of that hell. This world is wonderful and I have hope again. I love you, little brother.”

“I love you too,” Tello whispered back before they parted. 

Leo and Mikey escorted Miwa back to the Foot headquarters while Donny settled back into his lab and Raph got started on the small shrine. What seemed like it would be a daunting task for Tello was easily done by Raph. The door was used as a wall mounted table where candles, incents, and photos were placed. The three carapaces were hung on the wall along with their framed masks. The weapons were removed and placed in the dojo. 

Splinter took the pelt and carefully cleaned it before rolling it up once again. Tello didn’t want to display it so they took it down the tracks, away from the lair, and burned it. The ashes were then collected and placed in a small decretive box that was sealed. Tello placed the box on the table in front of the pictures along with Splinter’s walking stick. 

In just a few hours the task was complete and Tello had a small shrine. Kneeling down in front of the table, Tello looked up at his brothers’ shells. “I wonder if this has helped my brothers find their peace. When I visited them, using the orb, I could tell that they were still suffering.” 

“I’m sure it has,” Raph answered from the doorway. “You have treated their remains with respect and love. That carries over. I’m sure they feel it.” He looked down at Tello. “Did this help you find some peace?”

Tello shrugged, “I guess. I miss them so much…. It still hurts.”

“That’ll take some time,” Raph soothed. Placing his hand on Tello’s shoulder, Raph gave it a reassuring squeeze. “If you ever want to talk, I’ll listen.”

“You’ve done so much for me,” Tello sighed. “Soon, it will come to a point where you find me a bother.”

Raph shook his head. “Never. I understand that you are going through a rough time right now. I ain’t gonna turn my back on you.”

Tello sat staring at nothing in particular. It was the first chance he had gotten to settle down and let it all sink in. It was still kind of surreal. He had known that other Turtles existed in the multiverse, he had seen some himself, he never imagined meeting any of them much less live with them. 

He wondered how different this world was from his home. Blinking his eyes to bring them back into focus, Tello looked up at Raph. “Can we go on a rooftop run?”

Raph took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t know. The city ain’t safe right now.”

“Has it ever been?” Tello asked flatly. 

With a slight chuckle, Raph shook his head. “Not really.”

“I wanna see something familiar,” Tello pleaded. “The city should look the same…, for the most part. I wanna know if I can find my way around.”

“Alright,” Raph nodded. “I’ll take you out. Just don’t make a big fuss as we’re leaving. They might not let us go.”

“I’ll get my bo,” Tello said as he stood up. “I’ve suck out plenty of times so this is nothing new.”

Together, they made their way to the surface and up to the nearest roof. Tello looked out over the city and smiled. “I know where we are.”

“Then lead the way,” Raph offered. “If you do get lost, I’ll get us home and if you start going into a part of the city that isn’t safe, I’ll let you know.”

Without a word, Tello shot off across the rooftops and Raph followed. It felt good to be out running again.

He led the way with one destination in mind. Dropping down to the streets, Tello opened a nearby manhole cover and slipped down into the sewers. 

The underground maze was the same and he ran through the tunnels like he was home again. He was almost there. Turning a corner he entered into the final straight away. Hopping the broken turnstiles, Tello had made it. “It’s here.”

Raph joined him and whistled as he looked around. “This is nice.”

“This is home,” Tello rasped out before running off. 

Raph followed at a slower pace, staying alert for any enemies. 

When Tello saw the tree he rushed forward to place his hands on it. “It’s here.” Overcome with emotion, Tello dropped to his knees and started to cry. 

“Wow,” Raph whispered, looking up at the tree. “Your father found an awesome spot you raise you guys.” He knelt down next to Tello and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. “Let it out, little brother.”

Cradled in Raph’s arms, Tello cried until his eyes burned. After a while he settled and looked up at Raph. “Do you want me to show you around?”

“Sure,” Raph nodded. 

“This was the dojo.” Tello stood, spreading his arms wide. “We managed to fit doors over the entrance and Master Splinter’s room was back that way.” He walked Raph around the abandoned station, painting a mental picture of how their home was set up. With each description Tello told Raph a story about his childhood. Raph remained quiet as Tello spoke, laughing at all the right times to indicate that he was paying attention. 

Hours later, Tello sighed when he realized that he had run out of things to say. “This helped a lot.”

“And it helped me get to know you better,” Raph smiled, patting Tello on the back. “We know this is here now and we can always come back. But, for now, I think we should head back to the lair and get some sleep.”

“That is a wonderful idea,” Tello nodded in agreement. “I am exhausted.” He looked at Raph. “Thank you. I really needed this.”

“I’m glad Mikey found you,” Raph admitted. “I…. I needed someone and you’re here now. I think we will be able to help each other.”

“I’d like that,” Tello said and reached out to hold Raph’s hand. 

TMNT 100 Theme
Chapter 21
Insanity

Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello were sent out to search for Raphael and Tello once it was discovered that they were no longer in the lair. To make matters worse, Raph didn’t have his shell-cell on him and Donny hadn’t had the chance to register Tello’s T-phone so there was no way to track them. Splinter was beside himself with anger and worry.   

As they searched they came across Hun and the Purple Dragons. Hun was beating one of his own, accusing him of stealing. Apparently there were several prescription pain pill bottles missing. The Turtles didn’t feel the need to intervene. 

Leonardo wasn’t sure if it was a result of the mutation or if it was because he no longer had Shredder there to keep him under control, but Hun had become a mad man. True, it wasn’t the first time Hun had brutally attacked another. Hun had methodically dismembered Baxter Stockman until he was just a brain and an eyeball back before he had been mutated. However, he was taking more risks recently. 

He made no attempt to stay hidden, showing no fear when he walked down the street. People would scatter at the sight of him and Leo was sure that Hun delighted in that fact. The Purple Dragons were armed with an assortment of Triceraton weaponry and a few of them were mutants as well. They were all well-known and used it to cause fear in the city. 

The Foot soldiers who did not like the fact that Karai had turned the Foot away from crime defected and had joined Hun. So Hun not only had well-armed men following him but skilled ones as well. Fortunately the elite were not among the one who had defected.  

Bishop, on the other hand, had his own agenda. True he fought against Hun but he was also still after the Turtles. Agents patrolled the streets and the sewers, looking for them. It was an obsession of the government agent. He wanted his super soldiers and he saw the Turtles as a way to get them. 

The recent discovery of the fact that Donatello was a clone intended for breeding showed them that Bishop was willing to do anything to get what he wanted. Anything but ask the Turtles to join him. 

The city was no longer safe, especially for the Turtles.

This was the reason why Splinter was beside himself with anger. Leo and the others had arrived back at the lair in time to hear Splinter release all of that anger. “What were you thinking?” he snapped.

“I guess Raph and Tello are back,” Mikey whispered as they stepped through the door. Leo nodded in response. It appeared that they had returned just after Raph and Tello. 

“Tello wanted to go for a run to see if he could navigate the city,” Raph answered. “You know. To see what was the same and what was different.”

Master Splinter struck Raphael with his walking stick; something he hasn’t done in years. “Then you get your brothers to go with you. You don’t go off alone. What would you have done if you were attacked? You didn’t have your shell-cell with you. I have nearly lost you too many times already….”

“I’m sorry,” Raph said as he rubbed his arm. “I just wanted to help Tello feel better.” Dropping to his knees at Splinter’s feet, Raph kept his eyes on the ground. “I’m sorry. I keep screwing up.”

Splinter took a deep breath to settle his anger. “All I ask is that you do not go out alone. You know what Hun is capable of. I cannot bear the thought of losing one of you.”

“It won’t happen again,” Raph promised. 

“See that it doesn’t,” Splinter replied. “Now,” he said as he turned and headed toward the dojo. His eyes fell on the others for a moment and Leo could see the relief in them. “Everyone to the dojo. Due to recent events, we have been lax in your training. It is time we remedy that. We also need to work on getting Tello integrated into the group. The five of you must learn to fight as a team.”

“Hai, Sensei,” the Turtles said in unison. 

Tello helped Raph to stand and they followed after Splinter. “Sorry I got you into trouble,” Tello mumbled. 

“I knew what I was doing.” Raph smiled at Tello and shrugged. “I get in trouble a lot. I just can’t seem to learn my lesson.”

Mikey rushed up behind them and rested his arms across their shoulders. “You two seem to be getting cozy.” A big grin flashed across his face and he wiggled his eye ridges. 

“About as cozy as you and Leo,” Raph grumbled, pushing Mikey’s arm off. 

Mikey’s grin widened. “Leo and I have sex.”

“Mikey!” Leo chided as Raph turned to look at him with a shocked expression. 

Tello’s eyes went wide. “You do?”

“We don’t,” Leo clarified. “Mikey’s just trying to get a reaction out of us.”

“And I got it,” Mikey chuckled. “I wish I had had a camera to capture the looks on your faces.”

“Careful,” Donny warned. “We are about to start practice after all. You don’t want Leo mad at you when you two spar.”

“Leo’s not gonna hurt me,” Mikey purred. “He wuves me.” Leo’s hand came up and struck the back of Mikey’s head. “Ouch,” Mikey hissed, rubbing where Leo had struck. “Maybe not as much as I thought.”

“I don’t see how he puts up with you at all, knucklehead,” Raph chuckled as they entered the dojo. “I swear you’ve only gotten worse.”

“I guess you’re not the only one who can’t seem to learn his lesson,” Tello chuckled. 

Mikey noticed the weapons that had once belonged to Tello’s brothers hanging on the wall. “Are you sure you want those in here?”

“I’ve got enough stuff to hold on to.” Tello shrugged. “It’d be better if they were used. It would be a shame for them to go to waste.” He walked over and grabbed his brother’s nunchakus off the wall and then offered them to Mikey. “You press the button here to activate the kusarigama and blade.”

Mikey stuck his nunchakus in his belt and reached for the ones in Tello’s hands. “A blade? That is awesome.”

“Be careful, Mikey,” Raph said, taking a step back. “There was a reason you didn’t get a bladed weapon.”

Mikey let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’ve gotten better since I was ten. You guys healed.” He pressed the button, causing the blade to pop out and the chain to drop. Mikey’s eyes lit up in excitement. “Oh, Master Splinter, you have to teach me how to use this. If I managed to win the Nexus Tournament with my simple nunchakus, I will be unstoppable with these.”

“I do not think that you would have it mastered in time for the next tournament,” Splinter said, taking the weapon from Michelangelo. “But if you are interested, I will teach you how to use this.”

“Yes,” Mikey silently cheered. 

Tello turned and pulled his brother’s swords from the wall next. As he approached Leo, the turtle leader held up his hand. “No offence but I have a fond attachment to my own swords.”  

“I understand that. However, I looked your swords over,” Tello said as he pulled the hidden blade from the handle. “I noticed yours don’t have this feature. I figured, if anything, I could help you add this to your existing blades.”

“That is a useful feature,” Leo nodded, taking the small blade from Tello. “I would be honored to carry a small trinket of your brother with me. I will not take his swords but if you would help me add this to mine, I would be grateful.”

“Anything special about your brother’s sai?” Raph asked, pointing to the wall. 

Tello shook his head. “They’re the same as yours.”

“You might want to keep the extra set on you since you keep throwing yours in battle,” Leo teased. 

It was Raph’s turn to let out the sarcastic laugh. 

Donny walked up to Tello. “What about your bo?”

Holding his bo away from the others, Tello pressed a button on one end of the staff and a blade came out of the other end. “I made a few modifications,” he grinned. “I got tired of my bo getting broken all the time. Being the only one without a bladed weapon made things a little difficult when we were fighting the Kraang in their robot bodies. Running one through proved to be more effective than smacking it on the head.”

“May I,” Donny asked, extending his hand. With a slight nod, Tello handed his bo over. Donny twirled it in his hands to test the balance. “You managed to counter balance the added weight of the blade on one end.”

“It took some trial and error,” Tello admitted. “But I figured it out.”

“I like my simple bo,” Donny said, pressing the button to retract the blade. “I think the differences in our weapons say a lot about us. It’s nice to know that we are not exactly the same.”

“Yeah,” Tello agreed, accepting his bo back as Donny handed it over. 

“Does it make being here harder or easier for you?” Raph asked. 

Tello shrugged. “It keeps me from letting myself slip into a state of insanity where I make myself believe that you are the family I lost, like I did with my robots. I am able to separate who you are from who they were. So I guess, in a way, it helps to make it easier.”

“Let’s start training,” Splinter interrupted before they could continue down such a depressing topic. They all to turn towards him and bowed. Looking at Tello, Splinter added, “I will conduct my lessons as I usually do. It may be awkward for you at first but don’t let it discourage you. In time you will get the routine down and everything will fall into place.”

“I understand,” Tello nodded. 

“Good,” Splinter said then turned to take his place to watch over their training. “We will start with some basic katas.”

Tello squared his shoulders and moved through the katas as Splinter called them out. He let his mind slip into the familiar pattern of movements. He had to admit that it felt good to train again.  

TMNT 100 Theme 
Chapter 22
Words

Snow cooed from her crib, announcing that she was awake. She didn’t usually cry unless she was made to wait too long. Her hand-made mobile with the wood cutouts of painted animals, from her uncle Mikey held her attention for a while. The hand knitted blanket from Raph had been kicked to the foot of the crib next to the only other item in the crib, her toy stuffed horse from Leonardo. It was kept tucked in the corner at the foot of the bed. 

Kicking her feet, Snow continued to coo and gurgle as she waited for someone to come and get her. A smile spread across her face as Donatello’s face came into view and her hand moved up to her mouth. “Ma ma ma,” she managed around her fist.

“Are you hungry?” Donny asked as he lifted his daughter. 

Before anything else could be done there was the matter of Snow’s diaper. Donatello took her over to the changing table and got to work making sure she was clean, softly talking to her while he worked. Her chubby legs kicked out and her blue eyes stayed locked on Donny as she continued to suckle her hand. He had to keep one hand on her at all times to keep her from rolling off. 

“This would go by faster if you didn’t move so much,” Donny chuckled as he secured the diaper. She gurgled in response around her tiny fist. 

Down in the kitchen Donny moved around making Snow’s breakfast while Snow sat in her Bumbo on the floor. She stayed occupied with the few Cheerios Donny had sprinkled on her tray. It took her a few tries to pinch one up with her finger and thumb but once she got a hold on one, she was able to get it to her mouth. Drool dribbled down her chin as she gummed the little oat cereal. 

“Da da da,” Snow babbled, reaching her hand out. 

Donatello turned to see that Raph had entered the kitchen. With a soft smile, Donny bent down and, after quickly cleaning the tray, picked her up. “That’s right,” Donny whispered to her. “Da da.”

“What?” Raph asked as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out the milk. He then proceeded to open the freezer to give Ice Cream Kitty her morning bowl of milk. “Make sure you drink it all before it freezes up.” The ice cream cat meowed in response and started to drink her breakfast before Raph was done pouring it. 

“Nothing,” Donny replied, collecting Snow’s breakfast and heading to the dinning cart. “I was just talking to Snow.”

Donatello wouldn’t say that Snow was a picky eater but she did have a preferred list of foods. Jarred baby food wouldn’t do for her, only freshly mashed fruit and vegetables. Her favorites were bananas mixed with peaches and baby oatmeal and pureed spinach, peas, and rice. 

There was a method to feeding her in order to keep the mess to a minimum. If it wasn’t done right, Snow would put her fist in her mouth after each spoon full of food. As a result most of the food would dribble down her arm. To keep this from happening, her bottle had to be placed in her mouth after each bite. She would work the food around her mouth with the formula and swallow it down with little mess. 

Donatello lifted another spoon full of the cereal mixture but Snow lifted her open hands and flipped them back and forth. With a slight nod of his head Donatello placed the spoon back into the bowl and started to clean up. 

After Snow’s breakfast was done, Donny headed back into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and a bagel. As Don was pouring his coffee, Mikey entered the kitchen. “Let me help you there, Don.”

“Mie, Mie,” Snow giggled as Donny relinquished her to Mikey. 

“Be careful,” Donny warned. “She just ate and she hasn’t burped yet, so don’t move her around too much or you’ll end up with a face full of spit up.”

“Got it,” Mikey said and pulled Snow close so he could pat her back. “You’re getting heavy,” Mikey said softly as he gently bounced her. Snow lay comfortably over her uncle’s shoulder while he helped to work the bubble out of her belly. 

As Mikey bounced and patted, Donny walked over to place a burp cloth on Mikey’s shoulder, just in case. It was a good thing too because it wasn’t long before a little bit of her breakfast came back up accompanied with a small burp. 

Mikey pulled her down off his shoulder and folded the cloth so that he could wipe Snow’s mouth with a clean spot. “Is she safe now?”

“Safer,” Donny chuckled. 

Mikey made faces at Snow, eliciting squealing giggles from her while Donny spread cream cheese on a warm bagel. “Mie Mie Mie,” Snow babbled and reached out for Mikey’s face. She managed to grab hold of the dangling ends of Mikey’s mask and pulled. 

“Hay!” Mikey exclaimed as his mask shifted over his eyes. “If you wanted to play peekaboo all you had to do was ask.” Reaching up he tried to pry her fingers apart but she kept her hold. “Donny, help! She’s not letting go,” Mikey shrieked. 

Laughing, Donny placed his coffee and bagels on the counter. “I’m coming.” He grabbed hold of Snow’s hand and worked her fingers open. “Let it go, sweetie.”

“Ma ma ma,” Snow cooed as she reached for Donny. 

Mikey straightened his mask. “I thought all she said was ‘my my my’.”

“She says several things,” Donny smiled. “You just have to listen.” Balancing Snow with one arm, Don collected his coffee and the bagels. “Sorry I won’t be able to enjoy whatever you make for breakfast this morning, Mikey. I’ve got a busy schedule this morning. I’m gonna show Tello around the lab and get him familiar with what I’ve got going. I have a feeling that once he is up to speed, I will have a lot more free time on my hands.”

“Two geniuses working on a project will get finished ten times faster,” Mikey agreed with a nod. 

“You’re logic is sound,” Donny winked, taking a sip of his coffee as he turned to leave.   

Donny’s next stop was the dojo in search of Tello. Since he was behind in his training, Leonardo had agreed to give Tello extra lessons in the mornings. It didn’t take much to get Leo in the dojo for extra training. Donny knew that Leo was counting down the days to when he could finally start training Snow. He had caught Leo teaching Snow how to throw a punch on more than one occasion. 

Don opened the dojo door to find Leo staring in shock. Following Leo’s line of sight, Don saw what could have only been Tello tucked into his shell. Leo looked up at Don and gestured down at Tello. “We can’t do that. How can he do that?”

Shrugging, Donny walked over and looked down at Tello. “Does it hurt?”

Poking his head out, Tello shook his head. “No.” He then slid his arms and legs out and then stood up. “I will admit that it’s a little cramped and hard to breathe but it’s painless.”

“I wish I had a way to take a ct scan of you while you were like that,” Donny admitted. 

“Maybe one day,” Tello chuckled. 

“Are you ready?” Donny asked. Then holding out the bagels he added, “I’ve got breakfast. There are several things I want to go over with you before I will feel comfortable with you working in the lab. It’s not that I don’t trust you or think you aren’t smart enough to figure things out. It’s just that I am particular about a few things.”

“I understand,” Tello nodded. “I’m the same way.”

Donny smiled as he handed Snow over to Leo. “I have already cleared a spot out for you so that you will have your own space. It’s a system Leatherhead and I have worked out. I have my work station and projects, he has his, and we have our team projects.”

“I can’t wait to get back to work,” Tello admitted as they made their way out of the dojo. 

“I guess it’s just you and me now,” Leo said to Snow. 

“Le Le,” She said with a giggle and a smile. 

“What shall we do?” Leo smiled back, tickling her belly. “How about I tell you a story? I’ve got a great one about and honorable warrior who practiced bushido.” He continued to speak in a soft even tone as he sat on the floor, holding Snow down in his lap so she could look up at him.

Snow loved to hear her uncle Leo’s voice and her eyes stayed fixed on his lips as he formed his words. Sometimes she would babble as if she was trying to repeat what Leo had said. He was telling her the story of how Usagi had come to Splinter’s aid when Drako had attacked out of jealousy. 

As Leo told the story, Splinter joined them in the dojo. “You tell that story better than I ever have.” He sat down next to Leo and smiled down at Snow.

“It is a good story, father,” Leo replied. 

Snow reached out to Splinter as he came into her view. “Ji Ji”

Splinter lifted his hand so Snow could grab hold of Splinter’s finger. Tilting his head to the side, Leo considered Snow before looking at Splinter. “That strange. Earlier it sounded like she was saying ‘Le’ but now it sounds like she’s saying ‘Ji’.”

“That’s because I am her OJisan,” Splinter replied, shaking the finger Snow was holding as he continued to look down at his granddaughter. “Donatello has been showing her pictures of our family and teaching her our names. She said ‘Le’ for you because she is trying to say ‘Leo’.”

“Oh,” Leo looked back down at Snow. “I had no idea.”

“He is also teaching her baby sign language,” Splinter continued. “She is a smart girl and is picking up on it fast.”

“Maybe she is ready for some training,” Leo joked, leaning in close to give her Eskimo kisses. 

“At least wait until she is walking,” Leatherhead chuckled as he entered the dojo. “I’m sorry if I am interrupting anything but Donatello told me that I would find Snow in here with you. After breakfast we are going to have some tummy time.”

“Pa Pa,” Snow shrieked in joy, kicking her feet. Her pinky and thumb were stuck out from each fist and she flipped her hands back and forth. 

“Yes, Snow.” Leatherhead leaned down to pick her up. “We are going to play after I get something to eat.” She cooed in delight and kicked her legs, repeating “Pa Pa” over and over. 

“Breakfast!” Mikey bellowed from the kitchen. 

“It was Michelangelo’s turn to cook?” Leatherhead asked, turning towards the door.

“Yes,” Leo answered as he stood up. He then turned to help Splinter stand. 

Leatherhead chuckled softly. “That explains why Donatello chose today to introduce Tello to the lab.” He looked down at Snow in his arms. “Mama has grown tired of scrambled eggs. That seemed to be the only breakfast food they could make at the Foot headquarters. Mama likes things sweet.”

Leo laughed as he led the way out of the dojo. “I promise not to tell Mikey the truth.” 

TMNT 100 Theme
Chapter 23
Pain

Raph dealing with his pain and steals from the Purple Dragons. 

63
Cat

Mikey plays with Klunk and Ice Cream Kitty. 

63
Love

Tender moments between Leatherhead and Don. They decide that they want to have another child. Raph and Snow

63
Memory

Tello shares the story of what happened. 

63
Food

Raph gets a smoker and tries to lighten the mood by making a feast.

63
Hero

Donny saves the girls

63
Introduction

Don introduces the girls to the others. 

63
Tears

Girls deal with survivors’ guilt. 

63
Drink

Raph and Rach share a drink. 

63
Childhood

They share stories from their childhood.

63
Foreign

The guys show the girls around the city.

 63
Trouble Lurking

Bishop’s men report that there are more turtles. Issues between the Turtles.

63
Are You Challenging Me?

Raph and Rachael but heads

63
Give up

Raph is forced to give up his treasure room and is forced to move everything in it to a room down the tunnel. 

63
Deep Thought

Splinter and Yuri spending time together. 

63
Safety First

Sex Education 

63
Seeking Solace

Raph in his room. Mikey and Michelle. 

63
Seeing Red

Hun learns that someone has been stealing his drugs. 

63
Mischief Managed

Mikey and Michelle have some fun together. 

63
Rated

Girls talk about the guys. Guys talk about the girls.

63
Playing the Melody

Mikey has the idea to have a “prom”. Raph and Donna Dance

63
Kick in the Head

Michelle beats Tello and he takes it bad. 

63
Abandoned

Donny agrees to give up the portal device.

63
Precious Treasure

Mikey and Rachael find a tiara in the sewers and Mikey takes it to Raph. Donny bonds with Snow.

63
Breaking the Rules

The girls are in heat and Raph take Donna into his treasure room to keep her away from the others. 

63
Flowers

Splinter and Yuri spending time together. 

63
Sport

Since they don’t fight well together Splinter and Yuri have the Turtles do trust exercises. 

63
No Time

Leatherhead/Don not spending enough time with each other or Snow.

63
Out Cold

Donna goes to confront Raph about his addiction and finds him out cold. 

63
Two Roads

Donna gives Raph a choice. 

63
Keeping a Secret

Raph and Donna leave the lair so she can help him recover. 

63
Horror

Mikey and Michelle watch movies together. Yuri finds out that they are gone and gets mad. 

63
Multitasking

Donny being over worked. 

63
Advertisement

Mikey does something special for Michelle.
 
63
In the Storm

It is raining. Lea and Tello are kidnaped by Bishop.

63
I Can’t

Raph’s recovery 

63
Last Hope

Tello figures out a way out and Lea fights to get them free. They find Donatello’s body and free Theo.  

63
Starvation

Raph can’t eat.

63
Rainbow

While they are hiding, waiting for the sun to go down so they can return home, Lea and David see a rainbow and Lea declares her love for David.

63
Through the Fire

Leo trying to get through to Rachael. 

63
Mirror

Donny dealing with the fact that he is a clone.

63
All That I Have

Mikey and Michelle

63
Fairy Tale

Raph tells Donna about his love for fairy tales. 

63
Pen and Paper

Leo writes his feeling for Rachael down and she finds it. 

63
Magic

Donny works his magic and manages to find Raph and Donna, with Tello’s help. 

63
Expectations

Yuri expresses her disappointment in Donna. 

63
Fortitude

Hun’s weapon supply and growing ranks and Raph puts his wall back up. 

63
No Way Out

Hun captures Rachael and Leo while they are out on patrol. 

63
Stripes

Hun beats Leo

63
Triangle

Don, Tello and Donna work together.

63
Standing Still

Something scary during the rescue 

63
Annoyance

Mikey and Michelle go too far. 

63
Danger Ahead

Hun is up to something causes blackout. 

63
Dark

Power outage. 

63
Hold My Hand

Mikey/Michelle

63
Traps

Hun sets up some traps for the Turtles

63
Team Work

Working together. 

63
Tower

Hun is in a tower

63
Spiral

Up the staircase

63
Gray

Hard won battle 

63
Relaxation

Out to the farm

63
Stars

Donna and David see the stars for the first time. 

63
Night

Night time at the farm

63
Dreams

They share their dreams. 

63
Mother Nature

The girls lay eggs and Donny discovers that some of them are fertile. 

63
Questioning

Raph doesn’t believe that the babies could be his. 

63
Drowning

Desire to take the pills again.  

63
Waiting

For the eggs to hatch

63
Misfortune

One egg doesn’t make it

63
Eyes

The Kuroko has Raph’s eyes

63
Light

Yuki, he is small, white and the light if his parents’ life. 

63
Can You Hear Me?

Yuki getting his hearing device. 

63
Happiness

Finding happiness

63
Smile

The children bring joy. 

63
Sorrow

Nathan is dying. 

63
Innocence

Children

63
Heaven

Time with family. 

63
Family

Final chapter.