The Fifth Turtle Au - Tumblr Posts

The Fifth Turtle Prologue

49’s mouth fell open at the sight of a shining… ghost lady? The ghost was wearing what looked like clothes from Japan. 49 had seen some in her Sensei’s dojo. Don’t think about him! She mentally kicked herself. 

The ghost lit up the room as she looked at 49 with kind eyes. The turtle had many questions, but was afraid to speak out loud in case this was a trick and Bishop was listening. 49 wasn’t even sure if she could speak. After all, she hadn’t spoken since Bishop took her.

“Do not worry,” Ghost Lady whispered softly, a tender look in her gaze. “I will not hurt you. However, I have much to tell you…”

(This is basically a little sister au)

49 was awakened by a light, yet warm, touch. She jerked sideways and tried to sit up, her arms burning with the effort. 49 half-closed her eyes because of the bright green light in front of her.

She shivered. Was this another one of Bishop’s horrible experiments? She heard a soft murmuring, “Oh my child…” Resisting the urge to scratch at her scars, her eyes adjusted to the green glow.

49’s mouth fell open at the sight of a shining… ghost lady? The ghost was wearing what looked like clothes from Japan. 49 had seen some in her Sensei’s dojo. Don’t think about him! She mentally kicked herself. 

The ghost lit up the room as she looked at 49 with kind eyes. The turtle had many questions, but was afraid to speak out loud in case this was a trick and Bishop was listening. 49 wasn’t even sure if she could speak. After all, she hadn’t spoken since Bishop took her.

“Do not worry,” Ghost Lady whispered softly, a tender look in her gaze. “I will not hurt you. However, I have much to tell you…”

Three months later…

Donnie’s phone rang as he was working on writing SHELLDON’s code in his lab. He rubbed his eyes, tired after staring at the screen, and reached for his phone. “You are conversing with Donatello,” he answered, holding back a yawn. 

“DONNIE!!!” April shouted from the other end. “Turn on the news!” Donnie flinched, feeling irritated. “Do you have to scream,” he grumbled, swiveling around and getting up from his seat.

“Just do it,” April commanded. “Trust me, and HURRY.” Donnie sighed, heading towards the living room. “I’m hurrying.”

“No time for sarcasm, D,” she shouted. “Yeeeesh, no need to yell, April,” Donnie quipped back. He could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

Donnie entered the room, spotting Leo quietly watching Jupiter Jim on the couch. Papa must still be asleep, he mused. No surprise, it’s four in the morning.

He snatched the remote and shut off the movie, earning a protest from his blue-masked brother. “Hey! I was watching that.” Leo scrambled towards him. “Give it back!”

Donnie ignored him, switching to the news channel. “April called, rudely interrupting me, might I add, and said to turn on the news so I’m just doing what she said. Unlike you’d like to argue with her, my dear brother.” Donnie waved the phone around. Leo shot him a glare followed by a shrug. “I don’t see the problem.”

“That’s what I thought,” Donnie said, sitting down beside his twin. He turned up the volume just as Raph stomped into the room, holding a sleepy, retracted Mikey. “It is four o’clock in the morning! I hope you have a good explanation for this argument.” 

Leo stuck his tongue out at Raph as Mikey slowly poked his head out his shell. “Oh come on we weren’t that loud, maybe you’re a light sleeper.”

Raph glared at Leo. “Look, I know you guys can’t sleep but can you at least let us sleep?” Leo gasped dramatically and fell off the couch.

“How dare you accuse me. Donnie started it!” Donnie rolled his eyes. “Gasp! How dare you accuse me Nardo.”

Raph let out a low grumble. “Both of you be quiet. Pops is still asleep.” Leo wouldn’t let the argument go that easily. “First of all, Donnie’s the one that stole the—”

“Ummm, guys,” Mikey interrupted, his limbs popping out of his shell. “You should look at the TV.” Everyone turned toward the screen in confusion.

The title on the screen read: Could There Be Monsters Hiding In Our City?

It showed a woman with a microphone, who was clearly a news reporter, and a man wearing a suit-lab coat hybrid looking thing, black shades, and slick black hair. 

“For those just tuning in, I am here with scientist Johnathon Bishop,” the woman announced, the thick hair piled into a bun on her head bouncing. “Do you mind telling us more about your amazing discovery?”

She handed the microphone over to the man. “Thank you, Irma,” he replied, a sly smile on his face. “I am but a humble researcher, rejected by my peers at a young age. However, despite all that, I clawed my way up to the top after making a startling discovery four years ago today.”

Irma pushed up the thick, square glasses that threatened to slide from her nose. “Everyone wants to know, Mr. Bishop. What is this breakthrough you keep mentioning? We have only heard rumors so far!”

Bishop held the microphone up to his lips, a twinkle in his eyes. “I have found the most peculiar creature. A humanoid animal, sentient and sapient. A mutant, a monster, a freak.”

Irma’s eyes widened. “A monster?!” She squeaked, fear sparking in her gaze. 

“Yes,” Bishop confirmed. “A monster. It is unpredictable and vicious, but don’t worry. We have contained it. It will soon be on display for scientific study and human enjoyment at the Peterman Zoo. It may be a turtle, but do not be fooled by its looks and fake docile nature.”

Donnie’s phone slipped out of his hand in shock as Bishop continued. “I don’t sugg—” Leo shut off the TV, his knuckles white from gripping the remote so hard. Not a noise was heard as everyone took in the news.

Donnie broke the silence. “Well, I guess I’ll start doing some research.”

Am I the only one that thinks Donnie sits in one of those super comfy swivel chairs that the teachers in 4-6 grade always tell you not to sit on but everyone sits in them anyway? I can also imagine him using it to spin around while stroking SHELLDON when someone enters the room, lol.

Next Chapter:

The Fifth Turtle

Chapter 1: I’ve Got You

As she held it up, the turtle, Leo, pressed his hand against hers. Their three fingers matched perfectly, albeit 49’s hand was a bit smaller than his. 

“You’re like me,” 49 dared to say, her voice raspy and barely a whisper. 

His eyes widened. “Y-yeah.” He reached through the bars and squeezed her hand reassuringly, a tender smile spreading across his beak. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

At first Donnie had been skeptical, after a day or two of thinking about it, he had pointed out that this was probably a coincidentally accurate publicity stunt. However, Leo had pulled the leader card and insisted that they check it out. Donnie had wanted to argue, even though Raph and Mikey agreed to it, but the softshell had never seen his twin this serious. That was what convinced him. 

After some online research from the totally reliable internet, Donnie had narrowed down their search to a laboratory near Staten Island. It must be Bishop’s personal lab. That was where their mysterious turtle would be. 

“I can’t believe we are risking exposing our existence to this guy,” Donnie hissed as they drove there in the Turtle Tank. “And to a scientist no less!”

“We at least need to check it out,” Leo snapped, his eyes narrowed. “Remember, I’m the leader and I say we go.” 

Donnie returned his glower, his arms crossed. “I’m just saying, even if there was a mutant in there, there is no possible way they could be our sibling.”

Raph glared at him. “We’re not saving them because they’re a turtle! We’re saving them because we’re heroes, and heroes don’t leave a mutant behind.”

Donnie growled under breath as he turned off the auto-pilot. “We’re almost there. I just need to park the tank.”

As Donnie pulled the tank to a stop, Mikey suddenly grabbed the purple-masked turtle’s shoulder. “Hey D, I need an update.”

Donnie glanced at him. “For your phone again?”

The box turtle shook his head. “No, for the plan this time.”

“Sigh,” Donnie said, leaning back in his seat. “Okay, first we’ll sneak in there and get a look at the situation. Then, we’ll get out and devise a plan to come back later. Any questions?”

“Nope!” Mikey chirped, bouncing out the now opened door. “Thanks, Donnie.”

With Leo leading the way, they went outside, and disappeared into the shadows.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The door slammed behind 49, making her jump. Usually the two goons that Bishop had hired would have brought her to testing, where Bishop was usually waiting. This time they brought her to a room.

It was pure white, no seams or cracks in the walls, everything was just a smooth, unbreaking white. However, there was a table in the middle of the room. It was a fold up table and had some books and pencils on top of it. After 49 scrabbled uselessly at the door for a bit, she turned her attention to the items sitting there. 

There was a book about crosswords and games, some blank sheets of paper, and a math workbook. The only thing that stopped 49 from bolting towards the table and reading was the fact that she knew someone was watching her. The lingering feeling on her shell told her that. She looked around. There were no cameras, but the itchy feeling remained. All 49 had to go by were her instincts and they were telling her someone was watching.

She stood frozen for a few moments, thinking. 49 remembered the people that had come to see her a few days ago. Bishop had shown her off like a rare, exotic animal. Then, he had let them get a chance to poke and prod at her in the testing room. They must have agreed to sponsor his research, she realized, glancing around. They must have paid for this room or something. They must be watching.

She quickly curled up in the corner, her heart racing. Gotta hide, GOTTA HIDE! She wished she could pop into her shell, she knew that box turtles were supposed to do that, but she couldn’t. In fact, she’d heard Bishop musing about it while he had been examining her. He had been saying that something must be wrong with the structure of her shell, something about an old injury.

Right now, all she wanted to do was curl up and let the darkness take her… and it did just that. 

49 woke up from the dream memory, gasping for breath. She remembered that she had spent days in that soulless white room. She rubbed her dry eyes, wincing in pain. 49’s throat burned. It felt like she’d swallowed the sun, but she hadn’t drank anything today, or yesterday for that matter. Her tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of her mouth. Her stomach hurt too. Bishop had to feed her today, he had to. 

She glanced down at her chained hands. Though I could just break out if I wanted to…

Thanks to the Ghost Lady, Karai or her “Gram-Gram,” 49 learned that she had magic. Gram-Gram had called it mystics but they sounded like the same thing. 

She had taught 49 how to summon her mystic weapon, a bow and arrows. The scrawny box turtle was so, so desperate to escape, but she was too weak.

49 remembered the other thing the spirit had told her. Gram-Gram told her that she had brothers. Other turtles, mutants, like her. Gram-Gram told her that they were coming to save her. The box turtle was still doubtful of course. It could have been a hallucination or one of Bishop’s sick mental tricks. 

Bishop wouldn’t do that, things like that weren’t his style. Hope was one of the only things she had, although she was losing it rapidly. I can wait, 49 decided, scratching her arms. After all, I’ve been waiting for a long time, what’s a few more weeks? I can wait. My brothers are coming. Brothers are coming. I have brothers, they are coming. I can wait. Brothers coming… 

Her thoughts trailed off as hours passed. She kept repeating those words in her head, until a feeling stopped her whirlwind of thoughts. A noise, accompanied with that lingering feeling, told her someone was here and watching. 49’s hands felt warm and her arms hurt. She barely registered the blood caked under her fingernails and the wounds that she had reopened. 

Her head whipped around, her muscles shivering with fear. Someone’s here, GOTTA HIDE!

She curled up in the corner trying to steady her breathing. Every puff of air scraped at her throat. 

“LEO!” 49 heard someone whisper shout. Leo? That doesn’t sound like one of the scientists.

She tensed as a figure stepped out of the shadows. It was a turtle, like her. A mutant, like her. Hope soared through her. Brothers are here!

His skin was lime green with bright yellow stripes along his arms and red stripes near his eyes. The other thing that stood out was the blue bandanna over his face. The long tails swayed as he darted up to her cell.  

She practically felt giddy with happiness as he grabbed the bars, his three fingered hands wrapping around the cool metal. Three fingers, like her. “Are you okay?” He whispered, a worried look on his face. 

… Worried for me? Why?

Instead of replying, she cautiously crept up to him. Her limbs shaking with nerves and the effort of moving. She held her hand up to the bars, trembling. 

As she held it up, the turtle, Leo, pressed his hand against hers. Their three fingers matched perfectly, albeit 49’s hand was a bit smaller than his. 

“You’re like me,” 49 dared to say, her voice raspy and barely a whisper. 

His eyes widened. “Y-yeah.” He reached through the bars and squeezed her hand reassuringly, a tender smile spreading across his beak. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

A small, happy grin found its way to her face as she stared at their matching hands. Her mind-numbing joy was interrupted as a hulking figure emerged from the darkness. 49 scrambled backwards, shock and fear seizing her heart.

“Leo,” the giant, spiky turtle growled, a beam of moonlight lighting up his red mask. “I thought we agreed this was supposed to be a stealth mission! You can’t just run off like that.”

Leo glared at the turtle, his brow furrowed. “I know, but I couldn’t just leave her!” His worried gaze flicked back to her. “Aw man, look Raph, you scared her. Just chill out, okay?”

The turtle, who 49 could assume was Raph, turned to her, an anxious look on his face. “Raph’s sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, we’re here to help.”

Oh, right. Gram-Gram had said brothers, as in plural. Are they both my brothers?

In 49’s distraction, two other turtles had revealed themselves. One sported a purple bandanna with drawn on eyebrows and a hunk of metal on his back, and the other wore an orange mask and had bright orange spots. 

“Donnie, can you get this open?” Leo whispered, turning to the purple-masked turtle.

“Scoff, of course,” he responded in a flat tone, leaning down and inspecting the tricky lock. 49 had seen it enough times to know that it required an intricate code to open. Then the turtle, Donnie, pulled out a bo staff and made something out of thin air, the marking on his shoulders lighting up with a violet light.

49 watched with awe as bright purple light, mystics she would realize, ran up his staff. 

Multiple long, spiky things appeared at the end of the wooden staff. Letting out a hum of approval, he started tweaking with the lock. 

“Hi!” Someone whispered, catching her attention. She turned her head to see the smallest turtle pressing his face against the cage, his eyes wide. “I’m Mikey!” 49 locked gazes with him. He had baby blue eyes, just like hers. “Hey, you’re a box turtle like me,” he yelped happily. 

Like me? Like me! Another smile crept up to her face. 

Mikey gave her a toothy grin back, eyes sparkling. It was weird, but 49 felt something in her soul, like something had clicked back into place. She suddenly felt connected to Mikey, feeling the need to protect him and be by him. She let out a small chirp, walking up and touching noses with him. 

He stared at her in surprise, the shock being replaced by wonder. Mikey clicked in response, nuzzling her face. 49 squeaked gleefully, returning the soft nudge with a purr. 

Now that the joy and happiness spreading through her muscles resided, she felt weak. Pulling away, Mikey gave her a troubled look. “Are you okay? You look pale.”

49’s legs couldn’t hold her up anymore. She sat on the ground, a harsh wheeze escaping her throat. Her vision grew blurry.

“Donnie, get this thing open, now!” Leo suddenly snapped, turning to the purple-masked turtle. 49 flinched at his harsh tone, her body starting to tremble with exhaustion. Her head was pounding.

“I’m almost done!” Donnie hissed back, still working on the lock. “Just give me a second, Leo.”

They started arguing, their voices raising. “Guys,” Raph snarled. “Be quiet! This was supposed to be a stealth only mission.”

All 49 wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep, weariness dragging at her eyelids, but slow clapping snapped her awake. Her brothers froze, turning towards the sound. A man stepped out of the shadows, a sly smile on his face.

“Well, well, well,” Bishop said in a teasing voice. “What have we here? More mutant turtles?” His smile turned eerily wide, his hands falling down to his sides. “So nice of you to join us.”

Next Chapter:

Previous Chapter:

The Fifth Turtle

Chapter 2: Escape

“Don’t worry, Leo,” Donnie reassured him as they entered the tank. “His defeat will hurt his pride more than anything.”

He swallowed the lump of guilt in his throat and turned to Raph. “We need to get her to the lair immediately, step on it!”

Leo glanced down at the unconscious box turtle, his brow furrowed. I only hope we can get there in time.

CW: Loss of limb; not SUPER graphic, though

Leo’s blood boiled with rage. It sizzled beneath his scales, burning red hot. It had started as a small ember when he’d seen the News, then steadily heated when Donnie had started questioning his decisions. Then, seeing how fragile and weak the turtle was, the fire had flared hotter, Leo had thought that was his limit, but no. Seeing Bishop, the one that had done this, made it explode.

Even though he wanted to cut into this man with his katanas, he kept his cool composure, the fire burning beneath his skin. At his voice and the sight of him, the turtle froze, her eyes wide with wild fear. She was shaking, and Leo could tell by just the sight of her, that she hadn’t had a good meal or a cup of water in days. 

Oh how Leo wanted to punch that smirk off Bishop’s face.

“I see you’ve met my subject,” Bishop said calmly, a frown on his face. “However, unfortunately I can’t let you take it.”

Leo ground his teeth, anger burning his heart. “IT?!” He snarled, pointing a katana at Bishop. “You can’t treat her like a science experiment!” 

Raph put a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Calm down, Leo. I’m mad too, but anger won’t help her right now.”

Leo glanced at the shivering box turtle, she cowered in the corner, the chains holding her hands and feet together jingling. Even though Leo hated agreeing with his older brother, Raph was right. He turned his attention back to Bishop.

“Yes, I can,” Bishop continued, unfazed by the sider’s outburst. “I can treat it as I please. Mutants are dangerous monsters that need to be captured and contained.”

The trembling box turtle froze as the scientist turned his gaze back to her, a wicked smile on his face. “Isn’t that right, subject zero-zero-four-nine?”

“I got it!” Donnie’s triumphant yell shattered the eerie silence that followed Bishop’s question.

“Raph, grab her!” Leo called as Bishop’s face contorted with anger. He darted forward towards Bishop, fury propelling him. The scientist barely dodged his strike, anger turning into fear as one of Leo’s katana lodged into the wall where his head was. 

Bishop quickly pulled something out of his coat. Leo threw his remaining katana to the side and teleported to it as he barely missed the bullet that ripped through the place he had been standing.

Terror froze the fire running through his veins. Bishop aimed again. Leo teleported to the sword stuck in the wall, but Bishop was ready. Leo wasn’t fast enough to completely dodge, instead it grazed his shoulder, leaving a large, burning gash.

Mikey yelled his name. “Leo!” Golden chains wrapped around Bishop, causing the scientist to drop his weapon. Bishop screamed in pain as the burning chains dug into his skin.

Donnie grabbed his uninjured shoulder. “Leo, are you okay?”

The slider shook off his twin and pointed his katana at Bishop’s neck. “I’ll make sure you never hurt mutants again,” he snarled, letting Bishop feel the cold steel under his chin.

“Leo, stop!” Raph ordered, but Leo didn’t hear him, until a weak chirp cut through his murderous thoughts. He let out a chirp in response, turning towards the noise. The box turtle shivered in Raph’s arms, her eyes closed.

“S-she fainted,” Raph told Leo, his voice trembling. “We need to get her to the Med Bay.”

Leo hesitated, the overwhelming urge to protect her rising in her chest. She let out an answering click, subconsciously squirming closer to him. His heart melted.

“... Okay,” he said, a smile returning to his face. It turned to a frown as he faced Bishop again. “We’ll let you go if you promise to leave us alone.”

Bishop glared at him, a scowl on his face. Leo pressed his katana against the scientist’s neck, blood welling at the shallow cut. “Promise,” Leo hissed, a threat in his voice.

“... Fine,” Bishop relented, disgust clear in his eyes. “I’ll… leave you alone.”

Leo nodded. “Good. Mikey, put him down.”

Mikey flashed him a smile, a glint in his eyes. “My pleasure.” He dumped Bishop to the ground, causing the scientist to land on his head. “Ow!”

The slider cut a portal with his katana, ignoring the burning injury on his shoulder. As Raph was about to step forward, Leo saw a flash of silver out of the corner of his eye. The blue-masked turtle reacted immediately, throwing his katana and teleporting. He quickly disarmed the gun that Bishop had picked up again with his sword.

Bishop let out an agonized scream as his weapon landed on the ground next to him with a wet thump. Leo froze, horror rising up in his chest as realized what he just did.

The scientist wailed with pain and fury as he clutched his wrist, blood trickling between his fingers. “My hand!” His fierce gaze locked onto the slider. “You,” he spat, pure venom in his voice. “I swear I will never forget this.”

Leo felt like he was going to throw up. “Nardo,” Donnie whispered, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go.” 

He gently steered his twin towards his brothers and the box turtle. Leo followed blindly, shock and disgust making his limbs stop working. He knew that Bishop deserved that, and tenfold, for what he did to the small box turtle, but he still felt sick. 

“Don’t worry, Leo,” Donnie reassured him as they entered the tank. “His defeat will hurt his pride more than anything.”

He swallowed the lump of guilt in his throat and turned to Raph. “We need to get her to the lair immediately, step on it!”

Leo glanced down at the unconscious box turtle, his brow furrowed. I only hope we can get there in time.

———————————————————————

They got home as fast as they could, accidentally knocking that one guy’s groceries to the ground, and then some. Leo did all he could for her in the tank, patching up the wounds on her arms, treating the sores left by the chains on her wrists and ankles, and taking a closer look at the cracks in her shell and plastron.

The main thing that she needed was fluids, but they only had that in the Med Bay. “Will she be okay?” Mikey asked, his voice quivering. 

Leo glanced at him. “Only time will tell, but she should be fine with some food, water, and sleep.”

He didn’t want to tell his little brother that if she didn’t get some now, she could die. 

“Are we almost there?!” he called, trying to keep panic from creeping into his voice.

“We’re here!” Donnie answered, the tank screeching to a halt. Leo quickly cut a portal to the Med Bay and hurried through. 

“Raph, follow me,” the slider ordered, quickly prepping the bed. Raph gently laid her down, his mask creased with worry. The box turtle whimpered as her skin touched the unfamiliar sheets.

Leo grabbed his IV kit, feeling a bit bad that they only had two sizes of needles and catheters, one big for Raph and the other normal size for them. He noticed that they were low on supplies and made a mental note to go on a supply run soon. 

Leo quickly washed his hands and pulled on a pair of their homemade plastic gloves. He found the vein and gently swabbed the area to clean it. 

“I’m here!” Donnie yelped, skidding into the room. “What do you need?”

“Raph, go tell Dad everything,” Leo told the snapper, he then faced his twin. “Don, help me set up the IV bag. Then remove any bubbles in the IV line as I insert it.”

Time seemed to drift by as Leo focused on his task. He carefully secured the IV in place after he finished, letting out a sigh of relief. 

“Donnie, can you keep watching out for bubbles?” Leo asked, throwing his gloves away. “I just need to hook up the heart monitor so we can keep an eye on her.”

Donnie hummed in response. “Okay, fearless leader.”

“Oh, come on D,” Leo said with a smirk. “I’m not that serious yet.”

The softshell only snorted in response.

Leo rolled his eyes, opening the drawer where they kept their heart monitor and picking it up. He attached it, wincing at the sight of the metal plate and cracks on her plastron. 

He frowned as her heart rate showed up, it was lower than he would have liked. Hopefully, now that she got some fluids, she would start to get healthier. 

Leo wanted to fully examine the cracks on the back of her shell, but it would be a bad idea to move her with the IV in. Donnie’s quiet voice came from behind him. “Where do you think she got those cracks from?”

Leo swore that his twin could read his mind sometimes. “I don’t know,” he admitted, leaning over to get a closer look at her cracked plastron. “They look old. It also looks a bit messed up, like it healed naturally.”

“That makes sense,” Donnie agreed, his eyebrows furrowed. “Mutants can’t really get help unless they go to the Hidden City. That must mean that she’s not a yokai.”

Leo nodded. “Look at that metal plate,” the slider said, pointing to it. “W-we already know that she was probably experimented on, and you saw how cruel Bishop looked. So, there are a few possibilities, but I have a good guess at what happened…”

His voice trailed off, leaving a tense silence. 

“Yes?” Donnie asked, his foot tapping impatiently. 

“... Vivisection,” Leo admitted, ignoring the horrified expression on his twin’s face. “Or a surgery of some kind, you never know.”

A noise caught his attention. A yelp and a crashing sound came from outside the door. 

Leo sighed. “Mikey, come on in. We know you’re there.” The box turtle’s round face peeked around the corner, a nervous look in his eyes. 

His eyes immediately went to Leo’s shoulder. “You should patch that up,” the orange-masked turtle commented, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. “I can help.”

Leo glanced at the wound, feeling surprised. “I actually forgot about that,” he admitted, picking up the leftover bandages and alcohol.

“Let’s go,” Mikey chirped, grabbing his hand and starting to lead him to the door. 

“Uh, can’t I just do it here?” Leo suggested, dodging his little brother’s attempts. 

“Nope!” Mikey replied, an authoritative look in his eyes. “I want to help! Also, I need to have a little talk with you.”

Oh no.

“I-I think I’m alright!” Leo said nervously, adding a chipper tone to his voice. “No need to talk! Everything’s alright! Why would anything be wrong? There’s nothing wrong here…” He stopped when he realized that he had been babbling. 

Mikey’s smile grew even wider. “Just come with me. You’ll never escape Doctor Feelings.”

“Fine,” the slider grumbled, allowing his little brother to drag him out of the Med Bay. “Keep an eye on her!” Leo threw over his shoulder as they left.

Mikey led him through the living room and down the hallway, Raph giving him a confused look as they passed. They entered the box turtle’s room and sat on his hammock. Leo sat down on an orange bean bag and started to bandage his shoulder. 

The orange-masked turtle whipped out a pair of round glasses and put them on. He then sat cross-legged and interlaced his fingers, leaning forward. “We need to talk,” Mikey said, putting on a serious face.

Leo finished and set the medical supplies aside, turning to his little brother and raising an eye ridge. “About what?” 

“You know what,” Mikey hissed. “You shouldn’t feel bad about Bishop!”

Leo froze, turning his head to the side and breaking eye contact. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied. 

Mikey glared at him. “Stop ignoring it!” His face softened a bit as he relaxed his posture. “Leo, it’s not your fault. It was an accident. He would’ve shot one of us if you hadn’t disarmed him.”

The slider stared down at his lap. “Mikey, I cut off his hand for Pizza Supreme’s sake!!! How is that an accident?!” he spat, squeezing his eyes shut.

Mikey sighed. “It. Was. An. Accident. You didn’t mean it. Even though he did deserve it…” he muttered. “But that’s not the point! The point is you saved us and you saved her.”

Leo still couldn’t meet his brother’s eyes. “I guess…”

“I know you still feel bad,” the box turtle continued. “Heck, I would too! But right now, we need to focus on that poor, sick turtle. So I’ll say this once more, it was an accident, and you did not mean it.”

Leo took a deep breath, before lifting his head and facing his brother. “… Okay.”

Mikey smiled, hopping down and pulling the slider to his feet. “Okay, now repeat after me: It was an accident, I didn't mean it.”

“It was an accident, I didn't mean it,” Leo repeated, a grin returning to his face. “It was an accident, I didn't mean it.”

Mikey gave him an excited hug, his eyes bright. “Yes!” he whooped. “Now, let’s get back to our new sister!”

They pulled apart and Leo walked back to the Med Bay with a new spring in his step. “… Bishop did deserve it,” he whispered just before they stepped in. 

Mikey nodded, giving the blue-masked turtle a high five. “I totally agree.”

Next Chapter

Previous Chapter

The Fifth Turtle

Chapter 3: Long Road to Recovery

When she was done, Mikey inched forward, a curious expression on his face. “What’s your name?”

She picked up the pen, fumbling with it for a few seconds before getting it uncapped. 49, she wrote, putting down the first name that came to mind.

She hissed, shrinking backwards as Bishop entered her cage, pulling out something from his pocket. “Now, now, 49,” he said with a smile, moving closer. “No need to be scared. All I want is a saliva sample from you.”

He pulled out a q-tip and a vial from his pocket, but they looked like knives to the scared box turtle. “Maybe I’ll even give you some water,” he purred. “In fact I’ll give even it to you before, to make sure I get a good sample.”

She licked her dry beak, hesitating. She was really, really thirsty. The last bit of her resolve vanished as Bishop left and returned with a bowl full of water. He put it on the ground in front of him, a gleam in his eye. 49 couldn’t help herself. She darted towards the bowl, dipping her mouth in because she couldn’t use her hands. 

The water tasted like clear sunshine to her. Her head cleared a little as it drove back her pounding headache banging at her temple. 

“Now,” Bishop said, as she licked the metal bowl dry. “How about that sample?”

Before she could do anything, he grabbed her head and opened her mouth harshly, making her jaw ache. His hand quickly entered. She acted on instinct, slamming her beak shut just as he pulled back. 

Bishop grunted with pain as her teeth sank into his hand. 49 released immediately, fear clouding her thoughts. He yanked his hand back, fury twisting his face. 

He kicked her in the nose.

49 fell backwards with a startled yelp. Bishop backed up, examining the bite, a disappointed look on his face. “Now, I thought you were better than that, 49,” he said, his eyes glinting coldly. “You know what happens to dangerous beasts…”

He pulled something out from behind his back. Everything seemed to get dark as he revealed the muzzle in his hands. 49 couldn’t move, terror spreading through her veins.

“They need to be caged!” His voice echoed as he slipped the muzzle over head. She tried to open her mouth, but the muzzle tightened, making movement impossible. It turned into a muzzle made of fire. It burned into 49’s face, melting her scales. Bishop’s evil laughter rang in her tympanum. She couldn’t even make a noise as everything went black.

———————————————————————

Bishop stepped forward, a sadistic look in his eyes as she struggled against her restraints. Tears pricked at her eyes as the thick, black tendrils holding her down seemed to suck out her strength, leaving her limbs cold and lifeless.

Gotta hide! She squirmed, her heart beating faster as he showed her the giant knife held in his hand.

“Time to see what’s really going on in there,” Bishop said with a smirk, lowering the sharpened scalpel. 

“B-but, Mr. Bishop,” a hazy voice said. “Shouldn’t we sedate her before?”

49 recognized this person. It was the only scientist that had not treated her like a monster. The box turtle missed her. The scientist had gotten fired a few days later, specifically the day after this. Probably because she’d argued too much and had shown too much compassion for 49.

“No,” Bishop said coldly, turning his attention back to 49. “It doesn’t deserve them. After all, it’s only an animal.” 

The nice scientist fell silent.

He leaned forward, bringing the knife down on her plastron.

A scream escaped 49’s lips as he started carving. She watched, her vision blurry with tears and pain, as he removed a piece of her plastron. He then reached inside, and 49 blacked out, embracing the comforting void…

———————————————————————

49 woke up, her heart beating rapidly. She hated these memories, especially when they came as dreams. She relaxed, nestling back into the soft bed and closing her eyes to block out the soft lights shining overhead. 

… Wait. Lights? Soft?!

Her eyes snapped open, flicking around wildly. Her headache was still throbbing, but she felt a bit stronger. Something was at her feet. As she twitched, the orange-masked turtle woke up, his sleepy face turning into a smile. 

“You’re awake!” He yelped, jumping to his feet. Fear clouded her senses. A loud beeping came from her left side, causing her heart to pound faster. The beeping got even louder. The turtle was staring at her. “How are you feeling?” He asked worriedly. 

Without warning, she bolted. 49 jumped out of the bed, letting out a cry of pain as one of her legs buckled out from under her. Something was pulled off her plastron, the beeping stopping immediately. The turtle was shouting now, his voice drowned out by the blood rushing in tympanum. She darted towards the door, but only took a few steps before falling to her knees. Her stomach heaved. 49 threw up, clutching her sides. 

The only thing that came up was a yellow liquid. It dribbled from her mouth, forming a small puddle on the floor. She retched again, more bile coming from her mouth. 

Something grabbed her, wrapping their arms around her. 49 squirmed around, terror blinding her. After a few moments of struggling, she chirped in distress, going limp. The person’s grip loosened and, without thinking, the desperate box turtle twisted around and bit the person.

Their skin was really tough and kind of spiky, but she kept gnawing anyway. She whimpered as it pricked at her mouth, but still hung on. 49 snarled, keeping her teeth clamped down. 

After a few seconds ticked by, a low purr rumbled from the person holding her. She fell still. Another turtle?

The turtle kept purring, a deep sound vibrating in their chest. It soothed her. She released her hold, letting out an answering click. The purring grew louder, new voices adding to the low one.

49 chirped, snuggling closer to the noise. Slowly, she calmed down, her heart returning to its normal pace. She lifted her head once the fear faded away, and found herself staring into warm blue eyes. The turtle took a step back, and 49 recognized him as the blue-masked turtle.

Brother!

“Are we all good now?” He asked, holding up his hands. 49 hesitated. Should she talk? Could she trust them? She decided not to speak for now. She responded  with a nod. The turtle’s face furrowed and he opened mouth, about to say something, but the turtle holding her beat him to it.

“Raph’s sorry for grabbing you,” he said gently. “Can I put you down now?”

Oh, right. Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey.

She nodded again, looking up at his face. He carried her back to the soft bed and set her down. The room was quiet for a bit as they all stared at each other. 

Donnie broke the awkward silence. “Okay, so first things first. What’s your name?”

He was talking to her. Her mind drifted. How will I answer? Can’t talk to them. Maybe talk? They are brothers. My throat hurts. Well, at least my head doesn’t hurt anymore. Maybe I should—

Donnie cleared his throat. 49 realized that she’d been staring off into space for a few minutes. Mikey shot up, causing her to flinch. “I know! You must be thirsty. I’ll be right back.”

“Good idea, Mike,” Leo said, a small smile on his face. “Can also grab some ice chips and something light for her to eat, like crackers.”

The box turtle nodded, doing a small salute, before running off. They waited some more. 

“... So,” Leo said, raising an eye ridge. “What’s your name?”

49 shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to respond. She simply pointed to her throat. The message seemed to get across.

“Can you not speak?” Donnie asked bluntly, earning a smack over the head from Raph. 49 recoiled at the sight, fear rushing through her. “Ow, It was just a question!” Donnie hissed, rubbing his head. 

Raph froze, eyes flicking quilty at 49, obviously because of her reaction. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, looking at the ground. She just tipped her head to the side and nodded, clicking reassuringly.

Leo’s eyes narrowed. “She can talk, I heard her.”

Donnie raised an eyebrow at the blue-masked turtle, doubt written all over his face. “... Sure. Anyways, it doesn’t seem like she can talk now, so she can use this.” He handed her a pen and pad of paper. 

She fiddled with the pen as Leo glared at Donnie. “Can you write?” Donnie asked, ignoring his brother. In response, she used the pen to write a wobbly Yes on the paper.

Mikey returned, balancing several things in his arms. He handed something to Leo, who then held it out to 49. “Here’s some ice chips,” he explained as she took the cup from him and inspected it. “They’ll help your stomach. Suck on them one at a time slowly.”

She did what he told her to do, wincing at the sudden cold. It felt nice, though. It eventually melted on her tongue, turning into water. 49 ate them all, her throat and stomach feeling a tiny bit better. 

Leo took the empty cup back and gave her a glass of water. “Try not to drink too fast,” he warned, carefully handing it over. “Your stomach might still be a bit upset.”

She tried to go slow, really, but when she sipped the water, all caution flew out the window. Leo let out a startled yelp as she drank it all, her stomach gurgling happily. She chirped pleadingly, holding out the cup for more. His shocked expression turned into a smile. “You heard her, Mikey. Get the girl some water!” 

The box turtle left, then quickly came back with more water. 49 practically inhaled that glass too. After several more trips, her thirst was finally quenched. She then ate the crackers, unable to eat slowly. Her stomach felt satisfied for now as she finished, wiping crumbs off her beak.

When she was done, Mikey inched forward, a curious expression on his face. “What’s your name?”

She picked up the pen, fumbling with it for a few seconds before getting it uncapped. 49, she wrote, putting down the first name that came to mind. 

“Scoff,” Donnie said, peering down at the paper. “That’s not a name. What’s your real name?”

49 hesitated. Not a real name?

“That’s just the number that Bishop gave you,” Leo explained, a concerned look in eyes. Oh.

Little Kappa, she tried again.

“That’s not a name either,” Donnie told her flatly. “That just looks like a nickname or a title.”

49 thought for a few moments, before shrugging. Then I don’t have a name, she wrote, completely oblivious to the shocked and pitiful looks on her brothers’ face.

“... I guess we can just call you 49 then,” Raph said, after a few minutes of shocked silence. 

“Okay,” Leo, Mikey, and Donnie chorused. 

“Anyways, I’m Michelangelo!” Mikey chirped. “But I go by Mikey.”

Raph shuffled forward. “And I’m Rapheal, but call me Raph.”

“My name is Leonardo, or Leo,” the blue-masked turtle told her.

Donnie was last. “Donatello, but I prefer Donnie.”

A smile tugged at her lips as she nodded. 49 pushed down the slight twinge of jealousy that rose in her chest. 

“Now with all that out of the way, I have some exciting news to share,” Donnie announced, pulling out a clip board. “I took a blood sample from… 49 while she was aslee—”

“Donnie!” Leo hissed, interrupting him. “You can’t just take blood samples from people while they’re sleeping!”

“I had a good reason,” the purple-masked turtle retorted. “I needed to see if she was related to us or not.”

I am, 49 quickly wrote down without thinking. Mikey leaned over to see what she had written as Leo and Raph scolded Donnie. A smile spread across his face as he saw what was on the paper. 

“You are?!” He squealed, jumping up and down happily. His commotion caught the attention of the arguing turtles. They all looked at the paper, Donnie was the first to speak.

“Aw man, you ruined my announcement,” he whined.

Next Chapter

Previous Chapter

Hey guys. Um so I’m taking a writing hiatus of some sort? I just haven’t had the inspiration lately. I’m not abandoning The Fifth Turtle or anything, though. I will finish it. I just don’t have the inspiration right now. I picked up my phone to jot down an idea and I could barely type anything. Heck, I’m struggling to write this!!! I think things will pick up when I start school. I know that sounds crazy, but I think I write better during the school year, because my school blocked a lot of stuff on the chromebooks so there’s not a lot to do if you have free time. Anyways, it’ll hopefully pick up soon once I get my shit together. Thank you for listening :)

Finally almost done with the next chapter of the Fifth Turtle!!! 49 will get to meet the whole fam and some… secrets will be revealed.