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Chapter 21
When the school day ended, Donatello used the school’s phone to call his house and let his parents know he would be gone for a few extra hours. His mother was fine with it, and convinced her husband that it would be fine. Donatello was happy to know that he was allowed to stay out so long as he was back by seven. He practiced sparring with Michelangelo until the elder Hamato children came by.
“Did you miss your bus, Don?” Leonardo asked with a grimace.
“Nope, he’s coming home with us!” Michelangelo said excitedly.
Donatello grimaced. “I have to be back by Seven though, but yeah. If you guys don’t mind.”
Raphael smiled. “We don’t mind at all, kid. Yo, dad, you ready to go?”
“I am coming, my sons.” Master Splinter had grabbed his walking stick and satchel and the five of them started to walk down the street towards the outskirts of the town.
On their way to the Hamato home, they passed by a large town house. Yoshi paused for a moment and gave a saddened sigh. “That’s where Oroku Saki lives.”
Donatello frowned as he noticed the sad faces on his friends. Then he noticed a swing out on a tree in the yard. “Why is there a swing?”
“A family we know used to live there.” Yoshi sighed as he urged the children to continue walking. “A young man and his wife with their children… unfortunately, the young man had become scared when his third son had been kidnapped shortly after being born. He called upon his friend from his homeland; Oroku Saki, his adopted brother. His brother came and everything seemed to be fine for a time. Then one day, after the family had a fifth child, another young boy, a fire had started at the pre-school that the oldest two children were going to. The two were a set of twins. While the boy had managed to escape from the flames, his twin sister and the mother perished in the flames…”
“That’s terrible…” Donatello whispered.
“Yes, and Oroku started to show his true colors towards the boys and the father. They were practically chased out of their own home, for fear of his temper.”
“Oh my…”
“Do not worry, my student, the end is much happier. The father found an old subway station that had been abandoned in the sewers for years. He fixed it up so that he and his three sons could live there peacefully.”
“That’s good.” Donatello smirked. The other boys had been quiet throughout the whole story but were now smiling at the end of it, though Leonardo was clutching his head again from passing by the house.
Michelangelo and Raphael suddenly raced ahead towards a manhole and lifted it up. “Last one in hatched from a rotten egg!” Michelangelo called as he jumped in.
“We aren’t turtles, Mikey, no matter how much you wish you were one!” Raphael called as he followed suite.
Donatello’s eyes widened as he realized who the story had been about. “The abandoned subway station in the sewers…! Your family… oh my gosh… no…!”
“I am afraid so, my young pupil. Oroku Saki had once been my best friend, raised as my brother from early childhood.” Yoshi sighed as he remembered the day his wife had died, along with his daughter, and the day his best friend had started acting so hostile towards them. Leonardo kept silent as his eyes widened. He had noticed something. Yoshi noticed his eldest son’s fearful look with concern. “What is it, my son?”
Leonardo looked up at his father and just shook his head. “Just another headache, father. Nothing to be concerned about.” He then jumped into the sewer tunnels with Donatello and Yoshi right behind him, sealing off the tunnel. While the others were used to travelling through the sewers by now, Donatello was struggling to make his way. Leonardo grabbed the young boy’s hand and led him through the system towards the subway station that was their home.
While Master Splinter started to make some tea and cookies, the four boys gathered in what was known as Michelangelo’s room. Donatello was looking at the eldest with concern. “Are you okay, Leo?”
“I’m fine, Don. Just another headache. I get them a lot, especially when I near the old place.” Leonardo just grimaced.
“Yeah, it’s because he senses his twin, Miwa.” Michelangelo grimaced.
Donatello frowned in confusion. ‘Why is that name so familiar…?’
“Mikey!” Raphael grumbled. He did not want the new kid knowing about their powers just yet. They hadn’t even told their other friends at school!
“Relax, Raph. Don’s got a power too!”
“HUH?” The older boys were now confused.
“You mean you believe me, Mikey?”
“Well, DUH! I saw you do it! Nice work by the way.”
“Heh, thanks.”
“Saw him do what?” Raphael was getting impatient as usual.
“He used his big brain of his to move the principal’s glass to spill onto him. Oh, and apparently, Master Saki can really dance!” Michelangelo started to mimic the principal’s movements, making the boys chuckle slightly.
Leonardo then looked back at Donatello. “So you can move objects?”
“I think so. I’m sure I did.”
“He did, he’s just not used to the powers yet because he hasn’t practiced with them.” Michelangelo smiled. “Mom said he’ll be pretty powerful if he practices enough.”
“Of course she did.” Raphael rolled his eyes.
Donatello looked at his friend with some confusion. ‘Why is he so confident in my abilities?’
Raphael chuckled at Donatello’s confusion. “Mikey’s got this ability that lets him see our powers when they’re in motion. He can also talk to ghosts… at least he says he can.”
“NO, just mom’s ghost.”
“Same thing, really.”
“So what can you two do then?” Donatello chuckled.
Leonardo bit his lip. “Um…”
“Raph can turn his anger into a super strength!” Michelangelo smiled, proud of his big brother’s amazing ability. “And Leo can talk…”
“Could talk to my twin sister, Miwa.” Leonardo interjected. “Now I just get headaches.”
Donatello’s eyes widened as a memory came back to him. A couple of weeks after he had started going to the library and meeting with Karai, young Donatello, the four year old genius, had asked her a new kind of question. “Hey, Karai?”
“Yeah, Donatello?”
“You said that Karai was what your foster father called you, right?”
“Yes, so?”
“What did your real family call you?”
Karai looked at the boy with confusion. “Why do you want to know?”
“Well… I want to know so that I know more about you. Not what he wants to make you.”
Karai smiled at his honesty. “My real name is Miwa… it means Harmony in Japanese.”
Donatello shook his head, snapping out of his memory as his sensei brought the children some cookies and asked if they would all like some tea. Donatello quietly accepted the Jasmine tea with a polite “Thank you, Sensei.” His mind was already racing at a hundred miles an hour once more. ‘Is she the same Miwa? If so… that might explain why Mikey can only see his mother, and why both Karai and Leo have headaches! I can’t say anything on it yet, but… oh man! I should have asked her last name! I should have asked where she lived! I could have brought her to meet my new friends!’ The boys had started on a new subject now, and Donatello had barely caught what they were saying. “Treasures?”
“Photos of Mom,” Raphael supplied as he chewed on a cookie. He had a grim expression on. “My pet turtle, Spike.”
“My captain Ryan action figure that mom got me for Christmas one year.” Leonardo put in.
“My kitty, Klunk… mom got him for me when I was two, just before she died…” Michelangelo said soberly. “He’s probably starving or starved to death rather, at the house.”
Donatello frowned. “Why don’t you guys move away from here?”
Leonardo and the boys looked at each other and then to Donatello. “We couldn’t abandon the other kids to Oroku Saki. They need us… and Master Splinter.” Michelangelo explained. “Without Leo, no one would have any courage. Without Raph, no one would be willing to stand up for others. Without Father, none of the kids would make it through the first year of school!”
“Not to mention that without Mikey, none of them would know how to be optimistic.” Raphael chuckled as he rubbed the younger boy’s head, making him laugh.
Donatello smirked, wishing he had that kind of relationship with his brother, Michael. He knew it would never be, but he could still wish for a sibling bond. “You guys are pretty brave. Are you afraid of anything?”
Raphael grimaced. “Cockroaches.”
“Failure.” Leonardo said solemnly, making Raphael look at him funny.
“The Shredder… and the Chokey… and being alone…” Michelangelo kept shrinking himself down as he named off his fears until Leonardo placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
Donatello thought about this for a minute. “I wonder what the Shredder’s afraid of…”
Chapter 22
The Hamato family decided to walk Donatello home, but once more stopped in front of their old house. Donatello led them into the bushes to hide as they saw Oroku Saki placing things into the old car that Harry had sold him. Oroku was shoving old Olympics gear into the trunk of the car. The boys were naming the events off as they were placed in. “Shotput… hammer throw… javelin…”
Suddenly a black cat started meowing at Oroku, walking slowly towards him. Oroku started to shake uncontrollably. He started barking at the cat to try and scare it away.
Donatello was confused. “He’s afraid of cats?” He whispered.
“Black cats, my pupil. Oroku Saki is very superstitious.” Oroku eventually gave in and just kicked the cat!
The small cat was sent flying through the air, landing just in front of the Hamato family and Donatello. “Poor kitty…” Michelangelo whispered, wanting to care for the cat while hoping that his own had not suffered a similar fate. The cat ran off quickly.
“The cat is fine, my son.” Yoshi reassured the young boy who nodded to show he understood.
“I guess you’re right…”
“Shh!” Raphael pointed at the car as it started towards them. Leonardo led them deeper into the bushes to hide from the car. They were now closer to the house.
Donatello looked at the scared family beside him and frowned. “Let’s go get your treasures!”
“No, Donatello!” Yoshi shook his head while the other boys looked at him with some awe.
“Well he’s gone!” Donatello put his ninja speed to use and ran towards the house. “Come on!”
Michelangelo and the other boys were torn. They didn’t want to get caught or in trouble, but Donatello was right about no one being in the house… “Donatello!” Yoshi called out again, hoping to discourage the usually obedient boy and make him come back.
“Master Splinter!” Donatello waived for them to follow.
Seeing no other choice but to follow, the four Hamatos followed the young genius into their old home. Little did they know that only a few blocks away, Oroku Saki’s car had broken down, and he was in a foul mood.
Though the exterior of the house left something to be desired, the interior looked a little cleaner, but just barely. The boys all looked around in awe. “Our home…” Yoshi sighed. As he turned his head towards the living room he felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. “Oh my…” The boys followed their sensei into the large room and noticed the picture above the fireplace. It was a large portrait of Oroku Saki at the Olympics. “My wife’s portrait used to hang there…”
“Whoever painted the Shredder must have had a strong stomach.” Donatello muttered.
“A really strong stomach…” Raphael agreed.
“We should go…” Yoshi said in a sad voice.
It was at that point that Leonardo spotted something. “Mother’s chocolate box!” The boys instantly crowded around it, save for Donatello and Yoshi.
“I can’t believe it’s still here!” Raphael whispered in shock. He gently lifted up the lid, showing the multiple chocolates that were kept in it. “Every night after supper, Ma would grab two chocolates and cut them into small pieces for all of us to share. Even a small piece for Mikey when he could barely chew!”
“After mother died, no one would dare touch the box… save for Oroku Saki…” Leonardo grumbled. “He’d mainly do it on nights when father wasn’t home and say that Chocolate was too good for kids before shoving it into his mouth. He was usually gone for the most part of the day though, thank goodness.”
Donatello looked at the others with a grimace. “Why don’t you take one?”
“He’ll notice… he counts them.” Michelangelo grumbled from what little he could remember.
Donatello then remembered the real reason for going into the lion’s den. “Where are your treasures?”
“They’d be upstairs…” Leonardo muttered, carefully placing the lid back on the chocolate box, unaware of a small bit of school dirt that was left on the box now.
Donatello nodded once more and ran. He made his way towards the stairs where he stopped just barely out of the family’s sight. He waited for the Hamatos to come around, which just happened to be Michelangelo, and startled him. “HA!”
“WHA!” causing all the Hamato to laugh as they continued up the stairs. “Donnie!”
They were unaware of Oroku Saki managing to drag the broken car into the driveway. They made their way to the room that the four Hamato children had shared in their time at the house. They were surprised to find the room was clean and there were drawings all over the place, as well as pictures of Teng Shen sitting on the side.
“What is this?” Yoshi asked in confusion. “Oroku Saki would not bother to clean up a child’s room…”
“Meow?” The group froze in confusion. Michelangelo’s eyes widened as he turned towards the sound. An orange cat with big green eyes was looking at him. “Meow.” The cat jumped onto Michelangelo, who caught him easily.
“Klunk?” The cat seemed to smile as it purred into his chest. “Klunk!”
“I don’t believe it!” Raphael whispered as he looked at the cat. Then he looked at where he would have kept Spike’s cage. “I don’t believe it!” Raphael ran over to the tank where Spike was eating his leaf. “Spike!” The tortoise was as healthy as ever! There was a note stuck to the cage that said “Need to get more treats for Spike.” The handwriting was familiar, but he couldn’t place it. “How ya doing Spike?” The tortoise just looked at Raphael with a smile. “Chew your leaf if you’re okay.” Spike chewed on his leaf happily. “Heh.”
Leonardo found himself distracted by his Captain Ryan action figure lying on a bed next to an old Japanese doll that had her hair brushed out into a bun while wearing a clean kimono. ‘This is Lissy Doll! And Captain Ryan! They’re both fine?’ Just as he was about to touch the action figure and the doll for closer examination, the Hamatos and Donatello heard a shout.
“WORMWOOD!” They froze. Michelangelo put Klunk down, who knew to run under the beds to hide while Spike ducked into his shell. Donatello slipped a scrap piece of paper into a science book for studying and prayed that it would get to who he wanted it to get to, and soon. The group slowly walked towards the stairs as they heard Oroku Saki shouting at Harry Wormwood over the phone. He was not being kind at all, and Donatello just wished that Harry had listened to him when he tried to convince him to sell good cars. Suddenly the Shredder stopped and hung up the phone. He started to make his way towards the parlor where the chocolate box was.
“Time to go.” Master Splinter signaled to his young pupils silently. They nodded. They tried to hide behind some of the columns.
“Shouldn’t we hide or something?” Michelangelo whispered as quietly as he could. He was lucky that Oroku Saki wasn’t that good at listening.
“Agreed. You children head towards that way and escape down the stairs through the kitchen. I’ll distract Oroku. He’s not as good as he’d like to believe.” The boys nodded and followed their sensei’s orders while Yoshi went the other way.
“WHO’S IN MY HOUSE?” Oroku asked as he stomped up the stairs. He started to make his way towards where the children were trying to sneak down stairs, “Come Out and Fight like a Man!”
Donatello was the last to slip away into the hidden stairwell that was filled with clutter, just barely avoiding getting caught by the Shredder. Oroku was about to enter the stairwell himself when a large sound came from the room where his gym equipment were stored. It was Yoshi, dropping a shotput on purpose to distract Oroku from his students! Yoshi quickly hid himself into a closet. It was at that time that a mop decided to fall upon the boys, sounding off that they were downstairs!
Oroku skidded to a stop just before the room that Yoshi was hiding in and looked towards where he thought the sound was. Then he heard the locked door of the kitchen. He had boarded up that door ages ago! Someone was trying to get out that way? Foolish! He knew where they were now! Oroku ran to the banister and leapt over it, landing solid on the ground, shaking the entire house! “Tally Ho!”
Yoshi ran out of the closet, seeing the metal man do this and gasped as the chandeliers in the house fell and broke on the floor. Donatello looked around, trying to figure out where he and the brothers could hide. They were still trapped in the kitchen! He looked to Raphael and Leonardo and gave a silent nod, indicating that he had an idea. He grabbed Michelangelo and the two went under the table while the elder two squeezed themselves into the pantry and cupboards, hoping to not be discovered.
When Oroku came in, he found no one in the kitchen, though he had been sure that that was where they had been! Oroku looked around silently, opening every other cupboard, completely missing Raphael as he managed to move through the broken cupboards to ones that had already been checked with the silence of a great ninja. When the pantry was checked, Leonardo had himself hidden in the darkest shadows behind a large bag of flour. Oroku didn’t see him. When he checked under the table, the two older boys were worried that Donatello and Michelangelo would surely be caught! Donatello wasn’t going to give in so easily though. He grabbed the four legs and held himself between them after making sure Michelangelo was secure and silent. He had Michelangelo squeezed between himself and the table top, but the smaller boy still had room to breathe, though he barely did so. The two were grateful that the headmaster didn’t look up from under the table, but Donatello’s grip was slowly starting to slip.
Yoshi had managed to see the boy’s hand from under the tablecloth and came up with an idea instantly. He rushed to the front door, opened it and slammed it close again, causing Oroku to stop looking in the kitchen and run towards the front door! Yoshi ran up the stairs and back down the secret stairs to the kitchen as the boys got out of their hiding places. Oroku suddenly went upstairs and the boys were startled as Splinter came down the secret ones and led them through the basement. Unfortunately, the basement doors were locked with a hard lock as well. They were trapped again!
Donatello looked around for an exit and pointed out a small window that would barely fit them all. Donatello made certain that he was last before their sensei as they made their escape through the window. Yoshi barely made it out as Oroku said, “Some rats are going to die today!” Oroku then noticed the small window shutting and made his way over to where the chained doors were. He growled as he tore the chains off with his metal hands. It sounded like an explosion as the doors to the cellar burst open for the first time in years, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The Hamatos and Donatello poured on the speed as they ran to the untamed plants to hide. Oroku had yet to see them, but he was slashing at all the plants in the area until he smashed a bird statue and yelled in anger. He then trudged back to his home, believing his foes to have fled. Had he gone a few feet further, he would have found a terrified Donatello covering a horrified Michelangelo while the other three were nearby. Donatello moved away from Michelangelo, giving the boy more room to move as he tried to slow his heart rate down.
“Feel my heart.” Michelangelo whispered. “Wasn’t that the most scared you’ve ever been in your life?” The brothers and Donatello nodded while Splinter kept his gaze on the door, refusing to move till he was certain that the Shredder was in the house and unable to see them move.
“Let us go, my pupils.”
Donatello’s mind was racing though. “He shouldn’t be allowed to treat people like that.”
“Trust us, we know.” Leonardo had managed to keep his voice steady as usual.
“Someone’s gotta teach him a lesson.”
Raphael agreed to this one. “If we could, we would.”
“We can wait till he leaves again and then get your things.” The Hamatos all looked at him like he was crazy. “Or not.”
“Donatello.” The young boy looked to his sensei as they made their way to the sidewalk and out of the danger zone. “Promise me you shall never step foot in Oroku Saki’s house, ever again.”
Donatello pursed his lips. Then he sighed and nodded. “Yes, Master Splinter.” Donatello was a boy of his word. He wouldn’t go into the Shredder’s house again, but the house didn’t really belong to the Shredder, it belonged to the Hamato clan.
“Good, now, let us take our leave.” The four boys started following their sensei towards where Donatello lived so they could drop him off. Donatello looked back though, hoping his message would be received by the right person.
Chapter 23
When Karai arrived home, she instantly made her way to her room, ignoring her foster father’s rants about intruders in the house. She sighed as she petted the orange cat that had come out of hiding to greet her, and fed the tortoise some new leaves and treats. She sat down on her bed and noticed her science book had something sticking out of it. She cautiously opened it and gasped as she found it was a note.
“Dear Karai/Miwa,
It’s me, Donatello. Hope this finds you well. You aren’t going to believe this, but if your last name is Hamato, then you’re not an orphan, you’re a prisoner. My Sensei is Hamato Yoshi, and my best friends are his sons. They think you are dead though. Remember how you have headaches? My friend, Hamato Leonardo, also has headaches when he comes near the house. I think he senses you are still alive. If your special ability is to contact him with your mind, try concentrating really hard on him while meditating. Michelangelo told me about your abilities. Raphael was really happy to see Spike was okay, and Michelangelo was happy to find Klunk was fine. I’m writing this as quickly as I can while the others are distracted while looking at their treasures. I promise, I’ll figure out a way for everything to get better. Stay safe,
Sincerely Donatello.”
Miwa placed a hand to her mouth as she looked to the two pets in the room. Her family had broken into the lion’s den, and they thought she was dead? Oroku had lied to them all? But why? She looked at the note again. The fact that Donatello had named all of her family, though she had never said their names was further proof that he wasn’t lying. ‘Donatello… you crazy boy…’ She smiled kindly to the paper and hugged it. She only needed to do one final thing to see if he was correct.
She tore up the paper and put it into the pile of scrap paper that would line Spike’s cage when she cleaned it again. Miwa then sat herself down and meditated, concentrating on her twin for the first time since the fire. ‘Leonardo? Are you there?’
Deep in the sewers, hidden away in his room in the abandoned subway station, a young boy’s eyes opened wide with shock during his nightly meditation. ‘Miwa?’ He closed his eyes again, trying to connect to the source. ‘Miwa, is that you?’
The two found themselves on an astral plane where there was nothing but a starry sky surrounding them. “Leo!” Miwa cried as she ran towards her brother’s spectral image. Leonardo was shocked as his long lost sister ran to hug him. He held his twin gently as she cried into his shoulder. “I thought you were dead!”
“Miwa? I… I thought…” He shook his head as he looked at his sister, grown up and looking like their mother, but with a different hairstyle. “I… how?”
She smirked as she stood back and looked at her twin. He looked like his father, but slightly shorter. “You should keep a better eye on Donnie, heh. He left a note for me to find.”
“What? Where?”
“You mean, you don’t know where I am?”
“No, of course not! Do you think I’d still think you were dead if I did?” His own eyes were filled with tears at this point.
“Ah, Leo.” Miwa grimaced as she wiped her brother’s tears away. They were about the same height now. “Are you all safe? Mikey, Raph, father? Are they okay?”
“They still think you’re dead, and we’re living in an old subway station. We’re fine. What about you? Where are you?”
Miwa wanted to tell him, but was certain that he’d just go get himself in trouble. “I’m in foster care.” Was all she could say. “I’ll come back, I promise. Just wait for me.”
“Should I tell the others that you’re okay?” Leonardo knew his sister wanted to protect them and that was the only reason she wasn’t saying where she was.
Miwa thought about it and sighed. “Not father, not yet. The others though, yes. I’ll come back when I can. I’ll find you. I promise.” She hugged her twin tightly, able to feel him as though they weren’t in the astral planes, but in reality. “Tell Donatello that I said thanks. I’m just glad you guys are okay. I gotta go.”
“Can we talk again?” Leonardo asked slightly desperate.
“Now that we both know that we’re alive, we can go around with less headaches, heh. We’ll be able to control our thoughts better and know that we’re trying to communicate. Don’t worry about me, Leo.” She let go of her brother and smiled. “I’ll meditate again later when I need to talk to you.” She winked. “You’ll get a headache if you ignore me.”
“Same, sis. Oh, and warning, I meditate during one of my classes, so that might send off a signal.”
“Not a problem.” The two gave each other one last hug as they started to fade. “Take care of the others, bro.”
“Take care of yourself, sis.”
Miwa smiled as she hugged both her Japanese doll that her mother had given her, and her twin’s Captain Ryan toy. ‘They’re safe!’
Leonardo smiled as he woke up from his own meditation with some tears in his eyes. He looked over to his door where Michelangelo was waiting with an annoyed Raphael. “Mikey here says ma told him you had some news for us, but we couldn’t tell dad. He pulling my leg or what?”
Leonardo laughed and indicated for the two to come in and close the door. He had big news to tell them. “You aren’t going to believe this one, guys.”
Chapter 24
When Donatello arrived home, he was not surprised that his mother, ever the gullible, was entertaining the two cops that were pretending to be powerboat salesmen. They had her in the palm of their hands, talking about anything they needed. He was surprised that his mother even noticed him returning home. “Donatello, this is Bob, and Bill.” She indicated to the two men on either side of her while Donatello rolled his eyes.
‘Might as well say the obvious. Maybe they’ll go away and I can practice trying to harness that strange ability I have.’ He looked over to the woman who was as happy as a clam to have company over for once. “They’re cops, mother.” He said as calmly as he could while he headed towards his room.
The two FBI agents were surprised that they had been found out by the youngest member of the household, who had no records for belonging in the family at all. Zinnia however, was not happy at the accusation. “They are not cops, they are Ace Powerboat Salesman!” She showed the model of the boat to the boy, as though that would convince him.
It was just luck that at that moment, Harry entered the house. “Babyface, I’m starved!” Everyone turned towards him as he entered with a shocked look on his face. Both he and his wife had failed to notice the recorder in Bob’s hand.
“Hi, Harry.” Zinnia said nervously as though she had been caught doing something wrong.
“Who are you?” Harry asked the two cops, unknowing of whether they were cops or not. “What is this, a Hot tub party?” He started ranting as the cops grabbed their props and coats to leave, knowing that they could get no more with trouble like Harry in the house. He made a comment about his wife entertaining a couple of surfer dude body builders.
Donatello turned to his foster parents and made the same comment he made to the mother. “They’re cops, dad.”
Bob tried to save face by asking a stupid question, “You interested in time share?” The door was promptly slammed on his face.
The two adults then started arguing about Zinnia being isolated and not being allowed to talk to people. Donatello just shook his head and went to his room. He started trying to concentrate his powers on the door, hoping to find the answer to his powers. He found the door started to move, but not completely.
Then he had an idea. “Dad.” He called out.
“What do you want?” Harry was furious.
“Yell at me, okay?” which sounded like he was trying to defend his mother.
“Shut up and leave us alone!” This time the door moved more.
“Yell at me again!”
“Yell at you? I’ll come in there and pound your miserable hide! What do I have to do to get some respect around here?” He stormed towards the boy’s door and was about to enter when it shut of its own accord and locked itself. Donatello smiled as he realized he had figured out a solution to his powers, righteous fury.
Chapter 25
No child likes to get yelled at, but it was precisely Harry’s ranting and raving that gave Donatello the key to his powers. To unlock that power, all he needed to do was practice. Donatello wasted no time in doing this. Over the next few days he started to practice more and more. He started out small with one piece of cereal and eventually moved onto the whole box. When he got stuck he would remember all the insults from his family and from the Shredder. He would also remember that he had been correct about Karai being a Hamato. Leonardo had told him Karai’s message the next day at school, though he still didn’t know how Donatello had helped. Donatello had been so happy then about being right, but he was furious at the Shredder for keeping the girl prisoner and making her family think she was dead, as well as convincing her that her family was dead as well.
The cereal box lifted up and poured a generous amount of cheerios. He grinned as his powers also poured in a good amount of milk and placed the spoon in the bowl. He had the hang of it now. He smiled as the spoon flew up out of the cereal and fed him without effort. He was very happy.
That day was a short day at school, so Donatello arrived home earlier than anyone else and decided to use it to his advantage. He turned on his favorite song on the radio and made the entire living room dance with him, from his father’s poker set to the lamps and chairs. When the song was over, he put everything away back to normal with his powers and opened the curtains for some light. What he saw outside though annoyed him.
The two FBI agents were snooping around. True, he was positive that this wasn’t his real family, but it was his home. ‘Maybe I can stall and give Harry enough time to fix his act. If he doesn’t do it on his own, The Shredder might just do it for him because of that car…’ Donatello sighed as he made his way outside to the garage where the two were talking.
The smarter of them was talking to the other like he was an idiot. They were talking about the camera that they had used to film Harry’s dirty dealings. Donatello used his powers to move a box they were after away from them while they were distracted. The box was on a high shelf, and Donatello was still standing outside of the garage. He smirked when the smart one climbed up the ladder and noticed the box was on the other side of the shelf. He climbed back down and moved the ladder as Donatello moved the box again.
Donatello decided to make his presence known then. “You two men are going to be in a lot of trouble very soon.” Donatello had on his serious face, and was wearing his normal outfit of a button up purple shirt and slacks.
“It’s the unexplained minor.” One of them muttered to the other. Donatello just rolled his eyes as they came closer to him.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school young man?”
Donatello shook his head. “PLC day. I really hope you two have a search warrant for this. According to a constitutional law book I read in the library last year, if you don’t have one, you could lose your jobs or even go to federal prison.”
The two men looked at each other with confusion. How did this child who had no records read a book that should be difficult for people even in early college? The smart one shrugged it off. “It’s your father who’s going to federal prison. And you know where you’ll end up?”
The other decided to put in his two cents, not that Donatello was interested in their foolishness. “In a federal orphanage.”
“You cooperate, we’ll make sure it’s a nice orphanage.”
“The kind with food, and teeny weeny cockroaches.”
“What do you say?”
Donatello rolled his eyes once more, landed his gaze on their car across the street, mentally picturing the brakes turning off. “There’s another crime in the making.” Donatello pointed to their car. “Your car is about to run a stop sign.” The two turned and noticed to their surprise that he was right! As they ran to get their car, Donatello’s power pulled the tape out of the video camera and made it fly over to him. He grabbed, closed the garage door, and made his way back inside where he disposed of the tape in the garbage can.

Description
Chapter 21
When the school day ended, Donatello used the school’s phone to call his house and let his parents know he would be gone for a few extra hours. His mother was fine with it, and convinced her husband that it would be fine. Donatello was happy to know that he was allowed to stay out so long as he was back by seven. He practiced sparring with Michelangelo until the elder Hamato children came by.
“Did you miss your bus, Don?” Leonardo asked with a grimace.
“Nope, he’s coming home with us!” Michelangelo said excitedly.
Donatello grimaced. “I have to be back by Seven though, but yeah. If you guys don’t mind.”
Raphael smiled. “We don’t mind at all, kid. Yo, dad, you ready to go?”
“I am coming, my sons.” Master Splinter had grabbed his walking stick and satchel and the five of them started to walk down the street towards the outskirts of the town.
On their way to the Hamato home, they passed by a large town house. Yoshi paused for a moment and gave a saddened sigh. “That’s where Oroku Saki lives.”
Donatello frowned as he noticed the sad faces on his friends. Then he noticed a swing out on a tree in the yard. “Why is there a swing?”
“A family we know used to live there.” Yoshi sighed as he urged the children to continue walking. “A young man and his wife with their children… unfortunately, the young man had become scared when his third son had been kidnapped shortly after being born. He called upon his friend from his homeland; Oroku Saki, his adopted brother. His brother came and everything seemed to be fine for a time. Then one day, after the family had a fifth child, another young boy, a fire had started at the pre-school that the oldest two children were going to. The two were a set of twins. While the boy had managed to escape from the flames, his twin sister and the mother perished in the flames…”
“That’s terrible…” Donatello whispered.
“Yes, and Oroku started to show his true colors towards the boys and the father. They were practically chased out of their own home, for fear of his temper.”
“Oh my…”
“Do not worry, my student, the end is much happier. The father found an old subway station that had been abandoned in the sewers for years. He fixed it up so that he and his three sons could live there peacefully.”
“That’s good.” Donatello smirked. The other boys had been quiet throughout the whole story but were now smiling at the end of it, though Leonardo was clutching his head again from passing by the house.
Michelangelo and Raphael suddenly raced ahead towards a manhole and lifted it up. “Last one in hatched from a rotten egg!” Michelangelo called as he jumped in.
“We aren’t turtles, Mikey, no matter how much you wish you were one!” Raphael called as he followed suite.
Donatello’s eyes widened as he realized who the story had been about. “The abandoned subway station in the sewers…! Your family… oh my gosh… no…!”
“I am afraid so, my young pupil. Oroku Saki had once been my best friend, raised as my brother from early childhood.” Yoshi sighed as he remembered the day his wife had died, along with his daughter, and the day his best friend had started acting so hostile towards them. Leonardo kept silent as his eyes widened. He had noticed something. Yoshi noticed his eldest son’s fearful look with concern. “What is it, my son?”
Leonardo looked up at his father and just shook his head. “Just another headache, father. Nothing to be concerned about.” He then jumped into the sewer tunnels with Donatello and Yoshi right behind him, sealing off the tunnel. While the others were used to travelling through the sewers by now, Donatello was struggling to make his way. Leonardo grabbed the young boy’s hand and led him through the system towards the subway station that was their home.
While Master Splinter started to make some tea and cookies, the four boys gathered in what was known as Michelangelo’s room. Donatello was looking at the eldest with concern. “Are you okay, Leo?”
“I’m fine, Don. Just another headache. I get them a lot, especially when I near the old place.” Leonardo just grimaced.
“Yeah, it’s because he senses his twin, Miwa.” Michelangelo grimaced.
Donatello frowned in confusion. ‘Why is that name so familiar…?’
“Mikey!” Raphael grumbled. He did not want the new kid knowing about their powers just yet. They hadn’t even told their other friends at school!
“Relax, Raph. Don’s got a power too!”
“HUH?” The older boys were now confused.
“You mean you believe me, Mikey?”
“Well, DUH! I saw you do it! Nice work by the way.”
“Heh, thanks.”
“Saw him do what?” Raphael was getting impatient as usual.
“He used his big brain of his to move the principal’s glass to spill onto him. Oh, and apparently, Master Saki can really dance!” Michelangelo started to mimic the principal’s movements, making the boys chuckle slightly.
Leonardo then looked back at Donatello. “So you can move objects?”
“I think so. I’m sure I did.”
“He did, he’s just not used to the powers yet because he hasn’t practiced with them.” Michelangelo smiled. “Mom said he’ll be pretty powerful if he practices enough.”
“Of course she did.” Raphael rolled his eyes.
Donatello looked at his friend with some confusion. ‘Why is he so confident in my abilities?’
Raphael chuckled at Donatello’s confusion. “Mikey’s got this ability that lets him see our powers when they’re in motion. He can also talk to ghosts… at least he says he can.”
“NO, just mom’s ghost.”
“Same thing, really.”
“So what can you two do then?” Donatello chuckled.
Leonardo bit his lip. “Um…”
“Raph can turn his anger into a super strength!” Michelangelo smiled, proud of his big brother’s amazing ability. “And Leo can talk…”
“Could talk to my twin sister, Miwa.” Leonardo interjected. “Now I just get headaches.”
Donatello’s eyes widened as a memory came back to him. A couple of weeks after he had started going to the library and meeting with Karai, young Donatello, the four year old genius, had asked her a new kind of question. “Hey, Karai?”
“Yeah, Donatello?”
“You said that Karai was what your foster father called you, right?”
“Yes, so?”
“What did your real family call you?”
Karai looked at the boy with confusion. “Why do you want to know?”
“Well… I want to know so that I know more about you. Not what he wants to make you.”
Karai smiled at his honesty. “My real name is Miwa… it means Harmony in Japanese.”
Donatello shook his head, snapping out of his memory as his sensei brought the children some cookies and asked if they would all like some tea. Donatello quietly accepted the Jasmine tea with a polite “Thank you, Sensei.” His mind was already racing at a hundred miles an hour once more. ‘Is she the same Miwa? If so… that might explain why Mikey can only see his mother, and why both Karai and Leo have headaches! I can’t say anything on it yet, but… oh man! I should have asked her last name! I should have asked where she lived! I could have brought her to meet my new friends!’ The boys had started on a new subject now, and Donatello had barely caught what they were saying. “Treasures?”
“Photos of Mom,” Raphael supplied as he chewed on a cookie. He had a grim expression on. “My pet turtle, Spike.”
“My captain Ryan action figure that mom got me for Christmas one year.” Leonardo put in.
“My kitty, Klunk… mom got him for me when I was two, just before she died…” Michelangelo said soberly. “He’s probably starving or starved to death rather, at the house.”
Donatello frowned. “Why don’t you guys move away from here?”
Leonardo and the boys looked at each other and then to Donatello. “We couldn’t abandon the other kids to Oroku Saki. They need us… and Master Splinter.” Michelangelo explained. “Without Leo, no one would have any courage. Without Raph, no one would be willing to stand up for others. Without Father, none of the kids would make it through the first year of school!”
“Not to mention that without Mikey, none of them would know how to be optimistic.” Raphael chuckled as he rubbed the younger boy’s head, making him laugh.
Donatello smirked, wishing he had that kind of relationship with his brother, Michael. He knew it would never be, but he could still wish for a sibling bond. “You guys are pretty brave. Are you afraid of anything?”
Raphael grimaced. “Cockroaches.”
“Failure.” Leonardo said solemnly, making Raphael look at him funny.
“The Shredder… and the Chokey… and being alone…” Michelangelo kept shrinking himself down as he named off his fears until Leonardo placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
Donatello thought about this for a minute. “I wonder what the Shredder’s afraid of…”
Chapter 22
The Hamato family decided to walk Donatello home, but once more stopped in front of their old house. Donatello led them into the bushes to hide as they saw Oroku Saki placing things into the old car that Harry had sold him. Oroku was shoving old Olympics gear into the trunk of the car. The boys were naming the events off as they were placed in. “Shotput… hammer throw… javelin…”
Suddenly a black cat started meowing at Oroku, walking slowly towards him. Oroku started to shake uncontrollably. He started barking at the cat to try and scare it away.
Donatello was confused. “He’s afraid of cats?” He whispered.
“Black cats, my pupil. Oroku Saki is very superstitious.” Oroku eventually gave in and just kicked the cat!
The small cat was sent flying through the air, landing just in front of the Hamato family and Donatello. “Poor kitty…” Michelangelo whispered, wanting to care for the cat while hoping that his own had not suffered a similar fate. The cat ran off quickly.
“The cat is fine, my son.” Yoshi reassured the young boy who nodded to show he understood.
“I guess you’re right…”
“Shh!” Raphael pointed at the car as it started towards them. Leonardo led them deeper into the bushes to hide from the car. They were now closer to the house.
Donatello looked at the scared family beside him and frowned. “Let’s go get your treasures!”
“No, Donatello!” Yoshi shook his head while the other boys looked at him with some awe.
“Well he’s gone!” Donatello put his ninja speed to use and ran towards the house. “Come on!”
Michelangelo and the other boys were torn. They didn’t want to get caught or in trouble, but Donatello was right about no one being in the house… “Donatello!” Yoshi called out again, hoping to discourage the usually obedient boy and make him come back.
“Master Splinter!” Donatello waived for them to follow.
Seeing no other choice but to follow, the four Hamatos followed the young genius into their old home. Little did they know that only a few blocks away, Oroku Saki’s car had broken down, and he was in a foul mood.
Though the exterior of the house left something to be desired, the interior looked a little cleaner, but just barely. The boys all looked around in awe. “Our home…” Yoshi sighed. As he turned his head towards the living room he felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. “Oh my…” The boys followed their sensei into the large room and noticed the picture above the fireplace. It was a large portrait of Oroku Saki at the Olympics. “My wife’s portrait used to hang there…”
“Whoever painted the Shredder must have had a strong stomach.” Donatello muttered.
“A really strong stomach…” Raphael agreed.
“We should go…” Yoshi said in a sad voice.
It was at that point that Leonardo spotted something. “Mother’s chocolate box!” The boys instantly crowded around it, save for Donatello and Yoshi.
“I can’t believe it’s still here!” Raphael whispered in shock. He gently lifted up the lid, showing the multiple chocolates that were kept in it. “Every night after supper, Ma would grab two chocolates and cut them into small pieces for all of us to share. Even a small piece for Mikey when he could barely chew!”
“After mother died, no one would dare touch the box… save for Oroku Saki…” Leonardo grumbled. “He’d mainly do it on nights when father wasn’t home and say that Chocolate was too good for kids before shoving it into his mouth. He was usually gone for the most part of the day though, thank goodness.”
Donatello looked at the others with a grimace. “Why don’t you take one?”
“He’ll notice… he counts them.” Michelangelo grumbled from what little he could remember.
Donatello then remembered the real reason for going into the lion’s den. “Where are your treasures?”
“They’d be upstairs…” Leonardo muttered, carefully placing the lid back on the chocolate box, unaware of a small bit of school dirt that was left on the box now.
Donatello nodded once more and ran. He made his way towards the stairs where he stopped just barely out of the family’s sight. He waited for the Hamatos to come around, which just happened to be Michelangelo, and startled him. “HA!”
“WHA!” causing all the Hamato to laugh as they continued up the stairs. “Donnie!”
They were unaware of Oroku Saki managing to drag the broken car into the driveway. They made their way to the room that the four Hamato children had shared in their time at the house. They were surprised to find the room was clean and there were drawings all over the place, as well as pictures of Teng Shen sitting on the side.
“What is this?” Yoshi asked in confusion. “Oroku Saki would not bother to clean up a child’s room…”
“Meow?” The group froze in confusion. Michelangelo’s eyes widened as he turned towards the sound. An orange cat with big green eyes was looking at him. “Meow.” The cat jumped onto Michelangelo, who caught him easily.
“Klunk?” The cat seemed to smile as it purred into his chest. “Klunk!”
“I don’t believe it!” Raphael whispered as he looked at the cat. Then he looked at where he would have kept Spike’s cage. “I don’t believe it!” Raphael ran over to the tank where Spike was eating his leaf. “Spike!” The tortoise was as healthy as ever! There was a note stuck to the cage that said “Need to get more treats for Spike.” The handwriting was familiar, but he couldn’t place it. “How ya doing Spike?” The tortoise just looked at Raphael with a smile. “Chew your leaf if you’re okay.” Spike chewed on his leaf happily. “Heh.”
Leonardo found himself distracted by his Captain Ryan action figure lying on a bed next to an old Japanese doll that had her hair brushed out into a bun while wearing a clean kimono. ‘This is Lissy Doll! And Captain Ryan! They’re both fine?’ Just as he was about to touch the action figure and the doll for closer examination, the Hamatos and Donatello heard a shout.
“WORMWOOD!” They froze. Michelangelo put Klunk down, who knew to run under the beds to hide while Spike ducked into his shell. Donatello slipped a scrap piece of paper into a science book for studying and prayed that it would get to who he wanted it to get to, and soon. The group slowly walked towards the stairs as they heard Oroku Saki shouting at Harry Wormwood over the phone. He was not being kind at all, and Donatello just wished that Harry had listened to him when he tried to convince him to sell good cars. Suddenly the Shredder stopped and hung up the phone. He started to make his way towards the parlor where the chocolate box was.
“Time to go.” Master Splinter signaled to his young pupils silently. They nodded. They tried to hide behind some of the columns.
“Shouldn’t we hide or something?” Michelangelo whispered as quietly as he could. He was lucky that Oroku Saki wasn’t that good at listening.
“Agreed. You children head towards that way and escape down the stairs through the kitchen. I’ll distract Oroku. He’s not as good as he’d like to believe.” The boys nodded and followed their sensei’s orders while Yoshi went the other way.
“WHO’S IN MY HOUSE?” Oroku asked as he stomped up the stairs. He started to make his way towards where the children were trying to sneak down stairs, “Come Out and Fight like a Man!”
Donatello was the last to slip away into the hidden stairwell that was filled with clutter, just barely avoiding getting caught by the Shredder. Oroku was about to enter the stairwell himself when a large sound came from the room where his gym equipment were stored. It was Yoshi, dropping a shotput on purpose to distract Oroku from his students! Yoshi quickly hid himself into a closet. It was at that time that a mop decided to fall upon the boys, sounding off that they were downstairs!
Oroku skidded to a stop just before the room that Yoshi was hiding in and looked towards where he thought the sound was. Then he heard the locked door of the kitchen. He had boarded up that door ages ago! Someone was trying to get out that way? Foolish! He knew where they were now! Oroku ran to the banister and leapt over it, landing solid on the ground, shaking the entire house! “Tally Ho!”
Yoshi ran out of the closet, seeing the metal man do this and gasped as the chandeliers in the house fell and broke on the floor. Donatello looked around, trying to figure out where he and the brothers could hide. They were still trapped in the kitchen! He looked to Raphael and Leonardo and gave a silent nod, indicating that he had an idea. He grabbed Michelangelo and the two went under the table while the elder two squeezed themselves into the pantry and cupboards, hoping to not be discovered.
When Oroku came in, he found no one in the kitchen, though he had been sure that that was where they had been! Oroku looked around silently, opening every other cupboard, completely missing Raphael as he managed to move through the broken cupboards to ones that had already been checked with the silence of a great ninja. When the pantry was checked, Leonardo had himself hidden in the darkest shadows behind a large bag of flour. Oroku didn’t see him. When he checked under the table, the two older boys were worried that Donatello and Michelangelo would surely be caught! Donatello wasn’t going to give in so easily though. He grabbed the four legs and held himself between them after making sure Michelangelo was secure and silent. He had Michelangelo squeezed between himself and the table top, but the smaller boy still had room to breathe, though he barely did so. The two were grateful that the headmaster didn’t look up from under the table, but Donatello’s grip was slowly starting to slip.
Yoshi had managed to see the boy’s hand from under the tablecloth and came up with an idea instantly. He rushed to the front door, opened it and slammed it close again, causing Oroku to stop looking in the kitchen and run towards the front door! Yoshi ran up the stairs and back down the secret stairs to the kitchen as the boys got out of their hiding places. Oroku suddenly went upstairs and the boys were startled as Splinter came down the secret ones and led them through the basement. Unfortunately, the basement doors were locked with a hard lock as well. They were trapped again!
Donatello looked around for an exit and pointed out a small window that would barely fit them all. Donatello made certain that he was last before their sensei as they made their escape through the window. Yoshi barely made it out as Oroku said, “Some rats are going to die today!” Oroku then noticed the small window shutting and made his way over to where the chained doors were. He growled as he tore the chains off with his metal hands. It sounded like an explosion as the doors to the cellar burst open for the first time in years, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The Hamatos and Donatello poured on the speed as they ran to the untamed plants to hide. Oroku had yet to see them, but he was slashing at all the plants in the area until he smashed a bird statue and yelled in anger. He then trudged back to his home, believing his foes to have fled. Had he gone a few feet further, he would have found a terrified Donatello covering a horrified Michelangelo while the other three were nearby. Donatello moved away from Michelangelo, giving the boy more room to move as he tried to slow his heart rate down.
“Feel my heart.” Michelangelo whispered. “Wasn’t that the most scared you’ve ever been in your life?” The brothers and Donatello nodded while Splinter kept his gaze on the door, refusing to move till he was certain that the Shredder was in the house and unable to see them move.
“Let us go, my pupils.”
Donatello’s mind was racing though. “He shouldn’t be allowed to treat people like that.”
“Trust us, we know.” Leonardo had managed to keep his voice steady as usual.
“Someone’s gotta teach him a lesson.”
Raphael agreed to this one. “If we could, we would.”
“We can wait till he leaves again and then get your things.” The Hamatos all looked at him like he was crazy. “Or not.”
“Donatello.” The young boy looked to his sensei as they made their way to the sidewalk and out of the danger zone. “Promise me you shall never step foot in Oroku Saki’s house, ever again.”
Donatello pursed his lips. Then he sighed and nodded. “Yes, Master Splinter.” Donatello was a boy of his word. He wouldn’t go into the Shredder’s house again, but the house didn’t really belong to the Shredder, it belonged to the Hamato clan.
“Good, now, let us take our leave.” The four boys started following their sensei towards where Donatello lived so they could drop him off. Donatello looked back though, hoping his message would be received by the right person.
Chapter 23
When Karai arrived home, she instantly made her way to her room, ignoring her foster father’s rants about intruders in the house. She sighed as she petted the orange cat that had come out of hiding to greet her, and fed the tortoise some new leaves and treats. She sat down on her bed and noticed her science book had something sticking out of it. She cautiously opened it and gasped as she found it was a note.
“Dear Karai/Miwa,
It’s me, Donatello. Hope this finds you well. You aren’t going to believe this, but if your last name is Hamato, then you’re not an orphan, you’re a prisoner. My Sensei is Hamato Yoshi, and my best friends are his sons. They think you are dead though. Remember how you have headaches? My friend, Hamato Leonardo, also has headaches when he comes near the house. I think he senses you are still alive. If your special ability is to contact him with your mind, try concentrating really hard on him while meditating. Michelangelo told me about your abilities. Raphael was really happy to see Spike was okay, and Michelangelo was happy to find Klunk was fine. I’m writing this as quickly as I can while the others are distracted while looking at their treasures. I promise, I’ll figure out a way for everything to get better. Stay safe,
Sincerely Donatello.”
Miwa placed a hand to her mouth as she looked to the two pets in the room. Her family had broken into the lion’s den, and they thought she was dead? Oroku had lied to them all? But why? She looked at the note again. The fact that Donatello had named all of her family, though she had never said their names was further proof that he wasn’t lying. ‘Donatello… you crazy boy…’ She smiled kindly to the paper and hugged it. She only needed to do one final thing to see if he was correct.
She tore up the paper and put it into the pile of scrap paper that would line Spike’s cage when she cleaned it again. Miwa then sat herself down and meditated, concentrating on her twin for the first time since the fire. ‘Leonardo? Are you there?’
Deep in the sewers, hidden away in his room in the abandoned subway station, a young boy’s eyes opened wide with shock during his nightly meditation. ‘Miwa?’ He closed his eyes again, trying to connect to the source. ‘Miwa, is that you?’
The two found themselves on an astral plane where there was nothing but a starry sky surrounding them. “Leo!” Miwa cried as she ran towards her brother’s spectral image. Leonardo was shocked as his long lost sister ran to hug him. He held his twin gently as she cried into his shoulder. “I thought you were dead!”
“Miwa? I… I thought…” He shook his head as he looked at his sister, grown up and looking like their mother, but with a different hairstyle. “I… how?”
She smirked as she stood back and looked at her twin. He looked like his father, but slightly shorter. “You should keep a better eye on Donnie, heh. He left a note for me to find.”
“What? Where?”
“You mean, you don’t know where I am?”
“No, of course not! Do you think I’d still think you were dead if I did?” His own eyes were filled with tears at this point.
“Ah, Leo.” Miwa grimaced as she wiped her brother’s tears away. They were about the same height now. “Are you all safe? Mikey, Raph, father? Are they okay?”
“They still think you’re dead, and we’re living in an old subway station. We’re fine. What about you? Where are you?”
Miwa wanted to tell him, but was certain that he’d just go get himself in trouble. “I’m in foster care.” Was all she could say. “I’ll come back, I promise. Just wait for me.”
“Should I tell the others that you’re okay?” Leonardo knew his sister wanted to protect them and that was the only reason she wasn’t saying where she was.
Miwa thought about it and sighed. “Not father, not yet. The others though, yes. I’ll come back when I can. I’ll find you. I promise.” She hugged her twin tightly, able to feel him as though they weren’t in the astral planes, but in reality. “Tell Donatello that I said thanks. I’m just glad you guys are okay. I gotta go.”
“Can we talk again?” Leonardo asked slightly desperate.
“Now that we both know that we’re alive, we can go around with less headaches, heh. We’ll be able to control our thoughts better and know that we’re trying to communicate. Don’t worry about me, Leo.” She let go of her brother and smiled. “I’ll meditate again later when I need to talk to you.” She winked. “You’ll get a headache if you ignore me.”
“Same, sis. Oh, and warning, I meditate during one of my classes, so that might send off a signal.”
“Not a problem.” The two gave each other one last hug as they started to fade. “Take care of the others, bro.”
“Take care of yourself, sis.”
Miwa smiled as she hugged both her Japanese doll that her mother had given her, and her twin’s Captain Ryan toy. ‘They’re safe!’
Leonardo smiled as he woke up from his own meditation with some tears in his eyes. He looked over to his door where Michelangelo was waiting with an annoyed Raphael. “Mikey here says ma told him you had some news for us, but we couldn’t tell dad. He pulling my leg or what?”
Leonardo laughed and indicated for the two to come in and close the door. He had big news to tell them. “You aren’t going to believe this one, guys.”
Chapter 24
When Donatello arrived home, he was not surprised that his mother, ever the gullible, was entertaining the two cops that were pretending to be powerboat salesmen. They had her in the palm of their hands, talking about anything they needed. He was surprised that his mother even noticed him returning home. “Donatello, this is Bob, and Bill.” She indicated to the two men on either side of her while Donatello rolled his eyes.
‘Might as well say the obvious. Maybe they’ll go away and I can practice trying to harness that strange ability I have.’ He looked over to the woman who was as happy as a clam to have company over for once. “They’re cops, mother.” He said as calmly as he could while he headed towards his room.
The two FBI agents were surprised that they had been found out by the youngest member of the household, who had no records for belonging in the family at all. Zinnia however, was not happy at the accusation. “They are not cops, they are Ace Powerboat Salesman!” She showed the model of the boat to the boy, as though that would convince him.
It was just luck that at that moment, Harry entered the house. “Babyface, I’m starved!” Everyone turned towards him as he entered with a shocked look on his face. Both he and his wife had failed to notice the recorder in Bob’s hand.
“Hi, Harry.” Zinnia said nervously as though she had been caught doing something wrong.
“Who are you?” Harry asked the two cops, unknowing of whether they were cops or not. “What is this, a Hot tub party?” He started ranting as the cops grabbed their props and coats to leave, knowing that they could get no more with trouble like Harry in the house. He made a comment about his wife entertaining a couple of surfer dude body builders.
Donatello turned to his foster parents and made the same comment he made to the mother. “They’re cops, dad.”
Bob tried to save face by asking a stupid question, “You interested in time share?” The door was promptly slammed on his face.
The two adults then started arguing about Zinnia being isolated and not being allowed to talk to people. Donatello just shook his head and went to his room. He started trying to concentrate his powers on the door, hoping to find the answer to his powers. He found the door started to move, but not completely.
Then he had an idea. “Dad.” He called out.
“What do you want?” Harry was furious.
“Yell at me, okay?” which sounded like he was trying to defend his mother.
“Shut up and leave us alone!” This time the door moved more.
“Yell at me again!”
“Yell at you? I’ll come in there and pound your miserable hide! What do I have to do to get some respect around here?” He stormed towards the boy’s door and was about to enter when it shut of its own accord and locked itself. Donatello smiled as he realized he had figured out a solution to his powers, righteous fury.
Chapter 25
No child likes to get yelled at, but it was precisely Harry’s ranting and raving that gave Donatello the key to his powers. To unlock that power, all he needed to do was practice. Donatello wasted no time in doing this. Over the next few days he started to practice more and more. He started out small with one piece of cereal and eventually moved onto the whole box. When he got stuck he would remember all the insults from his family and from the Shredder. He would also remember that he had been correct about Karai being a Hamato. Leonardo had told him Karai’s message the next day at school, though he still didn’t know how Donatello had helped. Donatello had been so happy then about being right, but he was furious at the Shredder for keeping the girl prisoner and making her family think she was dead, as well as convincing her that her family was dead as well.
The cereal box lifted up and poured a generous amount of cheerios. He grinned as his powers also poured in a good amount of milk and placed the spoon in the bowl. He had the hang of it now. He smiled as the spoon flew up out of the cereal and fed him without effort. He was very happy.
That day was a short day at school, so Donatello arrived home earlier than anyone else and decided to use it to his advantage. He turned on his favorite song on the radio and made the entire living room dance with him, from his father’s poker set to the lamps and chairs. When the song was over, he put everything away back to normal with his powers and opened the curtains for some light. What he saw outside though annoyed him.
The two FBI agents were snooping around. True, he was positive that this wasn’t his real family, but it was his home. ‘Maybe I can stall and give Harry enough time to fix his act. If he doesn’t do it on his own, The Shredder might just do it for him because of that car…’ Donatello sighed as he made his way outside to the garage where the two were talking.
The smarter of them was talking to the other like he was an idiot. They were talking about the camera that they had used to film Harry’s dirty dealings. Donatello used his powers to move a box they were after away from them while they were distracted. The box was on a high shelf, and Donatello was still standing outside of the garage. He smirked when the smart one climbed up the ladder and noticed the box was on the other side of the shelf. He climbed back down and moved the ladder as Donatello moved the box again.
Donatello decided to make his presence known then. “You two men are going to be in a lot of trouble very soon.” Donatello had on his serious face, and was wearing his normal outfit of a button up purple shirt and slacks.
“It’s the unexplained minor.” One of them muttered to the other. Donatello just rolled his eyes as they came closer to him.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in school young man?”
Donatello shook his head. “PLC day. I really hope you two have a search warrant for this. According to a constitutional law book I read in the library last year, if you don’t have one, you could lose your jobs or even go to federal prison.”
The two men looked at each other with confusion. How did this child who had no records read a book that should be difficult for people even in early college? The smart one shrugged it off. “It’s your father who’s going to federal prison. And you know where you’ll end up?”
The other decided to put in his two cents, not that Donatello was interested in their foolishness. “In a federal orphanage.”
“You cooperate, we’ll make sure it’s a nice orphanage.”
“The kind with food, and teeny weeny cockroaches.”
“What do you say?”
Donatello rolled his eyes once more, landed his gaze on their car across the street, mentally picturing the brakes turning off. “There’s another crime in the making.” Donatello pointed to their car. “Your car is about to run a stop sign.” The two turned and noticed to their surprise that he was right! As they ran to get their car, Donatello’s power pulled the tape out of the video camera and made it fly over to him. He grabbed, closed the garage door, and made his way back inside where he disposed of the tape in the garbage can.