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Mikey stands up and wipes some sweat from his forehead. He turns to Todd and flashes him a wide grin. Donnie gave Mikey his battle shell earlier to aid with repairs around Todd’s puppy rescue, and Mikey gratefully accepted. Extra mechanical limbs make life so much easier.“Alrighty, Todd, that should be the last of the repairs!”Todd looks around the puppy park with wide eyes and a smile that put even Mikey’s to shame. “Wow, I can’t thank you enough for helping me and the pups out here, friend! This place looks brand new!”Mikey winks and points finger guns at Todd, with Donnie’s mechanical limbs mimicking the gesture. “Anytime baby! You know I would do anything for my favourite woodchuck.”Todd sighs with a deadpan expression. “I’m a capybara.”Mikey nods and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Sure you are buddy.”It’s been a couple of months since the Kraang invaded and Mikey and his brothers kicked their butts back into the prison dimension—well, one of them anyway. Kraang Prime’s sister was taken into custody by some shady government organisation, but Mikey figures they know what they’re doing, so he isn’t too worried about it.New York itself was pretty messed up from the invasion, so the whole fam has done nothing but try to fix things up around the lair, April’s place, Draxum’s—heck, even the hidden city was a little shaken up. And not to mention all the injuries they sustained during the battle… especially Leo. Mikey’s loveable, flamboyant older brother was badly hurt. Worse than ever before…But, thanks to their faster-than-average healing abilities, Leo was back to his normal self in no time, now built in with some newfound trauma… Mikey knows he’ll have to bring out Dr. Feelings and confront Leo about his self-sacrifice, but that’s for another time. Today was the only break they’d gotten to get some fresh air and show Casey the city now that everything is looking half normal again. They even got him to try pizza for the first time! Then shortly after that, Raph challenged Leo’s pizza stack record (which he totally demolished) and Mikey got the text from Todd about the puppy park.Once Mikey told everyone about Todd, they all decided to disperse. Raph went with April to her place to help her with some final adjustments while Leo, Donnie and Casey tagged along with Splinter back to the lair, and Mikey went off by himself (like the mature fifteen-year-old he is now) to go to Todd’s place and help with the last few repairs. Donnie said he would’ve joined Mikey if he wasn’t so busy with repairs at home, so he entrusted Mikey with his battle shell to aid in fixing up the last few things around the puppy park.The puppy park in question didn’t take too bad of a hit during the invasion, and Todd managed to fix up most things, but there were certain areas he wasn’t too sure on, which was where Mikey came in, along with Donnie’s power tools. And now, with everything done, it’s time to relax… with a puppy pile.All the dogs are surrounding Mikey while they jump up and down at his feet, their tails whipping side to side with excited yips and barks.“Yay, puppies!” Mikey flops over with a joyful laugh, Donnie’s battle shell catching him before he can hit the ground and slowly lowering him down. Mikey starts petting all the furry coats his arms allow him to reach, as well as using the mechanical hands for maximum cuddle efficiency, of course. Mikey then hears Todd’s voice and the sound of kibble hitting metal, and the throng of puppies clears out as quickly as it once formed, all of them rushing over to get their food. Mikey sits up and shakes his head, still giggling somewhat.“You know what all that hard work deserves?” Todd walks down from the deck with a tray in his hands.Mikey grins and shoots his hands into the air. “Lemonade!”Todd laughs with a warm smile. “You betcha! The same kind I make for those folks in Alaska who need a little sunshine.” Todd sits beside Mikey on the grass and holds the tray out to him, which has a jug full of the delicious beverage and two glasses already containing it. “And you, my friend, deserve it most of all.”“Thanks, Todd.” Mikey takes his glass and sips, a pleasant sigh leaving his mouth, something Todd’s lemonade inspires from everyone who takes a sip.Some of the puppies begin to stray from the feeding troughs and lie beside Mikey and Todd as they sit there on the grass, watching the sunset together after a hard day’s work. Mikey seriously doesn’t know how Donnie handles this battle shell of his; he’s already itching to take it off and he hasn’t even had it on for a day. But Mikey supposes Donnie’s used to having it on all the time, especially since it would make him feel safer with his vulnerable softshell being protected, so he can understand.
Mikey takes another sip of his lemonade as his other hand pets one of the dogs, which feels a little softer than most, and he has to do a double take when he hears purring.“Huh…?” Mikey looks down and gasps. To his surprise, there’s a cat of all things sitting by his side and nuzzling its fluffy head against his hand. Mikey positively beams. “Omigosh! Todd, looook!”Todd perks up from where he’s petting some of the other dogs. “A cat? Wow, how did that get here?” Todd chuckles and reaches his hand out to the cat. “Well, I’m sorry friend, but this place is for puppies.”“Do you think it’s lost?” Mikey looks back down to the cat, which is still rubbing its face along his hand. It looks like a calico cat, with patches of orange and black dappled along its white coat. There’s also a small nick in one ear and some scratches over its body, and that’s when Mikey notices how thin it is. “Aw, poor little guy, looks like it’s been through a lot.” Mikey isn’t too surprised though, considering the invasion that happened only a few months ago. He just wonders what this poor cat has gone through.“I’ll say. I’d be more than happy to look after it, but I’m afraid I don’t have the right kinds of materials. This is a puppy rescue after all… I’m sorry little buddy.” Todd pets the cat’s side and it mews in acknowledgement, but otherwise pays no attention to him. The cat is fixated purely on Mikey, and it makes him feel all warm inside. The cat then looks up at him with these big, sparkly eyes and that cute little nose and a small pink tongue sticking out and darn it he can’t take it anymore. This cat is too adorable!Mikey watches the cat as he thinks for a moment, then when he gets an idea, the grin on his face widens into a full-blown smile. “What if I look after the cat? Oh, I could take it back to the lair, feed it, clean it up a little and have it bouncing around back to full health in no time.” Mikey gasps and cups his face with his spare hand. “I could make the cat a little bandana! Omigosh, Todd, you have got to let me have this cat!”Todd laughs with a shrug. “Well, like I said, I wouldn’t be able to take care of it here. So, you taking our new little fluffy friend home would probably be best.”Mikey could explode from how excited he is. His own cat! Something he can take responsibility for and look after all by himself! That’ll show Raph how grown up and mature he is now… and he also gets a new cuddle buddy, so win-win! Mikey chugs the rest of his lemonade and places the glass down on the tray before bouncing up to his feet and jumping up and down excitedly.“Yes! I’ll take the cat home! Oh, my brothers will love you for sure!” Mikey picks up the cat, which, to his surprise, holds no protest. The cat stares at Mikey in awe, its little tongue still sticking out. So dang cute. “Maybe Dad will take some convincing, but…” Mikey shrugs. “I’m sure he’ll come around.”Mikey then holds the cat close to his chest. The poor thing is so small. He starts giving the cat little scritches behind its ear, which causes it to start purring again, and it snuggles up to his plastron. Mikey’s heart just melts. “Let’s take you home, little guy… or girl.”
After Mikey says his farewells to Todd and the puppies, he carries the little cat all the way back home. He would have used the jetpack built into Donnie’s battle shell, but he doesn’t want to frighten the cat. Besides, since becoming a Todd Scout, Mikey has developed a greater appreciation for nature and the outdoors, so the walk is nice. He talks to the cat throughout the duration of the walk home, about his family, pizza, his latest art project, a new video game he found, anything he can think of.Once he’s back in the city, he slips into the sewers the first chance he gets so the cat won’t get overwhelmed by the cars, city lights and other noisy aspects of New York. It’s also a lot easier to get around underground as opposed to leaping across the roof tops all the way home.Mikey looks down to the cat in his arms. “Alright kitty, we’re on the home stretch.” The cat meows and glances around the sewer tunnels curiously. Mikey smiles and pets the cat’s head again. “Oh, I just can’t wait ‘til the guys meet you!”Mikey continues his walk through the tunnels until he comes across the abandoned subway junction—their home of the last two years, and for the foreseeable future, or at least Mikey hopes so. Seeing Shredder destroy their old home was heartbreaking, and they salvaged all they could from the wreckage before they discovered the abandoned subway station. Despite all that, Mikey thinks their new home is awesome. Even if it isn’t the same as the home they all grew up in, he still has his family, and that’s all that matters.Mikey bounds over the old subway gates and into the main room. He skips down the stairs ahead of him and walks into the open area that leads to the subway cars, aka his and his brother’s rooms. A smile makes its way onto Mikey’s face when he sees the lights on in each of the cars, a good sign they’re all home.“Guys, get out here! I want you all to meet the newest member of the family!”Mikey starts bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waits for his brothers. Leo is the first to come out of his room as he pokes his head out of the doorway. He then tosses the comic book he was reading onto his bed and leans against the doorframe, his signature smirk on his face.“Newest member? Now this I’ve gotta see.”Mikey hears Donnie say “sigh” when he walks out of his car and pushes his goggles to the top of his head, raising a brow at his younger brother.“You leave to help Todd with repairs and return with a ‘new family member’. Why am I not surprised?”Donnie hits a button on his tech gauntlet and his battle shell detaches itself from Mikey’s shoulders and hovers past Donnie into his room. That itchy feeling Mikey had before is gone now, and he rolls his shoulders, glad they’re free once more.Raph is the last one to leave his room, crossing his arms as he steps out from the doorway.“Mikey, what’s going on? What’re you—” Raph cuts himself off when he sees the little furry creature in Mikey’s arms. “Is that a cat?!”Mikey nods enthusiastically. “Yep! Guys, I’d like you to meet…” He trails off and his eyes widen. “Omigosh, I still haven’t named the little guy!”Donnie walks up and leans forward to inspect the small creature. He flips his goggles back on to scan the cat. “Well, before you do Micheal, I shall determine the gender…”Mikey breathes a small sigh of relief. “Oh good, I felt kind of bad calling the cat ‘it’ all the time.”Leo and Raph also walk over to get a closer look at this supposed ‘new family member’ and Leo pets the cat’s head. “Aw, it’s kinda cute.”Donnie hums thoughtfully and gently takes the cat from Mikey to hold it up. “It’s a calico, by the look of its markings. Quite small, so it can’t be more than a few months old… it seems quite malnourished too, probably hasn’t eaten for a couple of days.” Donnie tilts his head as he continues to look the cat over. The cat in question simply stares down at him and purrs softly. Mikey’s glad the cat seems to like his brothers so far. “As for the gender, most calico cats are female, with only one in every three thousand being male, so the odds that this one is male are highly unlikely.”Leo chuckles gives Donnie’s side a playful nudge with his elbow. “Wow, even in the face of something adorable, you still find a way to be a massive nerd.”Donnie rolls his eyes before shooting a look at Leo. “Scoff! You’re just jealous of how far spread my superior intellect is. I’m not just a tech genius, you see; I also happen to know quite a lot about animals.”Mikey laughs a little and takes the cat back from Donnie. “Really? That’s pretty cool, Dee.”Donnie shrugs, but it’s obvious he appreciates the praise from his little brother. “Eh, it was a phase. But, segue, from a quick scan of the little Fluffball, I have determined the cat is indeed female.”Mikey’s smile widens when he looks down at the cat. “Aw, a little girl?”Leo grins and pokes Mikey’s shoulder. “Well, whatcha gonna name her then, dude?”Mikey hums and pets the cat’s head once more with his thumb. The cat leans into his touch and purrs louder, a small smile on her face. Mikey is the master of naming things, but he wants to give this cat the perfect name, so he thinks hard on it. He doesn’t want to give her a cliché name like ‘Whiskers’ or ‘Mittens’. She deserves better than that, a unique name. One no other cat will have. And then, he has it.“How about Klunk?”At the sound of the name, Leo instantly beams. “Oh! Like from Jupiter Jim and the Feline Foes of Zorcon Four! His only ally was the friendly cat alien Klunk!”Mikey shifts his hold on Klunk to one arm and points a finger gun at Leo with a wink. He knew Leo would have gotten the reference straight away. He’s the biggest geek among them all when it comes to Jupiter Jim, and Mikey loves him for it. “Exactly! Ya like it?”“As the biggest JJ fan among us, I approve.” Leo pets Klunk’s head again and she meows at him.Donnie cracks a small smile with a nod. “Cute name, but before you even think about letting her sleep in your hammock, I will have to give her a full veterinarian check-up and make sure she’s up to date with all her shots… which I doubt she is.”Raph is also smiling, but he looks a little unsure. “Uh, where exactly did you get this cat from, Mikey?”“I found her out at Todd’s puppy rescue! We don’t really know where she came from, though. She sort of just… showed up.”Leo frowns and looks at Klunk a little closer. “Speaking of, Fluffball here looks like she’s been through a lot.”Mikey nods over at Leo. “That’s what I said.”Raph’s brow furrows, showing his worry line, or as Leo so flatteringly puts it, his chasm. “Are you sure you can look after her yourself?”Mikey takes a breath and stands straighter. It’s time to put on the baby bro charm. “I know I can, Raph! I got this! I’ll take good care of her and nurse her back to health, and I’ll shower her with all the cuddles and treats she could ever want!” Mikey nuzzles his face against Klunk’s fur and she mews at him.Raph sighs. “Alright, I trust you. But it’ll be a lot of work to take care of her and show responsibility over another life.” Raph puts his hands on his hips and mutters, “Something Raph knows all too well.”Mikey smiles and side hugs his older brother with his free arm. “Thanks Raph! I won’t let you down!” He then steps back and holds Klunk out to Raph with both hands.
“Do you wanna hold her…?” Mikey tilts his head him, and Klunk does the same.Raph’s gaze softens and he drops his hands from his hips with a smile. He goes to hold his hands out to Mikey, but he hesitates, and starts eyeing Klunk suspiciously. “Uh… are you sure she won’t try to attack me…?”Mikey frowns, but then he remembers how Mayhem was with Raph when they first met… and all the times after that, and Mikey understands his scepticism.
“Relax, Raph, it’ll be fine. I’m sure she’ll love you!” Mikey holds Klunk out to Raph again with a reassuring smile. Raph tentatively holds out his hands, giving Klunk the option to climb onto them if she wants to.Leo pipes up, “Just make sure she doesn’t scratch you and give you rabies, big guy.”Donnie deadpans at Leo. “Rabies is transmitted via saliva or bites, Nardo, and I already scanned her for any kinds of viruses and she’s clean. But, on that note, do be careful Raphala.”Raph shoots the twins a look. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys,” he remarks sarcastically.Leo just gives Raph a double thumbs up and a grin. “You got this, boss man!”Raph huffs before holding his hands out once more, and Mikey steps closer to gently hand Klunk over to him. Klunk looks so much smaller in Raph’s giant hands—she’s barely even half the size of them!Raph watches her warily. “Uh… Heya, Klunk… please don’t hurt me.” He laughs nervously as Klunk stares up at him. The three brothers all watch their eldest brother in silence, wondering if Klunk is going to attack him when she crouches down… but instead, she rubs her face against his wrist and purrs loudly. The tension in Raph’s shoulders dissipates and he breaks into a massive, relieved smile. He holds her closer to his face and marvels at the placid little thing. “She… she doesn’t hate me…”Leo starts snickering and raises an eyebrow at him. “Wait a second, are you crying?”Raph sniffs and stands straighter. “What? No! Raph’s not crying, it must just be, uh… allergies. Yeah.”Donnie smirks. “You’re only allergic to peanuts.”Raph scoffs. “Alright, fine, maybe I am crying... But you know what Raph’s like! She’s just so dang cute.” He mutters before Klunk boops her nose against his, which receives a loud awww from everyone. Raph rubs his thumb over her ears before he gives her back to Mikey.Leo hums and brings a hand up to his chin in thought. “Okay, I’m all for having Klunk in the fam, but I’m not too sure about what Dad might think of her…”And as if on cue, Splinter appears at the top of the stairs and starts walking down, wearing that same warm smile he always does whenever he greets the turtles. “Hello, my sons. What’re you all up to, might I ask?” He gets to the bottom of the stairs but freezes when he sees Klunk in Mikey’s arms.The room is dead silent as the turtles all stare at Splinter, and Splinter stares back at them.But Splinter soon breaks that silence. “AAHHH ORANGE! Why did you bring a cat into the lair?! You know the rules!” He flails back and hastily brings his arms up in a defensive position.“Aw, come on Dad, she’s really cute! She won’t hurt you, I promise!”“I am a giant rat! Of course she will want to hurt me!”“Dad, please, just give her a chance? She even likes Raph, and you know that has to be a good sign!”Splinter eyes his son and the cat suspiciously, keeping his guard up. Mikey holds Klunk up next to his face and tilts his head against hers. “Pleaaaase?” Mikey gives Splinter the biggest puppy eyes he can manage, and Klunk seems to understand the goal here, because she starts doing the same thing. Splinter remains tense for a moment longer before slowly dropping his arms back by his sides.He sighs and runs a hand over his face. “Fine, I will consider it. Just don’t name it yet—”“Too late, he already named her Klunk.” Donnie gestures at her.Splinter frowns, thinking. “Like from Jupiter Jim?”Leo grins as he nods. “Yeah, it’s awesome!”Splinter sighs once more, and Raph gives him a sympathetic smile. “Come on, Dad, I have a good feeling about her. And I think we can trust Mikey to look after her properly. He seems real enthusiastic about it.”Mikey nods vigorously and holds Klunk close to his chest again. “I sure am, Pops! I’m gonna take care of her and tend to all her needs! Promise! You won’t even know she’s here… unless she wants cuddles, of course. Wouldn’t you, Klunk?” Mikey pets her head, and she meows. “Don’t you think it would be nice to have a cuddle buddy while you’re watching T.V?”Splinter grunts. “I’d prefer one that does not want to eat me…”Mikey pouts at Splinter. “Can we please keep her, Dad…?”Mikey’s brothers even side with him and come to his aid. The three of them crowd around their younger brother with pouts on their faces, and they all give their dad big puppy eyes. Splinter glares at his four sons for what feels like an eternity before he finally caves.“Alright, Orange, you can keep the cat—”“YAY!”“As long as you look after her accordingly and attend to all her needs. This will include feeding her, playing with her, cleaning up after her and making sure she is healthy and well loved.”“Trust me Dad, you won’t have to worry about that last part.” Mikey scratches Klunk behind the ears again and smiles at Splinter. “Or any of the previous parts either.”Splinter huffs and crosses his arms. “Let’s just hope this won’t be anything like your electronic pets phase…”April shoots out from the top of the stairs, whisk in hand, and Casey Jr. follows suit, holding a spatula. They’re both wearing matching flour covered aprons and tense looks on their faces, their stances suggesting they’re in ‘attack mode’. Mikey figures they were baking earlier, by the looks of things.“What happened? I heard Splints yelling and—is that a cat?!” April dashes over to Mikey, throwing the whisk over her shoulder, and Casey hastily side steps to catch it.“Uh, Commander O’Neil? This is the last whisk we have, and personally, I don’t want to attack that giant pile of dishes.”April chuckles with a glance back to Casey. “Case, what’ve I already told you a thousand times? Just April is fine.” April’s tone comes off as light-hearted rather than annoyed, and Casey shoots her a small smile.“Right, April, uh… woah, a cat?”Mikey is a little surprised to hear the curious tone to Casey’s voice. “Wait, have you never seen a cat before?”Casey shrugs and puts the spatula and whisk into the apron’s front pocket. “Well, I’ve seen them around the city and on TV I suppose, but never up close before…” He walks over to Mikey, where April is already showering Klunk with pets and scritches.Once April ceases her onslaught of affection, Klunk turns her attention over to Casey and meows at him. Casey reaches out to pat her, and he gasps when he feels her soft fur between his fingers, and an adoring smile warms his face. “Omigosh, cats are so soooft…” He stops petting her for a second, and frowns cautiously. “Why is it vibrating?”April laughs and gives Casey a light nudge. “That’s called purring, it means the cat likes you.”“Woah…” The others all laugh warmly as Casey continues to be entranced by the small fluffy creature in Mikey’s arms.“Her name is Klunk, and she is the newest member of the fam!” Mikey informs the two of them proudly.April nods approvingly. “I know a JJ reference when I hear one, nice one Angie.” She winks at Mikey, who grins back at her.Splinter smiles for a second, standing back and watching them all, before waving a hand at the group and turning around. “Well, I shall leave you lot be... Make sure that cat does not scratch up all our furnishing.”“Will do, Pops!” Mikey calls after him as he walks back up the stairs.April turns to Casey and hooks her arm with his. “Alright, future boy, we should get back to it. These brownies won’t make themselves! And we can’t afford to mess up. Cassandra would be so disappointed if we did.”Casey nods and starts walking with her. “Later guys!” He directs a small wave at Klunk. “Bye Klunk.”Once April and Casey ascend the stairs, Donnie turns his attention to Mikey and Klunk again. “Alright, now that we have Papa’s approval, I shall take it upon myself to give her a proper medical assessment. Micheal, to my lab.” Donnie whirls his finger and marches up the stairs.Mikey nods. “On it, Dee!” He follows Donnie up, leaving Leo and Raph.Raph crosses his arms with a sigh. “Raph just hopes Klunk will be alright, especially with how roughed up the little thing is.”Leo nods as he places a hand on his hip. “Same here, big bro. But you know what I’m thinking…?”Raph glances down at Leo and smirks as he holds out his fist. “Stealing some of April and Casey’s brownie batch?”Leo mirrors Raph’s mischievous smirk and bumps his fist with his own. “You had me at brownie batch.”
Shortly after Donnie began checking Klunk over for anything his initial scans didn’t detect, Mikey realised he had no cat supplies. No food, milk, litter, toys… not even a bed! (Even though Mikey is totally going to have her sleeping on his every night, but he’ll give her the option to sleep by herself if she wants it.) So, after a little convincing and some good old baby bro charm, Donnie gave Mikey some money (that was definitely not stolen from an ATM) and he went to a pet store to buy all the things Klunk will need while Donnie continued his examination.When Mikey gets back, the pockets of his orange hoodie are packed with treats, and he has two big bags full of stuff: cat milk, food, toys, bowls, litter, a litter tray, and a nice, plush bed. In regard to the food, Mikey found a few healthy, home cooked cat food recipes online that he is dying to try out. He doesn’t want to feed Klunk basic store-bought slop; she’s going to eat in style. Mikey doesn’t know how long Klunk has been out fending for herself, so he wants to give her the full comfy, spoiled cat experience!“I’m baaaack!” Mikey announces as he slides into Donnie’s lab and does jazz hands. “I got her all the stuff she could ever want and need!”Donnie glances up from where he was preparing a vaccine for Klunk, and he can’t help but smile at the comically large bags hanging from his brother’s elbows. “You really went all out, huh?”Mikey nods and bounds over to Donnie. “Yep! Baby’s gonna live the plush life from here on out. She won’t even remember what it’s like to be hungry or cold and alone. Isn’t that right, Klunk?” Mikey slips the bags from his arms and takes his hood off his head before walking over to Klunk. She’s simply sitting on Donnie’s work bench, waiting patiently for Donnie to come back over to her, and she brightens up when she sees Mikey. She meows at him, and he pets her head with a small smile.“So, what’re you doing now, Dee?”“I’m glad you asked, Angelo. I am currently working on a vaccine for our furry little gal, so she doesn’t get any infectious diseases…” Donnie straightens up and flicks the needle that contains the vaccine. “I’m making sure to keep her safe on all accounts. On another note, her health seems fine so far, apart from the malnutrition and scratches of course, but there’s nothing majorly concerning.” He walks back over to Mikey and Klunk, holding the needle in his hand. “She just needs some tender love and care to get her back on her feet.”Mikey pets Klunk again and smiles up at Donnie. “Something that is in no short supply around here!”Donnie smiles at his little brother before turning his attention to Klunk. “This is the only shot she’ll need for now, but it might pinch a little, so apologies in advance.”Donnie then gently grabs the scruff of Klunk’s neck and injects her with the vaccine. She mewls slightly in protest, but before she even knows what’s happening, Donnie’s done. She turns and narrows her eyes at him.“You know, for a cat, she’s been surprisingly cooperative,” Donnie murmurs, throwing the needle into a nearby bin.“Aww, you were so brave, Klunk! Good girl,” Mikey coos as he pets the side of her face and gives her a kiss on the forehead. Klunk just glares at Donnie, and he raises an eyebrow at her.“What? Thanks to me, you won’t attract any deadly diseases, so you’re welcome.”But Klunk keeps staring at him, and Mikey laughs a little. “Oh, you’ve done it now, Dee.”Donnie gapes at his little brother. “Scoff! I was helping her.”“She doesn’t know that.” Mikey grins at Donnie and slips him a cat treat under the work bench from his pocket. “Try this.”Donnie takes the treat and holds it up to Klunk. “Alright, Fluffball, since you have been such a good little patient, I shall reward you with this.” Donnie holds the treat out to Klunk, and she sniffs it cautiously. It doesn’t take her long to start nibbling on it though, and before too long she’s happily munching away and purring loudly. Donnie smirks down at her. “I don’t blame you; no one can stay mad at me for an extended period of time. I am amazing after all.”Mikey snickers. “Aw, you’re such a softie. I might have to watch out and make sure you don’t try to take her from me.”Donnie huffs and crosses his arms as Klunk keeps eating the treat. “I am not, I’m merely stating fact and making conversation.”Mikey quirks a brow. “With a cat?”Donnie shoots a glare at him before waving his hand. “Alright, out of my lab. I’m caught up with enough as it is, I don’t need you and the feline distracting me. Now, before you run off and cook her up a feast, I must advise that you feed her in small doses. She hasn’t had a lot to eat lately, and we don’t want it to come as a shock to her system. So just slowly reintroduce food back into her diet and she should start gaining weight again until she’s at a healthy amount.”Mikey picks Klunk up with one hand and salutes Donnie with the other. “You got it! But what about her scratches?”“I treated them with some disinfectant, so they should clear up and heal on their own in a few days. As for the nick in her ear, that shall remain as a battle scar.” Donnie smiles at Klunk and pets her head before looking back up at Mikey. “Okay, seriously, get out. I have work to do.”Mikey laughs and rolls his eyes. “Yeesh, alright.” He lifts Klunk onto his shoulders and she nestles herself between the back of his neck and his shell as he grabs the two big bags. “I’ll be sure to let you know how she goes. Love you!” Mikey blows him a big kiss before twirling around and heading for the door.Donnie’s gaze softens and he smiles. “Alright…” He pauses for a moment before muttering, “Love you too, Angie.”
After Mikey cooks up a simple, light snack for Klunk, he makes his way back to his room and unpacks the rest of her non-food things from the bags.“Okay, Klunk, I got you a bed… some food bowls… a bunch of toys… litter and a litter tray… wait, are you toilet trained?” Mikey glances over to Klunk, but she just meows at him, and he shrugs. “Eh, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”Mikey unpacks the last few things and scrunches up the bags to throw them into the bin in the corner of the subway car. He misses, the bags too light to be thrown very far, but Klunk just shimmies forward and pounces on them.Mikey laughs and brings his phone out to film her. “You’re quite a playful kitty, aren’t you?”He films her messing around with the bag for a bit Mikey giggles as he sends it to the family group chat with a text saying, ‘Klunk already feels right at home!’He hears a metallic knock by the entrance to his room, and he glances over to see Leo leaning casually in the doorway. “Hey Miguel.”“Leo! What’re you doing here?’“I just wanted to swing by and see how our new family member is doing.” Leo waltzes in and sits cross legged beside Mikey, licking a brown, chocolate smelling substance from his finger. “And I may or may not also be hiding from April… But I’m mainly here for the cat!”Mikey snickers. “Sure, not suspicious at all,” he says sarcastically before sitting up a little straighter. “Well, since you’re clearly so interested, Klunk is doing great. She seems pretty at home so far; she hasn’t been anything but bright smiles and happy purrs since we got here.”Leo smiles as he watches Klunk and her attack on the bags. “That’s good. Glad to hear Fluffball is doing well. No troubles with her health?”Mikey shakes his head. “Nope! Donnie gave her a vaccine that’ll cover her for any sicknesses, and he said her scratches should heal up over the next few days. Oh! He also said that as long as I feed her slowly, her weight should return to normal.”Leo smirks. “Wow, who knew Donnie was such a vet?”Mikey chuckles. “I know, right?” He looks back over to Klunk, and after a few seconds his smile dims. “Hey, um… how are you feeling?”Leo looks back to Mikey, quirking an eyebrow with a flashy grin. “Me? I’m fine! Why do you…?” He trails off when he sees the look on Mikey’s face, and he knows what this is about. “Oh…” He hesitates for a split second, obviously debating whether he should keep up the façade, but he takes in a deep breath and sighs, leaning forward onto his knees. He knew Dr. Feelings would just work it out of him eventually, and besides, he doesn’t want to lie to Mikey. “I’m doing better than what I was… the nightmares have been less frequent, so I got that going for me.”Mikey smiles at him, but there’s a sadness to it, and his tone is reluctant and soft when he speaks. “Me too. I, uh… I just keep thinking about what might’ve happened if I didn’t…” He glances down, feeling tears prick his eyes.Leo’s expression falls and he instantly wraps his arms around Mikey in a tight embrace. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, Mikey… You did save me, and that’s what matters, there’s no point in dwelling on what could have been. I’m okay, you’re okay, the whole family is still here, alive and well… focus on that, on what is. You saved me, little brother. And I’ll forever be grateful to you for doing that.”Mikey sniffs and wipes a stray tear away with his palm, arms wrapped around Leo. “I know… I’m just relieved I was able to get to you in time… before…” Mikey can feel a lump forming in his throat and he trails off. He can’t do it. Can’t bear to even utter the name of the horrible creature that almost took their Leo away from them all…Leo feels how tense Mikey is, and he doubles his efforts to provide some kind of comfort, pulling him into his lap and holding him close, murmuring quiet words of assurance. “It’s alright… it’s okay… they’re gone now, and you’re safe. We’re safe.” Leo smiles down at his baby brother and his tone of voice becomes lighter. “And hey, thanks to my super heroic and dramatic sacrifice, you were able to hone in your mystic powers… you’re like some kind of badass mystic warrior now.”Mikey knows Leo is still hurting from that day. Hell, they all are, and he knows Leo uses jokes to cover how he really feels, to cope with it all… but Mikey is happy he still can joke, even after everything they’ve been through. He laughs quietly and wipes away any other pesky tears that managed to slip out. “Ya really think so?”“I know so! You’ll be the best mystic of them all.”Mikey leans back to smile up at Leo, his eyes still a little watery, but he’s certainly feeling better now. “Thanks, Lee… I love you.”Leo’s cheeky smile softens into a warm one and he kisses the top of Mikey’s head. “Love you too, little bro…”Leo holds Mikey and hugs him until he pulls away. Once Klunk finishes her maiming of the two bags, she bounces back over to Mikey and nuzzles her face against his legs, rubbing back and forth with little mews, like she’s trying to cheer him up. Leo watches on adoringly, and Mikey smiles as he places her in his lap, in which she immediately settles down and purrs softly. “I’m okay, Klunk…” He starts petting her, but then he pauses and looks over to Leo, hand resting on Klunk.“Hey, wait a minute, I’m the one who’s supposed to be making sure you’re okay and keeping your emotions in check.”Leo chuckles and shrugs. “Well, sometimes it’s just big brother privilege. On that note, I’m also the leader, so I gotta keep my team in check. Something that even Dr. Feelings can’t deny.” His smile turns into a warm one. “Look, we all need a little talk and cry sometimes, so don’t ever hesitate to come to me when you need one, alright? My door is always open.”Mikey nods, a warm, appreciative smile on his face, and he nudges his shoulder with Leo’s. “Thanks Leo.”Leo bumps his elbow into Mikey’s side with a grin. “Of course. ‘Big brother’ isn’t just a fancy title, you know. Even though it does let me call dibs on being player one, it also means I have to look out for you and Donnie.”Mikey tilts his head at Leo. “But aren’t you guys twins…?”Leo smirks and puts his hand onto Mikey’s shoulder as he leans in and lowers his voice. “Let’s be real, I’m obviously the superior twin, but don’t tell him that…” Leo pauses and leans back. “Wait, scratch that, DO tell him. The poor guy deserves to know…” Leo places a hand to his chest in feigned pity.Mikey laughs and shakes his head. “I don’t think he’d take it well…”“Whelp, that’s simply his problem. Denial is the first step towards acceptance.” Leo winks at Mikey with that same smug smile that always seems to be plastered on his face when it comes to Donnie, and Mikey laughs again.Leo looks down at Klunk in Mikey’s lap and he reaches a hand out to pet her on the head. “Mikey wasn’t kidding when he said you were settling in well.”Mikey resumes his petting as well, stroking her fluffy pelt. “Yeah, I’m glad she is. And to welcome her in as a true member of the fam, I’m gonna make her a bandana.”Leo chuckles and tilts his head at Klunk. “Okay, that would be adorable.”“Right? I just have to find some fabric… but I’m sure I have some extra lying around from my sewing phase.”Leo watches Mikey and Klunk for a moment longer with a fond glint in his eye before he sighs and hops up onto his feet. “Whelp, I’m gonna get back to reading my Jupiter Jim comic—it’s the latest issue, and I’m dying to know how he defeats the Crablions from sector twelve.”Mikey looks up at him as he pets Klunk. “Let me borrow it when you’re done?”Leo smiles and winks at him. “Of course, big man.” He leans against the doorway and crosses his arms over his plastron. “You gonna be okay…?”Mikey looks down at Klunk in his lap, their newest addition to the family, and smiles fondly. “Yeah…” He thinks about the rest of the family too. Casey Jr., April, Splinter, Raph, Donnie… and Leo. And how thankful he is that they’re all okay. He knows that as long as they are together, nothing will ever come between them. He glances back up, a soft smile gracing his features. “Better than okay.”Leo matches his smile and gives him a casual salute. “Alright then, see you ‘round.” And with that, Leo leaves Mikey’s room.Mikey stays where he is for a moment longer, petting Klunk in his lap, until a yawn escapes him. “I think we should probably go to sleep now Klunk. My brothers and I don’t have patrol tonight, so we can just relax.”Klunk mews softly and shifts in his lap, lifting her head to yawn widely, putting all her little sharp teeth on display. Mikey chuckles under his breath and tilts his head at her. “I guess yawns really are contagious.”He then slips his hoodie off and gently scoops up his sleepy kitten into his arms, standing to walk over to his hammock and setting her down onto it. He slips off the rest of his gear, including his mask, before he lays down and re-positions her beside him. Once she circles around a couple of times, she gets comfortable and snuggles back up to him. Mikey pulls the blanket over the two of them and he closes his eyes, draping an arm over Klunk’s small, fluffy form. He takes a deep breath and sighs, allowing the tension from his muscles to leave him with Klunk’s soft purrs filling the dim, quiet room.“Goodnight, Klunk…” he murmurs sleepily. And as tired as he’s feeling, he can’t help but let his thoughts race with all the things he might get up to with Klunk tomorrow, and soon enough, he drifts off into a peaceful sleep with his cat by his side.
The sizzling sound of chicken cooking in the pan and the sweet aroma of blueberries fills the kitchen as Mikey balances his task of preparing breakfast for Klunk and the rest of the family. All the while, Klunk has nestled herself on Mikey’s shoulders between his neck and his shell, and she now placidly watches him slip naturally into the zone of cooking. Mikey always feels relaxed when he cooks, and he takes great enjoyment in the sounds and smells of the kitchen coming to life, and having Klunk for company is a nice change.As Mikey continues his kitchen endeavours, he hears footsteps in the hallway and turns back to see Raph sleepily stumble into the kitchen. He rubs his eyes and yawns as he stretches his arms over his head, his gaping mouth showing off his snaggle tooth. He blinks a couple of times before he smiles over at Mikey.“Mornin’ Mikey. You’re up early for the weekend.”“Morning Raph!” To Raph’s second statement, Mikey shrugs and turns back to the pan. “I figured I’d get a head start on breakfast, seeing as today is Pancake Day.”Raph pumps a fist into the air. “Yes! Raph loves Pancake Day.”Mikey grins, glad to know his cooking is something his brothers can get excited about. “Well, you better prepare your tastebuds for flavour town, because today I’ve got banana, blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes on the way.”“Sounds awesome, Angie! I’m gonna eat so many of ‘em.” Raph walks over and leans against the counter to watch Mikey cook. He then spots Klunk on his shoulders and smiles adoringly. He reaches out and pets her head. “Aww, now that’s just too cute. How was the little Fluffball last night?”“She did good! Cuddled up to me the whole night…” Mikey turns his head to glance at Klunk with a smile. “She’s a great cuddle buddy, I think Dad would approve… if he ever warms up to her, that is.”Raph chuckles and crosses his arms. “Oh, he’ll come around, I’m sure.”“I hope so.” Mikey sticks his tongue out as he switches from pouring the pancake batter into the pan to cooking the chicken in a separate one. He loves cooking, but he’s feeling slightly overwhelmed right now… he then glances to Raph and gets an idea. “Hey, would you mind helping me out a little?”Raph perks up and nods, seeming happy to help Mikey out rather than just standing around. “Not at all!” Raph cracks his knuckles and clasps his hands together. “Whaddaya need me to do?”Mikey twirls the spatula around in his hand and passes it to Raph. “Well, I gotta finish things up for Klunk’s breakfast, so if you could flip the pancakes for me, that’d be a big help.”“Oh yeah! Raph’s gonna flip these pancakes like a boss.” Raph spins the spatula in his hand like Mikey did and looks over the various bowls of pancake batter: one for banana, one for blueberry, and one for the chocolate chip pancakes. There’s also three separate plates set off to the side for the pancakes that have already been cooked, covered in foil so they stay warm.Mikey gives him a finger gun. “Good! All you gotta do is pour the batter in until it fills the pan, but not too much, and once it starts to bubble, that’s when you flip it over. Well, that, or you just listen to your gut instincts.”Raph narrows his eyes at the pancake currently cooking in the pan. “Raph’s gut instincts are telling him to eat it right now.”Mikey snickers and waves his hand. “In that case, just wait until it’s bubbling…”Mikey spins on his heel and turns back to the pan with the chicken, Klunk’s tail flicking back and forth behind her as she watches, eagerly awaiting her breakfast. Mikey is a little surprised she hasn’t tried to just snatch it from the pan and run off like any other ‘feral’ cat might have. She’s being so patient, and Mikey believes that she must respect the art of catering as much as he does. This girl has etiquette, something he’s sure Donnie would appreciate.All the while, Raph is concentrating hard on his task at hand beside Mikey, flipping the pancake that was previously in the pan onto its respective plate once it is ready and pouring in some more batter. The blueberry batter, Raph opted for. He pours in a little more than what Mikey would have, but he doesn’t say anything. He’s just grateful for his big brother’s help.A big brother who is staring at the pan quite intensely… almost like he’s having an internal argument with himself. Over what, Mikey can only guess, but he just turns his attention back to Klunk’s dish.Then, slowly, Raph tilts his head just enough to side glance Mikey, and he places the spatula down onto the bench, fidgeting with his hands almost in a sheepish manner. “Hey, uh… Mikey?”“Yes…?” Mikey replies in a mildly suspicious tone, not bothering to look up from his cooking.Raph hesitates a moment, casting another glance down at the uncooked batter in the pan and then back to his little brother. “… Can I eat some of the batter?”Raph wants to eat the batter… just as he had suspected. Does he have no respect for the art of cooking? “Nope.” Mikey replies simply.Raph slumps with a small scoff. “Why not?”“Because, even suggesting the idea of eating something that isn’t even ready yet is an insult to my title as chef.” Mikey looks back over to Raph, only to see his finger lowering towards one of the bowls containing the blueberry batter. “Don’t eat the batter!” He slaps Raph’s hand away with the wooden spoon (not enough to hurt, but enough for a warning) with a stern look on his face.“Hey!” Raph snaps his hand back and shakes it. “Come on, man! Just a little bit…?”“No Raphie! I mean, have you seen this family!? I need all the batter I can get!” He pokes Raph’s plastron with the wooden spoon. “Just let me Razz my Tazz and these will be the best pancakes you ever tasted! Way better than the raw batter. Isn’t that right, Klunk?”Mikey turns his head to look over to Klunk on his shoulder, and she meows in response. She then crouches down, shifting a little, and jumps up to Raph’s shoulders. As she does, Raph holds up a hand in case she falls, but thankfully, she calculated the distance well and landed with no troubles. Mikey grins and quirks an eyebrow at Klunk, a mischievous glint in his eye.“Hey, good idea girl! You keep an eye on big guy and make sure he doesn’t touch the batter while I finish up your breakfast.”Klunk meows and sits down on Raph’s shoulder, being careful of his spikes, with her tail lashing back and forth playfully as she eyes Raph.Raph glances at Klunk, then back to Mikey with a nervous laugh, his worry line showing. “Haha, uh… she won’t actually hurt me, will she, Mikey…?”Mikey shrugs and turns back to the pan, a smug smirk on his face, one even Leo would be proud of. “Just don’t touch the batter and you’ll be fine.”Raph watches him, then shares a look with Klunk. She just purrs and settles down on his shoulders, wiggling back to nestle between his shell and neck as she did with Mikey. “Riiiight…” he mutters, turning back to the pancake in the pan. He flips it over to show its brown, fluffy underside, and Raph looks so tempted to eat it there and then. But then he eyes Klunk warily on his shoulder, having flashbacks to all his encounters with Mayhem (who truly lives up to his name) and he suspects Klunk won’t mess around either… especially with Dr. Delicate Touch as her owner.Raph sighs and goes back to keeping an eye on the pancakes. He doesn’t make any more attempts to eat the batter as he and Mikey slip into casual small talk. The tension in Raph’s shoulders leaves as he seems to find himself enjoying overseeing the pancakes, and it makes Mikey smile. He allows himself to enjoy this small pocket in time, this peaceful moment between the eldest and the youngest of the brothers, before the inevitable chaos that will ensue with the rest of the family. The chaos that Mikey cherishes, because that chaos is what makes his family so much fun to be around. What makes them them… and Mikey loves his family all the more for it.
By the time Mikey finishes up Klunk’s breakfast, he relieves Raph of pancake duty and is now pouring the last of the banana batter. Leo wakes up not too long after and joins his brothers in the kitchen.When Leo first walks in, he catches Mikey’s eye and shoots him a smile with a wink, and Mikey mirrors his movements, thinking about the conversation they had last night. He feels better after the little talk, and he can see that Leo does too.A short while after Leo, Donnie walks into the kitchen as well, making a groggy beeline for the coffee pot. Then Junior walks in with a bounce in his step, looking very excited, and lastly, a tired looking Splinter is soon to follow.
(The first time they had Pancake Day with Casey, he had been over the moon with excitement. He told the others that Master Michelangelo, or Future Mikey, had managed to scrape together what little supplies he could to make a small amount of pancakes one morning when he was young. The pancakes were mediocre by Future Mikey’s standards, but everyone had appreciated the sentiment and his efforts, all astounded he’d been able to pull it off in the first place.It’s a memory Casey holds dear, for it was one of the few times everyone had seemed to be enjoying themselves, even messing around with each other and playfully fighting over the last of the pancakes. Though, he was sure Master Leonardo and Uncle Tello hadn’t been doing it so playfully…In the end, they all decided to give Casey the last pancake, topped with a cut up strawberry Commander O’Neil managed to snag from the greenhouse. Little Casey Jr. had felt like he was on top of the world… especially on Uncle Raph’s shoulders. He never knew pancakes could taste so magical, so good. So, when he finally got a taste of current Mikey’s cooking skills with in-date products and a working kitchen, he’d been blown away with just how delicious it was. So now, Pancake Day is something he very much looks forward to. It’s safe to say pancakes are his favourite food.)Everyone is sitting at the table and making small talk now, with Mikey chiming in every so often as he cooks the last pancake, and Klunk happily taking her time to munch away at her breakfast.April suddenly slides in through the door and everyone stops and turns to look over at her. She smirks and quietly starts chanting, “Pancakes, pancakes, pancakes…”It soon catches on and gets louder as everyone joins in, banging their fists on the table in beat. Everyone but Donnie, who rolls his eyes at his family’s antics, but he has an amused smile on his face, nonetheless.“Alright!” Mikey shouts, cutting off the chanting as he swivels around and tosses the last pancake onto the banana pancake pile. He turns to the table and smirks. “Breakfast is ready.”His statement is met with loud cheers and clanging of cutlery, with Donnie even giving an excited “whoo!” as Mikey sets down the three plates containing the towers of banana, blueberry, and chocolate pancakes, still steaming thanks to the foil from earlier. “Get ‘em while they’re hot!” As the family digs in, he grabs the toppings he’s kept in the fridge: whipped cream, strawberries, maple syrup, and blueberries, and grabs the icing sugar and regular sugar from the cupboard. He sets it all down onto the table, receiving more enthusiastic cheers, and he flops down into his chair with a loud exhale.“Alright, enjoy.”Everyone thanks him as they all dive for the toppings, and after a few minutes, everyone has their desired combinations and pancakes. Raph has each of the three pancakes with some of every topping covering them as he shovels it into his mouth, while Mikey opts for something more artistic, taking the time to make his pancakes look as good as they smell, and to taste even better. April has the classic strawberries and cream on some blueberry pancakes, with Casey doing the same but with banana pancakes. Splinter has chocolate chip with plenty of syrup, cream and icing sugar, and a big childish grin as he rubs his hands together in preparation of devouring it all.Donnie, meanwhile, seems content with just banana pancakes and nothing else. Leo, on the other hand…“Oho yeah, behold, my masterpiece!” Leo holds his plate up for all to see, containing three blueberry pancakes utterly drenched in syrup and topped with some whipped cream.Donnie screws his face up in disgust. “It is quite literally three pancakes drowning in an ocean of maple syrup…”“Exactly! Delicious.” Leo grabs a fork full of his ‘masterpiece’ and takes a bite, his expression downright gleeful.Donnie raises an eyebrow at him. “You and I have very different opinions on what is to be considered a masterpiece…”Leo glances up and quirks his own eyebrow at Donnie, a menacing smirk on his face. Mikey grins and takes a bite of his pancakes, knowing they’re all in for another classic Leo and Donnie tiff.“Says the guy who only ever eats plain pancakes.” Leo tilts his head at Donnie, and everyone makes a dramatic “ooo” at Leo’s words, with Splinter shaking his head in amusement, and they look to Donnie for a comeback.Donnie huffs and leans his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers together, and with that Mikey knows he’s about to enter what Leo likes to call ‘speech mode’.“Nigh, they are not plain, as you so insultingly put it. They are banana and are therefore already input with their own flavour. I would not wish to simply overwhelm or drown out these masterful flavours of Micheal’s immaculate cooking skills—”“Aww, thanks Dee.”“—with mindless nonsense such as your appalling and childish display.” Donnie leans back and takes a bite of his pancake, a smug smirk working its way onto his face when everyone goes “OOOHH”.Leo stares at Donnie for a moment, his brows furrowed together. “Wow… you’ve put a lot of thought into this.”April sighs, trying to hold back her laughter. “Guys, just eat the dang pancakes.”Leo shrugs and does as April says, but his cocky grin returns when he looks back over to Donnie. “You’re still a massive nerd, though,” he retorts around the mouthful of food.Donnie’s smirk remains as he leans forward again, and his markings start to glow a faint purple as he creates something on the table. “Yes, a nerd that can do this!” He creates a small catapult and shoots a blueberry over at Leo, hitting him right in the face.“Wha—hey!” Leo swats at the blueberry a moment too late, and he narrows his eyes at Donnie. “Oh, you’re on!” He takes a spoon and flings a strawberry at Donnie, and it only escalates from there. Soon they’re out of their chairs and wrestling each other, occasionally grabbing what food they can to toss at the other.Mikey makes a pained gasp and cups his face with his hands. “My banquet!”“Hey! Guys—” Raph decides to try and break them up, rising from his seat to grab them by the shells and hold them in the air, glaring at the both of them, but they ignore him and keep throwing insults as well as hands.All the while Casey looks on in mild concern, April cackles in laughter as she leans on the table for support, and Splinter sighs wearily.“I will never get any grandchildren…” he mutters, taking another bite of his pancakes.
Once breakfast is finally over and everyone is stuffed, Mikey stands to clean everything up, but Raph puts a hand on his shoulder to make him sit back down with a grin. “Oh, no you don’t. You cooked; we clean. House rules.”April nods in agreement and gets up, stretching her arms over her head. “Big Red is right. You’ve done enough, Angie.” April walks over to the twins, who are still giving each other dirty looks, and she nudges them both. “Come on, you two! You can clean up your own mess you made…” She gestures at the floor, still smeared with bits of food, and quirks an expectant eyebrow at them.Leo groans and Donnie rolls his eyes. “Fine,” they both mutter simultaneously as they stand from their seats and go to grab the cleaning supplies. April nods, satisfied, and she makes her way over to the sink to start washing things up. Casey gets up from his chair enthusiastically, like he didn’t just eat as many pancakes as he could fit, and walks over to April. “I can dry up if you—woah!” He slips on a smeared strawberry and falls over, catching himself on his hands. Raph gets up and hurries over, ever the concerned, responsible older brother.“Casey! You good?”“Yeah…” he mutters with a small laugh.Klunk, still sitting beside her now empty bowl, cocks her head to the side and meows. Splinter glances to her and smiles.“Regret your decision yet?” he asks in an amused tone, and Klunk takes that as an invitation to walk up and rub against his legs with a purr.Splinter tenses. “What? Hey! No, stop that!” He glares at her for a moment, but she just sits at his side and meows up at him again. Splinter’s expression softens slightly, and he glances around the room. Raph is still worrying over Casey, who insists he’s fine, April is preoccupied with the dishes, the twins have not yet returned, and Mikey is pretending he’s paying attention to Raph and Casey.Mikey’s glad Splinter bought it, because when he glances back over, he watches as Splinter cautiously reaches a hand down to pet Klunk’s head.“This stays between you and me, got it?” he mutters to her, and in response she purrs louder and nuzzles her face against his hand. To Mikey’s surprise and utter delight, Splinter cracks a small smile. “Aw, aren’t you cute…?”Mikey has to cup a hand over his mouth to stop his little giggles from escaping. He knew Dad would come around!Leo and Donnie soon re-enter the room with cleaning supplies and Splinter ceases his affectionate moment with Klunk, waving a hand at her. “Alright, scram before you blow my cover.”Klunk happily complies as she bounces her way over to Mikey and headbutts his leg. Mikey laughs and picks her up. “Hey baby! You enjoy your breakfast?”Klunk mews and circles around on Mikey’s legs a few times before settling down and cuddling up to him with a soft purr. Mikey grins and starts petting her. “I’ll take that as a yes, then…”Splinter huffs as he rises from his chair and plops down to the floor. “Well, if you boys, and April, need me, I will be in the living room.” Before he gets two steps away, Leo makes a noise of disbelief.“What?! You’re not even going to help?”Splinter raises a finger at him and hushes him. “A bup bup! I have the parental figure pass. I keep this roof over your heads and pay rent. I do enough around here as it is.”Leo gapes at him, scoffing dramatically. “We don’t even pay rent!”But Splinter either ignores him or doesn’t hear, the former being more likely, as he quickly scampers out of the room.Leo huffs and rolls his eyes. “The nerve of that guy…”Mikey chuckles and shrugs. “Well, you know what Dad’s like. Besides, that soap opera he’s been watching has gotten intense. There’s so much drama and love triangles I could barely keep up.”Raph glances to him from where he’s gathering the empty plates from the table, quirking a brow. “Wait, you watch that stuff with Pops?”Mikey shrugs. “I did at one point, but it got boring real fast. I don’t know how Dad stays invested at all.”“Which is how most soap operas turn out,” April chimes in from the sink, handing a now clean plate to Casey. “They all get real repetitive real quick. They are fun to make fun of though.”Raph chuckles as he sets down a stack of plates beside the sink. “Raph can agree with you on that one.”Casey glances between the two, looking a little confused. “What even is a soap opera?”Before anyone else can answer, Donnie pipes up. “Trust me, you don’t wanna know,” he says in his usual deadpan tone, mopping off some pancake that was smeared across the floor.The room slips back into casual conversation after that, with Mikey chiming in here and there as he relaxes in his chair with Klunk, a well-earned break from the labours of all his hard work to prepare breakfast.After a few minutes, once there’s a beat of silence in their conversation, April frowns. She looks like she’s just remembered something, and she glances to Donnie, who is now wiping the table down. “Hey Dee, where’s Shelldon?”(Shelldon, after the events of the whole Shredder incident, was rebuilt about a month later when Donnie managed to gather enough supplies from the wreckage and other places he would not disclose to his family. So Shelldon has been with them all for the past two years, a part of the family as usual, flying around the lair and seeing what everyone was up to.)Donnie hums but doesn’t look up from cleaning. “He’s still charging.”Leo stops mopping the floor and looks over to his purple twin in surprise. “I’m sorry, you’re letting him sleep in late? Since when? Who are you? What have you done with my brother?”Donnie glances up at Leo, his signature frown on his face. “Scoff! I am fine.” Donnie looks back to the table as he mutters, “He’ll need all the charge he can get for what I have planned today anyway…” A small, wicked smirk works its way onto his face as he focusses his efforts on wiping the table. Everyone turns and gives Donnie a look.After a few wipes, he seems to feel the eyes on him and he glances up, his façade falling back into place once more. “What?”Raph narrows his eyes. “Donnie, that wasn’t very subtle.”“Subtle for what? I’m not up to anything, he said in a totally convincing tone and his whole family believed him,” he murmurs, finishing wiping the table and throwing the cloth at Leo’s face.“Hey!” Leo manages to catch it this time, but he still shoots a glare at Donnie, who just smirks back.“Now, if you need me, I shall be in my lab. No one disturb me.”“But you just said if we need you—”“Hush Nardo! I bid you all a good day.” Donnie waves a hand, and though no one else catches it, already having returned to cleaning, Mikey notices something.Before he leaves, Donnie discretely glances over at Klunk, and he makes a motion with his hand. Mikey doesn’t know a whole lot of sign language, but he knows enough to translate it into the word “follow”. Klunk perks up and hops down from Mikey’s lap to follow him out of the door.Mikey’s eyes widen in amazement. When did Donnie teach her that?! Then again, Mikey did leave Klunk alone with him for a couple of hours while he went shopping and Donnie tended to her health. Mikey is just surprised he could teach her something like that in such little time, and he feels a swirl of pride in his chest. His little baby is so smart!Whatever Donnie has planned for Klunk, Mikey decides to just leave him to it. He trusts Donnie won’t do anything too sinister, especially since he went out of his way and took the time to teach her sign language. Maybe he’s just teaching her more commands? Can cats even learn commands like dogs can? Well, it seems they can, after what Mikey just saw.April glances to the archway that leads into the kitchen for a moment after Donnie leaves. “Well, that certainly wasn’t suspicious at all,” she says sarcastically, turning back to the sink to drain the water, and Raph grunts in agreement.Leo shrugs. “Who knows what he’s up to half the time?” He then smirks and pokes Casey’s shoulder with the end of the mop. “What I do know is that I’m gonna crush CJ’s new high score on the pinball machine!” Leo tosses the mop aside and sprints out of the room.Casey gapes and quickly dries off the spoon he’s holding and throws it into the draw before following. “Hey, no fair! It took me ages to get that!”April laughs and drapes her gloves over the tap, rushing out after Casey. “Whoo! This I gotta see!”Raph laughs and shakes his head, glancing to Mikey. “You joinin’ them?”Mikey shakes his head and stands, stretching his arms back. “Nah, I got other things to do. I wanna make Klunk her own bandana.”Raph grins with a small chuckle. “Okay, yeah, that would be adorable.” He turns as he looks around the kitchen, seeing that it's still not the cleanest, especially since Leo just suddenly abandoned the mop, which has now fallen to the floor with a soft whack. Raph rolls his eyes at the sight. “Raph will stay behind and finish cleaning up.”Mikey smiles and walks towards the archway, turning around before he leaves. “You sure you don’t want any help...?”Raph nods and waves him away. “Yeah, Mikey, I’m fine. You go do your thing, big man.”Mikey giggles at the nickname and gives Raph a casual salute before walking out of the kitchen. As he makes his way to his room, he can’t help but wonder just what Donnie might be up to...
The screen of Donnie’s phone shifts a little, facing the floor before the footage blurs as he holds it up above him and clears his throat, looking at the camera with his signature raised brow and smug expression.“Greetings my avid followers! It is I, Bootyyyshaker9000! And I must apologise for my lack of activity on this channel as of late, thus depriving you all of my blessed presence.” Donnie puts a hand to his chest with dramatic despair. “But you see, my brethren and I had our hands quite full with putting a stop to the alien invasion that would have devastated the entirety of New York. Nigh, the world. From these events, we also singe handedly saved each and every one of you from a nightmarish future containing a doomed society in an apocalyptic wasteland, so you’re welcome. I shall be expecting your praise in the comments.” Donnie smirks and walks through his lab, keeping the camera on him.“Now then, with that out of the way, let’s get into today’s long-awaited addition to my fan favourite series: Cat Vs.!” He does a jazz hand with his spare hand for emphasis.He stops walking and flips the camera of his phone around to face Klunk, who is sitting on his workbench, her tail swishing back and forth placidly. “Today, a new victim—” Donnie coughs, “I mean, competitor, has come into the ring, going by the name Klunk. This little charming feline is a calico cat, or rather kitten, who seems to have seen better days,” Donnie flips the camera back to him and murmurs, “Which she is now seeing once more thanks to my brother,” before flipping it back to Klunk, “equipped with some battle wounds and scars from her mysterious past. No doubt a result of our escapades to put a stop to the invasion only months ago. But then again, who doesn’t have anything to show from that traumatic disaster, am I right?” He makes a small awkward laugh. “My fellow New Yorkers know what I’m talking about. Fun times…”Donnie clears his throat and faces the camera back to him, stepping over to Klunk to keep her in the frame. “Anywhizzle, today our ferocious little predator will be facing off with someone I am quite fond of, my very own beloved creation, Shelldon!” Donnie flips the camera and zooms in on the drone in question, happily recharging on the opposite side of the lab and fully unaware of Donnie’s intentions. “Shelldon is a drone I invented by my own design and, as he sleeps in for the fifth time this week, has no idea of what’s in store.”Donnie flips the camera back to face him and grins mischievously. “Menacing chuckle, this shall be something that will go down in history as the greatest Cat Vs. video in this series. My brother’s new battle scarred Fluffball vs. my own ingenious artificially intelligent creation.“And before you try and say, ‘No, Donatello! This is bad parenting!’ to that, I say… Mikey get off my channel.” He deadpans at the camera for a moment before suddenly bursting into a cheery persona again. “Okay, here we go!”Donnie pauses the recording and turns to Klunk with a snicker. “Alright, Klunk, you know what to do.” He signs a few commands to her, and she chirps in response before jumping down from the workbench and trotting over to the table where Shelldon is charging. Donnie crouches, half hidden by his work bench, and he starts the recording again, chuckling softly to himself all the while.“Ahem. Here we have the young, slumbering drone in his natural habitat, blissfully unaware of the creature that stalks him.” Donnie zooms in on Klunk as she crouches down and jumps up onto the bench silently and begins to crawl towards Shelldon.“This little predator is currently out of her element, having been adopted into this unfamiliar environment, so despite his vulnerable state, the drone still has the upper hand in that aspect.”Klunk reaches Shelldon, looking a little unsure, and she glances over to Donnie. Donnie gives a thumbs up from behind the bench and she then reaches a paw out to Shelldon. “Alas, we are about to witness first contact…”Donnie shifts in his crouched position and focuses on Klunk and Shelldon, a small manic grin on his face.
Mikey is just finishing up the last few adjustments on Klunk’s bandana when he hears a panicked Shelldon, followed by a loud crash. Worry spikes through him, because he knows that Klunk is with Donnie, and he gets up and shoots out of his room to the lab.He bursts through the doorway, swinging his nun chucks and looking around. “Where’s the danger?!”But all Mikey finds is Donnie laughing on the floor, with Klunk sitting beside a pile of overturned boxes, and one drone among them… he sighs and puts his nun chucks away, focussing a glare on Donnie.“Donald! You better not be doing anything dangerous with my cat!”Donnie sits up and wipes his eyes, still chuckling. “N-no, of course not! I would never!”“He so would!” Shelldon floats up from the boxes and shakes his head, narrowing his eyes at his creator.Donnie gasps. “My own creation betraying me? I thought I knew you, son!”“And I thought I could sleep in late!”Donnie turns his head and mutters under his breath, “For the fifth time this week…”Mikey shakes his head and leaves them to their bickering, instead walking over to Klunk and crouching beside her. “You alright, girl?”Klunk meows and rubs Mikey’s knee with her head. Mikey smiles in relief and picks her up, glancing back to Donnie and Shelldon.Donnie shrugs at Shelldon with a small smile. “Come on, it was a little funny…”“Dude! Totally thought another stray cat got in again, I was ready to break out the disposal unit!”“On a cat, Shelldon…?”“A stray cat! Those things are feral, bro.”Donnie sighs and crosses his arms, “Alright, Shelldon, I apologise. I will try not to startle you in such ways again.”Shelldon pauses for a moment and blinks at him. “Wait, really…?”Donnie glances over to Mikey, who gives him an encouraging smile and a nod. It seems that his Dr. Feelings session with him a couple years ago really did help out.Donnie smiles back and looks back to Shelldon. “Really. I am very very (two verys) sorry.”Shelldon watches him for a moment and smiles, lifting one of his rotors behind his head as if to rub the back of his neck. “Aw, thanks Donnie. I’m really sorry too, I’ll try not to sleep in so much anymore.”Donnie smiles fondly and pets Shelldon on the head. “Ah, you’re a teenager. It’s what you do.”Shelldon chuckles and playfully bats Donnie’s hand away. “You don’t sleep in, Dee.”Mikey raises his eyebrow at Donnie. “Which will be in my next seminar: avoiding sleep deprivation.”Donnie scoffs at Mikey, putting a hand to his chest. “I get plenty of sleep, he says convincingly, and his little brother believes every word…”“Mhm… sure.”Silence fills the lab for a moment as Mikey and Donnie stare at each other.“Cough anyway, wow, would you look at the time! I’m gonna go see what the others are doing, because that’s something I definitely care about, anyways, bye!” Donnie darts out of the lab and Mikey can’t help but laugh at his older brother’s antics.“I will get you to sleep one day, Donnie!” Mikey calls after him. He sighs and lifts Klunk onto his shoulders, who happily obliges and sits behind his neck like she did earlier that morning. “Oh yeah! I have a present for you Klunk!” He starts walking out of the lab and turns to Shelldon before he leaves. “You wanna come with?”Shelldon shrugs with his rotors and looks over at the collapsed pile of boxes. “Nah, I’ll say behind and fix this up, thanks though.”Mikey can tell that’s not the entire reason for him wanting to stay behind; it seems that Shelldon is still a little unsure of Klunk, but he’ll leave him be. Splinter was unsure at first, but he soon warmed up to Klunk. He’s sure Shelldon will too.“Okay, see you ‘round Shelly!”“See ya bro!” Shelldon waves to Mikey as he leaves the lab, and then turns to deal with the pile of boxes that he knocked over with a loud sigh.Once Mikey makes it back to his room, he sets Klunk down on his hammock with a small smile. “Alrighty, Klunk. Just wait here a second.” Mikey turns and kicks some of the scraps of fabric on the floor away before grabbing the finished product from his desk. “Now, originally, I was going to make you a little mask like us,” Mikey gestures to his mask tied around his face, “But, I realised, it would squish your adorable floof.” Mikey scratches the side of her face and Klunk meows. “Exactly! We can’t have that. So, I made you a little bandana to tie around your neck…” Mikey takes the orange cloth out from behind his back and does just that, leaving little tails flicking up at the back like his own mask, “… like this! Ta da! Do you like it?”Klunk looks down at the orange bandana, then back up at Mikey. She meows and jumps down to rubs against Mikey’s legs enthusiastically, her tail flicking back and forth as she starts purring loudly.Mikey smiles widely and picks her up. “Aw, I’m so glad you do!” As Mikey pets her head and holds her close to him in his arms, he starts thinking about something, and then… “Omigosh, Klunk! I just had the best idea ever!” He pops her up onto his shoulders once more and grabs his duffel bag full of his spray paints and his respirator mask and runs out into the lair giggling.
Mikey has done many murals and tags throughout the lair during their two years of living in the abandoned subway station, just as he had in their old home. It takes a while to find a blank wall, but Mikey eventually spots one near the entrance to the lair, by the old subway gates. He gets Klunk to sit a good distance away from him before he puts on his respirator mask (Safety first, he thinks to himself) and gets to work. He glances over to Klunk every so often for reference, but soon after that, he naturally slips into the zone, letting the colours dance across the wall and his imagination run wild and free.After a couple of hours, Mikey tosses the spray can into his duffel bag and removes his mask to let it hang from his neck. He looks back to find Klunk curled up on one of the access gates and he smiles. “Klunk! C’mere girl.”At the sound of her name, Klunk lifts her head and jumps down, bounding over to Mikey with a meow. Mikey sits on the ground beside her and grabs some paint he set aside earlier. It’s the same paint he uses to paint himself or Leo’s shell (when he lets him), and it was made specially by Donnie so they wouldn’t get any toxic chemicals on themselves from any other store-bought paint, so it was completely safe for Klunk, which was all Mikey cared about.Mikey mixes up the colour orange and holds it out to Klunk. “Okay, put your paw in there, like this.” Mikey dips his hand in the paint and holds it up for her to see, then presses it to the bottom of the mural, leaving a handprint. Klunk looks to the paint and gingerly presses her paw into it and holds it up to Mikey. He picks her up with his hand that’s still clean and sits her beside the wall, and she presses her paw next to his handprint, leaving a little pawprint of her own. Mikey grabs a damp cloth he prepared earlier and uses it to wipe her paw before wiping his own hand.He remains crouched so Klunk can jump up onto his shoulders and once she does, he stands and takes a few steps back to see the finished piece. It’s a mural of Klunk, stretching out with her tail flicked up and her tongue sticking out with a gleeful expression. Splashes of pink and blue colour and patterns surround her with Mikey’s handprint along with Klunk’s paw print in the bottom left corner.“There! Something to truly welcome you into the fam.” Mikey looks over at Klunk on his shoulder and he smiles warmly. “You’re one of us now, Fluffball. Forever and always.”Klunk meows and nudges her head against his with a loud, loving purr, and Mikey pets her head in return. He looks back to the mural and admires his work. From here on out, Klunk is one of them, and he knows he won’t let any harm come to her. He doesn’t know what her life was like before he found her, but he hopes he can give her one that will be ten times better than how she was living before. And with the loud sounds of her purring, he knows he will, and that she’ll always know just how loved she is.