Tello was helping Donny pack his things in preparation to leave when Dr. Chaplin entered the room. “Do you think that, maybe, we could make a trade?”
“Trade?” Donny asked, lifting an eye ridge.
Dr. Chaplin held up a small vile of the pink mutagen. “I will give you some of mine for some of yours. I would love to study the differences and similarities between them. Something tells me that you would too.”
The two genius turtles shared a look then Donny said, “I never got the chance to study the mutagen that changed us so I’m intrigued.”
Tello nodded in agreement. “I am too.” He turned to look at Dr. Chaplin. “You have a deal.” Reaching into his bag, Tello pulled out his canister of ooze. “I’ll just need…” Before he was able to finish Dr. Chaplin pulled out an empty vile and held it out to Tello. “… something to put it in,” Tello mumbled, taking the vile.
“I like to be prepared.” Chaplin smiled.
Tello poured a small amount of the mutagen into the vile and passed it back to Chaplin. “Just so you know. The mutagen from my world is milked from a large creature from Dimension X, called a Kraathatrogon.”
“Really?” Donny asked. “Is it like a cow?”
“No,” Tello answered shaking his head. “It’s a large worm like creature with a face on its butt.”
“That… sounds… interesting,” Donny said slowly.
“They were large enough to ride on,” Tello said flatly then added. “One swallowed Casey whole. I saved him with salt.”
“Is that the most bazar thing you have ever experienced?” Chaplin asked.
Tello shook his head. “No. I also encountered a Bigfoot…. She developed a crush on me. It was a little creepy. And then there were the Dream Beavers.”
“I look forward to the stories you have to tell.” Donny smiled. “I thought I’ve had some bazar life experiences.”
“Not all of them are funny,” Tello stated.
Donny placed a reassuring hand on Tello’s shoulder. “Neither are mine. Talking about them, though, will help you heal.” He lifted his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I’m ready to go home.”
Tello nodded. “Yeah. I’ll go get Ka…Miwa. She has a few things at the lair. It’s not much but it’s all she has.” Turning to Dr. Chaplin, Tello smiled. “Thank you for this. I look forward to sharing notes.”
“So do I,” Chaplin replied. “I hope we get to see more of each other.”
“Me too,” Tello said before walking out the door. He placed the small vile into his bag as he walked down the hall. He thought back to Donny’s statement of wanting to go home and he wondered how long it was going to take before he started to feel like this place was home.
……
Miwa had one request. She asked to be allowed to use the portal to enter Tello’s old lair. The Turtles had agreed to let her go but stayed ready to come to her aid. They still did not know if Shredder was watching the lair.
Miwa entered alone and walked into the dojo. Climbing the tree to get to the higher branches, Miwa cut some of the smaller, new branches with a small knife. With her acquisition in hand, she jumped down from the tree and hurried back to the portal.
Tello was there to help her through.
Opening her hand she showed Tello the cuttings. “I will attempt to grow a bonsai with these so that I can always have a little piece of home.”
With a sad smile, Tello nodded. “That is a wonderful idea.”
“Karai has all of the supplies I will need. I will try to grow you one as well,” Miwa promised then looked down at her hands. “It will take some time and it’s not guaranteed.”
“I understand,” Tello said. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Thank you for thinking of me.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him tight. “Thank you for getting me out of that hell. This world is wonderful and I have hope again. I love you, little brother.”
“I love you too,” Tello whispered back before they parted.
Leo and Mikey escorted Miwa back to the Foot headquarters while Donny settled back into his lab and Raph got started on the small shrine. What seemed like it would be a daunting task for Tello was easily done by Raph. The door was used as a wall mounted table where candles, incents, and photos were placed. The three carapaces were hung on the wall along with their framed masks. The weapons were removed and placed in the dojo.
Splinter took the pelt and carefully cleaned it before rolling it up once again. Tello didn’t want to display it so they took it down the tracks, away from the lair, and burned it. The ashes were then collected and placed in a small decretive box that was sealed. Tello placed the box on the table in front of the pictures along with Splinter’s walking stick.
In just a few hours the task was complete and Tello had a small shrine. Kneeling down in front of the table, Tello looked up at his brothers’ shells. “I wonder if this has helped my brothers find their peace. When I visited them, using the orb, I could tell that they were still suffering.”
“I’m sure it has,” Raph answered from the doorway. “You have treated their remains with respect and love. That carries over. I’m sure they feel it.” He looked down at Tello. “Did this help you find some peace?”
Tello shrugged, “I guess. I miss them so much…. It still hurts.”
“That’ll take some time,” Raph soothed. Placing his hand on Tello’s shoulder, Raph gave it a reassuring squeeze. “If you ever want to talk, I’ll listen.”
“You’ve done so much for me,” Tello sighed. “Soon, it will come to a point where you find me a bother.”
Raph shook his head. “Never. I understand that you are going through a rough time right now. I ain’t gonna turn my back on you.”
Tello sat staring at nothing in particular. It was the first chance he had gotten to settle down and let it all sink in. It was still kind of surreal. He had known that other Turtles existed in the multiverse, he had seen some himself, he never imagined meeting any of them much less live with them.
He wondered how different this world was from his home. Blinking his eyes to bring them back into focus, Tello looked up at Raph. “Can we go on a rooftop run?”
Raph took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t know. The city ain’t safe right now.”
“Has it ever been?” Tello asked flatly.
With a slight chuckle, Raph shook his head. “Not really.”
“I wanna see something familiar,” Tello pleaded. “The city should look the same…, for the most part. I wanna know if I can find my way around.”
“Alright,” Raph nodded. “I’ll take you out. Just don’t make a big fuss as we’re leaving. They might not let us go.”
“I’ll get my bo,” Tello said as he stood up. “I’ve suck out plenty of times so this is nothing new.”
Together, they made their way to the surface and up to the nearest roof. Tello looked out over the city and smiled. “I know where we are.”
“Then lead the way,” Raph offered. “If you do get lost, I’ll get us home and if you start going into a part of the city that isn’t safe, I’ll let you know.”
Without a word, Tello shot off across the rooftops and Raph followed. It felt good to be out running again.
He led the way with one destination in mind. Dropping down to the streets, Tello opened a nearby manhole cover and slipped down into the sewers.
The underground maze was the same and he ran through the tunnels like he was home again. He was almost there. Turning a corner he entered into the final straight away. Hopping the broken turnstiles, Tello had made it. “It’s here.”
Raph joined him and whistled as he looked around. “This is nice.”
“This is home,” Tello rasped out before running off.
Raph followed at a slower pace, staying alert for any enemies.
When Tello saw the tree he rushed forward to place his hands on it. “It’s here.” Overcome with emotion, Tello dropped to his knees and started to cry.
“Wow,” Raph whispered, looking up at the tree. “Your father found an awesome spot you raise you guys.” He knelt down next to Tello and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. “Let it out, little brother.”
Cradled in Raph’s arms, Tello cried until his eyes burned. After a while he settled and looked up at Raph. “Do you want me to show you around?”
“Sure,” Raph nodded.
“This was the dojo.” Tello stood, spreading his arms wide. “We managed to fit doors over the entrance and Master Splinter’s room was back that way.” He walked Raph around the abandoned station, painting a mental picture of how their home was set up. With each description Tello told Raph a story about his childhood. Raph remained quiet as Tello spoke, laughing at all the right times to indicate that he was paying attention.
Hours later, Tello sighed when he realized that he had run out of things to say. “This helped a lot.”
“And it helped me get to know you better,” Raph smiled, patting Tello on the back. “We know this is here now and we can always come back. But, for now, I think we should head back to the lair and get some sleep.”
“That is a wonderful idea,” Tello nodded in agreement. “I am exhausted.” He looked at Raph. “Thank you. I really needed this.”
“I’m glad Mikey found you,” Raph admitted. “I…. I needed someone and you’re here now. I think we will be able to help each other.”
“I’d like that,” Tello said and reached out to hold Raph’s hand.