A few months ago, T-M-N-T time-scale, there WERE four brothers living in the Lair. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo. It was one of the rare moments where the four Turtles had the Lair all to themselves. Michaelangelo was drawing a comic, Donatello was upgrading a robot named Metalhead, and Leonardo was spotting Raphael as he was doing some bench-pressing with New York City manholes as weights. \u201cHey, Raph,\u201d said Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d grunted Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s a barista\u2019s favorite exercise?\u201d asked Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026If the answer\u2019s French Press, do NOT tell Kappa Joe that!\u201d warned Raphael. \u201cYou know he\u2019s still trying to get over his breakup with his barista boyfriend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDude, why do you think I\u2019m telling YOU that joke? I don\u2019t wanna put up with a moody Kappa Joe!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Probably a good thing, because it\u2019s sad that I<\/em> have to-.\u201d The alarms then started blaring. Leonardo helped Raphael return the weight bar back to its rest position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDonnie?\u201d asked Leonardo as they and Michaelangelo approached their brother as he sat down at the computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLooks like we got an intruder here,\u201d replied Donatello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?! Where?!\u201d asked Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t tell. It\u2019s concealed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDude, another ninja?!\u201d gulped Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait, something\u2019s going-!\u201d Donatello\u2019s computer blacked out. \u201cNo! NO! Our computer systems! They\u2019re offline!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s get out of here!\u201d said Leonardo. \u201cI don\u2019t want to stay here without those emergency protocols you cooked up! Mikey, get the door!\u201d Michaelangelo nodded and put his hands on the door and\u2026tried to open it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Um, dudes!\u201d he called. \u201cI think there\u2019s a problem in the ol\u2019 escape plan!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease do not tell me you\u2019re pushing on it,\u201d groaned Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGuys, the door won\u2019t open!\u201d Michaelangelo WAS pulling on it. \u201cAnd it\u2019s unlocked!\u201d Raphael tried the door, but to no avail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Donnie, pool! I\u2019m the cue-ball!\u201d he called.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGot it!\u201d replied Donatello. Raphael retreated into his shell and red lightning spouted from his shell holes. Donatello then twirled his bo as purple lightning sparked from both ends. He then jabbed one end into Raphael\u2019s shell and sent him flying across the floor like a pool ball. Raphael then struck the door and created an explosion\u2026then was sent flying back to his brothers, crashing into them all. The smoke cleared and the door was unscathed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Crap!\u201d swore Leonardo as he and his brothers picked themselves up. \u201cThe protection spells Kappa Joe set up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDang it! I forgot!\u201d complained Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was a good shot anyways,\u201d said Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen we\u2019ll get an axe and chop it down,\u201d suggested Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWon\u2019t work,\u201d replied Leonardo. \u201cThe spell works on normal attacks too.\u201d He then snapped his fingers. \u201cDonnie! The upgrade you and Mortu made to the T-Phones! You said that if you hit the button three times, it will open an emergency portal!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfortunately,\u201d reported Donatello with a wince on his face, \u201cthe exit point of that portal leads to my lab. It won\u2019t help our current situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, then we try and call our friends!\u201d suggested Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot possible,\u201d replied Leonardo. \u201cThe computer\u2019s systems are tied to our T-Phones\u2019 actual phone functions. Without it, we can\u2019t call anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDudes, let me see if I\u2019m reading the situation right,\u201d said Michaelangelo. \u201cWe\u2019re stuck in the Lair, we\u2019ve got no way of booking it outta here, no way of calling for help, and there\u2019s some\u2026THING in here with us!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, that about sums it up,\u201d confirmed Leonardo. He then drew his katanas. \u201cArm yourselves, guys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few hours later, Leonardo checked in with his brothers. \u201cAny luck?\u201d he asked Donatello. The poor tech Turtle ran his three-fingered hand down his face as he set down what he was working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnfortunately, no,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a question of if it\u2019s possible for me to link several communications devices together. I can do that in my sleep. But I keep running into the same problem; there just isn\u2019t enough power to reach out to our friends and family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s assuming that whatever\u2019s happening isn\u2019t blocking the communications channels,\u201d sighed Leonardo. \u201cAfter all, April helped you in making half the tech here, whatever backdoor she made should have alerted her about all this going down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s my theory too,\u201d said Donatello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow\u2019s things going in getting the protection spells down on your end, Leo?\u201d asked Michaelangelo. \u201cI\u2019m hitting a wall here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSadly, you and I likely have the same problem,\u201d replied Leonardo. \u201cWe only know how to cast it, but not how to take it down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI tried taking the hinges off,\u201d said Raphael. \u201cThought we needed to think about a simple solution, but no dice. The screws wouldn\u2019t budge. I think I stripped them too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was an idea worth trying, Raph,\u201d soothed Leonardo. He looked back at Donatello. \u201cWhat about the main computer?\u201d he asked. \u201cDidn\u2019t you say you had something to bring it back online?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI tried for two hours before giving up on it,\u201d answered Donatello. \u201cThe main relays are just too badly damaged to bypass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, I bet you\u2019re working REAL hard on fixing it,\u201d muttered Raphael. \u201cI mean, you\u2019ve been a big help so far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026And that means what, pray tell?\u201d asked Donatello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, nothing,\u201d grunted Raphael. \u201cBut I ain\u2019t the tech boy and I never really learned much about Leo and Mikey\u2019s mystic mojo, so I had a lotta time to stand around and think for a while! I just find it funny that the guy that\u2019s supposed to have a way with machines seems pretty crappy at his job, hobby, whatever!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKindly elaborate on that statement!\u201d snapped Donatello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou were the one that told Leo to go on a wild goose chase when his mystic power went haywire despite Pops saying that\u2019s a bad idea! You started working on a weapon for him, but you never got it to work right! And it was your crappy communicator that went kaput when we needed to call him! For someone who\u2019s supposed to be a scientific teen prodigy, you don\u2019t do much around here but screw up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s always a margin for error in science, you musclebound meathead!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot to mention that, ever since Utrom Shredder was found guilty and exiled to the coldest parts of space, YOU haven\u2019t had any incentive to help us anymore!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRaph,\u201d interjected Leonardo, \u201cDonnie\u2019s had a close eye on him since Ch\u2019Rell was finally brought to justice. And even then, we still have Bishop to help should Donnie go crazy again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, Bishop was watching him,\u201d replied Raphael, \u201cuntil all our systems got switched off! He\u2019s been alone in the Lair lots of times! He could have screwed around with the circuits at any time!\u201d Raphael then got an idea. \u201c\u2026Assuming, of course\u2026\u201d he then drew his sai, \u201che\u2019s who he says he is, at least mentally!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat the hell are you talking about?!\u201d protested Donatello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt happened with the idiot last year!\u201d replied Raphael as he pointed his thumb at Michaelangelo. \u201cCyber-Shredder possessed him and it wasn\u2019t that doofus at the controls!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026I\u2019m not an idiot!\u201d hissed Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaybe Saki was right and Cyber-Shredder DIDN\u2019T die in the idiot!\u201d continued Raphael as he got into a combat stance. \u201cMaybe he just jumped ship!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019M NOT AN IDIOT!\u201d shouted Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRaph, stop!\u201d protested Leonardo. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t make any sense!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am NOT an idiot, Raphael!\u201d snarled Michaelangelo. \u201cAnd you\u2019re not half as smart as you think you are!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s right!\u201d agreed Donatello. \u201cFor someone who throws around words like \u2018idiot\u2019, YOU haven\u2019t been particularly helpful to the cause! All you do is wave your sai around!\u201d He then recalled something. \u201c\u2026In fact, when this all started, those salad tongs were the first thing you went for instead of a key!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSALAD TONGS?!\u201d roared Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWILL ALL OF YOU COOL IT?!\u201d shouted Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou gonna listen to Donnie?!\u201d protested Raphael. \u201cHe could be tricking us! He could be Cyber-Shredder! He could be a shape-shifter mutant under his control!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDudes, Cyber-Shredder is dead! He\u2019s, like, FRIED!\u201d insisted Michaelangelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh yeah?!\u201d growled Raphael. \u201cAnd you\u2019d be the expert, wouldn\u2019t you?! You know, maybe Cyber-Shredder DIDN\u2019T jump ship! Maybe we should be looking at the guy who WAS possessed last year and almost killed us all!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou leave the Lair all the time to go on \u2018patrol\u2019 with the Mad Dogz!\u201d snapped Michaelangelo. \u201cAnd, yeah, I bet street gangs are real popular since NINJAS still got like six decades on them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you even listen to the crap coming out of your beak?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBetter than the crap coming out of YOUR beak, Raphael!\u201d Michaelangelo then got into his own combat stance with a nunchaku in his hands. \u201cAssuming that\u2019s who YOU are!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t getting us anywhere!\u201d snapped Leonardo. \u201cWe have to work toge-!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAND YOU!\u201d shouted Raphael as he pointed at Leonardo. \u201cYou left us alone for three months with that psycho, Slash, and he almost killed us! Did you even think about switching off his combat program?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere WAS a way to make him docile!\u201d snapped Leonardo. \u201cYou could have turned him off at any time!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, right! \u2026Or maybe YOU\u2019RE not who you say you are!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat kind of weed are you smoking?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe remote for Slash\u2019s cybernetics vanished after you got back!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAn intruder got inside and took it! Master Splinter didn\u2019t feel anything that night and Metalhead never identified who it was! Even then, Slash wasn\u2019t switched on in the Lair!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, somebody got in! But you\u2019ll recall that the intruder alarms didn\u2019t start blaring when he got in! Maybe somebody LET him in!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI should be accusing all the rest of you!\u201d Leonardo was addressing everyone now. \u201cAfter all, I was gone for three months, any one of you could have let that intruder in here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s assuming you came back at all!\u201d snarled Raphael.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWHAT?!\u201d protested Leonardo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe couldn\u2019t contact Leonardo during those three months! Maybe he never made it home! Maybe you\u2019re something else entirely!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd yet, YOU\u2019RE the one flinging accusations against everyone else left, right, and center, Raphael! Michaelangelo\u2019s right! You DO leave the Lair for days at a time without a word of explanation!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd YOU\u2019RE the one trying to pit us all against each other!\u201d interjected Donatello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut he DOES have a point, Donatello!\u201d snapped Leonardo. \u201cYOU have been remarkably unhelpful! You know, maybe I should outsource the science support!\u201d By then, it was a four-way shouting match between the Turtles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A few months ago, T-M-N-T time-scale, there WERE four brothers living in the Lair. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo. It was one of the rare moments where the four Turtles had the Lair all to themselves. Michaelangelo was drawing a comic, Donatello was upgrading a robot named Metalhead, and Leonardo was spotting Raphael as he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[754,880],"tags":[482,9,146,337],"class_list":["post-6714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journey-through-wonder","category-story-journey-through-wonder","tag-fantasy","tag-kamen-rider","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6714"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6715,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6714\/revisions\/6715"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}