TMNT Story Competition

Massy stared at the rainbow flags that were thrown across the floor, but mixed within them? A plethora of various other identities. He pulled his legs up onto the couch, leaning against the arm with a huff as he narrowed his gaze. 

It was that time of year again. When Leo would throw his flags everywhere and declare it was Pride month again. And Massy hated it. 

Everyone had a set identity, everyone knew who they were. And in a way, Massy felt like he was supposed to know as well. 

With a huff, his face became half buried within his crossed arms. He kicked a flag off of the couch, but his gaze shifted when a large green hand caught it. 

“Hey, you watch out where you’re kicking stuff. Leo will throw a fit if you’re caught disrespecting the trans flag,” Raph laughed, carefully setting the flag down on the coffee table. 

“Who cares what Nardo believes? If he didn’t want things getting stepped on, or broken, he wouldn’t have left them laying around the floor like this. Honestly, it’s almost more disrespectful.” Donnie spoke as they walked past Raph, tapping away at their screen. Massy had half a mind to ask what Donnie was up to, to distract himself from the mess that is the living room.

But he caught sight of the two magnets attached to the metal shell that the softshell wore and he kept his mouth shut. A white, purple, and gray flag with a black triangle was mounted right above one that was purely yellow, white, purple, and black. 

“Come on, Donnie. You know Leo is just excited.” Raph elbowed his brother lightly, causing the nerdy one to scoff. 

“I would prefer his excitement-”

“What about my excitement?” 

A portal opened and Leo came through it, dumping another box of flags onto the floor with a big grin. This time, it was purely green and blue flags. Massy remembered them distinctly as the MLM flag. Leo claimed that it was the best one, Massy wasn’t so sure. 

“I think you’re making a mess of our home,” Donnie bit out. 

“And I think someone isn’t in the pride spirit.” Leo teased as he plucked up a rainbow flag from the ground and tucked it against Donnie’s goggles as the purple turtle glared at him. 

“You have thirty seconds to run before this becomes a hate crime.”

Leo’s eyes went wide, but his grin only seemed to grow as he turned on his heel and sped out of the living room. Donnie watched their phone, counting down the seconds before they chased after him. This left Massy with the largest turtle.

“.. You look sad, Mass. What’s going on?” Raph asked as he moved to sit on the couch next to the boy. 

Massy huffed, tapping against the fabric of the couch before he sat up, moving to face the large snapper. 

“Everyone has themselves figured out. They get to celebrate who they are and be happy about it. And I’m not.” Massy complained, glancing back down at the array of flags that seemed to stare at him like starter pokemon. 

“Oh! Well.. Maybe you should start with identifying what you like? I mean.. Do you like girls?” Raph asked. 

And Massy paused, because that was a loaded question. He thought girls can be pretty, and certainly he has found himself swooning over some of the female characters in cartoons he watched as a kid, but he wasn’t sure. So, he answered with a shrug. 

“Okay.. Do you like boys?”

And again, the same response. He didn’t know. He certainly wasn’t opposed to boys. He saw a lot of attractive males in the world. But he didn’t know. 

“This is.. Tougher than I thought.” Raph admitted, laughing awkwardly as Massy’s eyes narrowed in on him. 

“Maybe you’re bisexual? Or pansexual? I mean, if you kind of like both boys and girls, surely you would be in one of those categories?” Raph offered, and Massy mulled them over for a bit. 

He knew what they meant. Though he would admit, the difference between the two was still confusing in his mind. But… Maybe he was? Afterall, he didn’t have a particular interest in either gender. Just.. Interest. So.. Bi/Pan Massy. That was the answer. It had to be… But if it were, why did it still feel so off. 

“I’m not sure that’s-”

A loud crash came from the kitchen and Raph was on his feet in a moment, making his way over to the doorway to peer inside. Massy hopped up, following the large turtle. He managed to squeeze his way past Raph in order to see what had happened. 

An entire shelf had been knocked over in some kind of struggle, Leonardo was soaked from head to toe. Donnie had him pinned down to the tile with the rainbow flag stick being jabbed into the knot on Leo’s mask. 

“Stop! That one doesn’t fit my aesthetic!” Leo shouted, but Donnie just kept at it. 

“Donnie! Come on, get off him,” Raph instructed as he made his way over. He grabbed Donnie by the shell and hauled them up. But Donnie’s hands gripped Leo’s mask and pulled the slider up as well. 

“Hey! Won’t you- Oh hey, squirt,” 

Leo seemed to focus in on Massy standing in the doorway. The preteen started to laugh, watching the awkward display that the older turtles had found themselves in. Leo reached up and pinched Donnie’s hand, who released their grasp with a squawk. 

“Leo, come help me clean this up!” Donnie shouted, but Leo rolled out of Raph’s grasp and scooped Massy up into his arms. 

“Sorry, gentleman. I have favorite duties to attend to.” Leo spoke, sticking his tongue out. Massy laughed more, laying his head on Leo’s shoulder as the hero made his way to the dojo. 

Massy seemed to perk up more, he always enjoyed watching Leo train. He wanted to be a ninja too, but he was always told he was too young. It felt ridiculous, especially knowing that he was currently the same age Mikey was when he started fighting. 

But as they made it to the dojo, Leo set Massy down on one of the mats and moved to sit next to him. The slider sat cross legged, hands folded in his lap as his eyes closed and-

“Nooo, wait. Meditating is so lame, come on, slice something,” Massy complained, falling dramatically back onto the mat. 

Leo laughed, peeking one eye open to look down at Massy.

“Meditating is an excellent way to find yourself, troublemaker. It centers you, keeps you focused. I would argue that it’s actually the coolest form of training that we were taught by our father.” Leo noted, straightening his back some. 

“You’re just feeling lazy,”

“That’s irrelevant.”

Massy huffed, moving to sit cross legged next to Leo, hands folded in his own lap. He looked over Leo for just a moment before letting his eyes close as well. 

But he didn’t see anything. No, he had no idea how to find himself. He had no idea where he was. Everything still felt like a confusing whirlpool of different words and phrases that didn’t feel right at all. 

But maybe starting out with sexuality wasn’t the best way to start. Afterall, how can you determine who you like if you don’t even know who you are yet?

“.. How did you know you were trans?” Massy asked the quiet of the room. 

“Mostly clerical error,” 

“Leo..”

“Okay! Okay. It just.. Is a feeling. You feel a certain way in your heart and sometimes it matches your sex and sometimes it doesn’t. For me, it didn’t match. I do not match biology.. But I am still me. And there is nothing that is going to change me.” Leo explained. 

Massy opened his eyes to find the older turtle smiling down at him. Massy tries to examine himself in that light. 

“I.. Don’t know if I match.” Massy responded. His body wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, not in the way he knew Leo to complain sometimes. But, it did feel like he was struggling to fit into it. Pieces didn’t always line up in his puzzle. Like he was trying to fit two separate pictures together. It just.. Didn’t seem to make sense to him. 

Leo grinned, lightly smacking the kid on the shell before pulling out the all too familiar blue, pink, and white flag. Massy let the flag fall into his hands and he stared at it, eyebrows coming together. 

“Then congratulations, you’re trans,” Leo spoke definitively before pulling out his sword and swinging a circle around Massy. “Now get out of here, you’re disturbing my meditation,” 

Leo’s laugh echoed as Massy fell through the portal and the kid tucked himself into his shell. He tumbled against a hard floor, skidding against it for a moment before poking his head back out. Everything was purple and dark, leading Massy to know exactly where he had landed. 

He pushed himself up to his feet and stared at the flag still in his hands. Definition wise, Leo had to be right. If he wasn’t cis, he was trans. In some way, shape or form, because he didn’t identify fully with being a boy. Right? Right??? Massy didn’t know. And he dropped the flag to the floor as he started to walk his way to where he could hear the clacking of a keyboard and angered mumblings. 

“This is why I hate this month, there is no such thing as subtlety anymore…” Donnie muttered from their spot in their chair, lounged back and glaring at their large screen. 

Massy paused for a moment, but then glanced back at the flag that was almost consumed by darkness. He should pick it up, lest Leo get blamed for something he didn’t do. 

“Masaccio, I see you’ve been deposited in my lair,”

Massy turned back to Donnie but the purple turtle’s eyes were still glued to the screen. Massy forwent the flag and made his way over to the desk, grabbing the smaller chair that he had helped design personally for himself.

“Leo said I was ruining his focus,”

“Ha. That’s rich. I don’t believe that he’s focused ever a day in his life.” Donnie mocked before finally tearing their eyes from the screen to lock onto Massy. 

“Is there anything you need my help with?”

Massy stared at him for a long moment, rocking in the chair before he nodded his head. Donnie’s eyebrows shot up for a moment but they turned themselves to face Massy, gesturing for him to continue. 

“.. I don’t know who I am. I don’t know who I like, I don’t even know if I actually like people,” Massy rambled out, crossing his arms over his chest. And Donnie seemed mostly uninterested with the concept at hand. 

“Sexuality is.. Complicated. But for the most part, irrelevant. You will find someone you want to click with. I mean, look at me. I don’t find many people fascinating. But, I have had a very select number of partners. Maybe, you just want to connect with someone before you like them. There’s no shame in being demi.” Donnie instructed, holding one of their fingers up. 

“So.. I could just like people I’m attached to?” Massy asked, cocking his head to the side. 

“Absolutely! After all, isn’t that what any relationship is? You don’t particularly care for anyone, but then you get to know them and they become important to you. That’s how that works.” Donnie waved their hand around, and Massy extended his legs out to rest them on Donnie’s armchair. 

“Is.. Is that your stance on gender too?” Massy asked.

“For the most part? Yeah. Obviously, every being is different and one’s gender won’t fit the mold for other people’s gender. It’s statistically impossible. But, at the end of the day, being one hundred percent masculine or feminine is.. Not possible. You can definitely lean, and most people do. That’s how you form the gender binary. But it’s a scale between the two ends and sometimes you find yourself not even on the scale. I actually made this chart that describes gender as more a plane than a spectrum if you want to see-”

“No thanks! I uh.. I think I get the picture,” Massy cut them off as he pulled his legs back and moved to stand up from his chair. The young turtle quickly pushed his chair in, starting to walk away from the genius with his head still spiraling. 

“Sure! Just leave before I can go on my detailed exploration of gender and society!” Donnie called after the younger turtle. 

Massy just picked up his pace, starting the trek back to his room to attempt to process all that he just learned in such a short timespan. His hands came up to his head as if that would stabilize anything, but it wasn’t much help. 

“Hey Massy- Massy?”

Massy kept walking to his room, not caring much that Mikey had just gotten home and was on his heel. 

“Hey, kid, what’s going on with you?” Mikey asked, but their voice was laced with far more concern than it was joy. Massy whined as he collapsed onto his bed, grabbing his blanket to wrap himself up with. 

Mikey was instantly concerned as he moved closer to sit on Massy’s bed. 

“Come here, kiddo. Tell me all about it,” Mikey offered, holding his arms out. Massy peeked out from his blanket hiding spot, tears already filling his eyes. But he moved quickly, pressing himself into Mikey’s side and letting the orange turtle’s arms wrap around him. 

“What’s wrong, hun? Did something happen?” Mikey asked.

“I.. I tried to figure myself out so I could actually participate in pride this year. You guys have so much fun and I.. I just don’t know myself. I want to know myself but I don’t. Raph says that I’m likely bisexual or pansexual because I don’t have a preference between genders. Leo says that I’m trans because I don’t feel like my sex matches me fully. Donnie says that I could be demisexual if I don’t have a preference but then he also said that gender is-”

“Gender is a plane?”

“YES! And now I don’t know! Because nothing feels right, but nothing…” Massy chokes on his tears for a moment, pressing his face into Mikey’s plastron as the older turtle rubs his shell. 

“Oh, baby.. It doesn’t matter what or who you are,” Mikey offers, pressing a light kiss to the top of Massy’s head. The darker turtle looks up at him, “How does it not?”

“Well, first of all, you’re thirteen. You aren’t supposed to know who you are yet. You haven’t lived enough yet. Sure, people figure themselves out at any age. But there is absolutely no shame in not knowing anything. You have an entire lifetime,” Mikey offered, wiping away Massy’s tears carefully with his thumb. 

“And? You may never know. You may just like what you like, feel how you feel. Labels are an easy way to describe and connect to others, but they aren’t required for you to feel prideful and proud of who you are. You are so many wonderful thing, Masaccio, you don’t have to put a label on it,” 

Massy stared up at Mikey and he nodded slowly, and finally, that felt right. 

“I don’t need a label,” Massy states, and his voice is filled with more confidence than it had been before. 

“You don’t need a label,” Mikey responds. 

Massy, filled with relief, turns to deadweight in Mikey’s arms. He huffed softly, cuddling into his side while Mikey kept rubbing his shell. 

“I would still enjoy a pride flag…” Massy muttered, which caused Mikey to laugh.

“Luckily, you have one,”

By the end of the day, Massy had his own little flag hanging in the living room with all the others. This one was lighter, but it was perfect. 

Green, white, blue, and orange. 

The Notes:

From Raph

Hey Mikester,

I just wanted to reach out and see how you were doing! I know it’s been a rough past couple of weeks, being alone again probably isn’t all that fun.. But you’re welcome to we want you to come home. 

We want to support you right now, even if you’d rather be alone but..

You can’t do it alone. And we want to help. Come home, Mikey.

Sinserly sinceraly Love, your big brother Raph

From Leo

Miguel!

You need to answer my texts, I should not have to send you notes via portal. BUT. I am trying to respect your space because you are my little brother and I love you. 

However.

As someone who has had my fair share of awful break ups: You didn’t need her. There are plenty of.. Fish in the er… Yeah. 

Listen, my point is that moping around alone is only going to make you feel worse. Come home and we can mope together.

Your favorite brother, Leo

From Donnie

Salutations, Angelo. 

It has come to my attention that you are in need of help, and fortunately for you, I am more than willing to help. 

I have already taken it upon myself to research the best online courses I can find, cross referencing them with affordability- not that we need to worry about that. Your old room is just the way we left it, and I’m sure we can expand it for your expanded inventory. But of course, we can’t do that until you come home. 

I expect a swift reply. 

Sincerely, Donatello.

From April

Hey Mikey!

It’s been awhile! But I heard what happened. I get it. And it can’t be easy raising a little one on your own. You know, my cousin had a baby recently, and I’ve gotten real good at taking care of that! 

And you need a break. Come on, I want to see the little one. It’s been far too long and who knows how big they are! And! I’ll get pizza on my way over, does that sound like a deal?

I miss you Angie, and I’m bringing toys for your kid. 

Love you, April

From Splinter

Orange. 

I AM NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER. I HAVE BEEN ASKING YOU, MY SONS, FOR GRANDCHILDREN SINCE YOU ALL TURNED OF AGE. I WANT TO BE A GRANDFATHER.

If you do not bring young Masaccio back to the lair, there will be dire consequences. DIRE. I will not die not knowing my little grand baby!

And we can have tea. I hope you will tell me all that troubles you, my son. 

Forever, your father. 

The Letters:

To Massy

Dear Masaccio,

I bet you have a lot of questions. And many of them I don’t have answers to. I wish I could explain everything to you.

I wish I could have been better for you.

But you’ll come to find out that taking care of someone else is.. well, it’s a big responsibility. One that you have to be prepared for in order to give them the best chances. And I want you to have the best chances you can have. 

I can’t give that to you. 

I wasn’t prepared for the toll that having you would have on me. And I can’t be your caretaker any more. I’m not strong enough for you, and I understand if that leaves you angry with me. 

You deserve to be angry with me.

But it’s important you understand. I may dislike being your parent, but I have always loved you.

You probably won’t remember, but as I’m writing you this letter, I have you curled up in my tail. We had spent the entire day together. You were practically bouncing off the walls, my little frog. You have so much energy, just like your father. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up! 

Today, you learned how to finger paint. Daddy sat with you the entire time, he said you had the magic touch, just like him. You smeared paint across the table and the pages and the carpet. You were having fun and your laughter was infectious.

I’m trying not to laugh now at how happy you looked with splotches of red, green, and blue every which way. I remember making daddy swear he would clean it all up..

But then his brothers called. You know how daddy is a hero. He’s always out there keeping our city safe. But, with daddy gone, it was just you and me.

You fought the bath, you fought dinner, you wanted him. And I wasn’t him. 

Maybe you remember then… how I raised my voice. I shouted at you to behave and you looked… so sad.

I’m so very sorry Massy, I should have never raised my voice, I should’ve never said those things to you. But I can’t promise it won’t happen again. 

Like I wrote, I’m not prepared for a wonderful child like you. And because of that, I need to go before I deal any more damage to you. 

You cried yourself to sleep because of what I did, because I couldn’t bring myself to hold you and wipe your tears. Daddy’s home now, and he’ll be there when I’m gone.

I believe in the turtle you can become, Masaccio.

Taina

To Mikey

Dear Michelangelo,

This isn’t how I wanted to do this, he’s only just a kid. I look at him now and wonder how I was silly enough to let these years pass me by. He’s so little now, his eyes are so full of light that sometimes it’s hard to peer into them.

Sometimes, it stings. But even now as I write this, I have him curled around my tail and you’re fast asleep. He’s almost cute. But then I remember the tantrum that I battled just to get him here. Just to get him to stay quiet so I have a few moments of peace and suddenly he’s not the cute toddler that I had hoped. He’s a screeching monster of tears and snot.

And I love him. I love him so much. But Michelangelo, he’s not mine to love. He’s not my baby. I can’t be here to raise him. 

And I’m sorry.

But I can’t do more. You keep saying that if we just push through it then we will come out the other side but the further I push the deeper into the earth I feel.

I shouldn’t have allowed this to go so far, but you were so happy. 

Do you remember the night we met? 

It was raining in New York. I was just freshly mutated, I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I’d heard stories of mutants in New York for years by then but I guess I never believed them. I was squatted underneath a bunch of cardboard and you…

I still smile thinking about the way you fell into my life. You said you’d been dancing on the rooftops and slipped.

Dancing, while the city around you was nothing but gloom, you danced until you came tumbling into my life.

We were so happy. I was happy. And I found the place where I belonged in your arms and everything was fine. 

Late nights staying up, playing with the soft strands of hair along your scalp as you showed off drawing after drawing. Taking in the soft glow of the candles every which way. We were in our very own slice of heaven. Then you asked me to marry you and the world came to a halt.

I could’ve sworn my heart had exploded that day from my excitement…

… maybe it did.

Because we were wed and we were happy and we were- We were us! Nothing could tear us down until..

Until you said you wanted a baby.

And I was hesitant. Were we even ready for that? Was I ready for it? No.. and I said that, you understood and we waited a year and you asked again. And you looked so hopeful that I would say “Yes, I’m ready!”

But I wasn’t.

I’m still not.

But I said yes anyways and you were so excited that I convinced myself I wanted this. And that’s when we had our Masaccio…

I love him t

o the moon and back, Mikey, I really do. But I’m not ready to be his parent, and he needs someone whose ready. He needs someone who won’t grow to resent him just for being a kid. I can’t grow to resent him. 

Your family will love him, pick up the burdens that I leave behind. You will love him.

You’ve always been extraordinary, Mikey. You’ve always been as bright as the sun. I don’t want to eclipse our little planet. 

I love you, Michelangelo. 

Be brave,  Taina

Massy's Father's Day Poem

Happy Father’s Day, I say to the man who told me I was loved, Who has been there in every way, Splattered paints and shiny toys,  A happy home to grow my heart,

Happy Father’s Day, I say to the man who kept me safe, Who tended to scrapes whenever I’d play, Bruised knees and tiny cuts, A safe home to protect my heart,

Happy Father’s Day, I say to the man who lied to me, Who told me everything was okay, Ancient letters and pleas to stay, A quiet home to pierce my heart,

Sometimes, at night, Massy would wake up without any reason. Usually, he would sleep through the night. He would be wrapped up safe in his bed, safe and sound. But like all minds, sometimes his liked to play little tricks on him. That’s how the young turtle found himself sitting up in bed. Sweat covered his body and tears brimmed his eyes as they threatened to spill. 

Massy didn’t remember his dream. Nothing was visual enough to point out, to describe what monster was haunting his young mind. There were no sounds, no little whispers that raised goosebumps along his arms. 

All he could recall was the feeling. His heart felt tired from how hard it was pumping, his lungs ached from his heavy breathing. Fear, he knew what that was. These nightmares weren’t uncommon in his small little life. There was always a hidden something in the back of his mind that kept trying to make itself known. A lingering figure that he couldn’t remember that haunted him and dragged him back to that place once again. 

The young mutant pulled his knees to his chest, soft sobs escaping his throat. Massy’s fingers trembled as he pulled his comfort blanket up around his shoulders. He was scared and he couldn’t even find the threat, he didn’t even know if there was a real threat. 

Usually, dad would rationalize with him. “Dinosaurs are extinct, how could one chase you, baby?” But how do you rationalize the unknown? It was too much, too much for him at least, but dad would know. Dad always had the answers.

His eyes flickered over to the door to his room, his small hand coming up to rub the tears from his chubby cheeks. The light filtered in from the hallway, low enough to not disturb the darkness of the room but enough to banish away the monsters. Dad is just down the hall, his door is always open. 

Massy slowly pushed himself off the bed, dragging his small orange blanket along with him. His small feet lightly patted against the floor, crossing the dark obstacle course of scattered books and toys. The small child slipped through the crack of the door and found himself in the low light of the hall. 

He could hear the soft sound of a TV down towards the living room, but Massy turned the other way. He stayed close to the wall, following the small crack that led the way down to the tunnel entrance. Saying his dad’s door was always open was incorrect, because that implied that his father even had a door. Nope! Nothing but a long, maroon curtain hung over the circular door frame. 

Massy’s small hand reached out, grabbing the curtain to pull it aside in order to pull the fabric aside. He peeked around- Usually at least a small candle would be burning over beside the bed. His dad always said he didn’t like the dark. Massy didn’t either. 

But the room was dark. Empty. Devoid of any life and simply just his father’s belongings. 

This.. Was new. 

Not unexpected, but still new. 

Dad said he was going to start paw trolling at night with his brothers again, he said that papa Splinter would be watching him at night but he wouldn’t even notice. Massy would be asleep, he clearly wouldn’t know his father left. 

Massy trembled, his fingers gripping the curtain fabric. His tears started to roll again and he fell down onto his rear, legs splaying out in front of him as a loud wail ripped from his throat.

He wanted his dad. This wasn’t fair! He needed his father and he wasn’t there! He was gone! It hurt, almost physically. His feelings were so big but his body was just so small. How was he supposed to contain it all?

Quick footsteps rushed down the hallway behind him, followed by ragged panting. 

“Young Masaccio, what in heaven's name are you doing out of bed?” A voice panicked as it got closer, clawed hands coming out to carefully grab his arms. 

Massy is lifted up from the ground, his arms wrapping around the furry body as he sobbed. Short, unfulfilling breaths become muffled. His voice reduced to nothing but nonsensical babbling as he tried to get his feelings out.

“Young one, I cannot understand you when you are in hysterics,” 

Massy pulled his head away to look up at his papa, the rat looking back with concern. 

“You do not have to speak, just move your head, do you understand?” Splinter asked softly. 

Massy nodded his head, sniffling. 

“Okay.. Now, are you hurt? Boo boos?” Splinter asked, and as he did, his eyes started to track over the child’s body for any obvious sign of injury. 

Massy quickly shook his head, then he turned his head back to the door, pointing to the curtain that had now fallen back down into its normal position. 

“Oh, do you miss your father?” 

Massy whined, nodding his head. Splinter hummed thoughtfully as he started to walk. He kept the child on his hip, his clawed fingers lightly rubbing the carapace. Massy’s eyes stayed locked onto the curtain. Even as Splinter turned the corner and it fell out of view. 

His arms tightened around Splinter, the coarse fur pressing into his face. His eyes squeezed shut, hiding him from the world. Splinter moved to sit in his old recliner- and it was old. Dad once told him that it was older than dirt. Massy didn’t know how old dirt was, but it seemed like a lot. 

“You know where your father is, right?” Splinter asked as he settled in. He pushed the turtle away, just enough so Massy couldn’t hide anymore. 

“Daddy said he was paw trolling…” Massy muttered as his body curled up against the arm of the chair. His tears started to dry, but the pout stayed stagnant on his face as Splinter started to laugh. 

“I believe you mean patrolling, young one!” Splinter barked out between laughs, shaking his head, “Patrolling means he’s out looking for trouble. He’s out there trying to stop the bad guys.” 

Massy lifted his head from the armchair with confusion. His previous fears were set aside for the moment as he looked up at his grandfather. 

“Like.. Like a superhero..?”

“Not like, he is a superhero!”

Massy’s eyes widened. He knew about superheroes. Recently, it’s become a habit to lay on Uncle Leo’s shell and look at the cool pictures in his comic books. Usually, Uncle Leo would read the words to him. 

But his dad? His dad? How could he not know??

“Is that why he is always sp.. Sparring..?” Massy questioned. 

He knew his dad and uncles enjoyed playing rough together. They would go into the dojo- Where Massy was not allowed to go- and would fight each other. 

Dad always said it was for fun! 

“Yes, I raised your father and his siblings from a young age to fight battles. To protect themselves, to protect others.” Splinter explained. Massy stared at him for a long moment, the gears in his mind starting to turn slowly. 

“And daddy is good at fighting..” Massy muttered. 

“Your father is a natural,” Splinter responded. 

Massy frowned some, his arms crossing over his chest. His fingers fiddled with the light blue fins that contrasted heavily against his darkened green skin.

Dad always felt so safe, and maybe that’s why. Maybe because he’s a superhero. Massy’s gaze turned down to his hands.

“... I wish I was strong like daddy..” Massy admitted softly. Instead of being scared and hiding, he could beat up the scary things! He could keep himself safe, he wouldn’t have to wait for his dad to come save him. Wouldn’t have to waste the time. 

“You could be,”

“WHAT?”

Suddenly, Massy pushed himself into Splinter’s face. His bright yellow eyes staring up at the elder. Splinter’s eyes widened, chuckling softly as he gently pushed his grandson back once again.

“Did you not hear the part where I said I raised your father?” Splinter questioned. With careful hands, he lifted the child off his lap and gently dropped him to the floor. Massy stumbled for a moment, but caught himself before he could fall. 

“If I raised your father to be a fighter, I’m certain I can train you as well. Come with me,” Splinter gestured with his hand as he pushed himself off the recliner. The chair creaked as it rocked back and forth with the loss of weight. 

Splinter started to walk down another hall- One that Massy rarely ventured down. Once, Massy was allowed to bring cookies to Uncle Donnie as they worked on the giant turtle tank. But he knew further down the hall was the Dojo. He was not allowed down there…

But sometimes he snuck on down and watched his family sparring. He remembers peeking through the curtain and watching the flash of colors. Orange, red, blue, and purple. All dashing through his vision with a speed he couldn’t even imagine for himself. 

One day, he would be just like them. 

But that meant taking the first steps. Massy raced down the hall after his grandfather, his blanket left on the chair and a bright grin gleaming from his teeth. He pushed past Splinter in order to push the old, rickety shoji doors to reveal the large dojo. 

He ran to the center of the room, his feet slapping against the hardwood floor. The lights clicked on as Splinter entered and Massy’s eyes widened with delight. Weapons lined the walls, mats were rolled up and out of the way. Big humanoid dolls were placed sporadically, not fully cleaned up since the last they were used. 

Splinter made his way to the center of the room, cracking his knuckles. 

“Let’s start with something simple, try to land a hit on me,” Splinter said as he placed his hands on his hips. Massy’s eyes widened as he looked up at the rat. Immediately he pulled his hands to his chest, fidgeting with the small digits. 

“Daddy said hitting is bad-”

“Hitting is bad, which is why you need to learn when it is appropriate. Such as, when I instruct you to hit me,” Splinter stated. 

Massy’s brow ridge scrunched up before he held his arm back. With an open palm, he swung his arm out wide to the side, smacking his hand down on Splinter’s stomach. The rat didn’t even flinch, in fact, he seemed disappointed. 

“Now, what was that?” Splinter asked as Massy pouted. 

“I hit you.”

“No, you flailed. Here’s how you really throw a punch..”

And just like that, Splinter walked over to one of the large dummies and through a punch. His form was loose, but his feet were planted. His movements followed the motion. Massy cocked his head to the side- But it seemed to be the superior method. The mannequin flew across the room and slammed into the wall, teetering on its pedestal for a moment before it crashed down to the floor. 

Massy’s eyes widened, then his hands started to flap quickly as he bounced up and down. 

He raced up to another one, planted his feet on the floor, and threw a punch. There was a small thud, but the dummy was still stagnant in one spot. In contrast, Massy was sprawled out on the floor. He had tried to be fluid- But he ended up just throwing himself to the ground. He looked to Splinter with worry, but the rat just laughed. 

He laughed, and Massy followed along with his own bubbly giggles. He pushed himself up from the ground. 

That’s how their night continued. They were just working on punches, and not even a fancy punch like Massy had seen Uncle Raph do once upon a time. 

Massy was laughing, his fears beforehand were long since forgotten as his mind focused on this. This punch, that punch, a swing and a miss, a tumble, a scraped knee. 

The once empty dojo was filled to the brim with thuds and laughter and encouragement. And he was learning quite fast. He wasn’t hitting like Papa Splinter was, he couldn’t slam a dummy back towards the other side of the room. 

But he could hit them, he could make them teeter. Splinter said it was fine, he was just a kid. This was his first time hitting anything! And Massy trusted that. Especially because Papa was so old! Massy found himself growing tired, but once again, he found himself standing in front of Splinter. 

“Try to land a hit on me,” Splinter instructed. 

Massy found himself planting his feet once again, his knees bent as he focused on his target. His fist clenched and he shot forward, flowing with the motion of his swing and landing a solid punch in Splinter’s gut. 

The elderly rat grunted, curling forward as his arms wrapped around his abdomen. 

Massy’s eyes widened and he retracted his hands quickly, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry-”

Splinter lifted his hand up and shook his head. He lifted his head to smirk at Massy. 

“That was a great hit, Young Masaccio,” Splinter stated, slowly straightening back up. His hand landed on Massy’s head, “You’ll be a great fighter..”

Massy beamed, bouncing on his feet. 

“Massy?!”

The shoji door suddenly slammed open and Massy turned his head to see his father, his chest rising and falling quickly as he panted. 

“Daddy!” Massy shouted as he turned on his heel and raced over to his father. Mikey was quick to cross the floor and scoop his son up into his arms, holding him close. Close up, Massy could smell smoke along his father’s cloak. Looking down at the fringes, noting the burnt up ends. 

“What are you doing in here? You know you’re not allowed,” Mikey said as his hand cupped Massy’s cheek. Massy grinned. 

“Papa was teaching me to be a hero just like you!” 

And Mikey’s eyes widened. 

Massy didn’t like that look. He didn’t have the words to describe it, but he did know that his stomach sank. Mikey slowly looked to Splinter, who didn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest. 

“Massy, go back to your room,” Mikey said softly, slowly letting his son back to the ground. Massy hesitated, looking up at Mikey. 

“But dad-”

“I will be there soon to tuck you in, Massy, please. I need to talk to your grandfather.” 

Massy slowly turned his head to shoot Splinter a glance. The rat nodded his head, and Massy let out a soft sight. 

“Goodnight Papa..” Massy said softly as his feet pattered over towards the door. As he hit the hallway, he caught sight of his uncles. Uncle Raph and Uncle Leo were discussing something, he didn’t understand the words. But Uncle Leo had his fingers pinching his chin. His eyebrows were scrunched together. Uncle Raph looked concerned, his hand on Uncle Leo’s shoulders and speaking lowly to him. Uncle Donnie was off on their own. They just seemed irritated, stalking off to their lab. 

But then he heard the low speaking in the dojo. 

“Dad, I said I didn’t want Massy learning to fight..”

“Which is ridiculous.”

“He’s too young!” Mikey argued. Massy peeked his head around the shoji door. Mikey’s hands were up in his hair, he looked frustrated. 

“He’s no younger than you were!” Splinter retorted.

“I was too young!”

Silence hung in the air for a moment, the two adults staring each other down. 

“It’s too dangerous, I don’t want him to do what I do.” Mikey’s shoulder’s fell as his arms dropped to his sides.

“It’s too dangerous to leave him defenseless, Michelangelo.” Splinter’s hand came up to rest on Mikey’s arm, squeezing gently. “The world we live in is dangerous, you need to give him the tools he needs to be safe.”

Mikey slowly shook his head, “I don’t want him to get hurt..”

“... He’s just like you,”

“What?” Mikey moved into a crouch to be eye to eye with his father. Splinter nodded, lightly petting the old wrappings around his son’s forearm. 

“Young Masaccio.. Fighting comes naturally to him, just like it did to you,”

Mikey laughs, and it’s wet. 

“Of course he does..”

“That’s enough, you little eavesdropper!” A whispered shout precedes the large hands that pluck Massy up from the ground. He squeaks, looking up to see his Uncle Leo. His previous contemplation was replaced with a relaxed grin. 

“I was not dropping anything,” Massy complained as he was tucked under Uncle Leo’s arm, the large slider making his way down the hall and towards his bedroom. 

“No, but you were listening to conversations that don’t involve you,” Leo argued, lightly shaking the child. Massy laughed, kicking his legs. 

“It was about me!” Massy laughed, the sound kicking up as Leo’s fingers tickled his feet. 

“That doesn’t mean you have to hear it, nosey! Come on, let’s get you in bed before your dad has another heart attack,” Leo joked.

“Another??”

“Another!”

Leo brought Massy to his room, dropping the child down onto his bed. Massy complained he wasn’t tired, he didn’t want to go to bed. He wanted to stay up with everyone else! But as Leo started to babble about something, Massy found his eyes drifting shut. 

He doesn’t remember Uncle Leo leaving, he only vaguely remembers hearing “I love you, son,” as his orange blanket was laid across his body and tucked around him. But that was it. 

As morning came, Massy found his body feeling stiff and angry. His arms hurt! With a grunt, he pushed himself out of bed. He stumbled, everything felt heavy, but he stumbled his way out of his room. 

The lair was louder than it was the night before. Distantly, Massy could hear the muffled music from his uncle’s lab. But what drew his attention was the movement down in the kitchen- along with the smell of waffles.

Massy made his way to the kitchen, his eyes lit up as he saw his father using scissors to cut waffles into sticks- his favorite. 

“Oh! Hey, my little planet,” Mikey grinned as he moved a plate to the table, along with a tiny cup of syrup, “I was about to come wake you up, I made waffle sticks,”

Despite the ache in his arms, Massy rushed over to the table and pulled himself up into his chair, his eyes wide as he looked down at the plate. 

Mikey smiled, patting Massy’s head. “Are you going to have a good day?” 

As he asked, Mikey walked back over to the counter in order to start the clean up process. Massy nodded his head, grabbing one of his waffle sticks and dipping it in the syrup. His eyes tracked the syrup excitedly as it dripped down into the bowl. Then, he stuffed it into his mouth. 

“Good, because I was going to have Uncle Donnie get the old Jupiter Jim movies out.” Mikey said from his spot at the sink. Massy’s eyes widened and he grinned, mouth full of waffle and all. 

“Mikey! Come check this out!” 

Uncle Raph’s voice echoed from the living room. Mikey paused, then looked to Massy, “Are you going to be okay here for a second?”  

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Massy responded as he stuffed another waffle stick into his mouth. Mikey quietly left the room, leaving his child to eat his breakfast. Massy hummed, lightly kicking his feet as he chewed. 

Massy’s mind wandered to the night before, thinking about the time he spent with his grandfather… He hoped Papa wasn’t in trouble. He was just trying to train Massy, it’s not his fault. It was hard to tell what the outcome was, he could barely remember that time before he fell asleep. 

He also hoped that he could do it again. Dad said no but… Massy had fun. And wasn’t that all that mattered?

“Young Masaccio,” Massy looked up to see his aforementioned Grandfather standing there. He looked around quickly, trying to figure out where he came from. Ohmigosh.. Did he summon his Papa? Was he a magician?

“I brought you something, close your eyes,”

Massy arched his brow ridge but closed his eyes. There was shuffling before something wrapped around his face. Massy whined, opening his eyes before Splinter could instruct him too. He reached up, with his clean hand, to touch the black mask that was now wrapped around his eyes. 

Just like Uncle Raph. 

He gasped loudly, nearly choking on his food before he swallowed.

“There, now you can train like a proper hero,” Splinter spoke softly, a small smile on his lips. Massy grinned, even as the mask fell down his face. “Ah! Seems like you’re still too little..” 

Splinter pulled the fabric from his face, gesturing for Massy to lift his arms. Massy followed suit, cocking his head to the side as the fabric was wrapped around his shell. 

“You’ll grow into it, all heroes do,” Splinter decided. The rat pinched the tip of his snout before he disappeared, just as suddenly as he had appeared in that kitchen. Massy’s fingers trailed over his new black mask.