TMNT T.O.T: Family pt. 9

Thurston McRoy lead the four turtles down a long and dark sewer tunnel with only their only light coming from the dimly lit lantern in Thurston’s hands. Looking around, the teens could see that the structure of the walls were crumbling significantly. This tunnel seemed to be falling apart and it was a little unnerving.

A cracking sound could be heard and Mikey looked up. A large chunk of the ceiling fell and he screamed while jumping back just in time.

“Oh yeah, that happens,” Thurston acknowledge and chuckled.

Mikey looked at his brothers horrified. They had the same look but seemed to get over it quicker than Mikey did. “What?! Dudes?! The sky is falling!” He yelled.

“Well, you better hurry up then!” Raph called back.

Mikey carefully maneuvered around the large stone and caught up to the group.

Thurston stopped at what seemed to be a dead end and turned to face the turtles. “Here we are! Sewer Sweet Sewer.”

“Um, I think we took a wrong turn,” Donnie suggested.

“Yeah,” Raph added, “not to rain on your parade, but that’s a wall.”

“Oh is it now?” The older rat turned to face the stone. He turned back and smiled, “Looks like my vision’s going too.” He chuckled as the boys turned to leave, “Or…” The teens turned around as the rat grabbed a nearby pipe, “You young things don’t have enough imagination.” He pulled the pipe down and there was a large creaking sound. The wall split down the middle and opened like a motion sensored door at the grocery store.

The teen ninjas were all in awe of what just happened.

“Come on now, don’t be so shy!” Thurston ordered, “Come on in!” He gestured for the boys to follow and they obliged.

The room was much smaller than their own living area. The room was filled with makeshift furniture made out of crates and cushions that Thurston probably found in the garbage. There were many doorways all covered by dirtied sheets.

“Now hold the phone,” Thurston stopped in the middle of the room, “Where is everyone?” He set the lantern down on a side table.

“Um, Mr. McRoy...Sir?” Leo asked. “Why are you taking us into your home.”

“Didn't I tell you?” Thurston replied.

The turtles all shook there heads.

The old rat laughed, “Oh my, there I go again. You see…” He was interrupted by a skwak coming from one of the nearby rooms. A giant pigeon head peeked out of the curtain.

The turtles all jumped at the unexpected entry.

“Hey, Thurston!” The pigeon head said. “Did you bring me any sourdough?”

Thurston sighed, “Fer the last time you overgrown feathered swine, I ain't got yer bread. You can’t find sourdough in the sewers!”

The rest of the pigeon entered and the turtles immediately recognized who he was.

“Pete?” Leo, Donnie and Mikey all said in unison.

“Oh yeah, the pigeon mutant,” Raph remarked.

“Oh, hey fellas,” Pete welcomed.

“Oh, this is great!” said a very pleased Thurston, “Now we all know each other. Come along lads, I’ve much more to show ya.”

The teens looked at Pete once more, then followed Thurston through one of the covered doorways. They were in a long corridor with even more covered doorways.

“This here is the bed area. We have lots of rooms here, but only a few are occupied at the moment.” Thurston explained.

The ninjas stopped at a doorway where the curtain was pushed aside. Inside there was a what looked to be a young boy with his back facing them rolling dice on the floor.

“Martin Milton?” Leo asked, recognizing the cloak they had seen not too long before when playing a not so friendly game of mazes and mutants.

The sparrow mutant sighed and spoke, “My name is not Martin! I am Sir Malachi, the sparrow wizard!” He stood and faced the turtles. When he noticed the familiar faces, his mood significantly lightened. “What bringith thou here fellow mutants of old?”

“It hasn’t been that long since we last played your stupid game,” Raph growled.

“You’re just mad cause he turned you into a turkey bro!” Mikey teased.

Raph smack him upside the head.

“Ow dude! Elves have feelings too!” Mikey whined.

“Guys, we’re losing Thurston,” Donnie announced.

“I will seeith thou later then!” Martin called as the turtles went to catch up with their rat tour guide.

While nearing the end of the corridor, the turtles all jumped. A long tentacle reached out of the top of one of the rooms. The rest of the body followed soon after. When the whole creature was hanging upside down before them Mikey screamed, “Justin!”

The mutant flinched a little until Thurston approached it, “So that’s your name!” Thurston smiled and scratched behind Justin’s giant ears. The creature purred, and much to the turtles surprise, rubbed up against Thurston. “Poor things been livin’ without one for a while now.”

After seeing the turtle’s confusion, Thurston continued, “We were gonna call him Octo-Eyeball-Jelly-Bug, but that’s just silly.”

“Thurston, what really is this place?” Leo asked.

“A mutant orphanage?” Raph offered.

“Well I guess you could put it that way,” the rat man chuckled.

“Cool!” Mikey shouted, “So you’re like Splinter, but for mutants!”

“We’re mutants too Mikey,” Donnie pointed out.

“Yeah dude, but these are like every other mutant we’ve ever fought!” Mikey explained.

Raph semi surprise by this and looked straight at Thurston, “Have you seen any giant mutant turtles covered in Spikes? Goes by the name of Slash?”

“Come to think of it, I have,” Thurston answered. “Not one of the friendly types if you ask me. Never caught his name though, and when I offered him my home, he said that he’d rather work alone, whatever that meant. One less mouth to feed I guess.” Thurston shrugged and chuckled in his usual cheery way.

“Oh,” Raph replied.

“We do have another turtle though.” This got everyone’s attention.

“Another...turtle?” Leo asked.

“Aye, looks a lot like you all. Much smaller in stature. Probably a yougin’. We aren't sure, he doesn't seem to hear all that well and won’t speak to us. Picked him up in a old abandoned subway line. Poor little fella.”

Mikey was getting excited the more Thurston spoke of him “Can we see him?”

“Ah sure, don’t make any sudden movements though, he scares easy.” Thurston warned.

Thurston lead the group back to the main room, and to the door where Pete came out of, though Pete was no longer there. He opened the curtain and allowed the four ninjas to enter first. They stood in a makeshift kitchen much like their own. It was a little bigger but the appliances were much more out of date then the ones in their kitchen. The boys looked to see a giant mess on the counter where it looked some sort of messy food had once been.

“There is a reason someone put the word pig in pigeon,” Thurston remarked.

Mikey looked confused “How is there a pig in the pigeon?”

Thurston replied “Not the brightest color in the rainbow I’ll say.” Then he laughed to himself again. He went over to another covered door. This place seemed to have a lot of those. This one had lead to a walk in pantry. It was dark inside, but the dim light aloud you to see the many cans of food stacked along the wall. “This is where he usually goes. Not a lot of commotion.”