TMNT - Worlds Change

Thirty- Nine

Iris POV (2 weeks prior)
"We've been at these same exercises for the last 3 months. How has my chi not sorted itself in some way by now?" I watched Tomomi as she sat, silent as she often was. However, this moment was different. It was as if she was feeling the world speaking to her, and not hearing what I had asked. "Sensei?"

"I told them to let it alone. They shouldn't be trying to do this." Lady Tomomi stood, moving to tend the same soup she always made.

"Who?"

"Your kin. They are making an attempt to help you succeed in your training." Her words were clipped – as if she was hiding something.

I rose and stood in front of her. There had been something from the beginning, but I couldn't find what it was she wouldn't trust me with.

"Tell me the truth. My chi isn't gonna settle out, is it? It's not a problem with me?" As I spoke, she set down her spoon on the table with a loud thwack.

"Do not ask questions you aren't ready to hear the answer to, girl. It is better for you to not know."

"How can I trust that it's better? It should be my choice! I want to know what's wrong with me, so tell me," my hands began to shake, with a desperate fear in my voice with a whispered, "please."

Tomomi stopped, looking to the sky as if for a sign or for help. Turning, she moved to settle herself beside our fire.

"If you must know, sit. This will be a long explanation."

As I settled across from her on the ground, she closed her eyes.

"This begins with your father – with Shredder."

Venus POV (Present)

"Atlas... You're certain about this?" I followed behind him, moving down the corridor of a seemingly abandoned warehouse.

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have shown up when I did. I had been tracking him, trying to make sure he left your family alone." He had a sad smile on his face.

"Your family. You are as much a part of this family. It just took losing you for me to accept that." I felt a pang of guilt. Had I known he was alive...

"Stop feeling guilty, Venus. I asked them not to say anything because you already have a family. All of you have a new family in each other. I was going to make my own way." Atlas smiled over at me softly.

"Am I that readable anymore? It used to seem like only Athena knew what I was thinking. Now everyone seems to know."

He chuckled softly to himself as we edged closer to a stairwell, leading down.

"You didn't have any emotions to show unless Iris was involved. Now you feel the love you did for her, for all of them. But especially for Leonardo." A playful smile flitted across his lips, "You always did have a type."

I rolled my eyes as he chuckled. We descended the stairs, making our way in one of the three entrances. As we traversed the winding halls, we crossed paths with Leo and Mikee. Donnie and Athena went off to try and find the control center, with Bellona and Raph in tow.

"We should be getting close to the center of the complex where he will be. It's best to keep your eyes ahead. There's some pretty creepy stuff going on in... Venus?"

I had stopped hearing what he said when I saw them.

Mikee POV (Present)

Her body went rigid, but her eyes stayed locked on that second corridor. As Atlas and Leo tried to shift her gaze, I moved to see what had her so shaken.

"Mikee, no!" Atlas tried to grab my arm, but it was too late. In front of us were rows and rows of tubes filled with blue-green liquid, and small huddled masses that looked like-

"Clones. He's making clones. He's starting over again." I turned to Atlas, whose face had grown ashen with my discovery. Venus had yet to break from her near trance-like state, as I turned to examine the rows. One looked like Bellona. Another row had clones of Athena. However, the majority of the rows were clones of

"He can't do this to her. He can't use Iris like this." I heard Venus whisper. Her voice was broken, like all the hope left in it was being burned out. I gripped my weapon tight.

"He won't. This ends here. Tonight."

Iris POV (2 weeks Prior)

"So this is all Shredders doing? Then why am I here? I have to get back to them!"

"No! Iris, you must stay far away from him," Lady Tomomi looked stunned at my statement.

"My sisters are in danger! Michelangelo is in danger! They are risking their lives for me, and I'm sitting on my shell doing nothing but wasting time on exercises that won't fix this. Thank you for trying, but I need to go, now." I rose, grabbing my things.

"If you leave, I cannot stop your powers from manifesting, and you could lose control. If you lose control, Shredder can take it and you will be lost to them." Her words sparked my anger like a fuse.

"Then tell me how to control it! What can I possibly do to control it?" The two of us stared each other down, both knowing that this wouldn't change what was about to happen. I bowed to her and then walked out. I had to get home.

Venus POV (Present)

"Mikee, wait!!" Before Leo's shout could stop him, Mikee had smashed the controls at the end of the rows, causing all the tubes to shut down. The water began to seep through the edges of the glass, as Mikee exited the room and destroyed the console on the doors exterior, locking the room down. Leo moved to question him when I stepped forward to him. I hugged him, feeling his arm snake around me.

"I won't let them do that to her again. Or you, or your sisters." He held me, and in that moment, I was the only one who knew he was shaking – from the anger or fear or grief, I don't know.

As I stepped back, I turned to see Leo with a pained, sad expression on his face. He knew what I was going through had been putting stress on us, and I felt the guilt. I knew I had been pushing him away because I had been so focused on Iris. Seeing her like that, all of them like that... that was what had haunted my dreams for all this time. I could see in his eyes that now he knew why I would wake up with a muffled cry on my lips at night. With a sad smile, I walked over and gently pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"When we are done with this. When, we get Iris back. I promise we will make things right. But for now, what Mikee just did likely summoned someone. We need to hurry. Shredder could be getting away."
Leo seemed stunned, but a flash of hope was in his eyes. The four of us started off down the corridor, back on our original path. This time with renewed determination. It was time to face my demons.