Braving it in the New World

Donatello looked around his nearly-empty lab and tried not to notice the tug on his heartstrings. He’d left a few tools and some useful parts behind on the long work benches, but everything was covered in drop cloths. He picked up an old tool box and snapped off the light. As he shut the door, his eyes fell on the old hubcap sign Mike had made when they were children. “Nerds only. No cool people allowed.” They’d grown so much since those early days when their only friends were each other and their whole world was inside the lair.

He wandered past the dojo and each of their old bedrooms. They’d left the doors open to allow some air circulation too keep the place from getting damp. Each bed was covered in a drop cloth and had a Rubbermaid bin sitting on it. They’d decided to keep the lair as a fall-out shelter, just in case they ever had to go back into hiding, so each turtle had stored some essential items. Mike had stored the Nintendo and some pictures. Raphael had been pretty secretive about what was in his bin. Leonardo had mostly brought some books, but he also had a big first aid kit. Donatello’s bin had copies of his wedding photos, some programming books, and a bunch of cds, and some rechargeable batteries. The kitchen cupboards had been filled with non-perishable foods… just in case.

The living room couches and tv had been covered in cloths too so Don didn’t stop there but continued on to the kitchen where his brothers stood around the table, waiting. He set the toolbox on the table and they all took off their masks and pads. They folded them the way Master Splinter had taught them and one-by-one, placed them inside the box. It was a symbolic gesture to say goodbye to their old way of life. There would be no more late-night escapades… no more warring with the Foot. They had made the decision to have peace in their lives instead of fear and fighting. They weren’t going to give up their training, but from now on, they were going to let the police handle things. From now on, they were going to be normal.

Leonardo shut the box gently and turned out the light as they filed out of the kitchen. They stood in the living room for a moment and looked around at the empty, lonely lair before they turned and left. Donatello looked over his shoulder before he snapped off the light and the lair went dark.