{
  "submission_id": "1041141",
  "keywords": [
    {
      "keyword_id": "3343",
      "keyword_name": "action",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "4352"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "743",
      "keyword_name": "adventure",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "5864"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "24900",
      "keyword_name": "alternate dimension",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "51"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "18466",
      "keyword_name": "attraction",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "212"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "4541",
      "keyword_name": "donatello",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "3656"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "2490",
      "keyword_name": "drama",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "4617"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "2843",
      "keyword_name": "humor",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "5891"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "10729",
      "keyword_name": "language",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "550"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "10308",
      "keyword_name": "male/male",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "125421"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "5244",
      "keyword_name": "males",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "43517"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "75542",
      "keyword_name": "ninja turtles",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "1480"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "13036",
      "keyword_name": "original character",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "27054"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "18653",
      "keyword_name": "teenage mutant ninja turtles",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "6037"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "3606",
      "keyword_name": "tmnt",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "9511"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "129671",
      "keyword_name": "tmnt 2003",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "1068"
    },
    {
      "keyword_id": "14477",
      "keyword_name": "turtles",
      "contributed": "f",
      "submissions_count": "4233"
    }
  ],
  "hidden": "f",
  "scraps": "f",
  "favorite": "f",
  "favorites_count": "4",
  "create_datetime": "2016-03-05 00:09:10.345351+00",
  "create_datetime_usertime": "05 Mar 2016 01:09 CET",
  "last_file_update_datetime": "2016-03-04 23:55:40.801575+00",
  "last_file_update_datetime_usertime": "05 Mar 2016 00:55 CET",
  "username": "hummerhouse",
  "user_id": "54734",
  "user_icon_file_name": "19508_hummerhouse_raphael.gif",
  "user_icon_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/19/19508_hummerhouse_raphael.gif",
  "user_icon_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/19/19508_hummerhouse_raphael.gif",
  "user_icon_url_small": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/19/19508_hummerhouse_raphael.gif",
  "file_name": "1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.doc",
  "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.doc",
  "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.doc",
  "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.doc",
  "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.jpg",
  "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.jpg",
  "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.jpg",
  "thumb_huge_x": "152",
  "thumb_huge_y": "123",
  "thumb_large_x": "152",
  "thumb_large_y": "123",
  "thumb_medium_x": "120",
  "thumb_medium_y": "97",
  "files": [
    {
      "file_id": "1435570",
      "file_name": "1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.doc",
      "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.doc",
      "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.doc",
      "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.doc",
      "mimetype": "application/msword",
      "submission_id": "1041141",
      "user_id": "54734",
      "submission_file_order": "0",
      "full_size_x": null,
      "full_size_y": null,
      "screen_size_x": null,
      "screen_size_y": null,
      "preview_size_x": null,
      "preview_size_y": null,
      "initial_file_md5": "d40fa3410d79ccab0408db0964f6a6f0",
      "full_file_md5": "d40fa3410d79ccab0408db0964f6a6f0",
      "large_file_md5": "",
      "small_file_md5": "",
      "thumbnail_md5": "a7731178d2823507f4e67c971850d3c1",
      "deleted": "f",
      "create_datetime": "2016-03-04 23:55:40.801575+00",
      "create_datetime_usertime": "05 Mar 2016 00:55 CET",
      "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.jpg",
      "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.jpg",
      "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1435/1435570_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_3.jpg",
      "thumb_huge_x": "152",
      "thumb_huge_y": "123",
      "thumb_large_x": "152",
      "thumb_large_y": "123",
      "thumb_medium_x": "120",
      "thumb_medium_y": "97"
    }
  ],
  "pools": [
    {
      "pool_id": "35485",
      "name": "Don and the Puzzle Box",
      "description": "Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension. Is the strange Turtle he meets the worst thing that's ever happened to him, or something else?\n\nMulti-chapter 2k3",
      "count": "28",
      "submission_left_submission_id": "1040574",
      "submission_left_file_name": "1434605_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_2.doc",
      "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1434/1434605_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_2.jpg",
      "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1434/1434605_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_2.jpg",
      "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1434/1434605_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_2.jpg",
      "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300",
      "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "248",
      "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200",
      "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "165",
      "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120",
      "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "99",
      "submission_right_submission_id": "1041899",
      "submission_right_file_name": "1436747_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_4.doc",
      "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1436/1436747_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_4.jpg",
      "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1436/1436747_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_4.jpg",
      "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1436/1436747_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_4.jpg",
      "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "152",
      "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "123",
      "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "152",
      "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "123",
      "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120",
      "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "97"
    }
  ],
  "description": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.\nWord Count: 100K+ multi-chapter 2k3\nSummary: Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension.\nRating will vary by chapter, from G to NC-17\n\n~~The amazing preview image created by @dragona15",
  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.<br />Word Count: 100K+ multi-chapter 2k3<br />Summary: Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension.<br />Rating will vary by chapter, from G to NC-17<br /><br />~~The amazing preview image created by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t<table style='display: inline-block; vertical-align:bottom;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td style='vertical-align: middle; border: none;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style='width: 50px; height: 50px; position: relative; margin: 0px auto;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a style='position: relative; border: 0px;' href='https://inkbunny.net/dragona15'><img class='shadowedimage' style='border: 0px;' src='https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/53/53582_shusuika_dragona15.gif' width='50' height='50' alt='dragona15' title='dragona15' /></a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t</div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t</td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td style='vertical-align: bottom; font-size: 10pt;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span style='position: relative; top: 2px;'><a href='https://inkbunny.net/dragona15' class='widget_userNameSmall'>dragona15</a></span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t</td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t</tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t</table></span>",
  "writing": "\tThe pair sat in relative silence for a while; the only sound that of the wild boars below the tree they were hiding in.  When a flash of movement caught the corner of Don’s eye, he turned his head to look at Nicco, seeing that the other turtle was hanging his backpack from a sturdy tree branch.\n\n\tNicco offered Don a grin when he saw the other turtle look up.  In the moonlight, his eyes flashed much the way Raph’s did when that particular brother was enjoying himself.  It made Don wish that his hot headed sibling really was there, instead of this cocky know-it-all.\n\n\t“You should get comfortable,” Nicco told him even as he twisted around to wedge his carapace between two tree branches so that he needn’t worry about falling while asleep.  “We’re not going anywhere until they do.”\n\n\t“Great,” Don mumbled, swinging his legs onto the branch he occupied and scooting back so he could lean against the tree trunk.  Another smaller branch jutted out right next to him and Don leaned over enough so that it was tucked snugly beneath his armpit, thus lessening the possibility of him dropping from his perch as he slept.\n\n\tNot that he thought he’d get any sleep.  The snorting and snuffling below him was unnerving and he didn’t fully trust his new travelling companion.  For all he knew, the guy might decide to go off on his own and leave Don to fend for himself.\n\n\tShifting irritably, Don decided he wouldn’t mind that as long as Nicco gave him the compass.  Without that Don would be hard pressed to keep track of where he’d been and where he was going.  Don could certainly take care of himself; he didn’t need that smug turtle’s assistance, just his supplies.\n\n\t“You going to sit there and steam all night?” Nicco asked as though reading Don’s mind.  “Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day and you better get some rest.  I don’t need you dragging your ass and slowing me down.”\n\n\t“I’m perfectly capable of keeping up with you,” Don told him.\n\n\t“That’s good to know,” Nicco said with a touch of humor.  “The way you’re acting, anyone would think you weren’t enjoying your adventure.”\n\n\t“You came here by choice, I didn’t,” Don said curtly.  After a moment his curiosity got the better of him.  “Why did you come here?”\n\n\t“I told you; treasure,” Nicco answered.  “That’s how Mase and I support ourselves.  It’s not like anyone offers mutants good paying jobs and our kind doesn’t get respect unless we buy it.  Isn’t it that way on your world?”\n\n\t“No,” Don said, interested now.  “Very few people on Earth even know my brothers and I exist.  A couple of those are close friends, but the rest would like nothing more than to dissect us.”\n\n\t“You’ve got brothers?  How many?” Nicco asked, looking down at Don.\n\n\t“Three.  Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo,” Don said, his head tilted back so he could see Nicco.  “It’s strange; this isn’t the first alternate dimension my brothers and I have been to but on the ones where we encountered versions of ourselves there were always four.”\n\n\t“Well then obviously we’re not versions of you,” Nicco pointed out.  “It’s kind of funny though . . . .” his voice trailed off as he seemed lost in thought.\n\n\t“What is?” Don prompted him.\n\n\tNicco blinked and focused on Don once more.  “We were hatchlings when we were mutated,” he said.  “This kid bought us at a pet store and was carrying us home when he almost got nailed by a truck.  When a man jerked him out of the street the kid dropped us into the sewers and this container of stuff that had bounced out of the back of the truck fell in with us and broke.\n\n\t“The kid climbed down after us but didn’t want to touch the glowing stuff we were covered in, so he left to get some water.  The way I understand the story, he’d bought four turtles, but when he got back with the water, there were just two of us.  After he cleaned us up, he took us home.”\n\n\t“That’s what happened to us,” Don said excitedly.  “Almost exactly!  Except with us, the boy didn’t come looking for us and we were found by a rat who had once belonged to a great ninja master.  When the rat lifted us out of the ooze, he was exposed to the same mutagen that transformed my brothers and I.  He became our father and our Master.”\n\n\t“Hmm, interesting,” Nicco said thoughtfully.  “The kid’s father didn’t like the looks of things when we started to change so he gave us to a scientist who worked at an animal testing lab.  Instead of experimenting on us, he recognized that we were pretty unique and took us to his home, where he raised us as his sons.\n\n\t“A couple of years after he took us in some aliens tried to invade our planet.  It turned out the stuff that mutated us was a byproduct of their attempts to alter our atmosphere.  Quite a few things were mutated before the invasion was put down and the aliens destroyed.  After that, mutated creatures like us were acknowledged and allowed to come out of the shadows.\n\n\t“Even though we have just as much right to belong on our planet as the humanoid species does, we’re still a vast minority and experience a great deal of prejudice.  There are laws that protect our right to things like an education, housing, and employment, but we don’t get much respect in that regard.  Mase is a damn genius, but he couldn’t get a job in a quality lab to save his life, even with our father’s connections.”\n\n \t“A . . . genius?” Don asked haltingly.\n\n\t“Yeah, like off the charts,” Nicco said proudly.  “He’s got a wicked sense of humor too.  The bullies in school only picked on him once and the prank he played on them in retaliation made ‘em steer clear of him forever.  Me, I just let my fists do my talking.  Mase and I managed to rack up enough detention points that our dad decided to enroll us in martial arts training to teach us discipline.”\n\n\t“Our Master Splinter taught us ninjitsu beginning at a very early age,” Don said.  “It’s a necessary survival skill for us.”\n\n\t“Coming through the dimensional opening must have thrown you off your game, little ninja,” Nicco teased.\n\n\tJust when Don thought he might get along with the guy, Nicco had to say something like that.  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re insufferable?” Don asked politely.\n\n\tNicco tossed his head back and laughed.  “Now you sound exactly like Mase.  You look a lot like him too, except for your eyes.  Mase’s eyes are kind of a smoky gray with a touch of blue on the edges.  Nothing like your indignant brown ones.”\n\n\t“Maybe they wouldn’t appear so indignant if you didn’t go out of your way to insult me,” Don said.  “As far as I’m concerned, it’s entirely your fault that I’m here at all.”\n\n\t“Hey, nobody told you to play with a device you clearly don’t know much about,” Nicco said in his defense.\n\n\t“I know the coordinates that will get me home,” Don snapped.  “That’s all I care to know.”\n\n\t“And I know mine,” Nicco said.  “Isn’t that marvelous?  Now we just have to find the transport artifact for those bits of knowledge to do us any good.”\n\n\t“The last two artifacts I had to locate were in pretty precarious places and not a lot of fun to get to,” Don said.\n\n\t“Look, this kind of thing is what I do,” Nicco said, a serious look on his face as he gazed down at Don.  “If you’ll lose the attitude and follow my lead, I’ll get you out of here in one piece.”\n\n\t“I’m not used to taking orders from anyone other than my brother Leo,” Don muttered.\n\n\t“He’s not here, so I’ll have to do,” Nicco said, not unkindly.  “I’m not going to dump you and run off, if that’s what you’re worried about.  We mutants get enough of that kind of stuff from the humans and we don’t do that to each other.  Relax and trust me, maybe you’ll pick up something valuable along the way and can take it home to your family.”\n\n\tStartled, Don asked, “You’re not still going treasure hunting are you?  Your brother isn’t here to help.”\n\n\tNicco pointed a finger at him.  “Don, if you’re right about my transport device being damaged, this might be the last chance I have of striking it rich.  Our dad’s career suffered because he chose to raise us instead of dissecting us, something you claim to understand.  He’s old now and me and my brother owe him.  Sorry for the inconvenience, but I’m staying as long as it takes to get what I came for.  If you want out of here sooner than later, you’ll help.”\n\n\t“Doesn’t look like I have much choice,” Don said, huffing in a disgruntled fashion.\n\n\t“Nope, you don’t,” Nicco replied, twisting around to get comfortable.  Closing his eyes, he added, “Don’t try to get smart either, my brother is a master at that and I know all of his tricks.”\n\n\tDon looked away from him and settled down to get some rest as well.  In an inaudible undertone, he mumbled, “I’m not your brother.”\n\nTBC…………………..\n",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>\tThe pair sat in relative silence for a while; the only sound that of the wild boars below the tree they were hiding in.&nbsp;&nbsp;When a flash of movement caught the corner of Don&rsquo;s eye, he turned his head to look at Nicco, seeing that the other turtle was hanging his backpack from a sturdy tree branch.<br /><br />\tNicco offered Don a grin when he saw the other turtle look up.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the moonlight, his eyes flashed much the way Raph&rsquo;s did when that particular brother was enjoying himself.&nbsp;&nbsp;It made Don wish that his hot headed sibling really was there, instead of this cocky know-it-all.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You should get comfortable,&rdquo; Nicco told him even as he twisted around to wedge his carapace between two tree branches so that he needn&rsquo;t worry about falling while asleep.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going anywhere until they do.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Great,&rdquo; Don mumbled, swinging his legs onto the branch he occupied and scooting back so he could lean against the tree trunk.&nbsp;&nbsp;Another smaller branch jutted out right next to him and Don leaned over enough so that it was tucked snugly beneath his armpit, thus lessening the possibility of him dropping from his perch as he slept.<br /><br />\tNot that he thought he&rsquo;d get any sleep.&nbsp;&nbsp;The snorting and snuffling below him was unnerving and he didn&rsquo;t fully trust his new travelling companion.&nbsp;&nbsp;For all he knew, the guy might decide to go off on his own and leave Don to fend for himself.<br /><br />\tShifting irritably, Don decided he wouldn&rsquo;t mind that as long as Nicco gave him the compass.&nbsp;&nbsp;Without that Don would be hard pressed to keep track of where he&rsquo;d been and where he was going.&nbsp;&nbsp;Don could certainly take care of himself; he didn&rsquo;t need that smug turtle&rsquo;s assistance, just his supplies.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You going to sit there and steam all night?&rdquo; Nicco asked as though reading Don&rsquo;s mind.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Tomorrow&rsquo;s gonna be a long day and you better get some rest.&nbsp;&nbsp;I don&rsquo;t need you dragging your ass and slowing me down.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I&rsquo;m perfectly capable of keeping up with you,&rdquo; Don told him.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;That&rsquo;s good to know,&rdquo; Nicco said with a touch of humor.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The way you&rsquo;re acting, anyone would think you weren&rsquo;t enjoying your adventure.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You came here by choice, I didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Don said curtly.&nbsp;&nbsp;After a moment his curiosity got the better of him.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Why did you come here?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I told you; treasure,&rdquo; Nicco answered.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&rsquo;s how Mase and I support ourselves.&nbsp;&nbsp;It&rsquo;s not like anyone offers mutants good paying jobs and our kind doesn&rsquo;t get respect unless we buy it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Isn&rsquo;t it that way on your world?&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;No,&rdquo; Don said, interested now.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Very few people on Earth even know my brothers and I exist.&nbsp;&nbsp;A couple of those are close friends, but the rest would like nothing more than to dissect us.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve got brothers?&nbsp;&nbsp;How many?&rdquo; Nicco asked, looking down at Don.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Three.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo,&rdquo; Don said, his head tilted back so he could see Nicco.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s strange; this isn&rsquo;t the first alternate dimension my brothers and I have been to but on the ones where we encountered versions of ourselves there were always four.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Well then obviously we&rsquo;re not versions of you,&rdquo; Nicco pointed out.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s kind of funny though . . . .&rdquo; his voice trailed off as he seemed lost in thought.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;What is?&rdquo; Don prompted him.<br /><br />\tNicco blinked and focused on Don once more.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We were hatchlings when we were mutated,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;This kid bought us at a pet store and was carrying us home when he almost got nailed by a truck.&nbsp;&nbsp;When a man jerked him out of the street the kid dropped us into the sewers and this container of stuff that had bounced out of the back of the truck fell in with us and broke.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;The kid climbed down after us but didn&rsquo;t want to touch the glowing stuff we were covered in, so he left to get some water.&nbsp;&nbsp;The way I understand the story, he&rsquo;d bought four turtles, but when he got back with the water, there were just two of us.&nbsp;&nbsp;After he cleaned us up, he took us home.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what happened to us,&rdquo; Don said excitedly.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Almost exactly!&nbsp;&nbsp;Except with us, the boy didn&rsquo;t come looking for us and we were found by a rat who had once belonged to a great ninja master.&nbsp;&nbsp;When the rat lifted us out of the ooze, he was exposed to the same mutagen that transformed my brothers and I.&nbsp;&nbsp;He became our father and our Master.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Hmm, interesting,&rdquo; Nicco said thoughtfully.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;The kid&rsquo;s father didn&rsquo;t like the looks of things when we started to change so he gave us to a scientist who worked at an animal testing lab.&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead of experimenting on us, he recognized that we were pretty unique and took us to his home, where he raised us as his sons.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;A couple of years after he took us in some aliens tried to invade our planet.&nbsp;&nbsp;It turned out the stuff that mutated us was a byproduct of their attempts to alter our atmosphere.&nbsp;&nbsp;Quite a few things were mutated before the invasion was put down and the aliens destroyed.&nbsp;&nbsp;After that, mutated creatures like us were acknowledged and allowed to come out of the shadows.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Even though we have just as much right to belong on our planet as the humanoid species does, we&rsquo;re still a vast minority and experience a great deal of prejudice.&nbsp;&nbsp;There are laws that protect our right to things like an education, housing, and employment, but we don&rsquo;t get much respect in that regard.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mase is a damn genius, but he couldn&rsquo;t get a job in a quality lab to save his life, even with our father&rsquo;s connections.&rdquo;<br /><br />&nbsp;\t&ldquo;A . . . genius?&rdquo; Don asked haltingly.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Yeah, like off the charts,&rdquo; Nicco said proudly.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;He&rsquo;s got a wicked sense of humor too.&nbsp;&nbsp;The bullies in school only picked on him once and the prank he played on them in retaliation made &lsquo;em steer clear of him forever.&nbsp;&nbsp;Me, I just let my fists do my talking.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mase and I managed to rack up enough detention points that our dad decided to enroll us in martial arts training to teach us discipline.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Our Master Splinter taught us ninjitsu beginning at a very early age,&rdquo; Don said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a necessary survival skill for us.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Coming through the dimensional opening must have thrown you off your game, little ninja,&rdquo; Nicco teased.<br /><br />\tJust when Don thought he might get along with the guy, Nicco had to say something like that.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Has anyone ever told you that you&rsquo;re insufferable?&rdquo; Don asked politely.<br /><br />\tNicco tossed his head back and laughed.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Now you sound exactly like Mase.&nbsp;&nbsp;You look a lot like him too, except for your eyes.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mase&rsquo;s eyes are kind of a smoky gray with a touch of blue on the edges.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nothing like your indignant brown ones.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Maybe they wouldn&rsquo;t appear so indignant if you didn&rsquo;t go out of your way to insult me,&rdquo; Don said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;As far as I&rsquo;m concerned, it&rsquo;s entirely your fault that I&rsquo;m here at all.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Hey, nobody told you to play with a device you clearly don&rsquo;t know much about,&rdquo; Nicco said in his defense.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I know the coordinates that will get me home,&rdquo; Don snapped.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;That&rsquo;s all I care to know.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;And I know mine,&rdquo; Nicco said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t that marvelous?&nbsp;&nbsp;Now we just have to find the transport artifact for those bits of knowledge to do us any good.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;The last two artifacts I had to locate were in pretty precarious places and not a lot of fun to get to,&rdquo; Don said.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Look, this kind of thing is what I do,&rdquo; Nicco said, a serious look on his face as he gazed down at Don.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;If you&rsquo;ll lose the attitude and follow my lead, I&rsquo;ll get you out of here in one piece.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not used to taking orders from anyone other than my brother Leo,&rdquo; Don muttered.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not here, so I&rsquo;ll have to do,&rdquo; Nicco said, not unkindly.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to dump you and run off, if that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;re worried about.&nbsp;&nbsp;We mutants get enough of that kind of stuff from the humans and we don&rsquo;t do that to each other.&nbsp;&nbsp;Relax and trust me, maybe you&rsquo;ll pick up something valuable along the way and can take it home to your family.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tStartled, Don asked, &ldquo;You&rsquo;re not still going treasure hunting are you?&nbsp;&nbsp;Your brother isn&rsquo;t here to help.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tNicco pointed a finger at him.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Don, if you&rsquo;re right about my transport device being damaged, this might be the last chance I have of striking it rich.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our dad&rsquo;s career suffered because he chose to raise us instead of dissecting us, something you claim to understand.&nbsp;&nbsp;He&rsquo;s old now and me and my brother owe him.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sorry for the inconvenience, but I&rsquo;m staying as long as it takes to get what I came for.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you want out of here sooner than later, you&rsquo;ll help.&rdquo;<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Doesn&rsquo;t look like I have much choice,&rdquo; Don said, huffing in a disgruntled fashion.<br /><br />\t&ldquo;Nope, you don&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Nicco replied, twisting around to get comfortable.&nbsp;&nbsp;Closing his eyes, he added, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t try to get smart either, my brother is a master at that and I know all of his tricks.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tDon looked away from him and settled down to get some rest as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;In an inaudible undertone, he mumbled, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not your brother.&rdquo;<br /><br />TBC&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;&hellip;..<br /></span>",
  "pools_count": 1,
  "title": "Don and the Puzzle Box part 3",
  "deleted": "f",
  "public": "t",
  "mimetype": "application/msword",
  "pagecount": "1",
  "rating_id": "2",
  "rating_name": "Adult",
  "ratings": [
    {
      "content_tag_id": "4",
      "name": "Sexual Themes",
      "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal",
      "rating_id": "2"
    }
  ],
  "submission_type_id": "12",
  "type_name": "Writing - Document",
  "guest_block": "t",
  "friends_only": "f",
  "comments_count": "7",
  "views": "170"
}