Work Text
The Prologue
You woke up in an unfamiliar place with your hands bound together at your wrists, suspended by a meat hook over a vat of glowing green stuff. Your first instinct was to try and wriggle yourself free but you fought against it, hanging the air was a lot better than falling into whatever that green crap was. You decided to calm yourself by recounting the events that lead you to your current situation.That night you had been snooping around your mentor’s office, looking for clues about his mysterious disappearance. He was one of many scientists to go missing in the past month, and when you called the police they basically told you to shove off with their token answer of “we’ll look into it”.Unable to wait for the cops, you decided to investigate on your own, which lead your mentor’s lab where you were attacked and captured by several armed robots. You stood no chance of escaping even if you did know how to fight, which you didn’t. You took a blow to the back of the head and passed out.That explained being tied up but not the green vat of glowing liquid beneath you. The swirling hues of blue and green captured your attention, it was soothing in a way, like a lava lamp. You shook away that thought, what were you thinking? That stuff was probably as acidic as it smelled. You tried to move but your body wouldn’t respond which told you that you’d been hanging there for quite a long time.“Sorry, professor.” You said. “I really wanted to help you.” You said. The professor had been like a father to you since you’d come to know him three years ago. You were fascinated by his teachings and decided to apprentice under him, follow in his footsteps. You wanted to help people, cure them, and do something good for humanity. So much for that dream.“Kraang, tell Kraang that the one called _____ is in the state known as being awake.” You heard a robotic voice say. Glancing around you found the source of the voice, it had come from one of the two robots, standing beside the vat of green stuff.“Let me go, you overgrown tin cans!” you yelled and the Kraang bots, as you cleverly called them, drew two odd looking guns and aimed them at you. You swallowed against the lump in your throat, perhaps name-calling wasn’t the best way to handle your situation. “Or you know, I can totally hang around if you want.” “If you can make lame jokes then I guess your fine.” You heard as a new person entered the room, you felt a sense of relief as you recognized them. It was Irma, a girl you knew from school, she was always hanging around with April and Casey.“Irma! Thank god, help me.” You said and it dawned on you that if Irma was your savior then surely the Kraang bots would be bothered by her presence. “Help you?” Irma said, “No, you have it backwards. You are going to help me.” She said. “You are going to help me destroy the Ninja Turtles.“What? Are you crazy? The Ninja Turtles? They are a myth.” You said. “You honestly think there are humanoid turtles running around protecting the city?” You said. “Next you’re gonna tell me that there’s a giant alligator living in the sewers.” you scoffed.“It doesn’t matter what you believe because you are going to help me whether you want to or not.” Irma said.“Why the hell would I help you?” you asked and without missing a beat Irma’s body unfolded like one of those paper fortunetellers, revealing her true form. In the center of her robot body was a pink brain, like the ones sitting inside the other robots.“I am Kraang Prime, the ultimate life form and I will compensate you for your cooperation.” He said.“No way!” you struggled, even if the turtles weren’t real, you knew that they were the good guys, you weren’t about to help the enemy. “Nothing you can offer me will make me help you.”“Is that so? What if I offer to return your mentor to you?” He said and it struck a nerve with you. The professor helped you when no one else would, you basically owed him your life. What could you do but agree?“Fine.” You said "What do I have to do?" You asked."That's the easy part.” Kraang said then turned toward the two robots next to him. “Add the turtle DNA to the formula.” He said.You watched as one of the Kraang bots added some sort of serum to the green stuff you were hanging over. When it was done, Kraang Prime yanked a lever protruding from a computer next to the vat and you began to descend toward the green stuff.“Hey, can we talk about this.” You said. “don't you think I will do a better job if I am alive?”“Don't worry, we aren't going to kill you.” Kraang Prime said. “Though, this process will make you want to die.” He laughed and watched with joy as you were submerged. It had the consistency of Jell-O only it ate away at your body like acid. You screamed, allowing the green stuff to find its way into your mouth where it made its way into your lungs. There you were caught between drowning and being burned alive, and you felt like your whole body was being ripped to shreds.After a few moments the pain began to subside and found that the rope that had previously bound you had disintegrated and you were able to swim to the top of the vat. You pulled yourself over the rim and were sent tumbling to the ground at Kraang’s feet. You coughed up what remained of the green stuff and pushed yourself up off the ground.No! You changed your mind, your mentor had always told you to fight for what was right. He wouldn’t want to be saved at the cost of you losing yourself.Kraang looked down at you and smiled, and you instantly hated that smile. Adrenaline coursed through your body and you jammed an elbow into Kraang’s pink face. He squealed and fell back, giving you a chance to run, which you gladly took.“After that them!” you heard Kraang prime say but something in that green stuff must have done something to you, you felt light on your feet and stronger. Spurred on by this fact you made your way out of the warehouse and through the streets of New York. You hurried through alley ways and familiar back streets in order to lose the Kraang bots that were after you.After a few moments, once you were sure you had lost them you slumped against a wall behind a dumpster. With the adrenaline rush over you couldn’t find the energy to move anymore. Hopefully you’d be safe until you woke again.Then the world went black. “Hey, guys look.” You heard a faint voice between your bouts of consciousness. “It’s a mutant turtle.” Said the voice.“Are they alive?” asked another voice, this one dripping with authority “I think so.” The first voice said. “Mikey, don’t touch them.” Another voice, this one was gentler than the others. “Let’s bring them back to the lair” the voice belonging to Mikey said At this point you were coherent enough to push yourself up off the ground. You glanced around and discovered that you were in the middle of an alleyway surrounded by, four mutant turtles. You couldn’t believe it. It was them, they did exist. “The Ninja Turtles.” You said. “How do you know about us?” the authoritarian turtle asked, his eyes were cautious and you could tell he wouldn’t settle for anything less than the truth.“There are rumors floating around about you guys but no one believes them.” You said. “I didn’t… at first. I mean come on, four crime-fighting humanoid turtles. It’s a little ridiculous.” “Ridiculous?” the red banded turtle, who hadn’t said a word since you woke up Said. “You’re one to talk.” “What does that mean?” you asked, bristling at the challenging air he was giving off. You pointed at him, insult at the ready but it died in your throat when you noticed the shade of your skin. Your arm was green and scaly, you followed the length of your arm back toward your body and shot to your feet. In addition to your green arms you had two legs to match and a vibrant unmarred plastron.Your breath began to quicken as you ran a hand around to your back to feel a hard substance. Oh no. You ran toward a window in the alley and caught your reflection. You touched your face. You were half turtle and half human. “I’m a… I’m a turtle.” You said.“You mean you didn’t know?” the gentle voice asked, his worry filled eyes hidden beneath a purple mask.“No, this isn’t right. What the heck was in that stuff?” you felt a panic run through you, everything crashed in around you, your lost mentor, the transformation, the discovery of the Ninja Turtles. You felt dizzy and before another moment passed you fainted, but not before you heard the blue banded turtle say.“Nice going, Raph.”When you woke up, you discovered that you were on a sofa in the middle of an abandoned subway station. Everything about the place felt homey, welcoming and warm, well, except for the smell. Suddenly, the sofa dipped behind you and you turned to see the only turtle you could identify, “Mikey.” The way he was smiling seemed to make you feel secure. Like you could let all of your stress melt away. “How’d you guess my name?” he asked.“I heard the blue turtle say it.” You said.“Mikey, give them some space.” Speak of the devil.“Sorry about that.” Said the turtle in blue. “I know this is a lot to take in but you don’t have to worry, we’re the good guys. We’ll help you.” He said. “My name is Leonardo.”“Leo-nardo.” You tested his name on your lips and he smiled. “The red turtle, as you would put it, is Raphael.” He said, “He’s got something he wants to say to you.” Leonardo said, but the tone of his voice told you there was a threat hidden behind his words.Raphael grumbled and came forward. “Sorry.” He said but you didn’t remember him doing anything that he needed to apologize for. Still you accepted his apology with a nod.“Hi, I’m Donatello.” The purple banded turtle said. “Am I right to assume that, given the fact that you didn’t realize that you were a turtle, you were once human?” Donatello asked.“Yeah. Then I fell into this green Jell-O stuff and when I woke up I was like this.” You said, unsure of just how much to tell them. Would they help you if they knew that Kraang had done this to you or would they assume you were up to something. You couldn't risk it so you didn't disclose any more. “Fascinating.” He said and you were kind of put off by it but ignored it, he was obviously “Fascinated” for science reasons. “Well, don’t worry, I am working on a retro-mutagen, it should change you back.” He said. That was good to hear.“Nice to meet you all. My name is ____.” you said “Well, _____ welcome to our humble home.” You turned around to see another mutant, this one was a rat, and looking into his eyes you could see just how wise this one was. “My name is Hamato, Yoshi.” He gave a bow. “You may call me Splinter.”“Hello, Splinter.” You said then turned toward Donatello. “How long will the retro-mutagen take?” you asked, you wanted to be human again as soon as possible.Donatello rubbed his hand over the back of his smooth head, he was wearing a guilty look. “It’s still in the early stages of development.”“How early?” you asked.“Research.” He admitted.You felt your heart drop at that simple word. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t go home like this.” You said. “I’ll be locked up, or worse! Experimented on.” The panic in your voice cause each of the turtles to take a step toward you. You could only guess that they knew what you were feeling. You felt guilty for panicking when they were probably stuck in turtle form indefinitely.“Calm yourself.” Splinter said. “I suggest that you stay here with us until we can deal with your situation.” He said. “That is, if you want to.”“Thank you for your kind offer.” You said, “But I don’t think…” you trailed off as something crossed your mind. The turtles could change you back and then you could work on rescuing your mentor. “Okay.” You said.“Good, then one of my sons will be assigned to watch over you.” He said and you got the feeling that he expected you to pick one. You turned toward the four turtles.Leonardo watch you stoically but seemed to be eager to help.Mikey was practically jumping up and down to get your attention.Donatello was looking at you the way your mentor looked at one of his test subjects.Raphael had his arms crossed over his plastron, seemingly annoyed with the whole thing.“I choose…”
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The First Chapter
This whole situation was a lot for you to take in, you could feel the pressure of stress building up in your stomach. Leonardo, sensing this, leaned forward and placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. You looked up into his weightless gaze and, seeing the wisdom behind his eyes, felt restored.“I choose Leonardo.” You declared, earning an obnoxious groan of disappointment from Michelangelo.“Good, saves me the hassle. Babysitting is not my thing.” Raphael said before stomping off, to what you assumed was his bedroom after hearing a door slam shut. Good thing you didn’t pick him, he was way too standoffish for your taste.“I better get started on that retro-mutagen.” Donatello said before wandering off, muttering to himself. You’d seen that tons of times when your mentor was running calculations in his mind.Suddenly, Michelangelo pounced on you, wrapping an arm around your shoulder, “Dude, Neo-Turtle, are you sure you want to stick with Leo?”“Neo-Turtle?” Was he talking about you?“Yeah, it’s your mutant name. Pretty cool, huh?” You didn’t know how you felt about being assigned a name but as far as names went it could have been worse. You shuttered at the thought of your last nickname…yeah, It could have been much worse.“Mikey, leave ____ alone.” Leonardo said, peeling his brother’s arm away from your shoulder. “It’s been a long day, I’m sure they would like to get some rest.” You had to admit, rest sounded really good.“Alright, but we are sooo hanging out later.” Michelangelo said. “Good night, Neo-Turtle.” He said, humming as he bounded down the same hall as Raphael.“I’m sorry about that.” Leonardo said. “It isn’t often that we have company.” He explained.“It’s okay.” You said. Truthfully, you didn’t mind the other turtles, they seemed really nice. Well, except for Raphael, he was intimidating. Your thoughts were interrupted by the shrill scream of a teakettle.“I was getting ready to have some tea before you woke up, would you like to join me?” he asked but you weren’t too sure. “it might help you to relax a bit.” He added, trying to coax you, which worked.You followed Leonardo to the kitchen and when you arrived you sat down at the makeshift dining table. You watched as Leonardo moved elegantly and with purpose, gathering the things necessary to make tea. “How did you end up…” he trailed off, and you could see the wheels in his head turning. He was probably trying to figure out a way to put forth his question delicately, “like that.” Only to fail. Miserably. You brushed it off, at least he tried. “I fell into this green ooze while I was looking for clues as to the whereabouts of my missing mentor.” You said, unsure of just how much information you should divulge. “He was one of the many scientists to go missing this month.” Leonardo nodded, apparently he was familiar with the disappearances. “Was your mentor working with the mutagen?” Crap, you weren’t ready for that question and you got the feeling that Leonardo would be able to see through any lie you could tell, so you didn’t.“Not that I’m aware of.”“I only ask because, while my brothers and I were investigating, we discovered that each of the scientist had one thing in common: access to the mutagen.” He made his way over to the table with two mismatched tea cups.He set a cup in front of you and as the aroma filled your scenes, you noticed that, since becoming a turtle your senses had heightened “What is this?” you asked.“It’s chamomile tea.”“Oh.” You couldn’t wait to try it. You reached across the table for the shaker labeled sugar only to be stopped by a green finger on the back of your hand. You gave Leonardo a puzzled look.“Try it first.” He said. Was he nuts? Tea was too bitter without sugar. He gave you a look that said Trust me, so you decided to indulge him.You took a careful sip and instantly felt a sense of warmth. Breezy spring days, warm summer nights, cashmere autumns and cozy winters. “Wow.” You said. “I didn’t know tea could be so good.”“Making tea is an art. Master Splinter taught me how to do it.” Leonardo said.“He must mean a lot to you.” You said.“He’s our father, there isn’t anything we wouldn’t do for him.” He said before falling into silence to enjoy his tea. Leonardo led you through the lair and down the hall Raphael and Michelangelo had ventured down earlier. He stopped at his door and paused for a moment, reluctant to touch the doorknob.He gestured for you to stand off to the side and quickly turned the knob, shoving the door open before jumping out of the way. In the next instant the hall was filled with toy snakes as they slithered from a large can that was rigged to Leonardo’s door. You could hear giggling coming from one of the other rooms.“Nice try Mikey!” Leonardo said, drawing the orange clad turtle from his room.“You may have won this round… or um... the last twenty rounds, but it’s only a matter of time before Dr. Prankenstein takes you down, Leo.” Michelangelo warned before going back into his room.“Sorry about that.” Leonardo said, stepping over the snakes to check his room for more pranks. Finding none, he beaconed you to enter. “We don’t really have any extra rooms so I hope it’s okay that you share a room with me.”“That’s fine.” You said, besides, Leonardo’s room was welcoming and tidy. It was sparse but the few things he did have were well taken care of. “You like Japan, don’t you?” you asked, commenting on his décor.“Splinter’s from there so I’ve always been fascinated by the culture.” Leonardo said. “I have a ton of books on Japanese history.” He gestured to the bookshelf against the far wall.You crossed the room to get a better look and discovered that aside from Japanese history, the majority of books covered philosophy. “Did you really read all of these?” You asked.“Yes, several times. Books are hard to come by, down here.” He said and joined you at the bookshelf, he reached above you, giving you a good look at his well-toned body. His plastron was most fascinating, though, several scratched marred its clean surface, each one, probably came with its own story.“Here, read this” He said and you blushed, hoping he didn’t catch you ogling him. In his hands was a small leather-bound book. It looked pretty old and so you took it carefully. “This is my favorite book.”“I um… no offence but I’m don’t really read philosophy books.” You admitted and attempted to put the book back on the shelf when he stopped you.“Try it first.” He said.“Alright.” You opened the book and an elegant bookmark fluttered to the ground and as you went to recover it, your eyes fell upon a crate of VHS tapes. “Is that the entire collection of Space Heroes?” You asked, dropping the bookmark back into place before shutting the book.A flush creeped across Leonardo’s features and he nodded. “Um… Yeah.” You smiled, was he embarrassed?“I love Space Heroes!” you said. “I’ve seen every episode a million times, well, except for season 0.” You said, referring to an unaired season of the show, the fabled prequel, which you couldn’t find anywhere online no matter how hard you tried.“I have season 0.” Leonardo said.“Seriously?” you dug through the tapes and found one marked zero and pulled it free from the crate. “Can we watch it?”“Now?” he asked.Of course, there was no way you could sleep now, not when you knew this tape existed. “How about just the first episode? Please?” you poked your lip out giving him your best begging face. Hopefully you looked cute enough to sway him.He took a careful breath and grabbed the tape. “Just the first episode.” He said, leading you out to the living room, where you passed the valley of forgotten toy snakes.You sat down on the couch and watched as Leonardo popped the tape into the VCR. He pressed play and took a seat next to you. You shifted in your seat, excited. You heard him chuckle and turned to face him. “What?”“I just didn’t think anyone else loved this show as much as I do. It’s pretty dated.” He said.“That just adds to its charm.” You said.“I agree.”Several episodes later…You were startled when you felt something heavy fall against your shoulder, glancing over you were greeted by the sleeping face of your turtle guardian. “I will vanquish thee, evil doer.” He mumbled. You chuckled and the movement caused his body to fall so that his head was on your lap.You looked down at him, the glow of the T.V. splashed across his lax features making him look peaceful. You lightly traced your fingers over his features, you had to admit he was pretty cute. Those blue eyes of his sealed the deal. You moved your attention to his plastron again, tracing over a particularly deep gouge. He shifted a bit and you withdrew your hand.You didn’t want to wake him, so instead you grabbed the book he’d given you and decided to start with the bookmarked page. While you read, you absentmindedly toyed with the tails of his mask. And inevitably, lulled by Leonardo’s rhythmic breathing, the need for sleep caught up with you. “Ehem.” You woke with a start only to be greeted by the piercing emerald eyes of Raphael. “Have a little fun last night?” he teased. In your morning haze you didn’t understand what he was talking about. He pointed down at your lap.Leonardo’s head was buried in your lap and his breath ghosted over your thighs, from the right angle, the position looked wrong. You panicked and shoved Leonardo off of your lap, he landed on the hard floor with a thud.Raphael snickered at Leonardo’s attempt to figure out what was going on. “Nice one.” Raphael said. “It’s hard to catch Leo off his guard even while he’s sleeping.” He said. “Just for that I’ll keep what I just saw a secret.” He stalked off toward the kitchen.“What is he talking about?” Leonardo asked causing you to blush, you weren’t about to paint a picture for him.“I have no idea.” You said, offering Leonardo a hand, it was just a gesture since there was no way you were strong enough to actually pull him up. He accepted the hand anyway and stood up. “Thanks for letting me watch season 0.”“It’s not a big deal.” He waved it off.“Yes it is.” You said. “Captain Ryan is my idol. Whenever I think I’m incapable of something I think about him and what he would do. He’d find a way to face any crisis, no matter what. And that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m not going to let this new body hold me back.”“That’s good.” Leonardo said. “Take it from experience, your body is capable of a lot of things.”“You’re right.” You said. “Teach me how to use it. Teach me how to fight. I want to be a ninja turtle.”“That’s not exactly what I meant.” He said sheepishly. “Plus, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It takes years of practice and discipline. Your best bet is to stay here until the retro-mutagen can be formulated.”“I’m not waiting around while my mentor is locked up somewhere.” You said. “Like you and Splinter, I would do anything for my mentor.” At that, the protest died on his lips.“Alright.” He said, his body suddenly becoming rigid. “But before you commit to this you should know that I won’t go easy on you. It will be a lot of hard work so I expect you to be serious about this.”“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my entire life.” you said.
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The Second Chapter
After breakfast you busied yourself with washing the dishes while the boys engaged in their morning training routine with Splinter. From your place in the kitchen you could see their silhouettes through the Japanese style windows of the dojo.While each of them performed feats of masterful prowess you found that your eyes kept settling on Leonardo. With two swords twirling around him he was an impenetrable wall of razor-sharp precision. He cut through the air with the speed of a hurricane, powerful and strong.“Yame!” You heard Splinter’s sharp command and the boys stopped what they were doing to take a seat before their master. Splinter stopped in front of each of his sons and, in turn, gave them a bit of constrictive criticism, after which, he said, “Reflect on what I have told you, my sons.”“Hai sensei.” The turtles filed out of the dojo leaving Leonardo behind. You tentatively entered the dojo and Leonardo gave you a courteous nod of acknowledgment. “Are you ready to start kendo training?” he beaconed you to come closer.“Kendo? You mean I get to use a katana?” you asked.“No, you get to use a bokken.” He gestured to a wooden katana sitting on the weapons rack.You plucked the bokken up and gave it a test swing. It was heavier than it looked but it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle. “Awesome.” You gave weapon a test swing and Leonardo pinned you with a look, stopping you in your actions.“The first rule is that you are to treat your bokken as if it is a real katana.” His attitude was suddenly serious. “Now the first thing we are going to learn is how to sit for mediation and how to bow. We are in the dojo so we need to show some respect.” You didn’t like being reprimanded so early in the game so you set your mind to giving it your all. Leonardo was a scary teacher. “Okay, follow along with me as best you can. Ready?”“Ready.” You confirmed.“Seiza.” He called then slid his left foot back, lowered his left knee, followed by his right knee before sitting down on his heels. It was meticulous but he was moving slow enough that following him wasn’t hard at all.“Good.” He praised. Wow. You could feel your body tingle with pride, you wanted more. “Now. Mokuso.” He called again, “With your palms up, place your left hand on top of your right and make a small circle with your thumbs.” he instructed. “Then close your eyes but not all the way, you need to be able to see if an attack is coming.”“Keep your back straight and breathe in.” he pulled air in through his nose “and out” he released the air through his mouth. “And again.” You took a few more breaths upon his coaching, and it was as if you had been breathing wrong your entire life.“Yame/Stop.” He turned his body toward yours and you felt self-conscious. He was watching you and you didn’t want to screw this up. “Otagai-ni” He slid his hands toward the center “Rei.” He touched the ground in front of him, making a triangle with his forefingers and thumbs and bowed. “Onegai-Shimasu.” He lifted his head. “Try it.”“Okay.”“Otagai-ni.” He said “Rei!” you bowed toward each other. “Onegai-Shimasu.”“Onegai-Shimasu.” You repeated.“Now we are ready to start training together.” He said. Training rolled into its second hour and it consisted of learning how to carry, hold and draw your bokken, this was then followed by learning a three-step strike. “Chudan” ordered Leonardo, calling for you to take a middle stance. With your sword at your side, you waited for the command you knew was coming. “Taito.” You pulled your sword up slightly, “Nuke…to.” He said. This was your que to draw your sword.“Ichi,” he commanded and you took a step forward with your right foot, simultaneously lifting the sword above your head. “Ni,” you swung down while bringing your left foot up, “San.” You went back to the starting position.“Good!” He said. “I’m impressed that you kept going even when it seemed you were tired. I expect nothing less from my star student.” You felt a sense of pride at that comment in spite of the fact that you were his only student.“You’re a pretty good teacher.” You said, trying your hardest to remain cool while on the inside your heart was doing cartwheels. Leonardo’s praise was like life giving energy and you felt like you could take on an army.“Glad you see it that way because tomorrow things are going to get a bit more difficult.” He said.“Tomorrow?” as much as you wanted to learn kendo, you didn’t think your body, used to a sedentary lifestyle, could handle another two-hour training session so soon. “That seems a bit extreme considering I just started.”“I warned you that I wasn’t going to go easy on you. If you want to learn traditional Kendo and the way of the warrior then you’ll have to find the resolve.” Wow, Leo was passionate about this. “I know you can do it.”“You do?”“Yes. A lot can be read about a person in the way they go about training.”“Like what, exactly?” you asked.“In your case, I see someone with a strong will. You have a grace about you. Given enough time, you can become a worthy opponent.” What was he saying, and so candidly? Your heart began pounding in your ears. Did he have any idea how his words affected you?“I um.” Gee was it hot in here or what? Your throat went dry. “Need some water.” You excused yourself and headed toward the kitchen. Turns out that the turtle meant to protect you, might actually turn out to be the death of you.You wandered into the kitchen and saw Mikey take a Cheese Pop from the freezer, “Thanks, bro.”“Uh, Mikey, who are you talking to?” you asked.“Oh, hey Neo-Turtle” he smiled at you. “I don’t think you’ve met,” he moved away from the freezer, giving you a view of the Neapolitan ice-cream cat living inside. “This is Ice-Cream Kitty.” “What the heck, it’s cute.” You hurried to the fridge and smiled at the cat, how could melted ice-cream move around like that. You poked Ice-Cream Kitty on the nose. “Boop.”“I saw you training with Leo.” He said. “Two hours. That’s pretty intense for someone who’s never done martial arts before.” You shut the freezer door so that Ice-Cream Kitty wouldn’t melt. “You know he’s really strict.” He said. “You should have picked me, then we would be playing video games, maybe playing pranks on Raph. Who knows?”Be that as it may, you were glad you choose Leonardo to guard you. Something about the stoic turtle made your body hum with new life. “it was harsh but I liked it. It might sound strange but it made me feel alive.” You said. “I can’t wait to do more.”“Okay,” Michelangelo leaned in close and whispered behind his hand, “level with me, he’s brainwashed you, hasn’t he?” You chuckled at that. “Well, the point is that you survived your first lesson so you deserve a reward.” He said, a tinge of mischief flashed across his features as he stuck the Cheese Pop in your mouth.COLD! You grabbed the Popsicle stick and pulled the icy treat from you mouth. “Nice job, Neo-Turtle.” He saidLeonardo popped his head into the kitchen, “Mikey, gear up. We’ve got foot activity, topside.”“Sweet! I wait to kick some butt.” Michelangelo pat you on the caprice on his way out of the kitchen.“_____, I’m sorry, we have to take care of some things. Will you be alright?” Leonardo asked.“Oh. Yeah. No problem, there’s actually a Space Heroes marathon on basic cable that I can watch.” He smiled and… was that a flash of jealousy in his eyes? “You know if you guys had DVR I wouldn’t have to watch commercials.”“I’ll talk to Donnie about it.” his sarcasm wasn’t really appreciated. “But for now, if you get tired of commercials you can always work on your form.” He added.“Leo, let’s go!” Raphael calledYou followed Leonardo out to the common area and settled down on the couch “Stay out of trouble.” Leonardo said.“No promises, trouble seems to find me.” You teased.“Hey, me too!” Michelangelo pipped up. “Think it could be some sort of alien conspiracy?”“Like we need any more of those.” Donatello said.“Guys, I’m going to leave with or without you.” On that note the boys exited the lair.Once you were alone you flipped on the T.V. and glanced around for the T.V. guide (this sure was an authentic view of the world before streaming services). Two minutes into your search and you were interrupted by a news segment.“Channel Six’s Happy Hour News, live, at Comic-Con and as you can see people of all ages and…uh… species are here enjoying a weekend of science fiction, fantasy and imagination. Let’s see what people have to say about the convention. “Hello…um sir.” The reporter held a microphone up to an alien. “What brings you to the Con?”“Duh, the original cast of Space Heroes is here for a signing and hosting their first panel in ten years.” He said, “it’s epic.”“WHAT?” Your heart stopped. You didn’t remember hearing about that on any of the online forums you followed (must’ve been a last-minute decision). Figures this would happen during the one weekend you were attacked and turned into a mutant turtle.Then again, it was the perfect costume, and if anyone asked you about it, you could say you were a character from an obscure anime. It was settled. You couldn’t miss this once in a life time opportunity to get Captain Ryan’s autograph. With the convention center in view, you took a careful step out of the shadows. “Hey!” someone called and your heart dropped into your stomach. Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea after all. “Sweet costume.” You turned around and saw Spiderman, “Mind if I take a picture?” he held up his smart phone.“Sure, I guess that would be okay.” You gave your signature pose. “Do you know if the ticket booths are still open?”“Yeah, but the line is bogus.” He said. “I’m done though. Do you want my pass?” he took off his lanyard and handed it to you. Oh hell yes, this was going to be easy. You might even be back before Splinter noticed.“Thanks!” you slipped the lanyard around your neck.“No prob.” He dropped his skateboard on the ground and sped off. “See ya.”You crossed the street and entered the convention center, your first task was to find a program so you could locate the signing booths. You found a booklet in a nearby trashcan and shuffled through it. “Guest are up in the vender’s room.” Perfect.You made your way up to the vender’s room and found that the line was practically wrapped around the room. So much for being back before anyone noticed. Well, it was too late to turn back now. You pulled a VHS tape from a bag you were carrying and smiled. Seeing the look on Leo’s face when you showed him Captain Ryan’s signature on his season 0 tape would be worth it.An hour and a half later you were on your way back to the lair when you heard someone scream in the distance. You turned the corner and saw a couple of guys dressed in black hovering over a young woman. “Stay back! I have pepper spray.” She warned but the men kept advancing.“Hey jerks!” you called. The two men turned their attention on you and the woman was able to run away. Sweet, you saved someone. Cool. Unfortunately, your victory was short lived because now the men were angry and coming after you. Not good.
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The Fourth Chapter
It was a clear shot to the street from the alley and you nearly reached it when a ninja landed in front of you, stopping you and your pursuers. “Found you, _____.” A young woman dressed in full ninja garb pointed her tanto knife in your direction, behind you, your pursuers gave her a low bow.“You know my real name?” You asked.“I know more than that and I knew you’d seek refuge with the Turtles. Like kinds stick together, after all.” She advanced. “So, I staged a robbery across town to draw them out, to see if they knew anything about you.” She said “But, of course, they wouldn’t give me any information.”“Then how did you find me?” you asked, taking a step back.“I have eyes and ears all over the city. You should be careful about who you let take your picture.” She pulled up her phone and showed you the photo that Spiderman had taken earlier.The ninja took careful steps around you, sizing you up. “Funny, there doesn’t seem to be anything special about you. So, I wonder what Kraang wants with you.”“You’re working for Kraang?” had that psycho alien resorted to hiring trained assassins to find you?“Ugh! Repulsive.” She said. “No, we just happen to share a common interest.” She ran her eyes over the expanse of your body and you felt violated. “Enough chit chat.” She held out her palm and closed her hand into a fist, “Footbots, attack!” Your pursuers were joined by ten more of their kind -ninja with buggy eyes and metallic voices- Fortunately, your chit chat bought you enough time to make an opening for yourself so you made a run for it.You ran through the streets, seeking any opening you could find, anything that would provide you refuge from whatever fate the ninja had in store for you. You rounded a corner and found yourself in a familiar playground. You could lose them in the alley beyond. Spurred on by the promise of escape you ran through the swing set and hurried to the alley.Fast as lightening a footbot landed in front of you drawing your attention upward where you noticed that a few of the footbots were chasing you via the rooftops.You backed away from the footbot in front of you but you were no match for its speed. It backhanded you across the face, sending you rolling to the left, you slammed the back of your head against a nearby dumpster.Sharp pain ran down your spine and ended at your toes. You reached your hand back and felt blood oozing from the back of your skull. You managed to stave of unconsciousness and pulled yourself to your feet, using the dumpster for support. The bots, surrounding you now, closed in. This was the end.Then, like an angel of death, Leonardo dropped from the sky, his dark figure outlined by moonlight. He landed gracefully in front of you with his swords outstretched on either side of him. Leonardo lifted his head and stared up at your pursuers. In a flash he sliced the closest ninja from shoulder to belly. Leonardo pulled his katana free with a slow metallic ring.The other footbots closed in on him and Leonardo took them down one by one, his dance of death only lasted a few minutes and he masterfully dispatched the final the footbot before turning toward you. You gasped at the sight of him, droplets of oil splashed across his plastron and face making him look dangerous. Savage. Before he could say anything, shuriken cut through the air toward him. He ducked low to the ground doing the splits as he avoided them. He turned his head toward the rooftops, his eyes small white slits of pure focus. You managed to draw your gaze from him and follow his line of sight.The female ninja pointed her tanto knife at Leonardo and gave him a beautiful smile. “Your fighting style never fails to amaze me, Leo.” She said, jumping down from the five story building like she was hopping off of the curb to the street. “It’s impressive that you managed to make it across town so quickly.”“It didn’t take me long to figure out that it was a trap.” Leonardo said. “I think, deep down, you wanted me to come here and stop you, because you know what you're doing isn’t right, Karai.”“Ha, you still spouting nonsense about me having a good side?” she scoffed. “Please, I just didn’t have the energy to set up a flawless trap.”“Right.” Leonardo said dryly. “What is it that you want, Karai?” Leonardo asked, his voice softer but still harsh.“I heard a rumor that there was another turtle in the city.” Karai said, eying you again, “Looks like it’s true.”“And where did you hear that?” Leonardo asked, grabbing your wrist in order to shove you behind him. You huddled behind him, holding on to the edges of his carapace.“Oh, around.” Karai leisurely strolled toward Leonardo, you could sense that his stance had changed even though he hadn’t physically moved.“Oh yeah, where?” Leonardo challenged.Police sirens could be heard in the distance, approaching quickly, you could already see the splash of red and blue against the graffiti covered walls. “The cops.” Karai muttered, angry that she was interrupted. She sighed and pointed her knife at Leonardo, “This isn’t over, Leo.” Karai threw down a smoke bomb and when the smoke cleared she was gone.“We agree on that, at least.” Leonardo said. He yanked you away from the playground, taking you down the alley you’d initially intended to escape through and lifted a manhole cover he found there. Letting you climb down first, the two of you entered the sewers and as you headed toward the lair, Leonardo didn’t say a word to you.The air between you and Leonardo was still tense when you finally reached the lair and you figured you ought to say something since this was your fault. You opened your mouth to apologize but it died in your throat at the look Leonardo was tossing at you. His face was crinkled up in the center, his blue eyes shifting from side to side slightly, he frowned deeply.He lifted a hand and gently grazed a finger over your shoulder, he pulled his hand back and glared when it came away with blood, stark red against his emerald skin. Upon further study, he discovered that the blood was coming from the back of your head, it had been bleeding this whole time, leaving a trail of red that streamed down your neck and shoulders.“You should see Donnie.” Leonardo said, not giving you a chance to protest as he dragged you across the lair and through the threshold of the lab.Donatello was up in an instant. “Great! You found _____, I was worried...” he paused at the sight of red coating your skin. “What happened?”“Turns out I was right about Karai setting a trap for us. They wanted to kidnap _____”“What for?” Donatello blushed at the way that sounded, "Not that you aren’t worthy enough to kidnap..." You couldn’t help but laugh at his backpedaling.Relieved that you weren't upset with him, Donatello gently took your hand and led you toward a makeshift hospital bed situated in the corner of his lab.“Fix ______ up and then we can ask questions.” Leonardo said, leveling a glance in your direction. He was going to get some answers out of you. Not that you knew why a gang of ninja wanted you… then again, your connection to Kraang seemed to be a factor in Karai’s decision to come after you. "I'll be in the dojo." he muttered before leaving you alone with his brainy brother.
Later…
Michelangelo leaned forward and watched Donatello stitch up the back of your head, “Ooo, thirteen stitches. That beats my record by two.” Michelangelo said, “That deserves an award.” He handed you a cheese pop.You took the frozen treat and yanked off its wrapper, “Thanks but I’m fine not beating that particular record.” You said bitterly, wincing as Donatello tied off the string. You bit into the cheese pop. “I heard you held your own against Karai.” Donatello spoke softly. “That’s pretty impressive.”“I think hold my own is a little strong. All I did was run away and if Leo hadn’t shown up when he did, I’d have more than this gash on my head.” You admitted.Raphael stuck his head into the lab, “Leo said he wants to see you in the dojo when you're done.” a wave of anxiety hit you, this was it.You left the lab, passing Splinter on your way, he was looking at you with no expression on his face as he simply stroked his beard. You smiled politely and gave him a slight bow of acknowledgement.You walked into the Dojo and spotted Leonardo with your Bokken in his hands. “Leo…” you began.“You were reckless.” Interrupted Leonardo. “What were you doing out there?”The color drained from your face, the VHS… you left it in the alley. Leonardo’s prized season zero video tape, made even more priceless by your efforts, now forgotten. You’d risked your and Leonardo’s life for no reason. “I went to the he Space Heroes Convention. And I…” you bit your lip, it was time to fess up. “I took the Season zero tape to get signed."“Hold on.” the vein on Leo’s forehead began to pulse and you could tell that was restraining himself. “Let’s not even get into the fact that you stole my tape.” He said. “Are you saying that you went out in public, on purpose, looking like that?” he seethed, “You understand that you put my family at risk by exposing yourself. What if someone other than Karai saw you?”“She wasn’t the only one who saw me.” You admitted. “But tons of people were dressed up and they all liked my “costume”.” You said. “Okay, so a guy who happened to be working for Karai took my picture…”“What?” He paused as if remembering something. “That’s why Karai left so abruptly.” He said, apparently connecting a piece of the puzzle that had eluded him earlier. “She got a text. She was waiting for you to show yourself at some point.” He looked at you pointedly, “What does she want with you?”You couldn’t lie to him, not after what you’d done, and maybe the truth would put you back on his good side? “She wants me because Kraang wants me.” You said, his face tightened but you continued. “When I told you I came in contact with the mutagen I wasn’t telling the whole story.”“What is the whole story?” Leonardo pressed, a little peeved.“Kraang kidnapped me because he caught me snooping around for my mentor. He said that if I helped him catch you I could have my mentor back so I agreed. I didn’t expect him to turn me into a turtle mutant or that you guys actually existed. Halfway through my mutation I decided not to help Kraang and I managed to escape.” You kept your head down and suddenly your bokken came into view as Leonardo tossed it to the ground at your feet.“Pick it up, we’re going to run drills.” He said.You looked at your wooden sword then back at him. “You aren’t going to kick me out?”“For what?” he asked.“I agreed to help Kraang.”“But you changed your mind and besides you’ve been here long enough to betray us if that’s what you were going to do.” Leonardo said with a shrug. “And if you think that’s going to get you out of training you’ve got another thing coming.” He added. “That being said, you won’t mind running drills with me to make up for losing my Space Heroes tape.” Serving out one of Leonardo’s punishments wasn’t an easy task, he had you running through the tunnels, practicing your stances, working out your thighs, and swinging your sword until you had blisters on your hands. Still it was a small price to pay for him to start talking to you again. And after a few hours he called time, you collapsed on the dojo floor, panting and numb all over.“I’m impressed that you were able to keep up with me. He said handing you a bottle of water. “And I wouldn’t worry too much about the tape, I’m sure its somewhere safe.” He said, holding it up with one hand. “I saw it in the alley.”You gasped, he had the damn thing this whole time, betrayal! “You’re a tyrant.”“Just a little bit,” he winked and you just about lost it. You’d run drills until you literally died if it earned you another wink like that. “I appreciate the fact that you did this for me.” He said. “But next time just stay in the lair. Nothing is worth your life.” he offered you a kind smile and just like that things were okay again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Fifth Chapter
The turtles were off on another patrol. It had been a few days since the Comic Con fiasco, and you decided not to make it a habit of sneaking out. Instead, you lay back in Leonardo’s bed and enjoyed the quiet time by reading the book he had lent you. It was a bit of a tough read, you had to stop a few times to put the words into a perspective you could understand. After a while you gave up for the night and tucked the book beneath the pillow.As you felt your eyes grow heavy you heard the familiar sounds of skateboards approaching. You shot up out of bed. The Turtles were back! You hurried out of the room and made your way to the common area just as Splinter did. You smiled at him warmly and he regarded you with a nod.The Turtles entered the lair sharing high-fives and celebrating like it was New Year's Eve. You couldn't help but laugh as their mannerisms were infectious. Your eyes fell on Leo’s, and he hurried toward you with a slight skip in his step. “Hey.” he said.“Hey, good patrol tonight?” you asked“I’ll say.” Michelangelo interjected, hopped over to you and draped an arm over your shoulder, your body jerking downward at the unexpected weight. “Especially for you!”“Why’s that?” you asked, glancing into his bright blue eyes.“We were able to snag a whole crate of mutagen from the Kraang.” Donatello said as he wheeled in a three cubic foot crate through the turnstiles, it was haphazardly tied to a skateboard for ease of transport. Though, it looked like it was going to fall over at any moment.“Whoa! How did you manage to do that?” you asked, relieved because it wasn’t too long ago that Donatello announced that he’d gone through his last batch of mutagen trying to reformulate it. “Nah, it was easy.” Raphael said.“Too easy.” Leonardo muttered.“Are you still worried about that?” Raphael said, leveling a glare at Leonardo. “It was easy because the Kraang are dumb.”“That might be true but when it comes to the mutagen, the Kraang have always been extremely careful. Something feels off and I just think we need to be cautious.”“Calm down, Leo.” Michelangelo chimed in, his arm still draped over you. “I think we just got lucky.”“Now, if you could help me wheel it into the lab, that’d be great.” Donatello said.“I gotta start on Dinner.” Michelangelo said, he pulled away from you and bounced off into the kitchen. You shook your head and noticed that Raphael had conveniently disappeared as well.“Here.” Leonardo said, already pushing against the crate. The two brothers placed the crate in the lab and Leo returned without his brainy brother, Donatello probably wanted to get to work right away. You hadn't been there long, but you noticed that Donatello rarely left his lab.“How was your night?” Leonardo asked, taking purposeful steps toward you.“If you are asking me if I went topside, I didn’t.” you said. “I haven't been up there since Comic Con.” you smiled proudly. But his face dropped.“That’s right, you haven't,” he mused, “you must be going crazy down here.”“It’s alright. I still haven't made much of a dent in that book.” you said. “Also, training with you has kept me busy. So, it’s not so bad.” You paused, taking notice of the layer of fatigue in his eyes. He also had small scuff marks on his shell and carapace, and dirt covering his skin. You reached out a hand and cupped his cheek, wiping a smudge of dirt away with your thumb.“That bad, huh?” he asked, you pulled your hand away. You hadn't meant to just touch him like that. You looked at your hand as if it had betrayed you and shoved both of your hands behind your back for good measure.“You look good.” you said... Gah! Stupid mouth! “I-I mean, better than usual.” you blushed, “You’re not covered in blood.” you added in a sad attempt to save yourself from embarrassment.“It was an easy fight.” he said, though there was a hint of vibrato in his voice.“Maybe you should rest. I’ll go make you some tea.” You turned to head for the kitchen, but Leo grabbed your wrist to stop you. Your heart fluttered in your chest, and you wondered if he could feel it beneath his fingers. You hoped not.“I wouldn’t do that; not while Mikey is in there. He’s a “too many cooks” type of turtle.” he let go of your wrist, you couldn’t help the flash of sadness you felt at the action. “I appreciate the sentiment though.”“Uh, yeah... no problem.” With nothing left to say, the two of you fell into a slightly awkward silence.After a few minutes, Leonardo cleared his throat before speaking, “do you feel like taking a walk?” You nodded, perhaps a little too quickly, causing Leo to let out a breathy laugh. “Come on.” He turned on his heel and led you through the turnstiles to the tunnels beyond. It was a bit concerning how little the smell bothered you.You followed Leonardo through the sewers until you reached a ladder to the surface, he took the lead so that he could lift the manhole cover. He did a quick scan of the surface and slid the manhole cover across the ground effortlessly before smiling down at you. He climbed up and you followed.When you reached the surface, he reached his hand out toward you and you took it. Leonardo helped you up with ease. You took a deep breath; it had been a while since you’d had fresh air... well, as fresh as it would get in New York. Leonardo replaced the manhole cover and dusted off his hands before leading you once more."I’m sorry you have to stay cooped up in the lair like a prisoner.” Leonardo turned to face you, but his eyes seemed to be focused on something in the distance.“What are you talking about?” you said, tilting your head to catch his gaze, “I am having a lot of fun with you guys. It would be cool if I could find more leads on my mentor, of course, but that’s what I am training for. I’m gonna kick some Kraang butt and bring my mentor home."“Slow down, your training is for self-defense, not crime fighting” Leonardo said. “I am hoping to solve this before you even need to fight.”He continued down the street and you followed him, around a corner toward a dead-end alleyway. Leonardo turned to make sure you were alright before climbing on top of a closed dumpster to reach a drop-down fire escape ladder. He gave a swift yank and the ladder slid down.He jumped down and swept a hand toward the ladder as if to say, “After you.” You climbed up the fire escape and ignored the shaky feeling that built up with each step. It was easy, knowing Leonardo would probably catch you if you fell.At the top you noticed a rusty water tower, though it wasn’t the only thing that needed repairs up here. Apparently, no one had done maintenance on this rooftop in a while, which probably made it the best hideout for a couple of mutants. Still, “Uh, you sure it’s safe to be up here? I mean, it hasn’t been condemned by the state or anything?”“Do you think I would bring you somewhere that was unsafe?” he asked, exaggerating the hurt look on his face.“How would I know? You are a ninja.” You threw back.“Fair enough” he smiled; you could tell he was enjoying the banter as much as you were. “My brothers and I come up here a lot. It’s the best place to get some air where we won't be seen.” He crossed the rooftop and sat down on one of the various pipes protruding from the roof.The only light was the soft glow of the streetlamps reflecting off the clouds above you. Still, you could see how tired Leonardo was. You sat down next to him and glanced out over the sleeping city; it was a peaceful night all things considered.“I know it’s not much of a view...” he started to say but you held up a hand to stop him.“It’s perfect, thank you for bringing me here, Leo.” you said, “A few fairy lights and some curtains and you could probably live up here.”"I don’t know about that.” Leonardo said, you could hear the smile that played on his lips. There was a pause before he spoke again, “I am sorry it’s taking so long to help you.” he said.“Are you kidding?” You said, “It’s not ideal but I am having the best time, I’m learning skills I never dreamed someone like me could learn. And I like getting to know all of you”“I like you too.” Leonardo said, causing your body to flush and you were surprised by its reaction. Leonardo cleared his throat, “I mean... getting to know you.” he corrected. He scratched the side of his cheek and quickly regained his composure. “What do you mean, someone like you?”“I'm not a fighter.” You said, “I barely even exercise.” To emphasize this, you poked at your biceps with one finger. Leonardo let out a breathy laugh, “I couldn’t even protect my mentor.” Leonardo turned to face you, drawing in his leg to sit in a semi cross-legged manner. “I was there... the night my mentor was kidnapped.” You sucked in a breath; you really hadn't meant to reveal any of this to anyone, but Leonardo had a way of making you want to share.It was too late to stop yourself, so you continued, “I was there...” you felt the tears prickle in the corner of your eyes, “I just hid under a desk while they took him away.” you said, “I’m weak and I’m a coward.” You glanced down at your hands, which were neatly folded in your lap.“Oh? Is that what you see?” he asked, placing a hand over yours. “Because that’s not what I see.” he said, “You did what you had to do to survive in the moment. There is no shame in that. If he’s anything like my father, I am sure your mentor wanted you to be safe.” Leonardo gave your hand a squeeze. “And because of that, you are training to be stronger so you can protect the ones you care about. This art takes time, and it isn't easy, in fact it’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t then everyone would do it. So, I see someone who’s incredibly brave. Your physical strength will come with time and practice." You paused, looking up at him, his eyes were shining with conviction, and you saw yourself reflected within them. “Leo...” you tested his name on your lips and it felt different from the other times you’d said it.Leonardo had a habit of making you feel seen and heard, like on those rare nights the Turtles had down time, he always made you feel part of the conversation. And when you were training, he always took the time to show you how to do your techniques no matter how many times you needed to see them.You wiped the tears from your face with the back of your other hand and smiled, “You’re really compassionate Leo.” you said, “Sorry, I don’t know where that came from.”“That’s alright.” he said, “I’m glad you think so.” Leonardo said. “A lot of people seem to think it's to my detriment.”“Idiots. If you ask me the world could use a bit more compassion.” You said.“I’ll be sure to tell Raph you said that.” Leonardo winked. “Ah! Don’t you dare.” You could feel the color drain from your face at the thought of what Raphael would do to you.Leonardo laughed and leaned back on his hands, looking up at the sky. "it’s a nice night, despite the overcast.”“Yeah, I don’t know if it’s this new skin, but it feels nice.” you admitted.“Hmm, we should probably head back now. Mikey hates it when we are late for dinner.” This was something you learned through observation; with Donatello being the usual culprit. On those nights when Donatello is caught up with an experiment, Michelangelo makes it his personal mission to drag the purple clad turtle to the dining table. You headed down the fire escape with Leonardo and noticed that it wasn’t quite as bad as climbing up. Just the same, you were grateful when you reached the ground.The two of you headed back to the lair, as you approached you could smell something burning in the distance. You shared a glance with Leonardo and both of you took off running the rest of the way. As you approached the turnstiles you could see four figures gathered around the couch. Leonardo hopped the turnstile, leaving you behind as he hurried to join his family.As you caught up with him you could see Leonardo’s fists balled at his sides, the sad looks from the other Turtles and Splinter, and most importantly, an unconscious Donatello on the couch. You covered your mouth with both hands at the sight of him. His face and arms were covered in small cuts, almost like deep cat scratches, there were bits of glass embedded in some of them, there were also small burn marks over his hands and neck. “Do something, Leo!” Mikey clung to his older brother, tears already staining his face.