First off, I do not own TMNT. (- Disclaimer!) I do own one character though, as you will meet them.
So I got this idea from a picture someone drew. This takes place pre-movie 2007 TMNT.
There is an OC of mine (a new one) in this.
I think this will be a one shot.
Enjoy.
Titian can't see anything. His eyes are open, but the black cloth in front of them keeps light at bay. He pulls at the cuffs on his wrists, but they restrict him, keeping him upright with his shell against the rough stone wall. A gross tasting cloth is tied around his face, stuffed into his mouth; a gag. And his legs have something tight around his thighs, so tight that he had lost feeling of his feet.
He tugs at his bonds again, but there's no point. He can't move. He is unsure how long he's been there, or even where he is, but he knows why.
He can't let his brother, his twin, ever come into the hands of these people. He may think it is his responsibility as the oldest, but that doesn't mean that he should risk everything for them.
It was time he did something for his older twin.
Leo deserves a life too.
A door opens, sending echoes through the room. Footsteps echo, then stop. Titian looks 'up.' Or at least where he thinks it is. His head aches from the lack of light and feeling in his legs.
"..For the honorable one of your family, you seem to have forgotten how to act it," the deep voice says.
'They still think I'm Leo,' Titian figures. He clears his throat, still with the gag in his mouth. Someone snaps their fingers and the gag is removed. He gags a moment at the stale air filling the now empty space, "You shouldn't have threatened my family." He is glad for the hoarse sound in his voice, for it disguises him further in his charade.
"If you had joined the Foot, they would have no harm come to them."
"Anyone with honor wouldn't touch the Foot with a ten foot pole," Titian spits.
"Where is your family?"
Titian stops talking.
"Where is Hamato Splinter."
"Go jump in the ocean," Titian says, "armor and all."
A gauntlet slaps him, ripping the green skin on his cheek. Titian coughs, then 'looks' back up. "Where is your family?"
"Like I'd tell you," Titian says. He's slapped again.
"Where is-"
"SHUT UP!"
Something hits his plastron. He groans. Then he's whipped again.
"Where is your family?"
Titian doesn't say anything. He's whipped again. 'Block out the pain. Pain is in the mind,' he chants, 'think of something else. Think of the guys, of Master Splinter. Think of why you are doing this.'
The whipping stops. "Do you have something to say?"
Titian coughs and then chuckles, "Nothing you want to hear, baka. If you think I'll betray my family, you're missing a few dozen brain cells."
Two blades smash into the wall on either side of his neck. A third one, that is a different shape from the others, slides forward until the tip is right against his jugular.
"I am going to ask you one more time," his captor says, "and if you don't give me the answer I want, it'll be the last thing you ever say."
Titian is not brave enough to swallow. "..You'd kill the leader of your enemy? Don't you know what that will do?"
"It will break your team apart, and there will be no need to find them. They will end themselves."
'That isn't true, that is not what will happen,' Titian tells himself, but he silently wonders what is going on back at the Lair right now.
"Where, is your family?"
Titian is quiet. He doesn't answer.
"Speak, terrapin!"
Titian refuses to say anything. He defiantly refuses to either give his captor the answer he craves or the satisfaction of killing him.
The blindfold is ripped off his face. "Answer me!"
Titian keeps his eyes closed. The blade moves forward and pricks his skin. It doesn't hurt, so he doesn't move.
The blades move away and slice into his arms raised above his head. He cries out, feeling two gashes on each arm. Blood seeps out and runs down his arms to his shoulders. Titian's face is dripping with pain.
Out of instinct, he looks up, glaring at the Shredder.
And the Shredder stops. He looks at Titian, then growls. "You aren't Leonardo!"
Titian and Leo are near identical twins, but Leo has amber eyes, while Titian's eyes are blue, like their youngest brother. "No, I'm not."
"Who are you, turtle!" Titian doesn't answer again. He won't answer.
His brothers benefit from his silence.
"Where is he!" Raph yells, running through the Lair in a rampage.
"He isn't here, Raph," Donnie says solemnly, "There's no way he would be here and not tell us." Donnie then turns and looks at Leo. He's sitting in the middle of the stairs, holding a piece of cloth in his hands.
It's gray; Titian's mask. Leo himself is void of a mask because Titian took it before he left. He took Leo's place.
Donnie walks over and sits next to his eldest brother. "You were going to do it, weren't you?" Donnie asks. Leo doesn't move. "To protect us?"
Leo stares at the mask, then sighs, "I would have done.. something." He looks up, "We need to find him."
"We could check Shredder's base," Mikey tries to help.
"The one that blew up?" Raph asks, walking over with a huff.
"..Right, I forgot.." Mikey says.
"Where else could Titian be?"
Leo starts pacing, the gray mask crushed in his grip.
Donnie watches, "Did Shredder give you any clues to where he would be?"
"..He told me where to meet, that's.. all," Leo says slowly, thinking, "But his boots had some kind of mud on them. Chalky white."
"Hmm.." Donnie goes to his computer and starts typing.
"We ain't gonna find him by white goo, are we?" Raph asks.
"No," Donnie says, "it could be a ploy, either way. It may sound strange, but any attempt to throw us off needs to be taken into account."
"Then what are you doing?" Mikey asks.
"..Trying something."
Shredder was more than willing to express his contempt for capturing the wrong turtle. Titian is still secured to the wall, and his legs went from pins and needles to complete numbness. The blindfold was returned. Even though he can't see his legs, he is sure there's no color in them.
"I can still get information out of you," Shredder says.
"Good luck," Titian states. Before he closes his mouth, Shredder grabs his tongue.
"Last chance, where do I find your family?"
"We're right here Shred head."
Shredder whips around, seeing two of the other four turtles. "Come to save him? You'll have to try harder than that."
"We did." Shredder runs at them. Donnie and Raph keep on defense, trying to lure Shredder into the hallway.
Titian tries to yank at the cuffs, but it's no use. His legs just hang beneath him, his toes just touching the floor. "Hang on Teeteen," he hears next to his ear. Someone shushes next to his other one.
Mikey and Leo.
Leo was crestfallen at the sight of his twin. His legs are a pale green with some veins bulging out. He takes off the blindfold and supports him when Mikey finishes with the cuffs. "Can you walk?" He asks. Titian starts to nod, but after a step, he shakes his head.
"How did you find me..?" He asks.
"Donnie will explain on the way home. Let's go."
All five make it back to the Lair, with the exception of Titian, with only minor scratches and bruises. Titian swapped masks with Leo in the van, but the blue was now tainted by his blood. Leo refused to leave his side, though, and held his hand as Donnie gave Titian an inspection.
"You'll get feeling in your legs through the next few days," Donnie says, "I'll disinfect your cuts, but they will take longer to heal. When you can walk, you should still wait a week before you start training again."
"Yes doc," Titian states.
"Other than that, he's okay?" Leo asks.
"I'll wrap his middle so the whip marks will heal, he's got a few bruises, and he should get plenty of food and water. But other than that, yes, he's right as rain."
"Good."
Titian gets slapped on the back of his head. "Ow!" he yells, "what was that for!" He looks at Leo.
"For scaring us all!"
"You mean scaring you," Titian says, "I'm not your baby brother, Leo."
"No, you aren't. You're my twin," Leo says, crossing his arms. "I'm not apologizing for worrying for you."
"I'm not fragile."
"That was dangerous-"
"You think I can't do what you can!" Titian yells, sitting up. Donnie silently wraps his torso while he's in the position.
"You could have been killed!"
Titian stares at Leo before saying, "Like you couldn't have."
Leo stops. If he went to meet Shredder, like he was going to, then their positions would have been reversed. Only Titian wouldn't be yelling at him, but snarking a little about how the other guy must look worse. But he would have been worried.
"..You're right," Leo states, "I could have died if I went instead. ..Why did you do that?"
"Because I'm sick of seeing you take everybody's responsibilities," Titian states, "we can handle ourselves."
"But I'm the oldest," Leo states, "that is my responsibility."
Titian stares at him deadpan, "You're only older than me by how much?"
"Not my point," Leo states.
"No, your point is that you should suffer for the good of the group," Titian states, "we are the same age, Leo. I want to know my brother, not a fearless leader that will die for me."
Leo looks down, then leaves the room.
So my OC is Titian (Full name is Tiziano after another Renaissance artist.) He is Leo's younger twin (I know they are technically all the same age. Whatever) and he's more snarky than Leo.
And Leo is protective, per usual.
I'll leave the before and after of this clip to you all.
Bye!
~CtW