A/N: I thought I'd published this story to FFnet already, and I was all happy and set to post chapter eight tonight, complete with an apology to you guys about how I hadn't updated this in so long - and then I realized that I'd never actually posted the story to begin with. Oops.
The good news is, though, that I have this written all the way up through chapter eight now. So...yeah. There might be some tweakage of the storyline along the way, but updates on this should be fairly often.
Also, fair warning: I originally wrote this for Wattpad, so the chapters are going to be a bit shorter than usual. Sorry.
Chapter One - Discovery
My heartbeat pounds in my ears and I fight to bring my breathing down to a normal level. A bead of sweat rolls down my face as I crouch in the shadows of a corridor. Can't let them find me. Gotta get out of here.
That's proven to be a challenge - especially since I've nearly been starved during my unwarranted stay at the Kraang experimental facility. My body, which used to be so muscular and toned, is now weaker than it was after the Kraang Invasion. The effort it took to get this far is taking its toll on me; my legs are shaking and I'm pretty sure I'm about to pass out. But this is the first chance I've gotten to even think about escaping, and I'm sure as shell taking it.
I've been at this facility for nearly a year - at least, I think that's how long it's been. They've stuck me with so many needles and devices that the days all started to blur together after a while. I've been fed the bare minimum necessary to keep me alive, mostly in the form of bland porridge that appears in my cell once a cycle.
There are no days here. Only cycles. I'm hauled out once per cycle for testing and experimentation, then shoved back into a blank, white, windowless cell and given a bowl of porridge before the cell goes pitch black. When the lights come back on, the cycle begins anew.
But four cycles ago, they stopped coming. The food still appeared, and the lights went on and off, but there was no more testing. That, I decided, was my chance.
And now I find myself ducking down behind a stack of metal crates in a corridor identical to the one before that, and the one before that, ad infinitum. This was a lot easier when I had Donnie's tech to guide me.
I feel a stab of sadness and longing at that thought. It's been a lifetime, it seems, since I've seen - much less spoken to - any of my brothers.
Before that train of thought can continue, metal clanking draws my attention. A pair of droids come marching down the opposite way, and I crouch further down in an effort to keep hidden. They soon pass by without noticing me.
"Kraang, has Kraang located the one that Kraang is looking for?"
"No, Kraang. Kraang has not been successful in the location of the one known as Leonardo."
"Kraang must locate the one known as Leonardo before the one known as Leonardo discovers Experiment 2036."
"Agreed, Kraang. The one known as Leonardo could be very harmful to Experiment 2036."
A frown crosses my face. What's Experiment 2036?
Whatever it is, they don't want me anywhere near it. Must be important.
I glance longingly at the nearest window. My instincts scream at me to go, to forget about Experiment 2036 and get out of here. But I heave a sigh and follow the droids. They lead me down a few more corridors and around a corner before slowing to a stop and pressing some buttons on a control panel. A whole section of the wall slides upwards to reveal a large room.
About the size of the dojo at the Lair, the room looks to be some kind of weird space-looking nursery. Curled up in the crib is a small green body. My eyes widen in shock - shock that only triples when one of the Kraang droids walks over and picks up the baby. It's a mutant turtle.
And it looks just like me.