Heroes in the Half-Shell

Chapter 11 – Project Renaissance

Disclaimer: I do not repeat DO NOT own TMNT and crew in any way because they belong to Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird (Only knows as the Greatest Guys on Earth!). Other characters like a certain OC that happen in this fanfic rightfully belongs to me and only ME!

Announcement from the writer: Today is Halloween. But…I won't be in a festive mood. Why? Back in 2015 on this exact day, I've lost my other grandmother (my dad's mother) due to old age. But also, on that same day in the same year, one of my grandfather's (my mum's father) dog had a puppy. So, something great and something horrible happened on that day many years ago.

But…I might as well watch that certain TMNT episode from the 2k3 series. Beside trick n' treating, what would you guys do on this day?

Me? How about this next chapter as a little treat!

(The snowy mountains just outside of New York – 9:35am)

Pine trees were pretty optimistic as the snow still remain frosty within the forest. It hasn't melted due to the warm temperature. Winter has just finally come to a close as Spring has just arrived a few days ago. But it didn't stop the driver and the passengers in a white van to rug up with their jackets on.

Just as they predicated, the Channel 6 van will reach at its destination in about 5 minutes after a near 40-minute drive. No traffic did hold them up as they managed to get onto the bridge and drive away from the busy intersection.

Taking a left onto the freeway and into the rural area just outside of the main city, April, Sally and Vern are on their way to the girls' chosen destination. So, what is out in the forest that April and Sally forced Vern to take the time to bring them here?

Only a few people would take this road and only two of them are seeing the one person that might convince the story of the four turtles is true. Well, first off, these Turtles are the same turtles that were April's pet many years ago and they were involved in a government development – Project Renaissance.

They were only a few people who knows the tangible story behind this proposal. There were Dr. O'Neil, Dr. Hope and…Eric Sacks. Unfortunately, one of them is dead, the second is nowhere to be found and the third…is whom the girls will meet face-to-face in about 4-minutes.

During the drive, Vern was all ears with the girls' story from what happened after they both got out of the van last night to when they left the news station.

"That's what we told Thompson and she fired us." April has just delivered the final detail of this story that caused her and Sally to lose the employment of the busiest news station in the country. Only Thompson now knows this farce; doesn't believe them one bit and Vern was the second.

To tell them the truth, it was very hard to make up something like this. But is it also hard to believe it? As a good friend, Vern decided to listen to them and share his opinion.

"So they're…aliens?" the male wonders. He takes his focus off the road for a split second to look at his friends. The two ladies looked a little hostile at Vern. Well, one of them is on her device but was telling and listening. To be honest, that is what the girls thinks so at first but after getting to know them a little, the alien topic goes right out of the window. Both of them shook their heads in disapproval.

"No, that's stupid," April said with Sally nodding in agreement. "They're reptiles." The woman leans back into her soft seat.

The teenager was on her phone, checking out her blog but was paying attention to the space that she was in. "They help people. Saved their lives." Sally looks at her roommate beside her. "And ours too." April nodded. They sure did. From small pet turtles to adult-sized saviours. But how they came to be was a different story in which both April and Sally would like to know.

So, they're reptiles and they help people. That is when Vern came up with a pretty cool title other than the one that Sally came up with.

Darting his eyes from the concrete road, Vern looks back to them. "Heroes in the Half-Shell." He was only looking at them for approval but only from the youngest in the vehicle.

Hearing this, April smiles. "Okay…"

Sally couldn't help but nod in approval. "Cool title."

The ex-reporter shakes her head. He doesn't believe us… But Vern quickly noticed the face and the tone of her reply. "Come on. It's not that crazy. I…The animal kingdom is full of…" Looking back and forth from the road to his ex-co-workers, the amusing cameraman tries his best to find the next one but managed to come up with a wacky story from his past childhood before turning to them once more. "I used to have a dog that could moonwalk."

This interesting fact fascinates but mostly for the youngest member of the team. As much as it would take for Vern to believe their story, they have already arrived at their destination. Instead of going up to the small intercom just located outside of the main gate, Vern slows the van down as it comes to a complete stop before putting it into 'P' and turning off the engine.

April and Sally then proceed to take their seat belts off. It was time to meet New York's Top Benefactor in his own home. They haven't seen him since last night at the special gala at Sacks' Tower. Speaking of which, during the ride up, Sally thinks back to the gala last night of her first encounter with the older man. The slight feeling that she came into contact with his hand gave off a scary vibe. Like there is more to this gentleman than meets the eye, in more a very dangerous way. Perhaps, it was nothing. She'll probably talk to April about it later.

"Thanks for the ride, Vern," April acknowledges her friend as Sally opens the door open and hops out. Her guardian was right behind her.

The driver nods. "Yeah. No problem," Vern replies; failed to make eye contact with them. April was the last to leave the car as she closes the door shut.

Vern Fenwick was now all left alone. "Nothing better than…dropping off a pretty girl and her friend at a rich guy's house." Vern gives off a goofy grin but neither April or Sally didn't hear it because they were now half the distance from the van to the gates. Single and all alone.

By the time the silent wind picked up, the air nip at the exposed skin on the adolescent. Sally wished she wore a pair of jeans instead of her short overalls. The teen mentally curses herself for not bringing any change of clothing. She didn't expect to go up to the mountains today where it would be below 5 degrees.

They both walked up to the small intercom just before the main iron gate. The woman leans down and levels her head at the device. She presses the button as a buzzer was made. "Hi, it's April O'Neil and Sally Hope, here to see Eric Sacks."

Once her little announcement was made, the gates open up. April didn't bother to reply a "thank-you" as she and Sally continued to walk through the brick barricade blocking the house from inside the two-foot stone walls.

Sacks' Estate is like a castle you would see in England. The place was a couple stories and has a helicopter pad. Guess traveling by car was not the only transportation to get to the manor. The trees all around slightly have a few leaves off as autumn was a while ago and winter has just finished. The outer walls are mixed colour of dark green and grey as it has aged for eons. Sets of different kinds of windows are placed in all the available rooms within the place.

The girls are walking on the front steps and just before they get to the final step, one of the main dark avocado door swings inwards. The guests were then greeted by the owner of the mansion himself. To be visited by an old friend and a new one.

The elder holds his hands out as a welcome gesture before fixing up his jacket. "April's has arrived early this year." Being named after a month, it does bring some flattered to it. He then looks to the young lady in the dark purple beanie, glasses and black high-knee socks next to her. "And Miss Hope. Good to see you again. "

Sally nodded. "Its, uh…good to see you too, sir."

Deep down, her suspicion radar was suddenly going off the radar. It was that same feeling again. And this time, she didn't shake his hand or anything. Only have met this guy once, she already has bad vibes. Is he hiding something? For many years before he left, Sally's father has mention about Sacks to his daughter but only a few times. There…very unpleasant. Ever since he has left, she has always wondered why. Beside her own father, some were lucky to knows the man personally. Including April, her present guardian and her friend, and her late father.

"We're so sorry to barge in on you like this, Mr. Sacks," April begins. As a reporter – either employed or unemployed at the moment – she always has a habit to butt into other people's business. Even coming to their own private property.

Sacks remorsefully shakes his head. "No, no, no." He steps to his left and holds his hand out to the side, leaving an open path for his guests to enter with ease. "Please, please."

The woman puts on a warm smile. "Thank you." April rushes inside with Sally in pursuit. The juvenile gives off a troubled smile as Sacks closes the door up from behind him. Guess she should've said "It's a pleasure as well" but she didn't. Why?

"You know, after I saw you two last night, I forgot to mention that it was a delight working with both of your fathers years ago."

Once they are inside, Sacks now walks besides April and Sally just lagging behind them. This was not only Sally but April's first time journeying into the home of an old acquaintance of their fathers. They travel to another level where Sacks' living room is located. There, he can a catch-up with the daughters of his dear friends of them. As they walk, Sally takes a second to look at her surrounds. The interior walls and the pillars were coated in a nice shade of sandy cream. Black iron railings were placed around the centre of the room which shows a flight of stairs to the bottom level of the mansion. A fireplace was lit and provided as the heat to warm the place during the last days of this icy climate. But unlike the exterior, the interior's items are different from something you would see in Medieval Times. The paintings, the statues, the sculptures, even genuine weapons – everything – it would seem that the businessman has taken an interest in items that came from Feudal Japan.

Sally took extra noticed of this. Interesting that someone like Sacks would collect souvenirs such as this. Any particular reason would be good.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure for this…unexpected visit?"

April wasted no time telling her tale. "I've been working on a story. And I have this theory that there are these Vigilantes that are fighting back against the Foot." Sacks was nodding along. Finally. Other than him, there is someone taking some action. But April was not finished yet. "I think you and our fathers may have created them."

This halts Sacks in his track causing the girls to stop walking. He stares at the girls; baffled. The man thought he was having some much needed catching up and getting to know with the daughters of old colleagues. But this was not the kind of talk that he was expecting.

The Vigilantes, that April mention that are fighting back against the terrorist group – he and his team…created them? For all his life, he doesn't remember doing something like that. It has to be some kind of mistake.

"Uh,…I'm not sure I—"

"Can you please tell us everything you know about Project Renaissance?"

Sacks takes a deep breath before moving his eyes to the floor. "Hmm." For 15 years, he thought he would never hear those words nor remember the mission. Not only the outcome has taken away everything that he and his crew have worked so hard for, they end up losing one of their own. And it turns out that his daughter is standing right before him.

"Well, um…,it was a dream." He lifts his head up. "A dream that died with your father." Of course, he was referring to young woman in the room.

April shakes her head. "What if it isn't dead?"

"That's impossible. We lost all our research in that fire, all our specimens. Everything." As he was talking, April has pulled out her phone from her yellow jacket. She unlocks her device and taps away to the 'Gallery'. She searches through until she has found the ideal photo that only one person would want to see it and believe them straight away. It was the last photo that she took. But what was weird that she didn't show it to Thompson. If she did, her story would be believable with actual proof and she would still have kept her job. Sacks watches her as she searches for it. "I've spent the last 15 years trying to replicate the results."

Once the photo was up, April moved her two fingers to zoom in on the picture. Only to show part of it to the man before her and Sally. "You didn't lose everything in the fire."

She flips her phone around, showing the screen the other way and passes it to Sacks to observe.

The businessman takes the phone out of her grasp for him and only him to see for himself. He just let out a silent sign before looking down at the device.

Waiting to see the picture of five specimens on her phone…only caused Sacks to taken full attention. On the zoomed photo on the device was not four small turtles and a tiny rat, but instead four turtles…large in size. He hasn't seen any of the reptiles in more than 15 years. Jumping in mid-air in the nightlife were green-skinned that are dabbed in four respective colours. The same colours that were coordinated with each turtle in that same lab many years ago.

Eric Sacks, for first time in his life, was complete stumped.

Never in a million years he has ever seen this transformation. And never in these forms. They looked to appeared to be giants compared to anything in the legends.

"This can't be real," he utters. He faces the girls once more. They too were not faking. They both saw the creatures with their very eyes and the past begins to open up. Only one of them knew them personally when they were only baby turtles other than Sacks. Her eyes were pleaded to him to believe her.

"It is real," April argued. "We saw all four of them."

Sally nodded. She might have not known them as she was born after the incident, but so does her father. If he was here, he would be telling the same thing to his old friend.

Was it the right time to tell her? She was only eight back then. Maybe she should know. The truth behind the project in the first place. And Sally here. Never met her in his life but he does know her parent very well.

But rather than tell them, why doesn't he show them. "Do you really want to know about Project Renaissance?"

April nodded. "Yes." She needs to know. She and Sally need to know the whole story.

With the phone still in his hand, he gestures to a new path instead of the way to the lounge room. "Come with me." He passes the device back to April as he places his hands on a set of doors just located in front of them.

There was one particular room that only he has the permission to enter and exit at will. That is until he has allowed a few guests of his to observe it. They wanted the truth behind Project Renaissance and they are going to get it. But before he can explain it, he decided to tell his story of how this dream came to be. His own beginning.

Two large doors opened up by the home owner, leaving the path open for April and Sally to walk in. The door slowly begins to closes up behind them. The only light source inside this dark room was a lit candle and a much larger light that dims behind this huge painting.

The girls are now taking get interest of the art. A picture is worth a 1000 words. That is when Sacks started to speak a tale.

"I was born in Japan, at a military base in Okinawa. My father went to Vietnam. Didn't come back." The tone of his voice hinted a wretched character. That would explain the painting and the artefacts in the building. He was born in the East where he was raised before moving to the West. Having them around the place is a part of his childhood. Looking at them gives off a tingle of homesickness. The girls stopped to look at the painting as Sacks walks to the other side. He views the drawing with great admiration, only to show a dejected frown. "I was an outsider in a foreign land." He only took a second to remember the horrible time in his past. "A freak."

It was like he was out of the picture and not just the way he looked. He has lost his only blood relative. He was all alone. How did he managed to survive, they wondered? Sacks continues onwards. "I was a powerless and helpless boy. Until a local sensei took me under his wing. And he saved me."

April and Sally took a moment to look at Sacks. A kind-hearted soul who rescued a boy that grew up to be the man that he is today. How sweet. He was told of this tale many years ago when he was a small child. And now, he was telling it to April and Sally. "Taught me lessons that I later shared with both of your fathers." He then points to the particular person within the art. "Ninth-century Japan. An evil Warlord ruled the land."

Located high near the mountains stood a large warrior, donned in steel armour, looking down at the land that he has claimed for himself. Two sides were battling it out. Good verses evil.

In the right was a small town. The village was on fire. Innocent people and their belongings were towed away; looking all defeated as they moved away from a shadowy force. It was at time was the only solution to get away from the blaze and never to return. Only to move one but still had the scars that run deep. A well-drawn pictures of Chinese Dragons were resting in the corners, acting as power, strength and good luck for people who are worthy.

"He poisoned the water supply; bringing on the Dark Ages. Death and disease and suffering ran rampant. Not unlike the Foot Clan and what they'd like to do to our city."

It was like history was repeating itself. Soon, the city will be in blaze just like it did many years ago. The Warlord was just like the Shredder. And ancient warrior's army was like his army. It would seem like…it was the end of the world for them all. But…there is a silver lining into this story. Sacks moves from beside the girls back to the other side. "Then one day,…" he points to the soldiers on the left side of the portrait, "…a hero arose."

Rearing on the high horse, the beacon of hope, rides the winning side to victory. With his men at his side, the darkness was vanishing by the second. "A great alchemist discovered the antidote…to the Warlord's poison." Sacks looks to the girls "The cure-all…" and looks back at the image, "…for his evil." These known philosophical was known for their potions to help the sickness to full whole once more. A way to fix an unstoppable problem and hopefully from happening in the distance future.

"Both your fathers and I were trying to recreate that cure-all." The girls finished analysing the painting and looked back at Sacks. "We developed a mutagen capable of stimulating self-repair…on a cellular level."

So, that was Project Renaissance to begin with. They were trying to make a medicine to cure or repair disease. In other words, a mega-cure. But a lot has changed over the years and there have been thriving remedies to combat deadly viruses. Surely, there isn't another within their miss. Maybe to the other world-known diseases that have no cure at all.

Both April and Sally are now curious to asked one question to Sacks. "What were you going to do with it?" the older woman asked.

Fortunately, the former scientist has a very good answer. He walks past them. "Imagine New York City…" April and Sally both turned around to face the genius, "…being victim to a chemical attack. This mutagen would be able to reverse its effects. It would save the city; it would save the people." Just like what happening years ago in Japan. A lot of chemicals are happening in the world and it would take time come up with a solution to extinguish or neutralized it. But a cure like that would be able to fix the known diseases like cancer or Ebola. "Those test subjects, those turtles…running in their blood is the last of this precious mutagen. And up until a few moments ago,…" he shakes his head, "…I though we failed. I thought they died in the fire. How…" Sacks needs to know why the subjects are alive today, "…how could they have lived?"

If they are the same specimens from 15 years ago and they were trapped in that glass tank, they would have perished in the blaze long ago. But they didn't. They are alive to this day.

And only April knows the answer to it. The young woman smiled. "Because I saved them."

This confession did take Sally by surprised. April saved the Turtles 15 years ago. After hearing the stories, she thought they too would have been turtle soup on the sidewalk but no. April knew the names when they spoke, through the videos that they saw and in their fathers' workplace 5 years ago.

Sacks gives a genuine smile. He had a feeling that April might be a part of it. The part of their survival. "Of course you did." And for that, he is thankful. Dr. O'Neil did have a wonderful daughter. He takes a step towards them. "April,…the mutagen possesses powers…beyond our wildest hopes." And thanks to her, he can start the project where he left off. But first, they need access to the mutagen itself. And finding these turtles would be a start. To which only April and Sally can do it.

Sacks takes out a black pouch from his coat pocket. "Whatever resources you need,…" he takes out a thin white card. He then hands it April, "…I'm here." The woman takes the thin cardboard of his hands and she and Sally both stared down at it. The bold letters SACKS – SACKS GROUP LTD were printed on the card with a section of cut squares where the giant "S" is located. "Let's work together. We'll find them. The course of human history may depend on it."

The girls take their eyes off the card and focus back on Sacks. His heart was set on finishing that project and deep down the girls were sure that their fathers would agree as well. With everything he needs to say, April and Sally would have no reason to stay around. He has done his part of telling them the whole story about the project and now, the girls need to do their part. Finding the Turtles and convince them to recommence the project. If they can find them.

Sacks was a busy man as he takes the step towards the exit. "I'll show you out." He then gestures his hand before leading them to the doors. The young woman slides the business card in her jacket's inner pocket once the two large doors open. Once they have returned back to New York, the girls' mission will begin.

Guess we know a lot more about Project Renaissance. But…is it the whole story? Well, we will find out the other side to the story. But first,…April and Sally will see the Turtles once again in the next chapter of:

Heroes in the Half-Shell: Meeting Splinter

Author's Notes: Another late night, another chapter done!

With only 2 months left of 2022, how will you guys plan it? For me, my driving test, my dance concert, going to a Keith Urban concert, celebrating my 30th birthday (Yeah, I'm old) and Christmas in Sydney. So, yeah. Can't wait for those to happen!

Happy Halloween, everybody! Sayonara!

Until we meet again,

The DragonLord2912