Hello readers! Apologies for being so dormant from this fanfic for so long. The newest Beast Wars chapter had taken a while to finish and I have been trying to flesh out the rest of this story. I have also been busy with other things as well. Today we will be taking a time skip as we cut to Enzo being a little older. The next few chapters will be time skips until we reach a certain age point in his life. Think of it like a montage of how he is raised by Master Splinter and the turtles. Hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 3: Origin Stories and Masks
4 years later
Master Splinter guided four-year-old Enzo as he gently pressed the child's back with his paw. Behind them were the four turtles, a little older and still taller than their baby brother. However, the young reptiles still had some growing up to do before their sensei and father figure deemed them ready. Master Splinter led the young human into a back room within the lair that he had never been to before.
The mutant rat pushed back the curtain with his free paw, revealing the interior of this secret room. Inside was completely vacant with the back wall consisting of wooden shelves. On the center shelf laid a long wooden box, closed by a metal clamp.
As they all walked into the room, Enzo asked, "What are we doing here, sensei?"
"Sit down, all of you," replied the rat.
The human and turtles complied as they sat cross-legged on the floor, in front of their mentor.
Master Splinter picked up the box from the shelf. "Today, Lorenzo, is the day you learn of our family's origins. How your brothers and I became the way we are and how you became part of our clan."
"You mean why I'm not a mutant?" replied the human boy.
"Exactly."
"Wake me when it's over," groaned Raphael.
The hot-headed young turtle was about to close his eyes before Leonardo smacked him in the back of the head.
"Ow!"
Raph glared at their leader and growled; his hand clenched into a fist. He was ready to deliver the pain to Leo.
Master Splinter cleared his throat loudly to get the attention of the two turtles behind their little brother and to break up the quarrel. Both of them calmed down from their teacher's icy glare and went back to being quiet.
The rat's eyes softened again as he turned back to Enzo. "Our story begins many years ago before you were born. I was but a normal rat, living on the streets of New York City. But one day, I witnessed a traffic accident. A blind man walked across the street before the pedestrian crossing light turned green. Two trucks drove from opposite directions of the intersection. Luckily, a young man was able to save the blind man from being harmed. Unfortunately, both trucks crashed into each other and their contents fell out. One truck was from the Central Park Zoo, carrying four baby turtles in a tank. The other was a mysterious truck that dropped a strange object. Both the turtles' tank and the object shattered and fell into a storm drain, leading into the sewers."
"Those four baby turtles were my brothers!" blurted out Enzo, like a child who knew the answer to a question in school.
Master Splinter nodded with a smile. "Correct."
Raphael rolled his eyes and whispered, "Do we have to listen to this? He's told us the story so many times."
"But this is Enzo's first time hearing it, so shh!" retorted Leonardo.
"And don't think about blurting out any spoilers either, dude," said Michelangelo. "We want our baby bro to get the full experience."
Master Splinter continued. "I scurried down to see if the baby turtles were alright, and they were. But they were covered in the strange substance from the cylinder; a green ooze that I have never seen before."
"What did you do?" asked the human boy.
"They were lost and alone, with no one to look after them. So, I took the turtles back to my burrow to care for them. But by carrying the turtles, I also exposed myself to the strange ooze. The next day, I have noticed myself going through some peculiar changes along with the turtles. We all grew larger in size and more intelligent. These changes continued until we developed the ability to speak. It was from these changes that inspired me to teach your brothers the art of ninjutsu, just as I learned from my master, Hamato Yoshi."
Ezno cocked a brow quizzically. "Where did the ooze come from?"
Master Splinter shrugged. "That, my son, remains a mystery even to this day. But I have kept the remnants of the container from which it came in, that someday we will learn of its secrets. Also, as a reminder of our beginning, for we learn from the past to prepare for the future."
He flipped the clamp and opened the box to reveal the contents to Lorenzo.
The human boy gave a small gasp.
Inside the box was a glass cylinder, broken in half. Both ends were covered by metal discs. Enzo slightly tilted his head so he could make out words on the glass. It was difficult for the child due to a few missing pieces, be the best he could interpret was Stoc Labs.
"But if you were still a normal rat when Hamato Yoshi was alive, how did you learn ninjutsu?" asked the human child.
Master Splinter chuckled. "I would observe my master from my cage when he would train. As he honed his skills, I developed my own. "
The rat's face saddened for he knew the next part of the story. "One day, his former rival, Oroku Saki, broke into his home and attacked him. My master tried to fight him off, but he was overwhelmed by his allies. One of them was your mother."
Enzo's eyes widened. "My mom?"
"She was once good friends of Hamato Yoshi and his wife, Tang Shen. But she chose to tread down a darker path. One that led to the death of both my master and his wife."
Enzo's head hung low in shame. "I'm sorry, Sensei."
Master Splinter placed a paw on the boy's shoulder. "No, my son. You are not to blame yourself for the actions of your mother, nor are you to hold any ill will against her for her betrayal."
Enzo looked up at the rat. "She wasn't always bad, was she?"
The rat made a deep sigh. "No...From what I knew of Makoto before she joined Oroku Saki, she was a courageous and ambitious woman. Never one to surrender so easily, especially in a fight. She and Tang Shen had known each other since childhood. Their bond was so strong, you would believe they were sisters."
"What made her betray your master and his wife?"
Master Splinter slowly shook his head. "I do not know, my son. But I do know she truly loved you and gave up her life for you."
"But Sensei, you always told us you were the one that saved Enzo from the fire," said Donatello.
"That is true, Donatello, but the fire was no accident. When I went into the building to save Enzo and his mother, she had already drawn her last breath. A clean wound, from a blade, punctured her abdomen. I had no other choice but to leave her and save Enzo before the fire consumed the apartment."
"What about my dad?" asked the human boy.
The rat shook his head. "I know not of your father, Lorenzo. You and your mother were the only ones in the apartment. I'm sorry."
Enzo fought back the tears welling up in his eyes, but it was no use. Hearing the tragic story of his mother was overwhelming for the poor child. Even though the tears streamed down his cheeks, the four-year-old tried to wipe them with his hand.
"I wish…I got to know her," he replied in a shaky tone.
Feeling his heartbreak for the human boy, Master Splinter leaned forward and pulled Enzo into a gentle hug. The human's tears stained the rat's robes as he returned the gesture to his foster father.
"I know, my son…I know," said Splinter.
Feeling their hearts bleed for their little brother as well, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo all gathered around Enzo to form a group hug with their master.
The soft comforting embrace of his foster family calmed his sorrows as his cries faded into slight whimpers and his tears seased.
"Understand that I am not here to replace your mother, Lorenzo, but I vow to take care of you the way she would want you to be cared for."
"And we will be here to care for you too, little brother," said Leonardo.
The turtles and Splinter broke from their hug so Enzo could look up at his three foster brothers; all of them smiling at him.
"But…I'm not a turtle or a rat like all of you," replied the human boy.
Donnie put a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "It doesn't matter if you're a rat, turtle, or human, Enzo. Blood or race does not make a family."
"Right, Donatello," said Master Splinter. "It is love that makes a family,"
Mikey playfully wrapped Enzo's head around his arm and gave him a noogie. "And there is plenty of it to go around down here with us, little dude!"
The human boy laughed at the ticklish feeling of his brother's fist on his head.
The whole time, Raphael sat in the background, sulking with his arms crossed.
Master Splinter stood up. "Which brings us to our next important discussion, my sons. Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello, join me in the dojo. It is time you take the next step in your training."
"Can I join?" asked Enzo enthusiastically.
Splinter gave a nod. "Of course you can, Lorenzo. This is an important time for your brothers that I would like all of us to be a part of."
Together, they went into the dojo where the four young turtles sat on the mats in front of their sensei. Enzo sat on the side, watching the whole thing.
The rat stood in front of the turtles saying, "My sons, all of your lives I have trained you in both body and spirit in the art of ninjutsu, not just to defend yourselves, but to defend the innocent of this city against the wicked. Today, you are to take the first steps of your apprenticeship from simple trainees to full ninjas. From here on out, your training will be much more fierce, for the enemies you will be facing in the city will prove to be dangerous and show no mercy whatsoever. Leonardo!"
The young leader stepped forward.
Master Splinter presented him with two katana blades and a blue mask. "I give you the katanas. Like the metal forged to make these blades, your mind is leveled and steady to lead your brothers under dire circumstances. The mask is blue to represent the calming of the sea and the air, as any leader should."
Leonardo took the mask and wrapped it around his eyes, then strapped the katanas on his shell.
"Donatello!"
The smart turtle stepped forward.
"For you, I have chosen the bo-staff. Many say wisdom comes with age, but you have proven to surpass the knowledge of many wise men and scholars with your keen mind. Do not think of this staff as a simple walking stick, but an extension of yourself as you use both your mind and skill to solve any challenge you are confronted with. Your mask is purple to reflect the color of knowledge you hold in your mind and like the sly fox at dusk. May you use your vast intelligence to support your brothers when they have exhausted all their options."
Donatello wrapped the purple mask around his face and strapped the bo-staff behind his shell.
"Raphael!"
The hotheaded turtle stepped forward.
"Your weapon shall be the sais. Once used as simple farming tools, now they are fierce and deadly weapons only for the most skilled ninja. But where there is great strength, there comes great control. With your natural strength, may you use these weapons within reason and not to harm the innocent or your brothers. For your mask, I have chosen red, to reflect the courageous fire that burns inside of you. Use that fire to light the darkness and burn the overgrowth that suffocates this city."
Raphael wrapped the red mask around his eyes and sheathed the sais on his new belt.
"Michelangelo!"
The last of the turtles stepped forward.
"The nunchucks shall be yours to wield. These weapons are known for the spinning motions of unpredictability, just like you, my son. Like you, the nunchucks can spin and twirl in many different directions, confusing their opponents, like the ever-shifting winds. Your mask is orange, to reflect the joy and innocence you bring to your brothers. Though the task you four have been given is serious, I expect you to use your overwhelming optimism to steady your brothers when emotions run high and to find joy in the finer things in life."
"Sweet!" cried Michelangelo.
The young turtle began to swing and whip the nunchucks all around him making high-pitched karate sounds, until he accidentally hit himself in the head.
Lorenzo and the other turtles giggled at their brother's silly antics.
Once Michelangelo composed himself and put on his masks, Master Splinter continued. "Do you promise to use your skills for righteousness?"
"Hai, Sensei!" said the turtles in unison.
"Will you work together as brothers to uphold the security of this city and fend off those that wish to harm it?"
"Hai, Sensei!"
"Will you stay in the ways of the ninja, fighting discreetly in the shadows? Never to be seen or use your ninjutsu for personal gain?"
"Hai, Sensei!"
"Then your new training starts tomorrow. When the time is right, the four of you will venture up to the surface to begin your duty as protectors of this city."
Enzo could only stare in awe as he watched his older brothers become amazing ninja warriors, ready to defend New York City from any evil they were confronted with. Though he knew he was still too young, the young human wished that someday he would earn his mask and weapons, and join his brothers on the surface.
Well, the turtles have earned their masks and their weapons. Now the serious training begins! Will Enzo learn to be as skilled as his older brothers? Will the turtles be good teachers for the young human to improve his ninja skills? Tune in next time for the next chapter of The Legend of Lorenzo Hamato. Thank you all for your patience. As always, feel free to leave a review expressing your thoughts on the chapter and the story so far. Until next time!
