A Week Later, June Eighteenth…
Kraang are becoming more bolder with their invasion plan… And I fear that they're working alongside Shredder.
This week, it's been hell. For the guys, April… Also, Miwa. But most of all, for me.
April and Donatello were studying sewage and, discovering what Kraang plans to do from their storage unit, found out they're going to poison the city's water by mutating it into… Kraang Water. They showed it being an acid substance, which is very harmful to human and other life-base forms on Earth. The guys and I went to the bottom of the East River to put a stop to their operation, while April decided to go up to the surface for some 'Human-Food', unable to stomach Michelangelo's dangerous concoctions he would make.
The mission could've gone smoothly, if a couple of problems didn't get in our way: Donnie didn't put his phone on silence when April was calling for help, he should've made the Turtle Sub a bit more mobile or at least a better way to gain power-source instead of having Raph, Mikey and I to use exercise equipments most of the way there… And most of all, if we didn't need to deal with some sea monster that's been created to attack non-Kraang on sight… And, apparently, was looking for a mate and decided it wanted the Turtle Sub as its Life-Mate.
We got away and succeeded on stopping the Kraang's attempt to poison our water, making it back to the Lair minutes before April came back… Who was running for her life from being kidnapped… By Miwa. I, secretly, didn't fault her for attempting to grab April; Shredder must've found out about April and ordered Miwa to catch her, to use her as bait to draw us out. While my brothers were more than ecstatic to hear how she got away, much to part of my anger.
Unfortunately, for April, because we don't know why Oroku Saki wants to kidnap her and with Kraang still after her, Master Splinter has decided to have her stay in the Lair. While she's on Summer Vacation, preventing her from going up to interact with any humans she's friends with was still devastating to our human-friend… So, like myself, she's a prisoner within the Lair… Though, part of me speculate she's not entirely human.
Earlier, after Donatello used one of Michelangelo's pizza to demonstrate how Kraang Water responds, our youngest brother knocked over the beaker that held the Kraang Water and some of it spilled onto April's arm. Rather than become like acid or start burning her, it did nothing to her. And when Kraang entered their waters to see what entered their base, they were perfectly fine when coming back from our little distraction.
...I don't like where my thoughts are going with this, but I can't ignore them if they tell me why Kraang are so desperate to get April. However, until we get more information on their plans of the invasion, I'll keep my thoughts silent... For her own sake.
A few days later, another incident occurred... Involving the one human I didn't want to see: Timothy, the "self-proclaimed" Pulverizer... Only, this time, he was wearing a Foot Clan uniform... The clothes of our enemies. Although, clearly the Foot saw how expendable he is and has been ranked: Ashigaru Sha.
According to him, the Foot Clan are fighting the Kraang, but I knew that wasn't true. He then decided, after Donnie told him to quit the Foot, to become our "Undercover Spy". Don and I were against it, but Raph suggested that we need to know what they're doing with Kraang technology and let Timothy play along, when he wasn't going to listen a single word we tell him unless it's going along with his stupid idea.
On that same day, Sensei decided to have us switch weapons, in order to demonstrate how each of us are relying too much on our weapons and, should there be a time where we don't have our weapons, to use other items to become our temporary weapons.
I was given Donatello's Naginata Bō... Which I named Gonnosuke, when I was trained to wield him* at the age of six. It's been quite some time since I last trained with Gonnosuke but I never slacked on my fighting style with the Bō.
Of course, I expected my brothers to show poorer results when gaining different weapons and, just as I thought, they all fell by their carelessness and inexperience to wield unfamiliar weapons. I was very unpleased to give Musashi and Kamiizumi to Michelangelo and how he nearly skewered himself, but was quite entertained to watch them all fall by their own hands.
I even gotten the chance to, not only further bring them all down in defeat at the same time, but to also demonstrate my fighting style with Gonnosuke and, soon after, the rest of my brothers' weapons.
Unlike Gonnosuke, learning to wield Kayura and Yakuza wasn't easy when first training with them. Eventually, it wasn't long until I learned to treat them like claws that I formed a connection with the girls and found some understanding to how Raphael feels when the sais gives strength to overpower our opponents. As for Okinawa and Lee, I had to import my movements and fighting-style from the Rope Dart to wield Okinawa, while also treating her and her brother as if they're my tail… Which they have to be fast and agile, like the serpent.
After reviewing my skills with each of their own weapons, Master Splinter urged them to try and bond with unfamiliar weapons, much to the guys' distaste. The guys, Raphael and Donatello, tried bonding with their 'new' weapons, while Michelangelo used Musashi and Kamiizumi as kitchen utensils. I was angered that he would disrespect my fangs, but had to push down the urge to smack him down and lecture him to respect other people's belongings, which includes their Soul-Weapons, when Master Splinter ordered us to bond with the weapons, individually.
Some time later, Timothy contacted us to the Foot's next location and when we got there, found them stealing mutagen. While I was able to hold off my own and taken down any Foot that came for me, my brothers struggled with their own… While we'd be disobeying Sensei's orders, I called out a switch and we all tossed our weapons to each other, easily taking down Xever and Bradford to force them to retreat.
Just as I knew was going to happen, when we returned to the Lair, Master Splinter greeted us back, disappointed in us for not taking his lesson seriously, and confiscated our weapons. And worse? Shortly after that moment, Timothy contacted us to tell us Shredder's going to make his own Mutant-Army… And he, the most idiotic human we ever came across, volunteered to be the testing experiment and become a mutant.
We all went up to the Surface World to track down Tim's phone, only for Xever to hold us back when tailing them to their location, which left Raph, Mikey and I follow by foot while Don went on ahead on the Stealth Bike. We arrived just as our Genius brother and Tim were surrounded, where we immediately went to grab temporary weapons to use in battle. I used a lug wrench as my substituted weapon. It wasn't as strong as my swords, but at least it did some form of damage… Though, not as much as my fangs did, when getting in close enough to sink them through the Foot's armor and force medium damage.
…Sadly, are effort to get Timothy out was wasted when that human, purposely, dumped mutagen onto himself and mutated before our eyes… It was a very disturbing sight to witness, watching as the mutagen basically eats away his flesh and morphing his body into a see-through gelatin monster, with his organs perfectly intact and unharmed. During his transformation, Bradford had the rest of his ninjas to seal the exits and blow up the warehouse in two minutes, with us left inside to either die by the explosion or Timothy's acids.
With Donatello's quick thinking, we were able to trap Timothy into a Kraang Mutant-container, all of us getting on the Stealth Bike and ramming through the window before time was up. We took him home with us, where Donnie will keep him in his lab and hope that someday, somehow, he was going to turn him back to normal*. The question we all wondered: How long will it take?
He's clearly a teenager, probably older April but around sixteen or seventeen. I had Karasu locate his home during the day and gather whatever details she could about his home, which includes the whereabouts of his parents… Both of which are, shockingly, out of states on business trips. According to her description of his house, Timothy lives in a PUD Townhome, nearby the SoHo district.
He isn't rich, but his parents are upper second-class citizens to afford a modest home and live a comfortable life. Karasu was able to get into his house and bring us Timothy's spare cellphone, where Donatello hacked into the device and reveal his parents' schedule to being completely booked until Spring. Meaning, we have about nine months before his parents return from business trip, to turn Timothy back into a human.
So, as I said earlier, this week has been hell for us all… But neither of those events, could be compared to what happened, after Miwa and I took down the scout-ship.
Apparently, Master Splinter and April returned to the Lair a bit earlier from their practice run and when they found my brothers, paralyzed, he freed them from the effects of pressure points. My guess was Raphael told him that I turned on them to keep my alliance with Karai and attacked them, not mentioning their plan of mutiny to take down Shredder, by surprise.
When we got back to the Lair, Raphael and I got into a heated argument. It eventually got worse when he said, "Since you clearly like her so much, you should go join the Foot Clan!"
…I snapped. I attacked first, leading him to be pinned… With my own fangs, clamping tight around his throat. I wouldn't let him go, even when he, Don, Mikey and even April tried to pull me off. It wasn't until somebody forced my jaw open by pressing a pressure point underneath my jaw and, when I turned to flash my slight blood-covered fangs to who dare interfere with Raphael's punishment… I stared into the cold, angry eyes of my Sensei, as he got me down on my side and forced me to sleep through pressure points.
On that day, I broke two laws: Never harm a pack-mate that involves blood to be spilled… And never bare your own fangs to the Alpha.
I confined myself in my bedroom for two days, until Michelangelo was sent for me to rejoin them for training sessions. I was expecting Sensei to disband the team until we could learn to trust each other or, once again, learn to work together. But that conversation never came.
They may act like that event never happened, but I won't forget it. Raphael, I know, won't be able to forget what happened, since I marked him with my fangs. They'll fully heal, thankfully, but that won't make a difference. And, until I make it up to them, the guys, April, even Sensei can't trust me.
Ten Twenty-Six, at Kraang's Secret Lab…
"Ahhh! Ahhh, ahhhhhh!" Michelangelo cried out, running in circle in the small-room, as a giant, mutated-enhanced wasp, about the size of a Berkshire pig, chased him in the air. Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello stayed hidden in the rafters, waiting for the blue-masked turtle to give them the signal to pounce.
Donatello learned of a secret lab Kraang has been experimenting lately, which he hopes may give them a clue of their invasion plan and when it'll take place. But when they got there, they found the room trashed and the Kraandroid endoskeletons, abandoned and damaged. The walls have posters of Arthropods, indicating Kraang has been experimenting on insects. Mikey is the first to locate the mutated enhanced-wasp before it attacked, attempting to stab its stinger into one of its turtle-victims.
When finding it difficult to catch it without running the risk at getting stung, Don had Mikey have the wasp's attention on him, while he and their big brothers come up with an idea. It was Leo who silently suggested attacking from above to pin it to the ground, hoping that it could force its stinger into the ground and get locked into the cement, killing it the moment its stinger gets removed.
"On my mark," he whispered. Mikey ran by them once, then a second time, and a third time before the blue-masked turtle knew they were ready. "Now!"
All three of the oldest Hamato Sons jumped… Only, at the same time they jumped, Michelangelo brought out his Kusarigama and wrapped the end of the chain around the insect. He pulled the wasp down, as the three brothers missed their target and landed roughly to the ground.
"Ha. How you like me now?" The youngest called out, acting like a big shot that his idea worked and why his brothers didn't think his idea was going to work… He soon learned why: The wasp quickly got back in the air, chain still wrapped around its Thorax and ended up pulling the orange-masked turtle with his surprisingly super-enhanced strength.
While Leo, Raph and Don were picking themselves off the ground, the wasp flew in their direction and Mikey slammed his shell against Raph and Don. Leonardo was able to see the attack coming and did a somersault, pulling out Kamiizumi to make an attack on the wasp.
Mikey was dragged in the air in a final circle before his arm slipped out of his Kusarigama's chain and landed in-between his older-brothers.
Behind you!
The warning actually surprised Leonardo; he couldn't hear its buzzing after it got Mikey loose from Okinawa, but still heard a light humming that he would guess are the wings.
'Probably a new ability the mutagen gave it,' he thought. He turned to the wasp, which was almost in its face, its stinger out and in position to jab it in his neck. 'I don't have enough time to dodge it… Looks like I don't have a choice.' Leo launched himself straight at the bee and stabbed his blade in-between its Thorax and abdomen… Allowing the stinger to slam straight into his left-arm. The attack made him yelp out in pain, feeling the barb of the stinger dig through his skin and into his muscles with ease. And, because it's curved, he could feel the end go straight up into his shoulder.
In response to the pain, he leaned up at the wasp's neck and, with one, strong snap, ripped the wasp's head from its Thorax. He tasted a thick liquid that made him sick to his stomach, which he's certain that it was mutagen mixed with the wasp's blood and venom, that he forced himself to vomit what little blood and venom that trickled down his throat.
Remove Thorn-Fang, prevent more venom from entering Pup's being.
He reached with his right-hand to pull the stinger out, only for a pair of hands to stop him.
"Let me pull it out, Leo." It was Donatello who offered, as he grabbed for the end of the stinger. "You might accidentally jostle the stinger from the position it's in, and that it's curved instead of straight." After the explanation, the blue-masked turtle allowed his younger-brother to pull the stinger out from his arm. The three brothers were amazed on how long the stinger was, approximately two feet in length by Don's calculation. "All right. Leo, I need you to be straight with me. Are you okay?"
If there was a normal wasp, he wouldn't be that too concern of the sting his brother gained, also that none of them have any allergies towards bees, but because it's a mutated-enhanced wasp, there's no telling what sort of effects its venom could cause.
Leonardo slightly moved his arm a bit, wincing a bit at the sight of the mark the stinger left in his arm.
That's going to be sore for a week, in the least.
"Pretty sore," he winced a bit from the reply. "But I think I'll be-…"
Something pulled his head a bit to the side, his right-eye twitched a bit and his voice cut off for a moment.
Egg! Must find Egg! Find, and protect Egg!
"Fine." A pulsing headache thumped in his head, feeling something leading him to where he has to go. 'Where am I going?' He tried to stop to collect his thoughts, but for some reason, he couldn't get himself to do so until he came to the dark-corner of the room. There, he found a piece of newspaper on the ground, covering something. Out of curiosity, he kneeled over to pull it back, and was stunned. "Whoa…" He turned to his brothers, knowing they have to see what he found. "Guys, look at this."
What was inside the newspaper, was a light dark-yellow, jellybean-shaped egg. It was as big as their arm, and the same length from their wrist to their shoulder.
"It's some kind of egg." Donatello concluded, amazed at the size of the egg before them.
Leonardo was too fascinated on the egg, that he didn't care to hear what he or the others had to say. For some reason, he feels like he has to take this egg somewhere safe and guard it.
"Stand back. I'll handle this." Michelangelo stepped up, bringing out his Nunchaku, which Leo has dubbed as Lee, to use as his choice of weapon to kill the egg.
"I'm betting on the egg." Raphael mocked, as the youngest began spinning his weapon. The sound sent a cold chill down the eldest-turtle's spine.
Stop threat! Guard Egg! Protect Egg! Host MUST protect Egg!
"Wait!" He yelled, grabbing for Mikey's left-hand to stop the spinning sound of his weapon. The three were a bit surprised by his interference. "We're not hurting it."
Egg threat to Pup and Kins! Pup MUST kill Egg!
Leonardo agrees with his Instinct… But, for some reason, he can't go along with what he and his brothers has to do. Instead, he sticks to what the other voice is telling him to do.
"We came here to find out what the Kraang are up to, and this egg is our only clue." It was somewhat a believable argument he's making, though they still seem a bit uncertain with their leader sparing the wasp's egg. "We should take it back to the Lair and have Donatello analyze it."
The entire time, he kept his eyes completely on the egg. He couldn't take his attention off from the egg, not even for a second.
"Great idea. Let's take the mutant wasp egg into our home where we live. What's the worst that could happen?" Raphael sarcastically replied, trying to make a point that they shouldn't take the egg back to their home… At least, not when there's a living wasp inside of it.
"It's not safe leaving this around." As if he didn't hear what his twin just said, Leonardo still stuck to his guns on bringing the egg. However, this time, he turned to meet their gaze, reassuring them with his Cerulean/Sapphire-eyes… Which, for some reason, had an off gaze. "It'll be fine, I'll just keep an eye on it."
Wanting to get home and not stick around in a dark room with a dead wasp behind them, Michelangelo went along with his decision.
"I'll get it," he offered. He took a step forward to the egg… And that set an alarm off in Leonardo's head.
Keep away from Egg! Threat AWAY from Egg!
As the voice commanded, he snapped at his orange-masked turtle, making him back away from the egg.
"Paws off!" His sudden outburst towards Michelangelo was totally unexpected, and uncalled for, to the three brothers. Besides the few times he actually snaps when stressed, his behavior is very alarming.
"Dude, are you all right?" Raphael asked, actually concerned that something could be wrong with his older-twin. "'Cause unmotivated outburst of anger are kinda my thing."
Threat! ALL threat to Egg! Host guard Egg! Host PROTECT Egg!
"The egg could be fragile." He replied, gently scooping the egg into his arms and held it up against his plastron. "Michelangelo cannot be trusted with it. I'll carry it, myself." He got to his feet and immediately head for the exit, to the Shellraiser.
Pup not self. Wrong with Pup. Must NOT protect Egg! Pup MUST protect Kins!
He tried to listen to his Instinct, to release the egg from his grasp and pull his blades out to stab the wasp within the egg… But he can't. The twitching pulled his head to the side and his head is being beaten like a drum, letting out a groan of pain as the burning in his arm grew from his limb to his neck.
Back at the Lair, in the Lab…
The egg has been set in one of the beanbag chairs, where it would be protected from being scratched on the hard floor and away from any sharp objects Donatello had on his workbenches. Donatello got to his knees, getting closer to the egg, as Leonardo stood beside him, eyeing his brother's every move.
"Fascinating." He Genius turtle complimented, before pulling out a scalpel. That immediately had the blue-masked turtle to intervene.
"Stop! What are you doing?!"
"Dissecting it." Donnie replied, in a normal tone of voice. Leo's hands slightly twitched, as the pulsing in his head grew.
"Absolutely not!" He put himself before the egg, pushing his brother away from it, keeping the scalpel far from the egg. "This is the only egg we have. We need to learn how it develops."
It's pretty clear he doesn't want the purple-masked turtle to make any contact with the egg, even when he, himself, suggested Donnie should analyze it to learn more what Kraang has been doing with their experiments with Arthropods.
"Well, then… I guess I'll just keep staring at it." Donatello awkwardly suggested, hoping that'll get his big brother to calm down.
"Good idea." Leo agreed, before pointing a finger to where Raphael and Michelangelo stood at the doorway. "From over there."
He knew what his brother wanted him to do, but decided to do a little test experiment with Leo. So, Don took a sideways step to his right, away from the egg, hoping that would be enough to satisfy their leader… That earned him sharp, narrow eyes glaring through his brownish-red eyes and into the depths of his soul. Almost immediately, he took wide steps backwards, to where his older and only youngest-brothers were at.
That finally pleases Leonardo enough to not utter another word to them and turn his shell to them, continuing to stare at the egg before him. After receiving that kind of reaction, warned the purple-masked turtle that something is seriously wrong with the blue-masked turtle. And right now, he needs to have a talk with his two, remaining brothers.
"Well, I think I will do… Something… In the other room. -He turned to the two turtles beside him- Raph, Mikey, care to join me?" Even when purposely acting non-causal in his tone of voice, Leonardo didn't even bother looking over his shoulders to make sure they actually do leave the lab. Either he already knew they'd leave him and didn't want to see them off, or he's really out of it by his sudden obsession with protecting the egg.
"Not unless you get more specific." Michelangelo replied, earning him to be grabbed by the tails of his mask and pulled out of the room by his purple-masked brother. Raphael followed the two, silently pulling the door until only a slight gap could show the inside of Don's lab.
The instant he knew they were gone, Leonardo took the opportunity to remove Musashi and Kamiizumi from their scabbards and laid them on the ground. He knew they'll try to take the egg away from him and when they do, he'll be ready t-
PUP NOT HARM KINS! PUP PROTECT PACK!
He flinched from the yelling, his hands turning into fists and banging one of them against the ground.
"…Kins… B… Brothers… Pack…!" He growled out through clenched teeth, his muscles twitching for control. "Must… Protect… Brothers…!"
He went to push himself off the ground… Only for the burn to grow.
Host PROTECT Egg! MUST PROTECT Egg! GUARD Egg with Host's LIFE!
The pain in his head grew worse as the burning feeling continued traveling from his neck to his head. His head twitched to the side and eyes dilating from little to no control of functioning properly, making his vision blur with the darkness consuming what he sees.
He clenched his head painfully, letting out distorting grunts, as he feels his head is being split open by a sledgehammer.
"Aaauh, aauh!" Cerulean/Sapphire-eyes snapped opened when he heard the call of Karasu, fear gripping his heart, alongside the burn-like venom going through his head. "Big Brother, I'm back!"
He hunched over, banging his head against the ground he kneeled over, still keeping his head in his grip.
MORE Hosts! NEED MORE Hosts! MORE Hosts for Egg!
'No… Leave her!'
A pair of wings were coming his way, making him more desperate to keep fighting the voice.
"Leo? What's wrong?" The moment he felt a pair of talons rest on his shell… He snapped.
*Snnarrrllll!* His jaws smacked down at the air, forcing the raven/crow-hybrid to fly back in the air, startled and confused.
"Big Brother!" She screeched, taken back at the snarling, feral-crazed turtle below her, circling the egg on all-fours like a overprotective predator guarding its young, eyeing her with a horrific gaze like he's going to eat her… She knew something isn't right with him.
Leonardo growled, stomping his hands into the ground, heading slightly pulled back but keeping his now complete black-void eyes on the bird.
*Grunt* Snort *Snnarrrlll* Grrrrooowwllll… "…Haaaauuuhhhh…" ~Click-click-click~
The sound he made to her was a clear warning that only she and other animals understand… And she knew, when seeing this very odd and terrifying behavior, means the one who raised her from a hatchling has caught something dangerous… And extremely deadly to her, and the rest of her pack.
And even through this startling change, he's trying to keep her safe… From himself.
Call down! Bring to Host, to BECOME Host! MORE Hosts for Egg!
He glared at the bird and let out a bark of a roar.
"GO!" Immediately, Karasu left the room, leaving behind her big brother with the egg… And the voice that's poisoning his mind.
Since that night and throughout the entire day, the three brothers tried to get their big brother out of the room and away from the egg. With their father off doing a training exercise with April and won't be back until the next day, they were on their own to come up with ideas on luring their brother out of the lab.
…There efforts and plans, proved to be ineffective.
They tried luring him out with food, meals that they, mostly Michelangelo, like to eat… Not even the scent of warm food made him flinch away from the egg, let alone head for the bathroom to vomit from the multiple scents hitting his strong sense of smell and making his stomach upset.
Raphael turned the television to play an episode of "Space Heroes" with the volume up, thinking his twin will come out running to watch an episode he may or may not had seen… Only that plan showed the same results as the last plan, not realizing Leonardo has finally renounce his favorite TV show he was intrigued to watch as a toddler, two months ago.
As a final ditch effort, they pretended to inform him that Karasu got caught by Kraang and that they needed to go topside to save her… Like a frozen statue, he didn't move or even utter a sound of concern for the raven/crow-hybrid. Either he knew, which they guess was most likely the case, they were lying or, somehow, knew where the black-bird is, they can't be positive for certain and are very disappointed that they can't get him to budge in the least.
That was the final straw for Raphael. He was so sick of the wasp-egg, he made the decision to destroy it, tonight.
…None of the brothers knew what they'll be facing that night… Or what they'll be witnessing.
Ten Forty-Seven, Nighttime…
Just as he said he was going to do, Raphael snuck into Donatello's lab. Being as stealthy and silently as he was taught, he quietly opened the closed door and went inside. Upon opening it, he was actually surprise to find his brother nowhere in sight, coming up with the conclusion that he finally went to sleep.
'About time,' he smirked. 'Thought it'll take forever for him to finally get some sleep, much less use the bathroom.' Eyeing the egg, still on the beanbag chair, he slowly stalked towards the defenseless wasp-egg. He pulled out one of his sais, the right-sai that Leonardo has secretly named Yakuza, raised it over his head and brought the three blades down.
…Only for his sai to be halted by a samurai-sword… A sword that belongs to his older-twin, Leonardo.
Raphael was taken back a bit, before he recovered from his shock and turned his anger onto his brother.
"Leo, what are you doing?"
He didn't receive a verbal answer… But when he eventually saw the black that consumed his eyes and found himself tossed away from the wasp-egg, he gained the answer he and his younger-brothers were trying to find: The wasp that stung him, must've done something to him, mentally.
He immediately got back to his feet, glaring at the blue-masked turtle who proceed to growl lowly at him.
"If that thing hatches, it might try to eat us." Again, he received no verbal response from his brother. All Leo did was bring up Musashi, indicating he's ready for a fight… Then, the red-masked turtle saw it.
~Hiiiisssss~
The unclear liquid of saliva dripping from his fangs, with a small touch of foam on the corner of his beak. The indication that the wasp did something to his brother.
…He's sick, not in his right mind, and is beyond reasoning with. And that angers the red-masked turtle, so much, that he's more than ready to have a throw down with his twin. He may not know how long he has before the wasp-egg hatches, but he knows the sooner he brings his brother down, the sooner he can take care of the egg and get Donatello to treat their ailing brother.
"All right, this freak show ends now." He yelled, charging towards his brother, sai out and ready to lock weapons with his twin.
Leonardo's POV
Raphael charged at me, Yakuza in his hand, intending to snare Musashi in a lock-hold near the hilt and force me to let go. I blocked his attack with Musashi held out in the side… Then lead up, snapping my fangs to bite him.
I need to warn him away. By God, Raphael, stay away from me!
"Come on, Bro. Snap out of it!" He needs to leave. Get away, Raph!
Protect Egg! ENSNARE threat…! MORE Hosts for Egg!
I charged at him, my sword slapped aside by Kayura being drawn out into battle and my twin went into the offense, forcing me to dodge the attack. I know he's aiming for my head to knock me unconscious or at least give me a concussion with the hilt of his sais, while making a grab for Musashi with his own blades.
My hands, clenching tightly to my sword, trembled. I'm still trying to fight the burn traveling throughout my body, to push back at the pressure pressing down my brain and regain whatever control of myself as I can.
Pup FIGHT Disease! Pup PROTECT Kin!
My Instinct keeps calling out to me. Pushing me to keep fighting this infectious disease that runs through my veins… That forces me to turn on my brothers, and protect the true threat.
Hosts for Egg! ENSNARE MORE Hosts for Egg!
The voice that keeps yelling in my head… It isn't my Conscience. It went silent… Replaced by this venomous, toxic siren, screaming in my head… The voice my body now heeds to.
I launched myself in the air and brought Musashi down to Raphael… He caught the hilt of my blade, trapping Musashi in Yakuza's grasp and, after forcing me to let go by jabbing Kayura's hilt towards my forehead that I had to dodge from, tossed my blade to the ceiling of Don's Lab. I turned to see where one of my fangs hit, and was forced to hunch over when Raph delivered a powerful kick to my shell.
My left-hand went to pull Kamiizumi out... Only to be stopped by my right-hand, pulling it down and away from my second-fang as possible. It's the only control I have over myself and I can feel it already slipping away, as the pulsing beats down harder on my mind.
Please, Raph, get out of here...! Leave me!
"You're not yourself, Leo!" He doesn't take the moment to leave me here and lock me inside the lab. He stays behind me, pushing me to admit that something is wrong with me when I already knew of the disease within me. "Let me help you."
No! I don't need your help... I can't get any help from anybody! Get away, Raph. Just. Go... Away!
I turned to him and let out a roar, startling him before I went to pounce on him, snapping my fangs in the air to make him back away. I probably woken up Don and Mikey, which I hope they'll get in here and get Raph out of the lab. If not, Karasu will get them in my place.
He dodged my attempts to grab him, the toxic voice of the siren chanting me to infect my brother with it's venom.
More Hosts for Egg... More HOSTS for Egg...! MORE Hosts for EGG!
Raphael ducked and landed a kick to my side, sending me to the ground away from him. My body has me land on my hands and feet, forcing a hiss from my burning throat, the toxic saliva dripping from my fangs.
My body allowed him the chance to gather himself off the ground, before I sprinting towards him on all-fours and pinned him on his shell. I flashed my fangs down at my struggling twin, who fights to get me off of him but unable with his arms pinned by my legs and his sais separated when I rammed him. My hands gripped tightly to his shoulders, forcing him to bare his neck for me to lay my mark. With no control over my action, I slowly leaned in to his neck.
New Host. ANOTHER Host to guard Egg. To PROTECT Egg... To SACRIFICE SELF for EGG!
The voice sang with satisfaction, as my contaminated fangs nearly touched his skin.
"Leo... Stop!" Raphael yelled, still fighting to break free and eyeing my teeth with disgust at the mixture of foam and venom nearing his throat. "Don't you even think about biting me again, with those gross spit of yours!"
I jerked a bit when he said, again... And I remembered... I already marked him.
And, instantly, I remembered the taste of blood in my mouth, as I bit him in the neck. I wouldn't let go, even as he was gasping for breath I refused him to inhale.
The markings are faint, but still visible for me to see the damage I'd caused to my twin-brother.
"Raph! Leo!"
My darkened, changed sights looked from my red-masked brother to my two youngest-brothers, horrified on what they see before them.
...I was scared... Scared for them, than I was for myself.
The pulsing in my head slammed against my brain, having me clenching the left-side of my head. I hissed, some of my venomous saliva sliding down my chin and dripping onto Raphael's plastron.
MORE Hosts for Egg! NEED MORE for SACRIFICE! ENSNARE ALL!
I need to get them to get away from me... No... I need get away... From them!
They took a step towards us, and that's when I let out my snarl-mixed roar/howl at them.
"HUUUURRRRAAAAHHHHH!"
I jumped off of Raph, grabbed for the egg and immediately made a sprint to the garage part of Donatello's Lab, which was left open, allowing me to flee from the Lair and away from my brothers.
The venomous voice isn't pleased what I just did, pounding the pulse in my head as I ran down the tunnels of the subway.
GO BACK! Host Protect Egg, in Host's HIVE! Must protect Egg... MUST have MORE Hosts, for EGG!
I can't, and I won't. My muscles still tense as the voice keeps screeching in my head, part of it trying to slow me down and regain control.
I eventually found a tunnel that leads to the sewers and, already, my darkened vision was getting fuzzy. I began to feel tired, as my legs start to slow down from the venom.
Keep running, Pup! Keep RUNNING!
My Instinct howled, temporarily pushing the venomous siren's voice out of my mind and stopping the pressure building against my brain. Regaining most control, I continued running.
I know I don't have much time before the voice force me back under it's control, but I need to keep as much distance from the Lair... From my brothers, as possible. I refuse to infect them with the virus that course through my body, or let this soon-to-be born wasp to devour anybody.
Whatever it takes, I must kill the wasp... Even if it means I die, trying.
Back at the Lair...
The three brothers all gathered around Donatello's computer, hoping the Internet could provide some information on how the mutated-enhanced wasp got ahold of their big brother by stinging him. While searching for the answer, Donnie collected some of the saliva Leo left on Raph in a small container, hoping that once he figure out how to treat their brother, he'll use Leo's saliva to help him create a cure.
He eventually found the site.
"Here it is." He informed his brothers, slightly scrolling down. "'The Parasitic Wasp infects animals with a virus that brainwashes them into protecting its eggs'."
Raphael may not be as smart as Don, but he was certain that the wasp they fought had a bigger abdomen than the one in the picture did.
"You think that's the kind of wasp that stung Leo?" He asked, though he knew better than to second-guess the Genius turtle.
"Positive. But, in this situation, a mutant version." Don replied, looking rather worried as he continued on reading.
"So, once the egg hatches, will he go back to normal?" Michelangelo asked, hoping it'll be that simple and easy to getting their brother back.
Don gave him a non-supportive look.
"Not quite," he replied. "Look what happens to the caterpillar guarding the egg." He slowly scrolled down the picture, showing the three Hamato Brothers the images of the baby wasp hatching from its egg and getting on top of the insect that watched over it… Till they got to the last image of the wasp, devouring the caterpillar.
"It's eating him! It's eating him! Ahhhh!" Mikey screamed in bloody-horror, ducking down to not have to look at the images that shows him what fate awaits for Leonardo. Raphael, very disgusted at the sight before him, clenched his hands tightly into the table, leaving small nail-marking into the hard material of their table.
'We should've destroyed it, earlier.' He growled in his mind. 'We could've overpowered him if he tried to fight and kill the egg, back at that warehouse… Why didn't we stop him from bringing that egg to the Lair?!'
In the back of his mind, he knows why: Because they messed up, big time, when they gone behind their brother's back and nearly gotten themselves killed by Shredder. Since then, and after having to admit to Splinter of their mutiny when Leo locked himself in his bedroom, they all swore to never question their leader's decision and actions… Though, now it seems they should've listened to a previous lesson their father told them to do, instead of going along with what they promised.
Trust your instincts… Unless, their instincts are wrong.
He turned to Donatello.
"You can fix him, right, Donnie?" He asked, hoping the Genius turtle will be able to come up with something before the egg hatches and eats his twin-brother.
"Well, with some of Leo's saliva I gathered, I should be able to create an Antibody for an antidote and a vaccine." Don replied, getting off his computer to go analyze the saliva through the microscope. "Just need to combine some of my experiments that'll eliminate all traces of the virus, then the Hybridoma culture has to incubate for ten minutes and then has to spin in the centrifuge for another five."
Besides Mikey, Raph isn't the most patient turtle in the family and hearing how long it'll take for Don to create the cure, it made his fear rise for his brother.
"You can't find a quicker way to make it?" He asked, watching as Donatello already started began to mix his chemicals in a beaker. "The egg could hatch at any moment, and we have no idea where Leo is right now."
"Science is delicate work, Raph, and demands as much time as it needs to be perfect." The purple-masked turtle stated, trying to stay calm and keep his attention on what he mixes together. "One mistake, and it'll make Leo's condition worse. Not only that, but it has to be able to prevent us from catching the virus, in case he bites us when we go off to find him."
"You mean, he'll turn us into slave-zombies?!" Michelangelo panicked from the thought of their brother biting them like an infected zombie and turning them in feral-crazed egg-obsessers. Both of the older-brothers stared at each other, not certain the proper way to tell him this situation isn't like the horror movies or scary comics he reads.
"Unless I give him the Antibody, then, sort of, Mikey." After he finished mixing the final ingredient and putting them into the Hybridoma culture, he put the small tray to incubate. "While this incubates, I'll try to get a lock on Leo's T-Phone and find his exact location."
Once again, going back on his computer, Donnie connected his own T-Phone into his computer and proceed to type away for any signs of similar signals he, himself, installed into the T-Phones. Moments like these, makes him so proud of himself for thinking ahead to installing failsafe designs into the phones, should they ever get separated or loss connection that he, himself, desperately needs to fully function.
Six minutes later, he got a signal.
"Found it!" He cried, immediately locking on to the signal on his computer and watching it slowly moving towards the south-parts of the city's sewers. "Thank God. He's still in the sewers." He informed Raph and Mikey, both also relieved to hear their leader isn't out on the streets biting people. Although, the Genius turtle's expression soon turned from relief to concern, as the signal continues heading down south. "Why's he going to the south parts of the sewers?"
Raphael caught up to his younger-brother's concern of which direction the eldest-turtle is going.
"Any particular reasons why there's something wrong on which way he's going? At least we won't have to guess where he could be."
"Yeah, but… While he's under the control of the virus, he would be finding a safe place to hide the egg. Instead, he's going to where there aren't really much places to hide and it doesn't look like he's stopping, anytime soon."
The information soon gotten the red-masked worried, too. As he stared at the monitor with Don, Raph's heart began to quicken its beat when he saw the direction the signal was heading. His eyes widened the closer the signal got to the near bottom of the city.
"Aw, hell!" He cursed, startling the two turtles. Raphael turned and head out of the garage door, only for Donnie to grab him.
'Raph, what's wrong?"
When his older-brother turned his Emerald-green eyes to stare into his own brownish-red eyes, the Genius turtle wasn't prepare to see the fear in the eyes of the hotheaded turtle.
"We need to find him, now! He's-!"
Fifteen Minutes Later…
Host PROTECT Egg! Host PROVIDE for Egg! NEED MORE HOSTS for EGG!
The virus continues to scream in his head, making his vision blur and his throat constrict with each breath he takes. The pressure continues to push down in his head, which he immediately bashes his head against the walls of the sewers, leaving dent-marks and small droplets of blood in those spots.
He knew in some parts of himself, he's leaving a trail for his brothers to follow and leading them to the threat that'll turn them into slaves to the wasp's venom. However, focusing on the pain that's inflicting onto himself and his Instinct helping him push on to keep fighting, was more important. Besides, as the fastest turtle in the group, they'd be less than halfway on his tail.
…Hopefully, he'll be long gone by the time they find where the trail ends and they will all be safe from the egg, and himself.
He knew where he was heading for and, to him, it's the only place close enough to destroy the egg… With him, alongside.
HOST PROTECT EGG!
He nearly slipped to the ground when the toxic-siren's voice screamed in his head. His hold on the egg slightly tightened, keeping it firmly against his plastron to prevent it from falling into the water.
"Eeee~r~r~r~" Tittering sound was heard from inside the egg and slight shifting warned the blue-masked turtle that it's going to hatch, soon.
Hurry, Pup! Keep going!
His legs froze for a moment, trying to keep him rooted where he stood, but the turtle forced himself to keep moving. Even if he may be reduced to walking, at least he's still heading for where he knows he has to go.
…I one place he has been to before, and almost died, when protecting Raphael from a threat… The same place where White Death has left the two to live to this very day.
His vision shifted whenever his eyes would, uncontrollably, dilate. His head would twitch and flinch, and the pain in his head would pulse so badly that he was force to double take to catch his breath.
Host PROTECT! Host PROVIDE…! Host… BELONGS to EGG!
In anger and frustration, Leonardo let out a snarling roar and, purposely, slammed his head to his right into the wall. He then proceed to slam his head into the wall, again. And again… And again… Until parts of his face is decorated in tear-tracks of his own blood, staining his mask in the process.
*Pant…* *Pant…* *Pant…* *Pant…* *Pant…*
The pressure continued to pound into his mind, but the pain he inflicted was easier for him to focus on.
'I… Belong… To… No one…' He made that thought long and hard, clenching his fangs together when he couldn't voice it out from the burning in his throat, before he continued down the direction the current was heading for.
…Soon, he heard the roar of the falls before he saw where the water fell towards their final destination… The water, and his final destination.
"Eeeeee…. Eeeee. Eeeee~r~r~r~"
Either the wasp heard the sound of the waterfall and was scared, or was just making the sound to announce it's going to come out of its egg. Either way, the blue-masked turtle pushed on, heading for the end.
Then, his ears caught the sound he hoped wasn't what he thought he heard.
"Leo!"
*Tap-tap tap-tap tap-tap!*
His black-void eyes widened in horror, a clicking mix of a hiss left him.
'No…! Not now!'
The pressure in his head grew, the venomous-siren's voice calling out.
Threats COMES for Egg! Host PROTECT Egg…! Threats BECOME Hosts for Egg!
Leonardo pressed on, tightening his grip on the egg that started to jostle a little bit.
'Must… Hurry…! Keep… Going…!'
He made it to the ledge of the falls, looking down on how high he was from the bottom of the pool. Just as he remembered, it was a long way far… Far, and long enough, to possibly kill a human, let alone an egg and a pit bull-sized mutated-enhanced wasp. Leo wasn't sure if he'll survive the fall like last time, on account he used White Death's body to absorb most of the impact.
Now, he has nothing but this egg to join him to his death.
"Leo! Stop! Don't do this!"
They're getting closer, and he knows there's no time for him to waste any more of it. His feet still refused to pick up the pace, but they still continued to move forward. His blood glided down his neck, some dripping off of his chin and onto the egg and his arms. All he can smell was blood, all he can taste was blood… And now, as he near the last part of the ledge, his blurred vision saw was blood.
...Stop...
He halted his steps, eyes widening when he heard that voice.
'It can't be...'
...Don't do it...
There was no mistaking it the second time. It was so quiet, barely above a whisper, but Leonardo is completely positive of the voice belonging to his Conscience.
'...And, again... Interferes... At worst time.'
Because you pull the stupidest stunt, that endangers your life and will hurt your family!
He took a step back away from the ledge, clenching the left-side of his head where the pulsing pain continues to grow.
"Eeeee~r~r~r~r... Eeeee, eeeeee~r~r."
Light, scratching sound could be heard and felt through the egg... It's almost time. Using his trembling left-hand, he slowly pulled out Kamiizumi and thrusted the blade into the concrete.
'...A Mark... For my grave.'
He forced a step back to the ledge.
...Only for a pair of strong arms to pull him back, followed by a prick on the left-side of his neck. His eyes widened, before he made an attempt to bite at one of the arms that folded over his shoulders. He missed when they pulled away, allowing him to turn. Stunned, black-void eyes stared at his three brothers, gasping for breath. In Donatello's right-hand, a syringe that's empty. Raphael, being the closest, eyed him caustically, having to pull away in time to prevent his brother from biting him.
Michelangelo, in between the two, had a look of despair. He understood what the eldest is trying to do, and isn't happy in the slightest.
"Leo, it's going to be all right, now." Donatello spoke calmly, not wanting to stress or agitate his brother anymore than he already is. "I've just administered the Antibody, which should be curing the brainwashing virus from inside of you."
He couldn't believe what the purple-masked turtle just said.
'He... Found a... Cure...?'
He didn't know what to say, let alone what to think... Until the pressure on his head attacked his brain, forcing a yelp of a wince, clenching part of his bleeding head.
Host BELONG to Egg! Will NOT abandon purpose! Cannot KILL Egg!
Raph took a step towards his brother, only to stop when Leo have him a warning hiss and snapped his jaw at his direction.
"Come on, Leo." He said to his older-twin, still trying to get close to his brother and away from the ledge. "Let us help you, Bro. Stop fighting us."
Leo made a low rumbling sound, his black-void eyes making it impossible for either of the three brothers to tell where he's looking… Then, they noticed the slight change of his posture, going to a hunch over position. They also saw the twitching of his head be replace with a struggling shake to keep his head up.
Donatello was the first to realize what's happening.
"The Antibody's starting to kick in," he informed Raph and Mikey. "He's starting to get drowsy."
Hearing the news, made the blue-masked turtle worried on a whole new level. He knows that if he falls asleep, right there and then, they'll be left alone to deal with a newly hatched wasp and run the risk on getting stung, before it tries to devour them. And with very little spacing and being so close to the waterfall, he fears they'll fall in and possibly drown from the force of impact.
'No…! I can't… Must not-!'
"Eeee~r~r~r~r~"
*Crack*
Through the roars of the falls, he heard the sound he didn't want to hear. Looking down, he saw a thin, hook-like appendage slowly popping out from a small-crack that's now on the egg.
…Yes… It is TIME! The Hatchling has COME!
His right-arm went to set the egg down, but Leo attempted to keep it still in his grasp. His head twitched and he let out a grunting hiss, fighting the effects of the Antibody.
"Leo!" Mikey cried out, watching his brother taking a step over the ledge… And slowly fall back.
Immediately, Raphael went up and made a grab for his brother's left-arm, laying over the ledge while Leo now dangles in midair.
"I gotcha!" Raph called out, starting to pull the blue-masked turtle back up.
Frantically, Leo snarled and lifted himself up a bit to make a false attempt to bite Raph's arm. The red-masked turtle almost let go from the ruse, but Donatello joined in and grasp the arm alongside Raphael's hand.
"Leo, cut it out!" The purple-masked turtle informed, as the blue-masked turtle tried to bite them, again, his fangs barely grazing the skin on his left-hand. "You're going to fall to your death, if you keep fighting us!"
Leonardo kept on his persistence.
'That's the idea, Donnie… I need to do this.'
Pup must hurry! Hatchling almost free! Must PROTECT Kins!
*Crack* Pop!
A piece of the egg came off and two more appendages crawled out… A fuzzy head with glowing, thin-green lines slowly coming out.
The HATCHLING! It has ARRIVED! Host PREPARE for SELF-SACRIFCE! Produce MORE Hosts for HATCHLING!
He's losing control of the situation, becoming more agitated and frantic when his younger-brothers already started pulling him back to the ledge, Michelangelo keeping a firm grab for their belts.
'I can't keep fighting! But, I need to keep them safe from the wasp… From me!'
…Do… What you… Must…
His Conscience faintly called out… Giving him a slight hint on what he can do to save them… He now knows what he has to do.
Right when his brothers almost got him back on the same ground with him… He leaned up at the two turtles… And bit Raphael's right-arm, infecting him with the virus and forcing his hand to let go.
"Raph!" Mikey and Don cried out in unison and the moment the purple-masked turtle let go of Leo's arm in his haste, the blue-masked turtle released his hold on his twin's arm… And allowed himself to fall.
"LEO!" The three voices of his brothers screamed for his name, Raphael reaching out with his injured arm as Donatello and Michelangelo held him back, devastation written on their faces.
Leonardo simply stared at them… And ministered a small-smile of relief, before closing his black-void eyes and hugging the almost hatched wasp to him… Both of them, along with the egg that, surprisingly, held two more wasps, crashing into the bottom of the waters.
NOOOOOOOOOO! THE HATCHLINGS!
The turtle, deep in the water, slightly opened his eyes to see his blood mix with the clean-water and the three wasps, desperately, attempts to head for the surface… All three couldn't make it, and now slowly sink to the bottom with the humanoid-wolf/turtle.
The pressure continued pressing down in his mind, but that didn't stop the fifteen year-old from being happy he accomplished his goal.
'They're… Safe…'
Was his final thought before he allowed the Antibody to pull him to the darkness, silencing the siren's voice from his mind.
"How much longer is he going to keep sleeping, Donnie?" A voice called out from the darkness, bringing Leo from the darkness and slowly see a faint line of light ahead of him.
"For the twelve time, Mikey, I. Don't. Know!" A second voice yelled, startling the turtle to recognize the voices belonging to his brothers. The light grew and, after a few blinks, his vision adjusted enough to find himself in the living-room of the Lair.
"Don! He's awake!" A voice beside him called out, which, after turning his head slightly, saw it being Raphael to make the announcement. The hotheaded turtle, a bandage wrapped around his Humerus, had a big smile on his face when seeing his brother's Cerulean/Sapphire-eyes instead of pitch-black voids staring back at him.
…Then, Leonardo found himself wincing from being lightly punched in the right-shoulder by his taller-twin, the smile quickly replace by a scowl.
"That was a dirty stunt you pulled back there, Leo." Raph growled out. "You think it's all right to get yourself killed, after we went through the trouble on finding you and curing you from being brainwashed to a bee?!"
Leonardo, after slowly sitting up, turned his gaze away from his brother, ashamed. Not almost getting himself killed, but biting his brother and scaring them of his actions.
"…I-… I couldn't control myself," he tried to explain. "It wouldn't stop screaming. To protect the egg, to guard it… To infect you all with the virus, to become sacrifices. -He grabbed his head in both of his hands, feeling the gauze wrapped around his head to help stop the bleeding.- …I just wanted to stop hurting you guys… I wanted it to stop… To stop…!"
Raphael can tell how much this was hurting his brother, and his anger towards Leo went away… Soon, he found himself sitting beside his shorter-twin and pulling him into a hug, resting his head on top of the blue-masked turtle's.
"…It's okay, Leo." He whispered, slowly stroking Leo's shell with his left-hand while his right kept a firm lock around his shoulders. "It's going to be okay, Nīsan (Older-brother)."
Behind the two, Donatello and Michelangelo watch the Kodak moment between their big brothers. Both of them are relieved to see Leonardo has finally woken up, but saddened to hear his burden when under the influence of the brainwashing. Silently gesturing them to join in, Don and Mikey joined in for a group hug, having Leo in the middle.
"It's good to have you back to normal, Bro." Mikey replied, nuzzling his cheek against Leo's right-cheek.
"Just, next time, don't pull any more stupid stunts like that, again." Donatello suggested, though he knew the likelihood of their leader keeping that promise was very slim.
"I'll do my best," he promised the Genius turtle. It wasn't the answer they were hoping to hear, but at least they know he'll at least keep that promise, with little effort.
You're too predictable to know you won't pull another suicide stunt… But then, you're an Enigma that's always able to surprise others, promises kept or not.
Never, in so long, did he think he'd be so glad to hear his Conscience… Until now.
'That's the price to pay, for the job of being a big brother to three humanoid-turtles.'
As he allowed himself to find comfort in the warmth of his brothers' hug, the humanoid-wolf/turtle made one, solemn vow to himself. A sacred promise he will make himself keep for the rest of his days… Even, when he leaves the Hamato Clan to his freedom.
'As long as there's still breath in me, so long my Clan is in need of me, I will keep them safe from any threat that harms them.'
In the back of his mind, his Instinct foresaw a glimpse of a vision on what may occur for the Hamato Brothers… A sign on what may be Leonardo's greatest challenge to ever face.
…And soon, Pup shall be put to trial… To prove Sacred Oath to be true amongst Pack… And Self.
TBC
*: Leo has a thing for naming weapons, along with identifying their own genders. Because, to him, they have some form of life in them (identities of their own that not many would learn or even know about) and has been taught that, so long you take care of them, the weapons will take care of you like they're your friends, family, companion or even some form of acquaintances.
*: The makers of the show better be thinking about doing a Season 6, because they left a certain amount of characters we haven't seen/heard and plot holes they need to fill in for us. I mean, seriously, when Don finally came up with a Retro-mutagen, we should've seen him cure Timothy (perhaps, around the time the Turtles and Mutanimals defeated Kraang and saved all of New York from the invasion). Or, perhaps, finding Snakeweed and Spider Bytez (After breaking them and other mutants from Kraang's prison/detention center/holding facility) to turn them back normal/humans.
Yeah, this chapter is shorter than the last chapter… But, next chapter and the chapter after that, will be a two part… Which, you'll guess what it's going to be. So, you all better be prepare for what's going to happen next!
AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
R&R