#escaped from draxum lab after gargoyles episode

[gh0stlyscooter]

I caved

[hannah-heartstrings]

Splintered (RotTMNT)

A flashback fanfic I wrote a few weeks ago and am posting before Goyles, Goyles, Goyles airs tonight since it seems to cover the same part of the backstory.

1,381 words, no trigger warnings that I know of, some spoilers if you haven’t seen the Evil League of Mutants episode yet.

           Four humanoid baby turtles floated in a tube of liquid. The reflection of a face appeared on the glass, the face of Lou Jitsu.

           He grinned at them. “So they’re basically my sons?”

           “No,” Baron Draxum stood behind him, “I’m using your DNA to mutate them into human/turtle hybrids.” Clenching a fist he grinned to the ceiling. “Between my science and your genetic makeup we’ll have the perfect building blocks to train into the world’s greatest warriors!”

           “…So they’re basically my sons?”

           Fist falling he looked annoyed. “Sure.”

           Smile widening he hugged the tank. “I can’t wait to hold you, and train you, and show you my movies!”

           Draxum rolled his eyes as he walked away.

           “What should I name you?”

           The turtles were moved to a large terrarium. Draxum and his underlings cared for them and monitored their progress, Lou often in their way.

           A snapping turtle carefully rose onto two feet, taking two steps before falling over.

           “Aww, you’ll get it.” Lou’s arm was leaned on the edge of the tank. He lowered a lettuce leaf in front of the turtle who happily took a bite.

           A tiny box turtle crawled over to share the food so Lou gave him a leaf too. After eating his fill he climbed onto the snapping turtle’s back to sleep.

           Laying his chin on his arm Lou Jitsu looked over the tank.

           A softshell lie on a rock till a red eared slider ran up and shoved him in the water. While he looked proud of his reclaimed rock the softshell poked his head up with a look of plotting revenge.

           “Don’t push your brother,” Lou scolded. He dropped another leaf by the softshell.

           He snatched it on his way out of the water.

           “I still don’t know what to name you all,” his mouth twisted to the side before looking surprised, “hey how will I tell you apart?”

           The four clearly different turtles looked up at him.

           The snapping turtle nudged the lettuce stem.

           “What? …More? I’m out.”

           He kept nudging it.

           “OK, I’ll go get more. Hey, since you’re part human reckon I can feed you more than just leaves?” He stepped back. “Hang tight kids I’m going to see if I can get us some,” snapping he pointed both index fingers at the tank, “hot soup.”

           After walking through halls for a while he turned a corner into what he was pretty sure was the same hall. He came to a yokai wolf standing in a doorway. “Hello,” he smirked.

           She stared unimpressed back. “This area’s off limits.”

           His brows scrunched. “I thought I could go anywhere.”

           “This is Baron Draxum’s personal lab.”

           “But I’m allowed in the labs.”

           “Except for the baron’s personal one.”

           “Why?”

           She was growing more and more annoyed. “Because it’s personal.”

           “Right,” he smiled nervously, “I was looking for the kitchen?”

           She pointed down the hall.

           “And I don’t suppose you know what the kids can eat?”

           “…”

           “I’ll ask someone else. Thanks,” he walked away, suspicion on his face.

            It was probably just paranoia, Lou Jitsu told himself, but there was only one way to know for sure.

           The guard stood before the doorway, her arms crossed. Hearing something down the hall she turned that way, a shadow slipping behind her.

           Lou stepped into the small darkened lab.

           Across a table were beakers full of green liquid.

           “That’s not nefarious,” he tried to smile, “in of itself…” Finding a file he looked through it, there were reports about experimenting with mutagen, and research on mutating animals and-his narrowed eyes widened-humans.

           As he flipped through the file a horned shadow cast across his back.

           He gaped in horror at the plans in the last pages.

           “Lost?”

           He whipped around to face Baron Draxum. As the yokai glared down at him he glared back up. “You’re mutating an army to take over the world.”

           “Well is it that surprising? What did you think I wanted warriors for?”

           “I don’t know!” his voice strained in a mix of emotions. “It’d be cool?”

           He sighed in annoyance. “That’s your problem, you have so much potential you waste on small minded fantasies!”

           “And taking over the world isn’t one?” He reached for his pocket.

           “I’m trying to save-”

           He threw a smoke bomb at him.

           Stepping back and coughing Draxum waved his hand.

           As the smoke cleared the man was gone.

           Turning for the doorway he held out a hand, purple vines extending from his palm.

           Lou ran through the halls. A giant vine came up beside him, as it swung for him he ducked.

           Another grew from behind raising above his head and swinging down.

           He leapt onto the first, sliding along it. As its end curled to grab him he leapt off into another hall.

           “Stop Lou Jistu!” Draxum’s voice echoed down the halls.

           Reaching the lab he ran to the terrarium. “We have to go, boys.” He scooped the turtles up into his arms, the smallest clinging to his shirt. Stepping back he realized there was a guard to either side of him, decked in armor, each with a different weapon.

           They charged.

          As the spear reached him first he ducked under it while sidestepping, pushing the turtles into one arm. He ran at the spearman, ducking a swing and rising up with an elbow jab between the helmet and armor.

           As he staggered back the swordsman reached him.

           Hearing his steps Lou jumped to the side as the sword swung down. Turning with a spin kick he sent the guard flying, snatching his sword from the air. As he landed he turned to the spearman, who’d recovered in time to get his spear knocked away.

           It went sailing into a machine, sparks flying out and landing on some wires.

           With a few more swings the guard was knocked down.

           Finally able to catch his breath Lou glanced down to check on the turtles.

           Purple vines rose up behind him.

           Seeing their shadows stretching across the ground he turned, slicing an oncoming vine. Sidestepping and swinging he fought off the vines; once they were gone he pointed the sword at Baron Draxum. “I won’t let you take over the world, and I definitely won’t let you use my sons to do it.”

           He groaned. “For the last time they’re not your kids!”

           Lou stepped one foot back, pulling the turtles further from Draxum.

           “They’re my warriors!”

           Glancing over the lab from the corners of his eyes he planned his escape. “If that’s all you’ll ever see them as,” his glare locked onto Draxum, “I’ll never let you have them.” He threw the sword at him.

           A vine rose up to catch it inches from Draxum’s face. As he tossed it aside he saw Lou step back over wires as flame spread across them, a wall of fire between them. He gaped, realizing his entire lab had caught on fire. He pointed to the silhouette running away. “Someone stop him!”

           His gargoyle pauldrons stood up. “On it, boss!” They flew over the fire.

           Lou ran to a wall, pulling a disk from his pocket and placing it against it. Sliding it along the wall a portal appeared.

           One of the gargoyles shot a blow dart into his back.

           He flinched at it before jumping into the portal.

           “It didn’t work!”

           “Um, Munin,” said the other, “that wasn’t a tranquilizer, that was some of Draxum’s ooze.”

           “Oh…” he glanced back at him. “My bad.”

          Lou Jitsu ran through the dark tunnel, his feet splashing through water. He had no idea where he was or where he was going, just that he had to run. Pain started radiating from his back before sending waves through his body. A sudden pain hit him so hard he fell, dropping the turtles before landing on his side into a swarm of rats.

           They went running away and all over him in a panic.

           He swiped his hand, trying to push them away. Through the rat’s squeaks he could hear his son crying. He reached towards the sound.

           Strips of moonlight shone down from a drain onto his arm, it shaking from the pain. His hand clenched as it began turning pink.

           As the pain overwhelmed him he screamed until everything went black.