Chapter Text
Rumbling of construction echoed all over New York City as the repairs on Metro Tower continued even after almost a year-and-a-half since the uncalled for alien invasion that plagued the streets. Hospitals were flooded with patients with indescribable problems and documentaries were posted on every streaming service about what people thought truly happened. The effect was so severe, it was like the concrete grounds themselves were scarred.
Schools were called off as well, with kids mourning siblings, friends, and parents. Many families moved away to avoid the trauma that came with being in a broken city. Pets had been left behind by death and forced to live alone with little chance for adoption. The government provided donations for those in need of charity from the event, but many people still struggled even with the added help.
But, even with all the pain, trauma, rebuilding, and rehabilitation, the people of the famous city of dreams would never know the truth behind the start and the end of the near-apocalypse, or the truth of the four underground heroes who saved them.
…….
Green graced every surface as summer penetrated the forests. Birds sang their cheerful symphonies of new life and the leaves rustled in tune with whistling winds. Frogs croaked baritones as the creeks pattered their beats into the rocks like drums. Everything in nature felt like a beautiful harmony, perfectly in sync and gracing the world with its melody.
Unfortunately, everything must come to an end.
“GUYS, COME ON!” A loud, high-pitched scratchy voice interrupted the bird’s playful tune and made the hidden creatures skitter deeper into the undergrowth. “WE GOTTA GET TO TODD’S!”
“Why the urgency, Angelo?” A lower, more annoyed voice called out as multiple footsteps tramped down the grass. “I’m certain Todd doesn’t mind us arriving at a later timeset.”
“Oh, come on, Dee, you know how he is,” a third voice rumbled as low as the croaking toads. “Besides, it’ll be nice visiting Todd again.”
A snarky voice with a hint of exhaustion arose in time with the group. “Yeah, and, we kinda owe him for the whole giving-us-a-place-to-stay-after-the-Shredder-destroyed-our-home incident.”
From the brush popped four turtle mutants, walking along an unseen path to the home of a familiar. The youngest one, a box turtle, bounced on his toes as he led the rest. His eyes were bright, brown with bits of gold in the sunlight. His yellow spots danced on his shoulders and thighs as he moved with purpose, and the stickers on his plastron stood out against his natural dull coloration. However, his hands were riddled with faint, crackled scars, like that of tree bark, and they crawled up to the elbow. His body quivered slightly if you took the time to notice, as if an energy inside was begging to be let go. He turned to his brothers with a toothy smile, his freckles glittering along his cheeks. “Come on! First one there is the all time champ for life, baby!”
The eldest, a snapping turtle, followed at a quicker pace than before, as if rising to the challenge. “Oh, ho, ho! Gettin’ all big and mighty, huh, brother?” His medium tail swung to balance him as he ran; his right eye glazed with white with blindness from the scar over it. His large spikes glistened green as the distant leaves, and paler scars coated his arms and shoulder where a previous infection had taken place. He caught up and grabbed the youngest’s shoulders while giving him a firm noogie. “How d’you like that, huh? Being humbled by the big man?”
Mikey squirmed and stuck out his tongue. “RAPH! LEO! Get him OFF!”
One of the middle brothers, the red eared slider, pulled through in a hurry. His pale skin was graced with yellow markings around his arms and legs, and under the bandana there were red stripes. His blue eyes held a playful, but tired feel, and his body wobbled slightly. His jaw held scars where it had been previously broken, his shell carried glued down cracks, and small stitch scars riddled his left calf and knee. He chuckled joyfully. “Oh, come on, Mikey, I thought you were a badass mystic warrior?”
The fourth brother, a softshell turtle, huffed at the antics before him. Yellow eyes scanned their forms with precision as his body grew tense, the purple markings on his dark green skin hardly quivering with the stiff movements. The battle shell that covered his real one heavily covered him so the scars underneath wouldn’t be seen. He shifted forwards and sighed. “Come on, brethren, let's not dally further.”
“Quit the fancy talk, Donnie,” Leo commented while limping past. “And, we’re dillying, not dallying.”
“Pretty sure there isn’t a difference, Nardo.”
Mikey bit at Raph’s arm with little damage done, but the eldest held firm and looked at the twins skeptically. “Guys, no fighting. Also, watch your mouth. Let’s just get to Todd’s place before Mikey has a fit.”
With a disappointed grumble, Mikey looked up with a sneer. “I’m 16 years old, Raph, I don't throw fits.”
“What d’ya call it, then.”
“Establishing an expression of my feelings.”
“In a fit of unprovoked and childish rage,” Donnie added.
Leo let out a quirky laugh as Mikey flushed slightly, kicking his feet into the dirt. “Quiet, Donnie, nobody asked you.”
Donnie scoffed. “Elated gasp, I was just putting in a valid input.”
Flustered and outnumbered by the older siblings, Mikey gave up and patted Raph’s arm. Raph gently let him go and rubbed the top of his head. “Alright, let's go! And, I bet I can still be the all time champ before you can!”
Mikey’s smile returned and he glared competitively at Raph. “Oh, it is so on!”
And with that, they began their race, Leo and Donnie not far behind. The grass flattened behind them, the bushes shook in their wind, and the critters stayed hidden. The forest stayed silent for the while they were gone, and slowly began to sing again.
…….
The treehouse sat upon a short, thick oak, the branches extending under it in an attempt to hold it. A large ladder extended to the ground from a big, wooden box with blackout windows, a burgundy roof, and a calming yellow door. Bird nests, hummingbird feeders, and small ornaments hung from higher branches, giving the building an even more welcoming appearance.
The turtles stood there, admiring the place, before Mikey let out a laugh and ran to the ladder. “Todd! We’re here!”
“Hold on, Mikey! Wait for us!” Raph panicked slightly as he watched Mikey go up, mostly worried about his limb strength.
Leo snickered. “He is the champ today, Raph. Plus, he hasn’t seen Todd in a minute, so let him have it.”
Mikey entered the small porch and knocked, bouncing up and down to make his mask tails move in the same motion. The doorknob clicked, and the door opened to reveal the smiling capybara, blonde afro and all. “Hey, friend! Long time no see, am I right?”
The turtle grabbed Todd and pulled him into a tight hug. It had been too long since he had seen his friend, and it had honestly been hard seeing people outside of his family, because his friends matter just as much. He separated, tears brimming his eyes. “How are you, T-Man?”
“Doing well, honestly!” Todd put his hands on his hips and raised his brow. "Didn't get into any trouble without me, did you?”
The brothers climbed onto the porch at last as Mikey hesitated. Did the invasion count as trouble? “Um… does an alien invasion count?”
Todd laughed. “Oh, you guys! Always getting into the most interesting situations, silly goobers. Anyways, excuse me, come inside! I have a surprise for you.”
They all exchanged glances before stepping into what appeared to be the living room. There was a small TV on the left wall when they entered along with a couch and a few bean bags and a rug. Behind the living room was a small hallway with four doors on the left and a tiny kitchen on the right. Six lemonades sat on the counter, with one of them bubbling a bit with carbonation.
“Wow, Tood! Nice suite,” Raph complimented as he sat gingerly on the couch. “But, what about the puppy place you’re running?”
Todd smiled and held out the platter as the turtles settled. “Oh, don’t worry. I still go there, but with the increase of residents staying with me, I decided to transfer them over so they wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the pups and stuff.”
“Residents?” Donnie reached for the carbonated one, was blocked by Todd, and forced himself to take a flat one.
“Yeah, poor things. That’s actually why I invited you over today.”
Leo yawned and took a sip, perking up before looking back at Todd. “Wow, are we gonna have a party with them or something?”
Todd giggled and waved his hand dismissively. “No, no, friend, it’s more of a call for help. You see, one of the guests has been staying here ever since the day of the invasion.”
They froze. Raph’s hand trailed to his eye before pausing and looking back at Todd fearfully. “The invasion?”
“Yeah. Found the poor fella in the woods unconscious and took him home with me. Strangest thing, though, he looks a lot like you guys.”
They perked up. Mikey spoke up first. “Like us? Like… a turtle? Another turtle?”
“Exactly! Man, you guys are so smart! Here, I’ll invite him out. Out, I don’t know how good he is with strangers, so please don’t freak out?”
Raph nodded and glared at Donnie’s twitching hands, and the softshell noticed and smiled apologetically. Todd nodded as well before carefully moving to the second door down the hall and knocking. “Buddy, I got that lemonade for you! Can you come out, please?”
A muffled response came through the door before it opened and a figure stepped out. He was a bit short, about 5’5 or so, but his stance was confident and proud. He had dark, warm gray skin and three fingers and toes on each hand. His plastron was a deep yellow with small black square patterns outlining it. Small, inverted spikes traced his shoulders and thighs, and underneath each spike lay a bright orange fading into his skin. He had a neck stripe that matched his plastron, and his shell was a lighter gray with green horizontal diamond patterns. But, the most notable thing was his circle spectacles that rested on the bridge of his beak. The turtles gasped at the sight.
He did look just like them.
The other turtle noticed the four in his living room and paused. He gave them a curious look before looking down at Todd. “Um, is this some kind of weird intervention?”
Raph swallowed before nervously speaking up. “Um, hey! So we’re–”
Donnie got up and pushed on Raph’s mouth to shut him up. “HOLY GALLELIAO, YOU’RE FRAME IS PERFECT!”
The turtle blinked twice before tilting his head. “Can I help you guys?”
Muffled, Raph angrily spoke. “Donnie, I was trying to go for a welcoming approach.”
“Why would that matter, Raphael, if he’s a turtle that’s just like us?” Donnie walked over and put an arm over the other turtle. “So, how do you feel about syringes?”
Mikey gasped. “DONALD! How can you be so bold?! You can't just walk up to people like that!”
The other turtle became more confused, but didn’t seem particularly uncomfortable. He leaned closer until he was nose-to-nose with Donnie. “Why ask about syringes? Are you gonna test my blood?”
Thrown off by the directness of the question, Donnie paused and backed up before answering. “Maybe… ish.”
The turtle nodded before whispering behind his hand to Todd. “Are they secret aliens, or the F.B.I?”
“Neither, buddy,” Leo stated while standing with an embarrassing stumble before clearing his throat to save himself. “We are just like you: turtles! And we think you might be our new brother!”
The turtle blinked before looking at Todd. “Mad scientists, then?”
Todd sighed before holding one of the turtle’s hands in both of his. “Look, Woody, I know it has been–”
“Wait, your name is Woody? And…” Donnie put on his goggles before speaking again. “... a wood turtle?”
The turtle, now proclaimed “Woody”, looked at them all before sighing. “Long story.”
“Woody,” Todd continued, “I invited them over because ever since the alien invasion thing, you have no memory of who you are. I’ve tried and tried to get you to remember, because I don’t even know, but I don’t know how. Since my friends here are also turtles and are ninjas, I thought they could help you.”
Woody blinked and looked sorry for a moment. “Todd, I know it’s been difficult for me to adjust, but I’m okay without my memories. But, also, did you say ninjas?”
“Born and raised, muchacho,” Leo said as he slid over and wrapped a hand over Woody’s shoulder, pushing Donnie off to the side with a thud against the floor. “And you could be, too.”
Raph grumbled and rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m so sorry about them, Woody, they just don’t know how to be respectful.”
The turtle smiled gently as he took a sip of lemonade. “It’s alright, really. I guess I understand your excitement. Question: why do you guys have colored masks? I thought ninjas were supposed to be discreet and wear dark colors to disguise blood on their bodies.”
The brothers looked shocked for a moment, Raph going pale, before Mikey placed his elbows at the arm of the couch and chuckled lightly. “Yeah, we aren’t those kinds of ninjas. But, the masks did help our dad to tell us apart when we were younger!”
“You guys have a dad?”
“Hey.” Donnie’s voice sounded from the floor. “What’s in this room here? My scanners detect another life-form, but I can’t be too certain.”
Woody stiffened, grabbed the carbonated lemonade from the tray, and walked over to block the door. “Nope, nothing in here. Life-form? Psha!”
Leo smirked that obvious smirk. “Yeah, there is definitely someone in there. Who, a giiiiiiiiiirl?”
“Leo, please,” Raph grumbled.
Woody simply stared firmly. “It isn’t anyone’s business who’s in there, so why don’t you just–”
The door opened suddenly, and Woody fell backwards with a yelp. Standing in the doorway was, in fact, a girl. She was short-statured, about 5’1, but her body looked fairly proportional, with a sleeveless shirt and shorts that showed it. A long, spiral tail swung in front of her legs and her peachy-orange skin glittering a bit along with the pale blue stripes from her neck seeming to go down her arms, back, legs, and tail. Her pupils swiveled down to the turtle on the ground as she scoffed. “Really, man? Could’ve knocked before you decided to start screaming.” She turned and froze at the four other reptiles currently in the room. “D–did you multiply or something?”
Leo laughed before leaning on the doorframe and startling her. “So it was a girl.”
“Leo, stop it!” Raph’s eyes narrowed and he stood before politely looking at Xsis. “I’m sorry about him, he’s a bit… forward. I’m Raph, what’s your name?”
The yokai swallowed before looking up at Raph. She seemed stunned by the mere size difference between them before blinking. “Xsis.”
“Xsis?” Donnie repeated before looking closely at her. “Odd name.”
She glared at him before stepping back. “Woody, explain?”
Todd laughed. “Just some friends I invited over to help Woody remember his past!”
Mikey piped up. “Are you a chameleon? I can tell by the veil.”
Xsis looked over with wide eyes. “Mhm.”
With a heavy groan, Woody sat up and glared. Leo looked closely. “Veil? Mikey, that’s a giant bump on the back of her head.”
“Yes,” Donnie inquired, “But it is called a veil. And, judging by the size of it and her coloration, I'd say she’s specifically a panther chameleon.”
“Wow!” Mikey kicked his feet lightly and tilted his head. “Can you change colors?”
“Um…”
“She can’t, at least, not a lot. Males have the largest range of color. She can only change if she's hurt, feeling extreme emotion, or if she’s preg–”
“HEY!” Woody shoved Donnie away. “Stop it! She can speak for herself!”
Xsis herself scoffed with a bit of blue dusting her cheeks. “Says the guy currently doing it for me.
“I’m helping.”
“Barely.”
“OKAY!” Todd exclaimed. “Everyone, please!”
Mikey got up to sit on the armrest and looked at Xsis all smiley. “I think Woody dropped your lemonade, but you can have some of mine if you want.”
Raph pet Mikey’s head before walking over and bowing to Woody and Xsis. “Again, so sorry about the disturbance. But, I do have a question. Woody, do you remember, even the slightest bit, of anything in your old life? Maybe that’ll be a good place to start us off.”
Scrunching his beak, Woody looked down in thought before closing his eyes. “An automated voice and… meeting Todd, but that’s it.”
Donnie popped up and took out a notepad. “Automated voice?”
“Robotic or something. Either way, I was simply told that I was supposed to get something done, but I have no idea what.” Woody drank more lemonade before looking at Xsis. “But I don't see why it matters anyhow. I have everything I need.”
“Are you guys a thing?”
“LEO!” Raph raised a hand.
“WHAT?!”
Xsis shook her head. “No, gross, but we are close. I’ve known him since last summer.”
“And that was just after the invasion,” Todd added, hoping to be of some help.
“HMMMMMM…” Donnie thought for a moment before turning to Todd. “Did Woody say anything odd after you collected him from the woods?”
“Only that he had no idea that anything had happened. I gave him the name after, since he couldn’t even figure that out.”
Mikey walked over while holding out his lemonade to Xsis, who in return stared awkwardly. “Near the park?”
“Exactly!”
Leo put a hand on his chin. “How are we supposed to help with so little detail?”
Donnie raised a hand. “I can figure it out. All I need is a DNA sample and a crime scene scanning!”
Woody turned to Todd again with a harsher whisper than before. “Are you sure they don’t work for the C.I.A. or something?”
“Nah, buddy.” Raph waved his hand nervously. “Donnie here’s just really smart. I’m sure he could figure something out. B-but only if you wanted our help, of course!
Woody tilted his head, that curious expression forming once again on his face. It took a moment before he nodded more confidently. “Yes. I may have everything I want, but… I've always wanted to know who I was before any of this. If you guys help me, I’ll finally understand my very unclear dreams.”
Donnie perked, pencil scribbling across paper. “Dreams, you say?”
Todd clapped. “Okay, guys! Great stuff you’re working on here, but I’m afraid it’s getting dark out and I still gotta check on the puppies. Can you guys meet up another time and discuss this?” He watched Xsis carefully as he said this, as she did seem a bit skittish, now sipping the lemonade Mikey gave her as the box turtle excitedly watched his act of kindness being taken. “Plus, I don’t want to worry your poor father.”
Raph sighed and stood straighter. “You’re right, Todd. Besides, we just met you guys, and we can wait until Woody is fully comfortable before we act. Which means NO. D.N.A. SAMPLES.”
Donnie froze as he held a swab close to Woody’s face and grumbled when he was caught. Woody smiled and turned towards them. “I have a cell phone, we can exchange information if you want. That way I’ll actually know your names rather than having to guess.”
“Good point,” Leo said while taking out his phone and walking over. “Now, what do you want for a picture?”
Feeling out of place, Xsis went to leave, but Mikey tapped her shoulder. She turned and held her shoulder as the turtle smiled eagerly. “Wanna exchange numbers, too? You seem close to Woody, and maybe you could help us figure out his past!”
The chameleon looked at Mikey before turning away awkwardly. “Um, I’m sorry, but I don’t like giving out contact information to someone I just met.”
Mikey faltered. He clearly wasn’t used to not making friends immediately. “Right, my bad. I’ll just… get Woody’s number then. Cool?”
“Cool.”
“Cool.”
They looked at each other before Xsis turned and went into the room while closing the door. Mikey watched before smiling at his brothers and new friend.
…….
With the other turtles and Todd gone from the treehouse, it was silent. Darkness spread like a blanket over the woods, turning the once peaceful choir into a cacophony of howls, hoots, and horrid shrieks of the nocturnal creatures. The leaves, coated in shadow, now hold an eerie navy color that covers the chilling winds and stalking birds that allow for the backup vocals of the night. The world was changed in the blink of an eye, going unnoticed by many until it was too late.
Woody sat on his bed, staring at the ground as Xsis lied beside him, curled up with a novel in hand. It had been a weird afternoon/evening, but he was excited by it. A chance to learn his past after everything he had gone through without knowing, a reason for the way he was now, an experience he hadn’t known he lived for until this point.
He heard Xsis clear her throat and he turned. She hunched her shoulders before talking. “Those turtle guys were weird. One of them kept trying to talk to me.”
“Maybe he was interested in you.”
“Doubtful. He held too much puppy-dog begging to actually seem interested in me. He seems desperate for a friend if anything.”
Woody sucked his teeth. “Girl, you can be harsh.”
“But I’m always right.”
“What about the time–”
“About people, Woody, about people.”
He nodded. She did seem to have an odd intuition for things like this. “They offered to help me.”
She cringed a bit before shifting closer. “I know you want to know about yourself, but you did say you were happy here, without the memories.”
Sighing, Woody swung his legs over so she was underneath his knees. “I know, but if I don’t want to lose what I had already. I want to know what I had before, I want there to be a chance to see family, past friends, a pet, anything. But you will now and always be a part of my life; I don’t want that to change, X.”
Xsis huffed and patted his calf. “Okay, I trust you, but keep them away from me. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that they aren’t… good.”
“They seem fine, just, very overeager.”
“And you being a brother to them? I don’t understand it.”
“Again, very overeager. Now, let’s just get some sleep before we pull another accidental all-nighter.”
Xsis slipped from under his legs and got up. “Alright, Night, Woody.”
“Goodnight, Xsis.” He smiled until the door clicked close, shuffling under his covers comfortably. He thought over and over about what the brothers had said, especially the purple-clad one (Donnie, was his name?). He had said he could help, find D.N.A, find a scene, connect the dots, do everything in his power to find something. Woody, for the first time in a long while, felt hopeful of his future.