Leo's Memories

Chapter 2 Lab Life

In the next memory, they were sunbathing in what looked like a science lab in a basement. Donnie scoffed at the poor display. The young baby turtles were too distracted from sunbathing to notice the argument happening between Eric Sacks and John O'Neil.

"I sent you to get a pre-ordered rat! What on earth are we supposed to do with turtles!?" Baby Leonardo looked up at the loud noise. He got closer to his brothers, in case anything got violent.

"You were right, he is really protective,"

"They could be other test subjects! Wouldn't it be beneficial to use mammals and reptiles to see the difference?" Sacks pondered this as he looked at the young turtles. He reached in and picked up a struggling Leo. The baby turtle chirped.

"I guess they could be beneficial," he gently plopped the turtle back next to his brothers, "Get the medication ready." O'Neil smiled as he was forgiven. He readied the mutagen into shots, and didn't notice the evil gleam in Sacks's eyes as he looked down on the tiny turtle in blue.

Raph growled as he noticed the look that Sacks gave his brother. Donnie was excited to finally see the process in which they were mutated, and Mikey was bouncing around the fading lab.

"God, I hate Sacks," April groaned as the memory continued to fade. Sack's ugly face being the last thing seen.

"He's the one that mutated you guys, right?" Casey asked as he stepped away from the growling giant turtle. No one answered as the next memory faded in.

It was midnight, and nobody was in the lab. Except for Sacks. The man was muttering to himself as he filled another syringe with the glowing green mutagen. He started a recording and talked to it like he was making a voice journal.

"Day 1 of project Blue. The turtles and the rat have been given their daily injections, but there is no variety in the mutagen. I want to see what would happen if I gave one of the turtles more mutagen. I have chosen the smallest turtle, O'Neil calls it Leonardo. I hope that an increase in the antidote will help him catch up with his elder siblings," Sacks picked up the small turtle, the only one not asleep. Leonardo immediately protested at being away from his vulnerable siblings. Sacks gave him the extra injection, then set him back down on the small turtle pile. Brothers none the wiser. This went on for 3 months, once a week, before Sacks gave up not seeing any difference.

Sacks may have not seen a physical difference, but the gang could. It seemed that Leo could now see auras. They watched as Leo's world slowly bloomed in color. The young turtles didn't have much of an aura, being so young, and Leo's was almost non-existent at first. Splinter was a soft orange brown, it felt warm and caring. Sacks's was an ugly swamp green. It just felt wrong. April's was a soft, warm golden glow. Leonardo seemed to just accept this new sense of the world and continued to protect his siblings.

The gang stood there shocked at the discovery. Their brother can see auras! And he was given more mutagen! What the hell!? Donnie started muttering up a storm as he took the information, Raph wanted to hit something, and Mikey was whispering about super powers. April blushed as Casey commented on her apparently pure soul, then Mikey rounded on her.

"You ARE a God! I knew it!" Mikey shouted as he bounced around the void they were in at the moment.

"I am not a God!" April shouted as Casey continued to tease her, "And if you don't shut up right now, you are sleeping on the couch!" Casey shut up as another memory appeared.

It was once again the middle of the night, and Sacks had stayed late again. Only this time he had company. There, next to his protege was the Shredder. Leonardo and Splinter were awake, and they seemed to be glaring at the man. His aura was an ugly, evil black color. It seemed to seep into the shadows and felt like it could swallow you whole. They were discussing the progress of the experiment, when they heard the door to the lab open. O'Neil and April had come back because April had left her camera.

"Eric? What are you doing here? Who is this man?" John asked as he held his daughter behind him. His soft blue aura flaring protectively.

"Ahh. John O'Neil. One of the scientists behind this experiment. I am Shredder, and you are helping me create an antidote for a mass poison I plan to release."

"Master, should we be telling him this?" Sacks looked nervously at his partner.

"It's fine. We're about to kill him anyway. He is no longer needed." John looked furious as he proceeded to destroy the lab, "Stop Him!!" Eric pulled out a gun and shot John, but the damage was already done. Everything was on fire. The mutagen canister was smashed, some getting on the unsuspecting lab animals. April quickly ran to get her pets out of the fire. She ran out the building and gently placed her pets near the sewer hole. The last thing they saw was Splinter ushering them into the sewers.

"He was killed right in front of me. H-how did I not notice?" April silently cried into Donnie's shell as he comforted her. Everyone stood in silence for the loss of their honorary sister.

"You were a child," Raph silently added, "Your brain couldn't process death, and so it shut out the information."

"Wow. Who knew the hothead could be so wise?" Mikey jokes to lighten the mood. Raph just growled and hit him on the head.

"Thanks Raph," April smiled as the next memory started.