Rise of the Turtles - Part 1 of "Experiment 1251514118415"

Chapter Two - The Story

"There's a little more algae and worms left if anyone wants it," Michelangelo said to his family. "Anybody? Anybody?"

"No thanks," Leonardo replied, looking faintly nauseous.

"I'm good," Raphael told him, shaking his head.

"All yours," Donatello answered, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, then I guess no one left room for... cake!" Michelangelo exclaimed, pulling a cake out from behind him.

"Whoa!" his three brothers gasped in awe.

"It is a cake!" Donatello said, sounding amazed.

Raphael leaned forward and tasted it. "Made of algae... and worms..."

"Wait, what's the frosting made out of?" Leonardo questioned.

"You don't wanna know," Michelangelo answered. "Happy Mutation Day!"

"Happy Mutation Day!" His three brothers said back.

"Ah, yes," Master Splinter said. "15 years ago today, our lives changed forever and we became the unlikeliest of families."

"Tell us the story, Master Splinter," Michelangelo begged.

"Michelangelo, I have already told it many times," Master Splinter replied.

"Please! Pleeeease!"

Raphael leaned over and covered his youngest brother's mouth. "Please. It's the only way to shut Mikey up."

"Ah, very well," Master Splinter said. He drew in a deep breath and began. "Many years ago, when I was still human, I was leaving the pet store four baby turtles."

Hamato Yoshi walked out of the front door of the pet store, holding a glass cage holding four infant turtles.

"I passed a strange man on the street."

Hamato Yoshi grunted as a man he was passing bumped into his shoulder. It felt... off. Like the man was made of metal or something.

"Something felt off about him. I decided to follow."

Holding the cage close within a careful grip, Hamato Yoshi crept along behind the strange man into an alley. He hid behind the wall as he listened to the man speak with another. A rat ran along his foot, causing the two men to become aware of his presence.

"Go no further. This place is a place where you are not allowed to be in this place. We have been seen in this place by you, so this is not a place that will be left by you," one of them said.

Startled, Hamato Yoshi dropped the cage and, using his ninjitsu to defeat the two of them swiftly and easily. One of them dropped a canister of bright green liquid, which splashed over Yoshi and the turtles.

"That was the beginning of our life together," Master Splinter said, bringing his story to an end. "It was this mysterious substance in this canister that, in a way, gave birth to us all."

"Mom..." Michelangelo breathed out.

Leonardo gave him a strange look, then turned to his father. "So, sensei, now that we're finally ready to go up to the surface, don't you?"

"Yes," said Master Splinter. "And no."

"Oh, man, come on," Michelangelo complained.

"Lame," Raphael groaned.

"I hate when he does that," Donatello said.

"You have grown powerful, but you are still young," Master Splinter told them. "You lack the maturity to use your skills wisely."

"So, sensei, isn't that just no?" Donatello asked.

"Yes... and no," Master Splinter replied. "Wisdom comes from experience and experience comes from making mistakes."

"So, in order for us to gain the wisdom, we have to make the mistakes," Leonardo said, making sense of his father's riddle faster than his brothers did. Then he drew in a deep breath. "Sensei, we know you're trying to protect us, but we can't spend our whole lives hiding down here."

Master Splinter paused for a moment to consider this. "Hm... You may go tonight."

All four of his sons cheered at this.

"High three!" Mikey shouted.