Shell Shock (Unedited)

Chapter 10

Third POV

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"Listen closely, all of you… I don't remember a time before living in that cage.  Where I was then moved into a local laboratory." Splinter gestures to the kneeling turtles.

"Practised as they're usually lab rat, I condemned. Soon days passes, then weeks, then months, then years... However, I wasn't dead yet... I survived all of their conducts and doings. Intrigued by this very new feature, I was moved again, into another building. Where in which was the place where Sacks and your father works at. I was their very first subject…The members grew curious of my ability; in being able to understand them clearly and obtaining the lifespan of a human being.  With time passing as slow as it can get, every day I thought to myself and every week I ask myself; 'Who am I?', 'How am I diffrent?', 'Will I never have the taste of freedom…'"

Sniffles could be heard throughout the room and everyone's attention was now of a certain orange mask turtle who was blowing his nose nosily. "That part always gets me," And everyone just glared at his interruption. "I just can't imagine a life without pizza-"

"Mikey…" Leonardo smack his brother's head and Michaelangelo replied him with a whimper, before pouting on the side. Clearing his throat, Splinter continues.

"Furthermore, it was until at that point when they were moved in too and all of us met one another. You took care of us, your treat us all like family and help us learn. April, you've given us much fun games and treats. And you… Yannis… You taught me how to remember again…" He looks earnestly at the girls.

"Everyday, you would come by to check on us and...the fridge…" April giggled a bit and Yannis just shrugs it off when the brothers looked at her. "But most importantly, I was able to regain some fragments of my memory when you sat there and patiently taught us about the art of defending oneself. Martial arts, Karate, Judoism, and many more. Through your wonderful books,"

"I did?"

"Yes, and I could never seem to forget those days... and yet… all went on that one,  particular day," he chuckled, shaking his head and April nodded.

"That fateful night started like any other… Sacks gave us our injection, while you… Yannis… You had mistaken it for you jello?…" Amusement was flowing through his voice as he comb his beard, while everyone else turn to Yannis who was busy drinking her slush.

Feeling stares on her, she gradually look up. "What?"

"How did the 'jello' taste that night, Yannis?" April teased as she smiles at her lost friend. Snapping back to reality, Yannis rapidly shook her head.

"Ugh…So I wasn't the brightest kid, big deal…" She admits rolling her eyes as everyone started laughing.

"Uh-huh," April still kept on giving her a mocking smile and Yannis looks away.

"April… Your father mad sure our vital signs were strong. And you, as always provided us with a special treat. After the brothers went to sleep, I heard loud voices. There was the smell of smoke. Alarms sounded. April's father had discovered the truth behind the man he was working for. He set fire to the lab. His last breath was taken trying to destroy Shredder's plan. "

"I was terrified. But then… You two appeared. Even when everything had went ablaze and the building was in mere collapsing, you girls came back for us. April, you ushered us to safety and you, Yannis… you have protected us all… You sacrificed yourself into shielding us from the fire when the ceiling collapsed. Your strength and spirit aided us thoroughly… I never had a voice then, but I thank you now Yannis, April... we will forever be grateful for your all of your doings…" He smiled sincerely at them and April smiled back, while Yannis was scratching her head.

"So that's how I got these scars…" She trails off looking curiously at her gloved hands. "Go me~" she smirked to herself in great proudness. pulling off the gloves, she reveals the burn marks on her small calloused hands. *"Neat."* she snorted as the brothers take a closer look.

"Woah… You have battle scars too… Cool~" Michelangelo whistled.

"'Battle scar'? More like an 'accident'" Yannis quoted before folding her arms together.

"We are really grateful of your actions, Yannis." Leonardo bowed his head and the other two brother nodded.

"Okay… Da Vinci," Yannis then reach out and pat the back of his hands. "I just did what I had to do…" She gave a small genuine smile to them and they bowed their heads one last time. Then all of turn back to splinter who was now smiling gently.

"We wandered the sewers until I found this place. It was then that the mutagen then that the mutagen that was injected into our blood began to change us in miraculous ways…"

"I saw how April's father loved you two dearly. And I knew I had to show that same love to the turtles. I became their father and they became my sons. Like all children, they were drawn to the distraction of pop culture, they would one day want to explore the world above… They would be ridiculed." He looks meaningfully at Yannis, who then slowly look down and clenched her fist. Seeing this, April went to put her hand over hers in encouraging way. "They would need to learn to protect themselves, both mentally and physically..."

Snapping herself back to normal, Yannis smirked at Splinter. "And not bad… You actually did a fine job at it~" she complimented, receiving a chuckle from him.

"Then I found a way… Your way~" he replied, before using his tail to reach for a book in the drawers behind him.  Lowering his tail, he revealed an old, worn out, yellow book that spelled 'martial arts' in ancient Japanese characters. "With this." He said, handing it to the girls.

"Yannis… Isn't this…"

"The book that I lost that time…" She stared longingly at the stained cover, running her fingers over it and flipping it open to show poses and guidelines of various techniques. "I thought I'd never see it again…" she scoffed. April smilling, went and gave her a pat on the back. After a brief moment of the comforting silence, she finally shook her head and chuckled. Sighing she turn back to all of them, "Well…  at least now I know where those brats had thrown my book into~"

And Splinter hum in agreement. "But there were more…" He got up and approached a large wardrobe, before swinging it open. Aprils mouth went agape and Yannis gulped. Stacks of old books were placed neatly together, filling up all of the shelves. Both of them then approach it and Yannis when to check on the names. Surprisingly, they were all in old Japanese Characters. Finally running out of answers, Yannis turn to Splinter.

"But, how did you manage to understand all of these characters?" She asks, before going through her mind. *"Are you a Japanese Remy?"*

"See… That's the important bit of our tale… I told you that I could understand normal human conversations am I correct?" And the two of them nodded. "Not only was I able to understand English… I could as well somehow understood Japanese… Ever since you've visited and showed me all of your books, I was able to unconscious gather a lot of learning from all of them. Not only that, I was as well able to learn them in such an abnormal speed. It was as if I've woken up from a dream and had something triggered through my nerves to remember what I've done before I  had slept."

"To put it simply, It felt like I was rereading books that I've already read, learn, studied and memorized… This system goes them for the fighting techniques. And after finding the loss book one evening, I've decided to master it… For me and for my sons." His gaze was now on his goofing sons, but they immediately straighten their backs when they felt the attention.

"First, I teach myself the ancient art of Ninjitsu. Then, the brothers would follow through. It was not until I stumbled into a pile of more of these books, was I able to train them further. And along the way I've manage to dug up a few training equipments and weapons for them, when I visited the junk yard. If I'm not wrong, these items were to be belonging from a collector shop that had probably closed down." He rubbed his chin as he point out the still tucked price tags on some of the books.

"Furthermore, when I finally mastered all these techniques, I continued to relentlessly train them further as well. They followed my lead, accelerating at such a wondrous rate! Their gifts were also their passion.  They lived, breathed and dreamed all these martial arts. Then, they were ready…  Everything that they've become was made possible by the bravery that you girls displayed on that one fateful night." He finally finishes.