Iɴᴅɪɢᴏ & Sᴀɴᴅsᴛᴏɴᴇ || ᴀ ᴛᴍɴᴛ ғᴀɴғɪᴄ '¹⁶【✓】

00 || 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒

𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟗

Amanda Collymore hurried down the sterile corridor of the Sacks Estate laboratory, her lab coat fluttering behind her as she clutched the yellow manila folder of test results. The late hour meant the facility was nearly deserted, just the way Eric Sacks preferred when reviewing sensitive projects. The echo of her footsteps against the polished floor was the only sound breaking the eerie silence.

Three years working here, and Amanda still felt uneasy about these late-night meetings. Something about Eric Sacks never quite added up—his philanthropic public image at odds with the secretive nature of his scientific endeavors. But the pay was exceptional, the research cutting-edge, and as a single mother with a newborn at home, Amanda couldn't afford to be picky.

"Just deliver the results and go home to my baby," she whispered to herself, picturing her three-month-old daughter sleeping peacefully with the sitter.

As she approached Sacks' private office, Amanda paused. Unusual sounds filtered through the heavy wooden door—soft whimpering that couldn't possibly belong to adults. Her brow furrowed as she checked her watch: 11:47 PM.

Knocking softly, she waited for a response. Nothing. The strange sounds continued. Against her better judgment, Amanda turned the handle and pushed the door open just enough to peer inside. What she saw made her blood run cold.

The spacious office had been transformed. The usual furniture was pushed against the walls, making room for what appeared to be several makeshift cribs and playpens. Inside them were children—at least seven of them—none looking older than three years.

In the center of it all stood Eric Sacks, his back to the door, speaking in hushed tones to a towering figure dressed in bladed armor that gleamed menacingly under the office lights. Master Shredder.

"The latest batch has arrived," Sacks was saying. "Their training can begin as soon as—"

The door creaked beneath Amanda's trembling hand. Both men turned instantly. Sacks' expression shifted from surprise to cold calculation in seconds. "Dr. Collymore," he said smoothly. "You're early."

Amanda's scientific mind raced to make sense of what she was seeing—children, separated from their families, kept in an office like lab specimens. The implications were horrifying.

"Mr. Sacks," she managed, fighting to keep her voice steady. "I have the test results you requested, but I think I should come back later—"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible now," Sacks interrupted, his voice eerily calm. He extended his hand. "The results, please."

Amanda hesitated, then stepped forward to hand him the folder, her eyes darting between the children. One little girl with dark curls looked up at her with pleading eyes. "What is this?" Amanda asked, unable to contain herself. "These children... where are their parents?"

Sacks exchanged a glance with Shredder, whose metallic mask revealed nothing of the expression beneath.

"They are the future of the Foot Clan," Eric Sacks replied. "Orphans, mostly. Some abandoned. All being given purpose."

"This is kidnapping," Amanda said, finding her courage. "These are babies! You can't—"

"She knows too much," Shredder's voice rasped, the first words Amanda had ever heard from the shadowy figure who occasionally visited the facility.

"Indeed," Sacks sighed, almost regretfully. "A pity. You were one of our best technicians, Dr. Collymore."

Amanda backed toward the door. "I have a daughter," she blurted out. "She's waiting for me at home."

Something flickered in Sacks' eyes. "A daughter? How interesting. What age?"

Cold fear gripped Amanda's heart as she realized her mistake. "I need to go," she whispered, turning to flee.

She never reached the door.

Shredder moved with impossible speed for someone in such heavy armor. Amanda felt a sharp pain across her back, then nothing as she collapsed to the floor. Her last thoughts were of her beautiful baby girl, now alone in the world.

"A shame," Sacks said, looking down at Amanda's lifeless form. "But potentially useful information. A daughter, you said?"

Shredder nodded, blades still gleaming with fresh blood. "The clan requires new blood. Strong. Moldable."

"I'll send a team to retrieve the child," Sacks agreed, stepping over Amanda's body to examine the test results she'd brought. "We'll raise her as one of our own. By the time she's grown, she'll be a perfect soldier."

Shredder and Sacks are satisfied with their soldiers, feeling assured they will never know where they came from. They watched the boys become stronger and more aggressive, and the girls were swift with excellent attitudes. The city will be theirs one day.

All thanks to the children they've abducted.

****

~ 𝟏𝟎 𝐘 𝐞 𝐚 𝐫 𝐬 𝐋 𝐚 𝐭 𝐞 𝐫 ~

Violetta is her name.

She moved silently across the rooftop, her lithe form barely visible against the New York City skyline. The night air was cool against her skin, a welcome relief after hours of training. From her vantage point, she could see the entire city sprawled before her—a city she'd been taught to view as corrupt, decadent, and in need of the order that only the Foot Clan could bring.

"Position check," came the sharp voice through her earpiece.

"Sector four, all clear," she responded automatically, her eyes never ceasing their methodical scan of the streets below.

Ten years in the Foot Clan had molded her into the perfect weapon—quick, lethal, and unquestioningly loyal. Or so her masters believed. But lately, doubts had begun to surface in Violetta's mind, questions about her past that no one seemed willing to answer.

A movement in the shadows of a nearby alley caught her attention. Something large was moving with surprising grace through the darkness. Not human—at least not entirely.

Curiosity overwhelmed caution. Violetta crept to the edge of the rooftop for a better look, breaking protocol.

The figure emerged briefly into the moonlight, and Violetta froze. Tall, green-skinned, with what appeared to be a shell on its back and a purple bandana across its face. One of the creatures that Master Shredder had warned about—the abominations created by Sacks' former partner. But instead of the mindless beast she'd been led to expect, she saw the creature pause to help a homeless man who had fallen, gently assisting him before disappearing back into the shadows.

Her earpiece crackled. "Violetta, report! Movement detected in your sector."

She hesitated, her hand hovering over the response button. "Nothing confirmed," she finally replied. "Proceeding with patrol."

As she moved to a new position, Violetta couldn't shake the image of the creature—its gentle hands, its careful movements. Everything she'd been taught about these mutants suddenly seemed questionable. Was this one of those abominations Shredder had told her about? She began to second-guess what she had seen. It was so quick, she could hardly contain the memory of what he looked like.

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth as she vanished into the night, her mind filled with new resolve. She would find the truth—about the creatures, about Eric Sacks, and about the mother she never met.

Even if it meant betraying the only family she'd ever known.