Changing The Past

Chapter 1

Their eyes peeled open, head throbbing and ears assaulted with so many sounds. "Sensei! Sensei!" Something was shaking him, the colours of blues and pinks and moving silhouettes filling his vision. He saw a familiar face leaning over, his eyes fluttering still as his ears rung. "Master Leonardo!" Finally the ringing stopped, everything coming to him in full volume and his eyes shot open, sitting up immediately with his swords at the ready. But the world he saw was different, it was so familiar yet foreign. Skyscrapers filled the sky like architectural hands reaching for the stars, the once empty world surrounded and covered in people bustling amongst the sounds of traffic. "Are you ok Sensei?" His eyes looked to his apprentice, and he nodded, standing on his two feet and looking around. It was New York City; his home. His heart swelled, the memories of better times that were painful blurs resurfacing as he looked around "I can't believe it! Master Michelangelo did it!" The apprentice yelled out in shock, lifting his mask to let the cool air grace his face and lungs "We need to get out of the public." The teen nodded, shielding their face as they ran off. Leonardo tried to follow but he stumbled and kneeled, his Ōdachi catching him as he crumpled to his knees. The human looked back, then ran over, helping them stand as he glanced at the wound in his plastron that was leaking blood. "Sensei!" "I'm ok Casey." He coughed, now being helped away from the crowded streets painfully.

They slipped into an alleyway and Leonardo fell against the wall painfully, looking down at his bloodied robotic hand and cursed. This hurt badly. "Sensei how can I help?" Casey asked, his worry growing as Leonardo struggled to not collapse. He had been bitten by one of those beasts, a tooth sticking out from the plastron and a large bite mark causing his plastron to crack like a spiderweb. It was really bad. Leonardo breathed deeply, feeling feverish from the many things those monsters no doubt held in their venomous saliva. He needed supplies, medical attention. He needed an anti-venom as well. Where was he going to find the supplies? His eyes looked at the manhole on the ground and recollections sparked in his mind. The Lair.

"Casey." He heaved out, his skin already beginning to precipitate "We need to go into the sewers." "What?" The human was confused, looking up at his mentor as he pushed himself off from the wall and sheathing one of his swords onto his cracked shell, stumbling until Casey stabilised him "I know there are supplies in there." "Alright Sensei." He agreed helping him to the ground in front of the manhole cover, Leonardo effortlessly pulled it away with his mechanical arm before lowering himself. Casey closed it up after him. In the pitch black Leonardo held his Ōdachi and let the inscriptions glow a soft blue. He used it as a cane, hobbling along as the venom made his reality shift, a ringing pounding in his ears and the sounds distorting. It was a psychedelic, so no doubt he would start hallucinating, or as the younger rebels would say 'tripping balls'. This isn't the first time he had been under the effects of the venom, but it was the first time he had been exposed to the sheer amount of it.

Leonardo collapsed, body burning and trembling. "Sensei!" Casey helped him against the wall and Leonardo coughed painfully, his head in a daze "Casey?" His voice was raspy, his breath wheezy. The human panicked, standing up as he put his mask on "I'm going to go get help!" He explained then dashed off, ignoring his mentor's weakened protests. The mask helped him see in the dark, running through the tunnels and jumping over the odd rat that would scurry by. Then he saw lights, warm lights, and he started yelling "Hello!? I need help! Is anyone there!?" Silhouettes quickly emerged from his commotion, eyes glowing white in the darkness of their silhouettes of varying statures "Please I need help!" He yelled as they approached him "My friend nee-"A mechanical rod swung at him, but they dodged and got his own hockey staff out. The silhouettes were not discernable with the light behind them, but the hulking frame towered over him and approached "Who are you? How did you find us?" His voice was familiar, but Casey was not trying to think about that. He was focused on getting their help "My friend said you could help us." "Who is this friend?" The one wielding the long staff said, something shifting on his head so their eyes were obscured by a blue and red lens "You don't have any identification according to the government database." The information makes the others pull out their weapons. "Wait stop!" Casey yelled, holding his staff "My friend is injured, I need medical supplies!" "How do we know this isn't a trap?" The dual eyed one spoke again, and Casey went to try plead his case again when they charged at the command of the large one.