TMNT - Worlds Change

Thirty Eight

Venus POV

"Each of you knows bits and pieces of this twisted story. And all of you have been a part of it at one point or another." I was seated on the arm of a chair, Leo at my side. I knew at some point I would need him there for the support. "I need you to understand that I kept parts of this from all of you because I wanted to protect you. I never wanted you to suffer from the thought of what I know. So let me start at the beginning."

"We were just kids at first. Five turtle children running around and learning ninjutsu. But something was different. From one day to the next, something could be drastically different. Atlas would be stronger or faster, Bellona more agile, Athena even smarter if that was even possible. There were moments that as a young turtle I never noticed. Until one day, Iris got hurt."

The cry was easy to hear. Athena reached Iris first, already assessing the damage before either of our masters could reach us. 

"Venus, help me with your sister." Master Shredder had me help carry her. We walked along a corridor to a lab with blue and green liquids.

"I never thought about what that place was for until I was in a vat of it myself. Never thought about the way they came up with blood for our bodies when our blood was infused with mutagen. Until I saw him that first time. 

"No."  I whispered.

"Still do you not believe I am your father?" Shredder smiled down at me. Istepped forward and pulled my katanas from his armor. I slashed my sword across his chest. Chained, he could do nothing. I felt nothing. No, there was no way he was our genetic... it was impossible.

"I started coming up with theories. Could he actually be our biological father? Was it possible? The most terrifying thing... yes. He very well could be our father by blood."

"Father, what's gonna happen to Iris?" I watched as he rested her body on a table, the Foot doctors attaching tubes and cords to her body.

"Do not worry child. She will return to you shortly. Run along." He had his back to me, as I retreated. I paused in the doorway as I heard him softly remark. 

"Iris. Iris. Iris. What shall become of you?"

"At first, I realized that he could give partial DNA. If he was a turtle, he would just need to infuse two strands of DNA to create a being of his own kin. 

"When Shredder acquired the ooze that created you, he created his own and using this serum and technology to control them. My... friend cared for them and taught them. He discovered they had pure hearts and were gifted with similar weapons as you boys are. And it seems her pure heart led her here. To those, she needed to help her." 

"With the ooze and DNA graffing on four turtle eggs, he created us. He trained each of us to mirror images of the four of you. Soldiers. Weapons to defeat his greatest enemy, even though he had become one in the process of trying to destroy you." I sighed, all of this pouring out of me.

"When I first told you about us, I left Atlas out of the story because I was afraid of what you would do. I was afraid of what Atlas was capable of doing to my sisters and me, the weakness he could create in our defenses. But I see now that it was a mistake to remove him from this long narrative. After all, he is the reason I know the truth about us. 

"You know we can get in trouble for snooping around, don't you?" I scowled as he shushed me and waved me forward. We were exploring the deeper floors of the pagoda, where the Foot Labs were held. Among them, we found rows and rows of large cylinders of azure liquid that was being pumped this way and that. I paused when I recognized a shape in one of the distant vats. A figure, much like that of-

"A turtle. In the vat, was a turtle-like Atlas and me. No distinguishing marks, no masks on a table. Just a figure of a turtle. Knowing now what Shredder is capable of, and the levels he will stoop to, I can't rule out that it was... a clone. A clone of one of the 5 of us." I glanced around at the stunned faces around me. Each one was silent, some with pain and others with horror in their eyes. 

"Athena can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the process of the clone involved moving the consciousness of the turtle from one to the next. So at that moment, that turtle was likely no one, an empty vessel. At one point, during my solo training, I was made aware of some of Shredders methods. How we grew so quickly. 

 "They will soon need to have another round of growth treatment, in which they will develop to a physical and mental age of 16, barely a year younger than the turtles' current mutation age. I want them capable to defeat them by then. It seems, however, they will need some extra motivation."   

"But what would he do if the growth treatments went awry?" I paused, having just put together a thought. "He would likely have transferred our physical consciousness to one of the new bodies." 

I paused for a long moment, taking a deep breath. 

"That is where Iris comes into the picture. Growing up, we were always an aspect in Shredders master plan. He looked at us as pieces - the leader, the strategist, the brawn. Iris was his secret weapon - his last resort. Her ability to reach into peoples minds was a suppressed ability that she trained only with him.  I knew about it - Shredder was training me to be his lieutenant. I knew about it and didn't say a word. Because it was suppressed. That's why I panicked so much that first time she blacked out."

"You know what's happening to Iris, don't you?" Bellona spoke softly. Raph had explained to Master Splinter why we had come so swiftly.

"I have... have a hunch. You have to understand Bellona I never thought he would do this." 

"I thought he had performed the ritual. That he was going to turn her into a weapon against us all and I would be helpless at the hands of my little sister. Because I could never hurt her." Athena rose quickly and came to my side, hugging me tightly in her arms.  knew she was feeling what I was, the mental link was hard to suppress when I was feeling all of this pain and guilt. As she stepped back, I pressed on. 

"When she began to use her ability without Shredders influence, I was afraid that it would trigger that part of her mind. But neither of our Sensei's sensed anything was amiss until after Iris had used her ability to help Bellona. It was then that her powers began to be out of control."

I looked up to our Masters, who watched me closely. Master Dante nodded softly, the sadness in his eyes the same as Lady Tomomi... and my own. Shredder had his hand in our lives. There was no taking away the scar that he had left. 

"We are searching for Shredder. Who is alive. Because we need his blood to undo the ritual that is slowly engulfing Iris' mind. Without it, she could potentially be lost to us. Forever."

The room was silent for a moment. 

"Well that was very dark and depressing, Venus. You really need to work on your story telling abilities. At least tell a joke once in a while." 

I stiffened at the voice, one that I was certain I wouldn't hear again. 

"Atlas."

"You look like you have seen a ghost?" Atlas' eyes drifted to Leo beside me. I turned to him, his eyes guilty. 

"There was never a good time to explain, and then it slipped my mind with the search. I was going to tell you." Leo grasped my hand tightly. I hadn't realized until that moment that I was shaking. 

"As nice as it is to see you Atlas," Raph said somewhat awkwardly, "What are you doing here?" 

I watched as he smiled and rested a bag at his feet.

"I know where Shredder is."