Picking up the Pieces

Disclaimer: I wish they were mine. Sniffle.

I was watching some of the old eighties' turtles the other day and noticed a reoccurring theme that kept popping up that I just had to write about. The only difference is that I'm writing from one of the turtles' perspectives when it usually happened to the Shredder in the old cartoon. This is also going to be my first 2007 universe story so keep that in mind as I write.

There is also going to be OC-ness in the turtle's POV that I'm writing in but you have to keep in mind what he's going through. There is going to be some humor and action in this but mostly it's a family and drama story.

Enjoy ;)

Chapter One: Escape

W-What happened?

My mind is fuzzy and there is a faint buzzing noise in my ears that was very annoying. I scrunched up my face when I realized just how annoying it was, like there was a bee buzzing around in both of my ears.

That and it's cold in here. It's way to cold in here to be good for my health. It's like I'm in a freezer or something. I have to get up and get moving. I needed to do something to help generate heat and warm myself back up.

But first I have to get up

I hurt, god do I hurt. Every one of my joints ache, my muscles tremble with even the slightest movement, and my head throbs in time with my heartbeat. A rancid taste fills my mouth. I'm horrified at how much energy it seems to take to swallow. I moan weakly as I force my eyes open to stare off into space.

For a moment I don't see anything, just the swirls of colors that are blurred at the edges. I force myself to blink several times trying to make the colors slow down or better yet go away altogether. Eventually they do leave and I find myself alone, laying flat on my back in a bare metal room. There is a single bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling barely putting out ten watts of light casting the room in a dim gloom.

Where am I?

How did I get here?

Who am I?

That was about the time I decided I was in real trouble. I couldn't remember anything, not even my own name. All I knew was that I was me and I was in a cold, metal room that had no windows and a door that didn't have a handle. I only knew it was a door because of the outline on the wall. It almost looked like I was in a large metal box.

The only thing I did know was that I wasn't supposed to be here. There was something about this place that didn't sit quite right with my stomach. It was almost as if I had a voice in my head telling me to run, to get away from there, but where was I to go? I somehow knew I had a home but I didn't know where Home was.

I force myself to sit up. My joints creak and pop as if I've been laying down for a very long time and my head throbs painfully. I wonder if I have a migraine or a concussion. I'm pretty sure I have amnesia. At least I think its called amnesia. Either way something is definitely wrong with my mind that's for sure. Nothing seems to make any sense. I go to stand up only to fall on my hands and knees and throw up.

Yup, something is most definitely wrong.

I stay still for a few minutes just holding my head and ignoring the smell of gastric juices and whatever the hell I had eaten last. Looks really liquidy, like I haven't eaten anything soli… okay, let's not think about that. My stomach is tipsy enough as it is and looking at the pile –or puddle in this case- really isn't helping much.

I force myself to crawl away from the mess I just made, muscles and joints complaining the whole way. Using the wall as a support I lean back against it and look around the small room. The longer I'm here the more I want to leave and go Home. Where ever that is.

It's… down? Home is down. Down where? One of my hands creeps up to hold my chin as I think. Yup, Home is definitely down but I don't know how far down Home is. Or what exactly does down mean. Should I be going down the block, continent, or down the hall?

I took the hand away from my chin and held it to my suddenly throbbing head. That had required a little more thinking then I was capable of at the moment. I took a shaky breath and held my stomach with my other hand as it turned unpleasantly. I have to get out of there.

How am I going to get out of here? Everything looks like solid steel and there's no handle on the door. I could try breaking it down or something but it could very well be locked and then I would only hurt myself. Can I even break down a door?

At the very least I should go over and see if I can push it open. I force myself to stand using the wall to help me up. I stay leaning against the wall for a moment as my legs tremble underneath me. All I have to do is walk over to the other side of the room and push on the door. It might just swing open. Of course I had crawled over to the wall farthest away from the door in the first place. At least I don't have to worry about stepping around the puddle I left. It's off to one side and I think I can walk in a semi straight line so I don't have to worry about stepping in it.

A manage two steps before my knees buckled on me. I fall off to the side –thankfully not into the puddle of puke- and land hard on my side. A cry escapes my lips as my aching head cracks on the hard floor. That hit seemed to knock something loose because no sooner then I hit then the memory of a voice fills my head.

My sons, tonight our training shall focus on combining two essential disciplines. The way of silence-

Both my hands were over my mouth stifling any more sounds that might come forth. My mind was whirling. Who said that? I was his son? I have brothers? He did use the plural form of the word so at least I know I have at least a brother and a father. They had to be at Home. Were they looking for me? Or was I just in the room when he was taking to his sons?

-and the way of invisibility.

Despite my aches and pains I move quickly, rolling myself over so that the wall is to my back. I press against it flattening myself and looking around for someplace to hide. It takes a second for my mind to catch up to my body and inform me that there was no where to hide and I was alone so there was no reason to panic. I listen to see if someone had heard me and was coming to investigate but all I heard was my own heart thumping widly against my chest.

It takes me a while to get my heart and breathing back under control. I sit against the wall holding my head which has starting throbbing badly again. I hope this doesn't happen every time I remember something. Knowing my luck it probably will. I glance over to the door again knowing I have to at least try it but deciding against walking this time.

I crawl over to the door on my hands and knees. I push at it on both sides but it doesn't budge. I sigh and turn myself around so I'm sitting back against the door. At least now I know that it's locked or there is something barricading it. It just means that I really am trapped in this room.

Before I have a chance to really begin to panic a slight noise fills the air. It sounds like something is scratching against the metal. I look around the room trying to discern where the sound is coming from. It's very faint. I begin to crawl around the room listening after every step forward for the sound.

Finally I come to a part of the wall where the noise seems to be the loudest. Crouching in front of the wall I begin to run my hands over the cool surface looking for anything that might prove useful to helping me escape. If there is noise coming from behind it then it's a safe bet that there is empty space behind the wall as well. I push against it and to my delight the wall gives slightly under my weight.

I begin fighting with the wall, pushing on it in different places trying to get an idea of the size of the hole on the other side of the wall. If it was too small for me to fit through then I could abandon this entire endeavor. However I found that there was at least a two and a half foot square of empty space on the other side of the wall. Now I just had to figure out a way to remove the metal plating to see what I had found. Hopefully, it was a way out.

I run my hands around the edges looking for some kind of fastening. The plate can't just be glued to the supports. It's too heavy for that. There are a series of screws all but hidden from view because of the dim light in the room. I wish I had a screwdriver but since I didn't have one in the room or on me I settled for trying to twist the screws off with my finger tips. It's a long and tedious process that tears up my fingers but after a while I'm shifting the metal sheet off to the side revealing a long tunnel that leads off into the darkness.

A squeak makes me look down to my little helper. It's a small rat that quickly scurries away from me into the tunnel. I stare after it with the unsettling thought that there had been something familiar about that rat but there was something missing. Several somethings actually. I think that the rat was supposed to be taller. Maybe a little fatter? Definitely bigger somehow. And he should be drinking tea in a robe.

Now I know something is wrong with my head.

I shake my head banishing that crazy thought. Whoever heard of a rat wearing a robe and drinking tea, anyways? I turn back to the vent and put my hand down on the metal floor, pushing down to test its strength. It feels like its strong enough to hold me up. I tentatively crawl inside, hoping that the rat won't mind the intrusion and whap me with his walking stick. Gah! Stop thinking about that stupid rat! I try and make as little noise as possible as I crawl on. I don't want anyone to realize that I was able to get out of that metal box.

This tunnel just seems to go on and on forever. It has to be some kind of air duct that had been covered over for my 'stay' in that metal room. Who would do this to me anyways? I'm a sentient life form after all. I have rights -at least I think I do- and it isn't right to be locked up in a small metal room for who knows how long sick to my stomach. Whoever locked me in there might have been the one to give me amnesia. If I ever find out who did this to me they better be ready to apologize or I'll… I'll…

I'm not really sure what I would do but they won't like it.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that when my hand went down and kept going through where the floor was suppose to be I let out a rather embarrassing sound as I fell through the hole in the floor. I didn't have time to try and catch myself as I went headfirst through the opening. It had just happened so fast. One minute I was on all four crawling along the next I was falling.

As I fell down the shaft I kept bumping and skidding along the metal sides. They had to be made out a thin sheet of metal because they bounced and bowed as I hit them. They snapped back into their original shape after I had past with weird bangs, bongs and warping sounds. I was making enough noise for everyone in the building to hear me.

I was able to get my arms up –or down- around my head to protect it because I knew that the end of the shaft was eventually coming up. I had barely thought that thought when I hit the bottom forcibly with a loud 'thunk'. My shoulders and arms took most of the weight in the fall and even though they now hurt at least my poor head hadn't been abused any more. I probably would have broken my neck if I had landed on my head.

I started to twist around, trying to get out of the uncomfortable position I had gotten myself into. I was pushing down on the vent floor to lift up my shoulders a bit so I could get a better look around when there was a grating 'pop' and the flooring just fell away again. I barely had time to gasp as I entered free fall before my right side was slamming into something before flipping over and landing on the floor. There were crashes and thumps all around me as stuff fell off the shelving I had hit. I lay there covering my head as best I could, waiting for the last object to come crashing down. A creaking noise catches my attention and I look up to see the shelf tottering back and forth. This could get ugly. I scrambled to my feet and am able to do what must have been this crazy looking half run-scamper to get out from under the shelf. It lands were I had been laying a moment before with a resounding crash.

I sit there for a moment before struggling to my feet despite my aches and pains. Someone had to have heard that and if I wanted to get away from here I had to be gone now. I'm finally able to get to my feet only to waver slightly and stumble off to the side. My aching right side collides with another table that I latch onto and use to steady myself. I hear the instruments and glass rock with the impact and look over the table to see what was on it with a passing interest. There was one thing on the table that seemed out of place among the chemistry set that was on the on the table.

It was a simple wooden pole. The only special thing about it was that there was a purple ribbion or something wrapped around the middle part of it. Without even thinking about it I reached over and grabbed the middle of the ribbon portion and pick the pole up. The feeling and weight of it seems so familiar it's almost creepy. I step back away from the table, flip it over the back of my hand and then tuck it up and over my shoulder, sliding it down my back until it catches on something. A gentle push and it easily slipped into something that fixes it to my back.

It's not until I'm starting to move away from the table and towards the door that what I just did caught up to me. How did I know to flip it over my shoulder? Why was there a holster for it on my back? How did I flip it over my hand without breaking anything or sending it end over end across the room? I crane my head around and looked at the part peeking up over my shoulder. "Do you belong to me or something?" I ask it as if it could actually talk back to me. Great. First rats' drinking tea in bath robes with walking sticks and now talking poles. I really am going insane.

I started back towards the door wanting nothing more then to get away from this room and building as soon as possible. I felt safer with the pole on my back. I begin to scan over the room, looking for anything that might help me get away. Everything in the room appeared to have come from a sciencefiction movie and an emergency room. My eyes fell on one of those examination tables that are kept in the ER with straps on it and several monitor machines setting nearby. It was under one of those large florescent ligh-

-The light was bright, glaring down on me harshly like it was trying to burn through my skin. I was strapped to the table way too tight. I could barely feel my hands or feet anymore. There was an oxygen mask over my face giving me a constant stream of something other then oxygen. There was a funny smell to the air and I felt distant, distracted and disoriented. There was several beeps coming from somewhere above my head all at different pitches, probably monitoring different body functions.

A man in a surgical gown and mask suddenly leaned over me. I tried to turn my head towards him but there was something holding my head still and it seemed to take too much energy to move anyways. In one of his plastic gloved hands was a large needle filled with a yellowish green liquid. He snapped out the air bubbles and then pulled the skin on my neck taut. He pressed the needle deep into the artery in my neck and injected the contents. It hurt. I made a weak noise of disgust as the man stepped away. I had to get out of here before they di-

I came back to myself laying on my abused right side and holding my suddenly throbbing head. I had my knees pulled up to my chest, curling myself into a fetal position that my side liked even less then me laying on it. My hands and arms were wrapped aroud my head, covering most it, protecting it from the intense throb that was coming from inside. There was a thin layer of sweat on my skin and I was trembling badly.

I forced myself to crawl back to my feet. One hand was clutching at my right side the other was holding my head. I had to get out of here. That... vision or whatever it was only confirmed my suspicion that this wasn't a friendly place and the farther I was from it the safer I was going to be. I move towards the door again with a renewed sense of purpose and determination. It's high time I blew this joint.

I had barely taken three steps towards the door when a commotion came from the other side of the door. It was a loud banging sound like a door had been thrown open and bounced off the wall. The banging sound was followed by hurried foot steps as several people rushed over the tiled floor. By the sounds of it they were heading for this room. I needed another way out fast.

My eyes looked aroud the room for another door but to no avail. There was only one way in and out of that room. There was a rod iron railing out one of the windows, though. Anyway out would do right now. I ran as silently as I could across the room to the window and forced it open. I was able to crawl through and slid it close when the door to the room I had just left was thrown open. I didn't stick around to see if anyone would notice me. I went up the closest pair of stairs as quickly as I could and not wiggle the fire escape to much.

I reached the roof hurting bad and breathing as hard as I could without having my side screaming at me. I looked around for a way off the roof but other then the escape I had just come up and the stairwell shed I didn't see any way down. Would it do me any go to try and sneak through the building by going down the stairs? Before I could act on that thought, the door was opened and six men came flying out of the opening.

They were wearing an all black body suit that even went up and over their heads and covering their faces. They had to be wearing some form of goggles because their eyes seemed to glow a dull red. There was some form of gray boots that went up to their knees. Actually it looked like they were wearing a long tunic or something that was trimmed in gray with shoulder pads. I guess they are men in tights or something. A sword was peeking up over their shoulders that I didn't want to know if they could use or not.

The one at the front of the pack made a sudden hand gesture and one of the ninjas behind him vanished back down the stairwell while the rest came at me. I tured and bolted in the other direction. There was no way they were going to get me without chasing me half way across whatever city I was in.

I jumped across a gap that was between the building I was on and the other building across the alley without a thought, reaching for the fire escape that was over there. My hands easily caught the railing and took my weight as my legs came up. I planted my feet on either side of my hands. I then stood and jumped at the same time. Springing myself up to the next railing on the landing above me. I went landing by landing up to the last landing where I simply hopped over the railing to stand on the platform.

Wait a second. How did I do that?

I looked back down the way I had come to see if I had actually done what I thought only to see the... um... Black Men coming up the same way I had come. They were a bit slower then I had been but they were still on their way. I stumbled backwards and plaster myself against the wall. How can they do that? How can I? I feel something like a pipe against my arm and look to the ladder next to me. I'll have to figure this out later, right now I had to get away.

I grabbed the ladder and scrambled up it, hitting the roof at a dead run. The Black Men may have been slower going up the side of the buiding then me but they made up for it as they ran over the roof after me. They were all but on top of me and I was barely to the other side of the roof!

Okay, stop paying attention to them and try to figure out how to get away from them. The building I was heading towards was higher then the one I was on but it didn't have a fire escape on the side facing me. Darn. There was a water tower on this roof, though.

I run towards it with out a second thought. I head underneath it and jump up to the highest parallel support I can reach on the other side. Using the support like it was a parallel bar I flip myself up and over it to build up speed. When I come back around I let go when my feet were slightly above the ledge of the building I was going for. I curl myself into a somersault and flip through the air. After several flips I uncurl ready for a text book landing on the roof only to have the wind knocked out of me when my stomach slammed into the ledge that went around the roof.

Guess I needed to let go a second later.

My hands scramble for purchase as I struggled to breath. I am sure that my side has at least one or two cracked ribs by now. My fingers finally catch on something and I'm able to scramble over the edge. I roll and scramble on my hands and knees for a moment before getting back to my feet and heading across the roof. I had definitely slowed down from that little accident but at least it looks like the next building over is lower then this one. Finally a stroke of luck.

I jumped over the small gap between the buildings only to realize that it was a bit of a long drop then I thought. It was a good ten feet down. Despite the fact that I could easily break an ankle from this height I remained eerily calm. I landed and dropped right into a roll, knocking down the force of the impact a lot. I came out of the roll onto my feet. Wow, I rock!

I didn't get a chance to move forward again because one of the Black Men suddenly landed in front of me. I quickly glanced around to see that his friends had landed around me too. Great, now I trapped. I watch as they all pull their swords out and point them towards me. I gulp noisily. Now what?

The Black Man in front of me charged me with the sword pointed at me as if he was going to run me through. My hand suddenly went up and over my shoulder, clutching the pole I had picked up off the table back in the lab, pulling it free and catching the charging Black Man in the face with the end. He went down hard but I had already dismissed him, swing the back end of the staff back and catching the Black Man coming in from behind me just below the tip of the sternum. He went down too but I was more focused on the last three Black Men.

I spun the staff around and caught a blade that had been descending towards my head and snap kicked the Black Man in the chin sending him to the ground. Still following through with the kick, I twisted myself around and caught another sword with my staff. I then snapped the other end over, catching him in the side of the head. I went with the momentum of the strike and did a barrel roll in the air avoiding the strike from the last Black Man as he lunged. I easily landed on my feet and brought the pole around blocking a downward slash aimed at my right shoulder. Then I blocked a horizontal strike aimed at my stomach with the pole and blocked a punch aimed at my face with my wrist before lashing out at his unprotected face. He went down bonelessly to the rooftop after the brutal palm strike I delivered to his chin. I glanced around to make sure they were all down before reality crashed down on me.

How did I do that!?

I looked at the way I had come. There is no way I could have been able to move that easily over the roof tops. I looked down at the Black Men littering the ground around me and there is no way I know how to do this much damage. Well... I guess I do... this is insane. I catch a look at myself in one of the blades and blink. Bending down I pick it up before standing back up. I angle it so I can look at my face. I thought I sa-

...

I'M A GIANT TURTLE!!