Chapter 1

So this is my first fanfiction. Super nervous.

But I love TMNT, so this fic will be a combination from the 2012 and 2003 series, the 2014/2016 movies, and pretty much my own twist on things.

So don't forget to review so I know I'm not completely failing as a fanfiction writer :D

(I didn't know I had to say this lol) I DO NOT OWN TMNT. ALL CONTENT BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL OWNERS.

The only character I own is my OC :)

New York City was brimming with life. People from all over the world live and work together here, keeping the city alive and running smoothly. But deep in the heart of this massive city, past the buildings and the worn concrete roads, lay the labyrinth of tunnels known as the sewer system. These sewers are also brimming with life, with many animals claiming this dark space as home.

Including one brown rat in particular. This rat was larger and smarter than the normal rats that plagued the city. He was the size of an average man when standing on his hind legs, and by watching the city through grates, he was able to educate himself to talk and to read.

However, he wasn't always like this. He was once an ordinary rat, living in the labs of the Techno Cosmic Research Institute, or "T.C.R.I." for short. There he was nothing more than a test subject for mad scientists trying to make a name for themselves, being poked and prodded and injected with different liquids a few times a day. Then, when he thought he couldn't stand being there another day, a fire broke out in the labs, and in the frenzy, his glass cage was knocked into the floor, shattering to pieces. A few of the pieces had cut him, but he was able to run past the stampede of feet and out into the streets. He dove for the first opening he could see, and he's been living in the sewers since. Now, one year later, he was free, and had learned how to survive on his own in his new mutated body.

The only thing he kept from his days as a lab rat was his name: Splinter, a name he acquired from one of the handlers that took care of him on a daily basis.

And although he was free, he was alone, and the only thing he owned in this world was his old ragged robes, a worn leather sack that he used store extra food and useful trinkets that he found along his path. And although it has been a year since he escaped his prison, every now and then he feels panic that those horrible scientists would find him, so he chooses to never settle in one place for too long. He was constantly moving from place to place, only stopping to find food or to rest, taking care to always be silent and stick to the shadows.

Today however was different.

Splinter scurried quite loudly through the dank tunnels, not even trying to avoid any puddles as he used all fours to move through the winding tunnels as fast as possible. He had heard something. Something he never would have thought he would hear down in the sewers.

A child's cry.

He didn't know what it was, but the moment his sensitive ears twitched toward the faint, heartbreaking sound, he had to find it. His instincts forced him to drop everything he was doing to find it's source, and it was those instincts now that led him closer, the cries echoing louder all around him.

Splinter paused at the end of a tunnel and sniffed the air when there was a pause from the crying. The scent surrounding him felt distant but in a way ... familiar.

This time, making extra sure to stay in the shadows, he rounded the next corner and entered into a large opening. There was moonlight pouring through a grate high up in the ceiling, casting eerie bar shaped shadows over a roaring stream that split off and flowed through many of tunnels. Splinter stepped out of the entryway, probing the area with his sharp eyes.

And then, he saw it.

A little ways down, was a large smashed wooden crate, that was halfway in the stream, trapped against the ledge by the rushing current. With a patch of moonlight directly over it, Splinter could make out glowing green slime splattered all over the broken crate and the ground surrounding in, some of it even leaking into the stream below. Another wail echoed throughout the chamber as the crate shook slightly, leaning it even further into the raging water.

Splinter immediately jumped into action, caution completely thrown to the wind as he swiftly ran to save the crate.

As he neared it, he could clearly make out quiet sniffles and shaky sobs. By what he could see through the small cracks in to wood, there was no doubt that a small child was stuck inside. Wasting no more time, Splinter grabbed the edge of the crate and began pulling in an attempt to get it on dry ground.

The sudden movement startled the child as it shrieked and thrashed around, clearly afraid. This caused the crate to almost slip from his fingers as he frantically grabbed at the wood again to stabilize it.

"Shhh, little one, it's alright," Splinter said as he attempted to soothe the child and keep it still . "I'm going to get you out of there."

The child quieted and hiccuped. "Really?," it asked in small voice. "Out?"

"Yes child, out," Splinter replied as renewed his firm grip on the crate. "But you have to keep still."

The child immediately stilled as Splinter found his balance, and pulled with all his strength, being careful not to drop the heavy load. Having pulled it from the water, he gently eased the crate on dry ground, being careful to avoid the jagged pieces. When the crate was on stable ground, Splinter swiftly used his claws to break what was left of the wood, and watched as the child tumbled out.

Now able to clearly see, Splinter was shocked to see pale green skin and what appeared to be a forest green shell. The child was quite small, Splinter guessing around three years old, and he felt relief at having saved what he now guess was a mutant turtle boy. That relief however was short lived when he noticed the bright green slime was splatted not only on the crate, but all over the little boy's skin. It was heavily in his eyes, making tracks down his face as the turtle continued to cry.

Splinter took an old rag out of his sack and gently touched the boys shoulder with his paw.

The turtle flinched and scooted back until his shell was pressed up against the crate. "Please no," he whispered as he hugged his knees. "No hurt." Splinter felt his heart break as he stared at the broken child.

"I won't, I promise," he reassured in a soft voice. "I just want to clean you up."

The child looked uncertain but slowly relaxed his arms and moved the tiniest bit closer. Splinter smiled. "You'll feel much better if you let me clean that off of you."

More convinced, the turtle stood and walked slowly over to him. Splinter wasted no time in carefully wiping off every last drop of the slime, taking care to move slow and only touch when necessary so he didn't scare the boy again. His heart sank as he saw the scars the mutagen would leave. Every bit he wiped off, dark green patches showed in its place, creating a splotchy pattern all over his skin.

The child's eyes were the worst of it. As Splinter gently wiped his eyes, the turtle hissed and whimpered, fresh tears rolling down his face. "Shh I know. It's almost over," Splinter soothed as he gently tilted his chin up to look into his eyes. They seemed to have once been a bright blue, but that color was fading into a stark white, with light gray pupils.

Once every last bit of the green slime was gone, the child's eyes widened as he gripped onto Splinter, his bottom lip trembling. "It's dark," he whimpered, fear evident on his voice. "I can't see."

Splinter was at first startled before suddenly becoming angry and sad all at once for the small one as he gathered him into a hug, letting the child cry in his robes. How anyone could do this to a child was beyond him. He grit his teeth when he noticed a piece of the wood had the white faded letters "T.C.R.I" This child must also be a product of their unlawful testing, but it was a mystery as to why his was discarded down here. Was it an accident or on purpose?

Shaking those awful thoughts away, Splinter gently picked up the child, smiling as he snuggled into his fur. He didn't know anything about children, much less a mutant turtle one, but there was no way he could leave the now blind child to fend for himself in the dark sewers. Adjusting his sack, Splinter took off into a run down the nearest tunnel, his mind telling him that he was risking everything by taking care of this child, but his heart won out in the end.

I hope this isn't cringey lol.

There is no set update schedule, but I will try to update often. If you see any mistakes, please point them out.

See you in chapter two :)