Chapter Text
Lou’s feet slapped the ground underneath him, his heart loud in his ears drowning out his surroundings. His body wracked with pain he hadn’t felt since the Battle Nexus but he didn’t have time for that, he had to run, and as far away as he could.
He looked down at the four small creatures in his hands, he managed to grap them before Draxum’s lab- Oh God Draxum’s Lab.
Lou turned around to see the building he was in just seconds ago erupt into a pillar of flame and explosions. What did he do? This was supposed to be a meeting with a potential client not… This.
He shook his head and regained his focus, he didn’t have time. The bite he received from the rat was starting to swell, and he didn’t want to be standing in plain sight to see what was going to happen. He tightened his grip on the reptiles and began to run. His singed clothes scraping roughly against burnt skin.
He’s dead, he has to be. Lou’s thoughts were racing in his mind faster and faster. He had sworn to never fight again, but just this once he hoped his opponent would not rise from the rubble.
His breath drew in ragged, he had to hide, he could feel the turtles squirming awake from being jostled. “Shit” he whispered under his breath, He had no other choice. The Battle Nexus.
Lou’s feet slowed as he approached the main entrance of the large building. No no no no no this is all wrong. Bile rose in his throat. The whole point of today’s meeting was to LEAVE and never return.
Lou’s chest rose and fell with his shallow breaths as he fought back the vomit burning his esophagus, “I have no other choice” He looks down at the small reptiles that were exploring the hands that held them, “We have no other choice”.
He pushed his way through the doors, and it was as if the guards were expecting him. He felt himself being whisked away but he didn’t process any of it. The sight of the lobby alone was enough to send him spiraling.
He knew he was walking, he could feel the rough hands of the guards against his injured skin, and most importantly he could still feel the small creatures in his hands. ‘They could use names’ the thought worked itself through his muddled brain.
“HEY” Lou snapped back to reality as the guard shook his arm “Wait here, Big Mama will let you know when she’s ready” The gruff voice said. They must have trusted him enough because after he received his orders to wait the large Yokai turned and left.
Lou’s ears rang, maybe he had a concussion, maybe he was slipping away from himself again. He pressed his head against the cool wall behind him, and gazed at the turtles in his hand. They had settled down again, curled into one another drifting into sleep unawares of the danger around them. And I’ll keep it that way. Lou looked around, looking for weapons, a first aid kit, anything to get him out of here.
He looked down at his own injuries, the rat bite continued to swell, he chewed the inside of his lip, of course the rat was a mutant, that’s all that Draxum wanted. But hopefully just this once he would get lucky.
Wait- He looked down closer at the skin on his arms. The the usual dark hair was very quickly getting longer and thicker. No- He shot out of his seat towards the reflective vase in front of him.
His face was not his. His eyes glared back at him small and beady, his teeth stretched grotesquely out of the confines of his lips, and a fine sheen of hair was beginning to cover his face. He pushed himself away from the reflection of the monster staring at him. From the reflection of himself.
He ran.
Lou once knew every hall and room in the Nexus, but his mind was no longer just his own. He raced up and down the halls desperately trying to remember how he was dragged up here. The mind of the man he once was, fighting with the mind of the rat that was invading and destroying everything he once knew.
A faint ding echoed through the halls, The Elevator, but just as Lou started to run towards his chance of freedom a voice rang shrill through his ears. His body shuddered. Big Mama had a voice that could pierce through steel, he was once in love with the woman behind that voice.
“Oh Louu, where’d you go baby? I just want to… Talk.” Lou felt his whole body tense, but he had to keep going “I know you said no more battling but maybe we could.. Work something out” Lou inched his way forward, holding his breath careful not to make a sound that would give him away. “I’m losing my patience Lou, and we all know how that is going to end”
A faint crashing drowned out the sound of the chime of the elevator.
“What floor are we going t-“ The bellhops eyes grew large with recognition. Lou looked in the young yokai’s eyes desperately in a silent plea for an escape. ”Please” He whispered “Help me”
“I HEAR YOU LOU, you can’t hide from Big Mama forever!” Her many footsteps grew louder echoing down the hall as she destroyed anything and anyone in her path.
Lou gives a final begging look at the young man in the elevator who was holding his life in his hands. The attendant silently stepped aside. Lou frantically took the few steps in. And as the doors closed infront of him, he caught a glimpse of Big Mama barreling towards them with no intention of stopping.
He curled himself against the wall protecting the small turtles in his hands as Big Mama slammed into the closed door. He could hear her long nails scraping against the cold metal trying to find purchase to tear them open.
Lou shuddered at the sound, fighting against the oncoming panic. He tightened his grip on the creatures in his hands, he could feel the spikes of the big one’s shell press into his hands.
The elevator groaned and began to descend. Lou knew he wasn’t out of danger yet but he can’t help but let out a sigh of relief. But yet every second that the elevator took to slowly lower itself was one less second he had to escape.
The elevator reached the ground with a shaking thud, Lou turned to face the doors, praying he didn’t see Big Mama's six eyes on the other side. But instead he was once again faced with himself. His skin stretched thin over his bones as they grew and snapped into a new form.
He closed his eyes, every bone in his body screamed in pain as they broke and reformed. His tendons snapping and rearranging as his DNA reformed itself from man to rat.
Lou opened his eyes, his mouth set in a thin line of determination, as the doors slowly creaked open he set his body in a runner’s position.
The lobby was empty.
Lou slowly craned his head out of the door, the coast was clear. Taking a cautious step out of the elevator he turned around one last time, facing the young bellhop “Thank you” he said just barely above a whisper as the door closed between them.
For one last time Lou ran, but this time rather than panic, he dared to feel joy rising, the lobby doors pushed open, the sky had darkened. For now they would hide.
Lou wandered around until he could walk no more, Turning into an alley, This will do for now. He set the young turtles down onto the ground and settled into the abandoned box.
He didn’t know what they were going to do in the morning but for now he was content watching the turtles play in front of him as he rested his aching body.