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Remember.
He remembers.
He remembers running. He remembers crying out. He remembers darkness and cold. He remembers needles piercing through skin. He remembers pain. He remembers screaming until it had gone quiet. He remembers bones breaking and muscles twisting. He remembers hair falling to the floor. He remembers coughing blood onto the ground. He remembers complete and utter agony.
He remembers the words. ‘Marvelous.’ ‘Incredible.’ ‘Exquisite.’ ‘Perfection. ‘Extraordinary.’
He remembers what they truly meant. ‘Monster.’ ‘Abnormality.’ ‘Deformed.’ ‘Horrifying.’ ‘Freak.’
He remembers glass shattering into shards. He remembers teeth gnashing into flesh. He remembers chains and collars and hunger. He remembers tears and unheard pleas and prayers.
He remembers tests. He remembers crushing weights. He remembers running until everything went dark. He remembers lungs filling with water. He remembers harsh lights and metal tables.
He remembers the tank. He remembers the helmet. He remembers…
Remembers…
He remembers his senses coming back. He remembers the helmet being detached from his head. He remembers the panic. He remembers fearing if this human would be like the doctor from before. He remembers a scratchy voice and concerned eyes.
“Oye, you okay? How long have you been in that Shadow the Hedgehog-ass tank? What’s with the helmet? None of the other hybrids wore those, but I guess they also weren’t in tubes… Whatever. You gotta name?”
He remembers this question. He remembers answering it a hundred times.
“Subject 3-1997.”
“Um… okay? But what’s your name?”
3-1997 remembers his name…
3-1997 remembers…
Remembers…
“I-I can’t remember…”
~ ~ ~
It was dawn when the hybrid woke up. Sunlight streamed through the curtains of the tiny studio. His head ached as he blinked spots out of his eyes. But he’d gotten used to the subtle feeling of constant pain pulsing throughout his body. It was now something he lived with. Like the scales and webbed feet and strength and cold.
The room he lived in wasn’t much. The oven barely functioned. The water only went up to 65 degrees fahrenheit. The streets below were always unbearably loud. And it was infinitely better than the cell he had spent so many months in.
After stretching his shell, the hybrid rolled off the mattress. New York might be the city that never slept, but right now, the apartment was silent. Only the sound of breathing filled the ecotherm’s ears. Which meant something was wrong.
Senses on alert, he padded across the floor. His abode looked normal. Nothing broken or out of place. At least, that the hybrid could remember. That didn’t settle the unease in his stomach. He examined the whole studio, stepping so carefully that no floorboard made even the slightest creak.
Door: locked.
Balcony: locked.
Equipment: organized.
Lights: off, excluding the one in the bathroom.
Water: off.
TV: on. The device being powered on even when none are utilizing it is a regular occurrence.
Stove: off. Still war-
The door creaked. In one swift movement, the hybrid had hidden behind the couch. Perfectly concealed. No intruder would see him. However, if the perpetrator was a threat, he had a plan of attack that would immobilize any human in under twenty-three seconds—perfectly meeting all the capabilities that he had been created for.
“Heyo, Donnie! I realized we were out of eggs and ran to the bodega. Hope that’s cool with ya. Wait… Donnie? ¿Dónde estás? Ay dios mío, did he climb down the fire escape agai-”
Casey was here. Casey was fine. Casey had come back.
Donnie tackled his rescuer in a hug. The human laughed in surprise but wrapped his arms around the turtle. Plastic grocery bags batted against Donnie’s shell; evidence that Casey was telling the truth. Feeling relieved, Donnie squeezed the athlete tighter. He would never tire from the warmth that radiated from his guardian.
“Alright, Dee, you can lemme go now. Can you help me put these away?”
Between both boys, the groceries were sorted in no time. With their task completed, Casey started making migas for breakfast. Donnie expertly whisked the eggs and chopped veggies while Casey cooked the rations. The human knew that his turtle liked extra veggies while Casey preferred a gluttonous helping of tortilla chips and cheese. Meals prepared for consumption, they both sat on the couch in front of the TV.
Not caring about his decorum, Casey ate without proper utensils. Choosing instead to scoop up ingredients with chips. Much to his own dismay, Donnie still struggled to use a fork so he ate with a spoon. Many times Casey had claimed the human wouldn't judge the test subject for eating with his hands. While Donnie believed his protector was honest, he felt it important to learn these skills. He may not be human, but he could still act like one.
During a commercial break, Casey shot Donnie a questioning look. The hybrid looked away to avoid making eye contact. He knew exactly what the human wanted. Thinking about that made his palms sweaty. Of all the human traits he still exhibited, that was one of the most unfortunate that remained.
But Donnie knew what to do when he felt like this. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, let it out slow, and focused on accomplishing his goal. Casey had encouraged him to say whatever was on his mind. Maybe at one point Donnie could do that. Now, he struggled to form even a proper sentence. Still, he wanted to make his protector happy.
“W-Why weren’t you… you in the room when I woke up-p?”
Casey grinned and moved closer to the experiment. “Good job, Dee. To answer your question, I wanted to surprise you with breakfast but when I saw how empty the fridge was I left to go shopping. Wanted to be there right when they opened. Guess I forgot to leave a note. Lo siento.”
Donnie wasn’t satisfied.
“Y-You know I ha-a-ate it when… when you… when you don’t follow the routine…”
Casey sighed. Guilty. If this human was anything like his previous humans, Donnie would be trembling in fear. They made sure he understood the punishment for speaking out of turn. Asking questions and expecting answers. Animals like him didn’t get to do that.
But Casey wasn’t like those humans. He freed Donnie. Took him to their ‘home’ even though he’s a freak. Gave Donnie clothes to stay warm. Gave Donnie food besides scraps.
With Casey, there’s warmth and safety. With Casey, there’s no tests or experiments. With Casey, there’s a future for Donnie. A future that might help him discover his past.
When Donnie raised his voice or said he was unhappy, Casey listened. When Donnie had nightmares, Casey was there to hold him. When Donnie wanted a name, Casey gave him the same one as his first crush.
On those rare occasions when Donnie asked a question, he found comfort knowing Casey would be happy to answer.
“I hate breaking the routine too, mi amigo. I-I just… I wanted to do something nice for you, Dee. You were trapped down there for so long. And those bastards put you through hell. A-And I guess I thought that maybe since it’s been a while since you escaped you’d be okay if I made a quick snack run. But I shoulda known you’d wake up right on time. Hehe… You’re so much like Donatello… I wonder where he is now…”
Donnie wished he could meet the original Donatello. The boy was clearly very important to Casey. They met as kids on the playground and their families were inseparable. They went to martial arts together, and even though brother Raph always beat them, they loved every second of it. The two friends made drawings of new inventions they’d build together. They even shared their first kiss together.
Then one day, the Hamato family moved away. Casey tried to find out where they went but every lead was a dead end. It had been nearly ten years since then.
Donnie can tell that Casey misses his first love. Even if he’s not Donatello, the hybrid is thankful to bring some joy into Casey’s life. He gently placed his large hand over the human’s smaller one. It had been a while since he flinched at the feeling of human flesh.
“M-Maybe… maybe one day I’ll help you find Donatello. Like how you found me.”
Casey smiled so widely that the experiment wondered if his face hurt. But the athlete looked so happy at Donnie’s idea that he couldn’t help but smile back.
“I’d like that. But, for now, I guess you’ll have to do.”
The boys laced their fingers together. It was… peaceful. Donnie nearly gave up on his dream of coming above ground a long time ago. He’s happy he didn’t lose hope.
“If I may speak; please stick to the routine, Casey Jones. It makes me feel… like I am ‘under one’s wing’ as they say.”
Sounds of laughter filled the small studio. Casey’s maw of missing teeth was on full display as he threw his head back, cackling. It made Donnie wish that he too was human. But if this was as good as his life would ever get, he gladly accepted.
“You got it, Dee! I am your guardian angel, after all.”