Youthful Mutant Ninja Turtle

by Ryu the Weredragon & Rusty Raccoon

Disclaimer: Leonardo™, Donatello™, Michelangelo™, Raphael™, Splinter™, Mutagen™ and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™ are © Mirage Studios.

Zack™ is © Fred Wolf Films.

We don’t own, so don’t sue.

Note: This takes place after the original series.

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The Ninja Turtles’ blonde human friend, Zack, was returning home from a friend’s house late one night. He had totally lost track of time at his friend’s birthday party, and he knew he was gonna get it from his parents. They never liked him to be out late - and he often got in trouble when he was with the Ninja Turtles as well - not that he cared. He cherished every moment of his time with those Adolecent Anthromorphic Karate Reptiles.

As usual, he was wearing his favorite Green Bandanna that he styled similiar to the Ninja Turtles’ one. He was also wearing Elbowpads, Kneepads, and a helmet, as he was on his trusty skateboard. Even in the dark, his blonde hair was apparent. He was wearing some Short Jeans and a very loose shirt.

On a street near a certian petshop, he had started to think back over his adventures with the turtles. So much, in fact, he didn’t notice a truck that was screeching by, carrying strange glowing tubes... If the Turtles, Splinter, or April had been around, they’d have recognized them. At the last moment, the driver of the Truck swerved out of the way, but ended up loosing one of the canisters. The canister shattered, and splattered over Zack, knocking him down. Soon, the truck was out of sight.

Zack slowly picked himself up. As he dusted himself off, he noticed something strange on his knee. There was a green glowing gooey substance clinging to his right knee. He looked down at the ground and although it was dark, he could see it in a small pool. Oddly enough, it appeard to be glowing!

"Yuck, what is this stuff?" he asked as he quickly brushed the stuff off of his knee or moreso, tried to brush it off. The stuff seemed to cling to his skin. Walking away from it, he was suddenly overcome by a wave on nausia and dizzyness, nearly causing him to fall to the ground.

He recovered a few second later and was wondered what was going on. He felt different somehow, but he coulden’t place exactly what was wrong. His skin felt clammy and dry and his face ached.

"What’s happening to … me?" he nervouslly asked as he held his arms in front of him.

He nearly chocked when he saw the skin seemingly to grow smoother and turn a decidivly green colouration. When he reached his right hand to tough the skin on his left arms, both of his hands began hurting like heck and quivering. Gritting his teeth, he held back the tears from the pain as he watched the middle and index and pinkie and ring fingers on both hands appear to melt together in an odd merging while his thumbs seemd to grow into a third digit.

By now, the skin on his arms was a green colour and the texture was very smooth and hairless. His chest was feeling odd, it tingled with a feeling not unlike a million ants crawling over it. He felt a strange tightening and the skin seemed to be re-arranging itself. It that wern’t bad enough, his bad felt as though it were on fire and somehow, someway seemed to be getting heavier.

By now, his hands were growing thicker and his formelly five fingered human hands were now three fingered paw like hands; although still capable of manipulation they looked anythihg but human.

The green skin coupled with the hands and feeling in his back and chest has Zack pretty confident of what was going on; though this was in some ways his greatest dream and fantasy, it was also terrifying; he had no idea how or even if he could explain this to anyone.

It seemed he had no choice as he heard the back of his shirt ripping under the strain of a hard shell that was forming on his back. Reaching back, he touched the thing, it felt strange and strong, almost impossible to believe it were a part of him. Holding the neck of his shirt out, he saw his chest was now covered with yellow skin in a plate like formation.

His arms and legs began to ache as the sensation spread to his feet. His muscles started growing, greatly increasing his strenth as his feet became rounded. His shoes quickly felt confining and he soon had no choice but to take them off. He didn’t get a chance to remove his shocks before his changing feet ripped through them.

The change spread to his face and he closed his eyes and grimmised as his nose and mouth pulled out into a break like muzzle. He soon felt his mendium length blond hair falling out in clumps as his ears were drawn into his head, leaving just the holes on the sides of his head. When the pain in his face subisded, he felt arround it, feeling his strange new face and smooth scalp with hands that while his, simply didn’t feel right.

His shirt, while ripped was still mostly in tact.

The young boy, now stood there, as mutant turtle; anything but a boy.

"So, what the heck do I do now?" he asked himself.

Zack shook his head, hoping he’d wake up any moment. He decided to go to his home, to sort things out. The preteen looked down, and noticed his favorite skateboard had been totaled by the truck.

"New York Drivers...", he muttered.

* * *

Quite soon afterwards, surprisingly, considering his now Terrapin state, Zack had reached his house.

As quitely as a Mutant Turtle who isn’t a Ninja could possibly manage, he made it to his front door - not thinking that his parents would not take a mutant turtle entering their house very well...

Out of habit, Zack shouted, "I’m home, Mom!", when he entered. Immediately, he realized his mistake, but knew he couldn’t take it back.

When his mother came out to greet him, she screamed the moment she saw him, and fainted on the spot. This had his father come in running.

"WHAT ARE YOU!? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY WIFE, AND WHERE’S MY SON!?!?!?", he shouted. Zack had never gotten along with his father, but he had never been yelled at so loudly, and he never heard his father shout with so much... hate in his voice.

"Da--d?", Zack asked, meekly.

Still not happy, his father’s face angered even more, "So... First you stay out late, and now you joined that freakshow gang who pretend to be heroes, huh? GET OUT! YOU ARE NO LONGER OUR SON!"

At a loss for words, and with his eyes full of tears, Zack ran out of the house, as fast as he could.

Unable to bear his parents hating him, Zack wandered around town, trying to avoid people, totally forgetting about looking for the turtles. Still not used to his new feet, he often tumbled.

* * *

Leonardo and Michelangelo were going to get the pizza. Leo only really went because he was already out, making his rounds and checking out the city... It seemed like a quite night... Odd for New York City.

A loud crash from an alleyway broke Leo from his thoughts.

"Mikey, you go on and get the Pizzas, I’m gonna see what that was."

"Sure thing, bro!", replied the Party-loving Turtle.

Leonardo headed into the alleyway, and saw some punks beating up on a child. Leonardo drew his katana blades, "I think you should learn some manners."

"Another freak huh? This one may actually fight back. Let’s get him boys!", shouted the thugs’ leader.

Another one? Leonardo thought.

A Swift battle ensued. Swift because street thugs are no match for Ninjitsu.

Leonardo turned to the unconcious child. His eyes widened as he looked. It was a young mutant turtle. The Turtle was wearing kneepads and elbowpads, as if he was a skater, and had a strained shirt on over his shell. He also wore a green bandanna that was a different color green than his scales. Leonardo was sure of who it was, but he’d need to have a little help to get the unconcious boy to the lair.

Pulling out his turtle communicator, and opening it up, he contacted Donatello, "Don, there’s something you’ve got to see..."

* * *

Zack awakened to the smell of piping hot pizza.

"About time you woke up," a familiar voice stated.

"Michelangelo? I had the weirdest dream... I dreamt I got covered in weird glowing stuff and got turned into a turtle, like you guys. It was cool at first, but then my dad kicked me out of the hou--- wait... that wasn’t a dream, was it?", Zack asked.

"No, I’m afraid not, Zack", replied Raphael.

"Also, you were drenched in enough of the stuff for it to be permanant," Donatello remarked.

Zack sighed, and sat up. He was offered some pizza, and agreed to eat some.

* * *

"...So, what do I do now? Where do I go?", Zack asked.

"What do you mean where do you go, Dude?", Michelangelo said.

"Huh?"

"What Mike means," Leo explained, "Is that we’ve made a decision, and you’re going to stay with us now. Master Splinter has agreed to train you in Ninjitsu."

Zack smiled, "Really? You mean, I’m finally going to be a Ninja Turtle?"

"Yep. Welcome to the family, little dude," Michelangelo exclaimed.

Soon, under Splinter’s Tutalige, Zack became a great ninja, just like his "brothers", and became proficient with the Tanto - a small sword usually used by ninja. Zack only sometimes thought back to his prior self, which felt like a lifetime away.