A/N: Thanks for opening up my newest story! Hope you enjoy it. Obviously, I don't own Ninja Turtles, but I hope I do them some justice. If you don't like original characters, you've been warned. (:
"In New York freedom
looks like too many choices
In New York I found a friend to drown
out the other voices" – U2
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She kept running, the battered backpack bouncing up and down on her shoulders. She knew that they were faster than her, and there wasn't anywhere to hide from them. It was like a daily routine. After school, they'd tease and follow her. Then she'd start running, and they would follow. Sometimes she could get away, but it wasn't often.
"Let's see what you've got today," grinned the tallest one, his goons ripping the bag from her and giving it to him. He walked with it until he spotted an open manhole, where he casually dropped it. Splash.
"See you on Monday, kid!" The group howled with laughter as they left her alone in the rain. She shivered, peering down into the dark hole, nervously stepping down onto the rusted ladder.
The water was up to her ankles; she knew her mother would be furious. She squinted in an attempt to find her bag. It was already dark from the clouds overhead, but she only had her old pair of glasses on; she'd broken her new ones. Her eyes brimmed with tears of frustration.
She jumped when she swore she saw a shadow- more specifically, a silhouette.
"H-Hello?" she asked, her quivering voice echoing throughout the tunnel. She shuddered, following where she thought the shadow had gone. She knew she had time to kill; her parents had to work late that night.
"I-Is anyone t-there?" She saw it again, and started chasing after it- whoever it was, they were quick!
"Come back! Who are you?" She called, splashing loudly with every step she took. She was thankful it was the weekend- her school uniform was filthy.
"Come on! I need to find my bag!" Just then, another shadow darted in front of her, though it was thinner and taller. It didn't leave, though.
"What's a little girl like you doing here?" He questioned as he came into view. He was completely dressed in black; only his eyes were visible.
"P-Please sir, I-I don't want trouble!"
"Then why are you down here?"
"I-I--" She screamed as something whizzed past her head.
"Hey, can'tcha find someone better to fight than a little girl?" growled a voice, soon fighting fist-to-fist with the man in black, who was no match for him.
"You okay?" asked her savior gruffly, a splash of light hitting them. She gasped, shocked. Green? She felt dizzy, light-headed… and then nothing at all.
When she awoke, the first thing she noticed was the awful scent- the best way she could describe it is if you had a bag full of pizza, then left it in the rain and didn't air it out. Opening her eyes, she found that was the least of her worries.
"Look! She woke up, guys!" hollered an unfamiliar voice belonging to… a giant turtle? She pinched her arm, but to no avail. Where the hell was she?
"W-Who are you, and where've you taken me?" she tried to demand, but it came out sounding more frightened than anything as a shiver crawled up her spine. A furry hand clutched hers gently, helping her sit up. Staring at the much-too-oversized rat, she shook her head in disbelief.
"This is impossible! Who are you?"
"I'm Michelangelo," piped the one in orange, the one who had yelled in excitement when she awoke. "But Mikey works too!"
"Donatello," the violet-wearing one said quietly. "It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Leonardo," introduced the blue masked one, glancing at his brother beside him, "And this is--"
"I can introduce myself, thanks." She immediately recognized him as the one who'd rescued her. "Raphael."
"And my name is Splinter," concluded the rat, nodding. They all watched her carefully, and she began to feel slightly more uneasy.
"W-Well, I'm Hazel," she stuttered, "And I'm sorry for causing trouble, I was just looking for my bag, when--"
"You mean this?" beamed Michelangelo, holding up the once-yellow bag.
"Interesting structure," commented Donatello, "Nothing inside got wet."
"Cool comics, too!"
"Y-You read those!?" Hazel bit her lip.
"Yeah, why? Did you just buy 'em?"
"I-I drew them…" Hazel blushed. "I don't generally let anyone read them. Someone could rip it up again."
"But they're totally awesome!"
"My school's full of rich kids who can get away with anything they want to. I got in on a scholarship, but only 'cos the guy who actually won it had to move out of state." She shook her head. Was she really telling her life story to turtles? Had she hit her head on the way down?
She found life was not so simple for the turtles, either. She had assumed that, based on their appearance, but she hadn't realized they were also crime fighting ninjas. It turns out that the man who'd found her in the sewer was also a ninja, but an evil one. Hazel chewed her nail as she listened to the story, in disbelief that all of this could be happening without anyone noticing!
"So…" Michelangelo was sitting cross-legged, fascinated by the new human girl. "Does this mean you're gonna be friends with us?"
"Mikey," Donatello sighed. Hazel smiled shyly.
"R-Really?" She turned pink. "You'd want me to? I mean, I don't really have any friends at school. So… that would be, um… Awesome!" She glanced at the watch around her right wrist.
"Oh my gosh! I should really be going, it's getting late." She was showed to the nearest exit, which she was relieved to find was not far from her home.
"Thank you," She smiled, glancing especially at Raphael, "F-For everything."
The October sky was already getting dark. Hazel rushed out of the empty alley, brushing off her skirt. A familiar blue car slowed down beside her, the window rolling down.
"Honey! What're you doing out so late? That's not safe, you know!" Her mother's face looked worried as Hazel climbed into the car.
"You're filthy! Did you get into a fight? Are you hurt?" Her mother had a slight worry about their family living in New York; they'd only lived here a few years.
"Mom, I'm fine. I wasn't in a fight!"
"Well, you'd better do your laundry before your father gets home, or he'll be furious!" Hazel grunted doubtfully. Her father hadn't been coming home right after work lately. She could only guess what was happening; she had several theories.
Even so, she put her uniform in the wash as soon as she got home. She laid on her bed with her sketchbook, her head propped up with several pillows. She opened the worn-out book, dark fingerprints now dotting the white pages.
She wanted so desperately to go back, but she knew she'd be dragged off to a weekend filled with her younger cousins, who couldn't seem to find a babysitter. She didn't doubt the reason why.
Hazel fell asleep sketching tiny reptilian ninjas.
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Thank you so much for reading my first chapter! I'd really appreciate any reviews, positive or negative (as long as it's constructive criticism) so please consider! Hope you'll stick around for the next chapters. (:
