Heroes, Jane Does and Me

Disclaimer: the turtles aren't mine; I only own this story line and any OC characters. This was written in fun not profit.

Please read and enjoy. This is my first posted TMNT fic. Please review. Good or Bad I welcome all.

The first time they were a mystery; shadows of the night. The second time they were seen as heroes. But now after four weeks of lost business no one wanted them around. There was usually a lot of business in my area, anyone from the common thug up to the rich but not yet famous. Each one would treat you differently. The thugs would pay for a rough few hours. Enough to make them feel like the men they want to be. The rich but not yet famous guys would put a girl up in a nice hotel for the night, if she was lucky he would include the day after. The rich ones were the good clients. They just needed us to take away the weight they carried on their shoulders. Sometimes if you got real lucky he would just want your company and a conversation, although those tines are rare they are the most hoped for.

Life was as good as it could be, sure Mr. Marcus could take most of the money made in a week but hey at least I wouldn't get a beating if the cash flow was low. He had his good qualities too, if a guy got too rough he was a good enough intimidation factor besides the stilettos I wore.

Don't you get it in your head that I'll take any average Joe as a client; I am not some street skin. I'm of a high calibre; I'm almost a 'call girl'. I've seen things in this city that would send other girls running but hey money is money. They weirdest yet was the rich but never going to be famous guy named Saki. I swear it must have been his 'assistance' idea or something. The big thug thought he could get a little something off of his 'master's 'coin. That's when I found out how good these heels were for a deterrent on a guy.

It was getting late into the fall, you the time just before the snow falls and I move on to warmer spots when they became heroes. From some other girls I heard of them. Freaks of nature some thought they were turtles; giant turtles. They would bust in on a girl when she was working a hard guy and send the guy packing, usually with a few more cuts and bruises that was necessary. They thought they were saving those girls from a fate worse then death or something, not true. Right now both girls have a roof over their heads that's six feet under. Both were delivered to the hospital as Jane Does. The brutes that they 'save' the girls from come back, usually with a few buddies and want their moneys worth. Last I heard from Sue, another girl like me, was that one of the Jane's had a little boy; rough life for the dammed kid.

I didn't meet all the freaks at once. The one in red 'saved' me from a brute that had pulled a knife. Get this he thought that I would be hiding money on me. I mean I have no room for it in the mini skirt, halter top and knee high heels. Anyways red told him to be nice and give me back the jacket he had already tore from my shoulders, then proceeded in kicking the crap out of him. The only thing Red saved me from was an uncertain death.

Rumours and warnings flew from girl to girl, the brutes were moving in groups, they apparently though that groups would be safer, the girls and I thought it was a cheep excuse to party. I really hate it when one pays and two more want to play.

I had just finished a client and was counting what he gave me as I crossed the ally way when the brute Red beat up grabbed me. Again he pulled a knife. I didn't have time to scream when Red reappeared and bluntly told me "better watch' back girly."

I wasn't about to be the next Jane Doe so I let red have it. "You idiot! Do you know what you've just done? Again I might add!"

"Listen lady, I just saved yer life. A little gratitude would be nice." His voice was garbled by a thick Brooklyn accent.

"No! You just signed my death warrant hero." I gathered up my dropped cash and was heading to the mouth of the ally. Meanwhile he just rolled his eyes. I heard him mumble under his breath, 'PMS much?' I wasn't done venting just yet. I know I should have walked away but he had it coming. "I guess you didn't hear about what happened to the other girls you saved eh?" He glanced up at me from his position of leaning against a wall, picking his teeth with a fork outta some ninja movie. "Well their in a place they aren't never going to leave. Their dead, as in six feet under as Jane Does!"

He brushed my words off, "Protection was too much to pay, and because of you and the others interference with a job they were in for it. Paybacks a bitch, and death I guess."

"You broads aren't even worth saving. Not like you care about anybody, not even yourself." His eyes roamed my body, "what are ya like nineteen? A run away I guess."

"Shows you what you know. I am not worthless like you've marked me as."

"Oh yeah?" he took it as a challenge. "I bet cha haven't even finished high school yet" He slandered closer to me and flicked my red hair off my shoulder.

"Hero I am a University grad. And this is only temporary. Just need a little extra to pay off a debt."

"To your supplier no doubt, so what got you hooked? Crack? Coke? Meth?"

I laughed, my arms were bear, he could see the lack of needle tracks. "Nope need to pay back a doctor."

"What you got knocked up and bailed?"

I looked the pig of a hero in the eye, "First off no, I didn't get knocked up and bail. Second it isn't of your concern if I did. And thirdly," I glared at him, I could see in his eyes what he saw in mine; anger, fire and honour. "It's for my dad. He's dying of cancer. His meds cost a lot of money and I had to keep up with things. So here I am. Do you still think I am worthless? Do I still look like I don't care about anyone in the world including myself? Eh Hero?"

He stood there, just holding my eye. Tears started to cloud my glare, I always got emotional talking about my dad. Hero looked like he was transfixed with what I had said. Finally breaking the tension I said, "If you're going to gawk its twenty bucks."

Blinking rapidly he shook his head, "Sorry. I didn't know." He whispered.

"Course you wouldn't know, it's not you life or problem it's mine. You and your group come in and kick the brutes to the curb, but you aren't there when collection times come and they come back." I said as I walked out to the street, when I reach it I looked back into the ally, Hero wasn't there no more and the brute was just waking up. All I wanted was to go home and then see my dad.

I met two more heroes when I was hired by Saki again. I was just finishing my hair as I walked up to his private chambers when from the other end of the hall way Blue and Orange charged in. Red wasn't far behind. "Hey Hero." I said as I pressed myself up against the wall as the other two ran by. He froze for a second as if trying to place my face, when he did he smiled a small smile. The three of them entered the private chambers of Saki as I took my cue to leave. I was just exiting the building when the first explosion was heard. Later that week I got a letter though Mr. Marcus. It was from Saki. It was his payment for services plus a little something for me. My dad's med bill would be paid for the next three months.

I was working my usual strip, a block from the seedier part of town; far enough to bring in the rich but close enough to allow the thugs. Earlier that night Mr Marcus said I had gotten a special request. I was to meet him three blocks from my central and wait for him. Three blocks put me back near the ally I last spoke to Red.

"Hey Hero." I said when he announced his presence. I don't know how he did it but he showed up at the back of the ally without me seeing him enter. "I always wondered if you and your boys used the service. I guess I know now." I spoke as I walked up to him.

He grabbed my wrists tightly as he growled, "Why were you working for the Shredder?"

"The what?" I asked as I tried to pull my wrists free.

"Last time I saw you, you were in the Shredder's building all dolled up like yous was working. Why?"

"Oh you mean Saki?" He nodded sharply. "He pays good, very good Hero and a girl like me likes that."

"You have no clue who he is or what he's done." Hero let go of my wrists. His eyes were downcast and angry.

I took a few steps away and leaned against the opposite wall. "If you mean him being the leader of an ancient clan of ninja called the Foot and him hunting you guys down like dogs, I already know. And if you're looking for sympathy you aren't getting it here. It's of no concern to me what he does in his off time. I mean look at me, I can't judge him."

"You know? And you still work for him?"

"Hero I already told you.."

"Raph. Call me Raph."

I looked at him carefully before continuing. "Look Raph, Saki pays me very well, not only for the usual services but to keep quite too. He's got an image to keep and I help him in a way." Raph looked at me like I had just grown a second head. "You know all those fancy parties he goes to, I make him look normal. It's what I was hired to do, make people feel normal." Raph looked at me, his eyes no longer angry but now holding a sad almost defeated fire. I sighed, "Look if I stop being at his beck and call there is a very good chance I would end up like the other girls and be six feet under or wind up in a bed a few floors down from my dad. I can't risk it. Raph I'm sorry."

Slowly nodding in understanding Raph wandered to the shadows which lay across the last few feet of the ally, to me he simply disappeared. Since that night our meetings grew few and far in between. I guess since I wasn't willing to drop Saki I wasn't worth his time.

It was a few months later, I was finished work and was heading into the hospital to see my dad when I found his room empty. I immediately ran to the nurse's station and demanded to know where my father was. She told me with a heavy heart that he had died an hour earlier. They tried everything they could to bring him back but he was gone just the same. I sat down roughly on one of the benches outside the room my dad had been in for so long. My mind was running so quickly I couldn't think straight. The only thing that kept coming back was I needed him. I need to find my hero.

My frantic trip out into the streets of New York left me blank with how I got there. But it was soon enough that I was watching the sky line, listening for a sign when I became it.

"Well now if it isn't my little red head. You owe me big time princess, twice you left me at the mercy of those freaks. Now look around and see they aren't here to help you."

I screwed my eyes tight as I felt the brutes meaty hands worm their way over my body, under my coat and around my waist. I could smell the cheap cologne he wore, it was sickly sweet. He was just about to undo my belt when the voice I was waiting for broke the night.

"Hey girly need a hand?" the Brooklyn accent was unmistakable. He must have heard my whimper of a reply because the next thing I knew was the meaty hands were gone the sickly sweet smell was replaced by the stench of rotting garbage and the music to my ears of the brute screaming. "You're never going to touch a woman again you got me?" Raph had the brute pressed face first against a dumpster, the guys arms were almost at the breaking point. The brute mumbled a threat and then the ninja fork thing appeared in Raph's hand. Raph played with it, bouncing the light from the street off of it clearly scaring the brute unconscious.

With the brute tied up and out cold Raph looked me over. "You okay girl? You look like shit."

I rubbed my eyes red as I fought the tears. "You gotta minute?" I asked my voice breaking several times. The cocky smirk he sported soon fell and he put his arm around my shoulders.

"Always got a minute for a pretty lady."

"Katie…my name is Katie."

That night, sitting on top of my apartment building I told him everything from my mother leaving my dad and me, to my dad's death hours before. In exchange Raph told me about his family, how Leo is always leading never relaxing, how he wished sometimes Mikey would just grow up or how Don was so close to blowing up their home with his experiments. And even how he wished he could talk to his dad, his sensei like he could as a child.

That night I may have lost my dad, the last part of my family but it was the same night that I gained a hero, someone I know I can count on. Whether it's to beat up a brute or to talk me out of hysteria it didn't matter he would be there, as I am for him. Heroes are rear in this day and age. Not everyone thinks they can be one but the truth is to someone everyone is a hero.