Hey guys! Here's yet another story. This is really going to mess up my update schedule. Oh, well. I'll try to update everything as soon as I can. Anyways, enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or any of its characters featured in this story, and just in case I forget to put the disclaimer in later chapters, this goes for the whole story. I do own all OC's, though.

In the Shadows

Chapter 1

-Xander's POV-

The name's Alexandra. Most people call me Xander. Last week, I moved to New York with my family expecting the time of my life, but now I'm in the fight of my life, most likely for my life. As we speak, I'm cornered in an alley by some street rats who call themselves the Purple Dragons. There are a couple of them on the side rummaging through the forest green backpack that I always carry around with me.

Now, I may be really pissed off, but I'm thin as hell, and I have no combat skills what so ever. And to top it all off, they're armed with knives. Do I honestly stand a chance against these chumps?

I suddenly see four figures fly over head. 'Oh God, I'm screwed,' I think to myself. I seriously thought I was dead meat when the four figures jumped down into the alley. They surrounded me, but they weren't facing me. Were they protecting me?

Within seconds, my question was answered. The four had the punks knocked out all across the alley. I saw that they all were armed with ninja weapons. One with Sais, one with Katanas, one with Nunchucks, and on with a Bo Staff. I saw that one Sai was on the ground in front of me, so I picked it up to return it to the owner.

When I bent down to pick it up, I noticed that one of the Purple Dragon get up and try to sneak away with a small blue laptop. My laptop. "Hey! Give that back!" I shouted. Without thinking, I threw the Sai with incredible aim that I didn't even intend, and it pinned him against the wall by the back of his shirt. I punched him in the face, plucked the computer out of his hands, and gave him a sarcastic 'thank you.'

"Thank you so much for saving. . . " I turn to thank my saviors just to realize that they had vanished. "...me." I looked around in confusion and awe. I gathered my stuff, looked up, and saw one of my heroes. I gave him a sincere thank you smile, waved at him, then quickly walked out of the alley, heading home.

When I arrived at my apartment building, my mom was waiting in the lobby. "Well, I'm waiting." She always said that when she wanted an explanation. I looked at the large wall clock behind her and noticed that it was past my curfew. I drew in a sharp breath between gritted teeth and prepared to tell the whole truth.

"Mom, I can explain. The thing is, I was mugged by this street gang -" "You were what!?" she said cutting me off. "Dimitri, call the police." Dimitri, the doorman, is a good friend of ours. He's the one who made us feel welcome when we first moved here. "Dimitri, you don't need to call anyone. As I was saying, before I was so rudely cut off, there were these four guys with ninja weapons who came in and saved me."

When I finished, mom looked at me like I was a loony. "What, I'm serious," I say. Dimitri looks at me in a believing way, but mom dragged me into the elevator. "That's it, we're calling a psychiatrist," she said flatly. "But mom, I'm not crazy. I swear to God, there were four ninjas that saved me from those street rats!" I tried to talk her out of calling our family therapist, Dr. Lisena, but she just wouldn't listen.

"Young lady, I'm serious. You need to get yourself together before you get into some real trouble." I can't snap her out of it. I guess her decision can't be swayed. "Fine, whatever," I say, reluctantly awaiting the details of my therapy session.

Was that cool or what? Seriously, I'm asking. Review, follow, fave, etc. Zai Jien (Mandarin Chinese for goodbye)!