Disclaimer: I don't own the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, it's owned by 4Licensing Corporation and Mirage Studios and I think Nickelodeon. I get no money or profit from this story, it's just for fun.
Chapter 1: Things Change
I stand leaning against the wall watching my adoptive family. My father is teaching my brothers, training them to be ninjas. I roll my eyes at his instructions but have no desire to join in with the lesson.
"Remember: to be a true ninja you must become one with the shadows." Master Splinter, my adoptive father, tells my brothers. "Darkness gives the ninja power. Light reveals his presence. Now, extinguish this flame without being seen."
I giggle as my brother Donnie runs at Splinter, and tries to grab the candle. Splinter dodges and Donnie ends up hitting the wall.
"Too noisy, Donatello." Splinter says then he stands up as my brother Mikey tries to grab it. He fails and lands on Donnie. "Too clumsy, Michelangelo." My hot-headed brother Raph is the next to try to get the candle. He tries sneaking up behind Splinter but he just ducks and Raph is sent flying over his head. Raph tries to run at Splinter, who simply moves his staff so Raph would trip over it and land on Donnie and Mikey. "Poor choice, Raphael." I glance up and notice my brother Leo on the ceiling. He drops down, slicing the candle in half and blows out the light. The lair goes pitch black for a moment, and I freeze before Splinter turns the main lights on. "Well done, Leonardo." Splinter praises him. I roll my eyes at them as they begin to bicker.
Leonardo is the leader of my four younger brothers. He wears a blue bandana, and uses Katana blades as his weapon. Raphael is the hot-headed brother, who wears a red bandana and uses Sai as his weapon. He likes to act like he's mature and an adult, but he's really the same age as the others, sixteen. Michelangelo is the immature brother who wears an orange bandana and prefers to use Nunchaku as his weapon. Donatello is the smart brother who wears a purple bandana and uses a Bo Staff as his weapon. My name is Catherine, but my brothers call me Cat or Cathy. I'm still trying to get Splinter to call me Cat but he prefers to use full names. I have long dark brown hair that falls to my lower back (but today is in two plaits). I'm wearing a white shirt with a tiger on it, black trousers and a pair of Angry Bird socks under black boots. The only weird thing about me? My eyes aren't a normal colour, their red as blood. I used to get bullied at school before I found a home with Splinter and my brothers. Oh yeah, and I carry a sword, bow and arrows. Not every seventeen year old has those!
I move from my spot and walk over to my family.
"My sons." Splinter breaks up the bickering before it can become a full fight. "If you are to become true ninja you must work harder." I smirk knowing they can't work hard even if their lives depend on it. "Your path in life will not be an easy one. The outside world will not be a friendly place for you. You four are different in ways the surface dwellers would not understand. To survive you must master the skills I teach you. Ninjitsu powers of stealth and secrecy. You must become cagey, shadow warriors. And you must never be discovered by the outside world." Splinter warns my brothers. He pauses to frown at Mikey who is busy trying to trap a fly in his hands.
The lair begins to shake. I move closer to my brothers, scared.
"What is that noise?" Splinter asks.
"Whoa, earthquake." Mikey grins like its Christmas.
"In New York? Possible, but not very likely." Donnie doesn't notice us back away until a bit of wall nearly whacks him.
"Donnie, get back!" I yell to my brother, who quickly does so. The wall explodes and robotic creatures enter the lair. I run back to Splinter as my brothers take their weapons and begin to attack the creatures. Some manage to get around them and Splinter fights them. I take out my sword and begin to strike them down with him. My brothers notice the creatures attacking me and Splinter.
"We have to help Cat and Master Splinter!" Leo calls, leading my brothers toward us. The roof caves in. The force knocks Splinter down and he doesn't move. I cough as I make my way towards him. I gently shake his shoulder and he moans softly. He's alive. I hear my brothers calling to us, but their voices are faint. Splinter is woken by his shell-cell. I roll my eyes remembering the dumb name Donnie came up with and run over to Splinter.
"Hmm, which button do you press to answer this thing?" Splinter starts to press random buttons. "Hello? Hello? Stupid device." I laugh and hear Leo's voice on the other end of the 'cell.
"Master Splinter, you don't press any buttons. You already answered." Leo explains to Splinter.
"Ah. Leonardo, whatever those mechanical menaces are, they have managed to eat through the support structure of our home. We must leave right away. Meet us at the old drainage junction at south point." Splinter tells my brothers.
"We'll meet you there, Sensei." Leo hang up and Splinter and I start the long walk to the junction.
Splinter and I walk along the sewer then we enter a room. It has connecting points and looks like a junction. I figure this is the place we're meeting my brothers.
"Ah, the old drainage junction." Splinter tells me. "Now, where are my sons?" Suddenly, the floor begins to shake and crumble away and two more of the mechanical creatures appear. Another three then quickly join them before I can suggest us taking one each. I grab my bow and point it at them ready to attack. One grabs Splinter's robe and starts to pull it, and he gives it a good whack with his tail. It hits the wall but gets back up and comes at us again. I swipe the nearest one to me with my sword and it breaks apart. Four remain. They jump at us, sharp teeth ready to bite our flesh. Splinter whacks two of them with his staff, knocking them down. I quickly switch to my sword and take the other two down.
I start to celebrate, then the floor caves in and we. I try not to scream as we plummet down into the darkness. We land in a tunnel, and brush the dirt and sand from our clothes. We see a bright light and walk towards it, then gasp at the sight that beholds us. Suddenly, we see Donnie's car with my brothers inside. They run to us.
"Sensei, Cat, you're alright!"
"We're fine." I laugh and hug them.
"I'm glad to see you too, my sons." Splinter says as he is crushed in a hug by Mikey.
"Master Splinter, so much has happened." Leo begins.
"Yes, yes. There will be time to share stories later, Leonardo. First, I wish to take you all home." Splinter begins to walk and I follow.
"Home? We got no home." Raph argues. "Those robots trashed our pad. Remember, Sensei?"
"Do not worry. I think I found a solution to our current housing problem." Splinter stops to calm Raph.
"Can we just go already?" I moan and jump down a hole. Splinter follows and my brothers come after.
"Wicked slide!" Mikey says as he gets up from sliding down the hole. We continue walking. "No offense, Master Splinter, but this place doesn't seem so great."
"Look with your heart, Michelangelo, and not your eyes." Splinter cautions. "This way." Mikey begins to walk like Master Splinter, and Donnie hits him over the head with his staff which makes me laugh.
We enter the room.
"Whoa. This is beyond awesome!" Mikey is the first to speak, as usual.
"I could really tune this space up." Donnie smiles. I watch as my brothers explore the room.
"This room here? Mine." Raph calls dibs on a room, then looks to Donnie. "And where you're standing? Also mine."
"You see, my sons. Change is good." Splinter tells my brothers.
"We couldn't agree more, Master Splinter." Leo beams.
"Good. So let's see you boys clean up for a change. This chamber is filthy." Splinter complains. This causes moans from my brothers, and a laugh from me.