Falling Leaves
Chapter 1: A Place to Hide
A/N: This plot bunny has come to me suddenly, and I figured now would be the best time to write about it since it won't leave me alone. This story contains an OC though she's older than the Turtles and doesn't meet them the way most OCs do. I hope that you enjoy this story as I feel I'm going to have a lot of fun writing it.
Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and anyone else you don't recognize from the TMNT franchise.
Summary: Renowned dojo instructor Willow Green never thought her life would change so drastically, but when the Kraang invade Earth for a second time, Willow's life as she knows it is turned upside down.
Willow sighed as she tried, yet again, to teach her young student the correct form of the kata. As much as she enjoyed teaching people martial arts, it could get trying at times when her students didn't listen to her.
"Did I do it right, Sensei?" the boy asked her.
"No, you have the wrong stance," Willow replied. "Try it like this." She demonstrated the move and then waited as the young boy copied her exactly. "Much better. Good job, Billy."
"Thanks, Sensei Willow," he said. "Do you think I'll grow up to be a great ninja?"
She ruffled his hair. "I think you'll grow up to be a fantastic ninja," she said affectionately. "Well, that's the end of the lesson. Don't forget to keep practicing. I'll see you on Monday."
"Goodbye, Sensei Willow!" yelled Billy as he waved at her.
She smiled and watched as the young boy left the dojo and got into the car where his mother was waiting for him. Then she picked up the mats that had been used earlier in the day and put them away in their respective places. She took the broom and began to sweep the floor before heading out for the day.
Willow was proud of her dojo and was surprised it had lasted as long as it had. Many other dojos had gone out of business due to Chris Bradford's chain of dojos all over New York, and Willow had feared hers would be subjected to this problem. However, many of her students rallied around her and had made sure that her dojo remained open. It warmed her heart to know that so many people cared about her and looked up to her as a teacher.
Her phone rang and she immediately answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey, Willow, are you done?" a voice on the other end asked.
"Yep, just got done. You ready to meet me for lunch?"
"Sure. Where do you want to go?"
"I think Murakami's sounds nice," she answered. "See you in a few, Cynthia."
"See you in a few," replied Cynthia.
After hanging up, Willow smiled to herself. She was excited to meet her best friend, Cynthia Lee, for lunch. Cynthia was a fifth grade teacher and had often wished that she could do something else like Willow was, though she wasn't athletic and wasn't adept at martial arts either. She loved teaching, but there were some days where it was too much for her.
Murakami's was bustling with activity as Willow entered and spotted her friend sitting at a table. She hurried over and smiled as she sat down across from Cynthia.
"So, what's happening, Cyn?" she asked.
"Not much," Cynthia replied. "I'm so glad it's Saturday and I don't have to work. I'm surprised you don't take off today."
Willow shrugged. "I have to pay the bills somehow," she told her. "But at least I get Sundays off and I get an hour for lunch when I do work. It pays to be your own boss."
Cynthia sighed. "Yeah, I wish I could do that," she said. "At least you don't have to deal with idiots who are running a school."
"No, but I do have to deal with parents sometimes," Willow pointed out.
"Very true," Cythia agreed. "How's your day going so far?"
"Pretty good. I finally got Billy to do the kata right."
Cythia laughed. "Well, at least he knows how to do it now."
"What about you? How are the fifth graders?"
"Pretty good, though Brad was being obnoxious again and didn't listen to what I had to say."
"Yeah, he can be like that. He comes to the dojo, and he definitely doesn't know how to listen."
"I didn't know he came to your dojo. You poor thing."
Wilow laughed. "It's not that bad," she said. "He usually is put back in line if I use my sternest voice on him and threaten him with flips."
"Maybe I should try that."
"It can't hurt to try it. Or you could threaten to send him to me."
"I'm sure he'd be quaking in his shoes," Cynthia laughed.
The talk turned to lighter subjects such as television shows they both loved, how they wanted to get together to go shopping soon, and how their families were doing. Willow was an only child. Her father had died in a car accident, and her mother was in an adult residency now though Willow made sure to visit her every Sunday. Cynthia had one sister living and though they didn't get along that well, she still did her best to deal with her.
Murakami gave them their orders, and they began eating and savoring every bite.
"I just knew you'd order the pizza gyoza," Cynthia teased her friend.
"It's good," Willow defended. "I don't know why you won't try it."
"Because it's not real Japanese food," Cynthia replied. "Give me miso soup any day."
Willow stuck her tongue out playfully at her friend as she continued to eat her meal. She was happy that Cynthia was meeting her for lunch and hanging out with her. They were both so busy, they rarely had a chance to catch up and spend time together. When the meal was over, they said goodbye and promised to see each other soon. Willow left the restaurant to head back to her dojo while Cynthia left to go to her apartment.
Willow was excited to get back to her dojo and finish working for the rest of the day. She usually worked on Monday through Saturday and was only off on Sundays and certain holidays. As she thought about the lesson she was going to take her students through, she was startled out of her thoughts by a very loud sound. She jumped and looked ahead of her and saw a pink portal materializing out of nowhere. It deposited two men who were dressed in business suits and were wearing sunglasses.
"What the hell is going on?" she muttered to herself.
More things were coming out of the portal and Willow recognized one of the ships. It was one of the ships those aliens had had last year. They apparently had returned.
"This can't be good," she said as she began to run. She just had to make it to her dojo and she'd be safe. A giant robot blocked her way, its leg coming down in front of her. She shrieked and turned around, trying to avoid a crush of people who were running the same way she was. What was she going to do?
As luck would have it, someone grabbed her and pulled her to safety as one of the robots fired a laser that would have killed her if she'd been standing too close. The man wore a trench coat and fedora just like some of those detectives in old movies would do.
"Quick, we don't have much time!" he said as he guided her away from the chaos and led her to an abandoned warehouse.
"Who are you?" she demanded once they were safely inside.
"My name's Jack Kurtzman," answered the man. "I was walking around when I noticed the Kraang had returned."
"Wait, is that what they call themselves?" she asked him.
"Yep. I know all about them because I've been doing research on them."
"Oh. Do you know how to stop them?"
"I have some friends who might help, but I can't find them. I'm gonna wait until all of this dies down before I go to look for them."
"Do you think the police could help?' Willow asked him.
He shook his head. "There's no way they'd be able to do anything now. The Kraang are too powerful. But don't worry. I'm sure my friends will be able to stop this menace soon enough. What's your name?"
"Willow Green," she answered. "I'm a dojo instructor."
"Ah, that's neat," Jack said. "So you know martial arts then."
"Yes, I've been learning them since I was five," she replied.
"My friends are pretty talented ninjas themselves," Jack said. "They've stopped an invasion before, and I'm sure they can do it again if they get the right tools."
"When are you going to look for them?" she asked him.
"Very soon, but I want you to stay here," he advised her. "It's too dangerous out there."
Willow nodded though she really wanted to do anything she could to help. Her thoughts turned to her students. Were they okay, or had the robots gotten them? What about Cynthia? Had she made it to her apartment? Willow pulled out her phone and dialed her friend's number, but there was no answer. This put a chill down Willow's spine because Cynthia never failed to answer her phone. Something was terribly wrong.
Jack noticed the stricken look on her face. "Is everything okay?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, I'm worried about my friend," she answered. "She was supposed to leave for her apartment, and I don't know if she got there okay. She won't answer her phone."
"Did you leave a message?"
No, she hadn't because she'd been too shocked. But would Cynthia answer her? She decided to try again. When the voice message came on and the beep sounded, Willow said, "Cyn, it's Willow. I just want to tell you that I'm okay and I want to know if you're okay, too. Please call me as soon as you get this." Then she hung up and just hoped that her friend would call her back.
"Here's some soup," Jack said as he gave her a bowl. "I don't have much down here, but I hope to get more."
"How long have you been here?" Willow asked.
"A few weeks. I had to leave my apartment because the Kraang know where I live, so I relocated to this warehouse to stay safe."
"I suppose that makes sense," she mused. She wondered whether they had taken refuge in her apartment too. What about the dojo? Were her students safe? She really didn't want them to get hurt because of her. She yawned loudly.
"I suppose you're tired," Jack said. "Well, I don't have a bed for you, but there's a couch right there. I can always find some blankets and sleep on the floor."
"Are you sure? I can always take the floor."
"No, I don't want you to sleep on the floor. You take the couch."
She nodded and settled on the soft piece of furniture. Jack came and laid two blankets over her. She definitely was still worried about what was going on, but sleep claimed her before she could really process anything, and she closed her eyes.
22222
It has been three days now since I've been here. Jack gave me this notebook to write in. I know I've always kept a journal before, so I've decided to keep one now. The aliens have invaded, and they aren't leaving. Jack thinks his friends aren't around because he figures they would have stopped them by now. He's worried, and he just left to go find them. I wanted to go with him, but he refused, saying I had to stay here. I insisted that I could help as I was a skilled martial artist, but he still refused. I know he wants to protect me, but he needs to stop treating me like a baby.
Cyn never called back, and I'm worried about her. I hope the aliens didn't get her. I'm getting really sick of being cooped up here, but there's nothing I can do. I miss my home. I miss my dojo and my students. I just want things to be back to normal and not be in chaos. Ah, Jack's back. I wonder if he brought his friends. I better go see.
Until next time,
Willow
22222
"Jack is that you?" Willow called as she closed her journal. She wished she had brought the twin katanas she had at her dojo, but she had no weapons on her, save for some pepper spray.
"Yep, it's me," Jack said. "I brought some company with me."
Willow hurried over to him and then gasped as she saw who he meant. There was a huge mutant turtle with spikes on his back, a mutant alligator who looked like he could crush someone with his hands, a mutant monkey, and a mutant pigeon. Where had they come from?
"Um, are these your friends?" she asked him.
"No, but they are now," Jack said. "This is Slash (he pointed to the turtle), Leatherhead (the alligator), Dr. Rockwell (the monkey), and Pigeon Pete (the mutant pigeon)."
"Oh, nice to meet you," Willow said.
"Likewise," Slash said. "We heard Jack had taken in someone else."
"Yeah, it's because of those aliens. Are you going to stop them?"
"We'll try, but I can't make any promises," Slash said.
"We will do what we can to protect you," Leatherhead said. "What is your name?"
"Oh, I forgot my manners," she said. "I'm Willow Green. I was running from the Kraang when Jack rescued me."
"It's a good thing he found you," Rockwell replied. "Otherwise you would have been in grave danger."
A flash of recognition flashed in her eyes. "I know you! You're one of the missing scientists that the Kraang kidnapped! I saw it on the Internet!"
"Well, I wasn't exactly kidnapped by them at first. I was first turned into a mutant by my old partner Victor Falco. Then the Kraang caught me and experimented on me. I was just wandering the streets when Slash found me, and now we're here."
"You're lucky Jack found you then," Willow said.
"It's awesome!" Pete squeaked. "It's like we're gonna be superheroes."
"Then you boys need a name," Willow suggested. She thought a moment. "Well, you're mutant animals, so how about if you call yourselves the Mighty Mutanimals?"
Slash's eyes lit up. "I like it," he said. "What do you guys think?"
The others agreed and thus the Mighty Mutanimals were born.
22222
Living here isn't so dull anymore now that the Mighty Mutanimals are here. All of them have their different personalities, but I like them just for that. Slash is the leader of the group, and he seems to be pretty intense sometimes. He's determined to stop the Kraang from whatever they have planned, and he schedules nightly patrols so the Mutanimals can go and take care of any Kraang who are pestering people. I don't think it's a good idea, but I can't stop them no matter how I try. I've even offered to help, but they won't allow it despite my protests.
"The Kraang are looking to mutate humans," Slash informed me when I protested that I wanted to help. "It's no good to have you out there as easy bait for them."
I glared at him. Who did he think he was to tell me what to do? I wasn't sure of his age, but I was pretty sure I was older than him. "I can help," I protested. "I'm a trained martial artist. I'm sure the Kraang can't get to me."
Slash grabbed my arm and led me to one of the windows that was boarded up. He forced me to look out just as a big Kraang robot was cornering two humans and poured green goop on them.
Slash stared at me. "You see that? Do you really think you could handle that? Those robots would decimate you and you'd be a mutant like so many others. You need to stay here where you'll be safe. We'll handle the Kraang."
I bit my lip, realizing he was right. "Okay, I'll stay here."
"Good," Slash said. "I'll see you later."
"Could you do something for me?" I asked him.
"Sure. What do you want?"
"Could you see if you could find out where my friend is? Her name is Cynthia Lee and I haven't heard from her. She's got blond curly hair and is about five foot two, give or take a few inches."
"Yeah, we'll look for her," he answered. "You just stay here."
I nodded and watched him go. I had a feeling it was best not to go rushing into things.
Leatherhead is also a very interesting mutant. He was taken by the Kraang, too, and is very upset with them. He has a bit of a temper problem, though from what I've gathered, he's learned to control it by breathing deeply. He said that by befriending someone named Michelangelo he has learned to keep his temper in check. I have to admit that it's very admirable of him to think that way.
Dr. Rockwell is the brains of the group. Well, he would be seeing as he was a scientist before he became what he is. He often presents certain facts to us about things we'd never know and also has an ability to sense where the Kraang are. I asked him about Cynthia, and he said he'd do all he could to aid in finding her. I just hope they can do it.
And then there's Pigeon Pete. He's a bit hyper and outgoing, bordering on annoying sometimes. I have to admit that the only thing that settles him down is when someone gives him some bread. But he is a nice little pigeon and often asks me more about human life since he was originally a pigeon before he got turned into what he is.
Jacks's gone all of the time, too. He's doing more research on the Kraang, and I often worry that he'll get mutated like all of the others. But he seems to know what he's doing, so I have to have faith in him.
Now they've returned, so I have to go and ask after Cynthia. I just hope they have found her and she's okay.
Until next time,
Willow
22222
At the sound of the door opening, Willow rushed over to where the Mighty Mutanimals were gathered. "Did you find Cynthia?" she asked anxiously.
Slash shook his head. "No sign of her, but she could be hiding out with other humans. There are all sorts of shelters out there where humans have hidden."
"Maybe you could find her and bring her here," Willow suggested.
"Too risky," Slash said. "We don't want the humans to see us, and if they did, they'd get upset and think we're working for the Kraang. If she's in a safe house, she'll be fine."
Willow had to content herself with that information, though it didn't make things easier. Jack came home as well, and they settled down to eat some sandwiches he'd managed to get from one of the local deli restaurants. Willow picked off the lettuce and tomato on hers and ate the sub, relishing the flavors on her tongue. This wasn't the best place at the moment, but for now, it was all she had. She just hoped that this whole mess would blow over and that when it was done, she would find Cynthia and her life would return to normal. For now, it was all she could hope for.
A/N: And that's the end of the first chapter. I'm having a lot of fun coming up with this story, and I hope that all of you will enjoy it, too. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.