Disclaimer: All I own is Lilly and her parents.

A/N: Before we get this show on the road, I have a HUGE apology to make to the new cartoon version of TMNT. Until this past summer, I firmly believed that it was stupid and should never have been created. I 150,000% take back all the bad things I said about it. It is awesome and totally worth watching. So without further ado, I turn things over to my ninja girl, Lilly O'Neil.

'New York? You're sending me to live with Mom?!' the young girl exclaimed in disbelief as she watched her father pack and close his bulging suitcase. 'Please, Dad, tell me you're joking. I mean, did I do something wrong?'

'I wish I was,' her father murmured. He was gripping the sides of his suitcase so tightly that his knuckles whitened. 'And no. You have done nothing wrong, Lillian. God only knows that I would take you with me if I could. I am extremely proud to call myself your father and sensei. You have come a long way than when you were a little girl who was barely able to hold her tonfas properly.'

'Then why won't you take me with you?' Lilly demanded. 'I could help you. Anything would be better than going to live in a noisy, dirty city in a lazy, boring country with Mom.'

'Because it's too dangerous!' He shouted back, making her start as he finally turned to look at her. His brown eyes were red, worn, and desperate, but they instantly softened after seeing the shocked look on his daughter's face. He strode over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. 'Forgive me, Lilly. I should not have shouted at you. It's just that I can't bear the thought of losing you. It's not that I think you are weak. It's just that…'

'I haven't finished my training yet,' Lilly finished, realizing her father was right.

'Besides, you've missed too much school as it is,' he added. 'Also, it will be good for you to spend some time with your mother. She loves and misses you dearly. You'll get to hang out with your cousin April too. After all, you two haven't seen each other since you were little. You'll have a lot to talk about. I'll send for you after I finish my business here.'

'You promise?' She whispered, fighting back tears.

Her father kissed the top of her head and smiled. 'I promise.'

~ Teenage Human Ninja Girl ~

My name is Lillian O'Neil but you can call me Lilly. I'm a fifteen year old brunette who had been, until recently, living with my father in Nagasaki. Now I am living with my mother in New York City where my uncle Kirby and cousin April also live.

So far my life sounds pretty dull, doesn't it? Well, what if I told you I was a teenage human ninja girl? That's right, ever since I was five years old I've been training in the art of ninjutsu.

What I really want to tell you about, however, is how I made five new friends a few months after arriving in the city and all the insane adventures we've had. Seriously, ever since I came to live in this noisy, dirty city, I've experienced fear, pain, loss, joy, and love.

So if you will allow me, I will tell you this tale of how I met four teenage mutant ninja turtles and their rat father, Master Splinter.

~ Teenage Human Ninja Girl ~

"Heading out?" I inquired as I leaned up against the arm of the couch, watching my mom run back and forth like a headless chicken.

"Charles just called," She elaborated unnecessarily as she slipped on her heels. Charles was the name of her boss at the television station she worked at. "There's a breaking news story that he wants me to cover. You'll be okay by yourself, right?"

"I think I can manage," I replied, crossing my arms.

"I'll be back late," She continued as she grabbed her keys and rushed out the front door. "Don't wait up!"

"Like you'd know if I did," I muttered as the door slammed shut behind her dropping my fake smile. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and dialed April's number. "Hey, April? Yeah, it's me. Are you busy right now? I was just wondering if I could hang out at your place tonight. I could help you with your history homework. Huh? No, she just left for work. Yeah, okay. Uh huh, cool. See you then. Love you too, bye."

~ Teenage Human Ninja Girl ~

"Hello? Uncle Kirby? April? Anyone home?" I called as I hit their intercom button. No answer. That's weird. April said they'd be home by now. Maybe something happened. I'd better go and look for them.

I headed back down the building's front steps, walked around the side, and scaled the fire escape to the roof.

I was jumping from rooftop to rooftop when I sensed someone was following me. I turned, ducking behind an air vent as an unusually shaped shadow continued to approach where I had been then suddenly disappeared.

Before I could even begin to wonder where it had gone or move, I found myself pinned up against the vent by a giant turtle wearing a red bandana. Whoa, and here I thought this city was going to be boring.

"Who are you?" the turtle demanded, gripping my arms against my sides. He was leaning in so close that I could feel his breath against my skin. "What the shell are you doing out here on the roof in the middle of the night?"

"I could ask you the same questions," I shot back.

"You know, you're pretty calm for a girl being held by a giant, talking turtle," he noted. "Don't you think you should be, oh I don't know, scared?"

"Well, this is New York," I began then snorted. "Wait a second, you think you have me? That's hilarious."

"How is being pinned by me hilarious? You're not going anywhere," He smiled cockily. If I wasn't about to kick his shell, I would have found him cute. "Not until you answer my questions, anyway."

Okay, I had to admit it. He was cute but oh so wrong. "Oh yeah? You think so, do you?"

I shook off his hands and grabbed his right arm, ducking underneath it just like Dad had taught me. I spun him around and pinned him up against the vent just like he had had me a moment before.

He stared at me, his mouth hanging open. "How did you…?"

"You're not the only one whose been trained in the art of ninjutsu," I explained, letting him go. "My name's Lilly. Lilly O'Neil."

"Raphael," he muttered, rubbing his right arm. "So what are you doing up here? You're a little underdressed to be a vigilante."

I laughed. "You certainly have a sense of humor, I'll give you that. I'm looking for my cousin, April. She has red hair, blue eyes, and a whole lot of freckles."

Raphael's eyes widened. "You're looking for her too?"

"You've seen her?!" I gripped his arm. "Where? When?"

"Easy there," he said, glancing pointedly at my hand.

"Sorry," I apologized, realizing him.

"Yeah, I've seen her," he replied. "She was taken by…"

"Hey Raph," called a new voice coming from behind me. "What's with the…oh."

I turned around to see three more giant, talking turtles walking towards us, each with a different colored bandana covering their eyes. "Friends of yours?"

"Brothers, actually," Raphael corrected. "The one in blue is Leonardo, the one in purple is Donatello, and the ugly one in orange is Michelangelo."

"Hey!" exclaimed Michelangelo indignantly.

"Guys, this is Lilly O'Neil," Raphael continued, ignoring his brother. "She's a kunoichi looking for her cousin April."

"She wouldn't happen to have red hair and the most beautiful blue eyes, would she?" asked Donatello who had obviously been bitten by the love bug.

I nodded. "That's her. So, where is she? Where did you guys see her?"

"We saw her walking down a sidewalk with a tall, redheaded, balding man," he replied.

"My uncle Kirby. And?"

"They were…"

"Taken by aliens in robots!" interjected Michelangelo.

I cocked an eyebrow. "My uncle and cousin were abducted by aliens?"

Michelangelo nodded. "They're all pink and slimy and gross, like brains with eyes and teeth inside human looking robot thingies!"

"Is he always like this?" I asked Raphael who merely nodded as Michelangelo continued to rant and rave. "He wouldn't have an off switch, would he?"

Raphael smirked. "Here, watch this."

He walked over to his brother and conked him on the head making me burst out laughing.

"Ow, Raph," complained Michelangelo, rubbing the top of his head. "What did you do that for?"

"Just doing a new friend a favor," Raph replied, nodding at me as I wiped my eyes. "First impressions are important, after all."

"Friend, huh," I murmured.

"You say friend as if it were a foreign concept to you," noted Leonardo, watching me cautiously.

"Probably because I've never had one," I told him.

"Never ever?" asked Michelangelo.

I shook my head. "All I've ever had is my dad and April."

"What about your mom?" inquired Raph.

"She's here in the city," I replied vaguely. "But enough of the twenty questions already. Donatello was it?"

"You can call me Donnie," he told me with a smile.

"Okay, Donnie. You mentioned that you saw my uncle and cousin being taken away. Do you have any idea where exactly?"

"Well, no, we don't," he admitted, his smile fading. "But we have the next best thing."

"Which is?"

~ Teenage Human Ninja Girl ~

"A stake out?" I repeated incredulously. "This is your guys' idea of 'the next best thing'?"

"Do you have a better idea?" inquired Leonardo, Leo, cocking an eyebrow.

I sighed, sitting down. "No."

"We'll get them back," he assured me. "I promise."

"Right, no worries," I muttered as time slowly dragged on.

"You wanna, I don't know, spar or something?" Raph asked me after what felt like forever. There was still no sign of the guy we were after.

I glanced up at him, a slight smile on my lips. "Sure, why not?"

"I'm guessing you'd prefer to fight hand to hand," he said.

"Actually," I pulled out my tonfas. "I prefer weapons."

"Where did she stash those?" Michelangelo, Mikey, asked Donnie.

"I have a few ideas," Donnie replied. "None of them pleasant."

"Come on then," I said, facing Raph. "Or are you scared?"

"Me? Scared?" He scoffed, pulling out his sais. "Yeah, right. You're the one who should be scared."

I grinned for the first time since I had left my father in that airport in Japan. "Let's go then."

"You two might want to save it for later," Leo advised us, looking down at the street.

"He just came out of the building, didn't he?" I guessed.

Leo nodded.

"Of course," muttered Raph as we all headed down the side of the building we had been perching on.

Not surprisingly the guy jumped into his van and bolted the second he saw us. We chased him down and got him to agree to take us where Uncle Kirby and April were being held after Raph threatened to dump some kind of ooze they called mutagen on him, but the second Snake, the guy, got a chance, he bolted again.

"Great, now where did he go?" I groaned. This whole cat and mouse thing was really getting on my nerves.

"Split up," Leo ordered. "Mikey and Donnie, you go that way. Raph, Lilly, and I will go this way."

Raph, Leo, and I headed down the way Leo had indicated, but there was still no sign of Snake.

I sighed. "This is hopeless."

"Maybe not," Leo whispered back as we heard shuffling behind a dumpster a little ways away. Snake.

We glanced at each other and nodded.

"Lilly's right," said Raph loudly. "Snake's probably long gone by now."

"I guess we have no choice then," agreed Leo, equally loudly. "We'll take Snake's van to their HQ tonight at midnight and rescue the O'Neils."

"Until then?" I asked after a few moments, waiting for Snake to leave to give our message to his bosses.

The brothers shared a look.

"Oh no," said Leo at last, shaking his head. "No, no, no, no, no."

"Aw, come on Leo," argued Raph. "She's already a part of all of this. She's already a part of this team. Besides, we need to prepare."

"I still don't think this is a good idea, Raph," Leo argued back. "Sensei will not be happy."

"Don't worry," Raph said confidently though I thought that I detected a flicker of fear at the mention of his teacher. "I'll talk to him."

"Anyone want to let me in on what you two are talking about?" I suggested, crossing my arms. "What are we going to do between now and midnight?"

~ Teenage Human Ninja Girl ~

The sewers. I was walking through the sewers with four giant, talking turtles to their home. If only Dad could see me now. "So, you guys live down here?"

"Yep," replied Raph, ducking under a cluster of pipes.

"For how long?" I asked.

"Our whole lives," answered Mikey. "Until tonight that is."

"Wait," I stopped in my tracks. "This was the first time you guys went above? How old are you?"

"Fifteen," they replied.

"Wow," I murmured. "I can't even begin to imagine being confined to one area for so long."

"Master Splinter is kind of overprotective," admitted Leo as we continued walking. "But I'll let him speak for himself. We're almost there now."

We had been walking along subway tracks and now came upon the entrance of an old subway station.

"Home sweet home," said Raph, watching me out of the corner of his eye. "What do you think?"

"It's amazing," I breathed and it was. The turtles' home, or lair as they liked to call it, was vast and open. I didn't feel the slightest claustrophobic but then again I wasn't trapped underground. "So much better than my stuffy bedroom back in my mom's apartment."

"And why have you four brought a human stranger into our home?" demanded a deep voice suddenly, instantly making the guys cringe. A giant rat had appeared from across the lair and was now walking towards us. He had piercing dark eyes and wore a robe.

"Master Splinter, I presume?" I asked finally since none of the guys seemed inclined to speak first.

"Yes, that is my name," Splinter replied slowly, focusing his gaze solely on me. "Who are you and what are you doing in our home?"

"My name is Lillian, Lillian O'Neil," I explained, bowing in respect. "I am a kunoichi who was looking for my uncle and cousin when I came across your students who have agreed to help me get them back."

"Is that true, my sons?" Splinter asked, turning to face them.

"Hai, sensei," confirmed Raph, still not looking directly at him. "We saw her family being captured by some weird guys and decided to follow them. We were travelling along the rooftops when I… bumped into Lilly. We teamed up and are now planning to hit their HQ tonight."

"I see," Splinter murmured, pulling thoughtfully as his beard before turning away. "Leonardo, I wish to speak with you privately."

Leo bowed his head and followed his father out of the room.

"Wait, uh, Master Splinter? What about Lilly?" asked Raph, hesitantly.

"Yea, can she, like, stay?" inquired Mikey.

Splinter paused. "Yes, Miss Lillian can stay. I have a feeling that we can trust her and that she will prove a most powerful ally."

"Thank you," I bowed my head. "I will strive to meet your expectations, sensei."

Splinter inclined his head in turn and left the room with Leo.

Raph sighed in relief. "That was close."

I smirked. Apparently even a giant, talking ninja turtle was intimidated by his dad. "Yeah, we really dodged a bullet there."

"You have no idea," muttered Raph, shaking his head.

"Yeah, Master Splinter can get really scary," agreed Mikey as he whispered dramatically.

I rolled my eyes. "So anyway, before you guys brought me here you were talking about how we needed to prepare for tonight?"

"Well we can't break into a top secret HQ with just my sais and your tonfas, now can we?" Raph pointed out. "Here we have throwing stars, rope, and a bunch of other stuff that Donnie made."

"Wait, back up," I murmured. "Did you just say throwing stars? As in shuriken?"

They nodded.

"Can I see them?" I begged, my eyes widening. "Please?"

The three brothers looked at each other and shrugged.

"Uh, sure Lilly," said Raph, turning back to me. "Come on. I'll show you our weapon room."

"Awesome," I followed him out of the living room and down a hall.

"Here we are," he told me, stopping suddenly in front of a door.

"Cool," I said as he opened the door and we stepped inside. "Whoa, you guys have quite the armory here and I thought my dad had a big collection."

"Your dad is quite the ninja master, huh?" guessed Raph, watching me as I looked over the weapons.

"Yeah, he is," I replied, looking over my shoulder at him, a slight smile on my lips.

"What's he like?" He asked. "By the way, the shuriken are in that silver box to your left."

"He's, a lot like your dad now that I think about it," I realized as I picked up the box and lifted its lid. I let out a small sigh.

"Something wrong?" inquired Raph, no doubt noting that my eyes were tearing up.

"It's just that," I began slowly, taking out one of the shuriken and weighing it in my palm. After a moment I shook my head, placing the star back in its box. "It's nothing."

I was putting the box back in its place when I discovered yet another surprise: a small, non-mutated turtle. "Well hello there. Where did you come from, little guy?"

"That's Spike," said Raph. "My pet turtle and, uh, best friend."

"It's very nice to meet you, Spike," I reached out a finger to pet his head. "My name's Lilly. I hope that we can be good friends too."

Spike bowed his head and walked slowly towards me, letting me pet him.

"Wow, he really likes you," noted Raph as he came to stand beside me.

"Yeah?" The ninja turtle nodded. "My dad always wanted me to have friends."

"And now you do," said Raph, reaching around me to pet Spike. "Friends that are going to help you kick some serious butt and get your family back. Isn't that right, Spike?"

Spike munched on the leaf in front of him, making me laugh.

"Alright then," I said, wiping my eyes. "Let's go kick some serious butt and get my uncle and cousin back."

A/N: And there you have it. My first ever TMNT 2012 fanfic has begun, just in time for the new episodes to premiere. Who's ready to head back to New York in a couple weeks?! I know Lilly sure is. Til next time, read review and show the love! See ya!