Note: I do not own any of, or anyone related to the Turtles. They're
Mirage Studio's property, not mine. I am getting no money whatsoever for
writing this story, so please don't sue me! Kapeesh?
Chapter 2
When she awoke, Jasmine found herself lying on an old couch, covered up to her neck in blankets. The fiery pain that had ripped through her shoulder earlier had subsided considerably and she sat up to examine her wound. Her arm had been wrapped and bandaged. Looking around, she searched her mind for some clue of her whereabouts, but the last thing she remembered was the battle, and nothing before that rang a bell. She figured the group must have found her and taken her to some sort of haven after the fight. Jazz glanced around once more, expecting to see familiar faces, but the room was empty. Dim lights on the ceiling glowed just enough for her to make out her surroundings. The only furnishings in the area were a small table with a lamp on it, a well-kept lazy-boy chair, and a television set sitting in one corner. It was too dark to see much, but she could tell that there were no windows anywhere in the space. Two passages led out of the small room, as well as a door on a wall, not too far from the couch. She considered calling out for someone, but decided against it, not knowing whether or not this was enemy territory.
Slipping quietly off the couch, Jasmine made her way towards the door to explore the situation. A sudden noise startled her as she reached for the doorknob. It sounded as if it had come from one of the passages. She squinted, trying to make out its source in the darkness. The faint light barely entered the pitch-blackness of the tunnel, making it impossible to see more than a foot into the gloom. She promptly turned the knob, but felt something push the door closed in front of her before she had a chance to run out. Turning, she could roughly make out the outline in the darkness. It spoke to her in a calm tone. "Leaving already?"
"Like you're gonna let me." Jazz responded sarcastically, eyeing his hand on the door. She gasped as she noticed it only held three fingers. The creature eyed her with an amused glint in his eyes as she got she got into a fighting stance. Jasmine watched, surprised, as he stepped away from the entrance. Dropping her stance, she looked at him questioningly.
"Wrong there, kiddo. Go right ahead; don't let me stop you." Something was wrong with this picture. Jasmine shot him a suspicious look and cautiously opened the door. All she saw was pitch-blackness; the only sound was the echo of dripping water. Her captor chuckled at her obvious puzzlement making her harshly fling the door shut and turn to him with a look of irritation.
"Where the hell am I?" she spoke loudly, drawing immediate attention to the scene.
She jumped as a new voice came from behind her. "This is our home. If you want it in more precise terms, welcome the New York City sewer system." The last phrase seemed frighteningly serious. Not sure whether to believe it, she looked into the strange face, searching for an answer. As if reading her thoughts, the lamp suddenly came on, flooding the room with a pale light.
Jazz froze at the sight in front of her. Her initial shock quickly turned to amazement as she studied the beings before her. "Oh my god, you're…you're…" The words wouldn't surface.
"Turtles." The one she had first encountered finished the thought. She was too caught up in studying the swirling patterns on their shells to notice that they were sizing her up as well. She looked up into the turtle's face to notice he was wearing an orange bandana over his eyes. He tilted his head to the side. "So, you're not gonna faint?" Jazz quickly dropped her gaze when she realized she had been staring. She wanted to believe she was still out cold in the alley, that this was all a part of her imagination.
Looking at them, however, she knew that nothing so realistic could only be a dream. The light highlighted every muscle in their well-toned bodies. She couldn't help but be in awe of these creatures; they were so eccentric and yet so magnificent all at once. If the way they were built wasn't enough to indicate they were fighters, then their attire was. Each wore different color eye-masks and wristbands and was equipped with protective battle gear and weapons. Examining them, Jasmine recognized a staff resembling the one she had used as well as what seemed to be a pair of swords, both worn strapped across the shell. A pair of very familiar three- pronged daggers on the last turtle's belt reminded her of the attack as another sharp wave of pain shot through her arm.
She attempted to hide the pain, but the worried look on their faces told her she had failed. The turtle with the purple bands worded his concern. "Your arm okay?"
Jazz looked down at it and noticed blood seeping through the bandage. "My arm is fine!" it was an obvious lie but none of them pressed the matter. "Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell I'm doing here in the sewers talking to four giant turtles?"
"You were injured and needed immediate attention. We feared it would be too long before the police arrived." The blue masked turtle spoke in an authoritative tone.
"Why were you there in the first place? I mean…who are you?" She looked at each of them in turn, studying their expressions and awaiting an answer. They looked to the one who had spoken last as he began.
"My name is Leonardo." His face hid any emotion, but there was something about him that told Jasmine he wasn't sure what to think of her.
The next one to speak was the turtle in orange. "I'm Michaelangelo, but you can call me Mike." He seemed amused at her apparent frustration. A small mock-bow caused the corners of her mouth to twitch. Mike smiled broadly, pleased at the reaction.
Jasmine turned away to the one in purple, bearing the staff. "Donatello," came the quiet reply.
The last turtle with the daggers and red bands observed her without responding. They held eye contact for a moment before introductions, dubious of each other. "Raphael," he responded, still holding the gaze.
The link broke when Leonardo spoke again, briefly answering the last of her question. "We happened to notice the scene and you looked like you could use the help." He didn't add the real reason they so quickly jumped into the fight, not wishing to give away too much before knowing it was safe.
Jazz, however, realized she wasn't getting the full story. "That doesn't explain why they completely dropped the fight against us when you arrived," she persisted. Leo sighed inwardly; he hadn't expected her to be this observant.
"We do not give information to strangers."
"But you take them into your house and cure 'em?" A stern look from the turtle told her to drop it. "Okay, okay. My name's Jasmine, but most people call me Jazz. Happy now?" She waited for him to continue but he just watched her, expecting the same.
"Why did they attack?" he hinted. Jazz looked him in the eye, unsure of what to say. There was not much to tell.
"To tell the truth, I really don't know. I was walking back to base when all of a sudden, we were surrounded." Raphael looked at her doubtfully from where he sat. He knew the enemy far to well than for them to pull a stunt like that. Donatello was the one to voice his brother's thoughts.
"The Foot aren't known to attack without reason." Confusion crossed the girl's face but disappeared, remembering the name. Chad had mentioned them not too long ago, but she couldn't quite remember what it was about. The only thing she could think of was the usual trafficking of drugs and other illegal matters, something Jazz had never been overly proud of. It was a living. When she and her sister had first joined the Eclipse, the only reason was for protection on the streets and to have a sense of something they could never remember having: family.
She cleared her mind and looked once again to the turtles. "You called them the Foot; I've heard of them. It was about some sort of delivery we were supposed to make…" she paused for a second, trying to remember the details. "We didn't know why they wanted us for the job, we didn't really care; they offered money, and a whole lot of it. I can only assume that we didn't get it in on time." As hard as she tried, the rest of the incident would not come to mind. Closing her eyes, she exhaled a sigh. "That's all I know, I swear."
Leonardo nodded slowly, deciding to accept her story. That did not mean he trusted her; after all, she had just admitted to dealing with the Foot, even if she did not seem to know anything about the clan. Jasmine's thoughts shifted from the dealings, to the clan, to the battle. Their side was losing strength; she was forced against wall, their opponents' sudden change of target. "What the hell did they have against you anyways?"
They were each about to speak, but an Asiatic voice from behind interrupted them. "It is a long story." Turning, Jazz found herself face to face with something that startled her even more than the turtles. The rat smiled and motioned her towards the couch as he sat in the large chair. Once she had pushed aside the blankets and settled herself down, he began. "My name is Splinter, and I see you have already met my sons," he indicated the turtles who had also seated themselves around the room.
Leonardo, who had placed himself beside the old rat, introduced the awestruck girl. "Master, this is Jasmine."
Before anyone had a chance to continue, Jasmine had to clear something. "Master? Isn't that a title for martial artists?" The reply came in nods. I guess that would explain the weapons, she thought, remembering a movie she had watched about rival clans in Japan. "That would mean the Foot are too; but here in New York?"
Looking into her deep, dark eyes, Splinter began the lengthy story of their origin. "The Foot are a clan of ninja that originated many years ago in Japan. When I was still no more than an animal, my sensei, Hamato Yoshi, and his companion, Oroku Nagi, were students in the clan. Both were true masters in the art and everyday I would watch as Yoshi trained, memorizing the most intricate of movements in my sub consciousness. For many years, things went by normally, until one day when everything began to fall apart. Yoshi and Nagi both fell for the same woman; her name was Tang Shen. She, on the other hand, loved only my master. Nagi became jealous and the years of friendship were soon forgotten. Yoshi came home one day to find that Nagi had broken in and was beating Tang Shen. In a fit of rage, Yoshi threw himself at Nagi, killing him. According to the ninja code, Yoshi was forced to commit seppuku or flee the country for the crime against his clan member. He and Tang Shen found refuge here, in New York City, where they believed they would find peace and prosperity.
"Nagi's brother, Oroku Saki, joined the Foot after news of his brother's death, swearing revenge on those who caused him this early end. After years of training, Saki was made head of a separate branch of the clan: the one in New York. This being the perfect opportunity to quench his need for vengeance, he set out to find Hamato Yoshi. It was not long before he reached his destination."
The scene repeated itself once again in the old rat's mind. A look of long kept sorrow swept over his eyes as he went on. "Yoshi was away when a knock came to his door. Tang Shen walked over, oblivious to the danger that lay behind. I watched as Saki lashed out at Shen until her body was nothing but a heap, bloody and broken on the floor. This is how Yoshi found her when he returned; just minutes later. He ran to her side, tears streaking his cheeks. Oroku Saki stepped out of the shadows to face my master. Yoshi backed away in shock as the ghost of his past pulled a bloodied sword from his dogi. My cage was sent to the ground during the ruthless struggle. I managed to escaped, looking back only to see Saki's killing stroke.
"I did not rest until I was blocks away in a dark sewer passage in which I made my home. I spent the next few days scavenging the alleys for what little food there was. It was during one of these hunts that I witnessed the accident; a large truck swerved wildly on the road, barely missing a cyclist, who, in turn, fell into a small boy coming out of a pet shop. The boy was carrying a bowl of four turtles that shattered when coming in contact with the asphalt, sending them down the water drain along with a canister that must have fallen from the truck during the incident."
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what turtles he was talking about, but the greatest mystery was yet to be solved. Jazz listened attentively as he continued. "I rushed down to find the turtles covered in a bright glowing substance. Using an old coffee can, I picked them up and hurriedly took them with me to cleanse their bodies of the ooze. Within the next week, the turtles had tripled in size; to my surprise, so had I. I soon recalled my master's ninjitsu and found myself drawing his knowledge from my mind and, after some practice, capable of performing a number of the most difficult katas. I had discovered a way to avenge my master's death." Splinter stole a glance at each of his students; they had changed so much, yet so little since that day, seventeen years ago.
Leonardo was still striving for perfection, his star student. Now that the old rat had taught him everything he knew, he could only watch as his pupil drove himself to his limits. Michaelangelo still had his playful spirit and love for life. Although he was slacking a bit in his practice, he had found talents other than martial arts that he pursued such as his writing. Raphael's ability to control his anger externally had much improved, but the old rat knew that his fiery son continued to battle it inside, pushing his feelings downward and locking them away from others. Donatello, well, he had practically stopped training altogether. He had never been one for violence, but Splinter hoped he would not forget his teachings with all the time spent on his inventions and computer. As much as he hated to admit it, the brothers had begun to drift apart now that their task was complete.
From the look on his face, Jasmine could tell he was not about to say more, but the abrupt ending had left her somewhat confused. "So you're saying that this 'ooze' transformed you into what you are now?" She searched them for an answer.
Donnie was the first to speak up, being the one who knew best on this subject. "Well actually, it was more like a radioactive substance we more commonly call mutagen. You see, the mutagen formed a chemical bond between the turtle DNA in our bloodstreams and common human DNA, therefore giving us characteristics of both species." He paused to make sure she was still with him. "It basically sped up the natural evolution process, altering it just a bit."
It was still hard to believe the facts, but Jazz was beginning to think that they were more than they appeared. And, in fact, they were. "So the increased brain capacity let you learn things that you, as a regular rat and turtles, weren't capable of." Even Donatello was impressed at her quick understanding of the matter. "Like ninjitsu, for example."
"That is correct." Leonardo agreed. Raphael was still battling with himself whether or not to trust this near stranger; she was not as ignorant as he knew most street punks could be.
"And now you're using that knowledge to get revenge on Saki?" This was the last thing that needed clearing up.
"It's what we used to get revenge. Though Fearless Leader's attempt was a bit more successful than some of us." Leonardo ignored Raphael's remark.
She couldn't hold back the thought as it slipped from her lips, "Well that explains why they were so pissed at you!" Raph and Mikey couldn't help but smirk at her straightforwardness. They quickly caught themselves at their master's glare. Donatello's mind was somewhere else, something that happened quite frequently these days. The fierce battle crept back into Leonardo's vision. He had been partially withdrawn from the group ever since his encounter with the Shredder, questioning his life's meaning now that what he had trained and prepared for since he was able to walk upright was over. For a while, the room was silent; each absorbed in their own thoughts.
Jazz gazed at a spot in front of her. Though she spoke of her current situation, the question had been lingering in everyone's mind for months. "So what do I do now?"
Chapter 2
When she awoke, Jasmine found herself lying on an old couch, covered up to her neck in blankets. The fiery pain that had ripped through her shoulder earlier had subsided considerably and she sat up to examine her wound. Her arm had been wrapped and bandaged. Looking around, she searched her mind for some clue of her whereabouts, but the last thing she remembered was the battle, and nothing before that rang a bell. She figured the group must have found her and taken her to some sort of haven after the fight. Jazz glanced around once more, expecting to see familiar faces, but the room was empty. Dim lights on the ceiling glowed just enough for her to make out her surroundings. The only furnishings in the area were a small table with a lamp on it, a well-kept lazy-boy chair, and a television set sitting in one corner. It was too dark to see much, but she could tell that there were no windows anywhere in the space. Two passages led out of the small room, as well as a door on a wall, not too far from the couch. She considered calling out for someone, but decided against it, not knowing whether or not this was enemy territory.
Slipping quietly off the couch, Jasmine made her way towards the door to explore the situation. A sudden noise startled her as she reached for the doorknob. It sounded as if it had come from one of the passages. She squinted, trying to make out its source in the darkness. The faint light barely entered the pitch-blackness of the tunnel, making it impossible to see more than a foot into the gloom. She promptly turned the knob, but felt something push the door closed in front of her before she had a chance to run out. Turning, she could roughly make out the outline in the darkness. It spoke to her in a calm tone. "Leaving already?"
"Like you're gonna let me." Jazz responded sarcastically, eyeing his hand on the door. She gasped as she noticed it only held three fingers. The creature eyed her with an amused glint in his eyes as she got she got into a fighting stance. Jasmine watched, surprised, as he stepped away from the entrance. Dropping her stance, she looked at him questioningly.
"Wrong there, kiddo. Go right ahead; don't let me stop you." Something was wrong with this picture. Jasmine shot him a suspicious look and cautiously opened the door. All she saw was pitch-blackness; the only sound was the echo of dripping water. Her captor chuckled at her obvious puzzlement making her harshly fling the door shut and turn to him with a look of irritation.
"Where the hell am I?" she spoke loudly, drawing immediate attention to the scene.
She jumped as a new voice came from behind her. "This is our home. If you want it in more precise terms, welcome the New York City sewer system." The last phrase seemed frighteningly serious. Not sure whether to believe it, she looked into the strange face, searching for an answer. As if reading her thoughts, the lamp suddenly came on, flooding the room with a pale light.
Jazz froze at the sight in front of her. Her initial shock quickly turned to amazement as she studied the beings before her. "Oh my god, you're…you're…" The words wouldn't surface.
"Turtles." The one she had first encountered finished the thought. She was too caught up in studying the swirling patterns on their shells to notice that they were sizing her up as well. She looked up into the turtle's face to notice he was wearing an orange bandana over his eyes. He tilted his head to the side. "So, you're not gonna faint?" Jazz quickly dropped her gaze when she realized she had been staring. She wanted to believe she was still out cold in the alley, that this was all a part of her imagination.
Looking at them, however, she knew that nothing so realistic could only be a dream. The light highlighted every muscle in their well-toned bodies. She couldn't help but be in awe of these creatures; they were so eccentric and yet so magnificent all at once. If the way they were built wasn't enough to indicate they were fighters, then their attire was. Each wore different color eye-masks and wristbands and was equipped with protective battle gear and weapons. Examining them, Jasmine recognized a staff resembling the one she had used as well as what seemed to be a pair of swords, both worn strapped across the shell. A pair of very familiar three- pronged daggers on the last turtle's belt reminded her of the attack as another sharp wave of pain shot through her arm.
She attempted to hide the pain, but the worried look on their faces told her she had failed. The turtle with the purple bands worded his concern. "Your arm okay?"
Jazz looked down at it and noticed blood seeping through the bandage. "My arm is fine!" it was an obvious lie but none of them pressed the matter. "Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell I'm doing here in the sewers talking to four giant turtles?"
"You were injured and needed immediate attention. We feared it would be too long before the police arrived." The blue masked turtle spoke in an authoritative tone.
"Why were you there in the first place? I mean…who are you?" She looked at each of them in turn, studying their expressions and awaiting an answer. They looked to the one who had spoken last as he began.
"My name is Leonardo." His face hid any emotion, but there was something about him that told Jasmine he wasn't sure what to think of her.
The next one to speak was the turtle in orange. "I'm Michaelangelo, but you can call me Mike." He seemed amused at her apparent frustration. A small mock-bow caused the corners of her mouth to twitch. Mike smiled broadly, pleased at the reaction.
Jasmine turned away to the one in purple, bearing the staff. "Donatello," came the quiet reply.
The last turtle with the daggers and red bands observed her without responding. They held eye contact for a moment before introductions, dubious of each other. "Raphael," he responded, still holding the gaze.
The link broke when Leonardo spoke again, briefly answering the last of her question. "We happened to notice the scene and you looked like you could use the help." He didn't add the real reason they so quickly jumped into the fight, not wishing to give away too much before knowing it was safe.
Jazz, however, realized she wasn't getting the full story. "That doesn't explain why they completely dropped the fight against us when you arrived," she persisted. Leo sighed inwardly; he hadn't expected her to be this observant.
"We do not give information to strangers."
"But you take them into your house and cure 'em?" A stern look from the turtle told her to drop it. "Okay, okay. My name's Jasmine, but most people call me Jazz. Happy now?" She waited for him to continue but he just watched her, expecting the same.
"Why did they attack?" he hinted. Jazz looked him in the eye, unsure of what to say. There was not much to tell.
"To tell the truth, I really don't know. I was walking back to base when all of a sudden, we were surrounded." Raphael looked at her doubtfully from where he sat. He knew the enemy far to well than for them to pull a stunt like that. Donatello was the one to voice his brother's thoughts.
"The Foot aren't known to attack without reason." Confusion crossed the girl's face but disappeared, remembering the name. Chad had mentioned them not too long ago, but she couldn't quite remember what it was about. The only thing she could think of was the usual trafficking of drugs and other illegal matters, something Jazz had never been overly proud of. It was a living. When she and her sister had first joined the Eclipse, the only reason was for protection on the streets and to have a sense of something they could never remember having: family.
She cleared her mind and looked once again to the turtles. "You called them the Foot; I've heard of them. It was about some sort of delivery we were supposed to make…" she paused for a second, trying to remember the details. "We didn't know why they wanted us for the job, we didn't really care; they offered money, and a whole lot of it. I can only assume that we didn't get it in on time." As hard as she tried, the rest of the incident would not come to mind. Closing her eyes, she exhaled a sigh. "That's all I know, I swear."
Leonardo nodded slowly, deciding to accept her story. That did not mean he trusted her; after all, she had just admitted to dealing with the Foot, even if she did not seem to know anything about the clan. Jasmine's thoughts shifted from the dealings, to the clan, to the battle. Their side was losing strength; she was forced against wall, their opponents' sudden change of target. "What the hell did they have against you anyways?"
They were each about to speak, but an Asiatic voice from behind interrupted them. "It is a long story." Turning, Jazz found herself face to face with something that startled her even more than the turtles. The rat smiled and motioned her towards the couch as he sat in the large chair. Once she had pushed aside the blankets and settled herself down, he began. "My name is Splinter, and I see you have already met my sons," he indicated the turtles who had also seated themselves around the room.
Leonardo, who had placed himself beside the old rat, introduced the awestruck girl. "Master, this is Jasmine."
Before anyone had a chance to continue, Jasmine had to clear something. "Master? Isn't that a title for martial artists?" The reply came in nods. I guess that would explain the weapons, she thought, remembering a movie she had watched about rival clans in Japan. "That would mean the Foot are too; but here in New York?"
Looking into her deep, dark eyes, Splinter began the lengthy story of their origin. "The Foot are a clan of ninja that originated many years ago in Japan. When I was still no more than an animal, my sensei, Hamato Yoshi, and his companion, Oroku Nagi, were students in the clan. Both were true masters in the art and everyday I would watch as Yoshi trained, memorizing the most intricate of movements in my sub consciousness. For many years, things went by normally, until one day when everything began to fall apart. Yoshi and Nagi both fell for the same woman; her name was Tang Shen. She, on the other hand, loved only my master. Nagi became jealous and the years of friendship were soon forgotten. Yoshi came home one day to find that Nagi had broken in and was beating Tang Shen. In a fit of rage, Yoshi threw himself at Nagi, killing him. According to the ninja code, Yoshi was forced to commit seppuku or flee the country for the crime against his clan member. He and Tang Shen found refuge here, in New York City, where they believed they would find peace and prosperity.
"Nagi's brother, Oroku Saki, joined the Foot after news of his brother's death, swearing revenge on those who caused him this early end. After years of training, Saki was made head of a separate branch of the clan: the one in New York. This being the perfect opportunity to quench his need for vengeance, he set out to find Hamato Yoshi. It was not long before he reached his destination."
The scene repeated itself once again in the old rat's mind. A look of long kept sorrow swept over his eyes as he went on. "Yoshi was away when a knock came to his door. Tang Shen walked over, oblivious to the danger that lay behind. I watched as Saki lashed out at Shen until her body was nothing but a heap, bloody and broken on the floor. This is how Yoshi found her when he returned; just minutes later. He ran to her side, tears streaking his cheeks. Oroku Saki stepped out of the shadows to face my master. Yoshi backed away in shock as the ghost of his past pulled a bloodied sword from his dogi. My cage was sent to the ground during the ruthless struggle. I managed to escaped, looking back only to see Saki's killing stroke.
"I did not rest until I was blocks away in a dark sewer passage in which I made my home. I spent the next few days scavenging the alleys for what little food there was. It was during one of these hunts that I witnessed the accident; a large truck swerved wildly on the road, barely missing a cyclist, who, in turn, fell into a small boy coming out of a pet shop. The boy was carrying a bowl of four turtles that shattered when coming in contact with the asphalt, sending them down the water drain along with a canister that must have fallen from the truck during the incident."
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what turtles he was talking about, but the greatest mystery was yet to be solved. Jazz listened attentively as he continued. "I rushed down to find the turtles covered in a bright glowing substance. Using an old coffee can, I picked them up and hurriedly took them with me to cleanse their bodies of the ooze. Within the next week, the turtles had tripled in size; to my surprise, so had I. I soon recalled my master's ninjitsu and found myself drawing his knowledge from my mind and, after some practice, capable of performing a number of the most difficult katas. I had discovered a way to avenge my master's death." Splinter stole a glance at each of his students; they had changed so much, yet so little since that day, seventeen years ago.
Leonardo was still striving for perfection, his star student. Now that the old rat had taught him everything he knew, he could only watch as his pupil drove himself to his limits. Michaelangelo still had his playful spirit and love for life. Although he was slacking a bit in his practice, he had found talents other than martial arts that he pursued such as his writing. Raphael's ability to control his anger externally had much improved, but the old rat knew that his fiery son continued to battle it inside, pushing his feelings downward and locking them away from others. Donatello, well, he had practically stopped training altogether. He had never been one for violence, but Splinter hoped he would not forget his teachings with all the time spent on his inventions and computer. As much as he hated to admit it, the brothers had begun to drift apart now that their task was complete.
From the look on his face, Jasmine could tell he was not about to say more, but the abrupt ending had left her somewhat confused. "So you're saying that this 'ooze' transformed you into what you are now?" She searched them for an answer.
Donnie was the first to speak up, being the one who knew best on this subject. "Well actually, it was more like a radioactive substance we more commonly call mutagen. You see, the mutagen formed a chemical bond between the turtle DNA in our bloodstreams and common human DNA, therefore giving us characteristics of both species." He paused to make sure she was still with him. "It basically sped up the natural evolution process, altering it just a bit."
It was still hard to believe the facts, but Jazz was beginning to think that they were more than they appeared. And, in fact, they were. "So the increased brain capacity let you learn things that you, as a regular rat and turtles, weren't capable of." Even Donatello was impressed at her quick understanding of the matter. "Like ninjitsu, for example."
"That is correct." Leonardo agreed. Raphael was still battling with himself whether or not to trust this near stranger; she was not as ignorant as he knew most street punks could be.
"And now you're using that knowledge to get revenge on Saki?" This was the last thing that needed clearing up.
"It's what we used to get revenge. Though Fearless Leader's attempt was a bit more successful than some of us." Leonardo ignored Raphael's remark.
She couldn't hold back the thought as it slipped from her lips, "Well that explains why they were so pissed at you!" Raph and Mikey couldn't help but smirk at her straightforwardness. They quickly caught themselves at their master's glare. Donatello's mind was somewhere else, something that happened quite frequently these days. The fierce battle crept back into Leonardo's vision. He had been partially withdrawn from the group ever since his encounter with the Shredder, questioning his life's meaning now that what he had trained and prepared for since he was able to walk upright was over. For a while, the room was silent; each absorbed in their own thoughts.
Jazz gazed at a spot in front of her. Though she spoke of her current situation, the question had been lingering in everyone's mind for months. "So what do I do now?"