Author's Note: Keelee discovers that the Dark Turtles have a more complicated situation than she thought. When she escapes from the sewers but is suddenly attacked, she could never guess who was going to save her...

Chapter 2: A Chance for Escape

"Fooood!" Dark Michelangelo called. "Where did you go, food? Come out and play!"

"Why'd we hafta get one that was good at hidin'!?" Dark Raphael griped. "She could be anywhere!"

Dark Donatello scoffed. "Well, she can't hide forever, you imbeciles. She'll have to come out sometime!"

As for Dark Leonardo, he began looking around crate after crate trying to find their impending meal. He was especially eager to devour her after she decided to spit in his face for no reason. But at the same time…this one was entertaining, and much more pleasant than Darius Dun. Still, this game of hide-and-seek was getting very old very fast; she couldn't keep this up and they would go all day and all night if they had to.

Inside one of the crates, Keelee found herself clinging to the inside of the top, just in case they lifted the crate to see if anything was inside. It was a little trick that she picked up from her great-grandmother…it was literally in her blood. She kept herself silent, even though her heart was beating out of her chest and she was sweating profusely. If they found her, she would be as good as dead, ending up in their guts and being melted away by their stomach acids. She would hide for as long as it took…and then she would make a break for the surface, reuniting with her parents, brother, and best friend. But she overheard them say something about Darius Dun…

She knew a lot about Darius Dun, the uncle of Cody Jones, and she knew he used his connections with O'Neil Tech to do illegal business. But she didn't think the man was desperate enough to want total control over the company that he wanted to kill the Ninja Turtles AND Cody Jones. Now it didn't seem like such a surprise that these Dark Turtles were working for him. If she had the power, she would take Dun to the police herself… And then speak of the devil…

"It's the boss!" Dark Michelangelo shouted. "Do we tell him about the human?"

"No, sewage-fer-brains!" Dark Raphael argued. "If he finds out we scraped together a snack without his say, he'll have our heads!"

"For now, she's our little secret." Dark Leonardo declared. "So keep your mouths shut!"

"Whatever you say, Fearless Leader." Dark Donatello goaded.

As if on cue, Darius Dun showed up, some type of robot following him that mimicked his every move. Keelee was able to see him through a hole in the crate when she decided it was safe to drop down. But even with that robot, she thought, why did they act like they were afraid of this guy? They were so much bigger that him, and with the crimes he committed, they had every right to squish him. If he was the one who created them…he probably put a failsafe in them to make sure they didn't turn on him. The only way to know was to observe.

"Why aren't you out there eliminating the Turtles!?" Dun shouted in that oily voice of his. "Get out there and get the turtles or you won't eat! What are you even doing acting like you're looking for something!?"

Dark Leonardo growled. "We're doing what we can… But it's not even sun-down yet; you really expect us to go out during the day!?"

"We'll stick out like sore thumbs!" Dark Michelangelo argued.

"As if we don't already…" Dark Donatello muttered. "But why so desperate, Boss? Sounds like you're in too much of a hurry."

Dun growled at the Dark Turtles; he hated them almost as much as their originals. "There's rumor spreading that the Turtles are investigating the kidnapping of a teenage girl; one they think I am responsible for! I don't know anything about it, but their already hot on my trail!"

Dark Raphael snorted. "And how is that OUR problem?"

"If those blasted Turtles get their hands on me, everything I've worked for up to now will be FINISHED!" Dun shouted, being irrational as usual. "I don't care about some missing girl; I just want them off my back! Now I want you to get out there and attack them!" He paused before walking out. "And you may as well take care of my 'dear' nephew if you please!"

Once Darius Dun left the Dark Turtles, the red brute roared and slammed his talon knuckler into the ground, creating a small crater. "I HATE that guy SO much! Why can't we turn him into hamburger meat whenever we please!?"

"Don't you get it, you brainless behemoth!?" Dark Donatello spat. "As long as he has that hypnotic suggestion in our minds, we are powerless against him!"

Dark Michelangelo growled. "Once those goody two-shoe turtles are pulverized, let's go see a lobotomist!" He paused when he felt his stomach growl. "I'm hungry; where's our snack!?"

"We'll worry about her later." Dark Leonardo muttered. "Let's just do what Dun says…for now."

The Dark Turtles left their lair to begrudgingly follow the orders of Darius Dun. Keelee watched them leave from her hiding and felt herself starting to feel sorry for them. They didn't have any free will at all? And they said something about a 'hypnotic suggestion'? Hmm…as soon as she got back home, she would talk to Uzume about it; she was the right person to figure out how to deal with a brain problem. But just because she was feeling sorry for them didn't mean she was going to stick around; this was her time to make a break. No longer detecting their scent, Keelee climbed out of the crate and looked for the best exit. She immediately recognized one of the tunnels…because it led to an area she visited the most. It wouldn't hurt to pay a visit before heading home.

Keelee ran down the tunnel, being careful not to be spotted just in case the Dark Turtles were somewhere nearby taking their sweet time. However, even with the overpowering stench of raw sewage, she couldn't smell them anywhere near her. Well, it looked like she was in the clear. She trudged through the thick sewer water until she came across a manhole cover above her. And just her luck, even with the future, they still used ladders to get in and out of the sewers whenever maintenance needed to be done. Being careful not to slip and fall, she climbed up the ladder and used all her strength to push the manhole cover up and slide it to the side.

There was a blanket of fog here, but it wasn't uncommon. After all, the sun had just gone down…and it was the cemetery. She wiped the bottoms of her boots on the dry grass and walked up to the gate, pushing it open with a creak. She came here a lot, especially after school and church; even though death was a theme, she felt at peace for some strange reason. Maybe it was because there was a kindred spirit at rest here. And after walking several feet, she found that special place.

Nana Chey's grave.

The brunette sat down in front of it, staring at the engravings on the headstone and a few bouquets of fake flowers to make it beautiful. She was buried right next to her husband, together for eternity, and it had the names of her grandfather, great aunt, great uncle, and her mother and her aunts and uncles, all still alive. Whenever Keelee came here, she talked to her deceased great-grandmother, and she felt like her spirit listened. She was just glad to finally get away from those horrible Dark Turtles…and that's when she felt herself falling asleep next to the headstone. But she managed to get a glimpse of a piece of paper set in one of the flower stands… She would remember to thank Uzume later…

"They are not as bad as you think. They need guidance…and I believe you are the one who can give it to them."

"…N-Nana…?"

"Don't always listen to your mind. Do what your heart is telling you. That is your true power. It's time to overcome your fears, Keelee."

Keelee woke up and realized she had fallen asleep, as indicated by the moon glowing in the sky. She didn't plan on sleeping so long, but she at least regained some of her energy needed to get back home. The way home from the cemetery was something etched in her brain, so it wouldn't be a problem. However, she was never out her during the night, and then there were the rumors. Rumors of some type of animals the Triceraton gang lost control of and they still lurked around the city. The animals were created to establish power for the gang, but even those brutes didn't know about leash laws. With a deep sigh, she got up and headed for the gate, pushing it open once again and closing it back.

And that's when she got the sense she was being watched.

Swallowing the knot in her throat, she just walked down the familiar path, not once looking over her shoulder, until she heard a deep growl, like that of a wild dog. But she knew there were no wild dogs in this area…so that could only mean… Realizing she was in potential danger, she drew out one of her pistols and cocked it, but she didn't really want to use it. The growl came again, but it was much louder and much deeper. Sweat beading on her forehead and her eyes like saucers, she slowly turned her head to see the source of the noise.

That's when she realized the rumors about mutant dog-like beasts weren't just tools to make kids behave.

She ended up coming face-to-face with a large mutated dog, larger than a horse. The creature breathed hard on Keelee and drooled, hungry for some fresh meat. Staring at the behemoth for a moment, she suddenly let out a scream and ran in the opposite direction. The beast just roared and gave chase, her scent easy to track through the fog. Keelee sprinted through puddles and thick weeds, not caring that she was getting splattered with mud and moss. She tried to use her gun on it, but she was so scared she fumbled with it and it dropped. She quickly picked it up and kept running, but the thing was catching up fast. The brunette suddenly remembered something else in her arsenal…but she was too frightened to use it…especially after the accident when she first used it.

The mutant dog swung its paw and knocked Keelee to the ground, causing her to land in a mud puddle and to get entangled in weeds. The mutant glowered over her and growled, ready to eat her alive. Frantic, Keelee just put her arms over her head and closed her eyes. And then…

Something charged the beast and knocked it back.

Keelee suddenly opened her eyes to see what just saved her. Was it the Ninja Turtles? Did Uzume give them her message and track her here? No…she didn't expect this at all.

It was Dark Leonardo.

The Dark Turtle got into a wrestling match with the dog mutant, punching it several times in the face and stomach. The beast retaliated by sinking its teeth into his left arm, causing him to cry out in pain. In a rage, Dark Leonardo punched the mutant dog hard…and finished it by slicing its head off. The beast no longer a threat, the blue Dark Turtle turned around and faced Keelee.

"…I…I don't understand…" The brunette mumbled.

"Now you know better…than to try and escape…" Dark Leonardo panted. "You don't know…what you'll run into…after dark…"

The human suddenly noticed the bleeding open wound on his arm and shouted, "Y-You're hurt! Y-You need ta get to a doctor…!"

"…It's…just a scratch…"

Keelee suddenly felt conflicted. She could just leave this guy be and be done with it while he was injured. But…that wasn't a very honest or honorable thing to do, even if the guy threatened to eat you. She really wanted to go home…but she couldn't leave this guy to bleed to death or get an infection. Finally, sighing a bit and steadying her shaking body, she looked up at the Dark Turtle and asked, "…Do you guys have a first-aid kit?"

"Whoa, what happened to HIM?" Dark Michelangelo asked as he and the other Dark Turtles watched from behind a wall.

"A bite wound…" Dark Donatello mused. "Looks like he got in a struggle with a Triceraton gang mutt."

"It's her fault, ya know." Dark Raphael muttered. "If she didn't try ta escape…"

Dark Leonardo was currently in his personal chamber staring at his wound. Keelee was rummaging through a first-aid kit they smuggled and found some bandage wrap, disinfectant spray, and iodine. When she turned back around with the items, she caught the Dark Turtle attempting to lick his wounds like an animal. There was no telling what kinds of germs were in his mouth, and he could give himself a serious disease. She walked forward and gave a harsh glare.

"I don't think so! There's no tellin' what's been in your mouth!" She paused and opened the bottle of iodine. "Now this next part's gonna hurt a lot, but it'll help your wound heal faster. Now hold still…"

Before he could protest, Dark Leonardo screamed in pain as the brunette dropped some iodine in his open wounds, his flesh burning. Once his screaming ceased, he snarled and smacked the iodine away.

"NONE of this would've happened if YOU hadn't ESCAPED!"

"Well, maybe if you hadn't threatened to EAT me, I wouldn't have tried ta escape!"

"Well maybe if you…!" He panted and realized he had nothing to defend that. "You…"

Keelee avoided eye contact with him for a moment and avoided talking all-together. The other Dark Turtles stared in amazement at how she lashed out at him after he did the same; what kind of person was she? But what really amazed them was that she was actually WILLINGLY treating his wounds; others would've left him for dead. After such a long period of silence, at least it was long for them, Keelee spoke.

"Why did ya save me?" Keelee asked as she sprayed and bandaged the wound.

Dark Leonardo was taken aback. "…W-Why should I answer that? Why did you stay behind and help me?"

"Well…because it was the right thing to do. I wasn't raised ta abandon someone who's hurt…"

"…The right thing…to do?"

"I do have another question. Y'all are bigger than that SOB Dun…so why do ya work for 'im?"

The other Dark Turtles began glancing at each other; they knew the question was directed at them as well. They knew the answer, but they were too embarrassed to tell a human about it, even when this human was showing pity. Well…Dark Leonardo spoke for them.

"You could say…we have no choice." The blue Dark Turtle sighed. "Even if we tried to get back at him, we couldn't; he has a hypnotic suggestion implanted in our brains so we can't turn on him. And he provides us the food we need to survive…even when he doesn't provide much…"

"That's horrible… Even if you guys aren't like by society, ya shouldn't have ta be treated like that."

Dark Leo snorted. "What…you're actually feeling sorry for us? Everyone else looks at us like freaks…but I guess you could say we ARE freaks."

"…You ain't freaks…ya just haven't been raised right. Clones or not…ya deserve to live."

"…" Dark Leo stayed silent for a moment, taking the time to digest what this human just told him; he deserved…THEY deserved to live? Finally, he snorted again and muttered, "…Not all humans are bad after all…"

As for the other Dark Turtles, they just stood agape from their eavesdropping place. Dark Michelangelo and Dark Raphael glanced at each other; none of the humans they met were like this…so maybe they had some sort of chance to be free. But as for Dark Donatello…he just glared at the female like she carried the Bubonic Plague; how dare she intrude on them and suddenly show them pity. He didn't need this…the other fools could play this game, but he flat-out refused to get comfortable with her…