Chapter 2: Runaway

"You… you're…"

The ninja stammered as he met the eyes of his caretaker. He wasn't sure if the darkness of the place he was in was playing tricks on his mind or if the man, if it was a man, in front of him truly was a giant turtle. His mind was a fog, he remembered so little of the past few days. Dark green shapes carrying him, soothing voices… but surely this creature could not have been one of those who had rescued him?

"It's okay, calm down, I'm not going to harm you…" Don held up his arms, trying to show his patient that he wasn't in any danger.

His eyes widening under his mask as he slowly realized who stood before him. He could make out the turtles purple mask and equipment in the dark; it was one of the kappa that had so often stood against the foot, that The Shredder hated with such a passion.

"I-I know you! You are one of the ninja creatures, the ones the Foot are deadly enemies with!" A little scared, he looked around quickly for any escape, though it made no sense that they would have nursed him back to health if they intended to harm him. Looking back up at the turtle, he relaxed a little. "…why did you help me? Last thing I remember I was up on the roof, then…"

Don allowed himself a smile "Well… me and my brothers found you on that roof, looking to be in pretty bad shape. You asked for our help, so… we brought you here. You've been out cold for a week"

"A week?! Then perhaps… I mean… thank you…" The ninja gave a grateful bow to Donatello, holding back what he was about to say. Don smiled and nodded back.

"If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing up there in the first place? You could have died. Some of your wounds were even infected"

The ninja glanced down on his shirtless body, noticing that some of the fresh wounds, the ones that had been hurting him the most, had been bandaged, the searing pain now almost gone. Trailing one of the older scars absentmindedly, he shook his head, trying to clear his clouded mind.

"The Foot is… a horrible place. I couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't take more… punishment… for failing…"

His superior had told him this was a routine mission for the Foot. Some deadbeat owed the clan money, and despite several reminders, had been unable to pay them back, and was now marked for death, as an example for others.

His body still wracked with pain from his last training sessions with his master, The Shredder, who seemed almost superhuman sometimes. Their last practice had resulted in three new slash wounds on his side, still patched up and aching. He was hardly in a state to fight, but he didn't dare to ask otherwise.

He was sitting on the rooftop across from his targets apartment, a dismal, sad old place, with faded colors and flickering lights, just the kind of place a deadbeat would live. Reaching inside his tunic, fingering the hidden shurikens inside, which he intended to dispatch his target with. He could see the man inside, sloped in a recliner, clutching a whisky bottle in his hand. An older man, maybe in his 50's, tired and unshaven.

Leaping across the roof, he made his way down to the ledge just outside the mans window, peeping inside. He was sleeping now, an easy target. Judging from the state of his home, he would probably be doing the man a favour. So why couldn't he throw his damn shuriken?!

"…this is wrong!"

Sliding down to the floor, with his back against the wall, the runaway ninja quietly buried his face in his hands and sighed heavily, the very grim reality of why he had escaped from his clan in the first place weighing heavily on him. Don blinked, trying to gather the pieces of what he had been told as he looked down on the ninja.

"So… you just up and left then?" Don asked, sitting down crosslegged with him.

"…yeah. As you can see from my state, there's no way I'll ever return there… and the Foot will kill me on sight anyway." He sighed again, tugging his mask back down over his face. Don was still curious about why he had insisted on keeping it on, but the man was enough distressed and he didn't want to press him.

"It's not like I had never killed before, but… It's always been with gang members or the mob, you know, actual battles. But I just couldn't murder someone in cold blood… Which I guess is stupid if you're a ninja" Suddenly chuckling quietly, he looked back up at Don. "Heh, sorry, didn't mean to pour my life story on you"

"Hehe, nah, don't worry, I did ask you after all. Trust me, I know what you mean. About the killing. I mean, I don't even have a lethal weapon, I use a bo staff in battle."

"Really? I never participated in any of the clans battles with you, but I've heard the others talk about you. They're terrified of the red one."

Don chuckled at that remark. "That would be the red terror over there…" He motioned over to the couch behind them, where Raphael was now half-laying, half-kneeling on the couch, snoring loudly.

"Woah… how did I not hear that?" The ninja was surprised as he first now realised there was another of the turtles in the room. So this was the red creature his former comrades had feared so much. Scratching his masked face, he turned back to Don.

"…I'm really thankful for what you and your friends have done for me. I… I'm sorry I cant pay you back"

Don smiled, patting his patients leg. "You can start by telling me your name. I am Donatello by the way"

A little surprised at the request, the ninja nodded slightly "Alright… my name is… or it used to be… Jack… But that was long ago. The clan members aren't allowed to use names, only rank"

"Jack, huh? Well, Jack, it's very nice to meet you" Don smiled and took the others hand in his. The move surprised Jack, though he didn't pull away. The turtles skin felt leathery yet pleasant against his warm human skin, even warmer now that he was coming down from a fever. Yawning widely beneath his mask, still tired despite his long rest, he was still reluctant to let go of his new friend.

Chuckling, Don stood up and gently helped Jack up as well, his legs slightly wobbly but he managed. "You should probably rest some more. I can introduce you to my brothers and my father tomorrow." Jack merely nodded, but he suddenly thought of something. "Um, Donatello, when you rescued me, did you perhaps find a katana with me too? It's… kind of important to me."

"Ah yes, we put it in the dojo after we brought you in, for safe keeping. It'll be there for you in the morning."

Jack nodded, before stifling another yawn. "Thanks, Donatello… thanks for everything." Stretching himself, the ninja vanished back into his guest room, slumping back onto the bed.

Donatello looked at his new friend for a little while before he decided to finally head back to his own room, figuring a little sleep would be better than no sleep when Leonardo would be yelling at him the next morning.

In the guest room, Jack laid awake for another while, the night's strange events spinning around in is head. His mind was still foggy and wished desperately to pull him back into the land of sleep, but he feared that of he did, he'd wake up back at the Foots hideout, back at the nightmare he had tried to escape. He knew little of the beings that had rescued him, but he figured they couldn't be worse than those he had run from.

Plus, that Donatello was so nice…

It wasn't long before he had drifted into slumber, though for once, it was a peaceful one.