They finally reached the manhole cover that would lead them to the world above. The sewers were dark and musty, Emma longed for fresh air from topside, as the Turtles would say.
Donnie climbed the ladder, which was rusty and covered in slime - Emma didn't even want to know what that gooey substance was - he used his bow staff to lift the heavy cover off. He leapt out followed by Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Emma.
They were in an abandoned alleyway littered with trash. Emma recalled the time when she was attacked by the Purple Dragons, it really made her shiver.
Leo noticed and came over to stand beside her. "It's alright. We won't let anything like that happen to you again." He whispered.
Emma nodded and tried to smile. Leo smiled then, looking at his brothers, jerking his head upwards signaling them to get to the rooftops. The turtles jumped from one side of the wall to the other, reaching the roof in no time. Sure, it was easy for them but Emma had never done anything like this.
Leo was about to jump up, but stopped and knelt down, his shell facing Emma. "Here, climb on." He said.
Emma hopped on his back, her arms around his neck.
"Sorry, I'm being such a bother. I've just never done stunts like this before." She said.
"You don't have to be sorry. It'll take awhile until you learn how to do these kind of things. Just relax, you'll get it once you start training." He said reassuringly.
That made Emma feel a bit better. Leo made sure she was ready and was holding on tight as he jumped up and side to side, pushing off of one wall to the next all the way to the top. His muscles straining with the extra weight but he wouldn't dare show that. He continued up, finally jumping to the building's ledge. His brothers were standing there waiting for him.
Emma jumped off his back.
"Right, let's get going." Leo said.
He ran to the edge of the building and did a flip, making it to the other building. He landed on his feet and grinned mischievously. "Try and top that!" He called back.
"I'll admit that was good, Leo, but check this out!" Raph grunted.
He took a running start and did two flips before jumping over the side, doing three twists in mid air. He reached the other side on his hands, pushing up to jump on his feet and land.
Emma was shocked at how skilled that was compared to Leo's amazing flip. Leo, arms crossed, frowned that Raph out maneuvered him. Raph just grinned and rubbed it in.
Donnie went next. He did a corkscrew-type of flip, and flipped once more before leaping over the edge. He flew threw the air doing a cartwheel, landing on his feet across the gap from Emma and Mikey.
"Huh, show off." Raph mumbled.
It was Mikey's turn. He took a few steps back and shouted, "Cowabunga," before making his way to the other side.
He hopped from foot to foot as he ran, when he reached the edge, he pushed himself off the side of a small brick wall which made him spiral to the next roof. He failed the landing part and cannonballed into Raph, Donnie, and Leo.
"Ugh, Mikey!" They all shouted. Mikey just laughed awkwardly, then got off of them.
Emma stood on the other side. Now it would be her turn. She peeked over the ledge nervously. Backing away, she looked at the turtles on the other side. They were cheering her on.
"You can do it, come on!" Leo shouted to Emma encouragingly.
Emma shut her eyes and breathed calmly in and out. She backed up and shot forwards, running as fast as she could before leaping over the edge. She was nearing the building's roof but started falling down, she wasn't going to make it! She reached out trying to grab the ledge but missed.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand, she was no longer plummeting to her death. She looked up to see Donnie pulling her to safety.
"Here, give me your other hand." He said.
Emma brought her other hand up so he could help her up. Donnie pulled her over the ledge. They were gasping for breath. Raph, Leo, and Mikey were laughing like crazy. Raph wiped a tear from his eye, he was laughing so hard. Leo was on his knees with a hand on his chest, he couldn't stop laughing. Mikey was rolling on the ground. Emma got to her feet, frowning.
"Nice one, Emma, but next time try actually landing on the roof!" Raph chuckled.
"Well, sorry I don't have the skills you do, oh great and powerful ninja master." Emma retorted.
"What was that? Nobody talks to me in that tone of voice and gets away with it! You really think you can take me on? Sarcasm is my thing." Raph snapped.
"I don't think, I know."
"Oh, feeling courageous, are we? Well, bring it on!" Raph hit his fist in the palm of his hand jokingly.
Leo stopped in front of Raph. "Quit joking around. We need to move before we're seen." He ordered.
"She started it." Raph pointed a finger at Emma.
Emma stuck her tongue out at him while Leo had his back turned to her. Mikey and Donnie were giggling off to the side. Leo walked away from Raph.
"Well played." Raph said to Emma.
Mikey lifted Emma's hand in the air. "One point for Emma! Raph zip."
Leo and Donnie rolled their eyes. "Guys, it's light out so we need to keep moving." Leo said urgently.
"Let's get to April's place." He then knelt down in front of Emma again. "Get on. We wouldn't want any more accidents."
Emma grinned and got on his back. They jumped on to the next roof.
The sky was cloudy, threatening to rain but the rain never came. Cars were noisily driving by, most lanes were clogged up in traffic. That's the big city for ya, Emma thought to herself.
Leo was panting really hard. Emma felt bad that he had to carry her. A bead of sweat formed on his brow, but he continued on.
Mikey ran beside Leo. He looked at Emma and asked, "What color bandanna are you gonna have?"
Emma considered for a moment then replied, saying, "To be honest, I haven't really thought about it."
"In my opinion, you should totally go for a bright yellow! It kind of goes with your attitude, cute and hopeful." He exclaimed.
"You think so?" She asked.
Raph ran to Mikey's other side, running with him stride for stride.
"Mikey, she's a girl. Girls like pink and flowery things. I say she should go for a light pink."
"Hey bud, back off! Style and fashion is my thing!" Mikey said while jumping to the next roof.
"Since when do you care about style?!" Raph retorted.
Emma just laughed and rolled her eyes. As Raph and Mikey squabbled back and forth about what color she should have for her bandanna, Emma sunk into her thoughts.
In a way she was glad that she got mutated. She wouldn't have to go to a new school and be bullied. No after school job. No taking the subway or taxi home. Sure, she would have to do ninja training, but she was excited about that.
She remembered Raph said that the bandanna color represented who they were. Pink never really worked for her. She wore pink t-shirts and stuff, but everyone always said that she suited a purple better. Besides, she didn't like the color pink much anyway, not that she was a tomboy or anything, she just wasn't a big fan of it.
Emma went against choosing purple, it was Donatello's color not hers. She would definitely not choose a color that the turtles were wearing.
It's hard trying to decide on a color, she sighed. There's always black, or maybe white? Nah, those are too plain. I like the color turquoise but it resembles Leo's so I can't choose that one either.
Emma drew away from her thoughts as the turtles climbed down a fire escape on the side of a building. Once they reached the ground below, Leo let Emma down. She thanked him and noticed that they were waiting at a side door in an alley.
Donnie knocked three times and they waited. Emma took a look at her surroundings. The building was just an ordinary building with two stories. There was an antique store below with probably an apartment complex above. The lights were on in the old store. The alley they were in was actually quite clean, well, in front of the side entrance to the building anyway.
Emma heard a click from the door handle. Someone was opening it. The door swung inwards and a women with baggy tan pants and a purple short-sleeved shirt that only reached her belly stood there smiling. Her reddish hair was tied up in a bun with loose strands hanging down. She was pretty and looked to be in her early twenties, she thought.
Emma stood towards the back of the group. She would wait to be introduced before stepping forward.
The guys all smiled back at her. "Yo April! Long time no see!" Raph said.
"I was wondering when you guys would visit me again! Actually, you fellas came in the nick of time. I need help moving some furniture into my store." April said.
"Well, babe, if it's just furniture, I'm your turtle." Mikey replied.
"Come on in! Sorry it's such a mess in here, I'm doing a little bit of redecorating. The shop could use some cheering up."
April opened the door wider and waved them in.
Mikey, Raph, and Donnie eagerly went in. Leo stood in front of Emma, who was the last one to enter. "April, I'd like you to meet someone." Leo stated before moving inside so Emma could come in.
April allowed Emma inside before closing the door closed. She stared at Emma. "Another turtle?! Who's this?" She asked.
"Technically she's a snapping turtle. Her name is Emma." Donnie pointed out.
Emma held her left arm, feeling a little nervous and awkward meeting someone new. April smiled and came over to her, saying, "pleased to meet ya! I'm April. April O'Neil. These guys haven't been driving you crazy have they? Where did they find you?"
Emma was pleased that April didn't seem to think anything of her being a turtle. After all, April was friends with Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie, so what was one more turtle added to the team.
Emma didn't feel nervous anymore, she answered all of April's question.
"No, they've been great. I've really enjoyed staying with them. They saved me in an alley. It's kind of a long story."
"Well, I just so happened to be making hot chocolate when you guys showed up, and I have freshly baked sugar cookies. How about you guys stay for a while?" April offered.
The turtles looked at one another then shouted, "shell yeah!"
Everyone headed upstairs, April leading the way. They got into April's apartment. It was small but real pretty. She had an oak dining table next to the entrance of her kitchen. The living room walls were painted an orange color with tan furniture to match. There was a bathroom to the right of the room and what looked to be two bedrooms and an office on the left. The carpet was a cream color and so soft.
Leo and Donnie sat down at the table. April went to the kitchen getting the hot chocolate and cookies ready. Raphael and Mikey sat down on the couch in front of the t.v.
It wasn't long before April came back in with a tray of mugs and a plate of marshmallows and cookies.
Emma pulled out a chair and sat down right across from Leo, Donnie was to her right at the foot of the table. Mikey ran over and plopped down in a chair to Emma's left. Raph came in too, sitting down beside Leo.
April passed out the cups of hot chocolate and set the cookies in the middle of the table for everyone. Emma grabbed a few marshmallows and dropped them in her cup. They melted creating a sugar foam on the surface of the hot chocolate.
Emma had a sip, it was like heaven in a mug, but it was hot. She sat the cup down, waiting for it to be cool enough to drink more.
Mikey took a huge gulp of it and, realizing it was hot, spat it back into his cup. "Oh, gross, Mikey!" Donnie said.
Emma giggled. Mikey stuck his tongue out while saying, "It's hot!"
"You don't say" , Raph replied while rolling his eyes.
"So ... Emma, how did you come to be living with the turtles?" April asked.
"Well ..." Emma began.
She told her of how her father had died and she had to move to New York, how the turtles had heroically saved her from the Purple Dragons, how she was kidnapped when she went to her uncle's apartment, and then finally how she got mutated.
Mikey added jokes now and then. Donnie and Raph told April how they managed to find Emma in the Kraang laboratory. Leo listened in silence, not speaking a word, just staring at his cup. Emma wondered why.
Maybe he's just lost in his own thoughts, Emma thought to herself.
Leo eventually snapped out of it, when they finished telling April about Emma. April had listened attentively to every word, laughing now and then to Mikey's jokes and Raph's sarcastic remarks. It was starting to get dark out, they had spent the whole day at April's.
"Sounds like you've had a rough couple of days, Emma. I'm sorry you got mutated and all." April said sympathetically.
Emma shrugged, "Things happen for a reason. Since my dad died my life wasn't really worth living, and even though my uncle is still missing, I feel happy. I will find my uncle, but he may not want me now; because of how I look. But there is a bright side to all of this! I got to meet Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie."
April smiled and nodded at Emma's words.
"Oh, April, the reason we came was to see if you had some material for a bandana for Emma." Leo said.
"I'm pretty sure I have some in the shop. Emma, you wanna come with me and have a look? I need to lock up the store anyway."
"Yes!" Emma replied excitedly.
"Great! How about you guys stay up here. We'll be back up in a few minutes." April suggested.
Mikey and Raph ran over and sat on the couch turning on a wrestling show. Donnie found a newspaper and started reading. Leo sat, legs folded, meditating.
April and Emma headed downstairs. April walked to the front door of the shop, locked it, and pulled down the blinds.
"Ok, the material and stuff should be over here." She pointed to a shelf in the far corner by the cashier counter.
"What color do ya want the bandana?" She asked as she pulled neatly folded material of the tall shelf.
"I'm not quite sure really," Emma answered. "I was thinking maybe a yellow or a pink kind of color."
"You're in luck cause I've got plenty of those colors. How about we try making a bandana from both a yellow and a pink then decide which one suits ya best?"
"Sounds good to me."
April measured Emma's head size and started cutting soft pink and bright yellow materials. It took them only ten minutes to make two different colored bandanas.
"Alright, now try this one first." April handed Emma the pink bandana. Emma tied it around her head. It fit perfectly.
"Hmm ... Try the yellow one." April suggested.
Emma tried the yellow and looked in a big mirror behind her.
Emma grinning, said, "I like this one the best!"
"You look amazing in yellow!" April exclaimed. "You think that's the one?"
"Yes, this is the one." Emma replied.
They put everything away and cleaned up the shop.
"Emma, what do you think of the turtles?" April asked.
"Huh? I think they're great guys. They're so kind and sweet, although Raph can be a little mean at times but ..."
"No, I mean, is there one specifically that you like?"
"What?! I don't know," Emma spoke awkwardly. She was blushing quite a bit - her face completely red.
April smiled.
"Your face says a different story. Come on, you like one of them don't you?!"
"Actually, not just one."
"Oh my gosh! You like two of them?! Which ones?! You gotta tell me!"
"Not just two either."
"Wait a sec. You like all four?!"
"Well ... Yes ... No? ... Ugh, I don't know!"
"You've got problems."
"Tell me about it."
"You know, you're gonna have to choose at some point. How about this, I help you out so you can decide! I'll play matchmaker for a while."
"What?! No! ... Aw, please don't."
"You just leave everything to me!" April said cheerfully.
Emma shook her head, there was no way to stop April so she went along with it. April grabbed Emma's hand and they went back upstairs. April burst through the door of her apartment excitedly. She had told Emma to wait out in the hall until she gave an introduction.
April smiling, began loudly saying, "Gentlemen I give you the new, the improved, the amazing, Emma!"
Emma slowly walked into the room rolling her eyes. Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie all dropped what they were doing and came over to her.
"Wow!" Leo said.
He was staring at her, mouth open in a slight smile.
"Woah, totally tubuloso! Did I tell ya or did I tell ya?! Yellow is so her color!" Mikey exclaimed. He had his hands on his hips and was grinning at Emma.
Emma blushed a bit because everyone was staring at her. She hated it when she was the center of attention - it made her feel awkward.
Raph was standing off to the side, eying her. "You clean up pretty good."
"By that, Raph actually means you were good looking before, but now you're a hot babe!" Mikey smirked.
"Emma, you look amazing! The bandana really brings out your eyes and personality." Donnie complemented.
"Boy-ya-yoi, I think I'm in love!" Mikey said while holding his chest. "She's so hot I can feel my shell tightening!"
"Mikey, we can all hear you." Raph remarked.
"Thanks guys," Emma said while giggling.
"It's official, Emma, you are now an honorary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!" Leo said. He held his hand up in the air. Mikey Raph, and Donnie came over to him and did the same, slamming their hands into his, shouting out, "High three!"
They looked back at Emma. She smiled and put her hand up to join theirs. They all yelled at once saying, "Boy, do I love being a turtle!"