Disclaimer – No, I don't own them; would be nice, but I'm a realist. It won't happen.
Some readers have asked me how someone from the real world could get into the TMNT's world. Well, in case this is news, the TMNT's are fiction:0) I'm having fun with an idea that came to me just out of the blue. It's fanciful, maybe funny in parts - though I am trying to keep it a drama (but I have a feeling my sense of humor won't be so easily hobbled!) - and slightly skewed a little left of normal. Hmm... sort of redundant here, I guess. Either way, the ending will probably sum up all that has so far been happening to our hapless heroine, who – undoubtedly – will need a hero of sorts to rescue her from this nightmare! No promises of that happening, though. Bwahaha!
A/N – As of January 28, 2007, this is a rewrite. Any time I re-visit some of my old 'stuff' and whenever I find areas in need, I am compelled to 'fix it'. Since my creativity for more current projects is suffering, I'm hoping that by tweaking and improving my early work will help me find my way out of this pit. If not, well…at least I'm progressing with something.
x x x x x x x
CHAPTER 2 – AND WHY IS THIS A GOOD THING?
Slumping to the bathroom floor in shock, after-images of what I saw in the mirror danced in my mind like ghostly apparitions.
I can't believe this. I'm…a…a turtle?
I couldn't help it, I screamed again, albeit not as loudly as before. I then sucked in a desperate breath and held it, closing my eyes tight against the mocking memory. Gritting my teeth, I pinched myself – hard - and hoped I would finally wake up! Unfortunately, the foggy dawn of wakefulness, that moment between phantasms and the harsh reality of day, did not come.
When I opened my eyes again, I found that I was still in the tiny bathroom with that accursed mirror looking down at me from its lofty perch above the sink.
Evidently, I was still dreaming…or…something terrible had indeed happened to me.
Still, never in my wildest dreams (or nightmares) did I think that something like this would ever happen to me. I mean, it's…impossible, it has to be. I'm still… human – right?
Considering my reflection from just a second ago, though, I really didn't know anymore.
As I sat there on the cold concrete floor, my arms wrapped tight around me, I had my back – um –shell resting against the bathroom wall opposite from the sink. It was kind of weird, really. The shell sort of pushing me forward a bit more than what I was used to and now that I was more aware of it, I felt my balance slightly off. How was it that I didn't feel that way in that gym with Mr. Two Toes?
Nevertheless, I took three more measured breathes to calm my rapidly beating heart. I knew that freaking out wasn't going to help.
"Whatever's happened," I said breathlessly to myself, "I can't sit here forever." I stole a glance at the door, Well, maybe for a few more minutes, I could.
Curiously, I brought one hand up in front of my face to inspect it. Yep, it was still green, as was the other one when I paired it with the first! Not just green, but green with scales. And my face? Well, I really didn't get a good enough look before my collapse, but I had noticed my nose had changed. And I remembered seeing pink, too.
Curious, I ran my hands over my face, wondering where my nostrils were, now. I found them just a little higher up than normal, nearer towards my eyes. There wasn't much of a bridge, anymore, either, and I knew that wearing sunglasses would become a challenge, but as I fingered that area, I felt material.
Hmm…that's strange.
I traced my fingers around the cloth to the back of my head, where I found a knot. From the knot, I detected two moderately long bandanna tails. I tugged at one and felt it pull at my head, and then I brought the end around to look at it. That's when 'pink' made sense.
I realized, like Mr. Two Toes and Mr. Orange, that I wore a mask, and it seemed that my color was indeed pink.
Pink? Hmmm…a pink mask to imply that I was…female?
Well, I could be grateful for one thing; at least my gender hadn't changed.
Suddenly, I wondered. I looked down at myself and saw – a flat plastron. My eyes widened slightly and I kind of panicked a little.
Great, not only have I lost my nose, I've lost my boobs, too!
Although a pink mask I could deal with, being green, and scaly, AND a flat-chested turtle was something else all together.
I mumbled forlornly, "How in blazes could this have happen?"
Suddenly, a soft rapping sound from the other side of the closed bathroom door broke through my grand pity party.
"Kira? Are you - all right?" the voice asked haltingly.
Mr. Two Toes actually sounded concerned, a real nice improvement from how he talked to me only moments earlier. So, I took full advantage.
"NO!" I exclaimed loudly, anger lacing my words, and then I cringed. Considering his assessment of me from earlier, my outburst probably reinforced Mr. Two Toes' disgruntled attitude towards me.
Great, just great!
Suddenly, I felt my self-control slip away. My eyes filled with tears, but I managed to bite back the temptation to cry. I hoped Mr. Two Toes would interpret my shouting as desperate, a form of expression from how I behaved earlier just before running to the bathroom. Of course, my reasons for doing so were far different from what he probably thought. More than likely, he was probably more than PO'ed, now, with my obvious disregard for his concern. I had already discovered that this 'Kira' was ornery, obstinate, and very disrespectful. Consequently, it didn't take a rocket scientist to assume my yelling would fall in line with her other negative character traits like a dutiful soldier.
Half-expecting Mr. Two Toes to barge his way in, I was surprised when, instead, I heard muffled talking out in the hallway. It was Mr. Orange and Mr. Two Toes. They seemed to be discussing something. Maybe me?
Then, one of them spoke a little louder. Mr. Orange, I think. He used the name 'Kira' once or twice – yep, they're talking about me, or who they thought I was anyway. Although he whispered, I did hear something about 'still grieving', but he stated it as more of a question.
Grieving? Me? I haven't lost anyone close to me, not since losing my dog, Trixie, three years ago. Even with that, my life had been easy – up until now, that is. After all, I still had my grandparents – both sets - my favorite aunts and uncles. Other than losing a pet, I've lived a charmed life.
Yet, maybe this Kira lost someone close to her. If her behavior of late had been so bad as to create the kind of negative response from Mr. Two Toes, then maybe repressed grief could explain Kira's behavior. At least, that's what I learned in my psych class last semester.
Then, I had a thought, a very disturbing thought, and I panicked again.
What…if I start forgetting who I really am, what if I…forget my family?
Keeping my voice low, I clicked off a list of personal facts about me, just to refresh my memory, to make certain that I hadn't forgotten who I truly was.
"Okay, my real name was and IS Alicia Gordon. I am a college student, twenty-two years old, and living in Los Angeles. I have a mom, a dad, two sisters, and a brother, so that proves I'm not this KIRA turtle-person!"
I mean, how could I have these kinds of memories unless they were mine to begin with?
Nonetheless, I could not refute the fact that my physical self – regardless of my memories – had changed. For reasons that defied logic or reason, my current name was Kira - a female mutant turtle, living somewhere where her home was made entirely of concrete, with not even one window from which to look out. Worst still, I was sharing space with at least two mutant ninja turtles just like her!
Yes, Kira might be a pretty name, but it was not mine nor was this life. I lived somewhere else entirely, I was sure of it.
Once again, though, the voice from the hallway interrupted my meanderings. Mr. Two Toes. I rolled my eyes and huffed, Can't he just go away?
I realized though, that since both Mr. Two Toes and Orange most likely had the same number of digits on their feet, I probably should be calling him Mr. Blue, as in the color of his mask. After all, that IS what I've been calling his counterpart.
"Kira, do you need my assistance?" Blue asked. He sounded quite sincere.
Without thinking, I repeated my answer from earlier, "NO! Just leave me alone for a while, okay!" and then cringed, again.
Seriously, I need to get rid of the attitude and I needed time to absorb this nightmare. Yet, how much time would I need, anyway? A millennium, give or take a hundred years or so?
"Are you getting sick?" Blue then asked in concern.
Hmm...actually, I did feel a little queasy. But to say that I was getting sick?
"Noooo! I just need to be in here…for a while." I lamented sourly.
"Well, you can't stay in there. You know we only have one bathroom and there are others living here who need it. In fact, sooner rather than later."
Great, wouldn't you know that I'd end up in a world with only one bathroom! And then something about how he used the word 'others' had my mind reeling again.
Are there more here like him and Mr. Orange?
Yes, the more I considered that thought, the more I remembered that there were indeed others. And, if memory serves correctly, there was a mutant rat amongst them, too. What was his name – Chip? Chipper? No, that wasn't it. Shoot, I used to know who he was. And I knew that Mr. Blue, and Mr. Orange had distinctive names, as well. The problem was, my recent shock at not only discovering I was kindred in appearance to some cartoon character, but also being somewhere alien to my real life, it seemed trivial to worry about remembering who everyone was.
Maybe I could wing it and just avoid trying to remember names altogether?
Or, maybe someone would unwittingly 'drop' a name or two? I could only hope, but given my recent run of luck...
"Kira…"
Oh great, Mr. Orange, this time. Bet he has to go.
"Kira, I need to get in there."
Yep, I was right, but before I could high-five – um – high-three myself, he elaborated a bit more.
"Um, truth is, I was on my way to here when I came out of my room a moment ago. If you're not sick or if you don't need to be in there, I mean REALLY need to be in there, kind of like me, ya know…"
"Do I have to come out now?" I asked meekly.
Please say I don't have to, please, please, please!
"Kira, Mike needs the restroom and you and I need to talk." Blue sighed, "So you either willingly open this door or I will personally dismantle it."
The door handle suddenly jiggled, as if someone was testing it. Shoot. Well, at least I had a name, now. Seems Mr. Orange's was Mike…and it was then when I remembered his full name!
Michelangelo!
Okay, there's a theme here, I can sense it, and I know that if I just focused a bit more, I'd be able to remember Mr. Blue's name, too. Nevertheless, I realized that I couldn't stay where I was indefinitely, so I finally stood up. Trying my best not to look in the mirror, I walked over to the door and opened it. I first saw Mr. Orange – Mike - and he smiled at me.
"Hey, thanks, Kira."
"Yeah, don't…mention it," I said sourly.
I noticed to Mike's left stood Mr. Blue, waiting for me.
Hmmm…and I thought for sure that he would have been the first one I'd see. I wonder if it was Mike testing the door handle a moment ago.
"Kira, please come with me." Mr. Blue directed solemnly, sweeping one arm towards the gym area as if I needed directions. I couldn't tell if he was mad, since his face was quite unreadable. When I hesitated, his eyes narrowed a bit and I had the distinct feeling that hesitating again wasn't going to bode well.
I gulped apprehensively, though. The gym was the room that I had just left, the room where the weapons were, and the room where Blue had tossed me to the ground, as if I weighed nothing at all. Remembering that experience gave me the shudders, so it didn't necessarily fill my heart with joy to go back there.
Suddenly, Mike smiled at me in sympathy. Out of reflex, I smiled back, and then sighed, before easing myself through the doorway and into the hall. I moved cautiously past Blue, slowly making my way through the corridor, trying to observe the various rooms along the way. However, I wasn't allowed even that meager privilege.
"You could move a little faster, Kira!" Blue encouraged sternly behind me. I obeyed without word, picking up my pace a little, as I headed towards the dreaded gym.
I still took a quick inventory of the various doors as I passed them, how many there were, and – if any were open – their contents.
Other than the room Mike had come out of, I found the remaining doors closed. So, as I came up to his, I gave a quick glance inside.
I noticed various posters on the walls and what furniture he had. I saw that Michelangelo slept on a full sized bed and it looked as if he hadn't made it, yet. Then, before Blue hastened me further by laying a hand on my shoulder and giving it a gentle push, I saw a large collection of CD's along one wall, all piled up alongside an older model CD player. Blue nudged me harder as we completed our pass in front of the door, but I managed to catch the image of a yellow throw rug centered on the floor of the room, but that was all I could see as my 'shadow' maneuvered me onward towards our destination.
Before I knew it, we were in the gym.
Quickly, Mr. Blue moved on ahead and then turned to face me, forcing me to stop. He looked me over, an ever-increasing softness edging his features. He took a breath and sternly instructed, "I want you to sit before me, Kira. We need to talk about your behavior and what we can do about it."
Without thinking, I replied, "I thought you just did something about it!"
Yes, I was irritated and not yet recovered from the shock I had in the bathroom. Yet, the moment the words left my mouth, Blue's cold, hard expression returned. I swear he could have wilted a Saguaro cactus right about then!
"SIT before me, Kira!" Blue demanded, his tone of voice brooking no challenge, his eyes narrow in anger.
Well, obviously, I didn't want a similar experience of finding myself thrown like the last time, so I immediately complied. I hit the floor on my rump and crossed my legs Indian style. I took a deep breath and sat there on the carpeted floor in front of him. As Blue stood me over me and as I cast my gaze downwards I suddenly realized something horrific.
I wasn't wearing anything other than that stupid pink mask!
Even though I had a plastron – and was quite sure that certain anatomical aspects to being female were more interior than exterior – it still didn't placate my embarrassment! So help me, I wanted to run out of that room faster than a cat with it's tail on fire. I had all I could do to remain sitting where I was! And I knew that, even if I had run out of the gym like before, I wouldn't know where to go to get something to wear.
So, for the first time since arriving in this strange, surreal world, I found myself chanting, I'm a turtle, a turtle with a shell, I have nothing to be prudish for. I am a turtle, I don't need clothes!
At the very least, I was saving on expenses. But, it still seemed strange not to be wearing something…other than a mask, anyway.
I felt myself blush, but I decided to focus on the task before me. Namely, listening to whatever it was Mr. Blue was going to say to me. So, I looked up at him and waited.
Once he felt he had my attention, the turtle started in, "I know that we have had some very difficult years ever since you hit your teens..."
Okay, that told me where I was on the chronological scale. Kira wasn't even in her twenties yet. How depressing.
"...but I want you to know, that as your father..."
Well, that explained my relationship to Blue. Could anything get worse?
"...and sensei..."
Okaaaay….what… exactly… is a sensei?
"...that I expect better behavior from you! You know how dangerous it is for any of us to go topside during the day, yet you continually challenge this and take chances."
Mr. Blue paused for a moment, his eyes searching mine. If I felt uncomfortable before, I felt even more so, now, sitting there and having him stare at me. Still, I detected a bit of redundancy with his argument. Didn't he say as much only a little while ago?
Sheesh, get on with it and get to the point, already!
It was then when I noticed that even though his expression was as hard as before, his face had begun to soften again.
Suddenly, without warning, Blue crouched down in front of me, firmly grabbing my shoulders. I startled, too, expecting the worst and so I tried to pull away, out of reflex, only Blue's grip along my shoulders tightened, keeping me seated on the floor.
When he spoke next, his voice sounded almost pleading, "No, Kira, please hear me out. Maybe…" he sighed, "maybe it is time that I give you some responsibilities."
Responsibilities? Hmm...like – maybe take out the trash? What kind of responsibility was he talking about? For the moment, I was just a little hesitant to get all giddy with anticipation.
His next statement surprised me, "So," he smiled a little, "I am assigning you to the post dinner watch. It will only be the seven to eleven shift, but I think you can handle it. Maybe when you turn sixteen next month you can do the late morning watch as well."
Okay, so I wasn't even sixteen yet. Not only that, but I he wanted me to 'watch' something. The way Blue worded it, his offer sounded almost as if he was rewarding me, as if I should be shouting for joy and excitement.
Heh, I wasn't, you can bet.
Still, despite the chance I was taking to appear impudent, I braved an inquiry.
"Ah, forgive me if I sound stupid, but – what exactly am I to watch for?"
The most puzzled expression came over Mr. Blue's face, a direct contrast to his stern disciplinarian look.
Wait, maybe I should start calling him by his relationship to this Kira, which - for the moment - seems to be me. But, calling this mutant turtle Father was going to be one difficult assignment, of that I was sure!
Anyway, Father furrowed his eye ridges in confusion, and studied me for a moment longer. Then, slowly, a wry smile creased his snout, just a little, as he replied, "Kira, you should know what a watch is. It's when we patrol to keep tabs on any Foot activity."
Foot activity? I decided that ignorance was not bliss for the moment, "What foot activity? Pedestrians? Police? What do you mean by feet?"
He nearly laughed, "You've been spending way too much time around your Uncle Mike." Father then launched into explaining what he meant, "The Foot have been our enemy for the past eighteen years. You know this, especially with how many times they have forced us to move. You also know that they have stepped up their attacks on us. So, that is why we patrol; to make sure they do not find our lair. I can't believe I have to explain this to you." He shook his head as if truly amazed.
I shrugged, though, and tried to use self-depreciation to my benefit, "Guess I've been in la la land all these years and never really understood it that way."
Father nodded a little, trying to be understanding, but then he explained the details of my job, "You will be paired up with one of us, but in case you get separated or your partner leaves you for a moment, if you come across any Foot soldier, you are to run diversionary tactics, to lead them away from our lair."
My eyes went slightly wide with that bit of information. Leading these 'soldiers' away from the lair – and I assume that's where I was right now – might mean that I would end up farther away, too. Considering how 'just arrived' I was to this – world, I knew I'd be lost in no time!
Father caught my distress, too.
"You will have a cell phone, Kira, don't worry. If you find yourself separated, just call and we'll locate you. But, I don't think you will get lost; you know this city as well as I and your uncles do."
Great, now I'm expected to know my way around?
"Anyway, Kira, this is what we all do in order to keep ourselves alive! We have to know what the Foot are up to, otherwise they could surprise us and in the way that they have before. If we're not careful…" one of Father's eye ridges rose, "…the next time we might not be so lucky!"
And for this, I should be happy to have responsibilities?
Okay, giving me this kind of task was not going to be good. For one, I didn't have a clue where the lair was in relation to everything else that was 'topside'. Considering what I knew about New York's sewer tunnels – not that I had ever visited any in my 'previous' life - I knew that it ran like an intricate maze through many levels beneath the streets of the Big Apple. Since this Kira had been a part of that environment for nearly sixteen years, it was a safe bet that she knew her way around, just as 'Father' said.
Unfortunately, I wasn't Kira, which meant I would get lost. More importantly, though, it made me wonder where the real Kira was!
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TBC