Chapter 3: early morning chats

"So I just got word, those kids were missing and the police have been looking for them for a while! They were kidnapped a few years back when the boy was just a baby!"

"Holy shit! Nice job with how you took care of them though."

"Yeah..i knew something wasn't right, i mean 2 fucking kids in an alleyway of new york?"

"Well..i mean it is new york..that may be normal."

"Ok I know it's different from Oregon, or Massachusetts, But that still don't make it right!"

"Yeah.."

Dai paced around the living room of her small living space, Holding a glass of soda and talking with an old friend from her highschool years, Emily. Soon before dai had moved, Emily moved to Massachusetts to go to her dream school. They were So different..and it was amazing how close they were. Everyone saw them as polar opposites..One wore bright clothing and had a peppy attitude, She saw the good in everyone, she was like the sun. Dai was the moon, she kept herself in dark corners with music to block everything out. Like the music were her stars. She couldn't trust anyone..she would try but it never got far. She wore skin tight dark outfits with black, sometimes red or purple makeup.

One was the stereotype high school girl, Captain of the cheer team, parents with good jobs who made time for her, dating the football quarterback. And dai was the outcast with a resting 'fuck it' face. Emily was afraid to get her hands dirty, while dai can watch an animals guts pour out of it's body and immediately switch to a calm, professional manner.

Everyone at their school, including dai wondered what Emily saw in her to talk first. To reach out. Everyone questioned how they stayed So close for So long..maybe it was their differences?

"So what's New York even like?"

"I've been here for hardly 24 hours, wait a week to ask babygirl." She let herself fall onto the small pillow and blankets she set up in the corner, Her bag right next to her.

"Well.. I hope you don't feel too lonely over there, have you started unpacking or anything?"

"Just my suitcase, the rest of my stuff is either getting shipped here or coming in a moving truck, they said the truck will be here about 3 days from now."

"Damn..so sleeping on the floor?"

"that was my plan anyways, i'll get a mattress tomorrow but it's just going to be on the floor." She grabbed her bag to look through for her wallet, and saw a strange piece of paper she didn't remember being there. She heard her old close friend start laughing hysterically.

"Do you know how fucking sketchy and weird that'll seem when you take a date home???"

"I'm pretty sure once my music and med equipment is set up they'll get the hint of 'struggling musician that's attempting med school' and realize im broke."

Her and Emily laughed a little together as she unfolded the note..It was a bunch of numbers with a few names she recognized. At the bottom was small, neat writing "You're strange..but i wanna talk. text me? Donatello/ Donnie"

"BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTCCCCCHH!" Her friend was now screaming at her on the phone.. making her ears ring a little.

"Were you spacing off or some shit? Damn!"

"Ah..sorry, You know me. little daydreamer." She shrugged it off and smiled

"Day dreaming of what? Getting kim drac on your floor bed?"

"Oh suck my dick!"

"You don't have one!"

"I do in my dresser!"

"WTF" She heard her friends laugh, silly and full of joy and light just as always..damn..wishing she could be her for at least feel that sense of happiness.

"Do you really??"

"No but if I did, I'd slap you through the phone with it, And I wouldn't do it with kim drac on my bed!'

"Then where bitch, On the counter?"

"Noooo in a coffin!" Emily choked on her water laughing so hard.

"Babe! You ready?" A male voice came from beyond the phone, in Emily's living room.

"Shit..sorry, forgot i had a date this morning."

Dai let out a small smirk and moaned as loud as possible "Ah~ Papi!"

She laughed way harder than expected as her friend tried to shush her.

"Alright, Don't get yourself pregnant."

"Aww you don't want a mini me?"

"Oh god no!"

"Hey least you can be the crazy lesbo auntie teaching her how to piss me off!"

"GO! you dumbass, i love you!"

She heard the line go dead finally..then everything was quiet again..deathly silent. She looked out the window into the nearly day, the time now was about 4:30 am. It was still night with a slightly lighter shade of deep blue. People were either just getting home from night shifts, or just waking up for day shifts at work..and She doesn't start work until next week. She looked at the paper in her hand, The neat scribbles on paper holding the numbers of her secret friends.. She picked up her phone and dialed the number under Donnie's name. Listening to the ring..and the ringing..and the ringing and her heartbeat. She could swear she could hear the blood pumping as her heart picked up the pace and beat harder against her pale chest. Then it stopped. It stopped as suddenly as the anxiety triggered and interrupted by a voice she met only a few hours ago.

"Hello?"

"Hey..donnie, right? It's Dai."

"Oh hey! What are you still doing up? I would've thought you'd respond like later tomorrow something."

"Meh..just not too tired after today. How's your arm?"

"It's ok, I just needed some stitches. What about those kids?"

"What? What kids?"

Donnie let out a small chuckle "We saw you with those kids in the alleyway on your way home..what was up with that?"

"oh..those kids were missing kids, kidnapped a young age and escaped..i guess they didn't know where to go so they sat in an alleyway for the night."

"Wow..that's..jeez, i hope they're ok"

"they had a lot of scars..they'll probably deal with a lot of mental trauma and physical trauma from what happened..whoever that sick fuck was they sure did a number on 'em"

"You let venom slip into your tone again." He pointed out, smiling a little beyond the phone.

"Wouldn't you be a little pissed off too?"

"yeah..that's awful.." His voice trailed off..he always hated situations where kids are put through that sort of pain.

"Sorry..didn't mean to start this off so grim-"

"Ah Daijoubu dayo! I mean, It happens a lot in the world..you just so happened to help a couple victims, You're not as crazy as my brothers say you are."

"Wouldn't hold your breath on that." She laughed a little, if only he knew her..but he doesn't, and never will.

"Oh come on! You saved what like.." he trailed off counting in his head "7 people in one night! Me and my brothers, Murakami, And those kids"

" A crazy person can safe a life or two. "

"You say it like it meant nothing. You aren't too crazy."

"Alright alright! Anyways, what are you doing?"

"Being honestly bored for the first time in a while.."

"Wanna come over? i got some movies? we can actually talk instead of what happened at that restaurant."

Donnie considered it..with April taking a short trip with her dad to get out of this shit city, what with their fears and just not as much time to spend together..and casey moving to college their friends weren't really around..even their mutant friends were all to busy..trying to figure out the kraang's next move when they've been terrifyingly silent since the last attempted invasion..a break would be nice to be somewhere else besides the lair.

"I'll text you my address if you ever want to come.. just come in anytime. talk to you later." She abruptly hung up..leaving donnie a little confused.

"Fuck it.." He mumbled, only loud enough for metalhead to hear next to him. He swiftly got up from the squeaky chair, he didn't bother trying to fix it anymore, no matter what he did it would always squeak. "Guys!" Donnie opened one of the large double doors of the lab and left to find the others on the couch, even Sensei was there..it was kinda like an off day where they didn't have to train, just relax for a while. No one looked at donnie except Sensei. Raph was sitting in a beanbag chair with Leo in the other one and Mikey on the couch, laying down with his head next to the old rat's legs.

"What is it dork-a-tello?'' Raph said in a monotone voice, something Donnie was used too now.

"Well.. Dai invited us over-"

"WHAT?!" Donnie cringed at his 2 older brother's and younger brother's yelp, All eyes were on him now as everyone sat up in rage-mixed-anxiety.

"Are you crazy? That girl is a freak!"

"Raphael!" Master splinter snapped

"I'm not wrong! That girl is bad news!"

"We've only known her for like 2 hours-" Donnie tried to defend until raph cut in.

"Exactly! And she's just inviting us over?? That's sketchy as hell!"

"She said we could come over anytime we want and to just come in..she didn't seem to care. And she helped us raph! She helped us and 2 little kids."

"Karai helped us and nearly killed us multiple times!"

"That is enough!" Splinter flicked his tail and stood tall over his sons. "My son..Do you really trust her enough to follow through with this?"

"Well.. i don't know-"

"Exactly, you don't know. God I'd expect this type of thing from Mikey but you're just as much of an idiot!"

"Hey! I'm not-"

"Don't get involved Mikey!" Raph growled.

Splinter hit a small pressure point on him, the side of his neck, to make a tiny amount of shock and pain course through his body, Quickly silencing raph.

"Donatello, You may go if you wish.. But be cautious."

"Hai sensei!" Donnie left as everyone watched in curiosity for what the genius turtle would find..

Meanwhile, Dai walked over to the shower she has yet to try..Carrying her clothing with her and a small blade..she couldn't stand talking to donnie any longer, He was probably scared or annoyed of her already, or She'd just cause trouble for him. She had a habit of causing problems wherever She went, one of her many curses..She slid off the clothing from the pale, thin body, Sliding it with ease over the curves and visible ribs..she wasn't the healthiest..but she was living. or surviving at least. Her figure was littered with scars, some made from almost a decade ago..leading all the way to the recent weeks. Jagged pink tints from past wounds to thin clean cuts and white lines up and down her, the lines curled around like some sick pattern. Wrapping her body like long strings, over her chest, her ribs, her back, down just to the start of her thighs..She turned on the shower and let the sound of the hundreds of water droplets fill her almost empty house.

She slipped in behind the curtains, They were dirty and soap stained, came with the home of course, a white plastic that would only show the outline of her body. Sitting and letting the liquid flow over her hourglass figure. She took to blade, it was warmer than before from whatever body heat was left in her hand. A few droplets on it's silver shiny metal, she could almost see her reflection in it. She held it to a scar starting on her collarbone and leading in between her c-cup breasts, down to her small bellybutton. She dug it into her skin, letting out a small hiss as she glides it across the old scar, reopening it. Letting the blood seep through her flesh, mixing with the water and slipping down the rest of her body. She started to laugh slightly..that was the strange thing about her. She laughed in the midst of pain.

The water brushing against her fresh wound stung, and she liked it.

The breeze made the tails of his long mask flutter behind him as it cut through his skin..he loved running through the city like this. The peace he felt that rarely ever came with his brothers, they were a different kind of peace to him. The love and annoyance, the calm and the chaos. The wind through him was simply the calm. The silence as the blood and wind pounds against his head and in his internal ears blocks everything else out. He went straight to the apartment he saw her go in last, Light pours out of a couple windows, the curtains block the outside from seeing their little worlds. Landing gracefully on her fire escape. He could see her bedroom..it was dark and bare. Nothing against the white walls. Just faint closet doors that were closed. He tapped one large green finger on the glass, he didn't expect it, it opened with an eerie creak. He pushed it just wide enough to slip his body in, and closed it. Closing the blinds behind him. He walked through the dark and found the door handle, opening it to see a brightly lit hallway, it wasn't big. Just had 2 other doors and an opening to the living room and kitchen. He heard water running in the room across from him. "I might've come at a bad time.." He wandered the nearly empty home. When he came into the main room, it has a dim yellowish light. A small laptop with a black screen and a phone next to it, a pile of blankets and pillows as the rest of the ground was littered in articles of clothing and a large suitcase. He heard a door creek open, he turned swiftly with his fists raised in case of upcoming danger..All he saw was a pale girl in smeared makeup. A long sleeved black shirt with a white skull on the chest, short Nike black shorts and her wet hair in a big messy bun.. It's a wonder how she handles so much hair.

They locked eyes, she look surprised that he came. Nervously holding a bundle of clothes and shower supplies under her right arm.

"Have you been waiting long?" She asked as she cocked her head.

" oh no..I just came in. You're fire escape was open. "

"Ah fuck me.. I didn't realize that was unlocked." She sighed, she walked past him and tossed her things on the ground, an addition to the heap of mess.

"You..haven't been living here long, have you?" He asked, though it was an obvious answer. She laughed a bit "Well, what does it look like?"

"Empty spaces, only one suitcase and a wreck of a living room..I'd estimate 2 days."

"less than a night." She grabbed 2 glasses and a bottle of Dr. Pepper, pouring it into the cups and handing one to the purple banded turtle. He took it and looked at her curious as she walked to the nest she formed and pressed a button on the black keyboard, bringing the laptop to life, and typing in her password. The glow of the screen's colors against her chest. "Don't you live here with your brother?" He asked.

Shit.. Forgot my own cover story She thought.. "He lives at the school he's going too..so I'm alone here. But hey, perfect hang out place I guess." She made room for him on the floor so he can watch something on the laptop, scooting a blanket over. He took the invitation and sat next to her, she threw a blanket into his lap and opened a search bar. "What do you like to watch?"

"Medical, Horror, drama, comedy..almost anything." He admitted, she typed away and soon 'untold stories of the ER' was playing at half volume. They were silent for a few moments..it wasn't peaceful or welcoming, it was awkward.

"I'm surprised your family let you over here, if I'm so crazy" she spoke softly, taking a sip of the dark carbonated beverage.

"They were skeptical, I won't lie." He said, keeping his eyes on the smaller screen, it was an episode where a man got caught in an accident, his whole body swelling 2x his normal size as doctors have trouble figuring out what it is. "Oh come on, a tension pneumothorax would kill a man before turning them into a marshmallow!" Her comment sent Donnie into a small laughing fit. She smiled and laughed a little as he calmed himself.

"As crazy as you are, you're a little funny."

"I'm just stating facts!"

"Oh like the 'raging homosexual ' thing" he smirked, laughing a little again.

"Ay that's a fact too!" She laughed "and ticked off that guy."

"Ticked off raph too.." He said, recalling the moment only hours ago.

"No Shit, but I thought that was just the gun thing?"

"it was a mix of everything, you not leaving to area, the jokes, crazy laughing, and the guns. "

"it was pretty hectic.."

"Yeah..it was" he took a sip awkwardly..not knowing what to say. "He doesn't tend to trust others."

"I don't blame him." She spoke "there's so much shit..people can hide anything behind layers of masks. Hard for me to trust too.."

"You trusted us." He said in a confused tone, shifting his gaze to her. She knew he was looking and met his eyes.

"Who says I trust you completely yet?" She smiled.

"I hope you know you can trust us."

"oh give me a break" she rolled her eyes

"What?"

"You think a girl hasn't heard those words a thousand times? "

"I can imagine quite a bit.." She shook her head, looking deep into his eyes. Normally he'd feel anxious but now he's too invested to feel anything else or to look away.

"Get promised that you'll be safe, that you can trust someone, then they fuck you 13 ways to friday."

"Is that why you're so.." He trailed off..not sure what to say.

"Dark? Violent? Bitchy?"

"No! That's not what I meant...mysterious. That's what I was trying to say."

She paused..as if taking a moment to process. He looked up and down for body language, but she was still in place, like a deer in headlights. He saw a red tint form just at the top of her shirts, and the beginning of a cut. "You're injured.." He said calmly, grabbing her bag from the heap of mess a rummaging through for her bandaids

"It's nothing really..probably from the fight."

"Then it's not nothing if it continues to bleed, why didn't you tell us?" He pulled out pens, a wallet, a small multicolored pin, taking a split second to wonder what it meant, condoms, He pulled out a large bandaid. "It's on your collar bone..is it alright if I put the bandage on?"

"go ahead." She rolled her eyes as he gently place a bandage to the start of her wound..He saw that it was longer down her chest, but wasn't sure how long. He hoped that she'd take care of it after he left..

"You seem to trust easily.."

"How'd you get that idea?"

"You gave a random chick yours and your brothers numbers-"

"In case you needed help!"

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but you also came to a chicks home first night you met her, I would not leave you alone at a bar."

"Like my father would even let me go to one."

"Maybe one day I'll sneak you into one."

" you've been here less than a night, what bars to you even know? "

"I can find a gay bar." She smirked as he rolled his eyes, a groan escaped as she continued.

"That's another thing, you didn't even ask any questions. For all you know I could be a guy in a skirt covering my dick."

"Fine, I'll ask then, are you?"

"Born with a pussy." She said proudly, making him laugh and roll his eyes again. Then his eyes caught on the brightly colored pin, Dark orange, a sunset orange, and a light orange before a white stripe. Under the white remains a light pink, dusty pink, and dark rose.. He held it up to her.

"What does this mean?" He asked, slightly afraid of what answer that'll come. Worried maybe it was something dark, something he shouldn't involve himself in.

"It's a lesbian pride flag, I'm lesbian."

Well, that made more sense to him than this new girl being a part of anything big and evil. She took the pin from his hands, and pointed to each color.

"Dark orange represents gender-non conformity, Orange for independence, light orange for community, white for unique relationships to womanhood, pink for serenity and peace, dusty pink for love and sex, and dark rose for femininity." She explained as he nodded with interest. He didn't really look into LGBTQ much, didn't have the time with the mess that is their lives.

"And how can I trust your telling the truth?" He smirked

" Well what else would this mean? "

"Could be a organization to hunt down mutants like me."

" then I'd tell them they can stick it up their ass, cuz no one's hurting my friends." Her voice changed to something monotone, and he found himself mimicking this same way of speech, fast and monotone, emotionless, like a pair of robots.

"How do you swear so much?"

"doesn't affect me very much, it's words. Simple words, and the speaker chooses how they'll use them."

"Who the hell raised you even?"

"A male version of me."

"daddy issues."

"Bingo, bullseye, right on target."

" What happened? "

"You think if I knew you more I'd tell you?"

" What else is there to know? I'm a mutant turtle with 3 brothers and a father in New York city. "

"Not your family, You. Just who you are."

"it'll take a while for you to learn."

" I'm patient. "

"And I'm not."

"then that makes us the perfect team, don't ya think? "

"I have a team, my family."

" Well no shit, I saw how good you all fight. "

"Thanks, you aren't bad yourself."

" learned in my youth. "

"Father taught you?"

"Something like that.. "

She turned her attention outside, the sun was rising..Donnie would run out of time to get home.

"Your family will be worried if you don't get back."

" too late..the sun's up, but I can always sneak around back alleys..Unless you need help with this utter wreck of an apartment. "

"I'm getting stuff at a store today."

"Please tell me it's a mattress so you can sleep."

"Exactly, and some food.. All I have in the fridge is soda and pizza."

" You'd definitely be Mikey's favorite then. "

"If you wanna clean, I'm not stopping you. Do whatever here.." She got up, leaving her half empty glass, she suddenly groaned with some type of discomfort, leaning against the wall and lifting her leg. He stared at her, confused. "Are you ok?"

" Yeah..just some knee pain I've had since I was a kid. I'm good. "

"Ever went to a doctor to get it looked at?"

" what reason to? It's not killing me. "

"One day it could."

"Then I'll let the day come." She smiled, slipping on a pair of levis. Then disappearing to her bathroom yet again..

Donnie took the time to check his phone.. 58 missed calls spread out between brothers. A couple texts asking him where the hell he was, and one or two missed video calls.

Inside the bathroom, Dai coated her face in her makeup..well..not really. Seeing as her skin tone hadn't changed, she didn't need foundation. So she stuck to the classic black eyeshadow and bat wings. Putting on maroon lipstick, she came out in almost 5 minutes and grabbed her purse.

"I'll go buy the mattress..if you're gone by the time I get back, I'll see you again?"

"Definitely, I mean..can't let A new possible threat loose in the city, right?" she playfully kicked his knee.

"Watch the show, invite your family, whateva, this is a safe place for you."

"Thank you." Was all He could say before she was out the door yet again. He sat there for a while. .letting the small screen play with sirens and doctors commands, watching the sunrise fully. Drinking and putting the cup on the kitchen counter and staring at the mess on her floor..

"This girl is really...something."