"So how's the boy issue going?" Uncle Thomas asked, hopping out of the copilot seat. I laughed as I removed my helmet.

"Good, everything's resolved and going nicely." He came around to the side I stood on and leaned against the body of the helicopter.

"Have you told Olivia about it?"

"Yeah, actually. She was really excited when I mentioned anything about meeting a guy."

"Multiple guys," he corrected. "I take it she gave you better advice than I did?" I lifted a brow questioningly.

"You gave me advice? I thought you just freaked out when I mentioned all four boys."

"Oh," he grimaced and scratched the back of his head, "I think you're right. Sorry, I meant to try and help you out but I must've been really surprised." I shrugged and waved off his feelings of guilt.

"No worries, Liv helped me out. Although I'm kind of afraid that she'll demand to meet them because I haven't had friends in like, forever." Uncle Tom chuckled.

"Yeah, that seems like something she'd do." Then he suddenly turned solemn. "I know I'm probably not the greatest when it comes to giving advice, but if you ever need anything, I'll always be around to help," he offered and I nodded.

"I know, thanks." I smiled and rushed forward to hug him. Words pulled at my vocal cords, attempting to creep up my throat, but I swallowed the truth down. Now wasn't the time to tell him anything, nor was it ever; not unless I had no other choice.

"Do you need a ride home?" He asked, releasing his arms from around me. I shook my head and tucked strands of auburn hair behind my ear.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'll see you on..." I trailed off, realizing I didn't know when I'd see him again for training.

"Saturday," he finished for me.

"Right," I grinned, beginning to make my way to the hangar's exit, "thank you!" I called, throwing a wave in his direction before jogging out.

God, I wanted to tell someone. Even if they didn't believe me, even if they called me crazy, I just wanted someone to confide in. Telling the half truth to Olivia and Uncle Tom was not enough. I was drowning in all this secrecy, and I wasn't sure when I would ever learn to stay afloat in it; to tread these waters.

••• 影の秘密 •••

"Won't you, come see about me?

I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby.

Tell me, your troubles and doubts.

Giving me everything, inside and out. And, love's strange, so real in the dark.

Think of the tender things that we were working on.

Slow change, may pull us apart.

When the light gets into your heart, baby.

Don't you, forget about me.

Don't don't don't don't.

Don't you, forget about me." It was an effort to keep a straight face; to not sing, or bob my head, or hum. I mean, it's not like anyone would care if I did, but I didn't want to give people any reason to look at me anymore than they had to. So I kept my hands in my jacket pockets and my ear buds in, just to let everyone around me know that I didn't want to talk or be bothered. I preferred my music to the tumultuous noises around me anyways.

"Will you, stand above me?

Look my way, never love me.

Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling.

Down, down, down.

Will you recognize me?

Call my name, or walk on by.

Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling.

Down, down, down, down." It didn't even really feel like night, not with the darkness being chased away by neon LED signs, and lampposts that were completely unnecessary. The people were the same, if not a bit more sketchy, but just as loud as NYC's day-goers. I slithered may way in between groups of slow-moving people and sidestepped lost tourists without so much as a second thought. It was second nature to do such a thing.

"Don't you, try to pretend.

It's my feeling we'll win in the end.

I won't harm you or touch your defences.

Vanity and security." I was oblivious to the world, and to the commotion presented ahead until someone just about bulldozed me over in their blind panic to run from something behind them. I tugged one earbud out, and was instantly greeted with the terrified cries emanating from a subway entrance ahead. People streamed from the entrance like fish from the gaping maw of a shark.

And just like that, all thoughts in my mind froze except for one, echoing statement—the reason for all this panic: The Footclan. My fingers closed around the tracker in my jacket pocket, but I didn't press that button. Not yet. I had to confirm my suspicions first. For all I knew, it could've been a huge rat or some drunk idiot with a gun.

I rushed forward, weaving in between the gradually ebbing flow of men and women fleeing the subway. Inside, the subway station was the most empty, and quiet I'd ever seen it. Dull screams resonated from further within the station, and I hurried toward them without hesitation. As I made my way down a flight of stairs, I realized the extent of my drastically underdeveloped plan was to activate my tracker once I confirmed the Footclan was behind this.

Jeez, I'm gonna have to ask Donnie or Leo about strategy lessons sometime. Ahead, I saw two men clad in the same black attire I'd seen two nights ago at the docks. The Foot soldiers were restraining two women and dragging them away, all the while snapping angry Japanese at each other and through comm units.

As I quickly reached a hand into my pocket for the tracker, a hand locked around my wrist. I cursed myself for not noticing my attacker earlier, and quickly spun on one foot, using the other to kick him off of me long enough to send a distress signal to the turtles. Then he was back and angrier than ever. I fought against him, but the second he pulled out a knife and pressed it against my throat, my limbs turned to lead. I could almost hear his voice reverberating through my ears again, making me shudder.

"What's yer name, girlie?" I felt so, so helpless with that knife sitting on my jugular; with years of that pent up fear finally springing forth and pinning me under it's paralyzing gaze.

It's stupid! Why are you so afraid of something so insignificant!? Get over it already! But it wasn't stupid when I was thirteen. In that moment almost three years ago, I'd never felt fear like that before. I'd actually thought I was going to die, or be sold as a... toy in Europe. That fear could never be diminished.

Cold cement met my body, sending harsh lances of pain up my arms—which took the brunt of the impact. I groaned and turned onto my side. I was surrounded by other people who appeared to have been thrown to the ground in a similar manner, all along the subway track like a lineup to an execution block, which was exactly what it felt like. And even more people lined the wall opposite to us, with armed bombs stuck on the wall in between them. Footclan soldiers kept the more fidgety or loud people under control with a harsh Japanese word and a wave of their gun. The girl who had knocked me out a few nights ago stood in the middle of the fray, observing with an unsettling look of satisfaction. Though, she scanned the place like something was still missing.

"We know you're out there!" She yelled to nobody in particular. Her voice—sharpened to a deadly edge with it's authority—instantly quieted the fearful New Yorkers. "And if you don't surrender, we start executing hostages!" Cries of grief and fear arose from the captives around me, and it was with a horrified gasp that I realized they were trying to capture the turtles. And I'd called for them; I'd given them exactly what they wanted.

Shit.

AN: WE'RE BACK INTO THE MOVIE PLOT YAYY. This chapter was kinda short :/ but don't worry, the next one should be better and more exciting because let's be honest, Leo is gonna be PISSED LOL. Also, I got some cute Raphaiya fluff planned sometime within the next few chapters, so that's gonna be hella cute ;)

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