Picture this; you're in an underground compound located under New York City surrounded by large, mutant creatures with lethal weapons and there's no way out. What do you do?
Well, I don't know about you, but I honestly have no idea what I would do. But the thing is, that's exactly what's happened. I am literally in an underground compound located under New York City surrounded by large, mutant creatures with lethal weapons and there is literally no way out. Shocker. I know.
Like any reasonable person, of course, I tried to run for it. Some people would advise me otherwise, but I wasn't thinking straight and being the sorry excuse of a survivor and daredevil, running away as if there was even the slightest possibility of escaping sounded good enough to me.
And here's a little pager-turner for you: I got caught. Yep. I was snagged like a rabbit and tossed back to where the strange creatures had put me before I could even get twenty-feet away. Surprising, ain't it? And then I came face-to-face with yet another startling scene: a giant rat man with a goatee came in and actually tried to console me.
Of all the times and places and of all the people in the fucking universe, it was me who had to confront reality and give in to the will of these complete strangers. It was me who had to suffer this kind of trauma (if you could even cal, it that) and deal with it. Why me of all people, I don't know.
Do you ever feel like the universe is just conspiring against you just to make you feel like a total insane freak? Thinking that it's some sort of sick joke? If yes, well then good for you. You have a slight understanding of how great of an impact this is having on my already all too complex life. But if not, you cannot possibly imagine it.
Within the past hour I've learned more about these turtle people than I could ever learn in a classroom, which isn't exactly saying anything. I'm not sure if I should describe it with a long, drawn out monologue filled with the action-packed adventures of these mutants and later find it interesting. I know I wouldn't. So I'll try and paraphrase.
Approximately sixteen years ago, there was a group of scientists who were creating some kind of chemical fluid that could eradicate dangerous toxins on a wide scale. They tested this "ooze" on four baby box turtles and a lab rat. Later on, one of the scientists discovered the true purpose of this project and tried to destroy it. Lab went up in flames, scientist dies, and the rest of the subjects are supposedly destroyed. However, no one knew that a certain young girl was there to save them.
Years go by and the animals become intelligent, grow at a significant rate with supernatural abilities, become skilled in the art of ninjutsu, and band together as a secret group of vigilantes in the sewers of the Big Apple.
Then comes the aftermath. The girl who had saved the test subjects once upon a time, who I now know as April O'Neil, became a news reporter. Becoming a journalist, as I'm told she had always wanted, also gave her the natural abilities such as an observant eye and nosy habits to track down certain stories for her to share to her designated news company. Yet I'm pretty sure that when she signed up for the job she wasn't expecting to find four mutant turtles saving the city, let alone have a history with them. And as luck would have it, she even had contact with the man who conducted the deceased experiment a decade and a half ago, Eric Sacks who also, with deeper intel, was working with the notorious Shredder to dominate the city and become some rich, savior-like hero.
Long story short, the turtle gang were accidentally discovered then captured by Shredder's army, The Foot Clan, but escaped, fought the Shredder and Sacks and saved New York City from the horrors and evil of the duo.
Interesting, isn't it? Sounds more like some kind of fairytale or plot of an action movie, if you ask me. But seeing how serious the situation was, I'm reassured that it was, indeed, very true.
That was a year ago. The Shredder and his little Sacks buddy were behind bars, the Foot Clan was supposedly gone, and everything was just fine and dandy.
That is until a scientist, Baxter Stockman, started to act a little weird. You know, weirder than usual for a nerd shirt of a grown man. With the help of the turtles, April O'Neil somehow found him and managed to get private information from his tablet. And, drumroll please… Stockman was helping the Foot free the Shredder from prison. And they were going to do so when the police decided to move the once high and mighty criminal to another prison across the state.
And that's where I came in. As the police forces guarded their precious captive in their convoy, I unknowingly joined a group of Shredder's gang that was sent to disrupt the polices' plan of action. I'm pretty sure you know the rest.
And as I sit here on this lumpy cot, every word sinking in like stones, the world suddenly begins to shift as if some greater force had switched some giant lever and a bulb goes off over my head.
Wait. So that's why…
Oh! I get it now! They've taken me here because I wasn't supposed to see anything on that interstate, including themselves. Because I am a key witness to this phenomenal event.
"Do you understand now, my child, why we had to bring you to our home?" The rat, Sensei, asks of me.
I nod slightly, eyes glued to my lap.
"Good." He says in his serene voice. "Now, we are going to ask you a few questions relating to the events of that night. All we ask of you is that you answer with honesty. It would bring us much joy to understand your current circumstances which led you into our lives."
I force myself to look up at their gazes, each ranging from child-like curiosity to pure daggers.
If it's answers they want, it's answers they'll get.
"As you may know, you look to be a little young to be a part of the Foot Clan, and way too young to be in a mission of such high standards." The turtle donned in purple says smartly, as if he had recited his speech from a text. "So how exactly did you wind up with the Foot?"
I open my mouth to answer only to shut it close.
How do I answer a question like that? How could I possibly answer something like that? With the truth? Yeah, I think I'll pass.
Do you have any idea how crazy I'll sound when I tell them my side of the story? They'll be running for the hills if they knew what I'd been through. But then I realize something that's like a slap to the face: Hell! What do I care what they think? If anything, they're just as crazy as I am.
I answer the mutant's question as if I had sworn over a bible. With the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. "Well, you see." I start. "I was walking through the woods when I saw the Foot with their motorcycles. I jumped one and stole his bike and rode with them to the city. That's when I saw them ambush the police. Then you guys came in and I'm pretty sure you can speak for yourselves what happened next."
The moment I finish is the moment the room floods with silence. You could hear a pin drop and it would sound like a horror-filled scream. Every eye is on me, each speculating me closely as if they think that if they blink, I'll disappear in a cloud of vapor. Or should I say it's my statement that they're so puzzled about. I can't really blame them, though.
"You can't be serious." The hulking crimson-banded reptile remarks, his gruff voice grating against his vocal chords.
"Well, sorry Red but I'm telling the truth." I return a little more heatedly than intended.
"Oh, are you?" He steps up threateningly.
"Oh, yes I am." I say back, a venomous bite playing dangerously on my lips. The veins in his neck dilate intensely until tight, pulsing strings of flesh weave around his throat like a rope.
Apparently, there is an invisible line drawn into the light dust coating the cemented ground that borders Mr. Macho Turtle's anger. And for the past hour or so I have been lightly nudging it, testing its strength and will to fend off my childish efforts. But I had just crossed it.
Do I feel a little intimidated by this giant mass of pure muscle and fury with a sassy mouth and moss green eyes? Hell no! I may not be able to take him down with my fists, but if there's one thing I know it's sarcasm. And that's one thing I know for a fact I can beat him at.
"Lay off, Raph." The blue one warns, hand raised slightly as if to ward off his fiery brother from lunging at me. And as if forcing himself, Raph shuffles back until he's cloaked in shadows. I smile at him smugly, resulting in a low growl emitting from his entwined throat.
Sensei aka Splinter clears his throat loudly, grabbing everyone's attention successfully. "Shall we please focus on the task at hand?" He asks. It's more of a command rather than a question.
I don't have time to nod my head before I'm fired with yet another question.
"Listen, kid." The leader of the group, Leonardo, states. "We'd appreciate it if you were just honest with us. You could help us with whatever happened out there." He finishes in a calm, orderly manner. But his tranquil facade does little to nothing to prevent a sudden inferno of disbelief from arising inside of me.
"You think I'm lying?!" I ask defensively. Their averted gazes is enough of an answer I need to continue. "Oh-hoh-ho, I see how it is. Little girl walks into your lives and suddenly ruins your operation that was going oh so well. And to add to the pile of inconveniences, after trying to stop the Shredder from escaping, the little girl decides to lie to your faces just for the fun of it. Bullshit!" I bellow. "Why the hell would I need to lie to you guys? It's not like I have anything to hide."
"But we don't know that." Blue counters, straining to keep his cool. "We don't know anything about you. For all we know you could be a spy of some sorts."
"Aren't you the ones who said I'm too young to be working for the Foot Clan?" I ask quickly before he could come up with some cheap excuse. "Show a little trust, why don't ya?"
"Oh, right! Like you did when we tried to talk to you on the interstate." Blue retorts angrily. "Or how about just a second ago when you were running into the sewers with no idea of where you were going all because we brought you here? That's trust right there, huh?" His voice raises a full octave so that I can practically feel his words vibrate through my chest. I look away immediately.
Fuck! He's good. Not only is he able to put his words to their full use, but I can't argue with that logic. I can't respond with a snarky comment that'll downgrade that statement, no matter how much I want to. And that's what angers me the most.
"I'm not lying!" I nearly scream out.
"Calm down!" Splinter commands. I don't feel like causing another dispute with their sensei since I already caused enough trouble within the past five minutes, so I oblige. "We are going to walk through what the girl means until we fully understand what she has told us. Without any arguments. Is that clear?" Splinter instructs, stressing each syllable to make sure we catch on that he is at the edge of his boiling annoyance. The turtles simultaneously bow lowly with a light sigh that sounds along the lines of "hai".
"Good." He pronounces. "Now, Donatello. I believe you wish to ask a few more questions of our guest."
The purple one, Donatello, nervously trudges up, fiddling with what has to be a remote control wrapped around his wrist. I don't have to be a technological genius to notice that this one's the brains of the group. "S-So, why were you in the woods?" He manages to say.
"I-" I stop for a second, mouth suddenly running dry.
Of course he had to ask that question. That one single phrase out of millions he could've asked, should've asked, he had to choose that one.
I clutch the hem of my hoodie, hating the way heat rushes out of my cheeks and travels to my feet, becoming as heavy as lead. "I… I don't know." I squeak sheepishly. I mentally kick myself at my voice cracking, digging my fingernails deeper into the thin fabric.
"What do you mean you don't know?" The orange one pipes up. It's the first time he's spoken in the past hour. I'm right about him being younger than his fellow mutant brothers, he definitely looks like it. He's the shortest and smallest of the bunch, his radiant baby blue eyes a beacon of light in the shallow darkness. Out of all the turtles, I can tell that he's the most sympathetic one of them all, putting aside his sensei. He watches me with the utmost curiosity, his gaze shining and trusting like pools of diamonds.
"What I mean is that I don't know."