TMNT

Mutant Kunoichi

A girl from our world is somehow transported to the TMNT world, where she is subjected to becoming a mutant not in body, but in spirit. Protected by the turtles, and hunted by Foot Clan, will she find protection or even love?

CHAPTER SEVEN

No More Running

The guys who were coming toward me could probably be clearly defined as street thugs – they had tattoos, piercings, black clothes, the works. And they were looking at me in a way that told me I was in very big trouble.

Oh, why oh why do I only have my nightgown! I don't hate it – I got it in Bali! But it's a NIGHTGOWN, not a daygown!

And, it was about to get me into trouble.

"What's a little girl like you doing in a place like this?" What looked like the leader of the group asked me, and I wisely chose not to answer. He didn't like that, however, and made to slap me. I took a quick and automatic step back, and found myself backed up against a wall. Oh no…

"Heh heh…this could be perfect…" One of the other guys said, and I felt a lump in my throat. My biggest fear…was it about to happen?

"Anyway, this is our turf, so we can do what we want." One said.

"Yeah." Another agreed.

Karasu and Hato were on either of my shoulders, and suddenly, Karasu looked to the left and cawed, loudly. It seemed like she was saying something…was someone else there?

"Help!" I called out, and was completely surprised (but relieved) when someone did come to my rescue.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm not so good at writing fight scenes, but here we go…).

Keno took two of the guys by surprised, getting them from behind and knocking them to the ground, and then I recalled how he studied martial arts. Maybe he'd been training with the turtles, too. One of them made to grab his shoulder, and he grabbed the guy's arm and threw him to the ground, like in the movies. I had no idea why Keno had followed me but, at any rate, I wasn't complaining, as he made short work of those guys, who were big and strong but not very skilled in hand-to-hand combat.

We were left standing in the midst of unconscious bodies, and I carefully picked my way around them to get to Keno, who was looking pretty pleased with himself.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

I nodded, not meeting his gaze. "Yeah, th-thanks…" He probably thinks I'm a real freak who goes around in a nightie and talks to birds, oh this is so embarrassing!

Keno was looking at me (I could tell). "But…what were you doing…"

I suddenly realized what he was about to ask me, and it was one of the last questions I wanted to answer – I couldn't tell him that practically everything I'd told him in the shop had been a lie! I didn't want to deal with it – it was too hard!
So, before he could finish the dreaded sentence, I turned on my heal and ran, jumping over the fallen body of one of the thugs and dislodging Karasu from my shoulder. Hato managed to hang on, her tiny talons digging into my skin, as I flat out sprinted down the alleyway, coming out onto an only slightly crowded street.

I dodged in and out of the people there, crossing the road and nearly getting hit by an oncoming Ford Fiesta. I ignored everyone and headed for another back alley, not even realizing that the sun was setting. I was so intent on running away from the situation – like I always do.

As I ran, I could practically hear my Dad's voice in my mind: You're just making up excuses, like you always do.

And Mum, too. You're running from the situation, but it's gonna catch up with you sooner or later.

Tears stung my eyes. I know already, but what can I do! I'm doing it to protect them from the people I'm running from!

But…who was gonna protect me?

I found myself in an alleyway, at a dead-end.

"Oh, great." I said, my silvery voice filled with exasperation. "Now what can I do? I got into this situation…but how can I get myself out of it?" Even though I don't see eye-to-eye with my parents, I found myself wishing they were here…or did I?

I missed them; I'd been thinking about them – and the rest of my family and friends – last night. But…

-Flashback-

"You're going to help me with the cooking tonight, you need to learn some life-skills…what are you doing?"

"I'm meditating, Mum. Because you keep stressing me out so much about getting a job, I need time to not think."

"Stop being so stupid! Just because you watch that bloody Ninja Turtles show, doesn't mean you can just live like you've been living!"

"It's not stupid, just because you don't like or understand it! This is the only thing I can do, since you won't let me take martial arts lessons!"

"You need to get a job before you do any of these things, and you only want to do it because Raph-el does it!"

"His name is Raphael, and that's not the only reason! I need to build up my confidence and self-est – "

"Get off the floor and get your fat ass into the kitchen, NOW!"

"Can we wait, please? I just need to…"

"GET UP NOW, YOU STUPID, LAZY, WORTHLESS BITCH!"

"Don't you dare speak like that to me!"

"I can f*cking speak to you however I want, because I am your mother!"

"I won't treat my kids how you treat me, I'll be a good mother!"

-End Of Flashback-

My three earrings chinkled, as I found myself rubbing the right side of my head, close to the ear where Mum had struck me after I'd accused her of being a bad parent. I felt kind of bad about it – nobody likes to be called a bad parent. I hate it when I say things before I think. But she'd made me so angry, I hadn't been able to think straight. And now, I was in another world possibly dimension, being hunted by ninja and assaulted by street thugs…

"Could've used those martial arts lesson now, Mum." I muttered, before I spotted a fire escape, complete with a ladder leading down to my level. I hurried over and climbed up it, not even sure what I was running from anymore. The building wasn't too tall, so I was able to easily run up the flights of stair, and found myself on a rooftop.

Hato clung to my shoulder, cooing softly as I looked all around me, my hair billowing in the soft breeze. I sighed – and then gasped, as the cloth I'd gotten from Leo last night came untied from my nightie sleeve strap, and blew over the edge of the building.

"Iie!" I yelled, hurrying after it and missing it by inches. There was a fluttering of wings at my side, and Hato took off after it, a white blur disappearing into the growing darkness.

I closed my eyes, wishing I still had my necklace to fiddle with and, still keeping my eyes closed, turned and sat on the ledge at the edge of the building, resting my elbows on my knees and my forehead on my knuckles. There was a strange burning feeling in my chest, not painful just…sort of uncomfortable. I didn't like it.

"I hope she gets it back…it's Leo's, after all." I whispered.

"What do you know of the turtle, Leonardo?" Asked a strangely feminine voice from a few feet away in front of me, and my eyes snapped open, to find myself surrounded by twelve people wearing dark clothes, hoods and red head bands.

"Foot Ninja." I whispered.

"Now, what do you know of the turtles?" The figure at the front – the leader – asked me, taking a small step forward.

I stood up quickly, before realizing that I couldn't run anywhere – they had me backed up against a ledge.

I couldn't run from this situation…I couldn't fight. I couldn't do anything but answer.

So I did.

"Just that they're cooler and way more honorable than the Shredder, and would never murder people like he did." I answered honestly, and as soon as the words were out of my mouth I wondered why the shell I'd just said that to a bunch of Foot Ninja.

Because the leader was wearing a hood, no emotions were given away, but I heard a note of anger in the reply. "My Master only destroyed those who defied him."

"And that makes it right, does it?" I shot back.

"It is a way of life." The leader replied. "This is how my Master lives."

"It's also how he killed Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen, did we forget that?" My voice quivered with anger.

The leader was silent, though I noticed a few of the other Foot Ninja exchanging glances.

"Oh…he didn't tell you?" I whispered.

"I will hear no more lies about our Master." The leader suddenly unsheathed a katana, and I froze in absolute fear. Katanas are sharp and pointy, and capable of drawing blood, aren't they? Oh, where was Leo when I needed him! "Remember our Master's orders – the girl is to be brought back to him alive."

"But he didn't say unharmed." Another Foot Ninja commented, also unsheathing a katana.

The leader looked at me. My words about the Shredder replayed in my mind. "No…he did not." And the leader lunged at me.

I gasped. "LEO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

The next thing I heard was the unmistakable sound of metal on metal.