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 NINE

Can We Keep Her?

I was dreaming and, in the dream, I was back in my own dimension. It was six years ago (when I was still fifteen) and Nanna had just died of cancer. Sunlight was streaming in through the window at Aunty Bev's place.

Aunty Bev had just walked out of the room, and Mum had buried her head in her hands and was sobbing.

"Its okay, Mum!" I cried, jumping up and going to hug her. I rested my chin on top of her forehead. "It'll all work out, you'll see!"

"Oh, Emma!" Mum sobbed, hugging me back. "I didn't want you to have to go through something like this again! You have to…try hard, at school, for Nanna's sake, and mine!"

"Okay Mum!" I promised, not knowing at that stage what I was doing. "I will! So don't be sad!"

"But I am so sad." Said a completely different voice – a male's voice.

I opened my eyes wide, to find myself staring into a pair of chocolate-coloured ones – the eyes of one Donatello, whom I had, apparently, just told not to be sad. But I was also hugging him.

My eyes still the size of dinner plates, I zipped away from him to the other side of the bed I was on.

"I just came in to check upon you," Donatello said, straightening up and glancing at me. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, thanks." I replied quietly, noting the bandage around my shoulder and chest OH MY GOD. I tried to calm down, and sat down. "How long have I been out?" I wanted to know, as I took note of my surroundings. I was in a small room, with nice furnishings and everything. Which surprised me, since I was ninety-nine point nine percent sure I was in a sewer. Not that sewers aren't nice, just…ooh, silk sheets.

"A little under twelve hours," Donatello replied, pouring me a glass of water from a jug on the bedside table. "You healed remarkably well, considering…"

"Considering I nearly got the shell kicked out of me?" I suggested.

"Yeah," He smiled, and handed me the glass of water. "Here – you need to drink this."

"Thanks, I do." I agreed, taking the glass from him and draining it of its contents. A little drop dripped down onto my t-shirt, and that's when I realized I was wearing different clothes – a pair of blue jeans and a comfortable salmon pink halter top, which covered up the mark on my chest whilst showing off said chest quite nicely, which was a first. "Umm, these clothes…?"

"Oh, they're our friend, April's," Don told me, as I put the empty glass next to the water jug. "She helped us…umm, fix you up and everything," He said awkwardly. "And she's also fixing your nightgown for you."

"Thank you for all your help." I said sincerely. "I know this must've been…umm…difficult for you…umm…this room is nice…was it…?"

Don guessed what I was thinking. "Yeah, April was staying here when…"

"The Foot destroyed her apartment and shop?" I guessed.

Don glanced at me. I glanced at him.

"May-be you'd better come out and speak to the others." Don said slowly.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, and stood up. "You really are the smart one, aren'tcha Donnie?"

He didn't say anything, just smiled, as we made our way over to the door. Don opened it for me, and let me go out first.

WHOOSH!

I took a half-step back, right into Don, because another quarter of an inch and I would've gotten a shuriken straight in the face.

"Sorry!" Mikey's voice yelled, and then the turtle himself came hurrying over to us. "I was aiming for Raph." He explained. He yanked the shuriken out of the wall, where it left a decent-sized dent. "Not you, Emma."

And what would you have done if it'd hit either of us? I thought, my face probably like this: -_- .

Raphael himself was across the room, next to a target that looked like a porcupine of shuriken-stickers. Leo was also in the room, next to a three-foot tall rat that was most definitely Master Splinter.

My heart thudded in my chest at the sight of the red-coloured rat in the red and black robes – he was a master, wise and strong. I was honored just by his mere presence.

As we walked across the room to Leo and his father, I happened to notice that both my birds were perched on the back of a couch that faced about twenty different-sized TV's. Then, as we walked past, an orange something suddenly leapt at them and, without thinking, I reached out and grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. "Not today, sunshine." I sternly told the ginger tabby cat, holding it out under each arm in front of me. "Klunk, right?"

"Yup." Mikey replied, as Klunk jumped onto his shoulders. "Don't worry about him, he's just being a cat."

"How could I be mad at something so cute?" I replied, grinning, and Mikey grinned back.

By then, we had reached Master Splinter, and I felt the smile slide from my face – what was I supposed to say now?

Leo looked at me. "Are you alright?" He asked me. "You look pale."

"I have no idea what to say now," I said honestly. "I've caused you all so much trouble, I don't even know where to begin explaining. I know all about you but…you know nothing about me." I glanced at my feet.

"Why don't you sit down," Master Splinter had a calm and old-sounding voice. "And tell us everything from the beginning."

I nodded silently.

I ducked under the table quickly, and only then was I able to open my eyes and brush away the tears that had gathered there, as I'd told the turtles and their master where I was from and how I'd gotten to this dimension.

To give them all credit, none of them had looked terribly shocked, although they seemed a little unnerved at the idea of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise, as I'd put it.

"So," I said, straightening up, my voice calm now. I had a feeling they all knew I'd been crying anyway. "What happens now?"

"Can we keep her?" Mikey asked straight away, and I bowed my head to hide the smile. Typical Mikey.

"The thought of what the Foot could want with her," Master Splinter glanced at me here. "Makes me uneasy. It would be better to be able to keep an eye on her. Emma – would you consider staying here in order for us to keep you safe?"

"But…the Foot…" I stammered. "M-Master Splinter, if anything should happen…"

"We can take care of ourselves," Raphael said firmly from across the table. "But thanks for the concern."

"You're welcome." I rolled my eyes.

The phone rang.