A/N: Got distracted from old RPGs I've done in the past. I miss it so much right now... But as this was already almost finished, it got done a lot faster then expected when I went back to it. :)


Identity

The hushed tones of Donatello and April drifted in through the crack between the partitions separating the make-shift infirmary and his brother's lab. Any news of Leonardo's progress in his mission to save Raphael never made it past that paper door. Of course it wouldn't. Why tell the injured brother anything? It didn't matter. Michelangelo needed his rest. No one should disturb him. Just give him something to entertain himself and then ditch.

He grumbled as he shifted on the thin cot, wincing when the fabric rubbed against the bandaged burns of his arm. His gaze shifted to the laptop propped up on the metal side-table beside him, tuning in to the voices coming out of his headset. He refrained from turning his mic on yet as he took in the game's scenery. His team was faring well without his guidance, but they wouldn't get far without the key he had acquired on an earlier mission. He still had to be there when they reached the main boss's door.

Michelangelo moved his character, heading towards their reported position. He took his time, though, trusting that his team could clear the way. He knew he chose right. Their stats were growing, nearing his own. They were working together almost flawlessly. Only one member of their party was lagging behind. He didn't think much of it. Maybe she was just having a bad day.

When he finally reached them, he pulled up his menu. The boss on the other side of door wasn't one to be trifled with. He was a SuperQuest elite; one of the five big powerhouses of the game. Not everyone could rush in there and survive, especially with enough life points to escape the crumbling building afterwards. He knew because he had seen the wikis of it and none came with a hint to defeat the beast. It was a trade secret. Only those who beat it knew how it could be done, but Michelangelo thought he might have the answer.

He typed furiously into the text box, plotting out his plan to his team, and listened to their approval and rebuttals. It was different hearing them respond to his written messages, like there was a gap he was missing. He almost didn't like the feeling. He always preferred his own voice to writing – not to say he didn't write on occasion, but those were comic books. It didn't require much writing at all. Just a few speech bubbles here and there followed with action words.

He didn't take note of the one voice he didn't hear. The same woman whose usual infiltration skill he once admired now only screamed amateur. He missed it completely until her voice suddenly blocked everything else out.

"I…I can't do this anymore!" Her voice was panicked, something he never heard in Syfychick's usual enthusiastic tone. "I thought it could distract me, but I can't." He could practically hear the tears that must be flowing down her cheeks.

"What's wrong, Syfy?" One of the guys asked as Michelangelo listened intently.

"My boss is putting down one of my charges at work soon. She said he's too dangerous to keep around. I just…I can't stand it, guys! I know this isn't the time or place to rant out my feelings, but I just can't believe someone taking a life for any reason! I don't care if he's not a human, everyone deserves to live."

'Yeah, I agree with that, wholeheartedly,' Michelangelo typed out into the text box.

"You're a good guy, Greenmachine." Syfychick sniffled. "I love all my charges, but Splinter, he… he's different. I just can't stomach it."

Michelangelo froze at the name; his controller slipped out of his hands and bounced, painfully, off his injured leg, but he barely took notice. "…Splinter?"

"This eatin' you up that bad?" A different male voice asked. "You coulda said, sooner. We're going to need you for this boss, so you need to be in top shape."

"Yeah, go rest up, okay?" The first male said.

Michelangelo suddenly scrambled to turn on his microphone, not trusting his hands to keep still enough for a text reply. "You said Splinter, right?"

"…Yeah, wh-"

He cut her off before she could say more. "We'll continue this mission later. Syfy? Private me. I end this call and be waiting."

"O-okay," Syfychick closed out of their group chat.

Michelangelo did the same, saying rushed goodbyes to the rest of his team. He knew they would be confused, but it would have to wait. If her Splinter was his, he didn't have time to answer their unspoken questions. His father needed him.

An alert for the private chat he requested popped up on his screen. He clicked to answer it immediately, his body tense with the worry for his father's well being. Why was he going to be 'put down'? He shivered at the thought.

"Why are we private?" Syfychick quickly asked.

"Describe Splinter to me."

"Well uh…okay. Um, he's a rat. Maybe not your average rat…"

"Can he talk?"

"…How do you know?"

Michelangelo stared at the screen of his laptop. He never expected to be so near to the answers he and his brothers desperately scoured the streets for. How could he? It just wasn't even a thought. How often had he played SuperQuest with her during the past few months? And this whole time… How could he be so blind? They didn't need to go through Bishop. Raphael didn't have to be caught. They didn't even need Leonardo's mysterious source that his stubborn brother probably did something unpleasant for. They could have found Master Splinter a month ago. If only he had realized sooner…

"…Greenmachine?"

"You said…they're going to kill him, right?" Michelangelo's voice sounded hollow to his own ears and he wouldn't doubt she could tell.

"Yeah… In a few days. I don't know when, exactly. I'm only an intern there. They don't tell me everything."

"Alright." He sat up completely and pulled up a notepad on his laptop. "Give me your name and address."

"Why? What's going on?"

"I know Splinter," The sound of the partition door opened, but he barely gave his brother more than a glance as his tone hardened. "He happens to be very important to me, so you will start talking."

"Mikey-?" Michelangelo stopped Donatello with a raised hand.

"M-My name's Kimberly Davis." She sighed. "I… Do I have to give you my address? I don't even know your name! I mean, we've only known each other for a few months. This is ridiculous. What if you're some creepy stalker or something? How am I supposed to trust you with this information?"

"I can give you my name, but that's all you're getting." He caught Donatello's look and waved him over with a sigh. "It's Michelangelo." He typed on the notepad as his brother looked over the screen: She knows Splinter. Says he's going to die. Talk after. He continued speaking to who he now knew as Kimberly. "If you care about Splinter as much as you seem to, then you have no choice but to trust me. He means everything to me. He's my sensei; my father. I wouldn't even be here right now if it wasn't for him. My brothers and I…nothing will stop us from rescuing him."

Kimberly sniffled. "Alright." She gave him her address, surprising him with the upstate location. "If you're really friends of his – family – then hurry. Maybe you can get through to him. Something happened to him yesterday. He's…he's not himself anymore…" The call disconnected and Michelangelo removed his headset, setting it down on his laptop's keyboard.

"Who is she?" Donatello demanded.

Michelangelo frowned, looking up. He caught sight of April in the doorway, listening in. "Remember that girl I said joined my group in SuperQuest?"

April mirrored his frown. "Vaguely."

"I knew her as Syfychick. Apparently, her real name's Kimberly." He looked at Donatello, lost. "She works at some veterinary thing. She talked about it sometimes. I just…I didn't know she had met Splinter there. That whole time he was missing… She knew and I had her on my team." His brother pulled him into a hug that he was all too willing to accept.

"You couldn't have known." April walked over to join them on the cot.

"April's right, Mikey." Donatello looked at the laptop. "I'll go talk to her. You need more rest. I'll bring your laptop back when I'm done with it. Okay?"

"Be nice to her, Donny." Michelangelo gave him a stern look. "She was crying in the call. This really upset her. I believe she actually cares about Splinter's safety. I know she's a good person."

"I'll make that decision for myself, but…" He smiled. "I'll take your opinion into consideration."

"Thanks, bro. I'm glad it's going to be you. Raph and Leo can be scary to newcomers. Especially when it involves a member of the clan." He shared a knowing look with April who turned away with a stifled chuckle.

Donatello snorted. "Yeah, that's true. I can just imagine. That poor girl would be terrified." He turned and picked up the laptop. "This is the best lead we'll ever get. I owe your friend that much. I hope she's going to be cooperative."

"I hope so too…"


It was already way past a reasonable time to still be awake. Kimberly Davis sighed as she looked around her small apartment through the pitch black cover of night. The bundle of fur in her arms whimpered again, still shaking from the night's ordeal. She cooed at the Australian Shepherd/Akita mutt, scratching behind that mangled ear she found so cute. "Shh, Junebug. You're okay now." She eased the dog's head to look at her. "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't know you were in the doorway." She frowned at those silver eyes, knowing Juniper saw very little – if anything – through them. "What did I tell you about sleeping in doorways, you silly pooch." She wagged her finger at the big lapdog.

Tears glistened in her eyes for Splinter's safety, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. What was the point? She deserved this pain for not doing anything when she was told his fate. Why couldn't she fight for what she believed in? Why did she always crumble when faced with the opportunity to prove herself? She played the courageous characters in LARP; ones with no fear of rejection or backlash. Did that mean nothing? Was she just going to be a coward forever?

Honestly, it never bothered her before. She was perfectly fine with others taking up the mantle for her. In fact, it was a relief when all she had to do was cheer them on from the sidelines. She had her fantasy games and her rescues to prove she was a good person. That's all she needed. Why did it hurt so much now?

Boulevard, her Jack Russell/Shih Tzu mutt, started barking away in the corner, startling her and Juniper. She calmed the dog in her lap with gentle touches as she heard scuffling and the telltale crashing sound of what she could only assume was a lamp she knew to be in that corner. The sounds grew louder, which Kimberly took to mean Boulevard was on one of his rampages again.

"Bully?" Kimberly tentatively called into the dark.

The scuffling continued on a little longer until Boulevard's barking ended on a startled yip. The sound of it scared her. Someone was there. It had to be. She could think of nothing else that would stop her rambunctious dog so easily. She pulled Juniper's warm body closer to her chest. "Wh-who's there?"

"Kimberly Davis?" A male's voice called from the shadowed corner of the kitchen area. Kimberly squinted, trying to force her vision to make out the shadows before her.

"Who are you?" She asked her mysterious visitor. "What are you doing in my apartment?"

"My name is Donatello. You know my brother, Michelangelo, from SuperQuest."

The online conversation from this morning flooded through her mind. Her eyes widened when she realized the significance. He came for her; the man who knew Splinter. The one she used to know only as Greenmachine.

"I'm here for all the information you can give me concerning Splinter." The figure's voice verged on an emotion that frightened her, but there was something else there too. He sounded…pleasant enough. …For an intruder who broke into her apartment somehow.

Kimberly loosened her grip on Juniper when she reflected on the bizarre silence coming from her second dog. "What did you do to Boulevard?"

"Is that the dog's name?" The shadow – Donatello; he has a name – sounded almost regretful. "He's asleep, that's all. It's a mild sedative. He should wake up in an hour or so." He coughed before continuing, "Kimberly. Tell me where your boss is keeping Splinter."

"You tranqed my dog?" Kimberly's eyes widened as she shifted, hoping to see the little pooch through the indistinct shadows.

"Yes," Donatello sighed. "And I'm sorry about that, but he wouldn't stop nipping at my legs."

"He is a little ankle-biter." Kimberly agreed, nodding. "Still no reason to come in here and then do that to my little Bully." She firmed her chin.

"I said I was sorry!" The shadows shifted just a little – at least she thought they did. "Look, can we just get on topic, please? Your dog's fine. My sensei's not."

"Right. Fine." Kimberly pressed her face into Juniper's fur. The dog was still whimpering and she couldn't blame her. This felt like a dream to her; a nightmare. She sighed before glancing back towards the shadows that hid her definitely illegal intruder. At least it wasn't a malicious one. She'd be dead by now if it was. That was how it worked, right? She played with the loose frizzy strands of hair barely held at bay by the ponytail, her usual braids undone for the night. "One more thing: how are you family anyway? I mean…he's a rat. …What are you, then?"

"That's not important." Donatello rushed out.

"Are you a rat, too?" Her curiosity eased what little fear she had left. "Can I see? I won't be scared, I promise! I'm not scared of Splinter. Well, I was, but that was only the first few days I saw him. Once we started talking more, it got easier. He's really not so bad. That's why it's so unusual to see him act so…violently. Doctor Cartwright has this big scratch right across her face! He got me too, a bit. Just my arm, mostly. I know he didn't mean to hurt me. Something just…came over him, I guess."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down and hold on a second! Wow, I've only ever heard Mikey talk that fast before." Donatello waited a beat before continuing, "No, I'm not a rat, but I'm not entirely…human either. I don't plan on letting you see me, though. It'll be easier for the both of us that way.

"Splinter's a ninjutsu master, so he's going to fight when he can. But…what do you mean 'something came over him'? Why did he hurt you when you claim to be his friend?"

"So you are a mutant. Okay. I guess breaking in would be your only option then…" She mumbled a bit to herself before addressing the last thing he said. "I don't know what I mean. He told me to run, so I did. I didn't even stay long enough to see what happened afterwards. I'm always doing that lately… Running…" She mentally shook herself before forcing a smile. "But that doesn't matter right now. You want to know where he's being kept? I'm sorry, but I don't know that yet. But I can find out! I need to help him! Maybe…maybe this time I can be the hero I want to be. Oh! And I got something to help you already!" She carefully encouraged her blind companion off her lap and navigated her way to the side table beside the front door. She flipped on the light switch without thinking as she pulled out the stolen keycard from the drawer. "It's not the highest security clearance, but…" She whirled back around, too quick for her intruder to react, and stared.

The light illuminated her visitor, revealing the secret he had tried to hide from her. Kimberly slowly took in his unusual form, recognizing the turtle qualities of it, before noticing the long wooden stick he held firmly before him. The purple fabric of his mask barely disguised the uncomfortable look on his face. The next thing she took note of was the duffel bag slung over his shoulder and his belt full of things she could not see clearly enough to name, though she was sure they were some kind of weapons.

"Kimberly?" He spoke slow, hesitant.

"…Splinter was scarier…" She mirrored his slow tone. "Is Gree- – Michelangelo – the same or…is he different too?"

"The same." Donatello's posture shifted from its tense position. Only one hand released its hold on the staff, hovering in indecision.

"Oh. That's why he was being all secretive." Kimberly looked down at the card in her hand just to stop staring. "The key…?" She held it out, turning her head towards the door. There was silence even as the weight of the keycard disappeared from her hand, only to be replaced with something a bit heavier.

"Maybe you could be useful." His voice still came from the same place she saw him last. "I can't seem to gain access to any digital traces of your workplace. Every time I try, I'm blocked by firewalls. If you really want to help, just plug that into any computer connected to their mainframe; the higher the clearance, the better. That way I can plot out the best way in with minimal surprises."

Kimberly looked at the small thumb drive. "That's it?"

"It holds a Trojan horse of my own creation. A digital backdoor, if you will. It should make quick work of their firewalls."

"You're a hacker?" She found him again in his corner, his staff now somehow attached to his back.

"I dabble." His expression turned serious. "Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, I think so. The highest clearance?"

"Within reason. Don't attempt anything you think may attract too much unwanted attention. It may root faster, but if it doesn't finish, it would be near impossible to risk a second attempt. When you've completed that, use the shellcell I'll leave by the window. It only has one number programmed into it: mine."

Kimberly clenched a fist around the thumb drive. "I'll do my best." She only took her eyes off him for a second before he was gone. Her shoulders slumped as the tension left them. She quickly ran over to Boulevard and hugged the small, unconscious, puppy dog to her chest. "Give me strength, Bully. You too, Junebug." She glanced back as Juniper found her way over and poked her wet snout against her shoulder. "I'm going to need it tomorrow…" She absentmindedly rubbed her fingers through Juniper's white and brown fur as a yawn reminded her of the time. Too weary to make her way back to her room, she laid down on the floor, surrounded by her dogs. Her hair fanned out beneath her head as she gave in to the pulls of sleep.


A/N: So... Now I owe you all another chapter... Feed that review box while I'll go and work on it? :D