Tally already missed the hospital bed.
She shivered slightly as she curled up on the subway, tugging her jacket around. There was a draft on the metal train, and the other hobos didn't smell all that fragrant.
Tally snorted. I'm a hobo. She thought idly.
She leaned her head against the glass of her window seat as the train emerged and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. It wasn't that late; she'd left the hospital around 5:30, and she'd been on the train for about an hour. If she was lucky, she might be able to get a solid 45 minutes before the train's security guards made their rounds. She always made sure to leave at least fifteen minutes before the guards made their rounds. No need for her to get caught and sent back to the system.
Then you'd see Macey, the thought cropped up before Tally could suppress it. She shook her head. There wasn't any time for those thoughts. She tugged her jacket up more and closed her eyes.
She was jostled awake by the train lurching to a stop. She mumbled something unpleasant under her breath and glanced up at the station. She was in Brooklyn. She yawned and stretched and rolled her neck, and slid out the opening doors before the night passengers could get out before her.
Tally zipped up her jacket and climbed the stairs out to the street. She was glad for that final meal at the hospital. Her stomach was full for the night, and that's all that mattered.
But…what did she do now?
She had been looking for the Purple Dragons for the better end of five years. She had found the gang. She had found the leader of the gang. She had broken into their hideout-which was so stupid-and had almost died. She laughed out loud at her own naivety. She, a fifteen year old street bum orphan, tried to go up against one of the biggest crime bosses in the city of New York. Without a plan. And with barely any fighting strategy. Sure, she had taken karate for five years until she was ten. And she'd been in plenty of little street fights. But that's it. That's all she had. Sarcasm and street fighting.
I could get a job. Tally pursed her lips. A job would supply her some money. But who would hire her? She wasn't even legally old enough to work. She could lie. But she didn't have a permanent address. She could lie about that too, but that would be a hassle to go to that same address she had put down just to receive her checks. She could work under the table for cash, illegal immigrants did that all the time.
Tally shook her head. She'd think about it. Right now the issue at hand was finding a dry, relatively safe place to sleep, and planning out her day for tomorrow. She looked up at the Manhattan skyline in the distance. The sun was well below the horizon, and the lights of the city shined. Tally shivered slightly as a cool breeze ran through her.
Tally took a deep, long breath and climbed up a fire escape of a near apartment building. She was fond of sleeping on roofs. Though it was colder, it was safer, and she had a larger range of vision, especially of those below her. It gave her a sense of security, even if it might be a false one. She leapt over the edge of the building and onto the roof. It was a roof alright. With a door leading into the building in the middle, a little utility shed, and the radiator that brought heat to the complex. Tally nodded; that's where she would sleep. It would provide a little warmth, and would allow her to use her jacket as a pillow which was always welcome.
She hunkered down beside it and balled up her jacket, putting it behind her neck as she leaned on the radiator. She shivered with pleasure as the heating kicked on. She tugged up her shirt and examined her stitches. They were still there, still healing, and still a constant reminder about how stupid she was. She shook her head.
"I am literally the stupidest person on the planet." She mumbled with a sarcastic smile. She resituated herself and closed her eyes, ready to fall asleep to the sounds of the city below.
Suddenly, something heavy landed on the radiator, jolting Tally out of her almost sleep.
"I win!" The voice called in triumph. "I'm king of New York!"
Another thud.
"Zip it shell-for-brains. We're on patrol here."
Tally's eyes widened. Those voices. They sounded familiar.
"No way," she mumbled, scrambling up. She looked up at the saw two turtles. The orange one and the red one. She searched her mind for the names. "Mikey?" she asked, wide eyed.
The two turtles jumped and stared at her.
"Tally?" Mikey asked, a grin immerging on his face. "No way dudette! What're you doing here? Hey guys!" He called, looking at a building across the way. "Look who I found!"
Suddenly two dark shapes jumped across the ally onto the rooftop.
"Tally?" Donny asked, wide eyed.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?" The other one-blue; Leo- asked.
Tally shook her head in disbelief. She laughed.
"No shit," she laughed. "You guys weren't just a bullet hallucination."
Mikey laughed. "You think you could hallucinate something this awesome? How've you been dudette? Haven't seen you in like, forever."
"How are your stitches?" Don interjected, "Are they holding up alright?"
"What are you doing here?" Leo asked.
"Lay off Leo. Kid, how ya feel?" Raph said, rolling his eyes.
Tally looked at all four of them and shook her head, spreading her hands.
"Whoa, slow down." She said desperately, pulling on her jacket. She addressed each one of them with their questions. "I'm fine. My stitches are holding up, they're dissolvable, the doctors fixed me up. I feel fine. And I was sleeping until Mikey landed on top of my head." She said, gesturing to the radiator. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked. "Is this like a nightly thing or what?"
Leo shook his head in exasperation. "We're tracking some Foot."
"Some what?" Tally asked, crossing her arms.
"Some Feet." Mikey sniggered. Donny and Raph grinned while Raph punched Mikey in the arm.
Leo rolled his eyes. "The Foot Clan."
"There this gang." Don supplied.
"Led by the Shredder," Raph continued.
"Who's totally evil!" Mikey finished.
"And you're trailing them…why?" Tally asked.
"Because they're always up to no good." Raph shrugged.
"Now…you don't know that. We could be doing a community service." A voice said, a smile in his tone.
The five jumped and whipped around. Tally's eyes widened as the turtles readied their weapons. They were actually going to fight. On the roof was a guy in a goofy getup by Tally's standards. He was dressed in all black. It was like underarmor, but padded, like armor. He had a utility belt with pockets on it. And a red crest on his bicep that looked like a three pronged flame. And he was wearing a mask. A full-fledged mask. Tally resisted the urge to laugh.
"Anything you and your friends do ain't service." Raph growled, twirling his sai.
What friends? Tally thought. He was alone.
As if reading her mind, several other similarly dressed figures appeared seemingly out of nowhere, all around them.
"Guys," Tally said warily.
"Tally," Leo said sternly. "You said you took karate right? When you explained what happened to your parents?"
"Yeah but-"
"Can you fight?"
"I mean-"
"Can you fight?"
"Yeah I can fight but-"
"Then fight with us."
And then they charged. At these ninja dudes.
Tally's eyes widened as one ran toward her. She bounced on the balls of her feet, getting ready. She sent up a prayer to every deity out there that her stitches wouldn't tear. She narrowed her eyes, clenched her fists and swung.
She clipped the Foot in the jaw with a right hook and sent him sprawling. Just as quickly as he went down, another one took his place. Tally jumped and kicked him, or at least tried to. The guy dodged and caught her off guard. He punched her in the jaw and sent her to the ground. Her brain bounced around and she looked up groggily. He was on top of her. She struggled as he held her shoulders down.
"What're you gonna do now shorty?" He grinned. Tally blinked to clear her head. He did not just call her short.
"You did not just call me short." She glared.
"What're you gonna do about it?"
"Make sure you can't reproduce." She spit. She brought her knee back and hit him in his crotch. Tally nodded in satisfaction as he heard his sharp exhale. He doubled over and she shoved him off, punching him in the face for good measure.
"Asshole." She muttered, spitting out some blood. She sat up and found that the other ninja guys-Foot-were either gone or unconscious. Donny jogged over to her and helped her up.
"Nasty bruise." He murmured, brushing his hands over her cheek. "Stitches?"
"Intact." Tally murmured. She turned to the rest of the turtles. "So." She said, popping her fingers. "Those are the Foot? Why are they dressed like that?"
"Cause they're crazy," Raph snorted.
"And why do they hate you?" Tally asked.
"It's a long story." Leo said warily.
"I've got time." Tally supplied, her curiosity peaked.
"Want to come back for pizza?" Mikey asked brightly. Tally's eyebrows shot up.
"You guys eat pizza?" she asked.
"Yeah dudette! What did you think we eat?"
Tally shrugged. "I dunno, like…lettuce or something. Turtle things. Turtle food."
"I've tried it." Leo said, making a face. "Not good."
"So pizza." Tally said, her stomach rumbled slightly. She would never pass up free food.
"Leo?" Mikey asked, looking at their leader hopefully. The two other turtles looked to their leaders.
"It would give us time to hear that story." Tally said, grinning hopefully. Leo's eye twitched. He sighed.
"Alright." He decided.
"Pizza party!" Mikey grinned.
"But we'll have to blindfold you," He said, taking off his blue bandanna. "So you don't go telling anyone where we live."
Tally laughed, but allowed Leo to blindfold her.
"Like anyone would believe me." She said.
"You'd be surprised." He said softly.
Someone took her hand, and she was off to eat some pizza with some turtles.
My life is so freaking weird.