A few hours later she woke with a start. Tori shook her head. Well, that was weird. "Wha?" Where am I? What? How did I get here? There wasn't any light. The girl shrugged, and noticed a blue blanket fall from her shoulder. She looked at it, confused. This isn't mine. She took in her surroundings. Maybe I fell asleep in the subway again. She spotted something, and tilted her head. Why is there a rock in the subway? She looked around. There were more of the strange rocks. They lay near the couch Tori was sitting on. Couch?
Tori rose from the sofa, and walked around one of the rocks. She could barely see. Her eyes widened when she nearly tripped over one. She caught herself, and scowled at the offending stone. She put a hand on it. It didn't feel like stone. She rubbed it, and it rumbled at her touch. Tori gasped and stepped away from it.
"Aw, That felt nice." A deep voice emanated from the rock.
"Th-the rock talks," the girl muttered. The rock seemed to hear her.
"I'm not a rock, shell for brains." The rock stood, and Tori felt the need to scream. The sound was stuck in her throat.
Great. Just great. Tori thought. She tripped one of the other rocks. It rolled over, and mumbled something about five more minutes. She scooted away from the turtle rock things. Tori was stopped as her back ran into something hard.
"Nice to see you awake." She turned toward the sound to see a piece of blue cloth wrapped around the head of a turtle.
Now her voice worked. She let out a scream, and the lights flicked on. The turtle Tori had tripped over sat up.
"Who'sit!" He asked drowsily.
Raphael nailed him on the back of the head. "Mikey, wake up."
Said turtle curled up into a little ball, and refused to move. "Dude! Not cool!"
Tori glowered. The air around her darkened. The guys turned. Michelangelo flinched, and Raphael felt free to take her look as a challenge.
"Oh, you want some a this, do ya?"
Tori's smile could only be described as crazy. Tori and Raphael glared each other down. Tori glowered from below, making herself seem more intimidating. Raphael stared from above. His height adding to his own intimidation.
Tori's eyes glinted. "You saw the alley, right?"
"You know we did, Hatter." Her smile widened at the nickname. "Good thing I'm not fond of turtle soup." Michelangelo took the opportunity to disappear.
Donatello emerged from his lab. "What's going on here? Mikey just ran in yelling about Tori losing her marbles."
He froze to take in the sight before him. Raphael standing stock still while he stared at a glaring brunette, who sent shivers down his spine.
"Yep, she's lost it." Donatello concluded.
Leonardo joined his brother. "Do you think we should do something?"
Donatello looked at his older brother. "Of course we should do something. The real question is what can we do? Raph would tear us apart if we interfered, and Tori looks like she might get to it before he does."
Tori's eyes slid toward them, and they stiffened.
"Donnie, go in the lab. We'll come out again when it's safe." Leonardo led away from the impending fight. The pair slipped into Donatello's workshop, and the doors locked into place. Tori's gaze returned to the angered turtle. "You wanted to talk about it?"
"No. I want to fight." He took up a defensive stance, and Tori pulled out a large hunting knife. The girl spun it, she looked at him. "Let's do this then."
Metal screeched on metal as the two fought. They didn't notice a shadow among their surroundings.
"You're pretty good, for a lunatic." Raphael circled Tori, who was standing. The turtle smirked, and lunged. Tori turned, and blocked the blow with a knife. Another one flicked into her hand. The new knife was brought to prevent the Raphael from taking her weapon.
"Thanks. Back at ya." Her knives were hooked on Raphael's sighs. Suddenly, the pair of them were twisted out of the lock. Pressure had frozen the two of them. The old rat had come from nowhere.
"Raphael. You know better than this." The rat said to his son.
"Hai, Sensei." With that, the turtle was let up.
Tori glared at the ground. Splinter gazed down at her. "Tori, if you are going to frighten my sons, I will be forced to act. I promise you, it will not be pretty." She could hear the threat in his voice.
She let out her breath. She hadn't realised she was holding it. The insanity left her body, and she relaxed. "I'm sorry sir. It will not happen again."
The rat's grip didn't budge. "Raphael. Take her knives." The turtle came closer, and took the knives from her twitching hands. Why can't I move? The turtle searched her. It yielded four more knives, and a several sharp needles.
"I need those." Tori's head dropped. "Please."
The rat's ear twitched.
"If they come for me, I need to be ready." Tori flopped to the ground as the rat master let her go. She curled up, and tried to rise. "I can't live without them." The rat pulled her up, and tied her to a pole.
"You are not to be let out until further notice." The rat left no room for question. She slumped to the ground. Tori's wrist was the only thing keeping her off the floor.
The turtles were brought from the lab.
"This girl is not to be let go. You may feed her, keep her company, but she is not to move from the pole." The rat met their eyes.
"Hai Sensei." The boys chorused.
The rat nodded. "You may resume your training. I must speak with Tori." He turned his head toward said girl. She glared at him, but lowered her gaze.
The turtles retreated to a room with heavy looking doors.
The rat sat before her. "Child, why do you attack my sons?"
"I can't explain it." Tori refused to look at the rat.
Splinter tilted his head. "Why not, child?"
"You would think I'm crazy."
"I already think you're crazy." The rat chuckled.
Tori's face fell further, if it was possible. "There's something wrong with me. I just don't know what. Sometimes it gets away from me. I want to get a handle on whatever this is, but I can't." The girl bit her lip. Pain began to prickle in her mouth. "I keep messing up."
"I can't take it." Tori managed to look at the one who had addressed her. Tears were streaming down her face.
"It's coming." She blinked. "Help me. Please."
The rat looked at the frazzled girl sitting in front of him. Her hand was bound behind her, and her feet were underneath her. Her loose shirt was stained with tears, and something red.
"I will help you child," Splinter said quietly. Tori sighed in relief. "However, if you harm any of my sons, I will not hesitate to defend them."
"Thank you, Sir." Tori whispered, and leaned against the pole. She pulled her feet from underneath her. Her jeans shifting with her weight. Her baggy shirt barely hid how thin she was. She couldn't weigh much. Any of the turtles could easily take her, but her insanity must be cured before she could leave her confinement.
Splinter sat before her. "We will start now."
She looked at him hopefully. "Please, tell me what to do."
"Be still. Erase your thoughts. Let the universe come to you." Tori leaned back to let her head rest against the pole. She had closed her eyes. The tears had stopped.
Three hours later, Tori still hadn't moved. Splinter had found the problem, but he wanted to see if Tori could figure it out on her own. His ears twitched as her breath hitched. Splinter opened his eyes to find the girl crying again. She sobbed quietly, as if she was trying not to disturb the rat who sat less than two feet from her.
"Let it out child." The rat chided. Hearing this, Tori sobbed harder. Her body shook because of it. The guys rushed out of the kitchen, eager to see what was happening. They see their master patting a sobbing girl. Why comfort a lunatic? They think. They barely hear her whisper, "I- I need a hug." Tori looked embarrassed by her request. The guys stare in shock as the rat wrapped his arms around the distraught teenager.
Her frame shakes as she buried her head into the fur on his neck, letting tears soak his coat. They stare as their master began to rub circles on her back. The sobbing subsided, and the rat pulled away.
"Thanks." The girl sniffed, and let out a heavy breath. "I'm sorry for all this."
"Don't apologize, child."
Tori dropped her head. "Do you know what's wrong with me?"
The rat thought for a moment. "Yes, child. There is an intruder living in your skin. This is what controls your insanity."
Tori looked up. Her desperation was clear on her face. "How can I get rid of it?"
"I do not know." Splinter answered honestly.
Tori fell over. The only thing upright were her wrists tied to the thick rod. She adjusted the chains so her arm lay flat.
Splinter saw his sons. "It's over."
They relax, and go back for their abandoned food.
Tori glanced at their retreating forms. "I'm such and idiot." She stared at the floor.
"Why is that." Splinter asked.
The girl looked at him. "I scared them. It's hard to change something like that."
"That may be true, but you could win them over. Before that, you should conquer this darkness within you." Splinter stood.
Tori looked at the rat. "I need to tell you something."
Splinter glanced back at her. "What is it child."
Tori swallowed. "I need to tell you what happened to me. Why your sons found me." She paused, "I ran away. My Dad wanted me to be a part of some sick project of his after I dug into some of his private records." She watched Splinter for a reaction. The rat gave none, so she continued. "He insisted that I couldn't escape him. He told me that all the people I had grown close to over the time we lived here were under his command. I found some friends who would help me out." Tori sniffed again. "They took the fall while I ran. I took my knives and needles, and ran to the streets."
"My Dad set his best after me. They operate in many small groups. I managed to avoid them for a few days. They caught up to me the night I met your sons. They saved me from a fate worse than death, and they don't even know it." Splinter's eyes narrowed, and Tori continued. "I guarded myself at all times. I got very little sleep, in fear of them." Tori tried to wrap her arms around herself, but her hand was tied. The other hand gripped her knees. She flexed her bicep instead. Her knees pulled against her chest. "I didn't want to tell them, your sons, I didn't want them to know what happened to me. They might never let me go again."
"No. They would not let you out of their sight. I raised these boys to protect those who in need. I raised them to be kind to others, even if they are rejected." Splinter leaned over, and put his hand on Tori's head. "My sons will protect you."
Tori turned her head away from the rat. "I can take care of myself."
"You are on the run from someone who knows your every move. You are not leaving." With that, the rat left the shocked girl. Her mouth hung open as he went to join his sons.
"Think, child. You might find the answer to your troubles."
Silence enveloped Tori, and she lay on the concrete. All she did was soak it in. She liked silence as much as she disliked crowds. Silence was the one place where she can be chaotic, and no one can stop her. No one would notice. That was no longer true. Silence held no solace, now that she was caught, trapped in the sewers. She would never admit that silence sometimes scared her. Tori was determined to face her monster head on, like she did with anything else.