Chapter 2: The Girl in the Black Coat

She ran for six blocks straight making turns every so often until she reached an abandoned apartment building. She went in though the basement doors and up five flights of stairs and opened the door to "her apartment". The brick building has long been abandoned and the city has yet to destroy it or has had buyer come and buy it. Now it is where she lived.

There wasn't much furniture and the fridge and stove didn't work. The apartment was covered in dust and the occasional roach was seen and the mice made their home here. Most people will find this place repulsing. However, she found it pleasant and she never complain. It wasn't much but she was happy to be free from her other living arrangements. She shook her head and tried not to think of it.

She walked to the bedroom that was to the front of the building. She sat on the mat she "borrowed" as she sat on it as she broke off a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth and chewed slowly savoring the taste. She looked over and saw a rat sniffing around the corner and she took a piece of bread and threw it at the rat. The rat ran a few feet. She watched it as it began to sniff again then scurry over to the bread and took it and began to eat.

"Eat up little guy. Just because some of us have to go hungry doesn't mean you don't have to…" she mumbled to the rat and ate half the loaf.

It took all her will power not to eat the whole loaf. She put it in a thick bag and tied it so the rats and bugs will not get to it she refused to let them get to any more than a piece or two. After all she had to look out for number one…her.

She lied down on the mat and sighs. She thought of the mutant turtles she ran into. They of all…well mutants have to understand. They are outsiders like her. Nobody feeds them. Of all the time she has been out on these streets alone. Nobody offered her food or a home. She wasn't a turtle. She needed real food and well…she looked for the most stale bread and most busied apple. She has been living on scraps for over a week since she took to life on the streets. She needed something more she has gotten sick many times in that week from eating people's leftovers. Her stomach started to give her sharp pains from not eating enough.

She felt guilty for stealing and the turtles made her feel worse. She wished she could have brought the stuff she stole back to the store but she couldn't her stomach wouldn't allow her. She didn't want to use her powers for things like stealing but she had no choice. She would only do it once a week she decided. And she will watch out for the turtles. She will make sure not to let them see her again. She knew they were trying to look out for New York City. She doesn't get why but she will not question what they wanna do in their spare time. She closed her eyes and decided to try and get some rest. She needed her strength after all.

Back in the turtle's lair under New York City the turtles just came in. Master Splinter smiled warmly.

"Good evening my sons. How was patrol tonight?" he asked

"We meet this girl Sensei. She stole food from a store and we tried to stop her but…" Leo looked down. Master Splinter waited for his son to finish.

"She got away. She did some freaky thing with our minds and poof! She disappeared." Michelangelo said waving his arms dramatically.

"She got away Sensei…" Leo said getting to the chase.

Master Splinter debated on what it could be. Could she be like April...But April was part mutant. He looked at his son Donatello. Donatello looked like he too was trying to figure this all out.

"I don't get it Sensei. I swear I saw her hand the food to Leo and apologize then walk away!" Raphael said his tone showed his frustration.

"We all did Raph. I don't get it either." Leo said thinking also. He looked exhausted as he walked to there make shift concrete sofa in front of the TV. His other bothers followed suit as Master Splinter watched his sons.

"Sometimes we have to look past the outer layer in order to discover the truth." Then he walked back toward the dojo.

Raph sighed irritated at this whole situation. They let a criminal walk right past them without a fight! He wanted her to pay. He swore he will find her and get back at her. He couldn't stop thinking of her and the way she looked at him. Even if it was all in his head…still her smile…her eyes. He shook his head. Ugh! Get out of my head!

"Raph did you hear what Donnie said?" Leo asked

"Huh?" Damn he didn't and they will ask what is wrong with him.

"I said I think the whole reason why we saw her give use the food back was because she sang that tone to us and maybe that is why the store owner didn't see her stealing. It's kinda like in fairy tales were the mermaids lore seamen out to the rocks and crash there ships.

"So she's a mermaid!" Michelangelo shouted

"No she just has that power Mikey…" Leo explained. "Do you think she is a mutant?"

Raph thought about it long and hard. She didn't look like a mutant. All the mutants he has seen are well…mutant looking. Not human looking. Well April was different. But still…he couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't right about her and he was going to figure it out.

One week later…

She walked the streets looking though the windows of restaurants. She stopped at a pizzeria to smell filled her nostrils and made her mouth water. She wondered how the whole pizza tasted. All she ever found was pizza crust and if she was luck smalls pieces of the rest of the pizza. What she wouldn't give for a whole slice…her stomach growled. It's time to find a place to get something to eat…She let out a sigh and squeezed her hands and shook them as she walked pasted stored looking for a new place to take from. She ran her fingers though her hair as she put her hands in her pockets and kept walking. She hated this but she held off long enough. She looked at a store that seemed empty she walked in with a smile and started to sing.

"La la la la la la la la laaaaaaaaa laaaaaaaaaaaaaaa la la la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…"

The man behind the counter's eyes glazed over. She smiled and he smiled back. She walked around the store and grabbed an orange then she took some spam and a bottle of water. She walked back to the counter. She paused. She felt like she was beginning watched. She narrowed her eyes and looked around and found nobody in the store or outside that she could see. She dug into her pocket and dropped a penny onto the counter.

"Have a good day sir." she put her food into her pocket and ran out the store. She learned her lesson from last time and acted like she gave the store money. The whole Princess from another country didn't work out the way she planned.

She ran and made a turn into a small park like area. It had a swing set and nobody came in here. It was gated and she found it peaceful in a way. She found it four days ago and she has started coming here since. She jumped and climbed up to the bar that held the swings up and dug into her pocket and took the orange out. She felt someone's eyes on her but she ignored them as she began to peel her orange.

"Enjoying your dinner?" A voice said behind her she jumped and dropping her orange.