Hey everyone! Really sorry for the long wait, but chapter 2 is all done now and we hope you'll enjoy it.
Chapter 2: Starting the Prologue
The film starts with a very wide shot of New York City, Manhattan. It's night-time, and the sky is filled with dark clouds. The rain is pouring hard, and the sky is thundering, occasionally lightening. The camera slowly pans down towards the city, then the image fades into a close up shot of the city; buildings and cars can be seen everywhere. The camera continued to go forward, until it zooms in on a manhole cover. Then the image pans down into the New York sewers.
"STOP!" Raph yelled at the top of his lungs, making everyone- even the bad guys- jump. "SHUT THIS FILM OFF NOW!"
"For goodness sake…Pause!" Mystery shouted. "Lights!"
The lights quickly came back on. Everyone looked around to see the full frustration on Mystery's face, and the annoyance on Jess's.
"What is it now?" asked Mystery.
"Are you two crazy?" Raph snapped.
"Yes!" The two girls answered in unison, not disputing the fact. They were indeed crazy in their own way, especially to try to host a movie night with this lot, which they were currently failing at.
"You're going to give away our location to the Shredder!" Leo yells, joining in with his brother's outburst. "What is wrong with you two?!"
As soon as Leo had spoken (or in this case shouted) Jess turned to her friend, a smug look etched on her face. Mystery didn't even need to listen to Jess speak to know what she meant.
"Okay. I forgot to tell them. Sue me."
"Tell us what?" Nia asked. She was confused as to why these girls didn't seem worried about the fact that they were revealing the location of their home to Shredder and his henchmen, who were sitting only a short distance away from them.
Mystery took another drink of her coke before preparing to answer Nia's question. Mystery was one of those girls who likes things to go according to plan, and for her it definitely wasn't going the way she had planned.
"Look," she said calmly. "I forgot to mention one small detail earlier. When all of this is over and you go home, you won't remember a thing."
Everyone, both the good guys and bad, just stared at her.
"So we'll just be sent home and won't remember any of this happening?" asked Leo. "Including us?"
"Exactly!" Jess clarified, quickly coming to her friend's aid. "It will be like waking up from a dream and not remembering what happened in it. Cool? Besides," she added. "We're not showing them the direct way to your lair, they'll only be seeing the inside."
Everyone nodded. Shredder, however, was less pleased upon hearing this information. He had waited ages to find out the location of the turtles lair, and when he arrived her he thought he'd have it handed to him on a silver plate. Now, that opportunity was rapidly taken away from him. He swore he would get his revenge on these two girls if it was the last thing he did. Their demise would have to wait until the right opportunity. For now, he was stuck watching this pathetic film.
Meanwhile, Leo and Raph were considering what they should do about their current situation.
"So fearless leader, what's the plan about getting out of this crazy place?" Raph asked Leo in a hushed voice.
"For now we don't do anything, but stay alert," Leo advised him.
Raph didn't look convinced. "That's it?"
"Yes," Leo said sternly, turning his attentions to the film again.
Still looking unconvinced, Raph also turned to face the screen and continued to watch the film. He was still convinced that Leo should have taken more action. If only he was the leader and not Leo.
"Okay, let's try this again, shall we?" Mystery asked, getting herself comfortable again, before yelling, "ACTION!"
The movie picked up where it left off; inside the sewers. Some water is pouring in through a sewer grate, the only source of light. Then, the sound of footsteps can be heard. Suddenly, a figure runs by the grate, so fast we almost don't see it. Then, another one runs by, and then another one. Then, a fourth figure starts to runs by, but trips and falls in front of the grate. The figure sits up, then, from outside, lightning strikes, illuminating the sewer for a moment. The camera turned to the figure just as the light hit, showing a much smaller, 8 year-old Michelangelo.
"It's me!" Mikey shouted excitedly, pointing up at the screen.
At this, everyone, even the bad guys, looked up at the screen with curiosity. This story, whatever it was, started at the turtle's childhood? What all would it show?
Mikey gasped at the sound, then scrabbles to his feet and runs off to catch up with his brothers.
The camera snaps to an image of the four mutant turtles messing around, walking through the sewers. Raph is in front with Leo close behind, Donnie and Mikey both bringing up the rear.
"Dudes, this is mental," Mikey said, his mind blown by all this. "Like, they're us, but- not us."
"We can see that clearly. Thank you, Michelangelo," Splinter said with a small grin.
Leo: Guys, this isn't a good idea. What if dad finds out?
Raph: Relax, Leo. We're not doing anything wrong.
Leo: But, we're not allowed to-
Raph: We're not gonna go topside; we're just wanna get a better look.
"I see that your yearning to go topside has been around for many years, my sons, and not just when you hit you teenage years," Master Splinter commented sternly.
Instinctively, all of his sons sunk lower in their chairs in unison. Nia saw this and smiled to herself.
Leo: Well… what if a human sees us?
Raph: We won't get caught if we're careful. Now quit being a baby. Mikey does that enough already.
Mikey: Hey! I heard that!
Donnie: You were supposed to, dude. That's the whole point.
The turtles, both from Nia's world and the other, rolled their eyes, while their friends and Sensei's all smiled. Even the bad guys had to admit the brotherly bond and interaction between the turtles was both cute and funny.
Mikey: Whips around. Sh!
Donnie: Don't tell me 'sh!'
Mikey: No, really, shh! I heard something!
All the turtles stop talking and turn their heads towards Mikey, who's looking off in the opposite direction, hand cupped by his ear.
Leo: What is it, Mikey?
Mikey doesn't answer, but listens for another moment. Then he gasps, then suddenly darts off down the sewer. His brothers' gap at him before racing off after him.
Vanessa leaned forward in hear seat so she could see all the turtles and Nia.
"Does Mikey always take off like that?"
Nia nodded. "Pretty much."
The rest of the turtles nodded in agreement. Even Mikey.
Leo: Mikey, stop!
Raph: Wait up!
Donnie: Slow down!
They all kept running for a few moments. Then, Mikey skids to a sudden halt. The others aren't ready for it, and his brothers' slam into the back of him and all four fall back and land in a heap on the ground.
Everyone in the cinema (except the Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey from both worlds) started laughing.
"Y'all are ridiculous," Angus said, wiping his eyes.
"Oh, give us a break. We were 8-years-old!" Leo said exasperatingly.
"I think you all looked cute," said April, who turned slightly pink as she continued, "Especially you Donnie."
Donnie turned scarlet and chuckled nervously. He brothers noticed this and started making kissing noises.
Raph: Mikey, what the Shell…!
Suddenly all four of them go silent. They can hear something coming from the nearest manhole cover right above them; it sounds like someone is crying.
Mikey: See! I knew I heard something!
The turtles all get up, brushing themselves off. They all look up at the manhole cover, listening to the strange crying sound. Then Leo walks forward and grabs the ladder.
Leo: You guys stay down here, I'll go check it out.
Raph: (angry) Why do you get to go topside?! You're the one who didn't wanna leave home in the first place!
Leo: I'm just gonna peak through the manhole cover, see what's up there. That's what we came here for anyway, right?
Raph huffs irritably, raising his hands in surrender. Leo quickly climbs up the ladder and lifts the lift the manhole cover up just enough so he can see. The camera peeks through the cover through Leo's point of view. You can see through the gap there is a small girl, dressed in yellow pyjamas, crying and clutching at her left leg, clearly in pain. It is pouring of rain outside and the girl looks soaked, and appears to be all alone in the alley.
"Wait, that's me!" Nia said suddenly. "Right after..."
Her voice trailed off, and she suddenly felt very nervous, and a bit scared.
"Yeah..." Jess said half anxiously, half excitedly. "We might as well tell you now; this film is mainly about you."
"About me?"
"Yeah man! This movie is called 'The Interesting Life of Lavinia.' That's what I was trying to tell Mikey before I was rudely interrupted," she glared slightly over at Mystery. "By a certain someone…"
"Excuse me for trying to get film finally started before we had another fiasco," Mystery defended.
"You really gonna bring that up now?"
"So what if I did?"
"Well, we might've started sooner if you had remembered to tell everyone about the precautions you set up."
"Well, if you…!"
"Enough!"
The two friends stopped arguing and turned to the one who has ceased their argument. The Splinter from Nia's world had risen from his seat, banged his staff on the ground and raised his voice loudly to gain their attention. This had worked perfectly.
"This was a hard time for my daughter, and I would appreciate it if you two would show some respect, please," Splinter said calmly.
"I agree," the other Splinter said, also rising from his seat to join his twin. "Please, show some respect."
The two girls looked at each other, a guilty look on both of their faces.
"Of course," Mystery said bowing her head respectfully. "Forgive me."
"Me too," Jess said, also bowing her head respectfully. "We're really sorry."
The two Splinters nodded, and then both sat back down in their seats. Both Mystery and Jess glanced over at Nia, but the small smile on her face told them that she had forgiven them.
Mikey: What's happening up there, bro?
Leo slowly closes the cover and climbs a few steps back down the ladder. He turns his head so that he can get a better view of his brothers to talk to them.
Leo: It's a girl.
Raph: A girl?
Donnie: A girl is a female child.
Raph: (whips around, annoyed) I know what a girl is, Donnie! But, what is she doing there? And why is she crying?
Donnie: Girls tend to do that when they are upset.
Everyone started laughing again as they watched the younger Raph's facial expressions, which made him look like he was 2 seconds away from punching Donnie in the face. Donnie quickly swapped seats with Leo just in case Raph got any ideas. The other Donnie had the same idea and moved away from his brother Raph and the other Raph.
Leo: It looks like she's hurt her leg.
Donnie: That would explain why she's upset.
Leo glances up at the cover, the girls soft crying can still be heard. He looks around, deep in thought.
Leo: …I'm gonna go calm her down, then maybe we can help her.
Raph: You're seriously going topside? What if Splinter finds out?
Leo: He'll understand Raph. Suddenly looks worried. I hope…
"And indeed, I did understand, Leonardo," Splinter said, with a large smile on his face. "You were very brave to go up to the surface, even if you knew you could be punished for disobeying me. And the results were well worth that risk. I am very proud."
Leo beamed, but Raph was sulking. It was his idea to go check out the surface and yet Leo got credit when he would have got punished for going top side. They wouldn't have even found Nia if he hadn't suggested going out in the first place. Suddenly, his mind went blank at the though. What if he hadn't suggested going out to check the surface? What if Mikey hadn't heard her crying? What if they never found her?
Leo climbs back up the ladder and lifted the manhole cover, pushing it out of the way. He pokes his head out, and once again spots the girl, who is still crying and clutching her leg.
Leo: Psst…
The girl doesn't hear Leo, and wipes her eyes with her soaked sleeve.
Leo: Psst!
The girl hears Leo this time, and lifts her head, looking down the alley. She sees Leo poking his head out from inside the hole. The camera turned towards Leo, and it shows that only his eyes are visible in the shadows.
Leo: Hey.
Lavinia: Sniffs. Hello…
Leo: Are you okay?
Lavinia No…my leg hurts.
There's a moment of silence other than the pounding of the rain, and the subtle sound of thunder in the distance. Then, Leo pushes himself out of the manhole and stood up. He slowly walked towards Nia, stepping into the light. He is noticeably shorter, and wearing a large, blue bandana covering his head. Nia looks at him, clearly surprised, but not afraid.
Nia: (curiously) Are you a turtle?
"Are you blind or just stupid?" Dogpound asked Nia in a taunting voice.
"Shut it, dog breath," both Raph's said in a warning voice.
"Whatever."
Leo: Yeah. Not a normal one, but yeah.
Lavinia: Looks him up and down. That's…pretty neat.
Leo: Takes a step forward. You're not…gonna scream?
Nia: No… Why?
Leo: My dad said if people saw me and my brothers that they might be scared of us. Tilts head. You're not scared, are you?
Nia: Shakes head. N-no… Should I be?
Leo: I don't think so.
"I'm glad you weren't," Leo whispered to Nia, taking a hold of her hand and squeezing it.
Nia's face flushed red as she him a small smile. As they both turned back to the screen, she caught a glimpse of Raph's face. Although she could have mistaken it, Raph seemed to look irritated. Maybe even… jealous? But, that was silly, right?
Leo: My name's Leonardo, but my brothers call me Leo. What's your name?
Nia: Sniffs and smiles a little. Lavinia…
Leo: Smiles. That's a nice name. Smile fades. How did you hurt yourself?
Nia: Gulps. I…I made my daddy mad. He…he hurt my leg…
It was at this moment that the theater went dead silent. Even the bad guys were quiet. Nia sunk lower and lower into her seat, pulling her hood over her head so that her face was covered. Her brother's all looked over at her, sad looks on their faces. The other turtles all stared up at the screen. Had they heard right?
Neither kids say anything. Nia tries to sit up a little more, but this makes her leg move and she whimpers. Leo walked closer to Nia and kneeled in front of her.
Leo: Can you move it?
Nia: No… If I do it hurts more… Nia hangs her head and starts crying a little.
Nia just wanted her seat to swallow her up. This was so embarrassing.
Leo: Wait here.
Leo stands up and walks over to the manhole. He then bends over and brings his hands to cup his mouth before calling his brothers.
Leo: Guys! It's okay! Come on up!
Leo stands back and a second later his brothers all jump out of the hole and land next to him. Nia gasps at the sight of them, each wearing a bandana like Leo, but with their signature color.
Leo: These are my brothers.
Nia: Waves. Hi…
Mikey: (cheerfully) Hi!
Donnie waves at Nia, but Raph just glares at his older brother.
Raph: (gruffly) She didn't freak out, huh?
Leo: You didn't hear her scream, did you? Turns to Donnie. Her leg's really hurting, Don. Think you can check it?
Donnie slowly walks over and knees down in front of Nia. He lifts one of his hands and gently presses it onto her left leg. She whimpers in response to the gentle pressure on her leg.
Nia: Ow…
Donnie: Yeah, it's pretty damaged. She won't be able to walk for a while. Not without help.
All four turtles looked at each other, not saying anything.
Raph: Sighs. We're takin' her with us, aren't we?
Leo: We don't have a choice. We can't just leave her here.
Mikey: Dudes, what's dad gonna think?
Leo: I'll go and tell him about this, you guys get Lavinia out of here. Walks over to Nia. I'm going to go ahead and tell our dad about you, and my brothers are going to help bring you to our lair. I'll see you there, okay?
Nia nods. Leo smiles before he turns, runs back and jumps down the manhole.
Donnie: Raph, come help me.
Raph makes a gruff sound before walking over next to Donnie. They both get on either side of Nia and placed her arms around their shoulders; Donnie on her right and Raph on her left.
Donnie: We're gonna help you up, okay? Nia nods. Okay. Raph, lift her up on my count. One…two…three.
In one swift movement they both lift Nia off the ground. She is now standing on her right foot, while still being supported by Raph and Donnie.
Raph: Yah okay, short stuff?
At this, Nia snorted, and Raph chuckled. That was his nickname for her, until she actually grew that is. Now she was the same height as him.
Nia nods and they slowly started led her over to the manhole, Nia hopping on her good leg as the two turtles continue supporting her.
Donnie: Mikey, get down there so you can help get Lavinia down.
Mikey nods and jumps down the manhole. Nia leans over slightly and you can see that Mikey is holding onto the ladder, only halfway down. The boys help set Nia down on the ground so she can slide in through the hole. Nia holds onto the ladder and uses her right foot to step down slowly until she is right above Mikey. She looked down at him, and he smiles as he reaches up for her.
Mikey: C'mon, little dudette! I gotcha!
Nia smiles down at him and eases her way down a little so she is close enough to reach him. Mikey wraps his arm around her and she clutches onto him tightly. Suddenly, Mikey lets go of the ladder and jumps down to the sewer floor. Nia yelps, but calms down when they both hit the ground safely.
Mikey: Chill, dudette. I won't let yah get hurt.
Nia couldn't help but grin. Mikey had always called her 'dudette', even when they were kids. Sure, other teens say it too, but it always felt special to her whenever Mikey said it.
Nia: Grins. Thanks…Mikey, right?
Mikey: Heck yeah! He puts her left arm over his shoulder and raises his head. C'mon, dudes! Let's go!
Raph and Donnie both soon climb down the ladder and join Mikey and Nia on the ground. Donnie puts Nia's right arm over his shoulders and they all start to head through the sewers, Raph leading the way.
"This cannot be scientifically possible," Donnie mentioned to April, who now sat next to him since he switched seats.
"No offence Donnie, but talking mutant turtles are not to suppose to be scientifically possible either," she reminded him with a sweet smile on her face.
Donnie's face saddened. He hated being reminded that he and his brothers were never supposed to exist in their world or that he was never supposed to love a human. Just then he felt a warm and smooth hand gently take his and squeezed it lightly.
"That doesn't mean it's a bad thing," April reassured him. "It means that you guys are special."
Donnie turned scarlet and giggle nervously again. Mystery and Jess both saw this romantic bonding moment and both grinned at each other.
"Bet yah 20 bucks they'll be making out by the end of this," Jess said, eagerly.
"I'm sure they will," Mystery agreed. "But, sadly, they won't remember any of this."
"Well, we could always…"
Jess leaned over and whispered something in Mystery's ear. When she backed away, Mystery looked like she was thinking hard about what Jess had suggested. She looked like she both agreed and disagreed with her friend's whispered suggestion and was fighting a battle in her head about if she should go with it or not.
"Perhaps, but I need to think about it," Mystery said finally, still unsure.
"Fair enough," Jess said, grinning, and the two returned to watching the film.
The scene cuts to a wide shot of inside the turtle liar; a clearly abandoned subway station, refurbished to look like a home.
Leo is standing in the middle of the room inside the pit, talking with Master Splinter, who has his back to the screen.
Leo: I know we weren't supposed to be near the surface, dad, but... we just wanted to get a closer look. And that's when we found Lavinia. She's hurt real bad.
Splinter: How bad are her injuries?
Leo: We think her legs broken, she couldn't move it.
Splinter: How did she get hurt?
Leo: She said something about being in a fight with her dad, and that he hurt her. That can't be right, can it? Dads don't hurt kids, do they?
Splinter doesn't answer, but has a firm look on his face. The camera pans over, and we see the turtles and Nia entering the lair. Leo spots them, then reaches up and tugs on his father's sleeve.
Leo: Dad, she's here.
Splinter turns around and Nia gives a silent gasp. Splinter stares at Nia for a moment, eyes wide before finally speaking.
Splinter: My sons, bring her to the couch, now.
Don and Mikey quickly bring Nia over to the large couch inside the pit. They then slowly and gently set her down on the cushions. Splinter walks over in front of the couch and kneels down in front of Nia, wraps her arms around herself, looking nervous.
Splinter: Do not fear, little one, I assure you, neither me or my sons intend on harming you. Leonardo tells me your name is Lavinia, is that right?
Nia: Nods. Y-yes.
Splinter: Smiles. Lavinia- a lovely name for a lovely girl. My name is Splinter. I promise you child, you are in safe hands.
Nia nods. Splinter then looks down and slowly grabs Nia's foot and gently lifts it up. Nia and the turtles watch as Splinter runs one of his hands across her calf while examining it closely. At one point he gives it a gentle squeeze, causing Nia to wince.
Splinter: Hmm… It's not completely broken, but her bone has been pulled out of place. Turns towards Leo and Raph. Leonardo, I need you to get the first aid kit. Raphael, get an icepack.
Both nod and leave to retrieve the items. Splinter the looks at Donnie and Mikey and nods at them.
Splinter: You two, come. Mikey and Donnie both come over and stand on either side of Splinter. Donatello, I need you to brace Lavinia's leg. Here, like this… Splinter helps Donnie position his hands so that he's bracing Nia's leg. Michelangelo, sit next to her, please.
Mikey nods before walking over to the couch and sitting next to Nia.
Splinter: Lavinia, listen closely. You are going to have to stay perfectly still for a moment, okay? I am going to have to pop your leg back into place. It will hurt for a moment, but do not worry. My son, Michelangelo, is going to hold your hand and never let go. Alright?
Nia nods, but her lip starts trembling slightly. Mikey notices this and looks at her sadly. Then, his eyes trail down her figure, and the camera turns and pans down her arm. The screen shows a dark bruise in the shape of a hand on her upper arm, and what looks like a carpet burn on her wrist.
Nia's turtles and friends looked up at the screen in horror. April, Angus and Vanessa had never seen their friend look so injured, and the boys had to fight the urge to move even closer to their sister, though they wouldn't have cared.
The other turtles gaped up at the screen. They might not know this girl- Nia, they called her- nor did they fully understand what was going on, but the fact that this had happened to such an obviously sweet girl was unbelievable.
No matter how evil the bad guys might be, even they were shocked by what they saw. None of them could ever have guessed that the turtles' sweet, sarcastic kunoichi was once a victim of child abuse.
The camera turns back to Mikey's face, which is both sad and confused. Then, he reaches over and grabs her hand. Nia blinks and turns to look down at her hand, then looks up at Mikey, who is giving her a small encouraging smile.
Nia: Mikey, I'm scared. I don't like pain…
Mikey: Me neither, but don't worry, dudette! You'll be better in no time! Besides, dad says I won't let go, and I won't.
Mikey smiled brightly at Nia, and she smiles back at him. After a few moments, both Leo and Raph return; Leo holding a large black bag, and Raph holding a blue icepack. Splinter looks at them before looking back at Nia.
Splinter: Alright… He grabs Nia's leg with both of his hands. Ready? One…two…three!
Pop!
At once, the whole audience jumped. The loud popping sound hadn't come from the film, it had come from inside the theater.
"Pause!" Jess shouted. "Lights! What was that?"
Everyone started looking around and soon found that the two Mikey's had been chewing bubblegum and blowing bubbles. Apparently, one bubble had burst loudly all over their faces. They both had sheepish grins on their faces and nearly everyone looked like they wanted to throttle them, except for Nia and Vanessa, who only looked a bit annoyed.
"Okay, who's the genius who gave the Mikey's bubblegum?" Jess ask, relaxing once more.
Mystery shrugged her shoulders. "Must have had some with him when we kidnapped them."
"We didn't kidnap them," Jess insisted. "We just took them from their homes without permission."
Mystery frowned. "Yeah Jess, where I come from, that's kidnapping."
"Get on with it already!" Raph cried impatiently from the audience. He was already angry having to revisit this painful memory, and he wanted to get it over with.
"Sorry," said Mystery. "Lights! Resume!"
Nia: Ow!
Nia Starts squeezing Mikey's hand really hard and he makes an uncomfortable noise, but he doesn't let go of her hand and squeezes back. Nia squeezes her eyes shut, and a single tear falls down her cheek.
Splinter: It's alright, little one. Gently pats Nia's knee. The worst is over now. Everything is fine.
Nia takes several long breaths, calming herself down. She glances down at Mikey's hand, and sees she is still holding it very tightly. She quickly releases her grip, but Mikey continues to hold on.
Nia: S-sorry, Mikey. Did I hurt you?
Mikey: Shakes his head. Nah, I'm fine, Nia.
Nia: What?
Mikey: Oh, I called you 'Nia', it's short for Lavinia. I kinda like using nicknames for people, and I like naming things, too. Is it… is it cool that I call you that?
Nia: Smiles and nods. Sure, Mikey.
Mikey: Awesome!
Nia giggles. Splinter takes the black bag from Leo, opens it up, reaches inside and takings out a roll of white bandages and some tape and setting them down on the floor. Raph hands him the ice pack. Splinter then gently picks up Nia's leg and helps her turn so she could lie across the couch. He then places the icepack on Nia's leg.
Splinter: You're very lucky it was only pulled out of place, all you need now is to bind it and give it rest.
Nia nodded. The icepack was kept on her leg for a few minutes until the swelling on her leg finally went down. Splinter sets down the pack and picks up the bandages, unrolling a large amount.
Splinter: Donatello, I need you to lift her leg up, please.
Donnie quickly walks over to the other end of the couch and lifts Nia's leg up gently. Splinter then leans in close and began wrapping the bandages around her leg.
Splinter: My son, Leo, has told me of how he came to find you, and claims to have been told how you got hurt. Looks down at Nia. Child…is it true? …Did your father really do this to you?"
Nia: (gulps) D-daddy came home late. He told me to leave so he could watch his TV. But…the TV was broken. I didn't do it, but he thought I did it. And he…he did awful things. He hurt my leg…
By now, all of Nia's friends had turned to look at her, but they couldn't see her face, seeing as how her face was nearly completely covered by her hood.
"You were abused as a child?" Angus asked, his voice flat.
"Hon, why didn't you tell us about this?" asked Vanessa.
Nia peeked her head out of the small hole in her hood to look at her friends. The turtles from both worlds were looking at her too, wondering the same thing. Nia sighed, then slowly pulled her hood off.
"It's just… not something I like to talk about."
"Girl, of course it isn't," said Vanessa soothingly. "But, we're your friends, you can tell us anything."
"Don't you trust us?" asked Angus.
"Of course I trust you," Nia said quickly. "I just… I wasn't ready to come clean about it, that's all."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Fishface spoke up, making them turn to him. "It dishonest to keep things secret from your boyfriend, pretty girl."
Nia glared at him. It was bad enough she was having to relive this moment, now she was being mocked by Fishface about it? Nia opened her mouth to retort, but before she could say anything, the Raph from her world sprang to his feet, rage in his eyes.
"He's not her boyfriend!" he yelled, surprising everyone, even the other Raph.
"Calm down, boy," Fishface said, raising his hands. "I was only teasing."
But Raph caught the small smirk on his face, and steam blew out from his ears. It was the same smirk he had when they had their argument in Baxter's Maze of Doom, when Fishface had guessed that Raph…
"Raphael," Splinter said calmly. "Sit down. Remain calm, my son."
Raph glared at Fishface for a few more seconds before turning and sitting back down in his chair. It was at that moment that everyone heard a soft sound; giggling. They all turned and saw Jess and Mystery sitting next to each other, coversing and giggling in low voices.
"What's so funny?" Leo asked.
"Oh, nothing," said Jess, smirking.
"Why do I get the feeling we shouldn't believe you?" Donnie asked.
"Because you probably shouldn't."
"I so can't wait to see the Maze of Doom." Mystery said excitedly.
"Why?" asked April.
"Because that's when-"
"Shh!" Jess hissed. "Those are some deep spoilers, man!"
"Okay, sheesh…"
Splinter continues to wrap the bandage around Nia's leg, then cuts it from the roll with a pair of tiny scissors. He takes out some tape and ties it around the bandage to keep it in place. He finally picks the icepack back up and put it back on her leg.
Splinter: Is that all? Nothing else?
Nia lowers her head and fiddles with her hands, looking nervous.
Nia: N-no… I didn't break the TV, but I think I did something to make him mad. That's why he hurt me, right? He wouldn't hurt me for no reason, right?
Splinter does not reply, but sits silently, staring at Nia.
Leo: Dad?
Splinter doesn't reply and just sits kneeling in front of Nia with his hands on his knees for what feel like several minutes to Nia and the turtles.
Splinter: Sighs. You poor child… Looks at the turtles. My sons, go find a spare blanket and pillow for Lavinia. She will be needing it.
Mikey: I'll get them! Mikey runs off.
Splinter: Donatello, go fetch a bowl of water and a rag. Lavinia needs to be cleaned.
Donnie: Okay.
Donnie then also leaves and Splinter turns his head back to Nia.
Splinter: Lavinia, you are going to be staying here with us for the night. Gently raises his hand and pushes hair from Nia's face. Maybe longer than that, will that be alright with you?
Nia nods without hesitation. Donnie comes back with a large bowl of water and a small rag on his arm. He kneels down and set the bowl down by Splinter.
Splinter: Thank you, my son.
Splinter takes the rag from Donnie and soaks it in the water. He brings the cloth back up and rings the excess water out. At that moment, Nia lowers her head down low, looking embarrassed.
Splinter: Lavinia, please look up.
Nia hesitates for a moment, then slowly lifts up her head.
Splinter smiles at Nia and lifts up her chin up a little more before starting to clean her face. He scrubs her forehead, then her cheeks, getting all the dirt off. The camera stays locked onto Nia's face, and the screen slowly fades into an image of Nia's face, now cleaned and dried off. We see Splinter wrap a large towel around Nia's shoulders before finally getting to his feet.
Shredder folded his arms across his chest and I glared at the screen. He couldn't believe that Hamato Yoshi could be foolish enough to so eagerly take in a little girl. And not just anyone's little girl- her little girl. But, Hamato obviously didn't know this. Or did he? The look on his face when he first saw the girl did suggest it, but it was gone too quickly.
"Your compassion is sickening," he said darkly.
Both Splinter's turned to glare at Shredder, but neither responded.
"Well, I'm guessing you're not gonna be winning a Father of the Year award anytime soon, Shred-head," said Jess irritably.
Mystery stared up at her, stunned. But, all the turtles, Nia, and their friends all laughed. Even Dogpound and Fishface had to cover their mouths to keep their silence. Karai, however, wasn't too pleased.
"Speak like that again and I'll make you regret those words," she threatened.
"Yeah, and that's exactly why we're both staying this side of the force field," said Mystery.
Jess looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "First of all, I don't need to stay behind the force field. I'll just use my wand if I need to," she said. "And second, please don't tell me you went ahead and stole that Kraang force field."
Mystery didn't respond, but instead she picked up her empty coke can and threw it at the invisible force field. The can bounced off it back towards Mystery who caught in her right hand.
"Does that answer your question?"
"Wow. And you say I'm reckless."
Mystery whipped around, can still in her hand. "Well, I had to do something when you went gallivanting off with the transporter. Now, should we watch the film or are we gonna argue for the next hour?"
Jess rolled her eyes and she looked back at the screen.
Splinter: It is late, my sons, time for sleep. Off to bed now.
The four turtles hesitate for a moment, giving Nia a concerned look. A second later they all nod and bow to their master.
All: Goodnight, Sensei.
They start to head towards their bedrooms, all waving at Nia as they go, except Raph, who merely nods.
Leo: Goodnight
Donnie: Goodnight
Raph: Goodnight
Mikey takes a few steps forward when he pauses. He turns around and has a huge, adorable smile on his face. He then rapidly starts sprinting back over to the couch and wraps his arms around Nia, squeezing her gently to his chest. Nia looks both shocked and amazed at being hugged.
Mikey: Goodnight, Nia! See yah tomorrow!
"Aw, that's so cute!" Vanessa said, her eyes shining.
Mikey rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks going pink as he grinned at Vanessa.
"What can I say?" he said. "I'm a hugger."
Vanessa giggled. "That's cool. I love hugs."
Mikey's cheeks got even pinker at this statement. The other Mikey couldn't help but stare at his clone. What as with him and that Vanessa girl? But, as he looked over at her, he couldn't help but notice that she was pretty cute.
Without another word, Mikey gives her another big smile before turning on his heels and sprinting off to his room. Nia's eyes are fixed on Mikey as he leaves, and she is frozen with shock. Splinter chuckles.
Splinter: Forgive him, Lavinia, Michelangelo can be a bit overexcited sometimes. He has a very kind heart, but sometimes he just doesn't understand the meaning of personal space. He turns to face Nia, but after seeing the confused look on her face his grin fades. What is wrong, Lavinia? Is it wrong that my son wants to be friendly?
Nia: Oh, no… It's just… that's never happened before.
Splinter: What? No one has ever been friendly towards you?
Nia: It's…not just that.
Splinter: Then what is it, child?
Nia: Sighs. I've… I've never been hugged before…
"Ooh…!" Vanessa said, sadness in her voice. "Oh, honey…"
Her words pretty much spoke for everyone in the theater. However, any bad guy who looked like they were feeling sorry for Nia soon got a death stare from the Shredder.
Splinter inhaled sharply, a shocked look on his face, eyes wide. Nia looks up at him, confused.
After a few moments Splinter picks up the blanket and walks back over to the end of the couch. He lays the pillow on the end and pats it. Nia slowly lies down on her back until her head hits the pillow, and then looks up at Splinter.
Splinter: Well, I am sure Michelangelo would be honored to know that he was your first hug, you can tell him tomorrow, if you like.
Splinter unfolded the large blanket above Nia and brings it over her so it falls gently onto her small frame. Nia grabs onto the blanket and curls up in, careful not to hurt her leg. When settled she sighs with comfort. Splinter then places his hand onto her head and begins rubbing it.
Splinter: (gently) Sleep now, child. You've had a very long night. You must rest now.
Without hesitation Nia closes her eyes and soon falls asleep, Splinter's hand still rubs her head, ruffling her hair. We can see something beneath her bangs, and Splinter moves them, exposing a small, dark bruise on the corner of her forehead. Splinter stares at it for a moment before sighing and turning around, leaving Nia to sleep. Before entering the dojo, he turns back one last time to look at Nia, who is sleeping soundly. He gives a heavy sigh.
Splinter: Poor child…
He then turns away and enters the dojo, closing the door behind him.
"Well, what did you guys think?" Jess asked, keen for feedback.
"Well, that was nice," Leo admitted. "But, now that that's over we'd better be getting home."
At this, Mystery and Jess both turned to stare at him.
"You're kidding, right?" asked Jess.
"This is only part 1 of the five-part prologue," said Mystery. "Then, we have over 28 separate episodes on top of that."
"You're kidding," said Raph.
"Surprise surprise, we're not," said Jess.
"So, if I were you I'd make myself comfortable," Mystery told them all, relaxing in her seat. "We are all gonna be here for some time."
Both groups from each world looked at each other, considering their options. They didn't really have any. But, instead of being annoyed, they could actually try to enjoy this. After all, how many people get to experience something like this?
"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Nia. "Let's get this movie rolling."
"That's the spirit!" said Jess, falling back down into her seat. "Let's do this! ACTION!"