Chapter 2

When I awoke, I was on a brown, almost dead, cotton couch. I looked to my side facing away from the back of the couch. There was a television and coffee table. I slowly sat up and gasped when pain shot through my chest. I clutched it and breathed deeply. I pulled my shirt down a little and peered into it. I had bandages wrapped around my chest. I snapped my shirt back to its usual position, turned and placed my feet on the ground. I stood up and nearly collapsed from the pain in my ankle. I leaned onto the ankle that wasn't in pain. I rolled up the bottom of my jeans leg and saw that my ankle was also bandaged up. I rolled my jeans leg back down. I limped over to the main area between where I was, a tech area and what appeared to be the kitchen. I made my way around, looking at every detail in the area. It was just the kind of person I was. If I was somewhere new, I would look around and make sure every detail was etched into my mind. I had photo-graphic memory when it came to places and where objects where; other things were deemed unimportant in my standards. I heard a few voices coming from a room further in the concreted area. I limped over and stood outside a room. I peered in and watched as four turtles were kneeling in front of a large rat. He seemed to be lecturing them for something. I glanced over the four large turtles and spotted Raph's headband second to the left. I was almost going to call out when I stopped myself. I turned and limped back towards the main area. I headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Stacked inside were boxes upon boxes of frozen pizza. I scrunched up my nose and shut the door. I turned and found myself face to face with the giant rat. I nearly gasped in surprise. The rat smiled. I looked over him. He was exactly like a normal rat, yet he walked on two legs. He wore a small kimono looking robe and he clutched a walking stick that helped him to stand. He seemed friendly enough, but I couldn't be too sure. He gestured his paw for me to follow him. I followed. He led me past the four turtles that were just coming back from the room. They looked right at me as I walked past. I ignored their glances and continued after the rat. He led me into the room and I stood up, leaning on my uninjured leg. The rat knelt down behind a small coffee table like desk.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" Asked the rat. I shook my head.

"If I sat down, it'll be hard for me to get back up again" I replied. The rat nodded his head in understanding. He placed his walking stick on the ground beside him. He then placed his paws on his lap, linking his fingers together.

"So are you willing to tell me your name?" Asked the rat.

"My name is Tristan. Who are you?" I replied.

"My name is Splinter. You have already met my students. I believe they saved your life earlier today." I nodded.

"Might I ask as to where I am" I asked.

"You are in our home miss Tristan. We are in the sewers, away from most human contact" Splinter replied. My eyes widened.

"You mean to tell me that we are underneath the city?!" I exclaimed. Splinter nodded his head once.

"Yes. My students brought you here in hopes to heal you and to get you away from those men that attacked you" Splinter explained, calmly. I turned my gaze to him.

"I never said I wanted to come here. I just needed Raph's help to get the dragons off my back that was all" I replied, growing angry.

"You never let anyone help you do you?" Splinter asked, meeting my gaze. I clenched my jaw and tried to stop the anger from boiling up any more.

"You don't know anything about me. Yes, as true as it may be that I don't let anyone help me, I am not entirely that reckless to ask for help all the time" I replied, through clenched teeth. Splinter leaned forward, hanging onto every word I spoke before he spoke himself.

"Tristan, please listen. It may be in your best interest to know that if we had just left you, the second wave of the dragons would have finished what the first wave started. You would have been killed in a matter of minutes. My students did the right thing in bringing you here after you left April-san's apartment." I stared a little when Splinter mentioned April.

"April is not the kind I want to stay with. The environment is too friendly, I never liked it since-" I stopped. Splinter's ear twitched.

"Ever since, what?" He asked. I shook my head.

"It's none of your concern" I snapped. Splinter leaned back and grabbed his walking stick. He used it to steady himself up and stand. He then proceeded to walk over to me.

"Tristan, you can tell me anything" He said. For a fleeting moment I wanted so much to tell him everything. I then remembered why I never trusted anyone.

"Listen, I just want to leave" I said, turning cold. Splinter nodded his head once.

"I'll have Raph escort you up to the surface" He said. I turned and limped out of the room. I heard the sounds of a walking stick behind me. I walked to the main area and saw the four turtles were watching a movie on the TV. Splinter walked over to Raph who was sitting on the couch arm.

"Raphael, I want you to take Miss Tristan to the surface and escort her home" Splinter said. Raph turned from the TV and faced me.

"Alright, I'll take her" he said, dully. Raph stood up and walked to the large door which led out. He opened it and we walked out. We walked down the sewer and towards a ladder leading to the streets above. Raph climbed up the ladder first and I followed after. He opened the man hole and climbed out. I climbed up. Raph held out a hand for me. I refused to take it and climbed up the rest of the way and out. I stood on the alleyway and looked around. It looked familiar, but I couldn't recognise where I had seen it before.

"Raph? Where are we?" I asked.

"We are just below April's apartment," Raph replied, "You are going to stay with her for a while." My eyes widened.

"No, why should I? I refuse to go" I complained. Raph glared at me. I glared back.

"You are going and that's it" He said. I shook my head.

"You are not my mother, I don't have to go if I don't want to, besides you can't make me" I replied, angrily. Raph smiled.

"You wanna bet?" he asked. I frowned and wondered what he was going to do. Raph lunged forward, picked me up and flung me over his shoulder in a matter of a few seconds. I was stunned for a moment until I realised what had happened. I pounded my fists against Raph's shell and kicked my legs. Raph held a tight grip onto the middle of my back and started walking towards the front of April's apartment.

"Put me down right now. You can't do this" I said, through clenched teeth. Raph shrugged which put pressure onto my chest. I hissed in pain. "This is kidnapping and assault" I said, pouting.

"Do you really think I care?" replied Raph. I glared at the ground and refused to stop struggling.

"Raph put me down or I'm going to scream" I said, coldly. Raph did as instructed and placed me on the ground. We glared at each other before I turned and walked off.

"Where are you going?" Raph called out. I turned back.

"I'm going to find somewhere for the night. Don't you dare follow me" I said. I turned to face away from Raph and continued down the street, limping a little. I crossed my arms across my chest and looked for a dry place near a man hole.