Rover folded his arms "So you want me to send Rabbit with you, to stay with people we don't know, and that you can't show us? You can't even tell us where they are?"
Jessie nodded "I swear she'll be safe. They're good people, they took care of me when I was hurt. I'd tell you everything, but their secret isn't mine to tell. If I betrayed that, I could put them in so much danger."
Rover sighed "I trust you Cat, but I don't like this."
"It's like us, Rover. We have our secrets too, to protect us. Listen, I would trust the artists with my life. They HAD my life in their hands, and they made sure I was safe and healed."
Snickers sighed "I don't like it either, Rover but it's Cat. She's not going to let anything happen to Rabbit. She'd die first."
Rover sighed "Okay. Rabbit's going with you in the morning. So what are we going to do about the other kids?"
"For now, nothing. You're going to keep your eyes open, and if you see anything even a little bit weird, you're going to run. No one goes alone." Jessie nodded "I know, it all sounds crazy. I just need you to trust me on this too. Something is happening. I saw something last night, and it wasn't a movie. It wasn't…normal, and it was dangerous."
"What was it?" Snickers asked.
"I don't know. A ghost maybe." Jessie admitted.
"Are you saying this is some kind of paranormal thing? Seriously?" Rover said.
"My grandma used to talk about this stuff," Snickers said "Back in Haiti, she said they saw all kinds of weird stuff." she elbowed Rover ``Don't pretend you don't have…what's it ... .Yokai back where your family comes from."
"No, we don't. Yokai are stories, and they're Japanese. I'm Chinese." said Rover rolling his eyes.
"Okay sorry," Snickers said "But I've heard of hungry ghosts too!"
"They're stories." Said Rover.
"I'm not saying that's what I saw. I'm saying what I saw was weird and dangerous, and whatever it was you all need to be careful." Jessie said "Promise?"
"Promise," Snickers said.
Rabbit held Jessie's hand tight as they waited, and she looked at the older girl "I want to know what's going on. Why are you scared?"
Jessie sighed a little "Okay. There's someone grabbing little kids off the street, like your age. I had something happen to me last night that made me really scared for you. So Mikey and his family are going to help by letting you stay with them until we figure this out. Okay? You'll like them, they're really nice."
Rabbit nodded, and seemed to be thinking about it "Are you in danger, Cat?"
Jessie looked at her and smiled. "Nah. C'mon Rabbit, you know me. I'm too fast to catch."
Rabbit smiled back, but shook her head a little. "Be careful." She said, "I don't want you to get hurt."
Jessie squeezed her hand "I promise."
"Don't worry, little Rabbit. We're not going to let anything happen to Je….." Mikey caught himself as he came around the mushroom "I mean Cat. Nothing's going to happen to her, or you."
Rabbit smiled "It's okay. I won't tell anyone your name," She said to Jessie "Mines Mei-Xing. You can call me Mei."
Jessie smiled a little and squeezed her hand "I'm Jessie Walker. You can call me Jessie or Cat. It's okay.'
"This way, little Mei." Mike grinned, "You're going to love my family."
Rabbit stuck close to Jessie's side as they came into the lair. Her eyes were wide as she looked around "Is this…where they took care of you?"
"It is." Splinter stepped forward from the training room. "And you are welcome here, little one." He smiled softly and gave them a small bow "I am Splinter."
The Rabbit's eyes were huge. She looked at Jessie and then back at Splinter. Then she smiled "Méng Méng Da!" she giggled.
Jessie was visibly holding back laughter.
Mike leaned in. "What did she say?" he whispered.
Jessie grinned. "That's what you say when you see something really cute, like a puppy."
Mike snorted, and Splinter's ear twitched. He smiled slightly. He didn't look away from Rabbit, but said, "I can hear you both".
Jessie composed herself, "Master Splinter is my friend, Rabbit. So mind your manners, ok?"
Rabbit nodded and started again, "Hello, Mr. Splinter. My name is Mei, but my friends call me Rabbit. But I'm actually a girl, just like Cat is a girl."
The old rat smiled. "You will be our guest for a little while, Mei. Jessica will stay here with you. I promise you, you are safe here."
Rabbit nodded. "Thank you, sir."
Jessie got her tucked onto the sofa, and Rabbit was asleep in no time. The young woman took the tea Splinter offered and went to sit with him and Leo at the table.
"As soon as night falls, we'll go on patrol and see what we can find," Leo promised.
"In the meantime, I'm going topside for today. I'll see what I can find. She'll sleep a lot during the day. I think she didn't sleep well last night." Jessie said. "Kid's tough as nails, but she's scared. Being here will help."
"I will watch over her." Splinter promised, and Jessie smiled thankfully "I know. I'm not worried about her anymore. There's no safer place."
She looked at Leo. "There are places in the city people like me tend to go. Kids like us tend to stick to certain places." She lay a map Donatello had printed out on the table and started to circle areas of Manhattan. "These are the places I would start."
She looked at Splinter. "You said before that you had heard of things like the woman I saw. What kind of things?"
"Stories in the house of my Master Yoshi." He said, "Shen especially loved those tales, and sometimes on dark nights they would tell them to each other. Yokai. Ghosts. There are many strange beings that can bend the mind of their victims. Jorōgumo. Kitsune."
"I know that one. Those are fox women, right?" Jessie said.
Splinter nodded. "Jorōgumo are great spider demons that take the form of beautiful women. They often eat their victims after enchanting them."
Jessie pulled a face. "Ugh. I'm not good with spiders."
"Kitsune are more complicated. Some are tricksters. Some are malicious. Some are benevolent." Splinter sipped his tea "There are stories of them saving children, and stealing them alike."
"But they're stories, right? I mean, Yokai aren't real?" Said Jessie.
"Well, most people would say giant humanoid turtles aren't real." Said, Leo.
"There are many things in this world, Jessica," Splinter said. "The woman in the park held some kind of sway over you, as strange as any magic."
She considered this. "I'm pretty open-minded, sir, but magic….ghosts…that's a tall order." Jessie said, "But…..I'll try to keep my eyes open."
Jessie got a few hours sleep on the other sofa, and then rose and put her jacket on. She headed for the exit.
"Jessica," Splinter's voice stopped her. "A moment."
She turned, and he motioned her into his chambers.
It was a simple room. A futon, a small cabinet with several candles on the top. There were weapons hung on one wall.
He crossed to that wall and took down a long-sheathed dagger. He turned and presented the blade to her. "This I gift to you. It will protect you from the dangers you face both in this world and those that may present from the next." He said.
She took it gravely "Thank you, sir." She paused "I'm sorry if I sounded….flippant earlier. I trust what you think. It's just…." She shrugged "...hard for me to imagine those kinds of things. I will remember what you said, though, I promise."
He smiled a little "I know you. You saw my sons and myself, and despite your fear, you tried to understand. To see us clearly, despite knowing we could not be. You were willing to look past that which you understood to be true. I admire that. I know you will try to see now, even beyond your own expectations." He walked with her to the exit of the lair. "Go. Be as your namesake, quick and unseen to discover what we need most."
She bowed slightly to him and disappeared into the tunnel.
Less than half a mile from the lair, she paused to get her bearings. Three brown rats sat on the other side of the tunnel, all watching her with bright eyes.
"Morning, fellas," Jessie joked to herself and then turned left.
She started at St. Vincents and hit every place she knew that offered food, shelter, or even just areas that hid those unwanted from hostile eyes. She asked questions, and she paid for information. All day, she went from place to place, but she found variations of the same information. Kids were vanishing. Gangs were on high alert as their youngest members and family vanished. People were seeing weird things. No one really knew what any of that meant.
Finally, she decided to head into Central Park as the day grew toward evening. As she crossed over into the green, there was a hotdog cart on the pavement. An old man, bald with sparkling dark eyes, was buying two hotdogs, chatting with the young woman who was selling. When he saw Jessie, he grinned at her. "There she is! Come on; I got you a dog too!"
Jessie stopped "I'm sorry, Sir, I don't know you. I think you've got me mixed up with someone else."
"No!" He laughed, his long white beard swaying a little as he did "You're the stray I was waiting for. I'm glad to see she didn't get her claws into you." He tipped the young hot dog seller and walked over to Jessie. He was a very small, round man with a cheerful face and a black cap on his head. He had a large backpack on, which clinked as he walked. He studied her for a long moment and then nodded "Ah…I see. Good, good, keep that close" He pointed to the left breast of her jacket. Jessie found herself touching the pocket and checking that her slingshot was there. "It will help keep you safe."
He handed Jessie her dog, and she saw it was made just as she liked it- onions and mustard. "Come on now. We'll walk together a bit, and I'll advise you."
Jessie looked at the dog and then the man "Okay," She said, and they started toward the reservoir.
"You just look like you could use a little luck. Hell, you look like you could use seven kinds of luck!" He laughed. "Your friend is right by the way. He knows many stories….oh, ask him about the boy who drew cats! Now that's one that might be useful to you!"
Jessie's eyes narrowed. "Sir ... .What…..?"
The little old man pointed at her, "Eat your meal; it's bad luck to refuse hospitality."
The pickpocket took a bite out of the dog, and even she had to admit it was a damn fine New York hotdog.
"Now, while you eat, you can listen. I'm going to give you a few pieces of advice. I find you all interesting, so don't disappoint me." The old man said.
"Can I ask your name, please?" Jessie asked. He gave her a mildly annoyed look and then grinned when she took another bite to humor him.
"You have nice manners for a thief. That's good." He laughed, and Jessie stopped in her tracks, eyes narrowing. "How do you….."
"D will do for me." The man gave her a small bow. "And what shall I call you?"
"Cat," Jessie took a step back from him.
They were nearly at the water. The man turned and smiled. "Alright, Bakeneko. This is what I will tell you. I am he who loves thieves that keep their hearts and their humor." he tipped his head. "So mark me well. Do NOT try to be what you think they need. That way lies disaster. Be what you ARE. That is the only way you can help both your families."
She shook her head. "I don't…."
"It doesn't matter if you understand. Remember anyway. Now hurry before it's too late. The rat is fond of you, but the rats are not your friends right now." D smiled and finished his last bite.
"Who are you? Who are you really?!" Jessie demanded.
The old man grinned and said, "Catch," and threw a small spinning object in the air.
She couldn't help herself; she tracked it and caught it in one hand. It was a small coin made out of silver, engraved on one side with some kind of Asian characters she didn't understand, and the other side was rolling half circles overlapping each other that might represent hills or waves. The center of the coin was punched out in a small hole. She looked up and realized the man had vanished. She looked around. There was no trace of him.
She suddenly realized that she had no real memory of what he looked like. Generally yes- small, round, bald, long white beard, old. But she couldn't even think of what he was wearing generally….was it jeans or a long robe like what Splinter wore? Was he Caucasian? Black? What color were his clothes? She had no idea. He was an impression in her mind, but that was all.
"I don't like any of this," Jessie muttered and headed for the nearest storm drain. As she passed by the reservoir shore, she didn't notice the little brown rat watching her from the brush line.
Rabbit did sleep through a good chunk of the day. When the little girl woke up near 3 pm, she got up and walked through the common area, looking around. She could hear someone fighting, and when she looked into the room it was coming from, she saw Raph and Leo circling the center of the training room. Leo rushed him with swords drawn, and Raph blocked with his Sai's, throwing his brother off.
Rabbit started to go in, and a hand on her shoulder made her look up. "It's okay, little dude." Mike said, "They're not really fighting. They go hard, but they're practicing fighting. So if they have to fight for real, they know how."
Rabbit thought about this and nodded. "Oh. I get it. They're learning, like in school."
"Yeah," Mike smiled. He guided her back into the main room "But not a school for little kids."
Rabbit gave him a look. "I can fight." She said, "Cat taught me what to do."
"Oh yeah? What did she teach you?" Mike asked.
"Well, she says we run unless we HAVE to fight." Rabbit said.
"Jessie's pretty smart. That's exactly what you do." Mike smiled. "What do you do if you can't run away?"
Rabbit smiled a little "Okay." She planted her feet. "Come at me bro," She said.
Mike grinned. "Okay," he said and lunged at her.
Rabbit dodged and slid between his legs. As she did, she struck out and hit him in the back of the knee. His leg didn't buckle, but it did go numb for a moment, and it was hard to turn fast to follow her. She ran to the door and then turned and grinned. "And then I run away."
Mike laughed, "That was pretty good!" He said.
"Cat says we always run. Even if we fight, we fight so we can run." She nodded.
"She's right." Mike said, "I'll tell you what. If you want, we can teach you some things. Master Splinters is a great teacher, and I'm not too bad myself." He puffed up a little. "I've been teaching Jessie….uh, Cat…some things."
Rabbit laughed. "Maybe." She said, "But I don't want to fight right now. Not even for pretend."
"Okay. How about we have some fun instead?" Mike grinned
Rabbit grinned back. "Yes!"
Jessie came back to the Lair just after sundown to the sound of a skateboard rolling back and forth in one of the chambers. She came into the common room to find Splinter standing in one doorway with his arms folded but a small amused smile on his face. When he saw her, he motioned with his head for her to join him.
Despite her unease, she came to stand beside him and look into the room. What lay before her chased that unease away for a moment and made her beam.
The room was round, stone, and nearly empty. They had built a few ramps inside, set up as a small skatepark.
Mike was skating the room, up and down the room. Rabbit was on his back, her arms around his neck. He wasn't doing anything fancy, just back and forth, but Rabbit was giggling her head off.
"We'll get you a helmet, and then I'll teach you how to do this yourself!" he grinned.
Jessie laughed, shaking her head. "Well, now I know who I'm going to call if I need a babysitter."
"What did you discover" Splinter looked at her, and her smile faded
"Something really weird that I don't understand," Jessie said
The old rat turned and went into the common area. "Sit. I will bring tea."
Jessie nodded. She hung up her jacket but kept the flannel over shirt she wore over her tee. It was cool down here. She had meant to show Rabbit the origami rat Splinter had made for her, so she slipped it into her breast pocket.
She sighed. "He knew things…things he couldn't have. It was…kind of like the lady but….I don't know how to explain it, but it didn't feel the same. I didn't feel like he was a threat…just…weird…other but not in a bad way. It was still uncomfortable."
She had put the coin on the center of the table, and Splinter took it and looked at it carefully. "This is Japanese, but I do not recognize the coin. It is not yen." He paused. "He who loves thieves that keep their hearts and their humor." He said thoughtfully.
"That's what he said. He called himself D, but I don't know if that's a letter or D-e-e or what." Jessie said.
"That he promised seven lucks intrigues me. There are stories of Seven Lucky Gods. One is Daikokuten. In some tales, he is a god that grants luck to thieves."
Jessie blinked. "Are you saying I just had a hot dog with a mythological god?"
Splinter sipped and looked at her mildly. "I am saying his words match these stories. I cannot say who he was."
She sat back. "What's the boy who drew cats?"
Splinter smiled a little. "It is a fairy tale. It tells of a boy who is a great artist and loves more than anything else to paint cats. He comes to stay in an abandoned temple and uses his skills to decorate the room with his cats. He sleeps in a small cabinet for security and wakes in the night to hear a great battle in the room. In the morning, he discovers that a great goblin in the form of a huge rat has come to kill him, but all his cats came to life and killed the goblin to protect him."
Jessie smiled a little. "That's a weird story to tell me to remember. I only know friendly rats." Splinter chuckled.
"The boy's love for his work and his love for those he painted for gave his images life. They became talismans." Splinter said. "The rat in the tale may have been a Kyūso, a rat yokai. Or it may have been a messenger of Tesso, a corrupted holy man who became a rat Yokai after death. The story does not say."
Jessie thought for a second, frowning a little "He told me that the rat was fond of me but that the rats were not my friends right now." She looked at him. "He…knew who you were. That's not even possible, but….I don't know what else that first part can mean."
Splinter nodded, considering.
Jessie sighed and sat back. "I really, really hate all these riddles and shadows. I like stories when they STAY stories." She looked at the ceiling and then at Splinter. "You really think a Japanese god of thieves would take an interest in us? That seems crazier than anything else."
Splinter smiled a little "It is said that Daikokuten especially favored thieves who showed kindness and humor. He would give a token to them from his bag of taken treasures." He touched the coin on the table. "Tokens much like this. I believe we know a thief much like that. One I am, in fact, fond of." He smiled slightly.
"Okay….." Jessie shook her head, but she smiled, a little touched. "The more I'm finding out, the weirder this all gets." She picked up the coin and said, "I think I'm going crazy, but I think that the guys should carry this tonight. I'm not saying I believe all this, but it can't hurt, and…maybe it will help."
She handed the coin to Leonardo. The brothers had assembled to head out. Jessie had considered going, but she had decided to stay behind with Rabbit….and she wanted to do some research. If all of this tied into mythology, she wanted to know all she could find.
"I'm not saying this will do anything. But if something weird comes along, it might….I dunno…help." Jessie said.
Leo put it in his belt pouch. "Thanks, Jess."
Rabbit was already sound asleep on the sofa. Jessie smiled at Mike. "You really wore her out."
"She's really cool." Mike smiled, "I'll bring her back a helmet."
They headed out, and Jessie made sure Rabbit was tucked in. She knew Splinter was deep in meditation, so she took out Don's laptop and started to browse for information. She drank multiple cups of tea as she worked. She didn't notice as it crept past midnight. Not did she notice the small brown sewer rat that crawled on the pipes above her head and sat watching her with strange eyes.