Nine days later

"..And if I don't do as they say or I make a mistake, they will lock me in the basement and beat me up till my bones are broken." Nina vents her past to Mikey and Ginny, who listen to her.

The three are all in Mikey's room, Mikey and Ginny sitting in separate chairs while Nina is lying on his bed, almost like they are in a therapist's office. After Nina got better and her fever was gone, Mikey switched into Dr. Feelings mode and acted like Nina's own therapist. So far, he got info on Nina's relationship with her mother and stepfather, and she also told him about her little half-sister. She added on how she was bullied so much in school, and her only sources of comfort were her father's pictures and Bello.

Ginny has her hand close to her mouth, taking this all in. When she heard how Nina hated her half-sister because she was the daughter of her abuser, it was like they ruined her chance to be a sister to a little girl who couldn't see the danger of it. But more horrified that her parents put so much pain and pressure on her. "Good god. That's awful." She trembled. "I can never imagine the pain you went through."

Mikey was too stunned to speak, thinking it was going to be an easy task, but he did not expect this kind of trauma. And he will not lie; this was a whole new level. He wrote down her experience on a clipped board paper. "Wow...I am just..wow." He breathed. "Your parents are done right awful."

"Yeah, we get it, Mikey." Ginny heaved, glaring at him. Then she turned her focus on Nina; her expression turned soft. "Don't worry, Nina, we're gonna be sure you will get better from this and help you move on," she told her.

"Thanks." Nina sighed, looking at the ceiling. "But it's not gonna be easy."

"No one said recovering from trauma is easy." Ginny agreed. "But with the right support, you will be a better person."

"Right." Nina then turned her head to face the two, frowning. "And.. I'm sorry for how I behaved." her voice cracked; sadness was in her voice.

Mikey waves his hand off. "We told you, you're forgiven." He replied back. She apologized to them for the whole nine days. "Don't worry. Now that we know the cause of your action, we can find a way to improve you."

Nina lifted her head from the pillow and stared at Mikey. "How?" she asked him.

"Uh…" Mikey started to get nervous. He and his brothers talked about their trauma with their therapist, and they would get exercises based on them and go through treatment. But they never know what to do when you've gone through abusive trauma. So he is lost, with no answer to Nina's problem.

Ginny spoked. "We'll figure out a way," she told her. "Season is done for today."

Nina let out a nod, glad it was over for today. She got out of bed. She thought Mikey's bed would be lumpy, but it was very soft and comfy. She then left his room, leaving the two alone.

Once she was gone, Ginny turned to Mikey. "Do you know the first thing when dealing with abuse trauma?" she questioned him, right when she saw through his hesitation.

Mikey scratches his head, trying to think hard. "If I remember what our therapist said, I would know." he supposed.

"So that's a no." Ginny knows the true answer.

"It's a no." Mikey nodded. Ginny sighed as she pressed her hand to her face and groaned. It is going to be hard to help Nina without a proper way to help her trauma.

With Nina, she left Mikey's area as she started to feel very nervous and anxious. It has been nine days since she got better from her sickness and opened her past to the turtles. It was a bit strange initially for her. She was never used to being open with others, mostly because she would get hurt with one look from her. Though she feels safe that her family will never find her here, the feeling of fear is still there, and it still clung to her like a leech sucking her skin. She gripped both her biceps tightly and frowned deeply, looking down on the floor as she walked.

Suddenly, she stopped. She turned and faced the game room. Inside, she can see Raph and Leo playing Injustice 2 on their PlayStation 4. Nina tilted her head at this; she had never seen this before.

Raph and Leo sat on the floor in front of the TV as they played Injustice 2. Raph's character, Bane, fought Leo's character, Aquaman. The two look determined to beat each other to victory.

"I'm almost beating you, big guy!!" Leo bragged, pushing the buttons on his consoles.

"No way!!" Raph heckled. "This is my zone, baby!!"

"Not for long!!" Leo taunted. Aquaman punched Bane and declared him the winner. Leo chanted his victory while Raph looked surprised by this.

Raph glared at Leo. "No fair!!" he shouted. "Best three out of ten!!"

"You are so on!" Leo smirked at his brother. He started another round for them as they picked their new characters.

Nina quietly sat on the couch, staring at the screen. While the two are playing, Nina watches the characters fight each other. The way the graphics look, the action, the sound effects, and how the console controls them have her memorized and amazed. She was absolutely drawn to this, making her itching to play it. But she is afraid to ask to try it. For the whole round, she watched the screen, unable to look away.

Soon, night has come, and the lair has gone quiet and asleep. Almost. Nina's door opened, and she stepped out of her room. In her hands is Bello, whom Nina rudely awakened. She looks at both sides, ensuring no one is awake. Once she was sure everyone was fully asleep, she left her room and walked up to her location, the game room.

Nina enters inside; the TV is off, and the Playstation 4 is off as well. She set Bello down on an armrest of the couch and grabbed the concles. Then she sat down on the floor.

As she grabbed the console, she heard Bello chirping at her. She turned her head around, facing his tiny body standing on the armrest. She shushed at him. "I just want to try it out for myself. Just for one round," she whispered, returning her focus to the screen.

The screen opens to the Playstation 4 menu, and then she uses the console joystick to move the selection to Injustice 2, presses the button, and opens the main menu. Her eyes form stars, barely controlling her excitement. Remembering how Leo and Raph play it, she pushes on the simulator. She looked at the characters of her choice till she picked Poison Ivy.

She was fighting the urge to kick her legs in joy. She started playing the game as Ivy. Throughout the game, she gets killed thrice. Nina got frustrated when she kept getting killed and trying to get used to the controls of the consoles.

Nina groaned in frustration. "These guys make it so easy!" She huffed out, narrowing her eyes at the screen. "Come on, Arianina! You got this!"

After her fifth loss, she is getting used to how it is played. She fought and beat her opponents, using what she learned from playing as Poison Ivy. The more she fought, the more she started to grow mad. She was beginning to take all her frustration out on her opponents.

Nina pushed the buttons while glaring at the screen. "After all the love I have for her!! After all my Tatay has done for her!!" She fumed angrily. "She never thought about her own family and her former daughter!!! She is such a stupid bitch!!!"

Bello chirped in surprise, never hearing her use such words before. Playing the game has awakened her growing anger over her parents. He watched her play the game while sitting on the armrest. At least she is getting the hang of it. Then he heard soft footsteps coming in. Bello turned his head and was surprised to see who arrived.

Donnie took a seat on the couch, watching alongside Bello. He watched Poison Ivy take the final stage, fighting against Brainiac. He looked down at Nina, who was too focused on the game to notice him.

Nina pressed the buttons, moving the joystick. "Come on, Brainiac!! Are my vines too strong for you?!!" She spatted. "Too bad!! Now you will know how I feel!!" She pressed hard, struggling to keep her character alive till the screen declared her the winner. Nina was smiling huge, cheering loudly as she jumped from her seat. "I did it!! I really did it!!" She jumped a bit on her feet.

Slow clapping was heard from behind her; it startled her, and she screamed. Then she threw the controller at the noise.

Luckily, Donnie catches it before it hits the ground and breaks. "Easy, it's just me." He put the controller down.

Nina blinked. "Oh, sorry." She apologized, hiding half her face with her long hair. She looked up at him. "Did I wake you up?"

"No." He answered. He crossed his arms. "But what are you doing in the middle of the night?" He questioned her.

"Well, what about you?" She questioned back, avoiding it.

"Bad nightmares." He answered her question. He narrowed his eyes on her, still waiting for her answer.

Nina let out a sigh, knowing she was not going to get away so easily. She looked down, gripping her biceps. "I saw Raph and Leo playing that game and I was curious about it and wanted to try it myself." She explained. She tightens her grip. "My parents never allowed me to play any game. But when I play it, it's like all my frustration and my anger are getting pulled in the game, and I can let myself do the hurting instead of me getting hurt." She looked up at him.

Donnie nodded a bit. "I see." He can see what she meant. "You know, doing exercises can help release all the stress you built in." He advised. "Even martial arts exercises as well. Like Chaquan."

Nina blinked and tilted her head to the left. "What's Chaquan?" She asked him.

"It's a Chinese martial art that allows graceful movement and acrobatic aerial." He answered. "Here, I can show you." He turned his body around and walked out of the game room. "Follow me."

Nina watched him; curiosity got the best of her, and she followed him out of the game room.

Inside the dojo is a very huge space that is fit for up to ten people. It is decorated with a Japanese culture scroll on the wall, training dummies, weapon racks, mats on the floor, and punching bags that look like they are used for Raph. The flooring was a hardwood tan, the walls had a deep red color, and on top of the doorway was the Hamato Clan's symbol.

Nina stood in the middle of the dojo as she watched Donnie doing a Chaquan technique. He was waving his arms up, then pushing an arm out. He lifts his thigh up and punches the air before placing his leg down, lifting his arm up in the air, and lifting his other leg up. Nina watched him; the way he moved was like he was dancing instead of fighting. Nina was taught how to defend herself only in kung fu; this was something she was never taught.

"Now the key is to let your body flow with the movement like you are pushing air away and being pushed back." Donnie lectured her, moving down and lifting his arm up. "Keep your hand up and your feet on the ground and let it out." He punched and kicked the air. He faced her. "Think of yourself like you are dancing, but instead of being light, you are being strong."

Donnie twisted his torso as he waved his arms across and kneeled down. Nina followed his moment, but her foot slid too fast when she knelt down, and she fell on the mat.

Donnie gasped. "Are you okay?"

Nina nodded. "Yeah, I was taught more about thinking with my fist and feet than thinking with my body." She gets up and back on her feet. "Guess I am a little out of practice."

"It's fine. Learning Chaquan is a good start; you just have to be patient and let your body flow." He told her.

Nina nodded to him. She followed Donnie's Chaquan movement, but it was hard to get a hang of due to her impatience. As time passed, she followed him and learned about Chaquan's movement. It was very different, but it felt like she was moving like a crane on a stream of water and with grace in her strength. She was smiling to herself as she performed Chaquan without Donnie.

He stopped and watched her on her own. He was very impressed with her; she is a pretty fast learner.

Nina and Donnie sat on the couch, back in the game room, watching a movie on the screen. The movie was a Lou Jistu film where he got stuck in a hospital with sickly infected patients like zombies. After their Chaquan lessons, they return back to catch a break. Donnie put in the movie for the two, and he was worried it was a bit scary for her, but she hardly flinched or looked away.

Nina grinned, watching the part where Lou Jistu was face-to-face with a corrupt doctor. "No thanks, I know the best way to fight off the disease," Nina repeated Lou Jistu's line. "A bowl of HOT SOUP!!!" She giggled happily. She faced Donnie. "You know, this is Tatay's favorite movie by Lou Jistu." She told him. "We would watch this all the time on his day off." She turned back to the movie.

Donnie smiled at this. "I see." He turned his attention to the movie. "Considering your father once met him is a memory worth treasuring." He added.

That got Nina's attention, hearing her own father meet his hero. She returned her focus to Donnie. "Wait, you're saying my dad once met Lou Jistu himself?!" She asked him, barely holding back her excitement.

He nodded. "Yeah. I found an article of him fixing his ankle during a filming." He mentioned the article he found nine days ago.

Nina had stars in her eyes, smiling huge. "Wow!! I can't believe my dad met Lou Jistu, and he never told me this!!" She gushed.

Donnie chuckled, smiling at her. "Probably because he knew you would flip out if you heard of this." He smiled. Seeing her reaction, it was what she would do if she found out more about her father's past.

"Oh, right." Nina looked away. "Nancy would get mad if I screamed at the top of my lungs.." she mumbled. Her mother would hit her more for showing an expression of happiness. But her excitement returned. "But oh my god!! My dad met Lou Jitsu!!" She cheered happily.

Donnie couldn't stop himself from chuckling at her excitement. Seeing her looking so happy for the first time in ten years and seeing a side of her that he had never imagined her having was nice. Her positive side shows she is a lover of science and action and has good knowledge of medical topics. It was like she was a whole new person, different from the Arianina he first met.

The movie shows the credit screens, meaning the movie is over. He presses the console controller and shows the PlayStation 4 menu on the Home Screen.

Nina looks at the Home Screen and spots something in the top right corner. "Hey D, what's that over there?" She points at a logo showing a female character with white hair, a black star hair clip, and a black scarf.

"huh?" Donnie looks at where she is pointing. "Oh, that's Genshin Impact. It's a fantasy game Mikey has been playing." He explained to her once he saw her focus on it. He let out a smile. "Want to give it a try?" He asked her.

Nina smiled and gave him a nod.

The next day

By then, it was morning. Yawning noises can be heard in each room as each turtle leaves their room after a night of total sleep. Another day is waiting for them as they all head to the kitchen.

They all walked past the game room, where Nina and Donnie's voices were heard inside. That causes them to walk backward and look inside. Seeing Nina and Donnie playing Genshin Impact, Nina playing the game, and Donnie guiding her. The screen shows the wish banner.

"Okay. And?" Nina asked Donnie.

"Then you click the ten wishes, and you might get lucky since you got enough primogems," Donnie explained to her.

Nina nodded at him, turning her attention to the screen. She pressed on the ten wishes and watched the shooting star turn gold. She was holding her breath on the edge of her seat. She got a four-star character of Kujou Sara, eight weapons, and a five-star character.

"Look at that! You got Raiden Shogun!" Donnie grinned. "A five-star archon character!!"

Nina smiled huge. "Wow! That is so awesome! I love her design!!" She gushed, looking at her new character.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Donnie got grabbed and pulled out of the room. His three brothers faced him, arms crossed and glaring down at him. They thought they had gotten past the whole 'purple game' obsession, trying to get Donnie to have a regular sleep schedule and not spend too much time on video games all night.

"Donnie, what have you been doing all night with Nina?" Leo asked his brother.

"Teaching her the basics of playing video games?" Donnie answered with a questionable tone.

Mikey gasped, seeing Nina trying out her Raiden Shogun. "Is that my Genshin Impact!?" He boomed, pointing a finger at the screen.

Donnie rolled his eyes at this. "Oh, relax, Micheal. I set her up with an account of her own, so you don't have to worry about yours." He reassured him.

"So you two have been up all night playing games?" Raph implied. "I thought we learned that lesson after that dumb purple ga-" but he got interrupted by Donnie.

"This time is different." He testified. "I wasn't the one playing; she is." He looked at Nina. "And go easy on her; this is a new thing for her. And besides…this is the first time I've ever seen her so happy." He smiled softly, watching her enjoying herself.

Nina fought off the hilichurls with Raiden Ei, beating them individually as Ginny and Judi cheered for her. Nina has the biggest smile on her face, feeling so happy and having a wonderful time. After ten years of being in the dark, she was coming out in the light.