- Chapter 3 -

A New Friend

Ten years later...

A large, inhumanly shaped figure ran through the streets of New York, desperate to get back to his friend. He'd been gone far too long, a small bag of stolen food in his hand the only fruit of his venture. He only prayed that she was still where he left her, still alive.

He eventually made it to an old warehouse, where the two had been hiding out for quite awhile now. He shifted the heavy door aside, slipping through the opening and entering the main part of the warehouse. As he looked down at an old mattress that dominated the space, he gasped at the sight of his friend laid out upon it.

His friend was a young girl, who couldn't be any older than ten years. Her hair was ratty and tangled, gathered in unwashed, greasy clumps that nearly reached her feet. Her body was emaciated almost to the bone, her muscles nonexistent. All across her body, even under a flimsy, oversized shirt that served as her only clothes, she had multiple wounds that were clearly infected.

The girl looked up at the figure through glassy eyes, reaching out to him weakly. Her skeletal hand shook with even that small effort, her breath ragged from pain, hunger, and God knew what else. The figure gently took her hand, looking at her in sorrow before turning away in grief.

"This can't go on..." he realized, his voice deep and gravelly.

With no other choice, he gathered up his weak friend as carefully as he could. Adjusting her in his grip, he exited the building, hoping he would be able to find someone who could save her and protect her. The girl shivered in his grip, weakly clinging to him. He looked down at her sympathetically, running a claw over her cheek as if wiping away unseen tears.

"Please," he begged. "Hang in there."

-X-

Not too far away, Splinter and Kasumi met up in a secluded location, an eleven year old Kagome standing by her mother's side. She had a small backpack on her back, stuffed with some spare clothes, an old stuffed turtle, and her toothbrush. Kasumi gave Splinter a hug, her entire frame sagging in relief at the sight of the giant rat.

"Thanks for agreeing to a sleepover on such short notice," Kasumi told him gratefully as they pulled away from the hug.

Splinter smiled as his friend before waving his hand in a dismissive fashion. "It is no trouble, Kasumi. My children enjoy Kagome's company, and I am certain the feeling is mutual."

Kasumi nodded in agreement. "I know it's going to be difficult, watching all six of them, but if I don't get this paperwork done before tax season…" she let out a small snort before continuing. "Well, I'll probably be living in the sewers with you."

"Oh, come on, Mom," Kagome chimed in. "You say that like it's a bad thing. Living in the sewers with Master Splinter and the turtles could be fun. I mean, why wouldn't it be?"

"Because sweetie," Kasumi began, "we're the ones who make sure Yoshi and the Turtles have food down there. If I lose this job, they'll starve."

"...Oh," said Kagome, looking down a bit.

Splinter smiled, running a gentle claw through Kagome's hair. "Do not worry, Kasumi," He gave her a small 'get-going' motion with his hand. "Go and do what needs to be done. I will bring Kagome the rest of the way."

Kasumi nodded gratefully. "Okay, Yoshi. Call me if you need anything."

Splinter nodded at her, and Kasumi knelt down to Kagome's level and kissed her on the forehead.

"Be good for Yoshi." she said sternly.

"Yes, Mom!" Kagome replied happily.

With that, Kasumi turned and climbed into her car, driving off to work. Once she disappeared down the street, Kagome grabbed Splinter's hand.

"C'mon, Splinter!" she said. "The turtles are waiting!"

She began excitedly tugging him down the sidewalk, Splinter laughing slightly at her enthusiasm.

-X-

The large figure ceased its search for a short moment, leaning against a dumpster to try and catch his breath. His looked down at his friend, who had lost consciousness in his arms not long into their journey. He ran his fingers through her sweaty hair, realizing just how warm she felt. He placed the back of his hand against her forehead, letting out a low growl at the heat practically radiating off of her.

"A fever..." he cursed. "Damn it. I can't take care of her like this. She needs help..."

"Splinter!" came a young girl's voice. "Hurry up!"

Hearing the voice, the figure hid behind the dumpster as quickly as he could. Once he was properly covered, he peeked around the edge to see a young girl coming up the street, eagerly dragging a rat mutant by the hand. The figure's eyes widened at the sight of the rat, examining him with interest.

"A mutant..." the figure thought. "And not one of his."

"Slow down, Kagome," Splinter insisted, a bit short of breath. "The turtles aren't going anywhere."

Kagome giggled at that, slowing down somewhat. "Splinter, with five kids, you know they're gonna wander around. Didn't Raph tell you about the albino crocodile he and Leo ran into that one time (1)?"

Splinter nodded, and sighed. "Kids will be kids, I suppose."

Hearing the rat mention kids, the figure reached a decision. He sadly looked down at his friend as both Kagome and Splinter entered the alley.

"I'm sorry," the figure whispered quietly.

With one last gentle caress across her face, he gently set her down, leaning her against the wall. He then ducked out of the alley, knocking hard on the side of the dumpster with his tail as he did. The sound caught both Kagome and Splinter's attention.

"What was that?" Kagome asked nervously.

"I do not know," Splinter replied, pushing Kagome behind him on instinct.

The two went to check it out, closing in on the dumpster. Kagome reached it first, covering her mouth as she screamed in horror. "Splinter! Come quick!"

Splinter practically materialized by her side, gasping in shock at the sight of the young girl. He estimated that she was around Kagome's age, but she barely looked human. Her limbs were so skinny, there was hardly any muscle. Her face was sunken in, she had bags under her eyes, and she was as pale as a ghost. She wasn't moving, save for a barely perceivable rise and fall of her chest. Her sandy blonde hair was ratty and matted, and her entire form was covered in multiple wounds.

"W-what happened to her?" Kagome asked nervously, trembling somewhat. "I-is she dead?"

Splinter went over to the unconscious girl, lifting her out from behind the dumpster, and placing two fingers to her neck to make sure she had a pulse. It was weak, but he could feel it. As he held her, he could feel how light she was, much lighter than a child her age should have been. To make matters worse, he soon realized the temperature of her burning flesh.

"She's alive," Splinter said grimly, "but she has a terrible fever."

"What do we do?" Kagome asked. "Should we call an ambulance?"

"There is no time." Splinter gathered the girl up in his arms. "We'll take her back to the lair."

Kagome nodded, then ran over to a manhole cover and opened it up.

"C'mon! We gotta hurry!" she exclaimed.

The two disappeared into the sewer, Kagome making sure to close the manhole as she went. As the lid rattled back into place, the figure watched from the shadows. Slowly and reluctantly, he turned away.

"Good luck, Oracle," he whispered as he retreated from the alley. "May we meet again someday..."

It had taken some time and effort, but using her resources and wealth, Kasumi had helped them turn the old subway station into a comfortable home. She was responsible for providing them with such things as heat, electricity, food, and entertainment.

The Turtles, now about ten years old, had changed quite a bit as well. All five wore different colored masks around their eyes to help differentiate them. Leonardo, or Leo, wore a blue one. Raphael, or Raph, wore a red one. Michelangelo, or Mikey, wore an orange one. Donatello, or Donnie, wore a purple one. Finally Venus, or Vee, wore a yellow one.

At the moment, the five turtles were milling about their underground home, participating in various activities. Raph was in the middle of playing a video game, with Mikey sitting next to him while whining childishly.

"C'mon, Raph!" Mikey whined. "You've been playing it for an hour! It's my turn!"

Raph scoffed, continuing on with the game.

"When you see a monkey come outta my butt, then it'll be your turn," Raph retorted.

"Oh, let him play, Raph," Vee said, not even looking up from the book she was reading. "It's not like you're any good at the game anyway."

"Zip it!" Raph snapped.

Leo turned to them from where he was doing katas, glaring at Raph. "Raph, it's Mikey's turn to play, so let him play."

Raph let out an exasperated sigh, reluctantly forking over the controller. "Fine..." he grumbled as Mikey laid claim to the controller. "You always get what you want, don't ya, Mikey?"

Mikey smirked. "I am the cute one, after all."

Donnie looked up from the small gadget he was currently fiddling with. "You're also the smallest out of us, which is why Leo feels the irresistible urge to protect you. The same reason Raph has the insatiable urge to bully you."

"Nerd!" Vee shouted playfully, her eyes still remaining on her book.

Leo pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Okay, seriously. Do I have to separate you guys until Dad gets back?"

Vee shrugged, grabbing her bookmark before slamming her book shut and standing up. "Whatever. I was headed back to my room anyway. Need to clean up a bit for the sleepover tonight."

Just as she turned to do so, Kagome suddenly ran into the sanctum. Her face was plastered with a fearful expression.

"Guys!" she said frantically.

Raph was immediately on his feet, running towards Kagome.

"Kagome?!" he exclaimed as he grabbed her shoulders, checking to make sure she was physically unharmed. "Are you okay? What's wrong?!"

Kagome was spared the effort of answering when Splinter came in, clutching an unconscious girl around their age to his chest. The turtles all gasped at her condition, converging on their father.

"Dad!" Leo exclaimed.

"We found that girl like this on our way here," Kagome explained.

Everyone stared at the girl, a multitude of questions practically spewing from their mouths at a rapid-fire pace. They all boiled down to a single question: Was she going to be okay?

"Dad, shouldn't we take her to a hospital?" Donnie questioned.

"I fear by the time we get there, it will be too late," Splinter said. "Besides, I cannot exactly walk around in public, and an ambulance would take even longer."

"True," said Leo.

"Now," Splinter began, taking command of the situation. "All of you, go fetch the spare mattress. Set it up in the living room. Quickly!"

The turtles and Kagome all went to do so, dragging the mattress out into the center of the room. Splinter set the girl down on the mattress, being as gentle as he could with her.

"Who would do this?" Vee asked in horror.

"That doesn't matter right now," Donnie said urgently. "How can we help, Sensei?"

Splinter took charge once again. "Leonardo, fetch the first aid kit. Donatello, get some warm water and towels. And Raphael, fetch my spare robe."

They all dashed off to do so, leaving Splinter and Kagome alone with the girl. She looked closely at some of the girl's wounds, getting sick once she noticed something about some of her injuries.

"Splinter..." Kagome said softly, covering her mouth as if trying to prevent herself from throwing up. "Look at her wrists."

Splinter did so, and felt bile gather in his throat. The girl's wrists were badly inflamed, covered in bruises and places where the skin had been worn away, with similar wounds on her ankles. It was clear the girl had been bound to something and had struggled fiercely.

"Hidoi na... (2)" he said, unable to manage anything more.

Kagome began to tear up as they looked her over. "What kind of monster would do this to someone, let alone a kid?! This is sick!"

Leo soon came back with the first aid kid, as well as a bottle of disinfectant. He handed both to Splinter, who took them quickly. At the same time, Raph came back with the spare robe, setting down beside the mattress.

"Raphael, take your sai and cut that shirt off of her," Splinter ordered. "Gently, now."

Raph did so, slicing through the flimsy cloth like it was nothing, revealing the full extent of the girl's injuries.

Along with some superficial wounds, like scraped knees, the girl had serious scars across her chest, most of them looking like electrical burns. Her wrists, as Kagome had pointed out, were raw and swollen, and there were bruises all over her, especially along the inner part of her arms where puncture marks could be seen. She was so skinny that they could count her ribs easily, and there were thick, deep gashes across her stomach and chest that were still trickling blood.

Seeing this, all any of them could do was gape in horror. Donnie came back in with the hot water and towels, and the minute he saw the girl's ravaged body, he almost dropped them in shock.

"By Darwin's beard..." he said.

Vee turned to Splinter. "Dad... is she going to be okay?"

Splinter sighed. "I do not know."

Mikey turned to him, his eye brimming with tears. "She's gotta be okay!" he pleaded. "You gotta help her, dad! You gotta!"

Splinter sighed. "I will do my best, Michelangelo."

With that, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

-X-

It took a good thirty minutes just to clean the girl up, dirt and dried blood caked onto her skin. Most of her hair was brittle and damaged, forcing Splinter to cut it off. By the time he finished, her hair was about shoulder length.

Once he finished cleaning her up, he began tending to her wounds. This proved to be an incredibly arduous task, taking up a good two hours. Several gashes required stitches, and even more had to be doused with disinfectant. Finally, the bandages were applied, practically mummifying the unfortunate child.

Once she was fully tended to, Vee and Kagome helped Splinter wrap his spare robe around her skinny form. It was incredibly big on her, and the sash was wound around her waist a good three times before it was tied off.

The two girls laid her down on the mattress, Splinter grabbing a small blanket and draping it over the girl. The children looked down at her, Leo looking up at his father with a worried expression.

"What now, Dad?" he asked.

"All we can do is wait," Splinter replied.

"Splinter..." said Kagome, "Should we call Mom?"

Splinter thought it over, then nodded. "Perhaps it would be for the best. Should the worst come to pass, she can take this poor girl to a hospital."

At the office, Kasumi was just getting finished with the paperwork. She put one last signature down where it was needed, then sighed.

"Finally..." she said tiredly, rubbing the sides of her forehead. "All finished."

Before she could do anything else, her phone rang. Seeing the name "Hamato Yoshi" on the caller ID, she picked it up.

"Yoshi?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Kasumi, please come down here as soon as you can," Splinter said, his voice sounding urgent. "Something has happened."

"What's wrong?" Kasumi asked, already prepared to go.

"It will be easier to show you than to tell you. And please bring some soup with you when you come. I have a feeling I might require it."

Kasumi raised an eyebrow in confusion, then nodded. "Alright, I just got done with the paperwork. I'm on my way."

With that, she hung up the phone and exited the building.

Kasumi hurried to the Turtles' lair, carrying a bag containing several cans of soup.

"Yoshi, I'm here," she said. "Now what's going on?"

"This," Splinter said simply.

Kasumi went in, and gasped at the sight of the mystery girl, still unconscious on the mattress. The bag of soup fell from her hands and she lunged forward, falling to her knees by the girl's mattress.

"Who is she?!" Kasumi asked. "What the hell happened to her?!"

"I don't know, Mom," Kagome replied. "Splinter and I found her on our way to the lair."

"Dad thinks someone was holding her prisoner," Raph said.

Kasumi examined the girl, lifting the blanket slightly to reveal the bandages on her wrists and ankles. Kasumi dropped the blanket, feeling rage build up in her heart.

"She's... just a child," she let out, her teeth clenched hard. "What kind of monster would do such a thing?!"

"Maybe we can ask her," Donnie said, backing away slightly. "She's coming to."

Sure enough, the girl let out a soft moan, starting to shift around. Kasumi immediately turned to Splinter.

"Yoshi," she whispered, "you and the turtles might want to stay out of sight for now."

Splinter nodded, then he and the turtles disappeared from sight, leaving only Kasumi and Kagome by the mattress. The girl slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of stormy gray irises. She let out a small whimper, trying to sit up.

"No, please stay put," Kasumi said, reaching towards her on instinct. "You shouldn't move yet."

The girl gasped and nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Kasumi's voice. She whimpered loudly, holding up her arms in a clearly defensive gesture.

"Wait, don't be afraid!" Kagome exclaimed, holding up her hands as well. "We're not gonna hurt you!"

The second she saw Kagome move, the girl let out a thready yelp. She flinched hard, and both Kagome and Kasumi felt their minds explode. Everything around them was a deep red, screams reverberating off the walls, mixing with the cries of various creatures. Whirring machinery filled their ears, lightning danced dangerously close to their skin, and distant begging could be heard. It left them both with an overwhelming feeling of pure, unadulterated terror.

"W-what's going on?!" Kagome shouted in fear, clutching her head in a futile attempt to stave off the mental assault.

It was like watching a horror movie on fast forward, with all of the terror being forced on them. Feelings of fear, agony, and hopelessness overwhelmed them, and the two were left shaking on the ground, tears pouring down their faces.

"P-please..." Kasumi managed through the mental assault, "we're not... your... enemies!"

The girl remained curled up on the mattress, but she seemed to take notice of her surroundings. Seeing the walls of the sewer lair, she seemed to calm down slightly as her eyes fell back on the two women. Slowly, their senses returned to normal, and their emotions stabilized once more. She watched them both wearily, as if unsure of what to make of them.

"Mom..." Kagome asked, still shaken as tears fell from her eyes uncontrollably. "Did she do that?"

The girl watched them both, clearly still waiting for something to happen. Kasumi stayed where she was, unsure how she could get the skittish child to trust her. Then, the two of them felt a strange buzzing tickle at the back of their necks, and a little girl's voice breached their minds.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

Kasumi blinked, surprised by the voice in her head. However, given the assault she'd just endured, it was clear that this was the child's doing. Calming her nerves, she gave her answer.

"My name is Kasumi. Kasumi Lee. And you have my word that you are safe." The girl didn't even move or react, either too scared to do so, or she simply couldn't muster up the strength. Kasumi placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "This is my daughter, Kagome. What's your name?"

The girl looked confused, tilting her head.

"My… name?"

"Yeah," Kagome nodded. "What can we call you?"

The girl looked at Kagome, processing her words before thinking. A few snippets of voices began floating through both Kagome and Kasumi's minds. The voices changed constantly, a menagerie of male and female people talking. Most of what they said were insults, others were derogatory titles such as "subject" or "project". Occasionally, the word "Oracle" would pop up, apparently the most frequently used descriptor.

"Oracle?" Kagome said, confused. "Is that your name?"

"It's my project name..." the girl reached up, covering the back of her neck with her hand. "The closest thing I have."

Kasumi saw the girl covering her neck and slowly moved to take a look. Seeing her, and no doubt sensing her intentions, the girl turned around and lifted her hair to reveal her neck. There, right on the center of the back of her neck, was a hexagonal symbol that almost looked like some sort of barcode. There was also strange text beneath it, written in a language that was far from humans. As the girl dropped her hair, Kasumi began trembling with rage at the realization that came with the sight of that barcode. This girl was nothing more than an object to her captors. Nothing but a toy.

Seeing the flash of anger in Kasumi's eyes, the girl flinched, tears in her eyes as she tried to get to her feet. She almost immediately fell over, having no strength to call her own. It took a phenomenal effort on her part, but Kasumi managed to calm herself down again, realizing that losing herself would not help the situation in the slightest.

"You poor child..." she said sympathetically. "What did those bastards do to you?"

The girl just curled up slightly, a flickering red image filled their minds. It was a snippet of something big and monstrous towering over her, an inhumane roar, followed by a feeling of numbing cold, and pain all across their bodies. This mixed with the sound of fighting, shooting, and distant screams. More red images flickered as her terror leaked through this strange connection and into their minds. The unwanted emotions also began to manifest, making it clear what had happened.

"Oh my God, Mom." Kagome realized in horror. "She was some kinda lab rat."

The girl perked up slightly, and then a new image appeared in their minds; one of Splinter and the five turtles. It showed them in their various hiding places, and the images seemed to have an air of desperation to them. Apparently, she had sensed their presence and was desperate for their company.

"Mom, she knows about Splinter and the Turtles," Kagome said. "She's... not scared of them?"

"It seems that way," Kasumi said.

"Does that mean we can come out now?" came Vee's voice.

The girl nodded quickly, looking desperately in the direction Vee's voice had come from. Very slowly, the mutants all emerged from their hiding place. Once the girl looked at them all, she immediately tried crawling toward them. Once again, her limbs gave out on her and she fell flat on her stomach. Mikey raised an eyebrow at that, turning to Donnie.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked.

"From the looks of it, she's never engaged in any physical activity," Donnie said. "Her muscles have atrophied."

The girl looked up at Splinter and the Turtles, tears in her eyes.

"Guys," Leo said, "I... I think she wants us to come to her."

The girl nodded once, holding up her arms as if asking to be picked up. Splinter and the turtles came over, the former gently picking the girl up. She leaned into him, sobbing quietly while weakly gripping his robe. Splinter gently held her, petting her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

"This poor child has been denied even the smallest of comforts," Splinter said sadly. "I do not know how much she has suffered... but no more."

Kagome raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why isn't she scared of you, though? And why was she afraid of me and Mom?"

"I'm more curious about her freaky mental powers." Raph said.

Kagome shrugged. "All we managed to get out of her is that, apparently, her name is Oracle."

Leo scowled. "That is not a name."

The girl flinched slightly at his tone. Leo went wide eyes, shaking his hands in an attempt to calm her.

"No, no!" Leo quickly amended. "That's not what I meant! I meant you need a real name."

Splinter and Kasumi thought it over for a while.

"Hmmm..." Kasumi said. "What about Hisako?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Hisako?"

"It's Japanese for 'enduring child'," Kasumi explained. "This little one has been through so much hardships, but she's still here. Still clinging to life."

"A fitting name," Splinter said.

The newly-christened Hisako looked at them all, then gave a small nod, a gesture of acceptance.

"Hisako it is, then," Leo said.

"So, does that mean she's gonna stay with us, Dad?" Mikey asked.

"Yes." Splinter nodded. "For now."

Author's Note:

(1): A reference to Tales of Leo, an episode of the 2003 show.

(2): "How cruel" or "This is cruel."

Well, another one bites the dust.

Next chapter will center around character development for Hisako.

Also, Hisako is the property of Author of the Insane, used with her permission.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Kagome - Kate Higgins (Sakura Haruno from Naruto, C.C. from Code Geass, Lissa from Fire Emblem Awakening, Pauline in Super Mario Odyssey, Karin Kurosaki, Nanao Ise, Retsu Unohana, & Lilynette Gingerbuck from Bleach, Miki Kurosaki from Digimon Data Squad, Nanako Kuroi from Lucky Star, Sailor Mercury in Sailor Moon's Viz Media dub, Miles "Tails" Prower from Sonic Colors to Sonic Lost World)

* Vee - Lauren Landa (Kasumi from Dead or Alive, Leia Rolando from Tales of Xillia, Annie Leonhart from Attack on Titan, Xenovia Quarta from High School DxD, Sailor Neptune in Sailor Moon's Viz Media dub, Litchi Faye-Ling in BlazBlue, female Robin in Fire Emblem)

Please R&R. Until next time!