TMNT Half Heart Hero Out of the Shadows

Chapter 13

A few minutes later, everyone stood in an alley, waiting. The cops looked tense, with their guns drawn. Overhead, the Technodrome loomed in the darkened sky. "You're sure they're coming?" Vincent asked Casey and April.

"They're coming," April assured her. A manhole cover rose and one by one the turtles emerged, looking brave. Shira and the other sisters were last.

The cops aimed their guns, but Vincent raised her hand. They all stare amazed at what they were seeing.

"What are you?" Vincent asked.

"We're not really into labels," Mikey said, stepping forward.

"Some call us freaks. Monsters," Leo said, stepping forward, with Shira in his hand.

"We're humanoid animals from another world," Shira began.

"Let's just say we're four brothers and sisters from New York who hate bullies and love this city," Raph said, joining his brothers and sisters.

"And right now, we're the city's best hope," Donnie finished.

Vincent looked skeptical. "Why should I believe you?"

"You don't have to take it from us. Take it from her," Leo said.

Reika took a step forward. "I hope you won't remember what happened last time. But if you do, you can help us."

Slowly, she took off her decapitated head from her belt and showed it to her. Vincent's face changed. "Is that?"

"Yes. Eric's Sack's head," Shira spoke. "He tried to drain our boyfriends blood but we saved them. By becoming sea turtles. That is when Reika chopped off Eric Sack's head." Reika pauses for a moment. Ever since the Foot captured the turtles a year ago, they could've died and how she and her sisters are mutants.

Vincent looked at Shira. She recognized her voice, that cheerful girl she had been seeing, a voice similar to a human being that her parents had known. "Shira?" she spoke.

"Yes," the young turtle said. And as a matter of fact, her scarred eye begins to open. Her eye wasn't healed properly but her entire sclera was black. Her irises had a blue color in her eye. "The turtle you saw when people see me every night on the rooftops. It was me, Rebecca."

Rebecca's stern expression slowly began to change into a look of heartfelt relief, shocked to see that the mutant really is Shira. "I knew all along. I knew that creature that I always saw was you, Shira. So.. Stop crying,"

Shira sniffled, her scarred eye closing slowly. "I'm not crying. These are just raindrops." She wiped a tear off her face. "Please, don't kill my boyfriend or my brothers. They didn't hurt me. My sisters and I managed to save their lives after we got mutated by the strange mutagen." She remained silent before she looked at Rebecca again. "Please let April and Casey go, and I'll give you the eternal truth."

Rebecca looked down, feeling ashamed. How could she ever imagine that sea turtle was really Shira? This young sea turtle, that was once the human Shira they knew, was telling the truth all along. Rebecca wondered how this Shira mutated into such a horrible, terrifying but amazing creature.

Shira turned to Vern. He didn't know what to say. He knows the turtles deserve the whole city's gratitude and respect. Shira blinked her eye, a soft coo churred in her throat. "Go ahead, Vern," April said. "Tell her about the arrangement."

"Look, The Falcon is still The Falcon. I just may have gotten by with a little help from my friends. These eight are the ones who took Shredder down the first time. I was kind of more of a wingman."

April took a step toward Rebecca. "So if you're looking for heroes-" she gestured toward the turtles. "You don't need to look any further than these eight."