A warriors heart

The capture

"A Warrior's Heart"
                                     (A "TMNT Out of the Shadows" Fanfiction)
                                                     

                                                   The Capture               
I woke up to the smell of a musty room. I tried to look around but was stopped short when I realized I couldn't open my eyes. My first instinct was to panic and try to get whatever was blinding me, off of my face. I tried to lift my hands to my face but couldn't, realizing they were bound together by a thick rope.
As I continued to struggle, I heard the eerie creaking of a door opening. I strained to listen for any voices. That's when I heard the deep voice of a man discussing something to another. My heart was pounding, filling every inch of me with a shivering I couldn't control.
A constant thump came from what seemed like in front of me. Footsteps... those are footsteps! I felt a hand clasp my hair, pulling me ever so slightly to the right. Then someone chuckled, a hoarse, rough sounding noise. I tried to steady my nerves, hoping that somehow I could figure out what was happening. Common sense told me I was being held hostage, but why? What had I done wrong?
I then heard the sound of something shattering somewhere beyond me, making me yelp in surprise. In what I guess was panic, the person holding my hair had let go and yelled out to the other people in the room to get behind a bookcase. Another loud crash came from directly beside me. Before I had even got the chance to scream, someone placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
I took in shuddering breaths as he whispered into my ear, "Do not scream. You're safe now." I nodded like a maniac as I felt his hand let go of my shoulder, then going to my tied hands. I heard something being thrown into a wall, and I winced. Judging by the weird cluttering noise that followed, if it were a person, they were likely unconscious or worse...                             
Three other voices spoke into the darkness. The first voice was a raspy, deep toned voice. The third and second sounded a bit younger and less mature than the guy untying me and the guy who had just yelled at the people who were holding me hostage. I could just barely make out the smell of the familiar New York air.
The fighting continued and I was finally freed. I stood up immediately, lifted my hands to my face and took off the scarf tied around my eyes. I gasped silently as I took in the darkness of the room I was in. I jumped back as someone landed in front of me, grabbing their arm and groaning in pain.
I looked around frantically, watching silhouettes of people fighting in front of me. I counted about eight different figures. I felt around blindly, trying to find something to hide behind. I carefully crouched down and crawled on my hands & knees. To my surprise, I felt a sharp pain in my leg. To my relief, I found what I think was a counter and hid behind it.
After a few minutes, the sound of yelling and people being thrown against things diminished and I tried to quiet myself. I wondered if anyone could hear my heart because it seemed so loud in my ears. Then, a figure appeared in front of me. He crouched down in and held out a hand. I glanced down at it, and saw only three large fingers. What the heck?
He must've noticed how terrified I was, because he let out a sigh and looked over his shoulder. "Guys, I don't think she's gonna move." He said calmly. "Well maybe if you would check to see if she's hurt, she'd move!" Yelled the deep, rough voice I had heard earlier. I shifted my weight onto my left side and groaned as I tried to move my leg. The silhouette in front of me moved a bit closer and as a bit of light passed through a shattered window, I caught sight of a deep blue on his face.                                             
He stepped back for a second and glanced warily around him. I watched with curiosity as his head turned towards the window and then to the three other figures now behind him. I then found the strength to speak, "Who are you?" I asked expectantly, my voice hoarse. Seemingly stunned or maybe frozen, the guy in front of me seemed to look me in the eye.
I tried to look threatening, despite the pathetic condition I was in. "We are here to help you." He said with an almost reassuring tone in his voice. "Now, are you hurt? Can you move at all?" He asked. I sat there for a second, taking the time to assess how bad of shape I really was in.
"I'm in pain all over, but I think the worst part is my right leg. I think it might be sprained but I can't tell." I said, cursing in my head for sounding so weak. One of the figures behind the guy in front of me came to my side, and I heard the faint sound of a device turning on. This time, the voice that spoke was one of the less mature sounding ones. "You're bruised all over, and your leg, according to my scanner, is fractured from the knee down. If I am correct, it appears that you were in a fight." He said. I grunted as I tried to sit up, gritting my teeth in frustration, but was stopped when my arm collapsed underneath my weight                                   
I crashed back down to the ground, briefly not being able to breathe. What happened to me? Why am I so beat up? I have so many questions... The guy in front of me tried to help me up but stopped when I held up a hand. I skimmed over each of the figures, taking in their silhouettes.
The one in front of me seemed to be lean and muscular. He was quite tall, maybe just above 6 ft. The two figures behind him differed in size as one was tall and really muscular and the other was short and lean. Finally, the one knelt to my side was taller than the others in front of me and had an average build.
I took in a shaky breath as I raised a curious brow. "What are you going to do with me? Or better yet, who are you?" I heard multiple deep breaths taken in around me, until finally I heard the guy in front of me speak. "Let's just say we are the reason why a lot of crime in this city is stopped before it can ever begin. We are four brothers, who will defend the people of this city for as long as needed." He said with passion.
The one beside me spoke afterwards, "We won't hurt you, I promise. Remember that we just saved you from those punks? Anyways,  do you know who you are, where you live, etc.?" He asked. "Yes... My name is Cece and I am 16 years old. I live with my best friend April Oneil and-" I was cut short as the guy with the rough voice spoke, "So she is April's friend." He said, voice deep.
"Yes, I know who she is. I live with her." I asked, trying to sound sarcastic. He crossed his arms and shook his head. I heaved in a breath and looked at the person in front of me. "Anyways, I live with April." I finished, and sighed heavily. "Alright, well at least you know who you are." Replied the one beside me.
I wanted to get up and run, but knew I couldn't because of my stupid injuries. As if reading my thoughts, the guy in front of me gently slipped his arms beneath me, heaving me up with little effort. I let out a breath of surprise and tried not to move, in order to avoid any unnecessary pain. "We are going to take you to the hospital, but you must not tell anyone of this night. Understand?" He asked, making the question seem more like a command.
I nodded in agreement and held on as everyone ran down the stairs. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to, okay?" He requested. "What? I just started to see again and now I can't do that?" I replied, but did as I was told. I overheard the guys behind us following close as they spoke to each other about what sounded like 'Master Splinter'? I fought the urge to ask more questions, but stayed silent. I felt the wind in my face as the guy holding me jumped far over something-- What is going on? Are we jumping over buildings? I nuzzled into his arms, trying to make myself feel more secure in his grasp. As I did this, he took in a harsh breath and subconsciously tightened his hold on me.
Honestly, I was still terrified. But then I remembered what had happened before I blacked out. I was walking down the street, trying to visit my favorite coffee shop about two blocks away from April's apartment. I had been captured by three middle aged guys, two with dark brown hair and one with black hair.
On one of their vests, I saw the logo of the gang known as the "Purple Dragons". Those thugs had been terrorizing the streets of New York for over a decade. I've heard of them before but never expected them to prowl the streets where I live. I had been knocked unconscious and then woke up in that dark room.
But what I wonder is how did the guys that rescued me know I had been captured? Did April play a part in that? I mean it's definitely possible because I had been walking with her when I got captured and one of the guys rescuing me, hinted at them knowing her. If that's the case then why did she never talk to me about having vigilantes as friends? Especially with her being a news reporter for Channel 6?
I am shaken out of my thoughts as I realize we were no longer moving. "Are we at the hospital?" I ask. "No, we can't take you there. Donnie decided at the last minute that he could do a better job helping you than any of the doctors." He said, sounding playfully agitated. I snorted, literally snorted out loud. Oh my gosh, when I am able to see April, I will beg for her to put me out of my misery.
The guy carrying me chuckled and I swear my entire face caught on fire. That was so embarrassing. I'll never live that down. "Who's Donnie?" I asked, having my eyes still closed. "Sorry, we didn't introduce ourselves by telling you our names." He said, sounding embarrassed. "I'm Leonardo, and my brothers are Donatello (Donnie), Mikelangelo (Mikey), and Raphael (Raph)." he replied. "Are you all named after renaissance painters? Can I open my eyes?" I asked.
"Yes, we were named after the artists. Now, about your eyes, have you not opened them yet?" He asked sounding dumbfounded. "No I haven't, because I was instructed not to." I responded with an edge to my voice. "Oh... Well thanks for not opening them. But no, not yet." He said, sounding out of breath.
For the rest of the time, I tried to stay quiet and focus on the gentle rocking of Leonardo's arms as he took me to wherever we were headed. When he stopped moving, I heard Donnie and Mikey grunting as they lifted something. Leo was first to enter wherever we were and I felt us go down. I heard the other's footsteps as they landed behind us. My nostrils stung at the sudden smell of sewage. I tried to not squirm but the smell was so awful. "May I ask why we are in the sewers?" I said. "Do you ever stop asking questions?" Asked Raph, a sarcastic tone taking over his voice. Man how I wish I could slap him. Apparently he could sense this because he chuckled.
I could tell that we were no longer running but instead walking for like ten minutes. I kind of got used to the smell, which was honestly not as bad as you would think. I've smelled a lot worse. Like when me and April were little, she threw up pizza from my birthday party and I had to clean it up. Disgusting.
Leonardo had stopped walking when his brother began to speak. "Just place her on the bed in the spare room that April uses," Donnie said. Wait, April has been down here? How many times? Is that why she couldn't join me to watch the 'Star Wars' marathon?                        
Leonardo walked over to the spare bedroom and placed me down gently on the bed. I gasped suddenly as I tried to move my right leg ever so slightly to be in front of me. "What happened?" He asked frantically. With my eyes still closed, I gestured to my leg and he sighed. "April will be here soon, so just try to stay still until she arrives, okay?" He said kindly.
"Okay . . . " I said weakly. He started to walk away but then I heard him stop. A couple seconds passed and I wondered if he was going to say something else but before I could say anything, he left. I sighed. I've never been good company I guess...
I laid back and tried to obtain a somewhat comfortable position. Then, I heard footsteps coming back into the room and my heart rate spiked, thinking I was about to die. But to my own surprise, it was actually April. "Cece? Are you okay?" She asked, sounding worried. "Yeah, if okay means being in complete pain everywhere and having a fractured right leg from the knee down, then yeah." I said, trying to sound playful. "Well, that sounds bad," She said, chuckling.
"Yup, but at least I'm alive, right?" I responded with a fake cheerful tone. "Yeah, at least! When you got taken, I ran here to alert the guys and they immediately went to help you." She said softly.  "Well that is all well and good but why did you never tell me about them?" I asked, clearly irritated. I could tell that she regretted not telling me because of the heavy sigh that followed.
"I'm sorry for keeping it from you, but they aren't exactly your everyday guys," She said, sounding hesitant. "What do you mean? What else could they be?" I asked. "Um, yeah, about that," She said. "What?" I asked with a high pitched voice. "Just stay here for a second." She said before leaving. I scoffed. Yeah, like I could just get up and boogie my way out of here.
           April came back into the room a few minutes later and helped me out of the bed. I groaned as I had been in pain when I stood, applying most of the weight onto my left leg. She led me out of the room as I limped pathetically to wherever we were going. "Cece, you have to promise me that you won't scream." She said seriously. "Why would I scream? Seriously, you're acting weird." I replied. "Just promise?" "Okay, I won't scream," I responded with a breathy sigh.
    She told me to open my eyes  (for the second time) and I cringed as my pupils adjusted to the sudden light. I looked around me and in front of me was a muscular turtle human thing. But when I saw the deep blue bandana on his face, I knew that it was Leo. I looked him in the eyes, taking in the blueness of them.
    If any of this wasn't crazy enough, I honestly thought he was really attractive. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at me up and down, seeing my wounds. I followed his gaze as he stared at a nasty gash on my right leg. I looked at my arms and saw how bruised they were. My heart skipped a beat when I laid my eyes on a greenish purple bruise right under my upper arm.
    I slid my eyes to April and made a cringe face. I looked back at Leo and a dorky smile took over his face. Oh my gosh he looked so adorable. "Hey, you look great." He said and I couldn't help but smile and laugh. He stood there with a certain look on his face when I laughed and quickly looked away from me.
    I glanced over at April and she had the same confused and curious look on her face. She raised her eyebrows up and down and I shoved her gently. I watched as Leo took a step back and crossed his arms. The next one to come was Raph. He looked just as tough as he sounded. His green eyes were striking and stood out against his red bandana. He was taller than Leo (who was almost a foot taller than me) and had a rather arrogant expression painted on his face.
    "So, you are Mr. Sarcastic, huh?" I asked, the corner of my mouth arching a bit upwards in amusement. "Yeah, you could say that but I don't take kindly to nicknames." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Raph clenched his fists and looked me straight in the eyes, a smirk crawling up his face, the sunglasses on his head glinted in the light. Leo looked from me to Raph and a dark look crossed over his gaze. "Cool it, Raph." He said, narrowing his eyes at the red masked mutant. Raph grumbled something under his breath and walked off. I think I'm starting to see the family dynamics now.
Donnie walked over and chuckled nervously as he glanced at April who was smiling at him. Oh, so I see-- That's adorable. He moved his gaze to me. Donnie was relatively taller than me, and had a purple bandana over his face. His eyes were a light brown. He wore glasses and had special gear all over him. He was so clearly a nerd.
Of course, we couldn't forget Mister Mikey who casually strolled over to me and April, winking at me and throwing up a peace sign. "Hey girl, the name's Mikelangelo, but you can call me Mikey." He said, laughing at himself. Mikey appeared to be the youngest of the brothers, sporting an orange bandana and sky blue eyes.
I laughed as he winked at me, and made a clicking noise with his tongue. Donnie smacked him on the back of the head and he yelped in surprise. "Donnie! What did we talk about? No hitting me when I'm trying to show off!" Leo chuckled and came near us, taking his own chance at smacking Mikey on the head.
Immediately, I knew I would fit in just fine down here. However, I wanted to return home. I looked off into space and took this thought in for a second. I guess April thought I was upset or something because she gave me a concerned look. I smiled and told her I was fine. "So, you're not terrified of us and think we are ugly, terrifying freaks?" Asked Mikey with a curious expression on his face.
Leo gave Mikey a stern look that clearly disapproved of him asking me that question but I simply shrugged. "Nope... although, I am a bit uneasy." I said, making everyone laugh. Mikey smiled so wide and it was honestly so funny.
I stepped forward to hug him, temporarily forgetting all of my pain, but fell to the ground after remembering I couldn't walk. I felt them staring at me in shock and heard multiple gasps of surprise. I felt someone pick me up and realized it was Leo. Of course it was, he seemed to be the heroic brother of the four.
I looked up at him as he looked over his shoulder and yelled at Mikey to shut up because he made fun of Leo's favorite something. I laughed and he looked down at me, a smile overtaking his own. The smile quickly faded as he looked up from my face to someone standing in front of us.
"Leonardo . . ." A deep voice said. "Sensei," Replied Leo. "Who is this stranger you have brought down here? Why is she injured?" The old, wise sounding voice asked. "This is Cece. She is April's sister... April had alerted us that her sister had been captured by the Purple Dragons. So, we got our gear and headed to the surface to rescue her." Leo replied as he stood up a bit straighter. "Well then, welcome to our home, Cece. I apologize for any inconveniences you may have experienced on the way down here, but please feel free to stay as long as you need. Leonardo, a word please?" Said 'Sensei'.  Leo sighed and gently placed me on the bed.
I watched him walk away with the giant rat who was called 'Sensei'. That's what we called our masters in Karate... I layed back and closed my eyes. I fell into a deep sleep. As I dozed off, I began to have a nightmare. I was in a house, and my mother had just brought me back from Karate practice as she slammed her bedroom door.
I went into her room to try and comfort her but when I entered the room, she looked up at me with the most disgusted look on her face. I took a step backwards and then closed my eyes. When I opened them, she threw me out of the house and told me to leave and never come back. I ran into a dark alleyway, tears streaming down my cheeks as I shuttered in the cold winter air.
I woke up with a sudden jolt. I gasped for air and started sobbing. I looked all around me, tears flowing down my face, making my hair stick to my face in awkward places. I brought my hands to my face, and cursed under my breath. I took in several ragged breaths, trying to calm myself down. I couldn't shake the nightmare.
Struggling to stand up myself, I limped over to the door and opened it, limping along the way. Somehow, I managed to open the door without making it creak. I turned around slowly and saw Leo sitting in front of the TV. He looked up at me and immediately paused whatever movie he had been watching.                                               
He came over to me and placed a steadying hand on my arm. "Are you okay?" He asked, a concerned look on his face. "Yeah . . . Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." I replied hoping that would satisfy him. He searched my face for a second before letting out a sigh.
"On another note, what are you watching?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Leo looked at me in a way I couldn't read but then huffed. "If I tell you, you better promise not to make fun. I already hear enough of it from Raph and Mikey." He said, a smile finding its way onto his face.
I nodded and looked him directly in the eyes, expecting an answer to my question. He then laughed at my serious expression. "I'm watching a re-run of my favorite movies.. You probably have at least heard about it with no care whatsoever, but it's called. 'Star Wars'." He said, looking down and then glancing up at me. He really has no idea of two things...
One, he is absolutely adorable and two, that is my literal all time favorite movie series in the history of like, ever. I looked at him astonished. "Are you kidding me? Dude, that is my favorite movie series!" I said, enthusiastically. He immediately perked up and gestured to the TV. "Wait, you actually watch Star Wars? Where have you been all my life?" He asked as his eyes flicked from the television to me.
My heart beat a little faster when he gave me a wink. I nodded my head in the direction of the TV and he clearly knew what I was thinking because he helped me hobble over to the couch. I hated my limp but Leo seemed to not mind at all. Which is something I really appreciated. Once I sat on the couch, he sat down a little further away from me. He then pressed the play button, and we sat for the next however many hours until we eventually fell asleep.                                               
I woke up to the sound of static on the TV and noticed Leo was gone. When I looked at the clock mounted on the wall, I realized it was 7:30 in the morning. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, then stretched my arms with a wide, dramatic yawn.
If I were back at the apartment and didn't have these injuries, I would go on a long jog right at the buttcrack of dawn. So this wasn't a bad time for me to wake up, especially with how tired I was. To my surprise, April walked over to me with a yawn, and sat beside me.
"Good morning, how'd you sleep?" She asked, rubbing her own eyes. I pondered whether or not to tell her about the nightmare. April was always the one I told about everything. But it didn't feel right telling her now. "I slept fine, had a few dreams but okay for the most part." I replied. "What about you?" I added. "Fine I guess. I wouldn't have minded sleeping on an actual bed though." She said with a chuckle. "Where'd you sleep then?"
"In Donnie's very interesting chair next to his computers. He was studying some remote and I wanted to help him." She said, glancing over to me. I gave her a sly smile and she cocked her head in a playful manner. "So, does April Oneil like the intelligent and witty Donatello?" I asked, not able to contain my laughter. She rolled her eyes playfully and I laughed, her own laughter following soon after.
The rest of the day was really fun (or as fun as it could be for a temporary vegetable). The guys trained for most of it while me and April played board games and watched her on the news. I loved it here, I felt accepted and strangely enough, home. But I wondered how the brothers stayed down here for their entire lives.
Being confined down here due to the outside world. I thought back to Master Splinter. I realized that I had only seen him once in the two days I had been here. What does he even do when he isn't training his sons? I made a mental note to ask Leo the next time I saw him.