ℂ𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕝𝕥 & ℂ𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕤𝕠𝕟 ❪✘❫ 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝐶𝑂𝑀𝑃𝐿𝐸𝑇𝐸𝐷

08 || 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐉𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐘

Afina's Apartment

Her breath shook the more the words ached to escape her lips. Does she say something? Is this the right time? In Afina's opinion, it must be time to tell Rocky everything. About her past. Of course, She will remain locked up in that promise about keeping those mutant brothers a secret. "I moved from Texas to get away from my ex-boyfriend." She whispered, feeling shame in it. Thankfully, she got it out on the table directly.

Rocky continues to snack on the popcorn, listening to her friend. But she takes the time to answer Afina-Jade. "Ex? Oh, uh..." She set the bag aside. "Jade, why? I mean, what--"

"Abusive. Very abusive." Jade sniffed. "I ran away because I was sure he'd kill me this time." Her voice is raspy and weak, indicating that this subject is extremely touchy. She could feel her throat burning and a swarm of heavy tears arriving in her eyes. Afina-Jade sighed deeply before continuing. "He-- He was chasing me around the house... He was throwing things, and if he had the chance, he'd strike me."

"Oh, Jade..." Rocky frowned. "Have you gone to the police about this?"

"No! No police." Afina-Jade exclaimed in a snap, leaning back into her bed's pillows.

Rocky's eyes widen at that response. "No police? Jade, that's domestic abuse! He could go to jail."

"I am not putting him in jail!" Jade raised her voice, exiting her bed and walking to the kitchen. She had forgotten about the window, which was cracked to let the cool air in. Jade opened it earlier, just minutes after Rocky knocked at the door.

While the two girls talked back and forth about Afina-Jade's ex-boyfriend, someone had come to visit the little apartment. For some fascinating reason, Raphael was interested in Casey's new friend. Perhaps, it is because he gives the hockey-playing vigilante a hard time and has grown closer to him. So, why not shove his curious nose into Casey and Jade's business? As he balances on the balcony's thin railing, he hones in on the conversation.

"I am not doing that. I'm not someone who just throws a person in jail!" Afina rambled on, stressing about the idea. 

"Jade!" Rocky raised her voice, not wanting to hurt Jade, but to drill some sense into her. "He f*cking hit you! He punches you and does what he can to control you!" She said, setting a hand on her friend's knee. She is saying all of this out of love and to make sure she is taken care of. 

This only made Afina cry harder in blankets and pillows. She is severely affected by these past events, and just trying to stand up for herself scared her. Raphael glanced away from the window the more she cried, thinking he had heard enough about Afina-Jade. But he heard more that made him stick around.

"Maybe I need to run away again before he finds me." Afina said to Rocky.

"Or you can buck up and fight the assh*le." Rocky suggested.

Raph chuckled at Raquel's sentence and thought of her to be really attractive with such words. He continued to listen to Jade and Rocky.

Afina-Jade shook her head, thinking it was utterly reckless even to try that. Someone as brutal and violent as Damien is no match for Afina-Jade. There is no way she could fight that monster. "I can't fight him. I'm an emotional wreck-- I can't even hit a punching bag."

Afina-Jade isn't the same person she used to be. Since she was with Damien for so long, he affected her mentally. She used to love being a social butterfly, she was bubbly in the mornings, she enjoyed doing her old hobbies and did whatever she could to entertain herself but now... her self-esteem is low, she doesn't trust many individuals besides her mother and her coworkers at the diner. She isn't even sure if she should trust Casey.

But the mutant turtle has heard enough from this girl. Hearing about Jade's past made him want to mind his own business, but at the same time, he wanted to help her rise to the top and be given her freedom. But he didn't know his older brother was here just a little bit ago and met with Casey shortly afterward. Not knowing the outcome, Raphael, Leonardo, and Casey Jones will be assisting Afina-Jade in winning back her life.

The Ninja Way.

****

The Lair

In the depths of the sewers, the four brothers and Splinter were sparring this evening to keep up on their muscle memory. While Mikey and Leo were partnering up for their final duel, Raph began to converse with his older brother and the rest of his family about Casey's friend, 'Jade'. "Hey, so what about that Jade girl?" He asked aloud.

"There's nothing to say, Raph." Leo shrugged it off, keeping intense eye contact with his little brother in the dojo.

"Oh, come on. You saw how she reacted to Foot Soldiers?" Raph continues to Leo, dueling Donnie at the same time with Splinter watching them all.

Leonardo sighed lowly. Donatello answered this before anyone could. "From my personal observations, it appears that Jade is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder."

Splinter instantly stops the training in the dojo. "The girl." The rat said to his sons. "Any friend of Casey's or April's is a friend of ours."

"Well, her recent reaction says otherwise, Dad." Leonardo stated.

"And from my understanding, son, you and Raphael left earlier to go see her, didn't you?" Splinter exposed his two eldest sons, watching them both exchange glances. They had both left the lair at separate times but were at Jade's apartment near the same moment as well. It sounds like this girl is bringing a ton of interest to the cobalt and crimson-masked turtles.

"Yes, Sensei." Leonardo answered his father. "I heard some things from inside and..." He trailed off, suddenly remembering why Jade is the way she is-- why she is so skittish and shy sometimes.

"Sensei," Raphael spoke out. "I think Jade is, or did have an abuser and well, it isn't my story to tell..."

Splinter looks at his children, watching each one with a different expression, either that was confusion, concerned, worried, or straight-up clueless. Now that Splinter has knowledge of his sons going to Jade's apartment and getting a portion of her past life, he feels the need to help her without startling her or causing her to feel uncomfortable.

Donatello speaks out now. "Guys, not to sound brash, but this isn't really our problem..."

"Abuse is abuse, man." Raphael said to him, highly against the idea of not helping Jade. "We may not know who Jade is, but she doesn't deserve to be haunted by her ex-boyfriend. If we can provide help, then that is what we'll do."

Leonardo peered down at the floor, unsure how to approach Afina-Jade now that her past had been acknowledged in the lair. He looks up at his father. "Dad, what's the first step in helping this girl?"

Splinter, standing tall with his upright ears scoping his son's voice, breathed out deeply and said, "Ease comfort to Jade. Have Casey help you, boys. Victims of domestic violence will not feel like their old selves. Before introducing her to any kind of martial arts, prepare her confidence."

In unison, the Turtle Brothers stood together and bowed to their Sensei. "Yes, Sensei." They spoke.

"Good." Splinter grinned. "Good luck on your brand new mission."