The Shadow's Secret│TMNT

08 || Chance Meeting

Not ten minutes later I found myself diving headfirst into danger. Again.

Okay, but this time I didn't start it. The three guys in black I witnessed suspiciously unlock the front door of a jewelry store started it. Of course, I decided to glance across the street at the exact moment this happened, giving me a perfect opportunity to call the police.

Or, that stupid voice in my mind with all the dumb ideas added, you can run over there and check it out because why the hell not? 

Luckily, I had enough sense to wait before darting off. When the men reappeared with heavy pockets and bags, I found myself weaving in between the vehicles stuck in traffic and following them down the sidewalk. I slowed a bit to sidestep the bystanders who'd fallen to the pavement but kept chase. I didn't even hesitate to follow them down an alley I didn't recognize, throwing everything my sister and uncle have been telling me for years straight down a storm drain. I hadn't a single clue why I was so desperate to follow them, but that was the least of my concern as I located the thieves' location.

Their loud footsteps and not-so-quiet whispering on the fire escape of a building made it all too easy to follow them. They were creating such a ruckus above me that they couldn't even hear my noisy pursuit.

I clutched Olivia's still warm dinner close to my stomach as I climbed upwards. I stopped when I noticed how quiet it had become. Considering how loud it was a few moments ago, it was odd. I ran faster. I dropped the packaged food on the metal platform so I could climb the short ladder to the top of the roof.

My heart stopped and I almost fell off the ladder. He stood over them, swiftly tying their limbs together in such a way to render them useless. I couldn't move. I felt as if I were the one with bound arms and legs.

He matched the descriptions perfectly: the humpback; an incredibly muscular build; a bald head; wielding swords; and...big. He was huge! Way bigger than I remembered!

I set my jaw determinedly, he's not running off this time.

I quickly scrambled onto the roof. He looked up at me in surprise. My breath caught in my throat. Those eyes.

We stood, staring in alarm at each other. He was...a thing.

Well, a turtle, actually, the educational part of my brain provided as if it weren't already obvious enough with the huge shell on his back and the three fingers and two toes.

In the full moonlight, I could make out most of what he was wearing.

Loose, black pants taped around his waist and ankles with knee pads on over top of them. More tape was across his knuckles and in between his huge fingers. A tattoo of patterned lines encircled his left bicep, while two more intricate mandalas of black ink covered the expanse of his right shoulder and forearm. A thick strip of leather ran across his chest, strapping two sheathed swords to the back of his shell. They had black and blue hilts, their long tails of blue cloth fluttering in the wind, not unlike the tails of the blue mask he wore across his electric eyes. A transmitter-walkie-talkie-thing was clipped to the strap as well, sitting just above his collarbone. A light coloured scar ran diagonally toward his nose and appeared below his mask, running diagonally away from his nose.

My mouth opened and closed without words.

He watched me in horror, then turned on his heel to run off but I lunged forward with a desperate 'wait!' And managed to catch his wrist. His green skin wasn't scaly under my touch, it was soft, almost like leather, and warm. Equally as surprised as I was, he stopped and looked down at me. This time, was the opposite. I couldn't stop the words from tumbling out.

"Sorry I just, I've been looking for you for so long and the other day I was like alright, so that's it but I wasn't going to give up just like that and I knew that you weren't going to just forget about me, even after all these years, because it was different, and I saw you. I knew. I recognize your eyes. And don't know why, but I just had to follow those guys, oh and good job, by the way, that's some knot you tied them in-" I stopped when I noticed his face change; saw the realization dawning. I narrowed my eyes, unable to believe it. "Wait...you remember me?"

He didn't even nod, or give the slightest response to my question. I wanted to slap him.

"Will you at least say something?" I demanded in annoyance. He regarded me in disbelief; as if I were a ghost.

"How did you find me?" He asked, his voice almost a whisper. "How many years has it been?"

I crossed my arms. "Almost three."

His eyes widened. "Three years?" He breathed. Then, "you can't tell anyone."

I frowned. "Not even-"

"No one...please," he begged.

Not even Olivia. I nodded reluctantly and he let out a huge breath of relief. The bound thieves groaned and shuffled against one another. We both looked over at them.

"The police will be showing up soon," he said, taking a step back.

"Oh hell no am I going to spend another three years tracking your ass down," I said, stopping him in his tracks.

"Look, I'll talk to you tomorrow night. And don't forget your promise."

My promise to lie to my sister. He started backing away but I just followed, arms crossed.

"How do I know you're not going to ditch me?"

He started running. "I'll send you the address!"

"How?"

But he was gone.

AN: Vote and comment please!! 😊

EDIT: Re-uploading all the photos for my chapters because they refuse to load lol