Family Business

Ch. 1: Save Me

"Mmhggmmm!"

"Shuddup!"

My eyes were starting to fill with tears. Twisting my wrists wasn't really helping me break free. They had to have been red by now. They sure felt like they were. The only progress I had made was wiggling one of my ankles out of the rope binding them both together.

"Mmmgghhh!"

The movies do being gagged no justice at all. This was painful. A bandanna had been shoved in my mouth and my lips covered in duck tape.

"Will ya shut the fuck up already?! Nobody is gonna hear you" my '5 star rated uber driver' stated the obvious, swerving the white van slightly from making eye contact with me through the rearview mirror.

This was not supposed to happen to me. I am so much smarter than this. I've seen the news and I'm always aware. I just...got in the wrong car, I guess.

"I didn't choose uberpool." I said as I decided to get in the car anyway.

"Must be some kind of app glitch. Well, he's just a couple of stops down this street ma'am." My kidnapper reassured me. But I should have known something was wrong. The other guy, the 'passenger' was giving it all away. Clinched jaw, tapping fingers and foot. He was anxious and uncomfortable. Why didn't I decline?

We hadn't even gotten that far before I was assaulted and forced into this van by my attackers. They made a vehicle exchange and I figured, no one would know where I was. I thought, 'This is it. I'm either going to die or be sold into sex trafficking. '

"We're here, gorgeous." My kidnapper smiled through the rearview mirror. This time, he had parked. We finally made it to my torture chamber, I thought. The back doors of the van swung open and several men stood there, gawking at me. Fear gripped me as I thought of every thing I knew they could do to me before they dump my body. I shut my eyes tightly, bracing myself, but...

One-by-one, my captors were being pulled right from up under me. I heard groans, cracking bones, and blood curdling screams.

Dear God, please not me next.

"Miss, are you alright? Here, let me get that for you."

He...it...he ever so gently removed the duck tape from my lips and slowly pulled the bandanna from my mouth. I rotated my jaw around a bit. It felt so much better now.

"How's that, now? Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?" He was genuinely concerned. Gentle and kind. He pressed the tips of two long fingers against my neck, to which I clenched at, at first.

"Don't worry, I just want to check your pulse. Your heart rate is a little high. Try to relax. Breathe." He coached me, urging me to take deep slow breaths by demonstrating. I began to mimic him and eventually I was calm, relieved.

"Thank you. I--"

CRACK!

"Raph, you have got to stop doing that." There were other voices. Three more figures all of the same form but different builds. I leaned forward, trying to get a better look at my heros, but I struggled.

"Hold still a moment. I'm going to cut the rope from your ankles and wrists. You must be still. I don't want to hurt you." He was very deliberate in his speech. My guess was, in the past, someone must have thought that he would hurt them. So, now he's got to make it clear that he's a friend.

The rope fell from my wrists and I felt so free. I immediately began massaging my reddened skin, feeling the grooves which had now been imprinted on me.

"That was scary." I was staring off blankly, remembering how I just practically lost my life...or worse.

"I bet. Kidnapping has really increased over the past few months. Lucky for you, my brothers and I were on patrol at the right time. By the way, I'm Donnie. And those are my brothers, Leo, Raph, and Mikey."

Finally I was able to see all of their faces.
"I-I think I remember you guys now. Weren't you on the news earlier this year for saving New York? I-I'm y/n. Thank you so much" I was still in shock, but grateful to be alive.

"A pleasure. And yes, that was us. We're working with NYPD now to keep the streets clean. "

"We love this city and the people in it." The blue masked brother smiled proudly.

"Well, thank God you do! Can I ask though, what was that loud crack that I heard?"

"Raph, has broken yet another neck"

"Leo, their bad guys. Ain't nobody gonna miss 'em. I just did the world a favor."

"Raph, how many times do I have to tell you? We don't break things, we fix them. We don't hurt people. We save them. We don't kill them just because we want to! You're cleaning that mess up on your own."

Raph huffed, heading back on his own to get rid of his good deed for the world, I supposed.

"Y/n? Would you like to stay with us tonight? You're still shaking." Donnie grasped my hand, holding it firmly. I didn't realize how shooken up I was over this whole ordeal.

"I would but, don't you guys live in the sewer? I don't mean to be rude, but I could have sworn that's what the rumor was."

I might have been afraid but I'd rather be scared in my own apartment than be in sewers. Yuck!

"Oh no, not anymore" Donnie chuckled, "We have a new headquarters, above ground . In an undisclosed location of course."

"Ma'am, you're welcomed to stay with us until you feel comfortable enough to go home. We are not monsters. We want to help." Leo was still trying to make up for Raph's poor impression, but it really didn't bother me. Those beasts had what was coming to them.

"NYPD is on the way to pick up these dirtbags. Donnie, take Y/n to HQ while we wait so she can get settled in."

Donnie smiled at me sweetly, still holding my hand while using little strength to help me up. I hesitated to hop in the garbage truck that he parked nearby but Donnie nodded as if to say it's clean and safe. Our ride to HQ was quiet and awkward but I was full of questions once we arrived; especially once I saw their dojo.

"Teach me!" I beamed.

"Aren't you tired?" Donnie adjusted his glasses with a doubting smile.

"I am but I feel restless. Can you show me how you use your stick to defend yourself?"

"That is not a stick. It is a bo staff" he said matter-a-factly.

"Sorry, bo staff, then. Show me, please. You saved me this time. But what if there's a next time. I'd like to be able to save myself."

Donnie sighed, pausing to think.

"Alright then" he stood up from the dojo mat, brushing his forest green pants off until most of the wrinkles were gone.

"Let's start with form, here." He handed me his bo staff and began adjusting my posture.

"Up. Straight. Be strong in your stance. Feet shoulder width apart. Yes, good. Hold the staff like this..."

Standing behind me, Donnie wrapped his large hands over mine, grasping the staff with me and adjusting my hands. This was awkward and romantic at the same time. My stomach fluttered when he stood close to me.

Y/n, get a grip girl. You just met this guy...turtle...whatever.

Our practice was short lived. When the other three brothers arrived Donnie seemed anxious to get me off to bed. Leo, the one in blue, was obviously the leader and Donnie either feared him or respected him greatly. Donnie tucked me in and urged me to rest. Yes, he carefully covered me with blankets, fluffed my pillow and asked me over and over if I was comfortable. Their guest room was quaint and I sunk into the softness of the bed. Before I knew it, I fell off into sleep. But, I do remember hearing voices.

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I watched her through a crack in the door until she fell asleep. She was beautiful. Thank goodness we got to her in time. I hate to think what would have become of her if we did not rescue her.

"I would save you a million times over, y/n" I whispered to myself. Then I heard my brother clear his throat from behind me.

"Donnie, let's not go this route again. Let her be"