A New Ally - A TMNT 2012 Story (2020 Remake)

Chapter 1

"C'mon, Baby Sister? Why can't you hit me?"

Another flaring pain exploded on the side of my head as my sister landed another punch. Unable to handle it anymore, I collapsed, the blood from my new head wound already streaming down my face and onto the floor. My muscles ached, and my vision blurred.

"Enough, Luna."

"Yes, Father."

It was silent for a moment, but I knew my father was standing over me, disappointed as always.

"Disappointing." There it was. "Return to your cell."

"Yes, Father." Ignoring my body screaming at me to stop, I shakily managed to my feet and tried my best not to stumble out the practice area, as I could barely see by now. I heard Luna snicker behind me, and I felt no anger. She was my older sister, how could I hate her for being the favorite of our father? For being exactly what he wanted in a child?

I passed Karai and I felt her slip something rough into my hand as I did so. A rag, from the texture. I held it against my bleeding wound as I decended the stairs. Karai was nicer to me than my own full-blooded sister. Even though she was only my half-sister, I still loved her as much as Luna.

"Vee?" I heard Felix trip over himself to reach me before I ran into the metal bars of the cells around us.

"Hey." A pair of hands gently gripped my free arm before Felix reached me. "Take it easy, Luna hit ya hard."

"Thanks, Lara." I murmured, letting my best friend guide me to a safe place to lay.

"Jesus, Venus..." I heard Larota grumble as she took the rag from my hand and used her own strength to put pressure on the wound. "We worry, ya know."

"I know." I whispered, letting the nice darkness behind my eyelids lull me into an almost sleeping state. I felt Felix grab my hand and I gently squeezed it back. I knew he was being a strong boy and holding back tears. He was eleven, he knew what was going on.

I sensed another presence behind him. Catie, Larota's adopted little sister. She hardly spoke, but I couldn't blame her. She had a comforting presence for a ten year old, and her silent support was enough for me.

"Get some sleep, Vee. I stopped the bleeding."

She didn't need to tell me twice.

~-~-~-~

It was the dead of night when I awoke again. I could see better now, though my head pounded painfully. My body still ached, but it wasn't like I hadn't dealt with that before.

What surprised me was the male voice speaking to Larota.

"Six years?"

"Yeah. The De Milo's have been around for about that time too."

"Lara?" I asked cautiously, sitting up and trying to spot my friend. It was completely dark down here, save for a couple of torches hanging on the walls.

"Here." I turned my head over my shoulder to see Larota leaning against the wall next to a locked cell, the torchlight glinting off her helmet and kamas. I then realized I myself was locked in my cell. "Sorry, your father came down and I had to put you and the kids in there before he got mad."

"No problem." I whispered, standing slowly and walking up to my own bars. "Who are you talking to?"

"Someone pretty interesting." Larota jerked her thumb to a figure in the cell and I blinked rapidly when I finally made out the figure.

A mutant rat in a red Japanese kimoto, hands tucked behind his back. He had to be over six feet, since I was 5'6" and Larota was smaller than me at 5'3".