Strangers to the Sun

A rewrite of

Sister Moon

Author's Note:

This will be set in the new 2014 movie universe. I am starting this story a supposed 6 months after the events of Out of the Shadows, and I am basing the ages of the guys under the assumption that they were 16 in the first movie, 17 in the second movie and now 18 in this story. There will be characters from the other TMNT cartoons that I will be taking liberties with, as this is a new timeline and universe, with its own characters from different universes (aka Bebop, Rocksteady and Karai to name a few, Casey Jones, etc.), but I don't want to spoil anything, so keep your eyes peeled. There will be ONE original character, from the Original story, Sister Moon, in the mix, but I won't make her the focus, as so many of my fanfictions do. I'm trying something new, focusing on the characters that are already there. Please enjoy, and let me know how what you think. -RDG

Prelude

How Cold is a Heart?

14 years ago… before the Krang entered Earth's dimension….

New York bustled about its usual busy way that early morning. Two young girls walked hand in hand to school, by themselves, as they had every day for the past year. Irma Rocksteed, mature for her 10 years, held the hand of 4-year-old Bridgette Zeck, her friend and neighbor. Bridgette happily plodded next to her tall, skinny friend, her dark eyes shining in spite of the cloudiness of that day. Irma listened quietly to Bridgette's innocent prattling, her thoughts half preoccupied with anxiety about the day ahead of her. Her violet turtleneck sweater was far too hot for the summer day, but it served a double purpose.

"Irma, can we do our homework together again? It was so much fun last night!"

"Sure, Birdie. I'd be happy to. You can come over to my house again. Owen won't be there, so we'll have plenty of peace and quiet."

Bridgette made a face.

"Our brothers are so dumb! And I hate their friends, they are so mean!"

"I know, Birdie, I know. We- we have to just ignore them, and focus on school." Irma replied with a half grin, half grimace. As a distractive method, she chuckled, "Hey, Birdie, knock, knock."

With a giggle, Bridgette chirped, "Who's there?"

"Woody."

"Woody who?"

"Woody let me in, it's freezing out here."

Bridgette giggled, "No! You stay out there!"

"Ah, that's just mean!" Irma grumped playfully. She knew her jokes were dumb, but it had Bridgette giggling and chirping in happiness, so Irma's mission was accomplished. She wished she could distract herself from this miserable life.

Her older brother, Owen, was always hanging around Anton, Bridgette's older brother, who was the same 15 years as Owen. Irma knew the both of them had dropped out of high school just recently, and they were constantly causing trouble at home and who knows where else.

School was pretty normal that day. Irma dodged bullies and knife-like words and bruising deeds while Bridgette pretended to ignore her teacher's ignorant words and careless attitudes. They banded together again after school and began the long walk home. As Bridgette and Irma quietly made their way down the sidewalk, Irma felt a familiar prickle along her neck. Someone was following them.

"Bridgette …" Irma murmured quietly.

Bridgette looked straight ahead. Irma never called her by her first name.

"Run and hide in that spot I showed you. Stay there until I find you."

And with that, Bridgette took off. She was tall and leggy for a four-year-old, the fastest runner in her class. Irma looked over her shoulder finally, to face off against their stalker and her pupils dilated. The next thing she knew, she was grabbed by her ponytail and dragged into an alley…

Of course no one did a thing. No one even noticed.

Well, almost no one.

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

In an alley not far from her apartment building, Bridgette huddled in a cardboard box that was covered with a ragged blanket. Bridgette kept resolutely still, counting in her mind. She often did this when she was afraid (and she was often afraid), using numbers to distract her. It was a sort of game. She would count until she was no longer afraid, or until whatever was causing her to be afraid went away) and see how far she would get. The box she was hiding in was behind a dumpster. It was a designated safe spot that Irma had found. She was just reaching four hundred when the box lid lifted and Irma's face appeared. She was bruised and had a swollen black eye as well as a split lip. Her glasses, broken and usually held together with scotch tape, were completely gone.

"C'mon, Birdie. Let's go home."

"Irma?" Bridgette's eyes widened, tears welling in her face.

"Hush, sweetie. I'm ok. Let's get home now, before your Nana starts to worry."

Bridgette climbed out and took Irma's hand. Irma looked straight ahead, trying not to cry. She knew it would only aggravate her swollen eye and besides, Bridgette didn't need her to be weak.

She had to be strong.

Bridgette's grandmother took out a bag of ice and held it against Irma's face, murmuring to herself as Bridgette sat at the table with her schoolbooks out. She ducked her head when her brother, Anton, swaggered in.

"Damn, Irma, you look fucked up!" He snickered. Irma blushed, her lips tight as she snarled, "Anton, you and Owen are messing with the wrong people! Some loser I have never seen did this to me! He said it was because the two of you didn't hold up your end of some bargain! They would have hurt Bridgette too!"

Anton stared her down balefully, "You don't know what you're talking about, bitch." He then turned his back on them all, ignoring his grandmother's reproofs.

Irma sighed as she sat down next to Bridgette, who was busy with her reading assignment. She rarely needed help with math, but reading and writing were another story. Irma smiled as she whispered, "You're doing so well, Birdie! I'm so proud of you."

Bridgette didn't respond. Her dark eyes were locked down on her page. Irma kept the icepack on her face, her heart aching far more then her bruises and cuts. The face of her attacker was branded in her mind. The tattoo that curled around his eye… she shuddered.

It had looked like a menacing dragon; a dark, violet colored dragon.

But more then that… the events of the confrontation whirled through her head. She wondered if she had hallucinated some of it….