Prologue: Part One
It was a night when the wind cut straight to the bone. When the greedy slate sky could do little more than allow a sparse few flakes to sparkle from its icy grip. The dry air sucked the clouds peoples' breaths created into its invisible gullet, and sought out more from skin and eyes.
Yet, there had been a few warmer days already that winter, and the prospect of spring helped those who otherwise avoided these days to get up and leave whatever dwellings they found themselves wintering over in for a while. There had been no substantial amounts of new snow in weeks, and all that was left upon the frozen ground was the sad remains of dirty slush at the edges of sidewalks and roads.
As her boots crunched the frozen remenants of what her new mentor affectionately called "road-snot", she was reminded painfully of her days on the streets the year before, and the missions she'd been forced to execute when she was still with the lab that created her. These grim thoughts prompted a hunching down into her jacket, and she pulled the hood a little farther over impossibly dark eyes.
At the moment, it was best to just let the memories go, and concentrate on the present. She had a place to stay for as long as she needed, she finally had a real teacher, who was also, more importantly, her first loving friend. The woman had helped her through the darkness of withdrawal and adjustment to the outside world. It was something to be grateful for, and something she felt she could never repay.
Even with this friend, however, the young woman had problems trusting strangers, or dark corners for that matter. Well, unless she was the one doing the lurking in said corners, that is. She shivered a little as she traced her gaze over the alleys, as well as other nooks or crannies another person could fit into.
It was nothing she saw that gave the three away, but what she heard: young voices. They weren't the ego-full, threatening voices of hoods looking for trouble, either. She found herself doubting the average street punk would be hunting for a victim in this cold, anyway.
A gruff voice called first, "Hey, are you gonna waste your time staring at the moon like a lunatic or are you gonna help?!"
Followed shortly by a better natured one, "Hey Donnie!! I found a Nintendo remote!!"
She couldn't help pausing, some deep instinct drawing her towards the voices. The same instinct turned her step silent, just in case. At the mouth of an ally, she found herself stopping again, and gazing in at the trio digging through the dumpsters there.
They all moved with the strength of youth, and the grace of martial training, both of which were at direct odds to the hunch of all their backs. Many layers of clothing hid any sort of detail of skin color, and mittens hid hands, but her eyes were drawn to the odd spectacle of what looked like handles of some kind rising out of the coat of one of them. She squinted slightly, and wondered if she was right in identifying them as katana handles. They were all fairly clean, too. Took bums off the list of possible identities.
Silently, she stood there, observing them, white plumes rising from her mouth with each quiet breath.
They didn't seem to notice her yet. In fact, the one wearing a loud hat bearing a pompom at top and strings dangling down sides piped up at just that moment, "WhooHoo!! Leo!! I found a magic carpet!!" With that, he lifted a neon green rug up, obnoxious in its brightness even faded, but still bearing a good deal of potential use.
The one with the katana handles, Leo apparently, chuckled and shook his head. "Alright.. but you're carrying it. And you're not to be using it in the city. That's for the farm."
A soft chuckle rose from her throat before she could silence it, but for the moment, it seemed to go unnoticed.
A darker voice cut through at the same time as her soft laugh, "IF...we go to the farm..."
"Yeah.. I suppose you're right. April doesn't have much time to take us out there this year... ...I'm gonna miss it"
The hulking figure lowered his voice, "Shuddup, Leo."
There was a pause when Leo noticed her presence, and whispered, "Hold it...I hear someone."
She stood her ground now that she's been discovered, a lock of red-streaked black hair drooped from under her hood, and the strange smoothness of her voice rang out, "...I won't hurt you."
The dark one still growled and produced a set of sai. For a moment, she briefly worried she just got herself into a fight. That, however, was appeased when Leo barked a sharp word in Japanese, and the other backed down.
The apparent leader now turned to her, perhaps confused at the contrast of her voice and the surroundings, or perhaps at her very presence. "Are you...lost?"
She shook her head to that, her face perfectly calm under the shadow of her hood. Perfectly normal, save for the soft green glow emanating from her eyes. "No, I know just where I am."
The one in the loud hat, his outgoing personality as bright as his taste in colors, spoke up, "Coooool... Leo, her eyes are glowing!"
Her lips curve in a grin to that, offering them a hint of her fanged teeth, "Eat your carrots, mebbe yours will, too."
As the bright one wandered closer, the dark one with the sais pulled him back and whispered, "She's some kinda vampire..."
Another quiet laugh raised from her throat at that, "Nah...blood's nasty." Immediately, her eyes were brought back to Leo at his shocked voice.
"Omygod...ahm...miss?? Are you sure you're alright??"
"Ah...yes? As far as I know I am." Inanely, she remembered something about manners. "...how're you?"
He blinked behind scarf and what she thought was mask. "Ah.. f-fine...I'm fine."
She glanced back at the street out of reflex, even knowing it was likely still deserted, before looking back to the figures before her, "You guys aren't exactly the usual street people, are you..."
The strange hunchbacked, and now unnerved, man before her was quick to counter that. "Heh..no no...the usual street people here.. nothing unusual about us...." Then, by switching to Japanese in the next whispered sentence, he directly contradicted himself, "We'd better get moving."
"...aww...Leo!!"
A raven brow arched as she brought her ungloved hands up to push her hood back far enough to see her pitch eyes. There was no hint of white or color outside of the softly glowing green of her pupils. In reverence to the switch in languages, she fell back on one of the many she was taught growing up, the Japanese. Her sweet voice soft, "You don't need to worry."
Instinctively, Leo stepped before his brothers, as a chill crawled up his spine at the sight of her eyes. His tone was soft and sober now. "Who sent you..."
Now that they knew she wasn't just some human passing by, she lowered her hood and pocketed her bare hands. "No one sent me. I was passing by and got curious when I heard your voices."
The dark one's voice shot sharp words at her, "You oughta mind your business, lady..."
"Raph."
The bright one just ignored the other two, and stepped forward to extend his hand to her. "Heh...and we're so glad you did! I'm Mikey..."
She did pause at Raph's words, but smirked sadly. "Mebbe." When Mike stepped up, however, she shook his hand with a surprising strength. "Mo. Nice to meet you."
"...is that short for something??"
"Heh...modus operendai. Long story..."
In the background, she heard Raph whispering to Leo in Japanese, "Donnie's watchin'..."
His brother responded in kind, "I know...he probably thinks we're crazy."
Mikey's cheerful expression dulled at this. "Modus operendwhat??"
A slight smirk curved Mo's lips. "Mode of Operation...guess it's Latin."
Leo turns his attention to the conversation, now. "I see. And what sort of story is this?"
She shrugs, "One involving way too many labs, scientists and needles."
A sharp breath left Mike's lungs as he stepped closer to her, carefully scrutinizing her. His usually cheerful voice quiet, "Are you- are you a...mutant??"
At the same time as her response, Raph cut in with a hushed, harsh voice, "Mike...drop it. Let's go."
Her gaze returns to Mike, "Close enough to be considered one, anyway..." Her gaze snapped to Raph at his words, but then returned to Mike and Leo, "It's getting pretty cold...mebbe you should head back to wherever home is...I'm always around, anyway.."
Leo bowed to her respectfully, in the traditional Japanese way, "....I wish you well, Modus.. Perhaps our paths will cross again.."
She chuckled softly at the name, but returned the bow. "...just Mo. I'm sure they will...be safe."
As Mike was dragged off, she could hear him calling back to her, "Totally! My people will connect with yer people! We'll do lunch!"
The last she heard from them, though, was Raph's mutter, "Not friggin' likely."
She had the distinct feeling he was wrong about that.