I do not own TMNT.

April knew walking home at night was risky at best, but she still never expected to be grabbed by four mutant turtles.

It started off as just another night: she worked at Antonio's Pizza until ten, then started to walk the five blocks to the apartment she shared with her foster parents and four other foster kids. April never relished going home, her foster parents and her weren't really that fond of each other, so she plodded along slowly, enjoying the warm summer night.

There was no one around to witness what happened next: a net came flying from the darkness of an alleyway. It landed around her, the weight and shock of it knocking her to the ground. April yelped. What the heck?!

An unknown force pulled the net back into the dark alley. April's screams for help only lasted a second before a large hand clamped down on her mouth, a hand belonging to the last thing April had expected to see: a giant turtle.

It was almost as big as her, and humanoid in appearance. Its skin was light green, its eyes light blue. Two fingers and an opposable thumb were on each hand. Freckles dotted its face. It seemed to be smiling at her.

April thrashed in the net, but two more turtles grabbed her arms and legs while a fourth starting tying knots in the net to keep her from getting out. It was clear she wasn't going anywhere.

With its free hand, the light blue eyed turtle started petting her head, making soft crooning noises almost similar to the purring of a cat. It kept this up even after the turtle that had tied her up gagged her.

With their prize unable to move or scream, a turtle with darker blue eyes let out a series of growls and walked farther into the alley. The biggest turtle took hold of the net and started to drag it after him. He had skin a deeper shade of green than the others. His eyes were green too, and there were numerous scars dotting his body. The turtle who'd tied and gagged her fluttered around her, occasionally making more of those growling noises whenever April went over a bump. His chocolate colored eyes almost seemed to be worried for her comfort.

The dark blue eyed turtle pulled back a manhole cover. Seeing this, April started squirming again. No way did she want to go down there! The green eyed turtle growled briefly at her, but she didn't stop. The little freckled turtle and the brown eyed one patted her and crooned calmingly. Then they hopped into the blackness of the hole.

The big turtle lowered her into the hole and the other two caught her. Then he too scrambled down into the darkness. The dark blue eyed turtle came last, sliding the manhole cover back into place and plunging the sewers into pitch blackness. April whimpered. At least now you won't see it coming when they eat you, she thought, trying desperately to counsel herself. It didn't help.

They walked a long way. April lost track of the time as she was dragged through the blackness. The turtles seemed to know where they were going, for they never paused in their trek. Eventually, they came to a stop. Again, April was lowered, only this time it was farther down. She was dragged a few more meters. Then she stopped.

A light suddenly sprang into existence a few feet away. After the long journey through the black, it was blinding to her eyes.

The brown eyed turtle pulled the gag out of her mouth.

"Let me go! I promise you I don't taste good!" April pleaded. The turtle shook his head.

"Not eat," he said.

April's eyes widened in shock. The turtle began to undo the knots in the net. When she was finally free, April sat up and stared uncertainty at the creatures around her. "Why am I here?" she asked, not quite sure she wanted to know the answer. The big green eyed one looked bored, the dark blue eyed one was unreadable and the little freckled one looked like a child with a new toy. It was the brown eyed turtle that answered.

"To be family."