I'm in the TMNT 2007 Movie?!

Wake Up and Tough Past

Maria bolted up in a cold sweat. She looked around to see she was in the lair, in her bed. The jaguar got out of bed and walked downstairs, there was some tension coming from the dojo, so she stayed in the kitchen. Maria fixed herself some cereal and sat down to eat as the turtles and Splinter came out of the dojo. 

The first one to notice her was Donnie who nudged Mikey and pointed to her, the orange masked turtle smiled and rushed to hug the jaguar. "Mikey, where's the fire?" Mikey started to explain everything that happened while she was out. 

"The monster disappeared after you fainted, Leo carried you back, he did say you have healing powers, and when Donnie checked you for injuries, he found those scars under your arm guards." Maria looked at her arms to see her exposed skin. There were multiple laceration scars on her upper arms, each looked like they were deep and hurt when she got them. 

"Maria, why have you not told any of us about these scars?" The girl looked to Splinter, then Raph, Mikey, Donnie, and finally Leo, who looked at her with sympathy. The female only shook her head and started to go to her room but was stopped by Raph. 

"Splinter just asked you a question, why won't you answer it?" Maria shook her head but kept her back to them. "I can't." 

"You can't or won't?!" Maria was shaking at this point. 

"Fine, then I won't!" 

Raph was gonna get an answer even if he had to push. "Why won't you then?!" 

Maria turned the hothead, and her pupils were needle thin, her teeth bared, and her hair was frizzed up. "You want my sob story?! You want to know what I went through, fine!" 

Leo was taken aback by this; he's never seen Maria get angry or cry. But here she was with tears running down her face as she exploded on his brother. "I was found as a baby outside a temple in New Mexico! The people who found me gave me to an orphanage where I'd take the blame for the younger one's mistakes! Every cut you see on my arms, and the two on my face were from those people! I didn't know what to tell anyone when they asked about them, so I told them I fell on a rock!" 

Mikey was tearing up at this point, so was Donnie. 

Raph was shocked at this and so were Leo and Splinter. 

"I discovered my healing powers the second police found out about how the orphanage ran things. I couldn't heal myself all the way, and I'm stuck with these scars." She seemed calmer now and wiped her tears away before standing straighter. 

"But I don't regret anything. Everything I did was to protect those kids from those who tainted their innocence, I wear my armbands, so I don't seem easy to hurt again." Maria then went upstairs and slammed her door shut. 

They all then looked to Leo, who was now rushing to comfort his crush. Leo opened the door to see Maria wrapping her hands and arms in athletic bandages, so her scars were covered. The girl turned to see him come in and sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to her. 

The leader sat down next to her and placed a hand on her knee. "Why didn't you tell me?" Maria shook her head with a sigh of sadness. 

"What was I supposed to say? That I was an orphan, who sacrificed herself whenever little kids were in trouble? That I'd take cut after cut, just to make sure others didn't?" Her eyes were full of tears as she vented to him. It hurt more when she never told him what happened so many years ago, having to half lie about her past. 

"It made me what I am though, like I said I don't regret any of it." Leo took her hand and unwrapped the bandages, making her muscles tense up. He traced over the old cuts, and faded lines on her arm and wrist. The texture was rough and felt tender due to how long she's worn her arm guards. 

Maria relaxed as he felt her arm, his three fingered hand was gentle. "I guess it would be hard to explain." 

Leo used his other hand to turn her face to look at him. She was silently crying as she tried to avoid his eyes. "Maria, look at me." She did as she was told and looked into his brown eyes. "What you did, was brave. I won't force you to say anything else." 

Maria nodded and smiled a bit at his kindness. "They gave me a nickname." Leo listened closely. "They called me Jaguar." The girl chuckled after looking at the patterns on her arms. 

"It suits you." Maria blushed at this, but the moment was soon interrupted by Mikey. He burst into the room with Donnie and Splinter in toe. 

The orange turtle hugged the jaguar girl like a sister, he was ugly crying. "Hey, you good?" Donnie explained everything that happened after she stormed out. 

"Raph went topside, but Mikey started crying after you left." Maria hugged Mikey back, giving him some comfort. 

"Ok, I'm good now, Mikey, you can let go." He did and wiped his face as Splinter approached Maria. 

"I know why you kept your life secret, but please be truthful with us from now on." Maria nodded her head and followed everyone to the kitchen for dinner.