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Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids. |
Northampton Ninja is the second story in Mutant Nation #6.
Appearing in Northampton Ninja[]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
- Antoni Rosetti, Jr. (flashback only)
- Donatello (Effigy)
- Elizabeth O'Neil
- Jennika (flashback only)
- John O'Neil (flashback only)
- Klunk
- Leonardo (Effigy)
- Lita (future) (Effigy)
- Michelangelo (Effigy)
- Mona Lisa (flashback only)
- Otto (debut)
- Raphael (Effigy)
- Sally Pride (flashback only)
- Sheena Murphy (flashback only)
Species[]
- Cat
- Humans
- Mutant goose
- Mutant lioness
- Mutant pig
- Mutant salamander
- Mutant turtle
Locations[]
Objects & vehicles[]
- Bicycle
- Bō
- Katana
- Nunchaku
- Sai
- Silverware
- Tekkō-kagi
Synopsis[]
Open on the O'Neil Farm in Northampton, Massachusetts. Lita practices her ninjutsu on a straw figure out in the yard, first by throwing silverware shuriken and then kicking it hard enough to knock it down. At the same time, we read a letter she is writing to Jennika, where Lita says she’s mad at her. She’s been in Northampton for what seems like forever and hasn’t heard from Aunt Jenny. Lita wonders if she’s mad at her, too.
A flashback shows Lita’s de-mutation. Lita writes that she was told that despite that, they’d still be family. She agrees that Jennika was right in saying that John and Beth O’Neil would take care of her. Lita likes them and they’re both homeschooling her. They said she can consider going to a school nearby next fall, but she doesn’t know if she wants to. When Tony Rosetti lived with them, Lita says she could have gone to school with him. But Tony’s family came to take him home, and this made her think of her family. Mona Lisa and Sally came to visit her a few times, but they got busy. They brought her a ninja training mask last time they were there, saying it was from Jennika, but Lita thinks they were just being nice.
Though the O’Neil’s won’t tell her, Lita knows something dangerous is going on in New York with her uncles. She bets that Aunt Jenny is involved too. This is why she’s been training, in order to come back and help. Elizabeth O’Neil walks up then and tells Lita that they have plenty of hay, but they’re staring to run low on silverware. Lita asks if she’s going to be able to go home to New York soon. Beth tells her no, not soon, and when Lita says that’s not fair, she is reminded that New York is not safe. With Lita being human now, everyone agreed it would be better for her to stay on the farm until they can figure out what is best for her. Lita argues that what’s best is for her to be in New York with her family. Beth tells her that’s not in the cards and suggests getting some frozen yogurt. Lita replies that she doesn’t want anything here.
Lita acknowledges in her letter that this isn’t Beth’s fault, or even Jennika’s fault, but she had to do something. Going to the barn, Lita gets out the bicycle and goes out to clear her head. As she pedals, she thinks about how she has to get away from the sad looks the O’Neils give her and to try to stop being so made at everyone. Then she gets to Northampton, the city part full of people, the part that felt a little like New York. Though it’s smaller than New York, the people use all the space they have. Lita writes about life in Northampton, about imagining running rooftops with her aunt and uncles. She eats a slice of pizza and writes how people say the pizza is better in New York, but Lita thinks pizza is just better wherever the people you like to eat it with are. Lita writes that she doesn’t know where Jennika is, and that’s why she’s mad at her. But she hopes that Jennika is with Sheena and that she’s happy.
Lita stops in a park and begins practicing her katas. A young boy walks up and asks if she’s a superhero because she’s wearing a mask. Lita answers no, that she’s a ninja. The boy starts to copy Lita’s moves and says that ninjas are even cooler. He asks if she wants to play ninjas with his friends. Lita tells him that you don’t play ninja; you train and you silently protect people from the shadows. As he walks away, the boy tells her that if she gets tired of the silence, he and his friends are going to be nearby. She watches people playing in the park. Lita writes that Northampton was starting to make her feel a little better, but without mutants around, she feels alone. She’s still a mutant inside. There were more people here than on the farm, but none of them seemed like her, until she found him.
She writes about spotting a mutant goose walking along. He was the first she’d seen around Northampton and he was wearing a shirt from the Kennel Klub. Lita had to talk to him, had to see if he knew the Turtles. Maybe if he did, he could help her contact Jennika faster or even get her home. Lita follows him and sees him walk up to a fence surrounding a condemned house. She thinks he’s looking for a home too. Lita walks up and gets his attention. She introduces herself, tells him she used to be a mutant, and asks his name. He says his name is Otto and that there’s no such thing as a former mutant. Lita agrees and explains that she’s the only one who’s changed back.
Lita tells him that she used to live in New York and asks if he’s from there. She says that her aunts played at the Kennel Klub and their bands were called “After the Bomb” and “Created in Darkness”. Lita asks if he knows them. Otto says he saw those bands a bunch and they’ve probably crossed paths. He explains that after he mutated, he found the Kennel Klub and got involved in the music scene there. He would help put on shows, go to other people’s gigs, and try to build a community. For a while it was awesome, but things change. New York became a tougher place to live, so he came back to Northampton, where he grew up. He and his friends used to live in this house and play shows in the garage. It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a long time. Everybody’s gone, he says. Lita tells him she doesn’t think her people are gone. Otto says people always leave and don’t come back. He tells her he’s sorry it happened to her, but everyone learns this eventually.
She says that the people she’s trying to find aren’t just people, they are her family. Her family taught her that they are always with each other, even if they’re not in the same place. She goes on to explain about being brave, to laugh, love, about feelings, that she is smart and strong and someone to be counted on. Lita says they aren’t here physically, but they’re always in her heart and in her actions. She removes her mask and places it around Otto’s arm, telling him that the people he misses are still with him, too. As Lita walks away, she says she’ll see him and that she lives here now.
Lita writes that she doesn’t want to be mad for the rest of her life. She also doesn’t want to believe that she’ll never see her family again. Like a good ninja, she needs to find balance. As she walks along a Northampton street, Beth calls her name and runs up to her, saying she’s been driving all over, looking for her. She hugs Lita, saying she knows she’s angry, but she can’t just leave like that. They care about her and they’ll keep trying to figure this out. Lita writes that she needs to embrace the people who are on her side. Hugging Beth in return, Lita apologizes and won’t do that again.
She and Beth enjoy some frozen yogurt together in a shop before going home. Seated at her desk, Lita seals the envelope holding the letter she’s written. Her final words are that she’s going to stop being mad at Jenny, but she wanted to tell her the truth. When they see each other again, Lita will be happy. Beth calls out that pizza has arrived. Lita takes the envelope containing the words that she’ll be patient as she waits for that day. The letter is signed “Love, Lita”. It is placed with a stack of envelopes, all addressed to family and friends.