Chapter Text
It's too cloudy in New York to see the stars, full of smog, but the night is never quiet. The Nightwatcher, or Raphael Hamato hopped from rooftop to rooftop, patrolling the city. So many things had changed since Leonardo left to South America.. for his little 'vacation', as Raphael likes to call it.
But as time passed and all members of the family and close friends failed to get letters around the year's half, the red cladded turtle made his newest persona behind his family's backs. He goes out during nights as vigilante known by now as Nightwatcher, clad in armor, saves the misfortunate lives of NYC folk, slips back home with no one in his way to question him, and sleeps throughout the day.
And currently, Nightwatcher had found some random gang stuffing a vehicle with stolen bank money, watching them over the roof to assess the situation before leaping in between the unsuspected group.
Now this. This was fun and good for the city, all in one... But also a way to relieve himself of the anger and sadness boiling beneath his green flesh.
And Anfisa, a very bubbly and smiley woman out on her night stroll, isn't stupid, keeping her hands out of any 'mortal' business out there in the streets of New York.
Well, maybe she was a tad bit irrational because now this mystery of a vigilante had her, hook line and sinker the moment a word about him spread.
Now, if he would even look in her direction one night, she might just drop dead from fangirling. Because, to be real here, it's nice to see that someone cared for the lives of others without it being their duty or expectancy... just wanting to. And that is a lot.
Anfisa didn't even know who this guy is, no one does— perhaps the thrill of that anonimity is what had her look up everything about Nightwatcher.
And also because her father would blow a fuse about it, if he even knew that she sneaks out of the tower every night, which a rebellious part of her relishes... But he's been too focused on the aligning stars that he didn't give much his daughters the time of the day.
This is finally SOME excitement in her too long, boring life.
"Yeah, and get this— Whoever this Nightwatcher character is, I get a glimpse of them in this area twice a week, at least. I swear. Like, don't get me wrong, they're kinda hot. But- still ya know? Like who the hell are yous? Bah, joking- joking, I'd probably evaporate if they even looked at me once." Anfisa rambled into her phone while sipping on her cup of coffee in the other hand, walking down the less remote part of New York this evening.
She's been calling with her younger sister Nari for a while, just speaking whatever came to mind when she was literally traveling all over Finland at the moment.
It was always easy for her to do that around Nari, they tell one another everything.
But then she paused. Immediately. When she saw a very familiar armor jump from rooftops to some alley, far across the crossroad.
"I'll... call you back." Anfisa quickly ended the call without much of a proper goodbye; she will get heat for it later, jogging carefully past the cars to get to the entrance of the alleyway between buildings. She peeked over the corner just in time to see the Nightwatcher tying some thugs with thick chains and she instinctively held her breath to lower the chance of being discovered while watching the spectacle with admiration.
With the thugs tied, the Nightwatcher took a moment to himself to breath as he checked his surroundings. No one was present in the dark, deserted alleyway aside from the criminals and himself. He was so sure, until he felt that he was being... watched. His ninja senses tingled like those of a Spider-man, unironically.
"You can show yourself." He called out into the night with his Brooklin accent, arms crossed as his golden-brown eyes behind the visor pierced the air in search of the stalker hiding among the shadows.
"Oh no." Anfisa cursed at herself in her thoughts and hugged the brick wall with her backside, trying to hide in her jacket's hood and shawl as if it could help her out of this mess. Suddenly she felt a little self-conscious and embarrassed for spying like that. Quite humbled that she suddenly stalked the vigilante she admired.
She pursed her lips in a thin line, making sure not even a peep comes out when she began to slowly shuffle away from the corner without being spotted — then bolted back to the open way that leads to the main street. Her coffee might as well be spilled around the place and just an empty cup, but that is not something she worried about right now.
The Nightwatcher heard the whisper of a scuffle— too late.
The heavily armored figure lunged toward the alley entrance, but by the time he got there, all he caught was the faint scent of something… otherworldly. Flowers? Spice? His visor flickered, scanning the area but whoever had been watching him was gone.
"... Weird." He muttered under his breath insode the metal helmet, kicking a loose pebble in frustration before jumping at the nearest fire escape.
Meanwhile, halfway down the block, Anfisa skidded to a stop behind a parked truck, clutching her empty coffee cup like a lifeline.
"Oh Gods— he saw me— well, almost saw me— but still—" She wheezed, pressing a hand to her racing heart.
Then, her phone buzzed violently—Nari, probably demanding an explanation for the abrupt hang-up.
"Uh-huh. No way." She silenced it, glancing back toward the alley.
And *that* was how immortality and curiosity were gonna get her in trouble. Again. If she's not careful.
With a long, deep inhale, she just accepted the rational voice for now and swiftly moved away from the spot of the crime altogether, pretending to be like any other unaware citizen. While absolutely going ham with her inner monologue over what had just happened.
A week later.
Anfisa wasn't that disheartened when she didn't spot the Nightwatcher anywhere other than the news since that night. She knew it's not the only thing her world runs on.
She just wanted to have a calm walk this one cold night, returning late from a florist to have more plants to look after — when she was yanked into a dead end back ally of very old buildings, every smelled bad and was dim, but the worse part is that she was cornered by a few shady men holding up pocket knives and not promising a good time.
She's sure her identity is very well hidden so far with her hoodie and a shawl, at least that's some kind of good news. And of course she screamed for help, for just a minute until she saw that no help came.
"Now- now, let me warn yous," Anfisa held up one palm while carefully setting her green aloevera plant aside. "I know how to break jaws without much effort. Maybe reconsider yer options, pals."
The thugs just laughed at her, moving in closer with their knives, confident in their numbers.
"Oh, yeah? And what can a skinny thing like you do against us, princess?"
One of them snickered, taking a step closer and reaching out to grab her shawl.
The sound of metal scraping against brick echoed through the alley—
CLANG.
A sai embedded itself into the wall inches from the thug's face, making him yelp and stumble back.
"Oi."
A shadow dropped from above, landing between Anfisa and the attackers with a thud. The Nightwatcher’s armor gleamed under the flickering streetlight as he casually plucked his weapon from the wall, twirling it with practiced ease.
"...Y’know, threatenin’ ladies ain’t a good look." He cracked his neck beneath his thick, metal armor. "But breakin’ jaws? That’s my kinda party."
The thugs didn’t even get a chance to run—he was on them before they could blink.
Anfisa is left there frozen, her mouth hanging behind her shawl, as she watched the spectacle unfold.
It was amazing to see the Nightwatcher personally in action, truly, but now she *noticed* things she hadn't seen or considered before. His body's shape, for one, and then his gloves... having only three fingers.
But Anfisa snapped out of it once spotting the last standing thug trying to help his comrade from beneath the Vigilante's punches, his knife high. Without thinking twice, she took a lid of a trash bin — threw it and then kicked it.
The powerful strike to the head immediately knocked out the guy and he dropped to the ground behind the Nightwatcher. Making this all three junkies being done and taken care of.
Thud.
The last thug crumpled, joining his fellow criminals on the ground.
The Nightwatcher straightened up, brushing off his gauntlets as he eyed the three unconscious thugs with satisfaction. He then turned his attention toward the lady who had inadvertently helped with the last criminal.
"Nice shot." He murmured, his voice deep and rough behind the visor.
He approached her slowly, his heavy boots causing soft thuds against the pavement as he inspected her with an almost calculating gaze. "Ya hurt?"
And, honestly, he expected her screaming and running away like anybody else.
"No. Not at all. Yours came just in a nick o' time, actually," Anfisa replied all too cheerfully, picking her plant into her arms and then offered a gentle smile with a hand to shake. But she still couldn't believe he's talking to her.
"Thank yous so much.. The moves were pretty cool."
The Nightwatcher was a bit taken aback by her bright mood, but he recovered quickly, shaking her hand with a firm grip.
"Uh... no problem." He said gruffly, his words slightly distorted by the visor over his mouth.
Up close, he could note that she was older than April, though, only by a few years (in appearance).
"Yer not scared?" He asked curiously. "Most folks I meet scream and take off runnin'. Ya pretty chill for just being held up."
"Oh— that..." Anfisa cleared her throat, her smile strained for a moment.
She couldn't tell him, a stranger, that to some weird degree she was used to it from over 3000 years.
"It's a pretty scary experience, sure, but life goes on, right? Can't get stuck frightened in this moment," she just shrugged one shoulder with a light grin and began to step over the unconscious men. "... And yous ain't that scary, actually."
He had to fight back a laugh. Not that scary? Pfft. He knew he had an intimidating presence, but the way she just casually sidestepped over the unconscious criminals made him feel like a fluffy kitten.
"Is that so?" The Nightwatcher grunted, crossing his arms over his broad chest, the armor scraping slightly.
"Yea!" Anfisa chuckled, turning to look at him again before even reaching the end of the alley to leave. "Y' kind of... look like a turtle. It's the shape of yer armor. Really cool. Maybe the bulk o' it makes ya intimidatin' but yous ain’t a bad guy to be really frightened."
And she has no idea how accurate it is to his real appearance beneath the metal. That's what is crazy to him.
The Nightwatcher felt almost speechless for a moment, but she looked so sincere with a sweet sort of ignorance that he couldn't help but laugh, his shoulders shaking under his armor.
"A turtle, huh?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow.
She had unknowingly hit closer to home than she could ever imagine. His usual irritation and anger melted away, replaced by a rare glint of amusement. Her easy-going attitude was disarming, he had to admit. Most other women were either scared or swooning over him. This one was just… casual.
"That's a new one."
Anfisa genuinely beamed, pleased to have him actually seem relaxed to be laughing like so. Her chin tilted, exposing her warm grin from beneath the shawl clearer.
"Happy t' have ya experience somethin' new then, Nightwatcher... Take care, bye-bye!" she waved with her free hand as she slowly walked away from there.
The Nightwatcher watched her go, shaking his head slightly. He wasn’t usually one for small talk—or any talk, really—but something about her made him linger. Maybe it was the way she didn’t flinch, or maybe it was just the sheer audacity of calling him a turtle without realizing how painfully accurate she was.
"Stay outta dark alleys, lady," he called after her, half-teasing, half-serious.
He waited until she was safely out of sight before vaulting back onto the rooftops, the metal plates of his armor clicking softly as he disappeared into the night.
"Weirdest damn encounter I’ve had in weeks."
And yet… he couldn’t say he minded.