Karai held the small bundle tightly, as if afraid that if she loosened her grip for even a second, the small creature would squirm out of her grasp. Good reason followed this fear, as the bundle seemed to have no intention of being anywhere near her, let alone in her arms. He kicked and struggled, trying as hard as he possibly could to pull away, to get away. But the strength of one small child was insignificant compared to the seasoned warrior who now held him tightly in her arms. She pulled the blood-red blanket around him once more, wrapping the child in a suffocating cocoon, one he could not hope to escape. Sown into the cloth, the small black symbol of the Foot Clan shifted menacingly as the child once again tried to wiggle out of the female ninja's hold, a small whimper coming from his otherwise silent mouth.
"Shhhh… child," the woman soothed, bring her lips as close to the bundle as she dared. "It will all be over soon."
A sudden gust of chilling wind followed her words and for a moment the rebellious child actually retreated further into the blanket for warmth. Karai smiled. Maybe it had been wise to bring the child out with her after all. She stood on the edge of a rooftop, city surrounding her on all sides. The sound of New York nightlife echoed beneath her, filled with the beeps and honks of midnight traffic along the freeway and never sleeping locals going about their usual business. The voices of small business salesman singing their products' worth seemed to almost drown out the roar of the speeding cars, and, in turn, the constant rumble of ever moving feet on concrete overcoming even that noise, creating a large jumble of chaos and confusion.
Karai frowned. She'd always disliked this city, hated the noise, the chaos, the imperfection. Her home in Japan had been far more peaceful, far more purposeful. Perhaps it was because she had grown up there, was used to the country's natural beauty and seemly never-ending brush of clean air. That's one thing New York lacked, she had decided the moment she set foot on the island… air. Clean air, to be more specific. All the cars, factories, and otherwise useless pollution making machines fogged up the precious oxygen that blanketed the city, producing a very undesirable mess of smoke that went into her lungs like mud down a pipe, making her cough and gag every time she tried to take a real breath.
Though, of course, this was nothing compared to the smell. Despite the added smog produced by such activities, New Yorkers daily stashed rotting trash and garbage in every little corner they could find, giving the entire city an overall odor of a decaying corpse.
The ninja sighed. She had put up with it, of course, out of regard for her father, Oroku Saki… or, as his enemies will always call him, the Shedder. Karai shook her head. It had been his request that she even come to this city all those years ago, and yet she hadn't seen him in almost as long. Her father had been taken, exiled, onto a frozen meteorite floating no closer to Earth or any other planet. Sometimes she pretended she missed him or wanted him back out of the love of her heart, but even she couldn't keep up that masquerade long. The truth was she didn't miss her father… not in the daughter prospect, anyway. Karai needed him back to lead her and their clan, to be the Master everyone expected her to be in his absence, to take revenge on his enemies and seal their fate in their blood. What she didn't need was his constant scowl or those soulless eyes piercing into her as if scanning her for any mistake, any imperfection that he could punish her for. No, it wasn't love that had kept her by his side and under his thumb all these years, as she sometimes claimed it to be. No, it most certainly wasn't love.
It was fear.
The child in her arms shivered in the cold, and Karai couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the youngling. Perhaps she had better take him inside to warm up. After all, the child certainly didn't need to be out in the open in the freezing late evening. Or was it early morning? She had lost track of how much time had passed since this whole business with the child had started a few nights ago. She looked down at the small bundle with her dull grey eyes and wondered if he even remembered anything about himself, about his family… about her. Karai shook the thought away, reminding herself that it really didn't matter. The child was hers now, and she was going to take care of him from now on. Him… and the two others.
She released the child with one hand and quickly pulled out a small headset that she had stored in her belt. Placing it over her long dark flowing hair and onto her head, she spoke softly but firmly into the mike. "Report."
"The packages are secure, Mistress Karai." The responding Foot soldier answered.
"Excellent. Bring the copter in, but be mindful of the packages. They're of no use to us damaged."
"Yes, Mistress Karai. It will be done." He replied. The soldier's deep voice failed to cover up the high pitched voices in the back ground that came through the headset. Karai frowned as she made out the whines of the two packages, their tone more than their words voicing their distress.
"Leave us alone!" She heard Michelangelo cry out, his five-year-old voice piercing through the headset. Donatello was obviously crying as well, if the sobs were anything to go by.
"Please," Karai could just make out the purple-banded turtle tot's words, his plea being much quieter than his brother's. She could imagine his pitiful five-year-old face as he pleaded with his captures. "Please let us go… I want my older brother… Please… I want Raphie! I'm scared!"
More sobs followed and Karai inwardly groaned. Who would have known the turtles would be more trouble as toddlers than they ever were as teenagers?
"Mistress Karai?" The soldier asked, obviously noticing she had been silent for many moments. "The two turtles are strapped into the helicopter and are ready to be transported to your location. Once you and the third turtle are on board, we can leave the city at once. Do you have any more orders?"
Karai mentally shook herself. There would be time to worry about the turtles' disobedience later, at the moment she needed to focus on getting them and herself out of the city as quickly as possible… before a certain older brother finds them.
"No, no other orders. Just get here as quickly as you can and keep an eye out for Raphael. Underestimating him right now would be a grave mistake."
"As you command, Mistress."
"And soldier?"
"Yes, Mistress?"
"Tell them that if they behave, I might let them see their brother again. Donatello and Michelangelo should be more cooperative after that."
"Acknowledged." And with that, the soldier cut off their communication.
Karai turned off her own headset and replaced it into her belt. The child in her arms started squirming once again, as if he had heard and understood her conversation with the soldier. She frowned, wondering if the child had also heard the voices of his brothers through the headset as well.
Karai placed a gentle hand on the child's forehead, silently asking him to be calm. The small creature paid her no heed as he continued to struggle in her arms, little hands popping out of the red blanket and tugging it away from his face. Two watery grey eyes peered up at her through the eye-holes of his bright blue bandanna. Karai tried to smile at the little one though her patience with the turtle was wearing very thin.
"Calm down, Leonardo." She said softly. "Everything's going to be alright, you'll see."
"No!" The former-teen cried out, tears spilling down his face. "Let me go! I want to go home!"
The female ninja's smile vanished though she forced her voice to remain calm. "But we are going home, child. Japan will be your new home, you and your younger brothers'. You'll like it there, Leonardo, there are plenty of trees and flowers… clean air too. Everything a growing ninja could possibly need."
"I don't want to go!" Leonardo cried. "I want to stay here! Where's Raphie? I want my big brother!"
That was where Karai's patience snapped. Raphael was not technically Leonardo's older brother… in fact, it was the other way around. But the events of the past few nights have obviously not only changed the blue-banded turtle's age, but his sense of who was who. If Karai was being honest with herself she would find that it was perfectly logical that Leonardo and his brothers had attached themselves to Raphael, him being the only one not affected for reasons still unknown, as a protector and older brother figure… and for the younger two that was perfectly fine because Raphael actually was their older brother. But hearing the same dependence on the red-banded turtle coming from Leonardo's mouth… him being the eldest, the leader, the one the others usually depended on… it was just too much.
"I'm going to take care of you now." Karai told the toddler, her voice sounding colder than she had intended. "You don't need Raphael anymore."
"I do need Raphie!" Leonardo whined, the seemly endless tears moistening the red blanket. "I need him to hold me… t-to chase way the monsters… to chase away you! I want to be with him!"
Karai's bottom lip curled into a distasteful frown. Not that it mattered much to her that Leonardo had chosen Raphael over her yet again, but it was just… Just wrong! Wrong that this little child, whose loyalty should have belonged to whoever gave him warmth, food and a future, could possibly refuse her care in favor of an angry, reckless, irresponsible mutant teen who so far hasn't done a very good job of keeping him and his brothers safe! Wrong that after everything she has in store for them, the beauty, the training, and the chance to grow up like a proper ninja, become part of a powerful clan, they still cry out for the brother that isn't even with them! They didn't need Raphael! She will raise them! She will take care of them and make them great ninjas in the Foot clan! She will be their family! Not Raphael!
The female ninja's sour frown suddenly morphed into a slimy smile. She gently kissed the blue-clad turtle's forehead, causing him to whine and squirm.
"You'll see things my way as the years go on, Leonardo." She told him, all warmth gone from her voice. "You will never see that idiot Raphael ever again. You and your brothers will grow up to become the greatest ninjas in the Foot clan. Together we will continue my father's mission of a world ruled by a single idea… complete and utter obedience to our clan!"
Her smile grew wider as Leonardo's eyes clouded with fear, not understanding the weight of her words but sensing the evil in her voice.
"The Foot shall rule and no one will be able to stand against us!" Karai laughed. She pulled Leonardo closer to her chest, suddenly liking the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. "Now, my child," She emphasized. "You will be with me from this moment on, and you will be mine. My only regret is that I have just given you your entire future… and you don't even understand what I'm saying, do you?"
"But I do." A low voice behind her said.