Takes place directly after "Casey Jones vs. the Underworld." This is also in no way connected to my last story, "Harmony".

…

Rescue

Karai POV

I sigh as I coil down to rest and hide from the glass of my cage. It's been a week since I was captured and given to Shredder. Since then, this cage and this room has been absolute hell. I thought the past 4 months after my mutation was bad enough, but in here, I realize that I miss the clear air, the starry nights and what little freedom I had. I guess it's true what people say, you don't know what you got until it's gone.

When Shredder saw me locked up in a cage in front of him, he proclaimed how he missed his daughter, how he promised to cure me, and the revenge we would soon gain. When I heard him, I was furious and tried to tell him he has no right to call me daughter, and that he thought I still wanted revenge against my father after everything I learned. Unfortunately, I was unable to talk at that point and I could only hiss. I wanted nothing more then to get out of that cage, and rip him apart limb from limb.

I get fed dead animals like mice and birds, which isn't all that different from what I've been eating since mutating. I was moved from a barred cage to a glass exhibit after I spit venom into Shredder's eyes, which is the only thing that has made me any bit happy since I got here. At times, Shredder would chain me up, bound my jaw in a harness and would walk in and caress the side of my head, which disgusted me very much. He keeps saying he cares about me, but I realized long ago that he only thinks of me as property, as if he can do whatever he wants with me, and that he owns me. He only keeps me around because I'm the closest thing he had to my mother, the women he was madly obsessed with and couldn't let go.

I could still feel my human mind slowly fading away, and it scares me to no end. Sometimes during the day, the feral part of me took over and I would thrash in my cage. Anyone who sees me just assumes I'm angry at being in a cage, and the way I see it, it's better that way. If Shredder ever finds out about my fading humanity, there's no telling what he'll do to me. I started to wonder when Shredder would keep his promise and make me human again, but then I began to doubt his promise. This is the man who lied to me my entire life, just for his own selfish gain, who's to say he isn't lying now? Even if he did cure me, I'm sure he would expect me to rejoin him, and if that's the case, I'd rather stay mutated.

Near the end of the first week, I suddenly didn't care about the cure anymore. What I truly miss is my family. I realized months ago that some people aren't so lucky and have no one, and I'm lucky enough to have 4 amazing brothers and a loving father. Unfortunately, I turned them away for revenge, and because of that, I spent the last 4 months alone, scared, in pain, and mutated.

Sometimes, over the past few months, I had dreams of my father, looking at me with a gentle smile, holding his arms out for me. I would then run into his arms and he would rub my head, speaking words of comfort to me and telling me how much he loves me. Then I would wake up in an abandoned factory, an alley, or on one of the rides on Coney Island, all alone, and I would look down to find my serpentine body, suddenly remembering why I can't go home.

As I hide from Stockman, who is supposedly working on a cure to my mutation, I start to cry to myself. I decided to go behind all the vegetation in my cage, so no one can see me cry. I miss my family, especially my father, one of the few people in my life who ever showed me love and affection. I would do anything to be with him again, I would even stay mutated for the rest of my life if I have to. Then again, considering Donnie's mutagen cure didn't work on me, I suppose I already am stuck like this forever. Either way, I don't care about becoming human anymore, it would be a nice change, but all I want is to be back in my father's gentle arms, and to cling to his furry body and never let him go ever again. Even though they're miles away from me, I can't help but pray in my mind, 'Leo, Donnie, Raph, Mikey… Father, help me.'

Splinter POV

I breathe calmly as I start to meditate. I drown out all the sounds of my sons from the living room as I enter the spirit plane. After a while, I suddenly hear the voice of my daughter echo through my mind, saying, "Father, help me." Suddenly I see an image of my mutant daughter, caged, miserable, and within Shredder's lair. I gasp as I see how sad she is, and then I realize she's crying. I awaken from my meditation, processing what I just saw. Leonardo enters the dojo, runs to my side and says, "Sensei, are you alright?" As my son helps me stand up, I suddenly realize how helpless she is. She truly does need my help.

However, after a few minutes, I feel anger flow through me as I clench my hands. I have had enough. I will not let Oroku Saki torment my daughter anymore. He's used her, lied to her, and mutated her. Leonardo asks, "Sensei, what happened?"

Turning to face my eldest son, I say, "While I was meditating, I heard Karai speak to me, begging for my help. I then saw her caged within Shredder's lair."

Leonardo says, "We have to help her."

I reply, "I agree. I will not allow any more torture come to her. She has been through enough."

My son asks, "Where did you see her?"

I answer, "In Stockman's laboratory, in the same place I was kept."

He then informs me of what Donatello had just discovered from the chemical they took and what Shredder's plans for Miwa could be. I silently wonder how Saki could think of doing such a thing to a child, and to the girl he raised, and stole from me. I become horrified at the thought of Miwa becoming nothing more then Shredder's pet, sent to bring about my death. It makes my anger of Saki grow stronger. I then say, "If that is what he plans to do, then we must rescue Karai immediately. If Shredder takes control of her, she could give away our location, or she may bring about the death of us all. And I can never bring myself to hurt my daughter."

Leonardo nods and exits the dojo.

Leo POV

Just 10 minutes before, Casey told us he overheard Stockman talk about his 'Karai problem' with Shredder. I didn't know whether to believe that Shredder has Karai, but now that Splinter confirmed it, I feel so guilty. I've let my own sister be tortured by the monster who raised her. I feel so sorry for her at this moment, locked up in Shredder's lair, with the man who sees her as nothing but an object, thinking he can do whatever he wants with her. It makes me hate Shredder even more.

I enter the living room and say, "Guys, Master Splinter says he heard Karai talk to him during meditation, and saw her locked up in Stockman's lab. So get ready, we're storming Shredder's lair."

Raph says, "Are you sure that's a good idea, Leo? We just got back from the factory 20 minutes ago."

Donnie butts in and says, "Actually Raph, I left a spy roach at the factory and it seems Shredder left Tigerclaw, Rahzar and Fishface there to clean the place up. So, I say if there's ever going to be a good time to invade Shredder's lair, it's now."

I say, "Excellent, then let's go."

Donnie then says, "Actually you may have to wait a little. I need to call April."

Groaning to myself, I say, "What do you need April for?"

He smiles and says, "Well I think you guys will be happy to hear that I've just found a way to help Karai. I can't cure her mutation right now, but I can save her mind, or at least April can save her mind."

I smile and say, "That's great!" I then realize something and growl, "Wait, doesn't this mean we could have helped her back at Coney Island?"

I glare at my intelligent brother, who chuckles and says, "Sorry, Leo. The obvious or simple solution sometimes slips past my mind."

I roll my eyes and say, "Well, better late then never."

Splinter POV

I smile to myself as my sons prepare for battle. I return to the dojo and I pick up the portrait of my past family. Staring at my baby daughter in the picture, I say, "Don't worry, Miwa. We are coming for you. Just hold on a little longer." I have hope that her mutation hasn't consumed her mind yet and that April can still help her.

…

I wrote this as a way for me to relax over the hiatuses between recent episodes. This story will be about 3 to 4 chapters long. I will post the next chapter after a day or two.