The Oroku Saki Empire

Chapter 3: Turtle & Benz


Here comes the action, then it will be action from here on. We must have a little bit 'calm' in between though. I don't like to 'spoon feed' all the info on characters...I try...but I prefer to deliver little by little.

So as you know TMNT characters are not mine.


(APRIL)

I sighed heavily from inside the safety of the elevator, glad to be free from the protective gaze of the four turtles that were watching me from under the shield of the van.

Tonight was supposed to be a friendly visit just to pay my respects to a family that I knew from childhood. Instead, it turned out to be an undercover mission to retrieve a document that shouldn't be in anyone's hands at the moment.

We're not even sure what it is. I was beginning to feel the weight of guilt crashing down upon me. For one, I lied to the guys about what happened yesterday, and had to bear the full brunt of their disapproval today, and two, now I'm going into the home of two girls who consider me as their big sister, only to play spy for a family of ninjas.

Yay me, I thought dryly, five more floors to go. I sighed as though I was a thousand-year-old, menopausal woman, and then my phone rang, like it was time to wake up. Without looking at the number I answered, knowingly.

"Yeah, guys." Of course they'd be the only ones calling me via this line.

"April, keep an eye out, we just got visual confirming that the Foot are here," Don said.

Nothing new there, Donny. I rolled my eyes at the news, and glanced at the changing blue, electronic elevator numbers to see how far I had reached before giving a response. "Yep, don't I always? You be careful out there."

He snorted, "We're always careful."

"Right...just be careful," I said a little more forcefully.

"Yeah, bye." He hung up, and I shoved the cell back into my pocket. The doors finally opened to the top floor and I made my way to the front door. Here goes nothing.

The instant I knocked the door opened.

"Ape, come on in," Mya said breathlessly, ushering me into her home.

"How'd you know that it was me at the door? You didn't even ask," I said in possibly one of my most motherly tones, following the young female across a hall that I've seen one too many times. The tones were mostly earthy and grey, with sprays of green and orange about in the form of vases or orchids. It set off a neutral to warm mood in my mind, and deeply contrasts the brighter whites and peaches it had on the walls before the professor's wife passed away. I found myself taken in by the drastic changes.

Mya frowned and did a half turn at my statement and said, "Oh no, I saw you on the security camera." She nodded at the small screen that sat at the center of the door. It displayed two images, one that showed the hallway and the elevator; and the other showed just in front of the door.

Blinking in surprise, I mumbled, "Oh..."

She laughed, "Yeah, I know right. I hated it when they first installed it. I got caught trying to sneak a guy in whilst everyone was out. That was the day they installed it, and unfortunately for me, dad went over the videos to see how it was working." She shrugged sheepishly.

I laughed. "Sorry I'm late though. Would have made it earlier, but I had other engagements."

"Oh that's okay; you made it just in time. We just got back, actually. We had to... uhm... tie up loose ends with the company and dad's will," her head and voice lowered on the last words as if they were hard to say, then she looked up again. "We didn't think it'd take us all day; my thumb is sore from signing all those documents... and it was like going from one meeting to the next... then there was the bank... they told us that it was just our signatures they needed, so Nicole and I thought that we'd just book all the appointments for one day, just to get it over with. Boy, were we wrong." Mya sounded exasperated beyond sorts.

I smiled sympathetically with her, and she continued.

"I totally lost track of time, we should have called you," she apologized quickly.

"No it's okay. We're all here, aren't we?"

She nodded in agreement with a faltering smile; clearly exhausted, and then she led me from the foyer into the living room area where we met Ayame. She was sitting in the single seat, with her feet pulled up under her, and a blanket wrapped around her entire body. Her dark hair was pulled up into a loose bun on top of her head, and she reminded of one of the girls from Memoirs of a Geisha, except without the make-up.

Her brown eyes met mine. "April-san, I see you kept your promise," she teased.

"Yeah, well at least I try to," I replied honestly.

"Key word to note there, Ayame: try," Mya added arching her eyebrows to poke fun at me.

I smirked at her jokes. "So where are the others?" I asked, noticing that Keiko and Nicole were missing. I was concerned with what she – Nicole – had done with the code, or at least where they had put it so that I could figure out the best way to secure it before those ninjas could make a move.

Ayame frowned, "They're in the study trying to decrypt that piece of paper."

"I take it you don't like computers very much," I pointed out.

She shrugged, "I use them, but what they're doing is beyond my comprehension."

"And mine," Mya added. "April is also one of them, so be careful what you say to her," she teased.

Ayame laughed, "I can't promise you that."

"What can I get you?" Mya turned to me, "We've got wine, coffee, tea, cakes, various pies, and I think leftover pizza."

I waved her off, "Um just water is fine, thanks." Although, I'd rather have the wine, tonight wasn't a good time to get hazy... tea and pizza were two things that were definitely out of the question.

Mya walked off, and I glanced in the direction of the study, or as others would say, Mr. Takahashi's office. "So how long have they been at it, decrypting the code that is?" I was curious.

"Nicole started as soon as she got up this morning, then my sister had to drag her away from it to eat breakfast. After that, we went out and got back around seven, so I would say about an hour or so for the most," Ayame replied.

"You're joking right?"

She raised an eyebrow at me, "What does joking mean?"

"Oh I'm sorry, joking means that you're not being serious," I tried to explain instantly.

She giggled at my awkwardness, unbeknownst to me. "I am only joking, April-san, no need to worry," she smiled.

"You got me," I smiled back at the girl, more so hiding the fact that I was worried about the group of extremist outside waiting to start a war with either these defenseless women or my friends. Anyway I looked at it; the end result would be a fight with the turtles. How funny the odds were always against them.

Mya returned with a glass of water, interrupting my brain churn. "One water for the carrot-top," she grinned.

I glowered at her for the reference. "Very funny, Mys," I took the glass from her, and she laughed.

"We figured it out," a new voice suddenly quipped from behind. Keiko entered the room smiling triumphantly. Unlike her sister, she had her hair loose, and it fell mid-way down her back. "Oh, hello, April-san, how are you?" She greeted me warmly.

"I'm fine, and I see you're in good spirits," I returned.

"So what'd you figure out?" Mya asked flopping down in the couch beside me.

"We cracked the code, I'll show you," she gestured for everyone to follow her. Ayame and Mya reluctantly got up from their seats. They were clearly disenchanted by computers. My heart skipped a beat. This was it. I wondered how long it would take for the Foot to realize that the code was deciphered.

Inside the office, Nicole sat at her father's desk intently staring at the screen with a frown on her face.

"Hi, Nicole," I said.

She jumped and her head jerked away from the screen. "Hi April, you startled me, I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you weren't coming again." Her voice faltered as her eyes returned to the screen. I guess she was totally consumed by whatever they found.

"Yeah well, a promise is a promise," I replied.

"So what'd you want us to see?" Mya asked impatiently.

Her elder sister frowned at her. "Just that," she pointed at the small window on the screen.

We all gathered around her to see what they'd discovered. On the screen a small rectangular window was open and its background had numerous symbols all running in vertical lines all over it, with a small bar inside displaying a short phrase.

"He, who is laid to rest, finds his piece," Nicole read out loud.

'He, who is laid to rest, finds his piece?' What piece? I ran the line through my thoughts trying to make sense of it.

"What kinda message is that?" Mya asked incredulously.

"I don't know," Nicole replied hesitantly as she clicked the mouse, and downloaded the program somewhere. I couldn't see where she saved it, but I took that opportunity to text the guys.

"It is some kind of clue, the word piece is in the wrong context," Keiko explained.

"Actually, it's a homophone. Two words pronounced in the same way, but are spelt differently, and they have different meanings... piece and peace," Ayame supplied.

"So it could mean peace then, lik e?" Mya asked spelling out the word.

"No, I don't think so, I think it actually means piece...as in a puzzle piece," Nicole said. She seemed a bit worried and distracted.

"Nicole, is something wrong?" I asked.

She looked back at me, and I saw that look in her eyes. Fear.

"I... this code, I recognized it because it was something dad created, it wasn't something he was working on," she replied shaking her head.

"What do you mean? Dad created it?" Mya asked.

"Because he did! That's why none of the other programs worked, they didn't recognize the symbols. Dad had created them for a puzzle he made for me years ago, Mya. The only reason this program worked was because he designed it, he included his symbols in here." Nicole's tone was dead serious if not alarmed.

"So what you're saying is; you just cracked a coded message that your father created," I started. "But wouldn't that mean your father wasn't working on it. He wasn't trying to decipher it - he built it in the first place. So Oroku Saki lied to you. He wanted you to decode something your dad didn't want anyone to know about," I pointed out.

The four young women went silent. Judging from Nicole's expression, she may have already figured that out too. She stared at the computer screen for a moment and then she began typing.

"Nicole, what are you doing?" Keiko asked in alarm.

Nicole uninstalled the program and began erasing the hard drive. "I'm deleting it."

"Why? Don't you want to know what it means?" I asked, knowing that we needed that message to use it against the Shredder.

She didn't answer. She continued with whatever she was doing. Suddenly the telephone rang.

"Who is it?" Mya asked.

Nicole's breathing changed when she saw the number.

"Nicole, who is it, why aren't you picking up?" Ayame asked. It rang four times before Nicole snatched up the receiver; almost yanking it away from Mya's hand.

"Hello," she waited. "Yes, this is she... we're both fine, thank you... I'm sorry Mr. Saki, I didn't get a chance to... no, no, it's okay, it wouldn't be too much trouble, I promise... Yes I'm sure." Everyone paused along with the girl.

Shit, they saw, he knows already! I thought when my cell buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a message from Don.

- They're moving, get them out, we're coming! -

"I will try as soon as I get a chance... yes, I promise I will call... you're welcomed, good bye." Nicole hung up.

"Guys, I think we should l... " I cut my words off when all the power went. It was pitch black.


(OROKU SAKI)

Once again I found myself pacing my office, waiting. Patience wasn't always a virtue with me. The night was still young, and the smell of rain lingered in the air. The weather was once again turning for the worse. A little storm never hurt anybody. It just created black outs.

I turned to my desk when a familiar buzzing sound reached my ears.

"Speak."

"Master, I think they have deciphered the encryption," the Foot-tech ninja reported. "Should we move now?"

"No, give her ten minutes," I replied and set the receiver back down. I wanted to play this out. I will let her call first as we had agreed. If she does, then she may be welcomed as part of my team, if not, then I will have no used for her after tonight.

I let ten minutes elapse before the phone rang again. Ah, she calls, finally, I think reaching for the phone, only to be disappointed by the number that showed on the screen. It was not Takahashi's.

"Master, the others are in the office with her, they're looking at it. The red-head is with them also," the soldier said.

I scowled, she's with the enemy.

"Get your men ready to move in three minutes, you know what to do then," I told him and slammed the receiver down. I tapped my finger for a few minutes on the phone before picking it up again. It's a shame such brilliant minds have to go to waste.

A female voice came through the ear piece. "Hello."

"Is this Miss Nicole Takahashi?" I used her full name since all four of them carried the same surname.

"Yes, this is she."

"It's me, Oroku Saki, how are you and your sister tonight?"

"We're both fine, thank you," she said, but that was all I allowed her to say before continuing.

"Did you look into that document that I gave to you yesterday?" I asked. Her breathing was unsteady, and I could hear her anxiety in it.

"No, I'm sorry Mr. Saki, I didn't get a chance to," she replied. She was lying to me.

"I see... that's a shame. You see Ms. Takahashi, something has come up unexpectedly and we were forced with an earlier deadline for that little project you're working on for me. We need to have that document decoded before we move forward on to the next stage. I was hoping that you would at least have something for me by now. I mean, after all, your father did say that you had a sixth sense for these things. Am I wrong to believe him, or is it too much of a challenge for you? I could take it back if you like."

She hesitated before answering, "No, no, it's okay, it wouldn't be too much trouble, I promise -"

I didn't wait for her to finish, "Are you sure you didn't get chance to have a look at it?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I will take your word for it, but please, see how soon you can look at it for me. Time is against us."

"I will try as soon as I get a chance," she replied hastily.

"Promise me you'll call the instant you find something." I insisted, though I was lying.

"Yes, I promise I will call."

"Good, thank you for assisting me on this, you have no idea how much this means to me," I lied. I did not appreciate the girl's deliberate attempt to dissuade me.

"You're welcome."

"Good bye, Nicole."

"Good bye," she replied, and hung up.

It is time for these games to end. She obviously did not want me to get it back, but I will. I will have what belongs to me. Nicole Takahashi chose the wrong person to play with.

They'll never know what hit them.


(MICHELANGELO)

I was observing the Foot-tech ninja at one of the windows on the top floor of the building when Donatello tapped me on the shoulder.

"April sent a text, she said they cracked the code," he said.

I didn't have time to respond to that because the invisible ninja shifted slightly and signaled to the others on the roof.

"What are they waiting for?" I asked, noting that they all seemed to stall in their movements.

"An order," Leo replied. He was wearing one of Don's night-vision goggles over his eyes and kept his eyes on the stationed ninjas at the top of the building.

Suddenly, the ninja on the window balcony made a solid motion with his hand signaling to the others above. I recognized what it meant immediately. Then, one of them on the roof moved from the edge and disappeared in the background.

Don was already sending a text to April.

- They're moving, get them out, we're coming! -

"So what about all those people?" I asked studying the number of floors we had to scale to get to the top.

Don opened his mouth to answer, but was stopped short when the entire building went black.

"Uh, Don, was that you?" Raphael asked from the front of the vehicle.

"Nope, we have the Foot to thank for that."

"Okay lets go, Raph get us closer," Leo ordered.

"You got it," Raph brought the van back out on to the street and pulled up near the back entrance. We were out the van in that instant and began our climb. Scaling the building was easy, given the amount of balconies that decorated the structure.

"Top floor; anyone?" Don asked as Raph used his sai to open the window.

Raph climbed in first and stuck a hand back out to signal that it was clear. We entered the room and the first thing I noticed was the four post bed that sat at the center of the room. I couldn't see the colors of the sheets and drapery because of the goggles I was wearing, but I was able to make out the tiny flowers and vines that ran across the fabric.

Definitely a girl's room.

Leo, Raph and Don moved silently across the room to the door, and Leo signaled for us to follow him. I kept my eyes on them, and relied on my ears for everything else. A few years ago, I would have probably been talking, or Leo would have been giving orders by mouth, but not this time. Stealth was something we had to use to our advantage.

As we made our down the corridor, the distinct noise of a scuffle reached our ears. It was already pitch black, and I'm guessing the Foot probably had their night-vision gear on as well. Darkness just became obsolete in this mission now.

Leo held out an arm to make us stop, when six figures came into view. We concealed ourselves behind a short wall that separated the end of the corridor from the living room. I wasn't sure what the point of it was, but whoever was in the living room couldn't see anyone walking down.

Three girls were being pulled into the living room by three male figures clothed in black from head to toe. The girls struggled to free themselves from their captors, but were prevented by a ninjato that was held at each of their throats.

One false move on our part and they'd be as good as dead. I was about to move when Don stopped me and pointed at two glass doors from which they came. It looked like some kind of office, and the first person I recognized was April. She was being held back by two ninjas and another girl was held to the wall by her throat. The blade at her neck reflected the pale moonlight that poured through the window.

There were four of us to three of them, so naturally one of us would take a back seat. Leo decided to take the position and moved back, making a gesture with his hand to allow us the floor. I smirked at him and followed Raph and Don into the room.

The men in the living room were not aware of us until Raph, Don and I had their weapons twisted away from their intended targets.

The girl I was saving ducked to the floor as soon as I pulled the man away from her, and I knocked him out with a dragon punch. He fell to the floor with a thud and the girl scrambled to get out of the way.

She blindly felt around the ground in the darkness before she found the couch and stood up. I moved to help, but stopped when Leo called out to me.

"Mikey, this way."

I glanced around for the blue-masked turtle, who happened to be halfway through the window waiting for me.

I hesitated for a bit wondering what the hell he was doing. We were supposed to be going into the office, not out of the building.

"Mikey, go with Leo," Don said, pulling me from my thoughts. The guy he was fighting was putting up a fight and both ninjas had their weapons locked mid-air. "We've got this," he urged me to go on.

I went behind Leo, whose shell had just disappeared out the window. "Don't mind me, Raph," I said jumping over him as he rolled away from a ninjato.

"Whatever, Mike," he replied, which was followed by the sound of someone's jaw being cracked.

Ouch, I cringed for whoever it was. A left hand from my brother was something you're better off not knowing about.

I landed on the balcony in just enough time to see Leo swing through the next window which apparently led to the office. I gotta give you credit bro, you've got this ninja thing down to a tee. I shook my head in wonder, and jumped to the next balcony.

I don't know what my brother wants me to come along with him for, but by the time I entered the office, which was, what a few seconds after him, Leo had already taken down two of the Foot ninjas.

The one that held to the ninjato to the girl's neck growled, "Move an' I will kill her."

I stood still, and Leo's breathing slowed. He was thinking of his next move.

"I don't think so, now let her go," the blue-masked ninja said.

The girl's eyes were focused on the blade at her neck. Her lips were pressed tight and she appeared to have something inside her mouth. She had this 'dead set' determined look about her.

"No, not until she gives us what we came for," the ninja replied, he tightened his grip on her neck. "Now sweet heart, are you gonna give me what's in your mouth or do I have to take your head along with it?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to do it. She's crazy! I thought.

"I think you're a bit mixed up about the 'us' there," Leo informed the man.

"I said don't move, or she dies," he returned, and pressed something on his ninjato that lit up.

Suddenly, more Foot ninja came through the window. I rolled my eyes. Like we didn't see that coming.

To hell with this. I moved in a flash towards the girl and used a pressure point on the ninja. His hand immediately went limp and the ninjato fell to the floor. I ripped him away from the girl and threw him on his back kicking him in the head. The girl gasped for air and whatever was in her mouth, fell out and slid under the bookcase. She was already down on all fours searching for it.

Leo and April were handling the reinforcement that came through the window, along with the help of Don and Raph.

I reached out for the girl on the ground, "Hey, leave it, we gotta go."

She reacted by pulling away from me, "No, get your hands off me!"

"Hey, I'm not the enemy here, I'm trying to help you... come on," I tried pulling her up again, but was caught in the head by a Foot ninja. I staggered back, and retaliated with my nunchuck. He fell back, and I finished it off by kicking him in the chest.

I stepped back and felt something brush against my leg. I almost jumped out of my skin, and spun around to see the girl still on the floor, her right cheek pressed to the floor, and one arm was feeling under the bookcase.

Crazy chick. I sighed heavily, and pulled her up to her feet. "Leave it, we have to get out of here," I said sternly. She probably weighed 105 pounds for the most, and I set her back against the wall. I saw her glaring at me even though she probably couldn't make out anything in this darkness.

"I need to get it," she stated adamantly, trying to go back for it.

I held her back. Why did I have to get stuck with the stubborn one? Geesh.

"You need to get out; I'll get it for ya."

"What about my sister and the others?"

"They're fine," I replied hastily, but I wasn't sure if she heard me. I went down on all fours and peered under the case. There, was a small black object all the way to the back against the wall, I reached for it and pulled it out. Yuck, it's all wet. I wiped my hand against my clothing.

"Mikey, April, get the girls out, we'll be right behind you," Leo said.

I took hold of the girl's arm and led her out of the room. "By the way, who are you, and where is my sister and our cousins?" She asked sounding slightly uncertain.

"No time for questions, the others are this way, come on," I replied shortly. Don guided April out behind us and we gathered all four of them and led them towards the stairwell.

"Who are you and where you taking us?" One of the other girls asked. This one had a Japanese accent, and she had her messed up hair all tied up in one.

"Guys, it's okay," April reassured them. "They're friends of mine, and we just need to get you four to safety first that's all, I promise."

"Safety, safety where?" Another girl with a Japanese accent asked. She was taller than the other, and her hair hung loose past her shoulder blades. I remembered April saying something about a twin, but these two didn't look identical to me, in fact, they looked more like regular siblings that had a striking resemblance to one another.

"Who were those people?" She continued.

"Yeah; and why did they attack us?" The girl with the curly black hair asked.

We were leading them down the dark stairwell that was lit with the light from Don's shell-cell flashlight. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Let's concentrate on getting away from those men first, okay," April stated; her face showing an entire tale of thinning patience with these females and their millions of questions.

"Concentrate? April-san I don't think I can concentrate on anything at the moment, I feel like a blind person being led into the unknown."

"I agree with Keiko, first we're attacked by a bunch of people we couldn't even see. Then we're rescued by more people we can't see, and now we're being led down the staircase in total darkness, and we still don't know who's who and what's what, or where you're taking us," the one with the curly black hair stated exasperatedly.

"Ladies, ladies please, when we get out of here we'll answer your questions," Don said, sounding mildly irritated.

"Wow, Don, you're definitely a ladies man." April teased.

I couldn't help laughing.

"April, I trust you and all, but I don't know how much I can trust someone that thinks that this is funny," the crazy chick said sardonically.

"Hey, at least I wasn't the one looking for some silly piece of junk whilst my head was about to be sliced off," I pointed out.

"That was you? Where is it?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Safe," I returned frankly.

I knew that she couldn't see me, and had to rely on the light we supplied for them to walk down the stairs; so I didn't expect her to pursue it. She stopped and twisted around, causing me to bump into her.

"Hey, watch it," I warned her.

"I'd like to have it back please," she demanded. I rocked back on my heels in surprise.

Clearly she had issues. She sounded bossy and stuck up. Kinda like Leo. I wonder if she's his type. They'd make a great couple and they'd have each other to boss around. Heh.

"Nicole, it's pitch black, and men are trying to kill you so keep moving!" April snapped.

She frowned and reluctantly continued behind the others. We finally reached the exit when door when Don opened it and pulled it back shut again.

"Donny, what's the big idea?" I asked confused by his behavior.

"Bad news, guys, we need to take a detour."

I moved past the others and went up to the purple-masked turtle. "A detour, detour to where?"

"The Foot, I think the others just arrived for the party," his voice was solemn. "Aw shell, is there another way out of here, April?"

"Mya, is there a way for all of us to get out of here?" April turned to the girl with the curly hair.

"Uhm… yeah, I supposed we could try the garage," she replied hesitantly.

"Shh, guys, I hear someone coming," I motioned for them to move back and my brother and I positioned ourselves at the base of the stairs. Two pairs of green feet appeared on top of the last flight, and I sighed in relief.

"Did you two get April out with the girls?" Leo asked replacing his katanas in their holders.

"Not exactly," Don replied, and gestured to where they were. Leo raised an eye ridge at the younger turtle.

"Why are you guys still here?" Raphael asked moving towards the door. I moved in a flash to block him from going out. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Change of plans, Raph, Shredder's soldiers are out there, we've gotta take a detour," I explained quickly.

"To where?"

April came forward, "There's another way out; through the garage," she explained.

"Okay, lead the way," Leo instructed.

"I would, but I can't see a thing," she stated.

"Sorry," Don replied passing the light to her.

I didn't like this plan, and I could tell my brothers didn't like it either, but we had no choice. So far we've been concealed by darkness and none of us were prepared for when these four human girls saw us in full lighting.

We followed April and the one called Mya down another flight of stairs and entered into a large basement garage.

"I guess we could take both cars," Mya suggested, taking April's arm and aiming the light at a vehicle.

Raph and I shone our lights and it fell upon three vehicles. One was a black 1966 Imperial Crown, the other was a yellow 2009 Audi A8 and then there was a dark blue 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550.

"Whoa," Raph exclaimed in awe.

"Whoa is right," I agreed with him. "So who's taking the Imperial?"

"No one, it stays," Mya said stretching her hand under the A8 just above the front left tire. Nicole moved towards the Benz and did the same.

"What are you doing?" April asked moving towards the Benz.

Nicole withdrew her hand and held up a small device in her hand, "We didn't get chance to grab the keys, so we're taking the spares."

"I guess some of you could come with me, and the rest of you could go with Mys," Nicole stated unlocking her car.

"Yeah, but I think you two should let the guys drive, those ninjas are not gonna let you get away without a fight... or chase for that matter," April told the young woman.

Nicole arched her eyebrows, "Where exactly are we going?" she asked dropping the key into April's palm.

"You'll see," Leo said climbing into the driver's seat. Nicole jumped into the passenger seat, and I was in the back with April and Ayame. April was in the middle. I kept waiting for that moment of revelation when they saw us, and so far they haven't.

Raph was already in the driver's seat of Mya's car, with Mya, Donatello and Keiko. Both cars hummed in union, and their lights flooded the basement garage to reveal the other vehicles parked down here.

"Um, one question," Ayame began, "If the power's out, how are going to get out? The garage doors will not open."

"Good point, but I'm sure this baby could make an exit for us," I stated, feeling thrilled with the sudden rush of adrenaline.

Nicole turned to Leo's dark figure in the seat. "No, he - you can't do that," she cried in horror.

"Why not, you've got a better idea?" he asked calmly, revving the engine lightly.

"I do," she said, and pulled something from out of the glove compartment. She pointed it at the doors and pressed a button. A tiny red light shone for less than a second, and then she put it back where it was found. "..and that's why," she pointed at the doors that were slowly opening.

I wasn't wearing my night-vision goggles, but I could tell that my brother probably had the same look that I had on my face. I saw him glance at the other car where Raphael was and tilt his head to crack his neck. The race was on.

The yellow Audi was the first to fly through the doors, with us a second behind.

The streaked street lights illuminated the inside of the vehicle, partially revealing our true nature. Ayame didn't seem to notice, because she had her eyes closed, and she flattened herself against the back of the seat; overwhelmed by the speed of the traveling vehicle.

Nicole probably had her eyes shut too, and April and I stifled our laughter when she lifted her hand over her head to hold onto the back of the seat.

Leo glanced at her, "You okay there, you're not gonna hurl or anything are ya?"

"No, I can't watch," she said through her teeth.

Leo chuckled. "How are we looking back there?" he asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.

"I don't think we're being... I think I spoke too soon, step on it, we're being followed," my eyes were locked unto a black van that was now in pursuit of us.

"Not for long," Leo said calmly, and he mashed down on the gas. "Send a message to Don, tell him to tell Raph to stay close - we don't need to… shit."

Much to my brother's chagrin, Raph suddenly steered the Audi into a street on the right, and Leo missed the turn due to the speed we were going at. The van that was following us took the turn so sharply that the van tilted to one side and the tires screeched in return.

The seatbelt I was wearing tightened and pulled back on me as Leo slammed on the brakes and sent the car reeling into a 360 turn.

Nicole and Ayame screamed in fear, and I covered my ears to shield my eardrums. The tires screeched to a stop and we were now facing in the opposite direction. I love this car! I grinned in delight. Then we took off behind the van that was chasing Raph and the others. The girls were still screaming and it seemed to bother Leo's concentration as he tried to catch up with the van.

"Hey, hey it's over, stop yelling!" he shouted.

I looked over at Ayame, and it was then I realized what was happening. She was looking back and forth between Leo and me and pressed her back to the door; her eyes were wide with fear. She saw us. I smirked, strangely enjoying the fear I struck in someone.

Nicole was no different, and had her knees up to her chest screaming her head off.

"Leo, can't you shut her up - April, may I," I snapped, turning my eyes towards Ayame.

"No, Mikey, put your nunchucks away," April demanded, and she grabbed Ayame's face in her hands. "Ayame, calm down, it's okay, they're friends...breathe, they won't hurt you."

Ayame calmed down and glanced from Leo to me and shook her head, "Karera wa nani ka?" (What are they?)

Before April could reply, the car swerved unto another road in pursuit of the van and the Audi.

Nicole also stopped screaming and appeared to be hyperventilating. Leo swore. "Now what's wrong with you, first of all...yes, I'm a turtle and so are my brothers, but you need to be quiet for me to drive okay, your sister and my brothers are in that car and we need to lose those guys...so will you calm down?" He sounded irritated and the girl in the passenger seat stared back at him, dumbfounded.

"Good," he muttered. "What about you guys in the back there?"

April turned to Ayame, "You okay?"

The Asian girl nodded her head quickly and she settled back into her seat. I shot a smile at her, and she frowned and sat back.

"Yeah, we're good, bro."

"Mikey, remind me next time to let you or Don drive," Leo said clenching his teeth.

"I wouldn't mind," I laughed.


Again thanks for R&R!