Hey, finished chapter 4! Now it is up for your viewing pleasure! I know I said this would be the Alien Agenda and it is, but it's only half of my rewrite. I just thought where I was was a good stopping point. And it gave me a good excuse to be lazy and not write everything that happened between where I left off and the World Wide Genome Project Lab. Anyway, read on faithful follower!

THERE

LEO'S POV

"And our last story this evening takes place in Tokyo, Japan. Officials were baffled earlier today when a sword resembling the Sword of Tengu arrived at the National Heritage Museum, where the real sword is on display. Upon further inspection of both swords, however, it was determined that the sword on display was a clever fake, and the other was the real one. Mysteriously, the real sword was delivered through UPS with only air mail stamps to indicate where it came from, the earliest one from right here in New York City. Authorities are attempting to trace the package through UPS, but don't consider it likely the lead will pan out.

All of Japan is wondering though, who is the hero who has returned this priceless piece of history to its people, and what will he do next?

This is Carlos Chang O'Brien Gambe..."

The announcer does his wrap up and the news cuts to a commercial break. I lean forward and flip the set off, a grin stretching from ear to ear (metaphorically speaking). Hero. I like the sound of that.

It has been a week since I met Karai and the frantic night we spent talking, sparring, fighting weed mutants, and stealing a priceless sword. Yeah. That's right. Karai and I were the ones to steal the sword, and I was the one to mail it to Japan. A modern day Robin Hood. I stole from the thief and gave to the people. A secret Robin Hood, that is. Only Karai knows what I did. Even though I had good intentions, I don't think Master Splinter would be too pleased to hear I was a thief just last week.

Yes, I know stealing is wrong. But I stole from a thief, and I did GOOD. And I have to admit, I did enjoy the rush I got from it. The fear of being caught. The adrenaline that pumped through me during the escape. The feelings of tension and excitement that pulsed through me the entire time. You never feel more alive when you're balancing on a knife blade and one wrong move spells the end, as I learned.

But all that was just a bonus. The main thrill of the night was my partner in crime, Karai. The main reason I agrees to do it in the first place. Though I had only known heed for an hour before the heist, I had already had feelings for her. They only grew stronger as the night progressed. A kiss on the cheek after our daring escape, talking after a fight with Raph, sparring by the light of the moon, and fighting alongside her had fueled those feelings, turning them into a huge crush. I have a crush on a girl in the Foot clan, a group who's entire reason for being here is to hunt down and kill me and my family. Yep. I'm insane. And I love it.

"Leo! Time for patrol!" My brother Raph marches into the (strangely, now that I think about it) deserted main room. He looks at the blank screen that I had been staring at, caught up in my thoughts, than back at me. "You do know that TV is off, right? Or have all those Space Dorks episodes completely fried your brains?"

"I just turned it off." I reassure him. "And it's Space Heroes and my brains are fine."

"That's debatable." He mumbles in a not-so-low tone as I walk past him to my room to grab my swords. Raph also knows about Karai, but thankfully not the Sword of Tengu. He found out from April, who I had sought advice from, and confronted me. After hitting him, running away, and fighting Snakeweed with him and Karai, I finally told him the (edited) whole story. He thinks I'm crazy and Karai is bad news, that she's just trying to close to me so she can exploit me and betray me later. But I know he's wrong. I know Karai, and while she may not be the most trustworthy person on the planet, I know she is sincere about our friendship. I trust her. The rest of my family is in the dark about Karai's existence and I intend to keep it that way, at least for now.

"Leo! Come on! The moon's not getting any lower!" Impatient brother calling.

"Coming!" I shout as I slide my swords into their double sheath and rush to the turnstiles where my brothers are waiting. "I'm here, I'm here."

"Finally." Raph grumbles.

"Are you okay, Leo? You've been acting kind of - distant - lately." Donnie asks, concerned as we walk to the manhole that leads topside.

I smile at him. "I'm fine Donnie. Never been better." I say sincerely. "Now let's hit the surface!" Maybe I'll see Karai tonight.

"All right!" Mikey cheers. "It's ninja time!" He shouts as he rushes up the ladder. I roll my eyes jokingly, smiling at my little brother's newest catchphrase as I follow him up.


The city has been quiet so far tonight. No sign of the Foot or the Kraang or any mutants. There has also been no sign of Karai, which I have mixed feelings about. But patrol is almost over. Maybe I can sneak away and search for her. If I'm lucky, maybe we can spar a little.

"Hey, it's the Kraang!" Donnie cries out, pointing to an alley below us. I almost groan. Crud. I jinxed it. But I shove my disappointment aside and concentrate at the situation at hand. The Kraang, about 20 of them, have cornered a women, in her early thirties by the look of her, in an alley. I'd bet my shell she's a scientist. The Kraang are getting bolder. They aren't even wearing their human disguises; you can clearly see the alien inside the robot body. The woman is screaming her head off; she's terrified. We have to help her.

I give the signal and we descend to the alley, but stay in the shadows. Seeing us would probably freak the woman out even more. I throw a shuriken at the nearest bot and down it goes.

"Kraang, go check in the place that is known as the shadows in the place that is known as over there where the thing that is known as the weapon came from." One of the Kraang bots says. Another robot walks right to us. Raph punches it and decapitates the metal head. It spins like a top out into to the light.

"Kraang, concentrate all fire on the place that is known as shadows." The head robot says. They all turn and start firing at the shadows. They really are horrible shots. None of the plasma bolts even come close to us, AND they aren't even looking at the women. She has a clear path.

"Go! Get away from here! Run and don't look back!" I yell. The women nods and runs past the Kraang to the streets. Good. She's gone. Now the battle can begin.

"Let's go!" I shout and we launch into action. It's almost too easy. The Kraang are horrible fighters. Their only advantage lies in numbers, but we still plow through them like they're nothing.

I don't know what makes me look up. Maybe I felt a presence, or I feel eyes tracking my moments. Whatever the reason, I look up and there she is. Karai. I smile at her, making eye contact, then turn back to the battle. My brothers are still working on the Kraang, there's about 6 Kraang droids left. I get an idea and my smile turns into a smirk.

I run off, pouncing on one and destroying it and its gun, then jump between Raph and the Kraang he's fighting.

"I'll save you Raph." I say in my best hero voice as I slice the robot into pieces.

"You'll save - !" I hear him shout indignantly as I move on to the next, running up and pushing off the wall into impressive somersaults before taking out another Kraang. I jump another, tied up by Mikey, and slice it in two while I somersault down to the ground.

"Relax Mikey. You're safe now." I tell him before racing to the last two.

"Thanks! Wait, I was fine?" I hear Mikey say in a confused voice behind me. For a moment, I feel a little silly, but I look back up at Karai, and I continue.

Donnie's fighting two with his bo staff. "Donnie! Behind you!" He whirls around and comes face to face with... the wall. I slice up the droids, then backflip several times, then somersault as high as I can, landing on my feet. I sheath my swords and smirk as I make eye contact with Karai. She cocks her head and although I can't see her mouth, I have a feeling she's smirking right back. Suddenly she turns around and flees. I stare after her for a couple of seconds with a strong urge to follow her, before Donnie's voice pulls me back down to earth.

"Uh, what the heck was that?"

"Yeah, are you trying to impress us?" Mikey accuses. "Cause it totally worked!" He hugs me and I push him off.

Raph narrows his eyes at me. Uh-oh.

Donnie notices as well. "What is it, Raph?"

"I thought I saw something. Did you see something Leo?" He asked pointedly. I narrow my eyes back. He saw her too. But what's he doing? What happened to keeping my secret?

"No." I say tensely.

"Turtles first, right?" What is he playing at?

"Turtles first." I say shortly. We continue staring at each other though slitted eyes.

"Do you get the feeling that we're missing something?" I hear Donnie ask Mikey, confused.

"All the time." Mikey says, completely serious.

I blink, turn away from Raph, and start marching to the nearest manhole cover. "Time to head back. Let's go." I hear 2 sets of footsteps following me, then a third join them.


I try to head my room as soon as we make it to the Lair, but Raph stops me and pulls me into the dojo.

"What the shell were you doing?" He cuts straight to the chase.

"I don't what you're talking about." I try to brush him off, but he refuses to let go.

"Don't even try to deny it. I saw her too. The Foot was watching us and all you did was show off, showing exactly how we fight."

"Not the Foot, Karai!" I correct angrily.

"Karai is the Foot."

"No she's not, and she's already seen me fight, remember? And what happened to keeping my secret? You almost told Donnie and Mikey!"

"No, I hinted. And Donnie and Mikey won't find out about your precious little crush from what I said." He pauses, then corrects himself. "Mikey won't figure it out from what I said. And I said I wouldn't tell. I never said I liked it. Leo, she's just using you."

"No she's not! Quit acting like you know her!"

"I do know her, and she's an evil goth chick with issues! She's going to turn on you, Leo. You're just too blind to see it." My hands are once again clenched into fists. How dare he speak about her that way!

He notices my stature. "What, going to hit me again? That witch is already changing you, and hitting me won't change the truth."

My anger fills me up. I can literally feel it course through me at his words. She is not evil! Yes, she's in the Foot, but there is good in her. He's just too blind and prejudice to see that!

I am trembling from holding in my rage. Why is it that lately Raph seems to know all the right buttons to push to make me furious? I'm usually able to let it wash over me and keep calm, and I certainly shouldn't be getting angry over him insulting a Foot, but it feels like he is attacking me to the very extreme when he attacks Karai.

Raph notices my shaking form. "Uh, Leo, are you all right?" For the first time, his confident angry mask slips away to revel an unsure one of concern and fear.

I stalk out of the dojo in a speedwalk. I ignore my other brothers and stop in front of the punching dummy. I reel back, then let all my anger transfer into a single kick. "Hyah!" The chain snaps and the dummy goes flying across the room. I pant angrily and snort like a riled up bull.

"Whoa!"

"Leo! What - "

"Leo?!"

"Leonardo?" Great, even Sensei saw my little episode. What is wrong with me? Why am I no longer a stone, letting the river of insults wash over me? Karai has changed me. She means so much that I got angrier than I have been in a very long time when Raph insulted her.

"Leo?"

"Leonardo?"

I - I need to leave. Regain my cool. Calm myself and find my Chi.

"I need some air." I run out of the Lair, dashing away from the stares of my family and making for the surface.

"Raphael, what is wrong with Leonardo?" I hear Sensei behind me.

"I wish I knew Sensei. I wish I knew." Raph's voice echoing is the last thing I hear before I am out of earshot.

I rush up to the rooftops and start running once more. I clear my mind of everything, like when I meditate, and just concentrate on my feet stabbing the concrete every step of the way.

Slowly but surely, my anger fades away. When I no longer feel the sharp sting of fury, I slow down and allow some thought to drift back into my brain.

I overreacted. There was no call for me to blow up. Yes, Raph insulted the girl I have a crush on, but that was no excuse for the level of anger I felt.

He kind of had a point. Karai was changing me, just not the way Raph thought. I have never felt the way I feel now before I met her. I have never felt that mix of delight and nervousness and excitement and thrill before, and I love the way the emotion feels when it runs through me and makes me feel tingly and I love the tight knot in my stomach that's painful in a good way. Raph doesn't know how she makes me feel, and that's why he will never get it, and why he will only see my anger when he insults her. He doesn't know the happiness she brings me by just being in my thoughts or the pleasure sparring or showing off to her inspires. I feel so different around her than when I'm with April or my brothers, and Raph will never understand that.


KARAI'S POV

I walk back to Foot headquarters, climbing in through the window instead of coming through the door. It may be slightly more difficult, but not when you're a highly trained kunoichi, and it's actually quicker.

An odd scene greets me when I crawl through the hole in the glass on the top floor. Xever is out of his fish tank and on robotic legs. Legs he seems to have no control over. They're dragging him all over the room in a quick jog or a forced march. Bradford is watching in absolute mirth, banging on the floor and laughing while the geek scientist we hired, Stockman, is banging on some kind of control panel. I'm guessing it's was causing Xever's trouble with his new legs.

Stockman finally manages to shut the machine just as Shredder, or Father, take your pick, walks up behind him. From the tone of his voice, he has seen the whole thing and is not happy. Stockman starts to stammer out an explanation, but Father cuts him off and starts to threaten him. If he doesn't show promising results soon he'll cut off his legs, you'll wish the turtles had gotten you, blah, blah, blah. I roll my eyes. New town, new flunkie scientist, same old threats. Father should really let up on Stockman, though, at least a little. I have seen what he can do and though he is completely pathetic, he is invaluable with his knowledge of technology. I know for sure we can't build anything like this.

I put Stockman out of his misery and flip down to the ground floor. "Father, we spotted the turtles fighting robots in some backstreet alley. But they were controlled by these slimy alien brain things inside."

"Your mission is to destroy the turtles and hunt down Hamato Yoshi. Everything else is a distraction." Father growls.

"Distraction? Father, don't you want to know what's going on? Splinter's deciphals are turtles! Mutants! Your own men got turned into hideous freaks!" I cry, pointing at said hideous freaks."Don't you think we should be trying to figure out what's going on? I mean there's more to life than your vendetta."

"There is nothing more!" Oops. I've gone too far.

"Don't you remember what Hamato Yoshi did to me?" He circles around behind me. "To us?" He continues in that same intimidating voice. I do not remember the last time he spoke in any other, actually.

"Everyday he lives is a stain on our honor we must wipe clean." He walks away from me. "Stay focused on your mission, Karai."

"I understand. Father." I walk out, taking the roof again. So Father refuses to investigate the aliens. He dismisses them because they are not connected to his vendetta. But I have a feeling they are not good, for any of us. I need to learn more, but how?

A faint grin touches my lips. Leo. He seems to know a lot about them, and as my friend he should hopefully tell me.

I feel a twinge of surprise when I realized what I had called Leo. I called him a friend. I know he said we were friends before, but this is the first time I've actually accepted it. What I told him was true; I have never had a friend before. My father is infamous in Japan, which wards away people at school, and people come and go all the time in the Foot clan, so it's easier to stay detached from everyone. But Leo. He's different. He is not in the Foot, so he won't disappear, and he doesn't know just how close to Shredder I am.

He confuses me. Why does he want to be friends with me? We're on the opposite sides of a war, yet he is polite and kind to me. He truly acts like he wants to and likes being my friend. But why? I shake my head. It doesn't matter why. All that matters is that he does and I accept it. Now I just have to find him.


After an hour of scouring the city, I find him sitting on a ledge, staring at the skyline. "Anything interesting out there?" I say in a loud voice from behind.

He doesn't even flinch and without missing a beat he says, "The city. It's beautiful all lit up." I sit down near him and look at the skyscrapers decked in gold and white and the splashes of red, blue, green and other colors. There is something pretty about it at night, something that Tokyo doesn't convey to me, but no way I'm going to say that.

I snort. "This is nothing. You should see Tokyo."

He smiles sadly at me and shakes his head. "I wish I could." Oh. Right. It may seem stupid, but I forget Leo isn't human. He acts just like one, so I forget he's actually a mutant.

"I'll send you a postcard." I joke.

He chuckles softly. "Looking forward to it already."

"So what're you doing out here so late?" I ask, trying to keep the conversation going.

"I could ask you the same question."

"Yeah, but I asked you first." He chuckles again and the sound sends a shiver down my spine.

"If you must know, and I suspect you do, I had another fight with Raph and staying underground was not an option." I blink, surprised. He would tell me that?

"Now what's your excuse?"

"I saw some weird robots earlier this evening and some green mutant take them out. Thought you might know what their deal is."

"Their deal is they're incredibly dangerous. Stay away from them." He warns me.

"I like them already. Something is going on. What is it?"

He sighs. "Karai, I'm not kidding. They're bad news. They may be horrible shots, but there are many of them. They shouldn't be taken lightly."

"Okay, at least tell me who "they" are."

"They are the Kraang. They're aliens from another dimmension."

"What are they doing here then?"

"That's the million dollar question. We don't know besides snatching scientists and mutating things."

Crud. I thought for sure that Leo would know something about these Kraang, but apparently not.

"Why are you in the Foot?" Leo's voice catches me off guard and it is a moment before my brain comprehends what he's saying.

"What?"

"Why are you in the Foot?" He asks again, a little more nervous.

"Because it's fun." I smirk at him, but he just frowns.

"What about your life back in Japan? School? Your parents? You just dropped it all to trek over here to New York with Shredder?"

"I'm homeschooled." I snap. "And my mother is dead and my father... was never around." Not exactly a lie. It never feels like my father is with me and he was always away on business.

"Oh." Leo looks shocked and guilty. "Karai, I - I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry about your mother. I - sorry." He finishes lamely.

I sigh and stare back out at the city. "It's okay. I just wish I had had a chance to know her. She died when I was a baby."

Leo looks even more guilty for bringing it up. "Oh. I'm sorry Karai."

There is a lump in my throat and my vision blurs. No. I won't cry in front of Leo. I try to control myself, but sadness still overwhelms me. I do not think about my mother often, so when I do, it feels like a truck hit me.

Leo is leaning forward and looking at me. I turn away, trying to hide my emotions, but Leo is (curse him) very perceptive. He slowly reaches an arm up, wraps it around my waist, and pulls me close into in a hug, wrapping his other arm around me to touch his own.

"I'm sorry Karai. I know I can't understand exactly how you feel as I never had a mother, but I know I would feel awful if my Sensei or one of my brothers passed on. But I'm sure she loved you very much and is watching over you now. She will be with you always." He whispers in my ear in his calm, gentle voice. I feel tears escape and roll down my cheek as I lean in on him. Why can Leo draw emotions out of me? I have not cried in years, but after 5 minutes with Leo, I have broken down.

He is warm. This surprises me. Turtles are cold-blooded, but Leo is quite warm and cozy. I can hear his heartbeat as I lay my head on his upper plastron. He tenses slightly at the contact, but then relaxes and holds me a little tighter. Time fades away. All I can feel is the warmth of his body against mine as he hugs me and the beat of his heart. Slow and steady. Ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom. This moment lasts an eternity and an hour more. I have never felt more vulnerable, yet I have also never felt so safe.

"You don't have to do this." Leo's voice shatters the limbo I've been hanging in. I lift my head and lean away to look at him, his arms falling back to his own sides.

"What?"

"You don't have to stay in the Foot. You can leave. It's not the only option. You could just walk away."

He looks so sincere and earnest and naive, I have to laugh. "You're adorable." Where did that come from?! "Stupid, but adorable." I add in a rush, hoping my insult will drive what else I said from his mind.

No such luck. "R-r-really? Ya-you think I'm - " he stammers, his face turning pink and his lips twisting into a strange smile.

"I can't leave. It's complicated. I have a... commitment." I cut him off.

"But - "

"I can't. I have a duty to Shredder." Why is he so insistent?

He sighs. "I won't be able to change your mind anytime soon, will I?"

"What made you think you ever could?" I taunt.

"Fine. But Karai, if you ever come after my brothers, I don't care what obligation you have to Shredder. I will fight you, for real. Hear me?"

I smirk at his bravado and stand up. "Loud and clear."

I run to the opposite edge of the roof and jump to the next, then the next, then the next until Leo's rooftop is just a speck in the distance. Time to head home. It is rather late.


2:30 am.

I have been lying in my bed for over an hour, but sleep will not come. I roll over once more and make a futile attempt to think of nothing and drift off. Instead, like it has been for the last hour, Leo's face fills my mind. His adorably naive, caring smile, his beautiful, stormy, azure blue eyes, and that cute sheepish look on his face he gets when I tease him. The sound of his laughter is still ringing in my ears, and I can still feel the warmth and security of his arms around me.

What is wrong with me? I'm thinking in Leo in terms of beautiful and cute, and I can't STOP thinking about him. I can't stop thinking about how kind and polite and caring and adorable and insanely brave and delightfully bashful and sweet and skillful at ninjitsu and funny he is. I remember how he showed off for me and how much I actually enjoyed it and how I was actually impressed. He's so loyal and strong and...

I review my thoughts of the last couple of minutes. Ugh, I sound like a lovesick puppy.

It hits me right then. Hard. I have a crush. I HAVE A CRUSH ON LEO. Oh God. No. It can't be. But the more I think about, the more I realize it's true. I have a crush on Leo.

I groan and shove my head deep into my pillow. Great. I have a crush on my sworn enemies deciphal. Better start loading up on poison, Juliet. Oh, and warn Romeo to keep his dagger sharp.

So? What do you think? Was Karai too OOC? For the love of all things decent, PLEASE REVIEW! It's what keeps me going and inspires me to battle the fiend known as writers block to create this story!

Up next, my rewrite of the WWGP scene, or rather, what happened afterwards. Until next time, Katana over and out!