LONGEST CHAPTER YET! This one clocked in at 6000 words, and I don't know how it got so long. I need to start taking the whole "I'll make the chapters shorter" thing more seriously.

A lot happens in this chapter, I guess. Well, sorta. But I'm so so sorry that this chapter was so long. I guess it makes up for almost two weeks of no updates though, right? :)

I haven't had internet for a few days, so that's why I couldn't update. Sorry about that :( I'm trying to sort my life out- eg living arrangements, getting a job, school... that reminds me.

School has started for the year, so if it's no trouble, I'd appreciate if you guys are patient with updates. So far you've been super patient, but my update times will get slower. It's my last year of high school, and I will probably get a part time job so I will be updating but more slowly than usual. Sometimes it might take as long as two weeks, maybe more. I'll try my best to update asap though :) thanks, guys.

So this chapter is weird too, but what else is new? The paragraphs get a bit long too, so be careful in this labyrinth. I wish you luck :)

I don't own TMNT. I do, however, own some pretty neat TMNT merch. Yay!


"Doko ichimonji no kamae!"

Wiping the back of her hand over her moistened forehead, Sonia adopted a defensive posture. They'd been focusing on kamae and practicing katas for their first three training sessions, and it had been more gruelling than she had anticipated. Master Splinter had originally set their training sessions to four hours a day, though he allowed Cecilia, Emilie and Anna to limit themselves to two. Sonia, however, followed through with the full four hours. As Splinter had said, it was expected for a kunoichi to be diligent, but to learn at her own comfortable pace.

Eyes forward, elbows locked. Master Splinter had reiterated the importance of focus and equilibrium throughout each lesson, which Sonia had assimilated with consistent diligence. Her sisters originally lacked that trait, but were beginning to pick it up with less complaints about fatigue. From several metres ahead of her, Emilie mimicked her opponent and flashed her a deriding grin.

The sound of a wooden staff banging on the ground reverberated throughout the dojo. "Emilie. Focus!"

Sonia's older sister, eyeliner and all, scowled fractiously and resumed her allocated kamae. Sonia remained impassive, her gaze resolute. A moment of visual dissension passed between the assertive siblings, causing mild calefaction in the atmosphere.

They exchanged glances, Sonia's eyes typically unwavering. Patience.

Emilie smirked. Bring it.

The silence between them passed quickly, releasing the foreseen command. "Hajime!"

Strength. Control. As Sonia always said, it was all or nothing. She took a step forward, grabbed Emilie's arm and threw her over her shoulder. Emilie landed on her shell, then launched herself forward feet first which Sonia narrowly dodged. Emilie tried kicking out at Sonia, which she took as an opportunity to grab Emilie's arm again but this time throw her across the floor. Emilie tumbled to the ground and slid for a few seconds, grazing her leg in the process. Seething, she pushed herself up off the ground, and resumed her stance. Sonia took another step towards her opponent.

"Matte." At Master Splinter's command, Sonia halted. Emilie, however, saw this as the perfect opportunity to get the upper hand. She only got a few swipes in before Master Splinter bellowed, "yame!"

Frustrated, Emilie came to a complete stop and lowered her hands. She lowered her head and turned to face Master Splinter, but kept her mouth shut.

Master Splinter stepped down from his observation point, narrowing his eyes. "Emilie, why have I asked you to stop?"

Emilie took a moment to respond. "Because I ignored your command to wait."

"And why did I ask for you to wait?"

She clenched her fists and closed her eyes. "Because a ninja needs to take time to examine their surroundings and find things that could help them."

"Then this is what your fourth lesson will be about." Master Splinter gestured for Emilie to stand beside him. "You must learn patience. Only if you have patience can you acquire the skill of strategy. To be quite honest, you lack that needed trait."

He glanced at Cecilia. "Cecilia, you will take Emilie's place."

"Hai, sensei." Cecilia moved to the opposite side of the dojo and faced Sonia, standing completely still.

"Ready- stance!"

They resumed their stances, eyes forward and trained on one another. Master Splinter gave a short nod of his head. "Focus. It goes hand in hand with patience. Watch your sisters and learn from them. To observe others is a way of diversifying your own knowledge. Hajime!"

The girls launched into battle while Emilie watched them with a sour look. Okay, so what would they use? Probably nothing, knowing them.

"Understand," Splinter told her, "that the ninja's greatest weapon is the mind."

Emilie's eyes wandered to a shadowy spot in the dojo. "One of them could hide there, I guess. I don't know."

"Good. But not in the midst of battle. Using the shadows is a way of sneaking up on your enemy. Cecilia, what are you doing?"

"I hurt Sonia!" Cecilia cried, gesturing to her staggering sibling. "I caused her to twist her ankle. I don't want to fight anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because I hurt her!"

Master Splinter sighed. "Yame. I believe it is time for a discussion."

Three of them gathered around, and stood in silence to listen to their mentor. The youngest, of course, was missing. He'd have to reprimand her later. For now, it was a matter of pointing out their weaknesses.

"All of you have a weakness, and you must aim to overcome it. I cannot teach you how to surmount those weaknesses, as that is something only you can do in time." Master Splinter turned to Emilie. "Emilie, impatience is where your fault lies. You are quick and light on your feet, but you do not yield when told to wait. This will prove perilous when you are in a strategic situation. Your training partner will be Donatello."

"Sonia, your weakness is haste. You are strong, perhaps even resilient, but you are overconfident in your abilities and so are measured. As a kunoichi, you must learn to act quickly and be light on your feet. Michelangelo will be your partner."

Master Splinter turned to the eldest of the girls. "Cecilia, you are compassionate, and you refuse to fight if it means harming your opponent. To show mercy is certainly not a weakness, but there are times where you must fight to protect those around you. But you must remember to never fight unless absolutely necessary. Your partner will be Raphael- you will learn valuable principles from him."

"Your younger sister, wherever she may be-"

"Here!"

"Anna. Where were you?"

"Hiding in the shadows. I think I'm getting good at this ninja stuff."

Master Splinter sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "You lack focus and control, loud one. These are two very important values that will guide you to success in battle. If you are unfocused and do not have self control, you will lead your comrades astray and simply hand victory over to your opponent. Leonardo is an excellent example of one who possesses focus and control, so you will train alongside him."

Cecilia glared at her younger sister. I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous.

"After a week of continuous training with your partners," Master Splinter continued, "we will make a slight switch, and those who share a similar strength will be paired accordingly."

Cecilia remembered Master Splinter saying that her strength was strategy. Great. So I'll be paired with the nerdy guy. What's his name again?

Master Splinter relaxed, and wandered away from his observation point. "That is enough training for today. Please allow time to rest- we have another session tomorrow morning. Emilie, Anna, Cecilia- I am once again extending your session into two binary intervals."

Anna leaned towards Cecilia, and lowered her voice. "What does binary mean?"

"Two." Cecilia replied. "So we'll do four hours of training but take a break after two hours."

"Oh. Okay."

"You have done well." Master Splinter bowed slightly, and pressed his fist to his palm. "I am seeing good progress."

The girls bowed, responding with the same gesture. "Arigato, sensei."

"You are dismissed." Master Splinter straightened up, and held his hands behind his back. "Boys, it is time for your session! Be in the dojo in one minute!"


"Is the area clear?"

"By clear do you mean-"

"Of the vigilantes. Are they in the area?"

"Thermal scan shows that the vigilantes are not present, though the sector is being heavily guarded by maritime security."

Karai strode towards her henchman and plucked the binoculars out of his hands. She peered through them briefly before handing them back. "There are only ten of them. I do not see a problem."

"They're heavily armed-"

Karai cocked her head to one side. "They're not the only ones."

She glanced over her shoulder to address the faction of soldiers. "Kougeki!"

They followed her orders in silent conduct, falling in one by one. Karai watched with a countenance of exultation, and unclipped her two-way radio from her belt. She raised the mic to face level, pressing a button in synchronization. "Hamasaki, do you copy?"

Hamasaki's voice buzzed through the speaker. "Affirmative."

"What's your position?"

"Preparing to strike. Just say the word."

"Commence."

"Copy that. Commencing siege. Over and out."

Satisfied, Karai sauntered back to her observation point to monitor her colleagues. Sooner or later her presence was requested in the area, in which she had no trouble entering seeing as there was a lack of maritime security.

Switching on a small flashlight, she entered the target shipping crate and quickly examined her surroundings. Her eyes fell on the stack of metal canisters at the back of the crate, which clearly displayed labels written in bold. Nitro ethane. Bingo.

She nodded to her henchmen. "Hayaku."

"Ryoukai." They followed her directive, moving post-haste to the back of the shipping crate. Seeing that there were no issues with her directive, Karai left the shipping crate with her cellphone to her ear.

Four dial tones passed. "You're speaking with Eric Sacks-"

"Cut the formalities."

His tone was calm. "Karai. What's your status?"

She smirked. "Higher than yours. We've located the chemicals."

"Fantastic. I'll need double the amount of canisters, in case you've forgotten."

Karai narrowed her eyes. "I never forget."

Regardless, she checked over her shoulder to assure her colleagues had grabbed said amount of canisters. Before long they were lugging the contraband towards her.

"Ma'am. We have the chemicals in possession."

"Good." She straightened up. "Retreat. We don't need any interruptions."


"Mikey! Dude- I mean, dudette- down! Help!"

"I'm coming, angelcakes!" Mikey called, dropping his armful of blankets and rushing across the room. He grabbed Anna's hands, and pulled her out from under the collapsed sheets. "Are you okay? You could have like, died or something!"

"I'm okay!" Anna gasped. "Thanks for saving me."

"I guess building blanket forts isn't really your thing." Mikey chuckled. "Don't worry, Anna banana. I'll finish crafting our masterpiece. You should go get the snacks. Just stay away from the Pop Tarts- Donnie licks the icing off of them and puts them back in the box. I dunno why we haven't bothered to stop buying them."

"No Pop Tarts." Anna repeated. "Got it. Don't go to Mount Doom without me!"

"I'll wait for you, angelcakes. We're Sam and Frodo, best buddies and badass Hobbits. No Hobbit gets left behind!"

Anna poked her tongue at him, then darted off to the kitchen. Leonardo stood between the fridge and the counter, silently making what looked like coffee. He didn't look pleased about it either.

Anna didn't really know Leonardo, so she was still a little iffy around him. "Um… hi."

He acknowledged her. "Hi."

She cocked her head to one side. "What are you doing?"

Leonardo sighed. He looked like he'd been dragged out of bed via the wrong side. "Making Donnie's coffee, since he's too 'busy' to make it himself."

He emptied something into the cup, which she caught a whiff of. Hazelnut creamer. Her breath hitched in her throat. Cheyenne.

"Hey." On hearing Leonardo's voice again, Anna's memory faded. "Could you do me a favour and take this to Donnie? I would but I've got stuff to do."

Anna nodded quickly. Anything to stop her from remembering things she didn't want to think about. "Okay."

Leonardo was relieved. "Thanks. He should be in the console room. Just knock on the archway, since he probably has his headphones on."

"Console room?"

"Where the computers are."

"Oh." She knew where that was. "Right. Sure."

Anna picked up the steaming mug, and headed for the console room. Don't drop it, she told herself. Remember what happened with Sonia. Nope, don't remember that.

She reached the archway to the console room where Donatello lounged on his computer chair, drumming a pencil against a blank piece of paper. Anna could hear the music playing through the headphones that were around Donatello's neck. Maroon 5, "Harder To Breathe." She wondered if he was a fan.

"Um…" she knocked on the archway, hurting her hand in the process. She tried to ignore it. "Coffee delivery?"

Startled, Donatello whipped around, sending the pencil flying out of his hand. "Sh- sorry, I was kinda caught up with… stuff. I'm really sorry about that."

"It's okay." Anna said cheerfully, wondering why Donatello was apologizing. She carried his coffee over to him, which he carefully took. "Leonardo asked me to bring this to you, so…"

"Thanks." He took a sip. "I'll let him know that it's up to satisfactory standards."

His eyes are so pretty. "What were you doing before you threw your pencil across the room?"

He looked confused for a moment. "Well, uh… I was trying to figure out how to build a telescope. It's rather simple, but finding a decent lens with the correct magnification is more complex."

All she could understand was that he was building a telescope. "That's so cool. Do you like stars or something?"

"I… guess? Monitoring the behaviour of the solar system is pretty fascinating."

Anna bit her lip. "I don't know anything about the solar system. Cecilia tried to teach me the names of the planets, but I kept forgetting. What's the big one again?"

"I'm guessing by the "big one" you mean Jupiter. It's the largest known planet in the solar system, named after the Roman god of the sky."

"Are all the planets named after gods?"

"All except Earth. If I do a headcount," Donatello paused for a second, "there's currently eight planets since Pluto isn't counted anymore, which is sort of a serendipity. If you know your mythology, it'll be easier for you to remember them."

Anna thought for a moment. "Um… Jesus?"

Donatello laughed. "No, not Jesus. Think Roman gods."

"Thor!"

"He's Norse. We're aiming for Roman."

Anna was ready to give up. "Percy Jackson?"

"He's a fictional demigod, but it would be interesting if there was a planet named "Percy Jackson." Do you give up yet?"

"Yeah, I can't think of anyone else except for Loki." Anna murmured. "But he's Thor's brother so he must be Norse too."

"I take it you're a Marvel fan."

Anna lit up. "Totally! The Winter Soldier is my favourite movie. It's like the only one I fully understand."

Donatello smirked. "So which ones don't you understand?"

"All of them. But mostly the Avengers."

"The Avengers is easy. Loki is told to steal the Tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D. He royally screws it up because he angers the wrong people, and he fails to retrieve the Tesseract hence breaking his deal with the Chitauri. So he also angers Thanos. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome. Glad I could help." He took another sip of his coffee.

Anna fidgeted. "Um… Donatello?"

He paused from drinking his coffee. "Call me Donnie."

"Donnie... huh. I like it. Are you into Maroon 5?"

"Their debut album was the best." Donatello replied. He adjusted his glasses. "I'm not so sure about their new music."

"The only new-ish song I like is Moves Like Jagger. What else do you like?"

"Are we still talking about music?"

"Mhm. What about… Beyoncé?"

He shook his head. "No. Hard pass."

"Sia? Shakira? 5SOS? Taylor Swift?"

"Sia's okay, I guess. I was thinking more along the lines of Fall Out Boy, The Script, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons…"

"I'm gonna make you bend and break, say a prayer but let the good times roll," she sang, "In case god doesn't show…"

"Good song." He glanced around nervously. "And you, uh- have a nice voice."

She beamed. "Thanks. Emilie tells me I suck at singing."

"The more I think about it, the more she sounds like a carbon copy of Raph." Donatello got up, and grabbed his cup of coffee. "I should probably make a start on this telescope. You're welcome to join, but there's not much you can do in terms of helping me."

"I could just, um…" She racked her brain for an idea. "Keep you company."

He looked a little nervous, but he managed a smile. "Alright. Cool. Sorry, I'm just trying to remember your name. It's Anna, right?"

"Yep."

"Yo, Anna!" Mikey called. "I finished building the fort! Raph knocked it over so I had to start again, but it's done now! You coming or not?"

Anna was at an impasse at that point: hang out with her new best buddy, or accompany this gorgeous guy on his nerdy adventures? Well, if there was one thing she picked up from surface dwellers, it was bros before hoes. And Mikey had been pretty excited about the blanket fort, so…

"I should probably go." Anna spluttered. "I forgot about the fort and Mikey's been waiting for ages. I'm super sorry about that. Maybe we can hang out later?"

Donatello shrugged. "It's fine. I have to fix April's laptop before she gets here anyway. So I'll put the telescope on hold."

Wait, April? Who's she? Like, his girlfriend or something? Crap. "Oh, okay. Right on. I guess I'll see you round."

She took off before he had the chance to reply, and headed for the awesome blanket fort that Mikey was proudly showing off. She couldn't help but grin.

Bros before hoes. At least that way she wouldn't get hurt.


"Cecilia, would you kindly assist me in setting the table?" Master Splinter asked the eldest of the girls. "We have a guest this evening, so it is important that we are well prepared. Usually it is Leonardo or Michelangelo who sets the table, however they are currently preoccupied."

"Sure." Cecilia put the screwdriver aside, and strolled to the other side of the kitchen. She took the utensils that Master Splinter held out to her. "Do you often eat at the table? I'm sorry if I sound rude."

"Not at all." He replied, carefully picking up a tray with a fine china teapot. He gestured for Cecilia to follow him to the needle room. "Yes, we often eat at the table- my sons know it is a customary practice. But there are times when I allow them to eat elsewhere. It depends on what they are doing."

Cecilia nodded. "That makes sense, I guess."

"I am supposing that you follow different habits."

"We had strict habits growing up. We always sat at the table, weren't allowed to play with our food, couldn't talk with our mouths full, kept our elbows off the table..."

"In our home we do not talk during meals. It took quite some time to teach Michelangelo to follow that rule." Splinter smiled at the nostalgic memory. "We observe such a tradition because it allows us to enjoy our meals, and give praise to the earth and the one who has cooked for us."

"I love that idea." Cecilia murmured. "It sounds so uplifting."

"And it is." Splinter carefully placed small teacups around the table. "If you are balanced and at peace in terms of mind, body and soul, you'll find that life in general is so much more enjoyable."

"How do you, um... achieve balance?" Cecilia asked worriedly.

Master Splinter smiled munificently. "In time, my dear. You still have much to learn."

"Oh Ceciliaaaa," a voice crooned, "you're breaking my heart, you're shaking my confidence dai-ly-"

Cecilia groaned. "She does this all the time. What do you want, Em?"

"Nothing." Emilie smirked. "I had to check on something but I thought I'd stop to piss you off."

"Profanity." Splinter chided. "It is a weakness. You must learn to overcome it."

Even Emilie didn't mess with Master Splinter, so she just grunted and glided away. Cecilia resisted the urge to smirk. Splinter- 7, Emilie- 0.

She was about to apologize for Emilie's offensive vocabulary when she noticed Leonardo practising in the dojo. Cecilia was immedietely rendered voiceless and weak at the knees. Fixation clouded her vision. The way he moves is mesmerizing.

"Cecilia." Wrenched from her fantasy, Cecilia jerked her head in the direction of the voice. Sonia's steely gaze was fixed on her. "May I speak with you?"

Cecilia gave Splinter an apologetic glance. "Could you please excuse me for a second?"

He bowed his head. "Of course. Take your time."

She acknowledged him, then darted away to follow Sonia to a seclusive spot. "So, um... what did you want to talk to me about?"

Sonia turned to her, her expression serious. "Gratitude and trust are two completely different things."

Cecilia blinked. "Wait, what-"

"You're infatuated with Leonardo." Sonia snapped. "You have to stop."

"Sonia!" Cecilia hissed, her eyes darting around the room nervously. "Shut up. I'm not infatuated-"

"You are." Sonia assured her. "I've noticed it since the day we arrived here. As I was saying, gratitude and trust are not the same. You have every right to be thankful to Leonardo for sharing his space with you, but I would advise that you -

"You don't get to tell me who I should and shouldn't like."

"I'm your sister." Sonia lowered her voice. "And the last thing I want is for harm to come to you."

"Yet you're standing here telling me how to feel." Cecilia scoffed. "Look, you have trust issues, I get it. But how are we going to live our lives if we can't let others in? I'm allowed to admire Leonardo from afar, and you can't stop me. But I appreciate your concern."

"That's the problem with you. You're obsessed with the idea of love. Wake up, Cecilia, it's not going to happen."

"It's not love!" Cecilia shouted. Realising how loud she was, she wrapped her arms around herself, humiliated. "It's just a stupid crush, okay? I'll get over it."

She wanted to say more, but her emotions got the better of her. Dismayed, she stormed past Sonia, bumping her shoulder as she did so. Emilie, who'd come to see what was going on, glared at Sonia. "What the hell did you do?"

"I told her that she needs to stop herself before she gets hurt." Sonia retorted. "It was her choice to react in that way."

"Now you're really stepping up your game." Emilie growled. "Cut the shit, Sonia. I get that you're all wise and knowing, but I'm older and can tell you when to keep your fucking mouth shut. So if Cecilia's got a thing for honour boy, then that's cool. You can't control her."

"Here you go." Sonia snapped. "Attacking me again when I'm simply looking out for my family."

"Attacking you? How the fuck am I attacking you?" Emilie laughed, exasperated. "For someone so serious you're such a drama queen! Get over yourself before you get on everybody's bad side. And just so you know, Cecilia's old enough to make her own choices. So leave her alone and let her do what she wants."

With that last remark, she turned on her heel and wandered after Cecilia. Sonia watched her leave, silently seething.

Mikey poked his head out of the blanket fort. "If it makes you feel better, baby girl, I don't think you're a drama queen-"

Ignoring him, Sonia turned away and strode off. Disappointed, Mikey ducked back through the fort entrance and pouted at his friend. "Is she always like that?"

Anna picked up her can of Sprite and swirled it around. "Yep, but you're lucky she didn't yell at you. Maybe she likes you."

Mikey lit up. "Really? Sweet! Told you the ladies go for the shadow. Wait, what were we talking about before your sisters had their fourth argument since this morning?"

"Cheyenne and Declan."

"Oh. Right. So they just ditched you guys? For real?"

"Yep. I waited for ages to see if they'd come back, but they didn't."

Michelangelo leaned back on his arms. "Woah. That's harsh, dudette. How long did you wait for?"

Anna paused. "I dunno. Three years, I think."

"Three years? Man, they sound like total jerks." Mikey reached for his can of Sprite. "So, um... your sister. She's single, right?"

Anna looked up, a smile coming to her face. "Yeah, she's single. Who's asking?"

"Uh... Leo."

"Sure he is."

Mikey stifled a grin. "Okay, okay, you got me. So what does she look for in a dude?"

Anna fiddled with the beaded necklace that Mikey had given her. "Hmm... well, Emilie's the only one of us who's had any experience with a boy, so..."

"Are you serious? There's more of us out there?"

"No, he was a human. She doesn't like to talk about it. This is a crazy question, but is it weird having brothers?"

"Weird? Not like all the time, but it's weird when they leave stuff lying around. This one time Donnie dropped a piece of metal, and it was so sharp that it cut into Raph's foot. Donnie had to hide for ages until Raph calmed down."

"That's kind of like when Cecilia tried making toast and accidentally set the toaster on fire. Emilie ripped the toaster out of the wall and threw it out the window. Cecilia wasn't allowed in the kitchen for ages."

"Yum... food. Do you cook, angelcakes?"

"Me? No way. Emilie's really good at cooking, but I'm the same as Cecilia. I suck."

"If you've never blown up a toaster, you probably don't suck. I'm the official chef extraordinare here, but Leo likes to mess with my ingenious ideas. 'You sure that's safe, Mikey?' He asks that question all the time."

Anna was staring through a crevice in the blanket fort. "Is your brother an uber nerd?"

"Who, Leo? Nah, Donnie is though."

"I meant Donnie." Anna giggled.

Mikey shrugged. "He's super smart. Can't understand the stuff he's saying half of the time."

Anna watched in silence as Donatello collapsed on his computer chair and turned away to watch the large number of screens. He's so cute. Is that cat playing a piano?

"Yo, Anna. You okay?"

Her daydream dissolved. "Me? Mhm. I'm okay."

Raphael's voice floated down to them. "Mikey, get your ass out of there. Donnie's found somethin'."

Mikey jabbed at the blanket, frowning. "You shall not pass!"

"I don't give a shit. Get out before I knock whatever the hell that is over."

"Mount Doom, blanket fort style." Mikey corrected. He smiled apologetically at Anna. "Sorry angelcakes, I gotta go check this out. I might have to do some serious butt-kicking with my sidekicks."

Ooh, butt-kicking. Sounds super cool. "Rad. Don't talk to strangers! They're mean."

"I know, right? There was this one chick at Pizza Hut who messed up-"

"Hurry up, Mikey." Raphael snapped.

"Okay, okay." Mikey crawled backwards out of the blanket fort, stopping only to talk to Anna. "See ya, Annie. I can call you Annie, right?"

Anna grinned. "Maybe just you."

"Sweet! Hear that, Raph? I'm special. Okay, I'm moving! See? Man, some people are so impatient..."

His voice trailed off as he disappeared out of the blanket fort. Figuring there was nothing else she could do, Anna left to see if Cecilia was okay. However, she caught onto a few of the things the boys were saying on her way to the games room.

Donnie spoke first. "I'm picking up light Foot Clan activity in central New York. From what I can see, it's more concentrated in the area where a lot of valuables are on display. I'm suspecting a robbery."

"Theft is not cool!" Mikey exclaimed. "Come on, guys, we can't just let them take stuff that doesn't belong to them. I'll teach them not to mess with the shadow."

"How far away is it, Donnie?" Leonardo asked.

"Approximately ten minutes via the rooftops, five via the subway."

Leonardo was already on his way to the dojo to retrieve his weapons. "Then we take the subway. Donnie, get a track on the thieves in case we don't get there in time."

"Tracking." Donnie replied. "We've gotta hustle. Their activity is remarkably fast and we've got a 30% chance of actually apprehending them."

"I'll take it." Leonardo called.

Splinter padded into the dojo. "What is going on?"

"We've got a few issues to deal with, dad." Leonardo told him. "We'll be back later."

He turned to his brothers and sheathed his dual katana. "Let's roll, boys."

Splinter stopped them. "Wait just a moment. Aren't you forgetting something? We have a guest tonight. You cannot just disappear when she is about to arrive."

"Yeah, well, April knows the drill." Leonardo retorted. "Something happens, we save the day. Ninja business. She doesn't have a problem with it."

"Very well. I suppose you won't mind missing out on your meal."

Michelangelo's eyes widened. "You wouldn't do that to us."

"We eat as a family, Michelangelo. It is a tradition. So yes, I would."

"Come on, Sensei. Let us out there." Raphael groaned. "I've been holding out for ages. We ain't gonna take long, these guys will be easy to handle-"

"It's another Foot Clan attack." Donatello entered the dojo, and grabbed his bo staff. "Their activity is light in New York central. They're obviously up to something, Sensei, and it's most likely a robbery."

"So we need to take care of it." Leonardo eyed his mentor hopefully. "We'll return as soon as we're done. No messing around."

Master Splinter sighed irritably. "Fine, if you must. You have fifteen minutes, do you hear me?"

They were already leaving through the sewer exit mid-sentence. Deciding it was pointless to say anything else, Splinter shook his head and left to meditate. Once he was no longer visible, Anna snuck into the dojo. She warily examined her surroundings, and approached the ladder to the sewer exit. "Can one of you guys give me a boost?"

Emilie moved quietly to stand by her younger sister. "You're the jumpy one, bubbles. Get yourself up there."

Anna poked her tongue out. "Fine. I will."

She bent her knees and launched herself upwards, latching onto the closest rung of the ladder. Humming, she made her way up. Emilie went next, stopping to hang off the side of the ladder at one point. "You coming, know-it-all?"

"Are you crazy?" Cecilia hissed. "We don't even know our way around New York let alone the sewer line."

Emilie shrugged. "That's why we're going out there."

"We're exploring!" Anna giggled. "Shell-lock Holmes, Watson and Dora-"

"You're gonna get us caught, Dora." Emilie muttered. "So get your ass moving."

"I'm not Dora, I'm-"

"Move!" Emilie hissed.

"Okay, grumpypants, I'm moving."

Anna disappeared through the sewer exit, humming the theme song of Dora the Explorer. Emilie followed suit, climbing into the tunnel. She leaned over the edge to talk to Cecilia again. "We're waiting, Mrs Leonardo-something."

Fuming, Cecilia grabbed hold of the ladder. "Oh, that's it. You so just crossed the line."


"Got me lookin' so crazy right now, your love's got me lookin' so crazy right now-"

"Anna, shut up."

"Lookin' so crazy, your love's got me lookin', got me lookin' so crazy in love-"

"Seriously-"

"Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no-"

"Anna, can you stop?" Cecilia asked, irritated. "I know you're doing this on purpose."

"No I'm not, I just like that song." Anna shrugged. "I'm doin' this tonight, you're probably gonna start a fight-"

Cecilia huffed. "We get it, you can sing. Now stop."

"I know that I can't take no more, it ain't no lie… I wanna see you out that door, baby, bye bye bye…" Anna trailed off once she reached the edge of the rooftop. "Oh my gosh. Cuteness alert. Talk about being in the same place at the same time!"

Emilie followed her little sister's stare. Several feet below the next rooftop, the boys were beating the living shit out of masked guys with guns- ninja style, of course. She only got a few quick glances of them before they were out of sight again. She frowned at seeing Raphael. "Ugh. No thanks."

"Goru goru sama!"

"The hell, Mikey?"

"It's my new battle cry, brah! You like it?"

"No. Never say it again."

"'Kay."

Anna frowned. "Not that ugly human dude. I meant Donnie. He's adorbs."

Emilie ignored the comment about Donatello. "Yeah, and I was talking about Raphael."

"You told me you thought he was hot."

Cecilia burst out laughing. "Oh my god! Emilie, did you really?"

"No, I didn't!" Emilie snapped. "You're a bitch, Anna. Why the hell would I think he's hot?"

"But you said "Raphael is a total dick but he's still pretty hot." You told me that last night."

"You were hearing things." Emilie retorted. She turned towards the port, shielding her eyes with her hand. "We're supposed to be finding our way around, not playing stupid schoolgirls. So can we go?"

Cecilia's eyes widened. "Crap. Em, they're coming this way."

"Whatever."

"No, seriously. They're climbing the ladder." Cecilia was panicking at this point. "Oh my god, if we don't get out of here, we're dead."

"Then let's gap it." Emilie snapped, retracing her steps. "They see us and we're fucked. It's as simple as that. Anna, hurry your stupid ass up."

"I'm coming!" Anna whined, pulling herself up and meandering after her sibling. "Come on, Celia!"

Cecilia went to get up, but the sleeve of her top was caught under the ledge of the rooftop. "Shit. Guys, help!"

"For fuck's sake, Cecilia!" Emilie darted forward and grabbed Cecilia's hand. She heaved with great effort, groaning. "Jesus, you're heavy. Just take the top off! You're a freaking reptile so you don't even need it!"

"But it's the only one I have-"

"And? You can figure something else out." Emilie reached over to where Cecilia's sleeve was stuck, and tore it off. "There, it's out. Now let's go!"

Cecilia looked back at the torn sleeve, then back at her sister's hand. Reluctantly, she grabbed Emilie's hand and pulled herself up. Then she was running as fast as her legs could possibly carry her.

Don't look back. He'll be so pissed off if he sees you. Don't let him see you as irresponsible.

It's not even worth it, Cecilia. You don't have a chance in hell.


The girls made it back into the lair with no issues, but that was up to the point where Anna fell out of the sewer entrance and landed on her backside. For some peculiar reason her reaction was to laugh, which in turn got Master Splinter's attention and them caught. Yeah, their ninja skills were totally lacking. Splinter- 9. Lock, Shock and Barrel- nil.

Upon seeing the delinquent troublemakers, Master Splinter raised an eyebrow. "Your absence did not go unnoticed. Where were you?"

Emilie was about to speak when Cecilia stepped forward. "Sensei, it was my fault. I was upset so Anna and Emilie suggested we go out. I should have said no, but I didn't. I was obsessed with the idea of being audacious and impressive. I'm sorry."

"Impressive to whom?" Master Splinter asked. "Risking your life recklessly is not impressive, my dear."

Cecilia looked away. "It doesn't matter. Can I just… be alone for a while?"

Emilie's expression softened. "Sis…"

Master Splinter saw no need in questioning Cecilia any further. Her posture was enough to indicate that she'd learnt her lesson. "For as long as you need to be. If you miss out on dinner, I will have somebody bring you your meal."

"Cecilia."

She paled. Leonardo.

Trembling, Cecilia slowly turned to face the calm leader. In one hand he held a piece of pink fabric. She bit down on her lip and she glanced at the floor. You've screwed up. The only thing you should do now is not look at him.

His voice was chilling. "Is this yours?"

She dared herself to look at the torn seam of her top, and back to the pink cloth in Leonardo's hand. Cecilia swallowed, and looked up to meet his glare. She wanted to seem composed, unaffected. "Yeah, it's mine."

Leonardo didn't move. "Why did you follow us?"

Master Splinter started forward. "Leonardo."

Cecilia found her voice then. "I wasn't following you."

"Then this must have magically appeared on the rooftop."

"I'm being completely honest here, I didn't follow you." Cecilia protested, humiliated. "I needed fresh air so I snuck out, and I just happened to see you guys fighting or whatever. I watched for like five seconds, then my sleeve got stuck. So I'm sorry if I got in your way."

Leonardo didn't look convinced, but he let the accusations go anyway. "Well now you've seen the Foot Clan in action, and that's not even half of the extent they're willing to go to. You haven't seen them at their worst."

Emilie smirked. "You act as if you care."

Raphael glared at her. "Shut your mouth, half pint. No one asked you."

"Bite me." Emilie snapped.

"Raphael." Master Splinter interjected, his voice stern. "Emilie. Enough."

"She could have been killed, Sensei." Leonardo protested. "It's dangerous out there, and if she thinks it's all some kind of game-"

Master Splinter brought his staff down on the floor with a loud bang. "Leave her. You have said enough."

Leonardo closed his mouth. Frustrated, he gave Cecilia one last glare, then marched past her. It wasn't in his nature to argue, but moving on was. It would only be a matter of minutes before he'd be completely over it.

He's disappointed. Tears pricked the corners of Cecilia's eyes. She forced herself to close them. Don't cry. Crying is a weakness.

Silently she excused herself, and headed straight for the games room. She just needed time alone. It's just a stupid crush.

"You guys wouldn't believe how much traffic I had to put up with to get here." A voice called. It grew nearer with the clacking sound of high heels. "Sorry I'm so late. I brought dessert to make up for-"

An auburn-haired young woman with a yellow jacket came into view, and she stopped in her tracks when she noticed Emilie and Anna. Her bag fell from her grip, landing with a thud on the floor.

"-it. Oh my god."


Leonardo was a bit out of character when dealing with Cecilia, I'll admit. But he has a lot on his plate- the foot clan are back, which entails that Shredder will return (well really who knows, lets see how the story goes), he's a teenage guy (duh, angst) and he has to share his space with girls (big influence). Which, for a guy who has never had to live with a girl, would be pretty hard to take in. So Leo's a bit out of whack, and I'm sorry if you're thinking "Leo doesn't deal with problems like that."

Now Nightwing, I'm going to be brutally honest and say I'm sorry, but I won't be featuring "Storm Stark" in my fanfiction. It would jumble the plot, and I don't really want a crossover occurring. Besides, if she's Donnie's girlfriend, who's his counterpart (one of my OC's) going to get with? It would be confusing. I hope you don't mind. I really am sorry. Please don't kill me ;^;

You guys are all super amazing and your comments are lovely. I enjoy getting good feedback, even critical, but it's nice knowing there are people enjoying my fanfiction. And to answer some burning questions, I am indeed mixing up personalities. I go by the whole opposites attract thing, so you know... and now April has come into the picture. What shall they do? (^.o.)^

I hope you don't mind that Donatello was listening to Maroon 5 in the chapter. I sorta took him for a fan, but only of their debut album. Ish.

Stay tuned for chapter 8! Love you guys!