Hello everyone! I'm really pleased to see that there are some new people reading this story! I've gotten a couple of notifications since my last update and I'm thrilled to know that there are some interested people out there in my work. I've gotten the latest chapter up and running, and I'm hoping there will only be a few more chapters to this story. I know it seems rather short, but I don't want to drag it on when I have a million more ideas running in my head for what adventure will come next. Please leave me a review if you have time. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Chapter Ten

Damn it, why don't I have the strength to heal this?!

Destiny growled softly in frustration as she tugged at the shirt she had found within the offices of the docks, having turned the piece of clothing into a makeshift bandage that could be wrapped around her side to hold her ribs in place. It wasn't exactly her brightest plan, and part of her wished that she hadn't fled from the lair so quickly as to cause herself more pain, but there hadn't been a choice. Had she waited any longer than the distance between herself and the turtles would have been far less than it was, for she was sure that they were going to follow her as soon as they realized that she had disappeared. Leonardo was not going to take too kindly to the fact that she had vanished on him after having been unconscious for almost twenty-four hours.

She grit her teeth tightly as she moved between the large metal crates that lined the docks, careful to keep one hand stretched outward that might continue to guide her forward in the darkness. With such little lighting, she couldn't be sure of where the crates ended anymore, and the last thing she needed was to risk premature exposure to any other figures lurking about in the shadows that night. There would be enough of those to contend with shortly. She had no idea of how many men were expected to be there to take the shipment, but Destiny was pretty sure that it wouldn't be a one man job.

Not that she could handle even one right now.

She could hear the quiet bickering of voices in the distance, and she could only assume that that was the direction she needed to go in. Recent experience told her that the Purple Dragons were not exactly the most subtle people in the crime world, but they certainly weren't entirely stupid either. Very slowly, as her fingers found the edge of another container and the light began to shine from the other side, Destiny turned her head until she could catch a glance of what awaited her. Sure enough, there was a crowd of brutish looking men who all hustled to remove the chemicals from their metal container, each one carrying a large metal bin with the gleaming bio-hazard sign on the outside. But now that she had found them, what was she going to do about it?

In her haste to get to the docks the young woman had been forced to use the bottom part of the shirt that she had stolen to create a make-shift mask to place across her face. Now that Hun and most of his minions had had a look at her when she had tried to stop them in the park her identity was at risk. The instant they realized who she was they would know just how much damage had already been done to her body, and they would surely take advantage of it. After all, she'd embarrassed him enough for one lifetime.

"Well, I guess it's now or never," she muttered.

"Why don't we save you the entrance?"

Before Destiny had a chance to move she could feel the sharp slam of an arm come down across her chest, crushing her up against the side of the metal container and removing the air from her lungs. Her knees threatened to buckle beneath her before she was caught, two sets of arms reaching forward to grab her before she could fall completely. But it was the cold chuckle of a nearby body that told her she wasn't in friendly company as they dragged her around the corner and into the dim light that flooded from the active area.

"Hey boss, look what I found lurking around in the shadows!"

Despite the effort she put into struggling against their hold, Destiny found that she got herself no further as she attempted to escape. She should have been paying better attention to what was going on around her. Of course they would have a guard who wandered around in case someone like her decided to barge in on their theft. They would have been prepared for the arrival of the Hunter, since she had practically been stalking them in the hopes of bringing the entire organization down. And of course, in her weakened state, Destiny had walked right into their hands without a prayer of being able to shake them off of her. Each twist and tug was a futile effort, resulting only in a new pain that shot up her side and yanked at the tender spots of her skin that were already beaten from her last encounter with the Purple Dragons.

But as they tugged her forward and into the sea of men, Destiny came to realize that it wasn't just the Purple Dragon organization who stood on the docks that night. There were others among them, men concealed within black material and masks that eerily resembled the ninja she had so often read about in books. Damn, if this wasn't the Foot clan, she didn't know what it was.

And that could mean only one thing.

"It would seem that the Hunter decided to make an appearance tonight after all."

At the end of the crowd stood a figure that she had never before laid eyes on. His entire body was covered with a suit of metal that reflected the bright beams of moonlight as the clouds parted in the sky to let them shine forth, illuminating the docks a little more as men hurried in and out of a large shipping container in an effort to empty it of its contents. But the design of the suit was not something that came from the modern era at all. Instead it looked as if it should have stood in a museum as part of a Japanese display, a design so old that she hardly though it to be useful in this time period. But considering the material of which it was made, one could only assume that it served some sort of purpose to still be worn. Though why his face was covered with the same metallic substance was anybody's guess.

"You know me," she stated mockingly, trying to ignore the pains in her body. "I'd hate to disappoint anyone by not showing up."

Her wise-ass comment was not well received by her audience. Another sharp twist to her arm was enough to make the girl cry through grit teeth before she was forced to her knees before the masked leader. But it was another who stepped forward and leered down at her with a look of great satisfaction. Breathing a little heavier the vigilante looked up at the hulking shadow that loomed above and saw the familiar face of Hun, wearing a grin that instantly caused her skin to crawl.

"We meet again, Hunter," he announced smugly.

"Oh, Hunny-Bear," mocked the girl. "You didn't think I'd forget to say hello, did you?"

His smirk vanished at being addressed so. In response he lifted one of his massive feet and planted it firmly into her stomach, once more knocking the wind clear from her lungs and leaving her to cough and sputter on the ground for only a moment before she was once again pulled upright and restrained by two of his thugs. But that wasn't enough punishment for her yet. He seized her chin roughly in one of his meaty hands and lifted it upward so that he could better look at the masked visage of the vigilante who had caused him so much trouble over the past few months. Now he could finally bring it all to an end and prevent her from ever meddling in his business again. The Hunter's days had come to an end.

"Wait."

The unexpected order caused Hun to pause and turn to look over at his employer, teeth grit in annoyance at being delayed in ending her life. All it would have taken was a swift turn of his wrist and she would have forever been stopped from ever interfering again. But there seemed to be another plan in mind, as the metallic form motioned for his men to continue their work and slowly moved himself forward until he stood just above Destiny's immobile form.

"Remove the mask," he ordered. "Let us see the true face of this vigilante."

Though his displeasure was clearly written upon his face, Hun did not argue. The hand that had been holding her chin released its hold and instead fixed itself around the material of the mask that she had so hastily thrown together. In one sharp movement it was ripped away, leaving her face to be completely exposed to their eyes. And in that moment, she could hear Hun growl darkly when he came to recognize the face that lay beneath the disguise.

"You."

Lifting her head just a little, Destiny laughed weakly. "Me."

There was no need to guess at his displeasure. His voice absolutely dripped with the disgust that he felt when he looked at her and realized just who it was that had been dragged before him. No doubt he would remember the young woman who had interrupted his men in the park only the other day, which in turn meant that he would recall the beating that he had inflicted upon her. So when the tight lipped grin appeared on his face, Destiny knew exactly what it was that he was thinking about. He was thinking about the damage that had been done; how easily she had been captured that night without the same fuss that she had previously caused when she had come to stop their nightly activities.

He knew of her weakness.

"Well, Little Hunter," he sneered, reaching down to wrap his beefy hand around her throat and lift her slowly from the ground. "I suppose I should take this as a sign. You're meant to die by my hand after all."

Gasping for air the girl lifted her hands to try and pry his fingers away from her throat, struggling in his grip as much as she could manage in her already tired state. But as her feet slowly left the ground she had nothing else to support herself with as Hun continued his assault on her windpipe, causing her head to begin swimming as her vision slowly flickered in and out. A few more moments of this and he would certainly bring an end to the life of the person who had plagued him for the last several months. There was nothing to stop him. Her powers were not working, she had no energy to shake him off of her.

This appeared to be the end of the Hunter. Never again would she wander the streets of New York by night to lend a hand where she could. The whispers about her mysterious appearances would come to an end and soon the city would forget that such a person had ever existed. She would once again be a speck of dust on the face of the earth.

"SHREDDER!"

Alarmed by the sudden cry from above, Hun released his hold on Destiny so quickly that she barely felt the time between his release and hitting the cold pavement below. She wheezed loudly as the air rushed back into her lungs and the sharp pain radiated from her side once more, alerting her body to the fact that she was somehow still alive after being so quickly captured. With her head still swimming and her vision unfocused Destiny attempted to lift her head to see where the voice had come from, only to smile weakly as she came to recognize the faint outlines of four bodies standing on some of the shipping containers around the dock. They had managed to catch up to her after all, she thought to herself.

Oh boy, was she in for it now.

"Ahh," came the metallic sound of his voice. "The turtles. Have you come to watch your friend die?"

Before she knew what was happening Destiny felt someone yank her upward into a weak standing position, pressing her back against the sharp edges of the Shredder's suit as they twisted an arm behind her and placed something else firmly against her throat. It didn't take a genius to know that it was the blade of a knife that they pressed against her skin, making it hard for the girl to breathe after her near-death ordeal with Hun. But the harsh way in which her arm had been wrenched behind her was enough to make the girl cry out in pain as she felt her shoulder pop out of place. The only reason she remained standing was because most of her weight was currently being held up by the masked maniac in metal. And he certainly wasn't being gentle with her.

"Let her go!" Raph warned with his dark growl. "Your fight is with us!"

"We're only going to warn you once," Leo added in the same fearsome tone.

The pressure against her throat increased and forced Destiny to try and turn her head away, only to be met with an immovable object that instantly brought her escape to a halt. Through grit teeth she cried out, still trying to pry herself away from the clutches of the Shredder, but the demon held her fast and refused to give her even an inch of space that she might somehow use against him. Weak as she was though, she could still feel the nervous and angry energies that emanated from the four turtles atop the containers, screaming at her and struggling to be the dominant emotion that she felt.

It was Donatello who held the most concern, clearly afraid of the damage being done to her body when she was already operating well below average. Already he was thinking of an escape plan for if and when they were able to extract her successfully. From Michelangelo came a more nervous feeling as she felt him observing the number of men who stood below and in the spaces between them. He knew that the coming battle was not going to be an easy one. There were easily ten bodies for each of the brothers to combat, not including those who continued to steal from the shipping containers and disappear into the shadows.

But never before had Destiny felt so much hate and anger as what she knew was radiating between Leonardo and Raphael, both of whom stood with increased tension and glared down at the lone figure who taunted them with the blade that danced along her skin. Even as she searched their minds with the little strength that she had, Destiny could find no trace of anything else. Granted, she wasn't able to get very far before her abilities reached their limit, but for the first time in a very long time she found herself to be a little frightened of the dangerous emotions affixed in her direction. Though she was not the target of them, it still made her incredibly uneasy. A single misstep was all it would take to get them hurt…or worse.

The Shredder's cold laugh of amusement rang loudly in her ears. "It would seem that you are incredibly popular tonight, my dear," he said to her, though his eyes never once left the turtles. "What a shame that you will have to die."

She had to do something now. Her time had run out and in the next few seconds the blade was sure to be pulled sharply across her throat and forever end her life before any of the turtles could even think of jumping down to try and save her. There was only one person who could potentially get her out of this mess…and she might not have the strength to do anything else after she did. It might all be for naught.

But she had to try, she told herself quickly. "Not today, Shredder."

Closing her eyes and focusing hard, Destiny summoned what little energy she still had to gather together in the core of her body. For a moment she could feel it all surging to the desired spot, coming together with a warm tingle that reached down to the pit of her stomach and the ends of her toes. And with a cry that ripped through her throat she released the energy in all directions and sent those who surrounded her flying backward against the closest objects, namely each other and the shipping containers scattered about the dock. The knife fell away from her throat and the Shredder was forced back nearly ten feet, but somehow managed to remain upright as his arms came to protect his face and shield his eyes from the brightness of the light that also emitted from her body.

The problem now was that she was barely able to remain on her own feet, for as soon as the energy left her body she was left in a much weaker state than before. Her pathetic attempt at fleeing the scene only brought her forward a few steps until she stumbled and fell against a nearby piece of equipment for support, struggling to escape while the others began to shake off the shock of her attack and get to their feet once more.

"DES!"

With only one arm that she could use to support herself and vision that was not serving her well, she couldn't be too sure where the enemy was and how close they were getting to her. But it was Leonardo's call that brought some of her senses back into a workable mode as she turned herself around and pressed her back firmly against the edge of a shipping container. He sounded like he was still above her, though she doubted that he would remain so for too long. There was a clashing of metal somewhere in front of her, a sure sign that the fighting had begun…but were they going to be a match for the forces that surrounded the docks that night? There were Purple Dragon and Foot Ninja both in attendance, never mind the ruling presence of the Shredder who had seemed rather sure of himself when the turtles had appeared. And since she had foolishly allowed herself to be caught like that she wasn't going to be of much use in the fighting. All she could do was pray that her vision would shortly clear and the four brothers would be alright.

Cursing her own stupidity under her breath Destiny blinked several times in rapid succession, each time finding that her eyes were slowly returning to their original state of sight. Things were certainly not looking all that good as the number of bodies pressing against the turtles grew with every blink, but she could no longer see the Shredder or Hun within the chaos, which could only mean that the two of them had fled to secure the chemicals they had come to steal. The rest was pure distraction, a way of keeping their enemy occupied while they snuck away unharmed. And it seemed that their tactic was working well, for as she slowly looked around her she realized that all four of the brothers were far too busy fighting with the men who attacked them to pay attention to much else that might have been going on.

A wild cry caught her attention and caused her head to snap around quickly, spotting a Purple Dragon who came charging at her from within the fray, his hand raised high as he clenched a pipe tightly within his fist. For a moment she felt nothing but panic. He ran at her so quickly that she barely had time to push herself away from the edge of the container and roll painfully on the ground to avoid having the weight of the pipe come down on her head. But when the man realized that he had missed her he was quick to pick it up and raise the weapon again, knowing that there was no place else for her to turn and run. He had her cornered and he knew it.

But the blow never came. With a shift in his weight the man began to bring the pipe down as if to strike and suddenly found his way blocked by a turtle of dark green who caught the swing by crossing his sais together and pushing as hard as he could in retaliation. Before he knew what was happening, the man who might have ended her life was sent flying backward and stopped only when he made contact with another body.

"Come here, kid."

With the same speed that had brought him to save her, Raphael dropped his sais back into the belt he wore at his waist and scooped Destiny up into his arms, looking slightly apologetic when she hissed in pain at having her one arm dangle uselessly by her side. She couldn't feel the tips of her fingers very well, a sure sign that it had likely been dislocated by the rough handling of the Shredder, but she reached out with her better hand and pulled it securely into her body despite the terrible pain that shot into her shoulder as a result. With nothing more that she could do, she allowed herself to fall firmly against Raphael's chest and become as small as possible while he looked around him at the other three brothers.

"I got her, let's go!"

Nobody needed to be told twice it seemed. Raph took off running as soon as he had delivered his message and Leo was the first to fall in behind him as they hurried toward their destination. Somewhere along the journey they were joined by both Donatello and Michelangelo, the latter of whom made his presence known by getting up ahead of them and giving her a cheeky little wave and a wink in greeting. She dared not respond as soon as she felt the vibes of anger that radiated from Leonardo, but instead focused on keeping herself alert as they made their twists and turns through the docks. Some of the sharp movements were beginning to affect her, leaving the girl a little dizzy when Raph leapt from the ground with her still held tightly in his arms and landed somewhere else to continue his running.

After what seemed like eternity they came to a momentary stop. "You might want to close your eyes," Raph told her, glancing at her with a bit of a frown. "With how beat up you are, you're not gonna like this."

Destiny was about to question him when she heard the sound of metal scrapping against the ground and looked down to see exactly what it was that Raphael was talking about. Donatello pulled the man hole cover aside to reveal the traditional way of regaining entrance to the sewers, looking around him nervously to ensure that they were not being watched.

"We have to hurry," he said, turning his eyes to the direction from which they had just come. "We're still being chased."

Leo dropped down first, followed by Mikey…which left Raph to follow next so that Don could close up their escape route behind them. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Destiny did as instructed and closed her eyes as she turned her face even more into his chest. Oh boy, did she have a really bad feeling about this…