Chapter 9: Family Reunion

I lay on the seat, feeling the car bump on the road. The sun disappears behind the rock, leaving me cold. I stop fidgeting with the cuffs as the window opens. I close my eyes.

"I have found Hamato Leonardo and have brought him for Master Shredder." Nick says.

Thank my shell he used a deep voice!

The other guy uses a deep voice in Japanese. The stupid thing being that…well…Nick doesn't know a bit of the language!

"Uh…Hai," Nick says.

The animal grunts. I hear Judy suck in a breath. Then, there's something scampering across my wrists. It shakes the cuffs. In another moment, I feel tiny breathes by my neck.

I yelp as something sticks in my neck. Burning drives down my back and I can't move! There's a squeak, then the bigger animal growls in Japanese, "You didn't tranquilize him."

Nick says nothing for a moment, then," Uh…hai. Gomennasai."

Thank goodness he didn't say thank you!

The animal says again," Anata no tomadachi?" Your friend?

Say I, I will with my mind. Say I! It means good!

"Uh…yotta."

DRUNK! Shell, I wish I had taught him Japanese!

I think it confuses the animal. It snorts and says, "Ie motto oywai. Ikimas." No more celebrating. Go.

"Uh…Hai. Arigato."

"IKIMAS!"

Nick slams on the gas and we're gone.

Nick sighs," That was horrible."

"You called Juliet drunk," I say," Judy, come back here."

Nick snorts while Judy comes to me. "What is it?"

"There's…there's something in my neck. You need to pull it out. I can't move."

"Um…okay," Judy whispers.

Nick isn't fazed, luckily," Did I do okay?"

I yell as Judy pulls something long and black out. Pins and needles stab me through my body," Y-yeah, you did fine."

"Do I undo the cuffs?" Judy asks.

"No. But when we stop, ninja's will surround us. Open the door. We'll knock them out. Then we'll take the cuffs off."

"How do you know animals will be waiting?" Judy asks, massaging my soar shoulders.

I groan in pain," I just…I just do. Trust me."

"Always," Nick whispers. "I have never doubted you. You know when to tell the truth. You know when the time is always right. I appreciate it."

I smile, touched, but say," You must stop telling me these things, Nicky D. It's unhealthy."

Nick snorts, but I can see a smile on his snout.

"You better get back to the front, Juliet. We're arriving."

Judy hops back to her seat. I close my eyes and focus. Raph…he's close. Donnie. Mikey.

They seem to call to me, too.

Leo.

I'm coming, guys. Just a few more minutes.

The car stops. Nick and Judy get out. They say something and the door opens.

A pair of hands grab my shoulders…and I let my anger out. The Foot soldiers don't last a minute as I let my rage out. Rage at Bogo's incompetence. Rage at keeping all those things from Nick. Rage for Shredder taking my brothers.

Somedays, I can be just as mean as Raph.

Nick kicks a few down and Judy tases the others. I break my cuffs and smash a few skulls as Raph would say. When one is left, I grab it and hiss, "Where are my brothers?"

Judy and Nick stab the robots and tie the living in a painful style. I know Shredder can see me. He'll be coming. Somehow, I'm daring him to.

The ninja says nothing so I punch it, "WHERE ARE THEY?!" Nick and Judy join me.

"They will have sent back up by now," Judy says.

I stare at the ninja.

"Leo," Nick says.

When I hear the pounding of heavy feet, I knock the ninja out and turn to my friends, "To the vents. Hopefully Shredder can't hear us."

"And…if he can?"

I shrug," God save us all."

Judy looks sick. Nick nods and we start jogging to a wall we can scale to a vent.

He's coming. I can sense it.

"Get my brothers," I whisper to Judy as I push her toward the vent, "Don't look back. Get them out."

"They'll come back for you. We all will. "Judy objects.

"Don't. Shredder will expect that. Get to Karai and Usagii. They'll know what to do."

"What about Nick?"

I pat her shoulder, "Send him my thanks."

"You're stubborn."

I smile," Thank you. It's a gift."

With that, I throw Judy up to Nick and turn to face my fate. Hopefully, I'll be able to see my brothers just one last time.

Just as I expose my twin swords, he appears. Gauntlet already exposed, armor looking shinier than ever and eyes glaring like the monster he is. His fur is shaved away at his eyes, showing scars that I gave him. He was the worst mutation Higher Up ever made. The DNA of a snake, a tiger and a human all combined to make Saki. A monster made of hell's ingredients. And I just happened to be the mortal that gets in his way.

He starts circling me. I call, "You got me. Now let my family go."

"My soldiers," Shredder hisses," they said you were dead. They promised they left you to rot in a snow bank. But, low and behold, the world's handsome prince is here and his blood soon to be rolling over my feet."

"You kill me," I say, "and you won't get away with it. The world would be out for you."

"Let them come," He smirks under his mask, "It will all be worth it to see you suffer."

"And end up in prison!"

His eyes twinkle," All be worth it to see you fall."

Finally, he attacks. I block and swing with everything in me. Not just physically with iai spins and katas but with my heart. This time I have the world to fight for.

Shredder earns a roar as I slam the hilt of my Katana into his bad eye. Then I see him. Nick and coming behind him are Judy and-

TWACK!

I yell as Shredder slams his foot into my beak. I fly backwards as he knocks me off my feet, sending my swords flying. He kneels across me and grabs my throat, squeezing, raising his claws.

"I hope you said you good-byes, Ninja."

"BOOYAKASHA!"

Shredder freezes up as Nick tases him, on high, at the back of his neck.

Shredder sizzles and falls. The next thing I see is red and green screaming and crushing me.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE WITH NICK! YOU COULD HAVE DIED!"

Mikey and Donnie pile on top of me, too. I can hear Judy hollering she couldn't leave me and lie to all four of them. My brothers don't appear to be hurt, which seems like the perfect miracle.

Between hollers, I yell, "RUN! MOVE! THE FOOT! MOVE!"

My brothers get the message. Raph jumps up and orders, "To the bikes. They're the fastest way out of here."

Judy protests, "What about Mr. Big's car-"

"Forget the car! GO!"

My brothers and Nick and Judy run. Raph stays and helps me to my feet," You dork, how on Earth did you find Nick in the ginormous city?"

I smirk," You really think that if you three got lost in this city, I wouldn't go get help from our favorite fox cop."

Raph grins," Let's get out of here. Share a bike?" He holds up his hand.

"Share a bike," I say, clasping his hand.

When we reach the dragon bikes, we see Judy and Nick, Donnie and Mikey each shares a bike. I hop on behind Raph right as Shredder comes around the corner. He points to me and yells," GET! HIM!"

"GO!" Raph and I scream. Mikey, Raph and Nick slam on the gas and we're down the tunnel. Ahead the cave is closing.

"WE'RE GONNA DO A MOVIE SCENE!" Mikey yells.

Then all we boys scream at the top of our lungs, "BOOYAKABUNGA!"

And like normal, we make it through, with arrows flying all around us. The mouse and the beast form the entrance yell as we fly by and out of the cemetery.

We're alive. Nick and Judy can tell Bogo where Shredder is and they can go arrest him. And we've got our family back.

I tighten my grip around Raph's waist and turn my head to look at Nick. I rest my cheek on the back of Raph's neck.

For once, after so many years, I feel whole again.