Chapter 10: Reunions and Repercussions

A/N: Wow! This story has now reached double digits! I'm so happy to be writing this story and am surprised I have another chapter out so fast, but that's what happens sometimes. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story. This chapter is going to get interesting.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. The Phoenix and her children are the property of Illusionna and are used with permission from the author. I only own the plot and any other characters not associated with TMNT or Illusionna.

I followed Karai, not sure what to make of what was going on. She definitely wasn't under Shredder's control anymore and that made me feel better. But it was weird that she hadn't shown herself until now.

"So, what have you been up to?" I asked her.

"I'll tell you when we get inside," she said shortly.

I closed my mouth, knowing that if I asked anything else, she would probably try to kill me. She led me to a very familiar building that once was the headquarters of the Foot Clan.

"Wait, you're taking me here?" I asked. "Does that mean you're the new leader of the Foot Clan?"

She smiled as she beckoned me inside. "Not exactly," she replied.

I followed her into the building and into the Shredder's throne room. I noticed that another young woman was there as well. She was dressed all in black with a witch's hat on her head.

"Senpai, where have you been?" asked the witch.

"I was out patrolling and ran into Tony here," Karai answered. "Tony, this is Shinigami, a friend of mine from Japan. Shinigami, this is Tony Salini, a friend of my brothers'."

"It is nice to meet you, Tony," Shinigami said as she bowed.

I bowed back. "Nice to meet you too. So, how long have you known each other?"

"Since we were kids," Karai answered. "I even taught Shinigami ninjutsu since she wanted to learn it. Of course, Shredder didn't approve of my friendship with her, so I taught her in secret."

"And now she's here," I noted.

She nodded. "Yes, I sent for her because I needed her."

"Why have you been hiding all of this time? Don't you know that Leo has been worried about you?"

"If he was so worried about me, why didn't he try to find me during the invasion?" Karai retorted.

"Probably because we were too busy going around space trying to save the world," I countered. "Leo worried about you every day, Karai. His main objective for the mission was to make sure Splinter didn't get killed again by Shredder and to find you."

Karai's eyes widened in shock. "Shredder killed Splinter?" she gasped.

"Yes, but we escaped with the Fugitoid who helped us save the world so it didn't happen again. Man, Leo is so gonna freak when I tell him I found you."

Karai glared at me. "You aren't going to tell Leo anything," she said firmly.

"Why not? Don't you want him to know you're safe?"

"I don't want him to know what I've been doing because he would freak out about it."

"What ARE you doing anyway besides holing up in the home that was never your own?"

"Shinigami and I are trying to take down Shredder's empire," she answered. "Since we have no idea where he is, we figure that by destroying his empire we can take him down for good."

"But won't he find out about it and seek revenge eventually?"

"Of course he will and I'm counting on that so I can take him down myself."

"So, why are you telling me this?"

"Because I think you can help me do it."

22222

"Well, that was a bust," said Mikey gloomily after Tony stormed out. "Do you think we should go after him?"

"Nah, let him be," Gino said. "He'll come home on his own if he wants to."

"I am sorry things did not work out the way you wanted them to," Splinter apologized.

Gino waved him away. "It's not your fault," he said. "I never should have done it in the first place. Tony's a lot like his dad was. I guess I should have expected this."

"If there's anything we can do, please let us know," Phoenix said as she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," Gino said.

Everyone left after that, and Gia and Keno retreated upstairs to their rooms. Gino sat down with a glass of whiskey and his own thoughts. He just hoped Tony would come home and then they could talk about this. He never should have forced Tony to open up, but he felt that maybe that meant Tony had gone through something worse than what he was saying. If that was the case, then maybe Tony needed help and fast.

"You better come home soon, kid," he whispered. "We need you around here."

22222

"Wait, you want me to help you take down Shredder's empire?" I seriously couldn't believe what Karai wanted me to do. Was she insane? Well, she was brought up by a maniac bent on killing other people, I reminded myself.

"I think you'd be perfect for it," Karai answered. "It's not like the Turtles invite you on all of their missions anyway."

"That's because I have a job," I pointed out.

"Well, you seem to be off of your job today," she replied. "So this is your big chance to help me."

"What exactly are we doing? We aren't gonna kill people, are we? Because if we are, I am so out of here."

Karai shook her head. "No, it's more about just taking his empire down and destroying what he built. I already know one of the places we can hit, and we're going there tonight."

"Okay, I'm in," I said. I knew Leo and the others wouldn't be happy about it, but I didn't care what they thought anymore. I was too pissed at them for what they'd tried to do to me.

I followed Karai and Shinigami out of the building and across the rooftops until we reached another building. It was one I didn't know about, but judging by the smile on Karai's face, this was one of the buildings Shredder owned.

"Let us look in here," Shinigami said.

As we entered the building, I gasped at what I saw. It was very big, but what caught my eye were the piles of money scattered on the floor. Didn't the guy ever hear about safes?

"Jackpot!" Karai gloated. "This is just what we need."

Shinigami took a lighter out of her pocket and set fire to one of the piles of money.

"Wait, shouldn't we turn this in to the police or something?"

"What's the point in that?" Karai snapped. "It's just tainted money."

"But don't you think burning it is a waste? You could always donate it to charity or something like that."

Karai snorted. " I highly doubt any charity would be interested in any money Shredder has. This is a better way. As long as we destroy his money, we destroy part of his empire. Now, let's get out of here."

I followed the two of them out of the building, my heart filled with trepidation. I wasn't sure this was the right thing to do, but I had promised Karai I was in on this with them. I followed them to two more buildings where more money was stashed and we burned that, too. It was just as we were leaving the second building that I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on the building across from us.

"Oh, shit," I cursed.

22222

Leo tossed and turned in his bed, unable to get his mind off of Tony. Had he returned home like Gino said he would, or was he still out on the streets? He tried to meditate to get back to sleep, but it wasn't working. With a growl of frustration, Leo got out of bed and left the Lair to look for his wayward friend.

He checked the apartment, but Tony wasn't in his room as he should have been. That meant that he hadn't returned home as Gino had thought he would. Leo considered waking Gino and alerting him that his nephew was still gone but decided against it. Maybe there was a chance that Leo would find him on his own.

He left the apartment and started off across the rooftops. He checked the shop but found that Tony wasn't there either. So, where would he go? He kept searching alleys and other buildings, hoping to find his friend soon. It was as he was on the rooftop and looking at an adjacent building that he spotted Tony along with someone he thought he would never see again.

He gasped, "Karai?!"

Tony looked up and spotted him. "Oh, shit," the boy cursed. Yep, he knew he was in trouble.

22222

"Karai, what are you doing here?" Leo demanded.

Karai smiled at him. "Hey, Leo, it's been a while. How have you been?"

"Don't start that with me," Leo growled. "I've been looking for you all over the city. Where have you been all of this time?"

"At Foot Headquarters," she answered.

"So, you're head of the Foot now?"

"No, it's just a temporary home for us," she replied. "We'll move to our own place soon enough. Oh, this is my friend, Shinigami. Shinigami, this is my brother, Leonardo."

Shinigami smiled. "Ah, so this is the famous Leonardo. Karai has told me much about you."

"I'm sure she has," Leo said guardedly. "It's nice to meet you though." Then he turned his gaze onto me. "Tony, why aren't you at home?"

"He's decided to join my cause," Karai answered.

Leo glared at her. "I think Tony can answer for himself," he said firmly.

"Because you guys ambushed me with that intervention thing," I responded. "That wasn't cool, Leo."

"It was your uncle's idea, and we agreed it would be a good thing," Leo pointed out.

"Why would you think that?" I demanded.

"Because we're worried about you, Tony. You haven't been yourself, and we just want to know what's been going on with you."

"And I made it clear that I don't want to talk about it," I reminded him. "Tell Uncle Gino I'm safe and I'm going to be staying with Karai for a few days."

"And after that?" Leo prompted.

I hesitated as I thought of my answer. I knew I couldn't hide away forever and I really didn't want to put my uncle through any more grief after all we had been through. "After that, I'll come home," I finally answered.

Leo nodded. "Fair enough. Take care of him, Karai."

"Don't worry, Leo, Tony will be fine," she reassured him.

"Good. So, what is this cause of yours anyway?"

"We're trying to bring down Shredder's empire," she responded. "We figure that the sooner we take down his empire, the sooner we can lure him out of hiding and take him down once and for all."

"Do you think that's wise?" Leo questioned. "Shredder isn't going to go easy on you after he finds out what you've done. You could be risking your life. Maybe we can help you."

"It's the best plan we have," Karai retorted. "And I don't really need your help, Leo. I can handle Shredder on my own."

Leo shook his head. "You don't know what you're talking about, Karai. This is the man who killed Sensei. He would have no qualms about killing you, too."

"And I know his moves," she said. "Plus, I'll have Shinigami with me. We'll be fine."

"I hope you aren't going to involve Tony in that part of the plan," Leo said worriedly.

"Nah, I know you wouldn't like it so he'll be spared from that part."

"I still think you're playing a dangerous game, Karai, but I know I can't stop you from doing what you want to do. Just take care of Tony and make sure he gets home safely." With one last look at all three of us, Leo turned and left.

"Is he always so uptight like that?" Shinigami asked us.

"Pretty much," Karai and I said in unison.

"So, where to from here?"

"It's getting late, and I'm tired," Karai said. "Let's get some food from Murakami's and call it a night."

"Sounds good to me," I said.

22222

Gino was startled awake by a knock on his bedroom window. He sat bolt upright in bed and reached for the pistol he had on his nightstand before realizing it was one of the Turtles outside his window. He put his gun away and immediately opened the window to let Leo in.

"Leo, what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I just saw Tony," Leo replied.

A shiver of alarm passed through Gino at the mention of his missing nephew. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," reassured Leo. "He's going to stay with Karai and her friend for a few days and then come home."

"Isn't Karai your sister?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Well, as long as he comes home, I'm not gonna worry about it."

"I promise I'll keep an eye on him."

"But you just said he was with your sister and that he was fine."

"He is, but Karai is kind of reckless sometimes. I just don't want her to get Tony in trouble or anything."

"I see. Well, just make sure he comes home in one piece."

"I'll do my best, Mr. Salini. Have a good night."

"You too. Hey, Leo?"

Leo turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"Next time, try to visit when I'm awake, okay?"

He smiled. "You got it."

22222

The next four days with Karai and Shinigami were awesome. We mostly found Shredder's buildings and tried to get rid of whatever was inside as well as getting rid of the buildings themselves. I knew this couldn't last and that we would soon be confronted and it came true in the form of the Purple Dragons as well as Bebop, Rocksteady, and Tiger Claw.

Tiger Claw smirked. "So the cub has come out of hiding," he mused.

"I guess I did," Karai retorted. "What brings you here?"

"Did you really think you would be able to get away with this treachery?" Tiger Claw demanded. "You dare to betray the man who raised you as a daughter."

"I am no daughter of his!" she spat. "My father is Hamato Yoshi."

"You are a traitor to the Foot," Tiger Claw charged. "Perhaps it is time to teach you a lesson." He motioned with his hand, and Bebop, Rocksteady, and the Dragons charged us. Karai held off Rocksteady while Shinigami faced down Bebop. That left me with the Dragons. Fong charged at me, but I dodged him and managed to give him a roundhouse kick to the floor. Tsoi and Sid came next, but I dodged them and made them collide into each other. Seeing them down, I went to help Karai with Rocksteady and managed to distract him long enough for Karai hit him with a few pressure points. Shinigami dodged Bebop's lasers and used this weird pendant she had to make him think he was seeing things. While he was distracted, she took him down easily.

Enraged by our victory, Tiger Claw got ready to charge us, but before he could do anything, he suddenly slumped to the ground in an unconscious heap. We looked up to see someone I knew only too well standing there.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," Danielle said.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"Taking down the mutants who are plaguing this city," she replied.

"Did you just kill him?" Karai asked her.

"No, I just knocked him out. He'll be sent to a special lab where they will take care of him and study him further. But if you want to stop me from doing this, all you have to do is join my cause, Tony. I could use you and your friends."

"I won't do it," I answered.

"Such a shame," she said. "I suppose I'll just have to take you by force."

"Over my dead body!" Karai charged.

Danielle smirked. "That can easily be arranged." She pulled out a gun and aimed it at Karai. Seeing what was about to happen, Karai threw blinding powder in Danielle's face and then threw a smoke bomb on the floor. By the time the smoke cleared, we were all gone.

"Who was that woman?" Shinigami asked me.

I was trembling all over. "She was the one who abducted me," I answered.

"Is this what that intervention was for?" Karai inquired.

I nodded. "Yeah. They wanted to find out what happened to me. I just don't want her to get me again."

"She won't," Karai assured me. "But I do think you need to tell the others what happened to you. This woman could come for them next."

I bowed my head. "I guess you're right. Time for me to face the music."

22222

"And so I used the vent to escape," I concluded. As I finished my story, I looked at the faces of my family and friends. Some were filled with shock at my story while others had faces filled with sympathy for what I had gone through.

"Dude, that was totally cool how you escaped like that," Mikey commented.

"It was very ingenious of you to do that," Splinter added. "Nicely done."

"Thanks," I said.

"I gotta say, Tony, you really are a smart kid," Uncle Gino said. "But that doesn't excuse you from what you did."

I hung my head in shame. "I know," I said humbly.

"And that means you're grounded for a month. No going out with your friends or anything else like that. You can go for training and for work, but that's it. You got it?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"Miwa, it is good to see you again," Splinter said. "I was hoping you would like to come and stay with us tonight."

"Sorry, Father, but Shinigami and I have a place to stay," Karai answered. "But I can still visit if that's okay."

Splinter nodded. "It is fine with me."

After everyone left, I had some dinner and then went straight to my room. I still felt guilty about what I had put everyone through, but I still felt betrayed by what everyone tried to do to me even if it was for my own good.

"Dude, you really messed up this time," Keno noted.

"Not more than I have before," I contradicted.

"Nah, this time was worse. You should have seen Uncle Gino, dude. He was really worried about you."

"Well, I'm home now so everyone can relax. Let's get some sleep."

Keno nodded and settled down into bed. Before I drifted off to sleep though, I had to wonder about Danielle and what was going to happen with her. She wasn't going to give up her cause, and I just hoped that we could stop her before she did any more harm to others in the city.

A/N: And so another chapter ends. I had a lot of fun with this one and hoped you liked it too. Not sure when the next chapter will be out but I do have ideas for it. And now I just found out my dad will be returning home on Monday so my online time will be limited at best. I'll still do what I can though, but I'm not going to make any promises on anything. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.