TMNT - Crossing the Line

by Ithilear

(I do not own TMNT. Fanfic based on fanart "Crossing the Line" by Sleepingseeker, /art/Crossing-the-Line-404444133.) Leo's and Karai's paths always seem to cross, but never merge. What would happen if they threw caution to the wind, ignored every barrier, followed their hearts, and united? Let the world crumble...it's their time.

10. Confidence

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TMNT – Crossing the Line – Chapter 10 – Confidence

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(I do not own TMNT.)

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Finally finished this one!

Please let me know what you think of it. :)

Thanks for reading!

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Every muscle in Shredder's body screamed for Leonardo's blood. He coiled like a snake, sprang forward, and deftly extended the blades nestled within his bracers as he flew over the stairs. The holographic embodiment of his daughter's fiery silhouette, engrossed by the limbs, and lips, of the enemy's, expanded before his eyes until it consumed his field of vision. With a shout of rage he burst through the image, descended upon the M.O.U.S.E.R., and stabbed it with his six blades, tearing it apart with one violent twist of his forearms. Pieces of metal and wire whizzed through the air and clattered to the floor. He stood now, shoulders heaving with every wrathful breath he took, fists and teeth clenched white.

First Tang Shen, and now my daughter. The Hamato clan steals EVERYTHING that is mine! He could almost smell and taste blood as the memories of his heartbroken past and heart wrenching present merged. Hamato Yoshi's protégé is every bit as treacherous as he is. …You…Hamato Leonardo…I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS!

A small shuffling movement behind him brought him back to the present; his two lieutenants were standing by, watching their seething master closely, unsure of whether to stay, or go; speak, or be silent. Shredder took a deep breath and retracted his blades. Turning to face his disciples, he managed to slow his breathing with tremendous effort and looked them squarely in the eyes. "Bradford…Xever. It would appear that you were right – Karai has joined the turtle, Leonardo." The two began to bow with humble appreciation for Shredder's acknowledgment, but they were cut short. "However…" he continued sharply, "I have not forgotten that Karai siding with him can still work in my favor."

Where moments ago Shredder's anger had been explosive, now his fury turned ice-cold. Bradford and Xever shivered as they watched him ascend the stairs to his throne with glacial hostility; the air in the room seemed to have dropped thirty degrees in a matter of seconds. They had never seen him so livid, and composed, at the same time. He turned to face them at the summit.

"If Karai has completely won the turtle's trust, he will inevitably bring her to his lair," Shredder assessed. "No matter how far away, or deep underground, they go, she WILL eventually lead me to Splinter." Eyes on the prize…I haven't forgotten whom I want to destroy the MOST. "However…there is still the possibility, no matter how slight, that this is part of a secret plan of Karai's to infiltrate the turtles." His henchmen looked as though they'd like to protest, but Shredder ignored them and continued.

"Send every Foot-bot we have at them." His voice lowered dangerously. "Surround the apartment building. When they leave, no matter which direction they choose, have the bots convene on their route and engage them in combat. You two will follow, and watch. If Karai turns against the turtle during the battle, do nothing. If, however, she turns against our forces…" he gritted his teeth. "…And fights alongside the turtle, you will join the fight and capture her."

Xever looked surprised. "But…what about letting her lead us to Splinter?"

Shredder peered at him with a gaze that could freeze magma. Xever involuntarily took a step back. "If you are successful and bring her to me, the turtles – and perhaps even Splinter – will undoubtedly come for her. If you fail and she leaves with him, let her go. We will immediately begin combing the city to find her – and the Hamato lair."

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"Where have you BEEN?!" Raph bellowed, driving his sai into a Foot-bot's neck. "Don't you know we've been looking for you non-stop since LAST NIGHT?!"

Five bots pounced on Leo, landing on him in a heap and forcing him down onto the rooftop; a blade appeared in a flash, driving up through all five mechanical bodies and pushing them aside. Leo stood and freed his sword with one strong kick to the bots. "Can't a guy have just ONE day to himself?!" he yelled irritably over the din.

"Yeah, but you should have CALLED!"

"GET OFF MY BACK, RAPH!"

Mikey swung his kusarigama in a wide circle around him, its curved blade piercing bot face after bot face. The CPU-less remains sank without their heads. "Go easy on him, Leo! He was worried SICK about you!" He stopped in the middle of the battle to grin over at his eldest brother. "No, seriously. You should have seen him puking his guts up in the alley when we hadn't heard from you in twenty-four…"

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Raph screamed in rage and kicked a Foot-bot in the head so hard, its skull popped off its shoulders, flew through the air, and hit Mikey in the face.

"OWW, DUDE! …Well, it's TRUE!"

"SHUT-UP, MIKEY! YOU SWORE YOU WOULDN'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THAT!"

Karai would have laughed at the brothers' mid-battle antics had she not been so unnerved by Shredder's message: "All traitors must be destroyed!" Traitors! she thought anxiously, advancing on a bot. He must have learned, somehow, that I've teamed up with Leo! …But HOW?!

Leo glanced over at her as she fought tooth-and-nail; for the rest of them this was a serious, and challenging, skirmish; for Karai, it was a battle for her life. She's scared…can't say I blame her. He hadn't gotten very far from her, but now, he sliced his way back to her position. "Karai…" he called, flipping over several android soldiers to land behind her. "…You okay?"

"I'm fine," was her cool reply. "Don't worry about me." She tightened her grip on her sword.

"Can't help it."

She glanced over her shoulder at him, and for a split second their eyes met; she could read his intentions as clear as day: I've got your back. Karai gave him a half-hearted smile; he nodded solemnly, turning back to the enemies approaching her six. When she looked toward the oncoming Foot-bots, she felt surprisingly less alarmed. Maybe Father does know…maybe he is after me. But I know who's on my side – and he'll guard me with his life. Her shoulders straightened with renewed confidence. She readied her stance, positioned her feet apart, and took a deep breath. Behind her, Leo did the same.

The first wave of nearby Foot-bots began closing in. Karai let go of her weapon with her left hand, extending her arm out to the side for balance. Suddenly she felt Leo's right hand reach back to grip her forearm; he yanked her off her feet so fast it caught her off guard, for a moment. As their faces passed one another, she saw his cocky smile and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. A smile spread across her lips as realization dawned on her. She looked at the bots running toward Leo's front and aimed her feet into a forceful kick, aided by the speed and momentum Leo provided by swinging her back. Three bots flew backwards from the powerful strike, crashing into half a dozen others and landing them all in a tangled pile of robotic arms, legs, and ninja weapons.

With a tug Leo brought her back towards him to land nimbly on the roof. He smiled at her; the serenity of his cool, blue eyes fully calmed her. "Trust me."

She nodded. "I do."

They spun to face outward once more, circling slowly with eyes, and swords, aiming in every direction. A throwing star whirled toward Leo's side; Karai blocked it with her blade, sending it pinging away from him. As a bot ran toward Karai with its spear drawn back and ready to hurl, Leo leaped into the air, landing on its head and crumpling it to the ground; he stabbed its "heart" for good measure. His back unguarded for a moment, two more robotic soldiers sprinted toward him. Karai flipped and tumbled sideways, landing near Leo just in time to slice both bots in half. Without looking at each other, they both grinned as they fought, relishing this first occasion to truly be on the same side.

Their movements quickly became fluid, and fearless. Donnie couldn't help but glance at them whenever the battle allowed; it was like watching the pair perform a well-rehearsed dance. Each knew where the other was without having to look; which move each would do next; what the other was thinking. They spun and flipped around each other with harmonious precision; the synchronization of their cooperative combat was something to behold. Foot-bots began to pile up in a ring around them.

Donnie watched them during a short lull in the battle. They fight as one. He frowned pensively. It is actually a thing of beauty…

Raph scowled. "HEY!" he shouted at the duo. "SINCE WHEN DO YOU TWO FIGHT LIKE A MARRIED COUPLE?! …On the SAME SIDE, that is?!"

"Since yesterday!" Leo yelled back.

Mikey whistled, teasing in a sing-song voice while shoving a few Foot-bots off the roof. "Oooooooo! We have a couple of lovebirds here! Leo and Karaaai, fightin' in a tree…K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Raph roared his displeasure. "They'd better NOT have been kissin'!"

Leo inadvertently blushed; Karai grinned mischievously. Raph's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!"

"Wait, wait, I got one: should we call them…TURTLE DOVES?" Mikey laughed hysterically. "…Sorry, couldn't help it."

Leo, still blushing furiously, wanted this conversation to end. "Guys, can we PLEASE FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND?!"

"FINE!" Raph replied, "But DON'T THINK YOU'RE GETTING OUT OF THIS WHEN THE FIGHT'S OVER!"

"Oh, ye-ah!" Mikey cried, quickly changing gears. "We're thinning the herd!" He was right; there were far fewer Foot-bots now than at the onset. Dozens of bot-bodies lay scattered all over the rooftop; strewn over AC units, crumpled into heaps, and smashed into bits (thanks largely to Raph). Using one end of his kusarigama like a grappling hook, the youngest turtle flung it up to the pinnacle of a billboard and, with a running start, swung himself up to the top. "Booyakash-"

Without warning, Mikey's battle cry was cut short as he was hurled bodily from the ad. He crashed onto the roof with a sickening thud. "MIKEY!" exclaimed Raph, his voice filled with concern. He charged toward his brother, striking down any bot that got in his way.

Leo and Karai had annihilated every bot surrounding them. They looked up now to where Mikey had fallen from; they could just make out two deeper shadows standing against the ruddy darkness of the pre-dawn sky. One looked like a fish; the other resembled an emaciated wolf. Karai squinted.

"Xever and Bradford," she stated; Leo said, "Fishface and Rahzar," at the same time. They glanced at each other. "Never mind," Karai smirked, "I like your names for them better."

"You can tell that to Mikey later, since he named them," Leo said in a low voice, looking back to the silhouettes. Raph and Donnie had made it to their baby brother; Donnie began checking Mikey's vitals. Raph watched for a moment, then turned toward Shredder's followers and screamed up at them, "Come on down here, Dog-chow and Fish-stick! Or were you hoping these hordes of Foot-bots would do your dirty work for you?!"

They jumped down from the billboard without hesitation, landing on either side of the trio of turtles. At once Leo and Karai sprang from their positions to flank Raph, Donnie, and Mikey. Raph stood protectively before his medic and injured brothers, pointing one glinting sai at each of the lethal mutants slowly stepping toward him.

"I would happily remove your shells and use them for ash trays," Xever sneered, "But it's not you we're really after." Karai glared at him.

"Speak for yourself," Bradford snarled. "I'd like to dispose of ALL of them."

Raph and Donnie were taken aback. "You're here for Karai?" Donnie asked, incredulous. Raphael was dumbfounded. Has she truly changed sides?

"That's right," Xever chuckled. "Daddy knows his princess has turned against him."

"I should have known he'd send you two to spy on me… After all, you're not good for much else."

They hissed (and barked) their displeasure at Karai's sarcasm. "If you don't think we've had more important things to do than follow you around…"

"Can it, Xever," Bradford interrupted his companion. "From now on, we don't have to take any more orders from this teenaged, wanna-be Shredder who can't fill her daddy's shoes…"

Karai fumed. "Oh, yeah? Who did he leave in charge while he was in Japan? And now, who are his errand boys, sent just to capture one 'little girl'?"

That pushed them over the top. Xever pulled out his huge butterfly knives and spun them open while Bradford flexed his hands, his razor-sharp claws, and teeth, bared. "Well, she's right about one thing..." Bradford growled, raising his right paw to strike. "...This WILL be child's play!"

He promptly crouched and lunged at Karai. Bradford brought his claws down to slash at her face as she brought her tanto up to guard it. But before either claws or tanto could connect, a much bigger sword flashed in the space between them; it sang through the air and easily sliced off the tips of every claw on Bradford's right hand. He howled in anger. Leo stood beside Karai, his right hand gripping his sword hilt, his left hand reaching protectively across her back to wrap around her waist. "Think again, Rahzar."

Bradford sneered at her. "You need a bodyguard now?"

Leo's eyes went wide; he looked from Bradford to Karai and back. "No! I mean, she doesn't NEED a bodyguard, she can fend for herself, but she has...you know...backup..."

Karai arched an amused brow, keeping her eyes focused on Bradford. "Leo, you really are adorable. Stupid...but adorable."

He glanced over at her and stammered. "B-but...I don't think you're weak, or anything, I just...want to protect...I mean, help..."

Bradford shuddered. "Ugh, you're gonna make me sick!"

"Me, too," Raph chimed in disgustedly. "Save the lovers' quarrel for later and let's KICK SOME TAIL!" He sprang toward Xever, who saw the attack coming; knives locked with sai. Leo released Karai's waist but stayed at her side as Bradford began to circle them, looking for an opening to attack. The pair slowly stepped away from Donnie and Mikey, hoping to draw the canine away from the prone ninja.

Donnie looked worried as he leaned his face down to hover over Mikey's mouth, watching for the rise and fall of his plastron while feeling for any air movement. "He's breathing," he said to himself, relieved despite the shallowness of the breaths that washed over his cheek. He stared down at his brother's face. "C'mon, Mikey...please wake up..." By the time Donnie looked up again, Karai and Leo were running across the wide rooftop in pursuit of Bradford, who was trying to put enough space between himself and the highly skilled, sword-wielding duo to plan an advantageous counterattack; Raph and Xever were slashing at each other haphazardly and getting dangerously close to Mikey. Donnie drew his staff in a heartbeat and stood over him, ready to defend him from either side of the battle. For a moment he had forgotten that there were still a dozen or so Foot-bots roaming the roof, and before long, he, too, was engaged in the battle, striking and blocking every nearby bot while taking care not to step on or disturb his unconscious brother.

Finally, thought Bradford, I'm getting the upper hand. He had moved toward a pocket of Foot-bots that were computing which turtle to go after and ordered them to surround Leo and Karai. While the bots did not pose a major threat, Bradford's employment of them as a distraction was quite effective. Fighting back-to-back once more, they were kept busy countering and blocking the incoming bot-attacks while also trying to keep a close eye on Bradford. His wolfish build was lightning quick, and as agile as he used to be in human form; he darted to and fro outside the ring of robots, keeping Karai and Leo guessing as to where he would strike next. As they moved and dodged within the circle of enemies, they began to shift closer to Donnie, knowing if they had to lose ground, it might as well be in the direction of a teammate.

Xever had swiped Raph's legs out from under him; he now lay on his back, grappling with Xever to keep him from driving one (or both) of his knives into his muscular, green neck. With a yell of exertion, Raph managed to snake one knee up between their chests and, planting his foot against Xever's scaly abdomen, kick the snake-fish mutant off him and into an AC unit across the roof. Raph quickly brought his legs up and over his head, did a backwards somersault, and landed in a crouch, facing the furious fish. As soon as he'd recovered from the impact Xever charged toward Raph, who was still several yards away from Mikey and the others; he braced himself for the assault, refusing to allow the enemy to advance even an inch closer to his family.

Out of nowhere a yellow water balloon smacked into the fish's face and burst. Raph blinked. Is that...blood? Xever had stopped dead in his tracks; he was holding his eyes and screaming bloody murder as bright red liquid dripped all over his head and body.

"AHHHHHHHH! IT BURRRRRRRNS!"

That water balloon can only have come from one person... Raph spun around to see a scraped and bruised Mikey standing behind him; one hand held a pink water balloon; the other fist was victoriously extended into the sky. "OHHHHHHH yeah! Dr. Prankenstein's on FIRE tonight!"

Raph was overjoyed. "MIKEY! YOU'RE OKAY!"

Mikey blinked. "Why wouldn't I be...?"

Raph's jaw dropped. "Remember? On the billboard...?

Mikey blinked. "...Did I...miss something...?"

"WHAT?! But...?! How could you not...? ...Never mind. I'm just glad you're okay."

Mikey had no idea what his brother was talking about, but he shrugged and smiled. "Glad I could help."

Raph looked back to Xever, who was writhing on the ground, still screaming in pain. "What did you do to him?"

Mikey winked. "Never underestimate the water balloon arm, especially when the ammo's loaded with..." He whipped around and lobbed the pink balloon at Bradford. "...GHOST PEPPER SAUCE!"

Bradford never saw it coming. He jumped into the air, burst through the ring of Foot-bots circling Leo and Karai, and raised his left arm to slice them with his remaining claws, when...SPLAT!...the balloon exploded right between his eyes. He fell to the ground ungracefully, tumbling head over heels into the legs of several bot soldiers. They became an entangled mess as the mutant's head and limbs thrashed chaotically; his howls, whimpers, and whines mingled with Xever's screams to create a huge racket.

Leo and Karai were still tense and ready for Bradford's assault when his trajectory was so unexpectedly shot off course. They stood for a moment, dazed, watching the tormented henchman flopping in anguish beneath a pile of Foot-bots. Karai glanced at Leo. "What WAS that?! Where did it even come from?!"

His eyes lit up. "It was a water balloon, and you DON'T want to know where he keeps them, but it must have been thrown by..." He looked over to where his brothers stood. "MIKEY!"

Mikey was doing his favorite victory dance. "Uh-huh! Oh yeah! The Prankmeister has never BEEN this hot before!" He commenced his best MC Hammer impersonation. "Can't touch this! Da-na-na-na-na...uh...UH! CAN'T TOUCH THIS!"

"Way to go, Mikey!" Leo called before turning back to the fray. Without Bradford or Xever to worry about, he and Karai dispatched the remaining bots in minutes. Normally, with all of their enemies either rendered powerless or destroyed, the turtles would have stayed on the rooftop after the fight to fill each other in and celebrate their victory, but lights and sirens were already approaching from several blocks away; no doubt they'd been called to check out the sounds of war and torture coming from the roof. The five looked at each other in agreement, sheathed their weapons, and wordlessly ran to the far end of the roof to scuttle down the fire escape. Raph took the lead this time, with Karai, Leo (who refused to leave her side), and Mikey in the middle, and Donnie bringing up the rear. They darted through the shadows of the alley and ran for the nearest manhole. Raph used his sai to pry it open, let the others go down, and then hopped in before the heavy cover could clang shut on top of him.

Reaching the bottom of the iron wrung ladder, they dropped into the sewer in silence. No one spoke a word until they'd gone down several passages and made several turns. Eventually, Raph noticed a soft humming coming from the tunnel ahead of him. He recognized the tune just as Mikey began to sing softly: "So light 'em up, up, up, light 'em up, up, up, light 'em up, up, up, I'm on..."

"Fire!" Raph finished for him with a grin. "Yeah, you were on fire tonight, Dr. Prankenstein," he said quietly. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he definitely had a soft spot for his younger brother. "Nice song choice."

Mikey beamed over his shoulder. "Thanks, Raph." They both continued humming as they ran.

Karai felt a sense of dread coming over her with every step she took. I know I told Leo I'd go with him, to HIS home, but...all my life, I've been told that Hamato Yoshi – Splinter – is my mortal enemy. That he's treacherous, and devious, and back-stabbing. Now...I'm in love with his greatest disciple. Her heart skipped at the thought: it was the first time she'd really admitted it to herself. I'm in love with Leo...and I'm letting him lead me straight into his – the enemy's – lair. Can I...do I really trust Leo this much? She glanced back at Leo and found that he was watching her intently. Does he guess my thoughts? Karai wondered. Is it him I doubt, or am I just...afraid?

"Guys, stop!" Leo said in a normal volume. All five of them halted and faced him. Leo, ignoring the looks of his brothers, stepped closer to Karai and took her hands in his; every jaw dropped, including hers. She hadn't expected him to be so forward in front of his brothers when they hadn't even reached (what she hoped would be) safety yet. His deep blue eyes searched hers. "Karai...we don't have to do this if you're not ready."

She swallowed. "Leo, I do trust you, but...Splinter..."

He squeezed her hands gently. "I know. You've been taught to hate him, and never trust him."

She said nothing.

Leo pulled her a step closer to him. "Look...if we get there, and you don't feel safe, we'll leave. Together."

Raph balked. "Are you SERIOUS?! You're just gonna walk out on your own FAMILY?!"

Leo shot him a cutting glare. "Sensei would understand."

"HOW COULD YOU...?!"

"I think Leo's right," Donnie said quietly. Raph looked at him as if he'd just sprouted three heads. Donnie remained calm. "Look, we all know the truth, don't we? Shredder stole Karai when she was a baby." Karai gave him a deadly gaze that said she'd love to beat the tar out of him. He turned to her and continued, "I know you may not believe it yet, Karai, and that's okay. Leo's right. If you don't feel safe, if you don't want to stay, there's no WAY that Splinter would make you. He'd never force you to be a part of our family. If you don't like our home, or you can't trust us, you'll be free to go."

She looked back to Leo; he looked deeply into her eyes and nodded in affirmation. "And I'll stay with you, Karai, no matter what. I think that's what Splinter would want, anyway...to know that you're safe."

Her mouth felt dry. As she looked from Leo to his brothers, she saw a mix of acceptance and disbelief in their faces, but not a single trace of hostility. It seemed that for their brother's, and master's, sake, they were willing to put all differences aside (including the memories of past fights against her). She couldn't believe it. Is this what it's like, to be a part of a...family?

"Whatever," Raph grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. "You do what you want. We'll just SEE what Master Splinter says about all this when we get back to the lair."

Karai looked back to Leo: his strong, unwavering gaze; the steadiness of his hands wrapped securely around hers; his unflinching, decisive demeanor. Just being near him inspired confidence in her. She returned his grip, took a deep breath, and nodded hesitantly.

"Okay, Leo...let's go home."

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(Thanks again for reading! I think I know where the story is going to go after this, but I'm honestly not entirely sure. There are several directions the plot can take; the question is, which one do I choose? :D I guess we'll see! Please let me know what you think! ^_^ )

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(Oh, and songs do not belong to me. MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" and Fall Out Boy's "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark". ;) )