A/N: Fair warning: Things are about to get dark.


'Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect.' –Margaret Mitchell

'Is Fate getting what you deserve? Or deserving what you get?' – Jodi Picoult, Vanishing Acts


Chapter 11 – Karma


Doctor Tsuneo slumped into the brown leather chair in his office. He closed his eyes and reaching over the top of his glasses, he pinched the bridge of his nose. His head pounded. Thirty-three cases of avian flu and more cropping up throughout the ranks of the clan. It was bad enough that his public practice was overwhelmed with citizens coming in for treatment, those both afflicted and only paranoid that they were, but now the virus was running rampant through the ranks of the Foot Clan. With Oroku Saki out recovering in the country, it was Doctor Tsuneo's sole responsibility to stay on top of the men and women's health care and treatments.

His team of doctors and nurses that he'd recruited were working around the clock under his direct orders. He glanced across the sparsely decorated office with a sigh, not really seeing the room. Dim light filtered from between drawn blinds. A neglected bamboo plant stood withering in one corner. He tapped his fingers against the arm rest as he sat; thinking of the virus, thinking about the young soldier he treated earlier in the night whose fever had spiked to a frightening height, only to lose him this morning; thinking of how many double shifts his people could pull before collapsing, thinking he was way too old to be working this many hours and should instead be spending his golden years out on a fishing boat off the coast of Thailand. Then his mind wandered back to Saki and the Huber sisters.

Oh, yes. He remembered now what he'd meant to do a day ago. There just hadn't been any time.

He opened his laptop with a scowl. Internally he batted away a fleeting feeling of paranoia. Really he shouldn't worry about things like this. He had enough on his plate to occupy every waking moment. Didn't Saki have people to do this type of research? He was sure it was covered. Most likely checked and double checked. Really, he was being paranoid from lack of sleep. But still. Doctor Tsuneo was a loyal and skilled man with excellent instincts and known for being extremely thorough. That in part, was what had Saki recruit him as his personal physician and head of the Foot's health care so many years ago.

As a doctor he understood that sometimes the smallest detail that went overlooked or ignored resulted in devastating aftereffects. A small telltale sign of something malignant hidden beneath a benign looking set of circumstances that went overlooked or dismissed as nothing and could fester, unchecked, leading eventually to a tragic end that could have been prevented with better care. Sometimes, Doctor Tsuneo went with a natural gut instinct that pushed him to look closer; deeper. Just as now. His instinct troubled him. Something about Lena Huber bothered him. Nagging at the back of his mind enough to constantly remind him to look into this whenever he had a quiet moment to himself. Saki was in his care and he was thorough when it came to his patients.

He tapped a few keys and stared at the screen. He huffed in frustration. Well, of course, it wouldn't be as simple as he hoped it would be to do a background search on a woman he knew very little about. He started with the sister that Saki trusted, Annabelle, and worked from there. He just had to be sure that Lena was not any type of security risk. He was sure it was fine. Positive, really. But still. The unease nagged him, the natural urge to pick at the underlying disturbance kept him at his lap top in his office instead of on the train heading for his home.


Casey looked around in a daze as the turtles readied to leave. His shirt was torn and hung at an odd angle down the front of his chest where Donatello had grabbed and twisted it. His face was a bruised and battered mess. Despite Splinter's care and bandages, the white wrappings were turning a deep brownish red color as blood seeped through. He felt with his tongue to find two molars loose on the left bottom side of his mouth. A long dribble of bloody spit hung from his swollen bottom lip; he wiped it away angrily. His forearms were covered in dark bruises. One eye was purple and swollen shut. The other had a thick piece of gauze taped just above it spanning the corner of his eye to his temple. But he could see out of that one fine. He rolled first one shoulder back, then the other; feeling stiff and sore. His bones popped as he rolled his neck to one side and around the back. He rubbed the side of his neck with one hand.

"Got my ass handed to me," he mumbled. Then chuckled, shaking his head, "Fuckin' Purple." He huffed and raised his eyebrows. Didn't think the guy had it in him, he thought with grudging respect. He had to admit, once riled up, the guy had heart.

Leonardo crouched in front of him. "Where do they have April?"

Casey nodded. "I…I'll take you," he managed between swollen lips.

"And Karai," Mikey said, coming up from behind them. Leonardo spun to face his little brother, nearly jumping out of his shell. He stood up and rounded on his little brother, frowning in confusion.

"What?" Raph barked out the question from the doorway leading out of the lair, in his hands, he twirled his sais and stuck them into his belt.

Michelangelo shrugged as he handed Casey's boots down to him. "That woman that Casey ratted out. I'm pretty sure that was Karai. Casey said he spotted a blonde. Remember, we saw her in a blonde wig? That ninja that grabbed her from the limo, he wasn't Foot."

Donatello's eyes widened with amazed pride. He spun his bo and slid it into the holder on his shell. He quickly stepped past a still grumbling Casey, pulling on his boots on the floor and he rubbed the top of Michelangelo's head enthusiastically for putting the pieces together. Mikey ducked his head; smiling, then batted Donatello's hand away.

"Don't act so surprised. I'm not just a pretty face, you know."

Leonardo felt his stomach sink to his feet. The woman that Venom had captured . . . was Karai? And they wanted Casey to help them . . . help them . . . They were going to . . . His eyes grew round and he felt violently ill. Burning bile rose up in the back of his throat. They had to go, right now. He twisted around and grabbed Casey by the front of his tattered, blood spattered t-shirt; hauling him to his feet.

"Geez. Take it easy," Casey complained and shrugged free from Leonardo. Leo pushed him roughly towards the exit.

Leo ground out, "Move it. Move it now."

Splinter stepped in front of Leonardo's path as Casey moved onward, only pausing a step later, turning back, confused. He frowned then exchanged a long look with Raphael who stood with his arms crossed, scowling. Casey shifted his feet nervously, sensing a strange strained tension fill the lair. Michelangelo and Donatello stood side by side on the stairs leading up to the exit; they watched, holding their collective breath. It felt like the room was holding its breath along with them.

Splinter's amber eyes bore into Leonardo's steely blue. Leo moved to take a step forward. Master Splinter held up a claw, pressing it against the material of his son's shirt, making him stop.

"You will go and rescue April from this clan." He took a breath before going on. "But. Nothing more. Is that understood?"

Leonardo's burning eyes bounced back and forth between his father's amber orbs; breathing heavy and shallow, fighting back the panic and the nauseous dread filling him. Part of him wanted to simply bow and agree to his father's command; to stay in his good graces and remain forever in his father's mind a source of pride and esteem. Another part of his mind wanted to strike him and scream in his face and accuse him of forever withholding happiness from him. But Leonardo didn't know if happiness awaited him. He didn't know what Karai felt and couldn't risk ruining his strained relationship any further with his father over something he wasn't even sure about.

Everything was so confused. He clenched his jaw, continuing to keep his silence; choosing that over saying something he'd regret and couldn't retract. Through all his confusion, one thing was clear, however. Perfectly clear. There was no way in hell that he was going to leave Karai behind to be raped and murdered. Even if she had him tortured, even if she tortured him herself like she did in his nightmares, there was no honor in that death. She was a warrior. If she were to perish, she deserved an honorable death. No, he wouldn't stand for it. Not when he knew where they had her, not when he could do something to stop it.

Splinter twitched his whiskers as he waited for a reply from his son. "Do not disappoint me in this, my son. You will not come to the aid of our enemy."

He blinked and everything snapped into place. He didn't have time for this bullshit. He looked over his Sensei's shoulder.

"Get moving," Leo barked and they all started and hurried towards the door.

"You heard 'em," Raphael said then turned and grabbed Leonardo's gear from the rack near the door and tossed it to him. "There ya go, chief."

He caught the sheathed swords and belts in his hands and immediately strapped them on over his shirt and across his waist. He glanced at his father then away. "I have to go."

He put his claw on Leonardo's chest; stopping him again. Leo glared down at his father's furry hand and raised his glassy eyes up to meet his father's once more. He felt the edges of his restraint sliding through his grasp. The animal that was his rage stalked in the shadowy corners of his tumultuous mind. A tremor went through him. He felt the tidal pull of right and wrong and he knew beyond all else, that his father was wrong. The moment he told him to leave Karai behind at the mercy of those monsters, he made his decision. He swore he wouldn't fight with his father over Karai again.

But that didn't mean he'd obey him in regards to this, either.

"We do not risk our lives or our family's lives for the enemy. Is that clear?" Master Splinter tapped one claw on his chest, emphasizing the last question.

His voice came out level and flat, even as a storm raged within him. He spoke into his father's eyes, grinding out each word, "Hai, Sensei. Not for the . . . enemy."

With that he moved swiftly out of his father's reach; jogging to catch up with his friend and brothers on their way to rescue Donatello's love and save his own whether she loved him back or never did, whether Splinter approved or never would.


The sky was overcast, gray and oppressive outside Saki's window. He lay, propped up on a relatively comfortable bed in a small room facing the north, his robe open, a book held in his hands. The tube of the i.v. snaked over his right forearm and up into the bag supplying him with fluids and painkillers. If he were to get up and stand by the window, there was a bit of a view of the mountain peaks just above the tree line. The house was quiet and still, much like the world outside his window. No breeze blew to billow out the gauzy curtains covering the open windows. No birds sang.

His eyes settled on the book in his hands and with a frustrated sigh, he set it aside. The last few pages had been lost to him as his thoughts wandered about the weather, about the unending pain plaguing his chest and side from the bullet wounds. He thought about his daughter and if she was safe enough in New York; thinking perhaps he should have sent more guards with her; thinking he would send orders to ship several more to her when he met with Doctor Tsuneo tomorrow morning for his check-up.

His mind wandered as his thought shifted to the ongoing, escalating battles that continued to crop up between his clan and this new annoyance, Venom. Rivals were not a new problem. But Venom was a fresh source of persistent irritation for him. He'd already lost soldiers to their well-planned surprise attacks. And he'd nearly lost his life at the club, despite being heavily guarded. More disturbing was the trend of his faithful becoming turn-coats and sabotaging their operations from within.

Where was the source of this discontent and betrayal?

He couldn't figure it out. And that disturbed and enraged him. In the past he had quickly and thoroughly dispatched any threat with ease. His soldiers were ever loyal and believed in their cause and he'd made sure they benefited and profited from their operations. But now, it was as if things were falling apart around him. Just as his body was no longer strong and solid and reliable. He ran a hand over the bandages covering his chest and grimaced. He'd been hurt before and much worse than this. These wounds seemed to be taking too long to heal. Threat of infection constantly worried Doctor Tsuneo who took every opportunity to remind him that he was not as young as he once was. He glanced down at his weakened body and felt the familiar roll of disgust go through him.

I'm getting old.

Just then the door opened and the younger woman, Lena, stepped through with fresh linens stacked in her arms. Saki watched her as she moved around the room. She wore a button-up, blue-checked shirt, tied at her stomach and a pair of cropped white pants. Her feet were bare as she pattered around the room, opening the curtains and adjusting the flowers sitting in a vase on the desk near his bed. She moved back to where she'd set the blankets down at his feet. She stopped and glanced at him.

"Feeling any better?"

She moved closer; sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at him. Her face was fresh and pretty without any make-up adorning it. She was similar in age to him, perhaps a few years older, but attractive, nonetheless. Her hair was tied back, revealing a long neck. Her smile sent a wave of warmth through him.

But I'm not that old, he thought.

"Thank you. I am," he replied.

"Let me take a look at this."

She looked to the i.v. bag; reached over and adjusted it. Saki shifted, his eyes taking in the curve of her body as she leaned over him. He averted his eyes.

It had been a long time since he was intimate with a woman. An even longer time since he was involved seriously with anyone. A very long time. His work didn't exactly allow down time to devote to building relationships with women. His violent secret life afforded him little to no chance at real love. And when the need and the loneliness became too great; there were always women available and eager to spend a night with the man who was the well-known, wealthy businessman and philanthropist. But those nights were kept to a minimum. Besides, they only left him feeling empty. He missed his wife and sometimes when the darkness within him threatened to overwhelm, he still found himself yearning for Tang Shen; though it was rare when he thought of her. That had been a lifetime ago, it seemed. So now, he tended to avoid women as much as possible. Because it reminded him of the women he'd lost. The women he missed so much.

The silence stretched out and he found himself wishing Lena would leave him to his thoughts in peace. She sat back down, closer to him this time. Her perfume was clean with musky undertones. He shifted into his pillow a bit more.

"Is your daughter coming to visit any time?"

Saki glanced at her. "No. She is away."

"That's a shame. She should be here with you." She paused. "I have a daughter, you know." Her voice became distant and her eyes grew glassy with emotion. "She and I are very close. Tragedy will do that sometimes. Bring family together. Especially if it's a close-nit one to begin with."

Her eyes met his once more as she went on, "It really is a shame she isn't here with you. Family is important to keep close to in times like these. When we're going through hard times. Like when we're hurt, or frightened or suffering."

Saki said nothing to her, thinking Karai was better off as far away from him as possible under the current circumstances. But Lena wouldn't know anything about the threats facing them. To her, Karai was the spoiled only-child of a wealthy widower. Ungrateful and uncaring to a father who was attacked in what appeared to be a random shooting. Lena wasn't too far from the truth if he really thought about it. Karai wasn't spoiled, no. But he doubted she held any small amount of love for him, despite what he'd sacrificed for her future. Something close to regret suddenly filled him and he brushed it away, angry with himself.

He started as he felt Lena's hand cover his. It was soft and warm. Comforting. As if she sensed his fleeting sadness. His dark eyes went from her hand to her face.

"Well, I'm here for you," her voice took on a husky tone. She slid her fingers between his and caressed his hand from his knuckles to his wrist. "If you want some . . . company?"

Her blue eyes stared into his with an intensity that shocked him and he felt his injured body suddenly very much wanting her 'company'. The look he gave her must have said it all, for she released his hand and began to unbutton her top. He watched her movements with hooded eyes as she slid her bare shoulders free and then dropped her shirt to the floor. She undid her hair and the golden tresses fell over her shoulders onto the tops of her full breasts. She stood and slipped out of her pants, then climbed into the bed.

His need for her grew painful. It had been too long since he'd felt a woman's soft curves and gentle touch against his flesh. Saki found himself aching for her.

She pulled back the blankets and carefully, being mindful of his injured body, slid the waist band of his pants down. She glanced up at him and there was that smile again. Full of warmth and desire and . . . something he couldn't place. She laid down on top of him, and his breath hitched with pleasure and some pain. She propped the top of her body up with her elbow, so as not to put pressure on his wounded chest, knowing that he was not entirely comfortable but wasn't complaining so she stayed how she was. Resting a hand above his heart, she felt the staccato beat of it. Lena inched her mouth towards his, reaching slowly behind his pillow, sliding her hand along the sheets behind his head. Their lips met and Saki felt a burning passion ride through him. Too long since he felt this. Much too long.

A sharp pinch in the side of his neck stole his focus away from the surge of desire and pleasure. Something cold then hot seeped through him and he gasped.

Lena sat up, straddling him, smiling down at him in triumph. In one raised hand she held up an empty syringe. She shook it side to side as he frowned in baffled horror. The moment of sweet desire evaporated instantly into the sick churning throes of a nightmare.

His fist shot out at her even as pain lanced through his chest, blinding him and startling him. He fell back onto the pillow, panting, as Lena leapt to her feet with all the grace of a lithe cat. She stalked around the bed as Saki felt his chest tighten and breathing became an effort.

"Ah ah. Don't overexert yourself. We haven't exactly been giving you all the meds the kindly doctor assigned. And you're going to want to be awake for what's coming next."

He blinked. So that's why it was taking so much longer for him to heal. And why he'd been in so much lingering pain. It wasn't his age working against him. It was this vile witch! Into the room, the older woman, Annabelle, strode in with a box held in her arms. She grimaced and looked away from her sister.

"Lena, really, do you have to be naked right now."

She set the box down and without a word or even a glance at Saki, began to pull equipment out from it and set it aside. A lap top computer, a camera, a tripod.

Lena grabbed one post at the foot of the bed and swung around. "Yes. Yes. I do," she said playfully.

"G…G…Guard!" Saki strained to yell, but it came out only as a feeble whisper. Drops of sweat broke out across his forehead as he struggled to move and found he couldn't.

"Oh, don't bother," Annabelle said with a quick glance at him. "He's dead."

Saki's eyes widened. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. He was an elite. One of his most skilled. They couldn't have taken him out. This can't be happening. Annabelle looked at his shocked expression and placed her hands on her wide hips. She shook her head with an expression of a disappointed school teacher.

"Don't look so surprised, my dear. A little poison in the tea and almond cookies," she snapped her fingers, "will take anyone out. No matter how well-trained or strong or noble . . ."

Lena added, "Or pathetic or feeble."

His body stiffened and every muscle cramped, keeping him pinned to the bed, still unable to move. Pain speared through him with each breath he took. From between gritted teeth he managed, "Wh…Who?"

"All will be explained in a moment," Annabelle said as she pulled a folding table out from under the foot of the bed with a soft grunt and extended the legs then proceeded to set the lap top upon it.

"Why?" he groaned.

Annabelle and Lena exchanged glances. "Just call it Karma, for now."


April huffed and shifted herself to sitting on the lumpy mattress. Her back ached from being slammed into the wall, and she was sure it sported a large bruise. But there was no time to feel sorry for herself. She shook her head; jerking it up and side to side, knocking the mussed hair from her face so she could see clearly. More people entered the room behind the back of the ninja standing watch over them. The blonde woman who had attacked Karai stepped inside the room, followed by the man who kicked in April's apartment door and another soldier who stayed by the door.

The blonde moved next to the soldier looming over them. She was wearing a flowing skirt covered in a blue pattern of swirling flowers and a white three-quarter length sleeve shirt. The points of her collar reminded April of an animal's jagged teeth. She smirked at Karai then glanced at the woman next to her. She blinked her blue eyes and frowned. She pointed at April.

"Who is this?" she asked in a voice tinged with a slight German accent.

"One of our grunts got out of hand. That's part of the dog's punishment, Sophia."

The soldier with his arms crossed spoke up. "They know each other. I heard them talking. They were arguing when I came in to silence them."

April and Karai exchanged a quick glance. Sophia nodded. She pressed her lips together as if deciding on something. "Ah. She can stay, then. Why not. Misery enjoys company does it not? Besides, it's fitting after all. He was forced to have spectators at different times." She bent over in front of Karai to look her in the face. She reached out and brushed her bangs across her forehead with one fingertip.

"Oh, my dear. I almost feel sorry for you."


A/N: This next chapter coming up features some disturbing and dark material. If sensitive, feel free to skip around to avoid it. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. If interested, grab a comfy chair and hold on to your butts!

Thank you for your support in reviewing! xo