A/N: Finally got around to typing this up. I'm still a chapter ahead, so I have more work to do. Enjoy!

Taipan

Arriving at Snake Eyes' camp stirred up a war of emotions within Rattler. A chill breezed against her bare arms that made her miss her leather jacket, though it wasn't so much about the temperature of the late hour. Her gaze scanned her darkened surroundings through the sweat-dampened strands of her hair. Her steps were silent on the uneven ground as she followed along behind her mentor as the pit in her stomach grew. She knew the score. Snake Eyes wasn't known for forgiveness, even if the reason for her absence was out of her hands.

Rattler took in the makeshift 'command center' of the camp as she slipped into the covered shelter. The tech scattered around the area caused her to shiver with the knowledge that her every move was being watched. Even if she couldn't see the group's resident black hat, she knew Coatl had to be included in the small grouping of elites assigned to this mission. Even if he was miles away, he wouldn't miss something of this scale.

She jerked at the thud the turtle's shell made against the ground as Viper unceremoniously dropped it off her shoulder. Rattler's gaze snapped to his prone form, the once cold warrior now completely vulnerable before her. 'Yet it still lives.' She forced herself to look up at her mentor as Viper breezed beside her. "Wait, Mistress," Rattler spoke in quiet Russian. "Why are you letting him live?"

Viper stopped but didn't turn to face her. "It is one of four," she stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "What better way to lure the set with the threat of a living bait."

"I understand," Rattler glanced back at the turtle. "But we have their friend, too. They came all this way just for the O'Neil woman. Isn't that enough?"

"You have much to learn still, student." The intensity of Viper's gaze snapped to her. "With two, we will not lose our advantage when lessons are need to be taught. We will have no more need for hostages from this point forward."

Rattler tensed before nodding. "Good. They're all liars." She glared at the turtle. "They refuse to admit that they're heartless murderers! They say…" She looked back at her mentor, "…that you killed my sister."

"They are masters of manipulation. I have studied them well. Do not allow them to taint your allegiance." Her blue eyes flashed. "Doubt only leads to death. Remember this. Your life belongs to Krait."

"Yes, Mistress," Rattler spoke with practiced discipline, though the threat chilled her. "I know my place."

"I'm glad to hear it, chula." The new English-speaking voice only increased the ill feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Marcio!" Rattler whirled in a start, staring at the Latino man blocking the exit behind them. His dark eyes sent her heart racing as he slowly approached.

"No, my dear," he said, his voice low with a barely veiled rage that only one who knew him as well as she did could hear. "Titles only. We are in the presence of our enemy. You know better than that."

"Taipan," she corrected as she planted her feet against the ground, refusing to back away. "I meant to return. They held me pris'ner." Her words came out faster as her breathing hitched at his proximity.

"A resourceful woman like you?" He laughed, humorlessly. "Impossible. You're a trained assassin. Krait honored you with a title! Not a single one of our members would let themselves get caught."

"I tried to escape! I'm here now. And with a gift!" She firmed her shoulders, forcing strength into her voice. "I brought one a' the beasts! And the stone! That should be enough to keep Krait's favor."

Taipan's fist moved too fast. She hit the ground before she could even think to block the attack, not that defending herself would help against her boyfriend's fits of rage. He yanked her up by her shirt, the well-known dagger at her throat, and glared at her with all the fury she'd ever seen. "You. Don't. Get. Caught." He hissed, his hot breath stinging against her aching cheek. "You either win or you die. That is the first rule of this life."

"I know." Rattler gasped. "I failed. Yo' right, Taipan. I don't deserve mercy." She allowed a few tears to fall, knowing the sight of them might ease the man's wrath.

"Now you get it. You deserve nothing." His dagger pricked her skin as his heated gaze didn't waver. Only after Rattler's arms dropped loosely to the ground did he finally let her fall. "But you did do Snake Eyes a service. Thanks to your contribution, we might actually arrive at the temple before the month is up." Rattler didn't move from where he dropped her as she watched Taipan snatch the amulet that had fallen out of her pocket and approach the still figure of the turtle.

He bent down over it with fascination. "So this is the creature that stole from Krait's personal stores and, with the hacker's help, made Coatl look like a fool." With a shove of his shoe, he turned the turtle onto his carapace, giving Rattler a better view to witness the twitch of closed eyelids under his blue mask. "Waking up already?" Taipan said. "It might be breaking a record. Cobra, can you get this thing tied up before the drug completely wears off?"

The resident bomb expert strode over from the entrance, only now revealing his presence. As he went to work to do as requested with a grumbled argument Rattler didn't care to listen to, the raven haired woman glanced around the room, noting the absence of her mentor. 'She must have left for the same reason Cobra stayed back. No one wants to get between Marcio and his rage.'

With one glance back at the turtle, she slowly picked herself up and made her slow path outside of the shelter. She didn't want to be there when he finally woke up. She already had enough troubles as it was. Her hand grazed her tender cheek with a wince. It wasn't lost on her that Taipan broke his one rule. 'I've never seen him mad enough to strike my face before. He always kept to places that could be easily hidden… What am I going to do now?' She pulled her hair over her injury. 'I shouldn't complain. I did ask for this. It's what I get for letting that hothead get the best of me! Maybe he'll learn his lesson when his brother take his last breath in front of him. I can't wait to see his cocky face then.'

For the second time in only 24 hours, Leonardo found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. It was beginning to grate on his pride. He tried shifting, huffing his irritation when his limbs refused to cooperate. The compounded ache in his shoulders from the painful way his hands were bound behind him only irritated him more. He was sure the rough treatment had once again reopened the wound above his wrist judging by the sensation of blood seeping over his hand.

"Don't even bother moving yet," a Hispanic voice spoke up, sounding a little too close for comfort. "Viper's paralysis can't be broken through as easily."

Leonardo glared at the speaker, wishing he could move into a more dignified position. "Another member of Snake Eyes, I presume."

"I am Taipan." The man's slick smile grew. "Welcome to our temporary camp. Thanks to this," he let the amulet dangle from its leather strap in his fingers, "we won't be needing the redheaded bonita. Gracious for bringing it right to us."

"Don't you dare hurt April," he growled.

"Keeping her alive would only be a strain on our resources, but I might consider postponing her inevitable death if you cooperate."

"What do you need from me?" His fingers twitched but refused to fully form the fists he attempted.

"Only your presence. I wouldn't want the other three tortugas to think they have a chance." He glanced toward the right, spurring Leonardo to follow his gaze to a camera on a fold-out desk. "It also would be to Coatl's favor. He's already asked for me to work my magic on the purple one. With you here, bringing him in alive will be so much easier."

His rage increased at the mention of Donatello. "Keep my brother out of this," he growled, reflecting back to his conversation on the plane. 'Don's had enough to deal with already.'

"Snake Eyes has a rule we live by. No one escapes when they have been targeted. We don't break our contracts. Why do you think we've lasted so long in secret?" The gleam in his dark gaze grew sinister. "Coatl personally added the hacker to the list. Donatello is as good as gone."

Leonardo lunged to his unsteady feet with barely controlled fury. He made it all of two steps before stumbling at the sight of the dagger appearing in Taipan's hand. The move was too quick for his compromised reflexes. He barely shifted before he cringed as sharp pain invaded his thigh. His leg collapsed underneath him as he breathed through clenched teeth. 'Guy's fast. Noted. Stupid, charging him like that.'

"I've always enjoyed a little target practice. Please, come at me again." Taipan's condescending tone was almost more than he could take.

"You may have the advantage now, but that won't last." Leonardo glared at the man.

"We'll see about that, Tortuga." He glanced beyond him as his men formed a circle around them. "We have the experience and the numbers. This won't be as easy as stealing from an unmanned storehouse."

At his command, the grouping of men roughly pulled Leonardo to his knees, the movement jarring the dagger still imbedded in his leg. The pain of it made him miss Taipan's approach until the man was practically breathing in his face. "Before the end, I would hope you realize just how hopeless it is to resist Snake Eyes," Taipan quietly stated as his hand gripped the handle of his weapon. "You've barely seen the true extent of our power over life and death."

Leonardo kept his expression stoic even as his breathing hitched while the Hispanic twisted the blade. He could feel blood flowing more easily against his skin, but he refused to give his enemy the satisfaction of a reaction.

"There's a fire in you. I love the strong ones. It's always more satisfying to me to see the strongest fires extinguished. I've never failed to break a man's spirit."

'The more this guy talks, the more I don't want him anywhere near my broth-.' His thoughts broke off as the dagger was yanked out of his leg. He inwardly cursed, fighting any visual reaction to the startling pain.

"Bind its wound. I can't let the turtle bleed out before it has served its purpose."

The Spanish words were harder for Leonardo to recognize than normal but understanding them didn't bring him much comfort. Of course they would want to keep him alive. He was only bait to them. The fact infuriated him, knowing he was helpless to do anything about it. With his leg compromised, he wouldn't get far without help. Turtle luck just wasn't on his side today. If he wasn't worried about tempting the fates, he'd wonder just what else it had in store for him.

A/N: So... yeah. More signs of how despicable Taipan is. Anyway, feed that review box for more! It's been starving for nutrients lately.