A/N: Well, here we are again, another thrilling chapter, and things have gone from bad to worse for our love-birds! Sorry this took so long, but as with other tales, this one has suffered from the recent troubles IRL. Still cranking them out, though, and this one was a real thrill to write, as it allowed me to delve a bit more into Shredder's head- and his past! Hope everyone likes where I've gone with him, and his motives for everything he's done. It might surprise a few folks... And just for fun, I've included a bit of action here, to make things a bit more interesting. Get ready for a not-so-friendly sparring match with Shredder, in a most unusual of ways!

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Master Of Puppets

The tension in the room was almost a solid thing, thick and heavy like smoke. Saki stared hard at his partner for a moment, his fists clenched, and every line of his body spoke of barely controlled rage. I had come to the conclusion that this was his default setting. Mikey had been right- the man really DID need a hobby or some kind of outlet for his anger.

"Do not forget who built that body for you, Krang," Shredder warned darkly. "Surely you didn't think I would hand you such a powerful weapon without ensuring that it could not be used AGAINST me, did you?" Ouch. He had just openly admitted to having put some kind of override or self-destruct into the alien's body, a blatant threat if ever there was one. I wondered how these two could still be partners at all if they were constantly trying to betray each other at every turn.

Apparently it was the wrong thing to say. The android whirled on him, faster than I would have thought possible for something so big and clunky. Krang glared at him, his lavender eyes flashing with pure malice. "And lest YOU forget, SAKI, the Rock Warriors are loyal to ME." He left the rest of his threat unspoken, but the implication was clear. He would tolerate no betrayals.

The two stood like a pair of stone statues, glaring daggers at each other. The two mutant thugs backed away uneasily, recognizing the signs of an impending battle. Which was probably the smartest thing I'd seen them do. They might be idiots, but they still had the animal instinct for self-preservation. But fortunately- or maybe that should be unfortunately, given our situation- the expected fight never transpired. At last, Shredder growled in frustration at the impasse between them, and spun on his heels, shooting a furious glance at his lackeys and beckoning them to follow him out.

"Very well, Krang, but make no mistake, this is not over. You cannot hide behind your army forever." With that parting shot, he strode out of the room in the most UN-ninja-like manner possible. I guess silence and stealth weren't exactly his highest priorities at the moment. He paused only long enough for the doors to slide open before continuing on, and I felt a sharp poke in the back from the warthog's blaster as he roughly prodded me to follow. Mikey was similarly prodded by the rhino-man, and we exchanged worried glances as we headed toward an unknown fate.

We were led through the main hub, and then to a small room where we were both bound in heavy chains. Then we were taken to the lift and shoved inside; the doors closed and we both waited nervously as it took us down to level four, which I remembered was the detention and torture level. Once there we were led down a side corridor to an area I hadn't seen before, with several of the big metal sliding doors that seemed so common in the Technodrome. Saki led us through one of the doors, and inside was a large room with what appeared to be several chairs under oversized hair dryers, all hooked into some enormous electromagnetic device in the center of the room. It looked like something out of Frankenstein's lab, only without the monster on the slab. None of it looked friendly.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I muttered softly to Mikey as we were prodded toward two of the chairs.

Ever the jokester, Michelangelo tried to ease my fear, and possibly his own, by giving Shredder a confused look. "Dude, I don't need my hair done today- I'm goin back to the shaved-head look. What, did ya' forget already?" Our enemy glared at him darkly, clearly annoyed by his attempt at humor.

"I told you before, mutant, you WILL tell us the location of your lair, one way or another. If you will not give it to us voluntarily, I will RIP it out of your head!" He snarled savagely, and it occurred to me that he sounded far too eager to do exactly that.

"How about you kiss my green butt, Chrome-dome! You're not gettin' nothin' outta' me!" Mikey seemed determined to anger him, in spite of the precarious situation we were in. "You think you're so tough, but you don't scare me! I've fought WAAAY worse creeps than YOU! Heck, I've even faced down an alien tentacle monster with a god complex! You think you're so big and bad, but you're just small potatoes when it comes to nasty threats. You're just a schoolyard bully who can't stand it when ya' don't get your way. To-tal Lo-ser." He drew out the last two words, no doubt to push Saki's buttons. It worked. The man seemed to explode like a bomb going off.

"SHUT UP! You DARE mock me?! It's time you mutants learned a lesson in respect. Rocksteady, get him down on his knees. I'm going to put an end to this freak once and for all!" He slowly drew the tanto from the scabbard at his side, and stalked toward us.

"With pleasure, boss!" The mutant rhino grinned viciously. He shoved Michelangelo forward, kicking him in the back of the knees to force him to the ground. Mikey swore in Japanese- damn it, I really need to get one of them to teach it to me- only to have the larger mutant's boot smash into his shell, slamming him back down again.

Michelangelo growled at him, but Rocksteady just laughed. His partner snorted in satisfaction, as Shredder stood above Mikey ominously. I lunged toward them, but the mutant warthog grabbed the chain pinning my arms, and yanked me backward. I stumbled, tried to kick at his shin, but missed when he yanked my chain again. Shredder raised his blade, while Mikey struggled unsuccessfully in an attempt to regain his feet. He barely managed to get his legs under him, when he saw Saki raise the sword to execute him.

Shredder held the tanto up over Michelangelo's head, ready to bring it down on his neck. I struggled futilely against the chains restraining me, straining to reach him, to stop what was about to happen. And then all at once a half-buried memory surfaced, and I blurted out the first thing I could think of that might keep Mikey alive. "Stop!" I yelled frantically. "Let him live, and I'll join you!"

I saw the blade hover for a moment, hesitating. Then he twisted, his narrowed gaze meeting mine suspiciously as if gauging whether I was serious. "What did you say?" He asked slowly, perhaps not quite believing what he had heard. The two mutant thugs turned to stare at me, and even Mike shot a look over his shoulder, eyes wide in shock.

"You offered me a place as your student, and you said I could have anything I wanted if I joined you. Does that still stand?" I asked, silently praying to every deity known to man. Someone must have listened.

He lowered the blade a little, and I saw Mikey staring over his shoulder at me, an expression of horror on his face. "Orlene, NO! Y-You CAN'T!" He cried out, his voice rising into that odd higher octave that only came out when severely stressed. I glanced at him sadly, ashamed of the path I was about to start down, but there was really no other choice, was there?

"You would betray your clan and swear yourself to ME?" The man sounded intrigued by the thought, and it wasn't hard to imagine why. He was probably already thinking of ways to turn it to his advantage.

I nodded, hanging my head as he spun and approached, his footsteps echoing coldly on the metal floor, reminding me of the irrevocable choice I'd made to save Mikey's life. Now that the words were out, I couldn't take them back. But it hardly mattered; I would make any sacrifice necessary to keep him safe.

"Yes," I replied carefully, watching for any sign of subterfuge or betrayal. "But only as long as he lives. I will join you, so long as he remains unharmed. If I see so much as a scuff on his shell, a bruise or a scratch on his hide, I won't think twice about turning on you. But I will follow you of my own free will so long as you let him live. So, do we have a deal?" I asked pointedly. This HAD to work- it was the only way I could save Michelangelo's life, and it was a gamble at best.

Shredder seemed to take a long time to consider my offer. "An interesting proposal, and certainly tempting. But how do I know you will not seek to betray me at the first opportunity? How can I trust you?" As usual, his paranoia had brought up the only thing that might cause him to refuse my offer. Think, the voice in my head warned darkly, what can I do to prove this isn't just an attempt to lull him into a false sense of security? (It was, but that was neither here nor there.)

"Don't do it, babe!" Mikey pleaded again, sounding desperate. "You don't know what you're sayin'! It's not worth it!" I looked over at him briefly, wanting to tell him I was sorry, that I was only doing it for him; but the man with the blade threatening his life required my attention at that moment, and I had to be careful not to set him off and undo what I'd done thus far.

"As long as you swear not to lay a hand on him, I will do whatever you wish. I give you my word." I bent down, kneeling on one knee to show respect, not that I really had any for the man. It was the appearance that was important in this case, the willingness to bow down to him that mattered. I knew that was what he sought most- dominance over others. He moved toward me like a cat stalking a wounded bird unable to fly, the blade in his hand held low but ready to swipe across my throat in an instant. He reached out with his other hand, and the prongs of his gauntlet grazed against my neck. He used them to lift my chin, barely poking the skin, but forcing my head up or be cut by the sharp points. It was his subtle way of testing me, to see if I would resist or refuse to meet his gaze. He glanced at the two mutants, and waved them away without a word. They traded a glance at each other and backed away, shrugging uncertainly at the situation.

"Very well, I accept. If there is one thing I can count on, it is the adherence to honor by that rat and his family- and I have no doubt that you will prove just as foolishly bound by it as well. Swear your loyalty to me, and I will spare his life- but be warned, girl- betray me, and you will watch him die before I take your head!"

"I swear it," I replied softly, as he lowered the gauntlet and stepped back. I knelt low, head down in a gesture of subservience. He seemed satisfied by that, turning to the mutant pair once more. I breathed a sigh of relief that Mikey was safe, at least for now.

"Rocksteady, take him to one of the detention cells and make certain he can't escape this time. I'll deal with him later." He turned to face me, and beckoned callously. "YOU will come with me. I may have a use for you, girl. One that should suit your training well, I think. Bebop, unchain her. Let us see how well she takes orders." He watched impassively as the brute opened the locks holding my chains, and they fell noisily to the metal floor. Yet somehow, in spite of no longer being restrained, I didn't feel at all free. I stared helplessly as Mikey was shoved out the doors into the corridor beyond, taken away to who knew where. Now we were separated again, and it and all I could do was hope he would remain unharmed until we could escape. Because deal or no deal, I had no intention of letting that maniac control me for long.

Shredder whirled, and strode purposefully toward the door, barely sparing me a glance. "Follow me, girl. Your service begins NOW." His refusal to use my name rankled at me, but I could hardly expect common courtesy from a man who had been about to murder the one person who meant the most to me only moments earlier. I did as bid, not knowing what else to do until I could come up with a plan. So far, none was forthcoming. Well, I had played my hand, I might as well try to make the best of things, I decided. I found myself wishing for a knife or shuriken- or anything, really- to shove into his back. Yeah, good luck with that, I mused wryly.

He led me back to the lift, and took it back up to the bridge level. I was surprised when he led me through the door that led to his own personal suite. I paused to glance at the door at the end of the corridor, the one which led to Krang's personal quarters. I wondered what kind of place he would even reside in. Did he sleep? How did an alien brain-creature use the bathroom? I shook the thoughts away, deciding it didn't matter, however curious I might be. And then there was the other door- opposite of Shredder's quarters. I wondered what was behind it, but decided it could wait. Maybe if I played things right, it would be my quarters. At least that would give me easy access to his room, and I could plan a way to do what ninjas did best….

He waited impatiently as I hesitantly entered the suite, fists on his hips. "I'm WAITING," he said darkly, so I hastened into the outer living area, and then followed when he beckoned me over to where he stood near his sleeping area. He removed his helmet, setting it down on the chest Mikey had retrieved our weapons from on our last "visit".

"Disrobe." I admit, that took me a bit by surprise.

"Excuse me?" I said, turning to look at him blankly. Had he just said what I thought he did?

"I will not ask again, girl. Do as I say." His tone was all the threat I needed.

He hadn't asked the first time, I wanted to point out, but thought better of it. But I felt the need to test the boundaries of the situation, if for no other reason than to see how far he could be pushed. "I didn't agree to be your personal geisha. I'm here to be your student and hench-girl- or whatever it's called. I don't recall this being part of the deal." I folded my arms, hoping he wouldn't call my bluff.

"You will serve in ANY way I command, wench! Do I make myself clear?" He yelled, the sharp prongs of his gauntlet slicing out to stop just inches from my throat. I met his furious gaze, and was suddenly afraid. I'd thought I had conquered my fear of him, but no, there it was, bubbling up to the surface all over again. I nodded slowly, not wanting to press my luck by refusing.

I reluctantly removed my clothes, seething at this further insult, but there was little else I could do under the circumstances. As long as he had Michelangelo as his prisoner, I had no choice but to abide by the bargain I'd made. His life for my service. That was the deal I'd made with this devil. But what would it cost me? Only my pride and dignity, it seemed.

He stood gazing at me impassively, apparently checking my "assets". I wanted to gouge the man's eyes out. Without a word, he pointed to the padded bed-mat. I knew what he had in mind, and it galled me to think I'd have to endure his touch again. But I had to think of how best to get Michelangelo and myself out of this sticky situation, and for now, this seemed the only way. Well, they had told me that a kunoichi's role was to gain an enemy's trust, to seduce and manipulate them into letting their guard down- perhaps this was just what Splinter had meant by it being a dangerous and difficult role within the clan. No wonder very few ever earned such a rank! Well, if he had faith that I could do it, then I'd do my best not to let him down. Didn't mean I had to LIKE it, though….

I got down on his bed-mat, and he wasted no time in taking off his own garb and- well, suffice to say, there was nothing pleasant or enjoyable in what followed. For starters, as soon as I saw what passed for his manhood, I began to suspect that the source of his perpetual anger and attempts to exert dominance over everything around him might have something to do with a slight deficiency in certain areas. Or to put it another way- man, was he ever overcompensating!

The second thing I noticed was that he probably had about as much luck- or experience- with the opposite sex as a teen-aged Elephant-man. No finesse, no restraint, and not much stamina in that department, either. At a guess, the man was so lacking in charm and empathy that no female in her right mind would have ever given him the time of day, must less let him into her bed. Which really didn't say much for my own state of mind for agreeing to serve him.

I swallowed back the pain, humiliation, and disgust, knowing that at this point, my compliance with his wishes was the only thing keeping Michelangelo alive. At last, he finished, and got up to retrieve his discarded hakama, hatori and kimono. For an older man, I had to admit that he was still very well-built- in spite of his lack in certain areas. He was toned, lean, and powerful. From a physical standpoint- at least barring his one obvious physical flaw- I could see how his imposing figure might inspire fear or even loyalty. He oozed strength and confidence, contrary to what one might expect of a 'millimeter Peter'. Maybe he was simply in denial.

Yet it was the innate coldness of his dark eyes, the hard set of his jaw, that I saw most. He was a man for whom compassion and love were simply weakensses to exploit. His only emotions, it seemed, were seething hatred, arrogant distrust, and dark fury. Joy and contentment meant nothing to this ruthless, cold-hearted killer.

"Get up," he ordered, hardly glancing my way. "I need a sparring partner. You will do nicely."

"Sparring partner? Don't you mean punching bag?" I asked snidely. I knew damn well this was just another way for him to assert dominance over me. He seemed to thrive on subjugating others to his will.

"Don't be flippant with me, girl! I gave you an order, and I expect obedience!" He snarled, spinning back to grab my wrist and yank me toward his small training area, without even waiting for me to dress.

"You COULD have asked NICELY," I snapped back. "I mean, would it KILL you to be a little considerate? At least let me get dressed first!"

"Shut up! Speak to me like that again, and I will have your tongue removed." He picked up a tanto, pointing it in my direction menacingly. I was half-tempted to snatch a katana from the rack nearby and try to run him through, but I knew better. Not only was my skill with a sword only barely passable, but doing so might cause him to decide to kill Mikey- right after he removed my head. I couldn't risk it.

He stepped into the middle of his practice mat, and gestured for me to do the same. I glared at him furiously, already thinking of at least a dozen inventive ways to kill the bastard. Not going to lie- several of them involved emasculating him in the most painful and humiliating ways possible, too. Preferably while he was chained up naked and helpless. Okay, maybe I was letting my hatred for the man get a little out of hand, but I was feeling particularly sadistic since he was forcing me to fight naked. I turned to study the weapons arrayed around the small make-shift dojo, and opted for a pair of sais.

I settled into a stance I'd learned from watching Raph, waiting for my enemy to make his move. I knew I had little chance of even nicking him, much less killing the sick bastard, but it was likely the best chance I'd get. He brought the tanto at me sideways, slashing across my bare middle, but I stepped back, bringing one sai up to meet it. Steel screeched in a metallic voice, and the sound made me grit my teeth. I swept the blade aside, but he came in with the blade-gauntlet from the other side, forcing me to block with the other sai. That left me vulnerable to the kick he planted in my ribs. I staggered back, left breathless for a moment, and only a last-second duck saved me from getting beheaded as he slashed at me again.

"Y-you certainly like to p-play dirty, d-don't you?" I gasped out, trying to catch my breath. "I bet Yoshi never would have fought like that."

"Hamato Yoshi? Bah! That weak fool would have destroyed the Ashi no Kuran," he sneered. "He would have turned its proud warriors into a flock of unassuming, useless monks. And that doddering old excuse for a Grand Master was no better. HE was too soft to even get his own hands dirty. No stomach for the work of a TRUE ninja. Under his leadership, the Foot were reduced to retrieving stolen property in secret. The Foot had fallen far from its past reputation under his pathetic rule. I merely did what was necessary to return the clan to its former glory." Saki's words held a bitterness and resentment that belied his contempt for the more peaceful ways of its rightful leaders. He slashed again with the tanto, and this time, the force of the blow knocked the sai out of my hand. I brought the other one up to counter the gauntlet again, but he twisted his wrist, sending my other weapon flying as well. Damn, he was good!

"If by former glory, you mean turning it into a gang of robotic thieves, then you've done a fine job, alright. Eliminate the humans and replace them with machines. Sure, makes sense to me!" I commented acidly, giving him a verbal jab at his pride. I'd already determined that his pride and arrogance were his fatal flaws. He seemed unable to accept that he might have destroyed the very clan he valued so highly, instead rationalizing his actions as "saving" it.

"Do NOT mock, me, girl! You know NOTHING of the TRUE Foot Clan!" He snarled, leaping at me with the tanto out, slashing toward my neck. I dived to the left, and reached out for the nearest weapon to defend with. My hand found a bo, so I swung the end up to block his next strike as it came down. I reversed my swing to strike back, aiming at his head, hoping to knock him out. He was too fast, though, grasping the bo with his other hand and yanking me around by it. I fell into one of the racks, knocking several swords and a pair of kamas onto the floor. Stupid, amateur mistake, I thought, mentally kicking myself. Donnie would have face-palmed to see my lousy bojutsu skills.

I rolled away, coming up to spin into a ready stance, with the bo out in front of me. "I know that robots make lousy students, and even worse teachers. Who is going to continue the clan's ways when you're gone? Those mindless drones of yours? They can't do anything but follow orders. When you die, they'll just sit and rust, and your precious Foot will just disappear like it never existed. You need LIVING people to keep it going- like Splinter and his sons."

My verbal jabs seemed to be doing more damage than my physical strikes, as evidenced by his growing irritation. He snarled angrily, slashing with the blade at my left side, the claws of his gauntlet punching at me from the right. I blocked the claws, but the tanto came in too fast, and caught my arm as I tried to duck under the attack. I felt the sting, and when I looked, there was a thin red line across my forearm. "You know nothing- those are merely a means to an end. The Ashi no Kuran survives, and it is more powerful than ever! I have recruited the best and most gifted from among Hun's Purple Dragons, and begun their training as FULL Foot genin. THEY are the future of the clan- NOT that misbegotten bunch of filthy animals!"

He lunged once more, slicing downward with the tanto while his other fist jabbed at my middle. I spun the bo in a circle, knocking both attacks aside this time. I was beginning to get a feel for his technique, learning his style now that I'd had a chance to study it up close. It helped that he was agitated, and contemptuous of my condemnation.

I tried a series of fast jabs and arcing strikes with the bo, remembering a particular sequence Donnie had taught me. I began by sweeping low at his knees, a move he seemed to anticipate by leaping back and away. He countered, and I lunged forward on my left leg, attempting to use my weight to knock his arms and blade back. But he simply braced himself, and pushed back with greater force. I tried again, this time on the right side, and slammed the bo at his kidneys, yet he simply side-stepped and slashed downward with the tanto, forcing the staff to the floor. I backed up, dropping into a crouch to ram the end of the bo at his ribs as he attempted a strike. He simply caught it in his free hand, pushing it up and back even as he brought his foot up into my knee. I staggered back, limping slightly, but determined not to yield.

He stared at me for a moment, as if seeing me as a threat for the first time. He had countered every move, but I could see that he was growing frustrated. He had struck me a few times, but none of them had been decisive blows, and it was clear that this bothered him. Was I really getting that much better? Or was he simply so angry that he was getting sloppy and overconfident? I tried to take advantage of his momentary loss of focus, and swung the end of the bo up into his left calf. He simply used that attack as a distraction, bringing the same leg up for a kick at my right wrist. I felt pain flare up, and was forced to drop the weapon as I yanked it back toward me. It wasn't broken, but he'd hit hard enough to leave a bruise, and now I was disarmed.

I glanced over at the overturned weapon rack, and right away discarded the notion of attempting to wield a sword. One thing I'd learned from Leo was that I was NOT cut out to be a kendo master. I swiftly sought another weapon, and felt relief when I noticed the kamas on the floor from earlier. They would do. I dove to the floor, grabbing them and crouching low to see what he would do next. He held back, a look of mild amusement on his face.

"You fight well enough, girl, but you are too weak and predictable. A pity your so-called 'Master' never earned his rank." He sneered again, and my blood boiled at the insult to both my skill and Splinter's teaching. I had to remind myself to stay cool, until I could find the right opening.

"Says the guy who only attacks helpless, unsuspecting victims, instead of fighting with honor!" I growled back, glaring at him. "Admit it, you were jealous of Hamato Yoshi, so you found a way to discredit him- and maybe you've forgotten, but he was YOUR sensei, too! Which means that for all your arrogance, you're no better than the lowly rat who taught ME!"

That did it. He roared at the insult, and came at me with the speed of a runaway train, tanto held high for the killing stroke. I blocked it, but only barely, and found myself using all my strength to fend off his blade, as it came within inches of my neck. I leaned back as he pressed harder, his eyes blazing with fury, a torrent of harsh words in Japanesee spewing from his mouth. I didn't know what he was saying, and I didn't want to. Then he let go with one hand, drawing it back to swipe at me with that damned gauntlet again. I had little choice but to release my defensive stance, and drop to the floor, rolling away before he could swing. I stumbled, skidding across the mat on my knees, and spun around in time to see a foot come right at my face. It slammed into my right cheek even as I turned to try to avoid it. I felt a sharp pain in my tongue, and tasted blood.

He snarled as he kicked me again, this time in the ribs, and I was suddenly choking from lack of breath once more. "Do not EVER compare me to that filthy rodent!" He roared, throwing the tanto to stick in the mat- mere inches from my head where I knelt, bent over gasping.

"Get up," he spat after a few seconds had passed and it was clear that I'd been beaten. He pulled his armor and cape back on with a swiftness born of much practice. "I could kill you now and be done with this, but I have BETTER things in mind. You will be MY student now, and I expect to be obeyed in ALL matters- without question. Perhaps, in time, you may even prove your worth as a kunoichi. Until then, I want you by my side at all times. Understood?" He didn't even wait for an answer, but merely grabbed the clothes I'd been wearing and threw them over to where I knelt on the floor.

Talk about adding insult to injury- now I had to be his watch-dog? I glanced at the blade gleaming where it had stuck in the mat, and briefly considered throwing it at his back. Maybe later, I decided. At that moment, he was far too angry and alert to any attempt at trechery for such a tactic to work. Besides, he had just reminded me of what I was trained to do- take an enemy down from within the ranks, by lulling him into a false sense of security and using his own blindness to find a weak point. In other words, act like a weak and docile woman until he forgot to guard his back. Splinter had stressed the importance of subterfuge as part of the kunoichi's skills, after all. And it seemed fitting that a snake like him should be done in by a daughter of Eve- perhaps as payback for the serpent's duplicity in the garden.

I slowly got dressed in silence, while he waited impatiently, watching me for any sign of defiance or treachery. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of trying, though. Not yet, anyway. That could wait until I'd learned where Michelangelo was being kept. That was my main concern, after all. Getting him back, and getting us out in one piece. A part of me wanted to laugh, seeing the irony that he had risked his neck to rescue me the last time we'd been in the huge fortress, and now it seemed our roles had reversed. But I had to pretend to obey my new "Master", at least until I could find Mikey.

As soon as I was fully dressed, my new "Master" spun on his heels and headed for the door. "Come with me. Krang should be done watching those ridiculous soaps of his by now, and I want to discuss plans to welcome our latest guests when they arrive!"

"What guests?" I asked, almost without thinking. He turned to glare at me sharply, as he picked his helmet up off the table and replaced it on his head.

"Why, your green friends, of course! Surely you must have known they would attempt to rescue their comrades once they realized where you were? They are no doubt already searching for our location as even I speak. They may be pathetic mutant filth, but they are clever. They will find this fortress eventually, and I will be ready when they do. Don't you want to give them the good news? I'm certain they will be most thrilled to see that you've joined ME!" He laughed, that cold, hollow sound again, and I wanted to plant a dozen blades in his back, just to shut him up.

I followed him back into the portal room, where I once again came face to- whatever- with his alien partner. Krang turned as we entered, his sharp-toothed grin giving him a shark-like appearance. I briefly contemplated what he might eat, but I remembered a few space alien horror movies I'd watched with Mikey, and quickly decided that I didn't really want to know.

"Ah, there you are, Saki! I hope your little indulgence was worth losing our best opportunity to squash those annoying pests in their own beds! I had everything perfectly planned until you interfered! What did you think you were doing?!" The alien said sharply to his partner, in that odd voice he had, sounding like a cross between a croaking frog and a squealing pig. So, they were having another quarrel over Shredder's breaking their deal with Mikey? I was beginning to get the feeling they did this a lot.

"Relax, Krang- you know very well that once those shell-backs discover their comrades are missing, THEY will come to US. I'd much rather destroy them from the comfort of this fortress than traipse around the sewers looking for them. Besides, I'm not so certain that turtle wasn't trying to trick us. Why else would he turn against his own clan so easily?" Damn, it seemed Shredder hadn't been as fooled by Mikey's ruse as we had hoped. Either that, or it was simply in his nature to be suspicious, and to betray others at every opportunity. Perhaps a little of both.

"Hmm, yes, you may have a point, but I expect to be informed of these little schemes of yours! And exactly HOW do you intend to deal with them when they DO show up? We've tried trapping them before, and yet somehow they ALWAYS manage to escape! I'm growing tired of your failures, Saki!" Wow, this was getting heated. The squishy alien had gone from pink to a light purple color, which I guessed to be a sign of anger or frustraion.

Shredder bristled at the last remark. "TRUST me, Krang. I have the ultimate weapon to use against them this time- their own kunoichi! One way or another, I will BREAK them this time. Before I'm through with those freaks, they will be BEGGING me to end their miserable lives!" He laughed darkly, and I felt a sudden sinking in my gut. Whatever he had planned, somehow I was a part of it, and that rankled more than anything he'd done so far. So I was a tool, now?

"I've heard that too many times before, Shredder. I want RESULTS!" Krang burbled angrily, turning a darker shade of purple. I could almost forget that he was sitting inside the stomach compartment of a disturbingly human-like android body, for all the emotion the thing seemed to show. It simply stood there, occasionally waving its arms about in emphasis to his words, but did little else. How did he even control the thing? That was a question I'd like to have answered some time.

"And you shall HAVE them, make NO mistake, Krang. I will make them pay for all their interference in our plans. I will make them SUFFER." Shredder's tone had turned icy, determined and deadly. I began to have doubts that Mikey and I would ever get out of this mess in one piece. "Now, if you'll excuse, me, I must go prepare for our 'guests' to arrive." He turned to leave, reaching out with one hand to yank me along as he passed. I yelped in protest, but followed, knowing he was in no mood for any obstinacy on my part.

"Do not fail me again, Shredder, or it will be YOU who will pay!" Krang snarled back, apparently needing to have the last word in their argument. I filed that away for future use, if an opportunity ever came up to take advantage of their strange relationship. I followed Shredder out of the room, and he led me back down to the detention level, where he opened the door to a cell.

"You will wait here until I have need of you again. I can't have you roaming freely in the Technodrome, deal or no deal. But don't worry, girl, I have plans for you. Big plans…." With that, he shoved me into the cell, and the door slammed shut behind me. Great- now what?