Boyd sat at his desk a woman across from him. In the florescent light, she looked hallow. She set an envelope on the table fingers trembling. The older man across from her counted the bills and nodded at the correct amount.

"Tomorrow he will be dead," Boyd told the woman as he locked the money in his safe.

She nodded stiffly before she stood and left the room.

"Sir, there's a man here to see you." Hernandez stood in the door way looking on edge and gave a pointed look to the pistol sitting out on Boyd's desk. Boyd slipped the gun into the holster under the desk and invited the stranger in.

It was a man, late twenties, shades, and slicked back blond hair.

"What can I do for you, sir? What style fits you're fancy?" Boyd set a catalog of tiles and wood flooring on the desk in front of the man.

"I'm actually looking for a former employ," the man said pushing the catalog to the side and laying a photograph down in it's place.

Boyd looked at the photo recognizing Shadow from a few weeks ago scoping out a target. "I only work with family. I've never seen this girl before."

The man in front of him nodded, "My boss thought you might say that." He set three more photos down of Shadow with Boyd and his other employee's. "Recognize her now?"

"We work with a lot of people. Maybe she passed through, but I don't know the girl. What is your name, sir?" Boyd reached under his desk and wrapped his hand around the pistol.

The man nodded and stood leaving the pictures on the desk, "I'll be in touch."

Boyd waited till the man was gone before he pulled out his phone and sent Shadow a message. He thought back to the first day he'd met her in an alley having just disbanded a gang fight and pick pocketing the ones knocked out. Her blades glowing an unearthly orange and looking like a cornered animal ready to attack if he so much as flinched. So, he took her into his home, gave her a meal, and asked her about the weapons on her arms which led to her to telling him a made-up story about being an experiment in the government. Later on, he caught her snooping through his office, where she spilled about the truth of her past.

He could tell she didn't want to talk about it but gave her a job apart of his team. She proved invaluable and he was sad to see her go a week ago.

He had a feeling that the man was working for The One and it unnerved him that Shadow was so far. Boyd hoped that The One had picked up a trail that led to him, but didn't know that Shadow had returned to New York.


I was watching Mikey and the guys spar in the front yard when Carrie slid into the rocking chair beside me.

"So…you and Leo, huh? Totally didn't call that," she sipped her ice tea innocently while I sent her a glare.

"Ha ha, very funny and I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"It's still weird between us," I shrugged remembering our confrontation this morning.

She snorted, "Well yeah, but you're figuring things out, right?"

I looked over at her and her raised brows, "I guess so." Leo looked over from where he stood on the front lawn with katanas drawn, skin shiny, and chest heaving. I gave an awkward wave and immediately felt my soul cringe.

Carrie started snickering beside me, "Smooth, Shad."

"Shut it, Carrie," I grumbled. I took the ice tea from her hand and took a swig, choosing my next words carefully, "My friend Boyd—the one I worked with in Cali?" Carrie nodded. "He texted me yesterday. Some guy came in looking for me and asking questions."

"Gee, what enemy do you think is looking for you?"

I shrugged, "I've thought about it. From what Iris has told me the Agency has moved on and hired new people. There's no reason to look for me. From what I've heard, a truce has been made with Karai since the Shredder's death—which I still find hard to believe but whatever. So that really only leaves one option left."

"The One?" she asked, eyes wide.

I nodded solemnly, "I don't know what I'm gonna do though."

"Have you tried talking to Leo? You know, he's pretty good at coming up with plans. I can't tell ya how many times he got us out of trouble."

"Not yet." To be honest I hadn't even thought about talking to Leo, but it was actually a good idea and if I wanted things between us to improve I should at least ask for his opinion on the matter. Sitting back in the rocking chair, I huffed completely lost on what to do. Master Splinter may be able to offer some insight and Iris might have some idea's too, but one thing I knew for sure was that I wasn't leaving again if I could help it. No more running. "I can't just let it be. There's no telling what Hugo will do to get to me."

Carrie nodded, frowning and pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "Yeah, that is a big concern. Does that mean you'll be leaving again?"

"It could. Just depend on how things go I guess. I won't if I don't absolutely have to." I took her hand trying to reassure her that everything would be alright and to get that misty look out of her eyes. I'd thought of leaving again, but where would I go? My stomach churned at the thought of being hungry and cold on the streets again. I really only had one option: Find him and kill him. But that would mean I'd end up leaving to go on a man hunt.

"You are dismissed my sons," Master Splinter said. The boy's groaned with exhaustion; he'd worked them extra hard today and it showed.

Carrie stood with a smile, "Help me get them some ice tea?"

"Sure." I followed after her to the kitchen, filled two glasses, and went back outside. The boys had been able to get themselves into a seated position. I handed one to Splinter first and he thanked me. Carrie had conveniently left Leo for me. I handed it to him. He could only nod, too tired to speak, and downed the tea. I sat down beside him.

"Last one to the lake hatched last!" Mikey yelled, darting to the trees and the trail that led to the lake. We all chuckled and stood. Leave it to Mikey to know how to cheer everyone up. Carrie grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

I sat on her bed and she rummaged through her duffel bag of clothes looking for something I could wear. She sat on her heals with no luck. "Oh! Mack left some clothes here. I bet she has a swim suit." She came back and threw a black bikini at me.

I looked at myself in the mirror not sure how I felt about so much skin showing. It wasn't so much that it was revealing that bothered me, but all my scars that showed. I liked to keep them covered and I'd sometimes forget they were there and then I'd go take a shower and get reminded of all the times I was injured, or people tried to kill me.

I reached up and felt the one on my shoulder, courtesy of a Foot soldier shooting me with a poisoned arrow. The one across my abdomen from a year ago when I wasn't able to doge a knife quick enough. Or the ones on my upper thigh from—

"Shadow, are you ready? Let's go! It's hot as balls out here."

I shook the thoughts from my head. The guys had just as many or more scars than me. I turned in the mirror making sure the straps covered the tattoo on my ribs just bellow my armpit. Happy that it did, I pulled on the shorts I was wearing and walked with Carrie to the lake.

The guys were already in and playing chicken. Splinter sat on the shore reading a book. Then I realized one was missing. "Where's Iris?"

"Oh, she had to take Gabe to the doctor to get shots. They should be back by dinner along with Mack. April and her merry crew went to the store to restock the house."

Mikey and Donnie lost and Raph sat on Leo's shoulders looking smug.