A/N: Wow, I'm on a roll here! Thanks again for all the reviews, they're SO encouraging! And sweet, and funny!

Here we are with chapter 34! Warning for Feels. Also, I love torturing you guys with foreshadowing comments at the end XD XD

This is my longest chapter yet! Sorry if it seems a little rushed or too long, but I just really wanted to get as much into this as I could.

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 34

"A rose, isn't quite as beautiful as it once was, when after its thorn pricks you."

― Anthony Liccione

In the earlier hours of the morning the following day, Tiger Claw entered the old church and headed to the room he shared with his son, quite exhausted after a long and very eventful night spent mostly in Jersey. After he'd finished conversing with the idiotic gang of Purple Dragons again, he'd then been assigned to make sure that the arms dealer, a Russian ex-hunter named Ivan Steranko, had made it safely to Manhattan before the shipment arrived the following night. To say it had been an experience that Tiger Claw would never forget would be an understatement. The man had been, to put it bluntly, a pure pain in the neck.

Not only had he been nearly impossible to understand – though not for lack of knowledge of the English language –Ivan Steranko was what most people would call a 'prissy', despite his stone-faced expressions and his deep, rugged voice that would have cast shivers down the spines of lesser men. He'd been more worried about his suit or his fancy car getting wrecked than anything else.

It was probably a good thing that Tiger Claw hadn't mentioned the fact he didn't fully know how to drive a car.

If there was one thing Tiger Claw couldn't stand, it was people like him. However, now that it was over and out of the way until later on the next night, the old cat could finally get some well-deserved rest. He hoped that wherever Leonardo had gone off to soon after their patrol, they'd already returned and had retired to their beds for the night. The thought of them going out late again unsettled him very much. There was no telling what trouble those two could get themselves into.

And he'd thought they'd been a handful when they were younger.

With a sigh and an exasperated shake of his head, Tiger Claw slid open the door to his room and stepped inside. What he saw once he shut the door behind him and turned around both surprised and didn't surprise him all at once as he smiled softly.

Much to his relief, the two teenagers had indeed returned, and were now fast asleep against the back wall of the room. Leonardo's head was pillowed on Karai's right shoulder, and Karai had laid her cheek atop his head, whilst also draping her right arm around his shoulders, keeping him close and warm in the chill of the room. Tiger Claw stifled a fond chuckle at the sight. Whatever they'd been up to in his absence, they'd clearly exhausted themselves to the point where they couldn't even take off their weapons or armor before collapsing against the wall and nodding off.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen them in such a state. In fact, it had only been a few months prior that he'd found them asleep on the floor surrounded by feathers after what he assumed had been a very epic pillow fight. However, no matter how many times it happened, and regardless of their age and status to uphold within the higher ranks of the Foot Clan, never once did he become annoyed. Such childlike affection between the two young warriors was always heart-warming to see, especially after everything they'd been through together.

Still, they were well aware of Shredder's view on them sharing the same sleeping quarters now that they were older. Karai should've been in her own room rather than here, with Leonardo. However, despite knowing this, Tiger Claw couldn't bring himself to wake them. It was clear that they were too exhausted to get up, and they seemed very comfortable where they were. Perhaps, just for this one time, he'd let them rest together. After all, it had been so long since they'd last had the chance to find such solace in each other's company.

Besides, if he woke them up early enough, Shredder wouldn't even notice she'd been here at all.

Switching off the light, Tiger Claw quietly crossed over to the other side of the room, grabbing one of their blankets and draping it over their sleeping forms, being careful not to wake them. Once he was sure they were settled, he reached out to gently lay his paws atop their heads.

He smiled, shaking his head again. "Cubs," he chuckled warmly.

It was in the late hours of the morning that Karai awoke first, blinking rapidly to rid herself of the remnants of sleep as she yawned, her jaw cracking. After using her left hand to rub her eyes, not caring if she smudged her makeup, she looked at her surroundings. At first, she was confused to find that she wasn't in her own room, that there was a blanket draped around her, and that Leonardo was sleeping soundly on her shoulder right shoulder.

Then, the memories of the previous night caught up with her, and she sighed tiredly, letting her head fall back against the wall.

After Karai and Leonardo had finally managed to reach an agreement with Donatello and his team, Michelangelo had offered to take them back to the surface again, which Raphael had been against at first, predictably enough. However, after insisting that he'd be alright, and that he wouldn't use the Stealth Bike thing again, his two older brothers had eventually relented, and allowed Mikey to walk them back up to the surface. The first half of their journey through the hollow tunnels of the sewers had been rather quiet, until Mikey had suddenly asked…

"So are you two really a couple or nah?"

Karai hadn't been able to help herself that time as she threw her head back and laughed, whilst Leo, his cheeks red and hot, patiently explained to his younger brother that they were not, in fact, a couple in that way. He didn't go too deep into detail about their relationship. Just that they weren't dating. At all. Not ever. Yuck.

Minutes later, Mikey had let them climb up the ladder to the nearest manhole, bidding them an eager farewell – which involved nearly crushing Leo in his arms with another affectionate hug, and almost bringing a smile to Karai's lips at the sight – before he vanished back into the sewers without a sound. The rest of the way back to Shredder's lair had been long and tedious without the bike, and by the time they'd reached the church, Karai's mind had suddenly switched to autopilot as she followed Leo to his room, where the two of them collapsed against each other, instantly falling into a dreamless yet peaceful slumber.

Who knew that going on a wild goose chase through New York City for alien robot creatures, followed by being saved by a flying motorcycle and then negotiating plans to go behind the back of one of the strongest and most deadly ninja masters of their time could be so taxing?

With a low groan, Karai shifted on the spot, feeling her breastplate and gauntlets dig into her numbed body. Great, not only was she still so drained from the night before and had most likely overslept, but now she was sore and stiff all over. Also, her broken right hand was starting to hurt again.

However, as she lowered her gaze to look down at Leo's peaceful face as he dozed against her shoulder, like he'd done when they were little and had the occasional sleepovers at his home in the forest, she couldn't fight the smile that slowly grew across her face. Being mindful of her throbbing hand, she gently pulled Leo closer to her, letting her cheek settle on top of his head again. She wagered that waking up to this was worth the slight discomfort of her armor digging into her back and the utter exhaustion she felt.

She didn't want to admit it – out loud – but Karai had missed moments like these, back when they were just kids, playing ninja hide and seek in the forest and having mud fights together…before they became involved in a feud that, like Donatello had pointed out, was really quite pointless.

She often wished she could go back to those days, just for a little while…so that she could show him how much she cared about him without fear. Just like how Michelangelo did…

The sound of the door opening snapped Karai out of her thoughts as her head jerked up, her eyes wide and startled as her body tensed. She knew she wasn't supposed to be sleeping in the same room as Leo and Tiger Claw. If Shredder had gone to her room only to find that she wasn't there, and had then come to look for her here, something told her that she wouldn't be the one to get the full blame…

Much to her relief, it wasn't Shredder. It was Tiger Claw, carrying a large, sealed cardboard box in his arms as he shut the door behind him with his foot. As she relaxed, a lopsided and slightly embarrassed smile quirking her lips, Tiger Claw crossed over and set the box down in front of her and Leo, offering the girl a knowing look. "Good morning," he said, his tone mocking yet laced with that familiar warmth from her days as a child.

She nodded wordlessly in greeting as he knelt in front of her. "What's in the box?" she then asked, cocking her head down at the cardboard object in front of them. However, as she sniffed twice, she recognized the lovely aroma of food emanating from it. And seconds later, her stomach growled. Tiger Claw chuckled, and Karai diverted her gaze away from him in embarrassment.

"If you haven't already guessed," he said as he opened the box, revealing three bento boxes stacked atop each other, "I've brought us breakfast."

The moment those words left his lips, it was as though a switch was flipped as Leo finally blinked awake, sitting up from his position against Karai's shoulder as he yawned. His eyes drooping marginally, Leo looked from Karai, who was smirking at him as she raised a brow, and then turned to his father, who watched him with an expression of fondness whilst fighting the urge to laugh.

Instead of being confused or as shocked as Karai had been, Leo simply smiled. "Hi," he said drowsily, and then looked down at the box with the bento inside. "That's for us, right? I'm starving."

This time, Tiger Claw couldn't stifle the small laugh that escaped him as he reached into the box and pulled out a bento box, handing it to him along with a pair of chopsticks. "Yes, my son, it is," he said as he handed another bento box to Karai. "I decided to let you sleep when I came in last night rather than wake you. Shredder does not know about this, and I would very much like to keep it that way. Wakarimasu ka?"

"Wakarimashita," they replied instantly, bowing their heads once in gratitude for such consideration before digging into their breakfast with enthusiasm. It was rare that the three of them had breakfast together like this, not since they'd arrived in New York a few months ago. And though none of them were all that willing or ready to say it aloud, especially Karai, it felt…well, it felt really good, as odd as it seemed.

For the first time in a while, it was just the three of them, eating breakfast together, without a care in the world. There was no Shredder looming over their shoulders, no prying Foot Soldiers, no dog or fish mutants pestering them…

It was just them. It was just Karai, enjoying a morning meal in blissful peace with her second family of mutants. For the first time in a long time, even for such a mundane aspect, everything was right with the world.

However, it was once they were finished, fully satisfied with their meal as the two teenagers sat back against each other with a duet of contented sighs, things suddenly took a different turn for the worst.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Tiger Claw as he began collecting their boxes and chopsticks together, "this evening, I will also be accompanying you and Shredder at the docks for the shipment exchange."

Their eyes popping wide open, Leo and Karai stared at Tiger Claw with mirroring expressions of dread, though he was completely oblivious to it as he finished putting away the leftovers of their meal and stood up.

Wait, what?

The two exchanged a brief look of horror. Since when had this been the case? They'd been told by Shredder, personally, that the two of them would be the ones to accompany him along with about three other Foot Soldiers to the docks for the shipment exchange to make sure everything went as planned. They'd heard nothing about Tiger Claw joining them. And if Leo's father was speaking the truth, it meant that their plans to get the missile launcher for the other turtles would be in danger of failing. Everything they'd risked their butts for the night before would have been for nothing, and then the Kraang would be another step closer to reaching their goal…

"W-Wait a second, Sensei," Leo stammered as he stumbled to his feet, making his father look down at him expectantly. "Why are you – I mean, who told you – I mean…why is it that you're coming along? I mean, no offense, but aren't we enough for Shredder?" he asked, gesturing himself and Karai just as she stood up to stand by his side, nodding in agreement.

Unaware of their inner anxiety, Tiger Claw huffed out a laugh, reaching out to pat Leo on the head once. "Don't be so cocky, my young cub," he said. "Shredder ordered me to join him in person, in case anything unexpected happens that you would not be able to handle on your own. Ivan Steranko is an arms dealer after all, and he is crafty, despite his appearance. He and Shredder have a…strange relationship, to say the least. Besides, this way, I can keep an eye on you both lest you try to sneak away from me again," he added pointedly, raising a knowing brow at the two of them.

His left eye twitching once, which had little to do with the weight of his father's paw atop his head, Leo felt his heart, along with most of his internal organs, churn and melt with dread. However, he managed to feign a smile as he looked up at the tiger mutant. "Oh. That's, uh…that's great, Sensei," he said with a nervous chuckle. "We're…we're really looking forward to having you with us on this mission."

"Yeah," Karai said, her face strained with a fake smile as well as she nodded. "Can't wait."

Rolling his eyes with a tolerant smile, Tiger Claw patted Leo's head one last time before turning to walk towards the door. "I'm glad to hear such enthusiasm from you, my students. Make sure you are ready for your training session in thirty minutes. And be ready to leave for the docks at seven."

With that, Tiger Claw slipped out of the bedroom, clicking the door shut behind him. Once he was gone, Leo and Karai turned to each other, their eyes wider than dinner plates and their jaws clenched tighter than their fists at their sides.

"We're screwed," Leo said.

Karai nodded. "Yep."

Meanwhile, underneath the shelter and darkness of the sewers, the three turtle brothers were hanging about the lair, passing the time however they saw fit, as was usual on days when there was no training. In the pit, Donatello was sat against the bench, his shell cushioned by a pillow, reading a magazine he'd borrowed from April as he contentedly skimming through the pages. Across the room, Raphael and Michelangelo were gathered around the pinball machine, with the younger freckled turtle watching as the silver ball bounced from corner to corner, the machine lighting up and 'pinging' every time Raph managed to hit a target.

However, as Mikey bounced on his toes excitedly beside him, Raph knew that his mind was not at all on the fact that his older brother was beating Donnie's high score. No, his baby brother's current burst of euphoria was focused on another matter entirely as he beamed widely, and was part of the reason why he hadn't slept that much the night before.

"Stoked!" he giggled to himself. "I can't believe Leo's gonna fight the Kraang with us! And I can't believe Karai's gonna get us a missile launcher!" His smile broadening, Mikey turned to Raph, who'd only been partly listening to what Mikey had been ecstatically babbling about. "Dude, what should we blow up first?!" he asked his red clad brother.

Not looking away from the pinball game, Raph raised a brow. "Uh…the Kraang ship?" he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Which in truth, it was. The entire reason behind them getting the missile launcher and forming an alliance with Leo and Karai in the first place was to take down the Kraang warship that had been hunting them non-stop every time they emerged from the sewers. Duh.

At that, Mikey blinked in realization. "Oh. Right. What should we blow up second?" he then asked, his enthusiasm returning. Raph fought the urge to sigh and roll his eyes. Of course, he could understand why Mikey was so happy, and that there was more to it than being able to blow things up. This was their chance to finally work alongside Leonardo, without being forced to do so, unlike the incident with the 'Maze of Doom' that to this day gave Raph a headache just thinking about.

However, he still wasn't fully sold with the idea of Karai joining them. He still had his doubts about her, despite the fact that she and Leo had both risked their lives to prove him wrong.

"Don't get your hopes up too high, Mikey," said Donnie from the pit, glancing up from his magazine to cast his gaze across the room to his brothers. "Getting the missile launcher depends entirely on whether or not Karai and Leo can actually pull it off. It's not gonna be easy."

Raph nodded to himself, in full agreement. Despite the opportunities that had presented themselves at this new arrangement, Donnie was right to be doubtful. And on top of that, Raph wasn't overly confident that this plan of theirs to steal weapons behind Shredder's back would actually work either…

Wait a second…

Letting the silver ball fall back into the hole with a low 'ping', Raph lifted his head up, his eyes widening as a realization struck him like lightening. "Hey…I just thought of something," he said, turning away from the pinball game as he walked over to where Donnie was seated in the pit. All eyes were on him now as he folded his arms over his chest. "Leo said that Shredder was gonna be there too, right?" he began, the wheels turning in his head as a plan began to manifest. "For once, we know where he's gonna be ahead of time. Which means…we could set a trap for him!"

Donnie's eyes widened as he stared at his older brother, before tossing his magazine aside and standing up. "What? Are you serious?" he barked, crossing his arms. "Look, we made a deal with Leonardo and Karai, we can't just go behind their backs. Besides, this is about the Kraang ship. They wanna take us out!"

"So does Shredder!" Raph argued hotly. "This might be our only chance to take him by surprise!"

Beside the pinball machine, Mikey had been listening in silence to Raph's sudden change of plans. It was true that to get the drop on the Shredder and take out the Kraang all at once, the weapons exchange at the docks would be the only time for them to do so without being suspected or seen at all by the dark ninja master, or the Kraang. It would be a win-win. They'd be rid of their father's worst enemy, and would've taken the Kraang back a step from achieving world domination.

However, they'd made a deal with Leo. And Mikey had learned the hard way that whenever such deals or promises had been broken, his trust in you would be broken in kind. It had taken them far too long and had cost them so much heartache to finally get Leonardo to trust them as he did now. To lose that trust again, after all that, Mikey knew they wouldn't be able to take it.

But then, another thought occurred to him. He then let out a faint gasp as he remembered everything Leo had said about the Foot Clan, and what Donnie had told them the other day...

He raised his hand in the air, catching the attention of Raph and Donnie as they turned to him. "Um, can I just add something to what Raph said?" he asked.

A soft smirk found its way across Donnie's face. "You don't have to put your hand up, Mikey," he said. "What is it?"

Lowering his hand, Mikey then laced his fingers behind his shell as he rocked back and forth idly on his heels. "Uh, I was just thinking…didn't Leo say something about how much he hated Shredder?" he asked. "He wants Shredder gone just as much as we do, right? Also, Donnie said that Karai said he was driving her crazy. Maybe that's their way of saying they want out of the Foot for good?"

For a time, Raph and Donnie said nothing as they regarded Mikey with surprise and consideration over what they'd just heard. Then, Raph smiled. "Hey, you've actually got a point there, Mikey," Raph grinned, a little surprised that he'd actually admitted that out loud, before turning back to Donnie. "Mikey's right, Donnie; Leo freaking hates the Shredder. If we take him out, then Leo would have no other reason to stay with the Foot. He'd finally be free, and then he can finally come back to us! We can finally tell him the truth about everything!" he said. "It's what we've wanted all along, Donnie, ever since we lost him twelve years ago. Are we really gonna pass this up?"

Biting down on his bottom lip, Donnie tapped his chin with his finger. Averting his eyes from his brothers, who watched him with hope glimmering in their anxious gazes, he weighed out their options. Both Raph and Mikey had made excellent points, and it was hard to disagree with them. To finally have Leo come back to them, liberating him from Shredder's command, and no longer continuously teetering on the edge…it was all they'd ever wanted.

Maybe…just maybe, it could work out.

His expression firm and his shoulders set, Donnie turned back to his brothers, his mind made up. "Alright, guys," he said. "Let's take down the Shredder."

Whilst Raph was grinning at Donnie, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder appraisingly at his decision, behind them, Mikey was looking down at his feet, wringing his hands together nervously.

Something in the very back of his mind told him, whilst getting Leo back at long last would be the greatest thing to ever happen to them, that not everything was going to work out the way they wanted it to.

Perhaps he shouldn't have added fuel to the fire that Raph had started. Perhaps he should've kept his mouth shut for once…

When the red car pulled up at the docks later that evening, the area was vacant, aside from the numerous rows of metallic crates piled atop one another on the wooden floorboards. The men and women working there had already departed to their homes for the night, allowing the broad shouldered, muscular man to drive straight through without fear of being spotted or looking suspicious.

Stepping out of his car and shutting the door behind him, Ivan Steranko stood and waited silently, patiently, for his next 'customer' to arrive as planned. His jaw, scarred from previous deals that had gone awry, was firmly set into a deep scowl as he swept his eye – the other having been replaced long ago by a diamond after an unfortunate 'accident – across the docks. The only sounds that reached his ears were the salty waters lapping against the support beams embedded in the ocean below him. Nothing else stirred. Nothing that would tell him that his 'dear old friend' had arrived –

A loud thump followed by creaking metal startled him, and he whirled around to find two figures crouching on the roof of his expensive car. One of them, he'd met before. The girl, clad in silver armor and dark hair with rouged lips tilted upwards in a smirk, was Karai, the daughter and heir of the leader of the Foot Clan. The other one, however…

He'd heard that his old friend had employed two strange beings that were neither man nor beast into his army. He had heard of their strength and skill, and he'd become very closely acquainted with a particularly ticked off tiger mutant the night before. But upon seeing, for the first time, the green skinned reptilian creature, his shelled back clad with twin swords sheathed in leather scabbards gleaming in the remnants of sunlight, his dark blue eyes glaring at him warily through a faded blue mask, his other features hidden by the dark scarf draped around him…and to see how the girl crouched beside him seemed unfazed – almost comfortable – by his presence…

Steranko took several steps backwards, collecting himself as he cleared his throat. He shouldn't have been all that surprised. He'd seen many crazy things happen within the Foot Clan, some of which he couldn't bear to think about, like the tiger from last night. A giant ninja turtle should've been the least shocking thing he'd ever seen.

Still, his gaze was as intimidating as Tiger Claw's. And that was saying something.

"Where is the shipment?"

Taken by surprise yet again, Steranko turned again to find the Shredder, surrounded by three Foot Soldiers, and Tiger Claw, who held a single black case in his large paw. Regaining his composure, and ignoring the irritated look the over-sized cat was giving him, Steranko straightened his tie. "You brought what I requested?" he asked.

Wordlessly, Shredder turned to Tiger Claw and nodded. Bowing his head once, the tiger walked over to Steranko, holding the case outward and opening it, revealing its glimmering contents. Peering inside, Steranko smiled, nodding in satisfaction before the mutant cat closed the case and handed it over to him.

"We'll inspect the merchandise," said Karai, turning to the turtle and beckoning him to follow her as she stood up and hopped off the car. The terrapin wasn't far behind her, but he stopped momentarily to glower at Steranko again. And the Russian man swore he could hear a low, animalistic snarl from behind the folds of his scarf, one that sounded too much like the tiger's. It was very unsettling, and he wondered if there was a row of sharp teeth bearing at him behind the scarf as well.

Noticing this, Tiger Claw let out a sharp growl of his own. It was soft, but it was loud enough to gain the turtle's attention as his blue eyes turned to him. Tiger Claw shook his head slowly in warning, and in response, the reptile sent Steranko one last glare before walking away, following Karai towards the three wooden crates settled a few meters away from the car.

Eyeing him as he turned his back – or shell – to him, Steranko scoffed. Someone clearly didn't like him. He could live with that, as long as he didn't plan on using those fancy swords on him.

As he turned to get back into his car and get away from these ninja circus freaks, one of the Foot Soldiers had stepped in front of him, laying a hand above the door. Instead of becoming intimidated, Steranko cast his one-eyed gaze over his shoulder to Shredder. He smirked. "Don't you trust me? We're old friends."

Shredder narrowed his eyes. "Then you won't mind keeping me company while they check," he replied, his tone suggesting he clearly didn't trust him. Steranko could live with that, too.

Over by the crates, Karai had already knelt down beside one of them, lifting up the lid before carefully setting it aside. When Leo joined her, she cast him a curious look. "What was that all about?" she whispered.

Leo tugged his scarf down from his mouth, which was set in a firm scowl. "Tiger Claw said that guy used to be a hunter," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder to send yet another glare at the dark coated man. He ground his teeth together, his fists clenching. "How many animals that died and were stuffed or skinned and sold off to other humans for money… it sickens me."

"Easy there, turtle-tiger," Karai said, patting his shell before reaching inside the crate to pick up the long, heavy metal weapon. She understood and sympathized with Leo's anger, of course, for she knew how connected he'd been to the forest and its many creatures back in Japan, not to mention the fact that he was part animal, along with his father. However, they had other matters to attend to. They could rage on about hunters later.

"Focus, Leo," she said, casting a cautious glance over at the tiger mutant standing not far behind them. "We need to get this missile launcher back to the turtles whilst Tiger Claw and Shredder aren't look –what the…?" She stopped abruptly, her brows furrowing as she looked past Leonardo.

Leo raised a brow, his previous thoughts of murdering the arms dealer fading away as he looked at her. He watched as she turned to look at where Shredder and Tiger Claw were standing, and then back again, her eyes darkening with anger, though he had yet to understand why.

"What? What is it?" he asked, following her gaze as he turned his head around, looking for what had suddenly grabbed her attention.

Whatever she'd seen, he hadn't the chance to find out as seconds later Karai dropped the missile launcher, jumped to her feet and bolted towards her father.

"Look out!" she cried, hurling herself at Shredder and knocking him out of the way as what appeared to be a baseball, implanted with large batteries wired together, flew over their heads and bounced off the floor. The moment it hit Steranko's car, everyone near it, including Steranko himself, the Foot Soldiers and Tiger Claw, were zapped with bolts of electricity, crying out in pain before they all collapsed to the floor.

Eyes wide and horrified, Leo gasped.

"Tiger Claw!" he cried, shooting to his feet as he ran over to the tiger lying motionless on the ground. He hurriedly placed a finger against his throat, and then let out a heavy, shaking breath of relief when he found a steady beating pulse. He was still alive. Thank goodness.

Snapping his head around, laying a protective hand on Tiger Claw's shoulder, his eyes darted around the docks in search of the ones responsible for this. Sure enough, he found them.

Standing on top of one of the large metal crates, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo were gawking at them from a distance. In Raph and Donnie's hands, they held what looked like an over-sized slingshot with a baseball mitt between them…

His eyes widened further as the realization sunk in. And then they narrowed to slits, his teeth grinding together as he growled furiously.

No…they did not just do this…

After running back towards the crates with Shredder safely out of danger, Karai picked up the missile launcher she'd dropped, aimed it, and fired it directly at the turtles. Screaming in terror, the three of them barely had time to leap out of the way before the missile struck the crate, blasting it to smithereens with a violent burst of fire.

It was then that Shredder stood up, having quickly recovered from Karai's surprise tackle as he looked over at the other turtles sprawled out on the ground a few feet away. From the side-lines, Leo watched his masters' glare burn like fire as his fists clenched at his sides.

And for the first time, Leo found himself sharing Shredder's heated rage.

Shaking his head to ward off the nausea from the leap of faith, at the other side of the docks, Raph looked up and found the Shredder staring at them from afar, and felt his stomach churn with dread. Not only that, but behind the towering ninja master, kneeling beside the strange new tiger mutant they'd never seen before, Leonardo was seething with anger, his shoulders trembling with the effort to keep his wrath at bay.

Raph gulped. Whatever he and his brothers had just done, it had gotten them into a heap of trouble.

"Well," he began as he shrugged one shoulder, "this can't get much worse."

The universe was not on their side at all that day it seemed, for the moment the words had left his mouth, Donnie's T-Phone began to beep frantically. Pulling it out of his belt pocket, Donnie looked down at the screen and gasped. "The radar!" he exclaimed. "The Kraang ship is nearby!"

Eyes wide as they looked up to the grey skies above, they just caught a glimpse of the aforementioned alien aircraft bursting through the clouds, heading straight for the docks with its eye locked directly onto the three of them. Raph could've shouted every curse word he knew in frustration as his shoulders drooped in despair, however, his attention was quickly diverted from the ship as thundering footsteps echoed from across the docks. Turning his head, he saw the Shredder slowly looming towards them, his dark gazed trained on them with murderous intent.

Raph's eyes widened further. "Aw, crud nuggets."

They wasted no more time as they jumped to their feet, scrambling away and heading deeper into the maze of towering crates. "Fall back, guys, fall back!" Donnie screeched from the front of the pack. As they ran, Raph spared one glance over his shoulder to see if Shredder was following them. Sure enough, he was. And the fact that he wasn't even trying to run after them was almost as unsettling as watching him unsheathe his blades from his gauntlets.

They had no idea where they were going as they continued to run, panting with effort as they skidded and weaved their way through the winding paths of the docks. What they did know was that they'd messed up, big time. Now, they had to get away from here, before Shredder or the Kraang ship – or both at once – caught up to them first.

It was as though the taunting of the universe was ringing in their very ears as they reached an opening, but found that it was a dead-end, barricaded by towering crates they couldn't hope to scale in time.

And to make matters even worse, Shredder had finally caught up to them.

"Tell me where Splinter is, and I'll let you live long enough to watch him perish," the dark hearted ninja master sneered coldly, moving closer and closer to the trapped terrapins.

Whirling on his heels to face Shredder, Raph narrowed his eyes at their foe as he reached back for his Sais, ready to draw them out. His younger brothers followed suit, even though deep down, they knew they wouldn't be leaving these docks alive. The Kraang robots they faced day by day were one thing, but Shredder was still far too powerful for them to take on, not by themselves. The last time they'd fought him, they would've surely died by his hands if not for the distraction provided by the newly mutated Bradford and Xever. Their bodies had been cut, bruised and nearly crippled after what he'd done to them, and none of them were willing to say it, most of those wounds were still hurting to this day. Who knew what he'd do to them now, having them trapped with nowhere to run, and with nothing to hold him back from tearing them apart…

…expect the Kraang ship.

As if on cue, the alien craft reappeared as it closed in on where they stood trapped between a mountain of crates, and the personification of death itself. As they all looked up, Donnie's jaw dropped. "That thing again?! Are you kidding me?!" he cried exasperatingly. As if nothing else could go wrong today.

Following the turtle's gaze, Shredder had only a moment to let out a Japanese oath before the ship opened fire upon them all, purple surges of energy blasting upon the ground and knocking the turtles straight off their feet. In an attempt to avoid being fried along with them, Shredder turned to one of the crates, tugging the door open before leaping inside, avoid its sweltering beam of light.

The Kraang ship, for a reason unknown to any of them, ceased its barrage and began to float away, but it did not disappear entirely. Despite the confusion as he watched the ship fly off, Donnie seized the chance to quickly struggle to his feet, run over to the crate Shredder had hidden inside, and slide the door shut with a grunt of effort, bolting it locked with a flip of the switch.

He let out a brief sigh of relief. That would hold Shredder. But he knew it wouldn't be long before he forced his way out again, and they still had a job to do before they could get out of here.

"Come on!" Donnie called to his brothers, before running back the way they'd come through the maze. He heard them rushing to follow him, but the sound of metal slicing violently through metal echoed through his ears, and he skidded to a halt and turned just in time to see Shredder kick the door open again. Then, the bladed man turned to glare at Raph and Mikey, separated from their leader.

Gasping, Donnie felt his heart drop. He'd thought the doors would've held him a little longer than that. Perhaps he'd misjudged Shredder's lack of patience.

His shoulders bristling, he moved to run back over and aid his brothers as Shredder rounded on them with blades drawn. But just as he was about to unsheathe his Bo staff, Raph's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Go, Donnie! Stop the Kraang ship! We'll catch up to you later!" he called, drawing out his Sais and spinning them readily in his grip as Mikey took out his nunchaku. "Go now!"

Raph's tone left no more room for Donnie to argue. The young purple clad leader hesitated only for a moment, before he reluctantly nodded, turning around and running back through the labyrinth of crates. He knew that Raph and Mikey could hold their own just fine in a fight; though at times Raph's temper could get the better of him, and Mikey could get easily distracted, when they fought together, with Raphael's brute strength and passion for fighting, and Michelangelo's speed, flexibility and jubilancy, they were the perfect ninja duo.

However, Donnie was unsure if any of those qualities that had taken them fifteen years to develop would do them any good against the wrath of the Shredder.

But despite his fears, Donnie knew that he had to push forwards. There were two missile launchers left in those crates, and he had to get to them before the Kraang ship destroyed them with their reckless fire. If he didn't stop that ship now, then it wouldn't matter if Raph and Mikey beat Shredder or not.

Minutes later, Donnie found his way back to where the crates were, and spotted the two missile launchers, untouched and all in one piece. He'd never used one before – of course Splinter would have loved to see any of them try without getting the Randori of their life – but he mused it was pretty straightforward, like in the video-games Mikey insisted on playing; aim it and fire. Sounded easy enough, right?

Just as he moved to get to the crates and take one, someone leapt into his path from above. And that someone had their blades drawn, and was very, very angry.

"I thought you were better than this, Donatello," Leonardo seethed, glaring daggers into his younger brother, pointing the tip of his blade at him. "I thought I could finally trust you! How could you betray me again?! You're all just as short-sighted and obsessed as Shredder!"

Staring at his older brother in shock, Donnie found it difficult to gather his thoughts together. What was going on? They'd thought Leo hated the Shredder. They'd thought Karai was tired of following his orders. And what was he talking about them betraying him again, when all they'd been trying to do was help him escape the Foot Clan? What was happening here?

"Leo, you're not making any sense! You said yourself how bad Shredder is, how much you hate him and want him dead," Donnie argued. "Why are you and Karai protecting him? She said he was driving you both crazy!"

Leo only grew angrier, his grip tightening on the hilts of his Katanas. "Of course I hate him! But I have to protect him; if I don't, Karai will have no one! Because Shredder is her father!"

Donnie's words died in his throat, his eyes going wide as his mouth hung open in utter shock.

"Wha – you – her father? Shredder is her father?! Karai is Shredder's daughter?!" he cried, slapping a shaking hand over his forehead.

Of course. It all made sense now. The reason why Karai was so high in the Foot Clan ranks, why she'd saved Shredder, why he 'drove her crazy', and after years of serving under him, why Leonardo hadn't attempted to kill him…it was all because Shredder was her freaking father.

Donnie didn't know how Leo and Karai had met, or how they'd become friends, but it was clear that they were close, close enough to have bonded like brother and sister. They'd fought together, trusted each other and protected one another no matter the cost. And if Leo was as close to Karai as he seemed, it was clear that he'd restrained his near overwhelming urge to kill the man he hated so much, for her sake. He had to protect the only living parent of his only friend, despite his hatred…and now that Donnie and his brothers had made an attempt on his life…

…uh oh.

"Not only did you go behind our backs," Leo continued, taking on a stance as he readied his blades, "not only did you betray me again, but now you've hurt somebody I care about! For that, I'll make you pay!"

Donatello's panicked train of thoughts screeched to a halt at what Leo had said, and his brows furrowed in confusion once more. Wait, 'somebody he cared about'? Karai was the only friend he had in the Foot Clan as far as they knew, and she was totally fine. The ball hadn't hit her. Who else could he be talking about…unless…

A high pitched whine that was dreadfully familiar echoed from above as the Kraang ship returned, firing yet another round of lasers in their direction as it flew overhead. The pair of turtles barely avoided being fried to crisps as they leapt out of the way, rolling across the ground before flipping back to their feet. Looking up as the ship hovered off again, Donnie growled irritably. That was getting really annoying, really fast. "We've gotta stop that thing!" he cried.

"Our deal is off," Leonardo snarled, assuming his stance once more as crystal blue eyes burned with anger into Donnie's alarmed mahogany pair. "You want a feud, Donatello? You've got one!"

That was all Leo said before he charged Donatello head on with a loud cry. And despite his mind reeling with questions he desperately needed answering, Donnie had no other choice. The damage had been done, and right now, there was no way Donnie could hope to repair what had been broken once more.

Narrowing his eyes as the whites of his third eyelid closed over, he unsheathed his Bo staff, spun it over his head, and then charged for Leo.

With a strained grunt, Karai pulled Tiger Claw's unconscious body by his left arm and dragged him across the wooden floorboards, taking shelter behind one of the metal crates as the Kraang ship continued to drift in the clouds, looking for anything to shoot, at regardless if they were turtle or not. Once she was sure she'd gained a good enough distance from the 'kill zone', she dropped Tiger Claw's arm, planting her hands on her knees and bending forwards as she panted heavily. Damn, he was so much heavier than he looked; it was almost as if he was made out of nothing but pure, solid muscle. It was no wonder Leo couldn't flip him over his shoulder during training.

Karai had to admit, she hadn't seen any of this coming.

After firing the missile, she'd hurried over to where Leo knelt beside Tiger Claw to make sure they were both alright. Whilst the mutant cat was fine, apart from singed parts of his fur and clothing, Leonardo was…to put it bluntly, totally enraged. He'd made no move to go after his brothers, most likely because Shredder had taken that opportunity before him, and because his hand was clutching his father's arm so tightly that he couldn't let go.

However, once the turtles had vanished, with Shredder in pursuit of them, Leo had turned to Karai and asked her to watch over the tiger mutant for him, to make sure that he wasn't injured any further, before running off to do whatever it was that he needed to do…and Karai had a feeling it had something to do with running his blades through someone.

Narrowing her eyes as she stared at her feet, Karai scowled deeply. Who would have thought the so-called 'heroes' would stoop so low? Like Leo, she'd believed that his three younger brothers would've gone along with the plan they'd made, that they would've trusted them enough to get the missile launcher themselves like they'd promised. And yet, in the end, the ones whom they'd risked a lot to gain the trust of were the ones that couldn't be trusted in the first place.

Not only had they broken their deal and attacked her father whilst he'd remained oblivious, which was the height of dishonor, but they had also drawn the Kraang straight to them. If something wasn't done soon, they'd all be done for.

Just then, Tiger Claw stirred, groaning in pain as he sat up and rubbed his aching head with his paw. Averting her attention to him, Karai knelt down beside him and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Tiger Claw, are you okay?" she asked.

Letting out what sounded like a cross between a sigh and a growl, Tiger Claw shook his head as he blinked rapidly, as if he were still trying to get his bearings, before he turned to nod at her. "…yes, Karai, I'm fine," he stammered. "What happened back there?"

"It was Hamato Yoshi's turtles," she answered with a deep scowl. "They'd tried to take out Shredder from the shadows, but I saw them coming. Leo and Shredder went after them whilst I got you to safety. Sorry you had to get shocked, old timer."

At first, Tiger Claw's eyes had been wide with surprise at the mention of Leonardo's younger brothers. But upon hearing what they had done, and how Leo had reacted, he lowered his head and sighed, almost exasperatingly. She could relate.

He then lifted a paw and laid on Karai's shoulder, looking back up into her eyes. "Thank you for your assistance, Karai," he said, and then his gaze hardened. "But we must find Leonardo and stop him from hunting his brothers down, before it is too late."

Confused, Karai made a face up at him. "What? But why? They're the ones who –"

ZAP!

Startled, both of them turned around and looked up to the skies. The Kraang ship was attacking…again. This time, it was headed straight for where Leo and Donnie were currently facing off, with Leo gaining the upper hand after connecting his knee with Donnie's chin, throwing the taller turtle off-balance as he worked his jaw back into place.

Whilst Karai rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh of annoyance, Tiger Claw watched the ship with wide, almost horrified eyes. "What on earth?! Is that a Kraang ship?!" he exclaimed, already reaching into his belt to draw out his guns, though a part of him already knew that his laser and ice blasters would do very little damage against such a vessel. "Where did it come from?" he growled.

Her scowl vanishing, Karai's eyes widened, before shifting to the side as he laced her fingers behind her back. "I, uh…I have no idea," she said.

She then cursed herself for saying anything at all as Tiger Claw suddenly pinned her with a very flat look. Meeting his eyes reluctantly, she shrugged innocently. "Really, I don't know what that thing is," she insisted, though she knew that she was fighting a losing battle.

He planted his hands on his hips and raised a single brow at her.

Finally, Karai relented, letting her shoulders sag as she sighed again. "We'll be talking about this later, won't we?" she muttered.

"Yes," Tiger Claw said firmly, narrowing his eyes. "We will."

"You're not gonna bite our heads or something, are you?"

"I can't make any promises."

"Damn."

As the Kraang ship fired more laser blasts in their direction, Leo had no choice but to duck and take cover behind one of the crates, panting heavily as he watched the flying death machine drift off into the distance, but continued to linger nearby the docks. His shoulders sagging, Leo rolled his eyes and huffed. Jeez, that thing was getting less and less scary, and more annoying. Just how long did it plan on sticking around and firing at random? Until the turtles – or every single person occupying the docks – were destroyed?

Well, if there was one thing he could admire the alien creatures for, it was their persistence.

Once he was sure the Kraang ship hadn't spotted him, he peered around the crate in search for Donatello, ready to put an end to their battle…but he was nowhere in sight. Kissing his teeth with irritation, he moved out of his hiding spot, looking left and right in search for the purple clad turtle. He couldn't have fled the docks, could he? Not without the rest of his band of liars trailing behind him back whatever hole they'd crawled out of…

'Easy, Leo' he told himself, placing a hand over his throbbing head and shutting his eyes tightly as the sudden pains began to return. 'Can't afford to get put out of commission because of those stupid headaches again…but even so, what they did…how could they?'

Sure enough, as he opened his eyes and lifted his head again, he caught sight of Donnie, running towards the old building that was built by the edge of the docks, carrying one of the missile launchers in the strap around his shell. Leo narrowed his eyes as he watched his younger brother. It appeared the Kraang weren't the only persistent ones here.

Without a sound, Leo followed after him.

As the ship soared past, nearly ramming straight into Mikey and Raph again whilst they fought against Shredder with everything they had, Donatello positioned himself on the slanted roof of the old building, the missile launcher balanced on his right shoulder as he crouched down. His brown eyes watching the aircraft's every move with a sharp gaze, Donnie aimed the missile.

He had only one shot at this. There was no way he'd have time to go back down to the docks and get the last missile launcher if he missed, not with Leo still down there waiting to take his head off. He had to aim it at just the right angle. He had to time it just right, or they would all perish.

This was it. There was no more room for mistakes this time.

With both eyes open, and his mind clear and focused, Donnie pulled the trigger.

When the missile fired, it almost sent Donnie flying back onto his shell with the sheer force of the blast, but he collected himself just in time to watch as the missile flew upwards, soaring higher and higher until finally, it met its mark, hitting the side of the ship. The explosion of purple fire that followed, and the damage done to the metal was so great that it set the ship off course, slanting to its side as it began to fall from the sky.

Donnie couldn't fight back the smile and the breathless laugh that escaped him. He did it! He'd finally blown up the Kraang ship, at long last! Crisis successfully averted.

However, his inner victory dance was short-lived as a shiver ran down the length of his spine.

Ducking under the swipe of the sharp blade that would have taken his head off, Donnie tossed the now useless missile launcher aside, letting it tumble off the rooftop as he whipped out his staff, spinning it on the back of his shell readily as Leonardo came at him again. As he brought down his sword to slice Donnie's shoulder, Donnie was quick to bring up his Bo to block. "Leo, listen to me," he said, straining against the strength of his older brother as he pushed his katana against the wooden staff. "Whoever that other person is, I swear to you, we never meant to hurt them. We just wanted to take Shredder out, so that you could be free! Isn't that what you want? What you always wanted?"

The older turtle's left eye twitched, and he growled as he pushed his blade down harder, making Donnie slide dangerously close to the edge of the roof. The fall wasn't far, but if he landed in the ocean, the waves would surely swallow him whole.

"I've told you before, Donatello. I can't leave the Foot," Leo said slowly. "And no matter how much I hate him, no matter how much I want to kill him myself, I won't allow Karai to lose her father! I won't let her suffer the same loss I felt when Hamato Yoshi abandoned me!"

As he looked deep into his brother's ocean blue orbs, seeing the violent torrent of emotions swirling within them, Donnie felt lost. He felt hopeless. But worst of all, he felt guilty. Guilty for giving Leonardo, his poor older brother, another reason to want to kill them. Another reason to stay with the Foot Clan…and another reason to stay away from his true home, his true family…

Just then, the Kraang ship, consumed by flames, descended upon the docks, crashing and grinding against the wooden floorboards as it rolled straight for where Raph and Mikey stood. Above them, Shredder had just landed on one of the metal crates, watching as the ship drew nearer with wide eyes.

"Heads up!" Raph cried, grabbing Mikey by the arm and hauling him out of the way as they leapt into the water below.

However, Shredder had nowhere else to go. It was too late for him to move out of the way. So he held up his blades, bracing himself for the inevitable impact.

With a thundering bang, Shredder was hit, sent flying off the crate and into the water with a splash, sinking deeper and deeper along with the Kraang ship.

From where she'd lay hidden behind the crates beside Tiger Claw, Karai had seen everything unfold before her. She'd watched as Donatello brought the ship down, and watched as the ship plummeted from the sky. And as she watched as Shredder was flung gracelessly into the ocean, her amber eyes widened in horror as she gasped.

"Father!" she screamed, wasting no time as ran from Tiger Claw's side and jumped off the edge of the docks, diving into the ocean after Shredder.

On the rooftop of the old building, Leo and Donnie watched as Karai disappeared beneath the waves, and Leo visibly tensed. Normally, Leo would have no need to fear for Karai's safety; she was a very strong swimmer. But even so, the waves were stronger, and there was no way she could pull Shredder back up to the surface and still hold her breath for so long.

"…Leo?"

Tugging off his scarf from around his neck and tossing it to the roof, he looked over at Donnie. The purple clad turtle was watching him with caution, but had his hand held outwards, as if he wanted to touch him, to convince him to stay…and the look in his eyes. Leo could read them clearly. They were full of guilt, sorrow…

It was as if he wanted to say that he was sorry…

However, this time, Leo was not swayed as he sent Donnie a deep scowl. "Get out of here," he snarled coldly, disregarding Donnie's subtle flinch at his tone. "You've done enough here already."

With that, Leo ran to the edge of the roof, and then dived into the ocean as well, vanishing from sight as he plunged into the murky depths.

Letting his outstretched hand slowly drop back to his side, Donnie could only stare after his older brother helplessly. "…I'm so sorry, Leo," he whispered into the winds that fluttered his mask tails, somehow hoping that his brother could hear him.

Turning around, he met the gazes of Raph and Mikey, who waited for him to join them. Their expressions, though their faces were scratched and bruised from Shredder's relentless assaults, were just as sorrowful as his own. And he'd be damned if he didn't noticed the beginnings of tears in Mikey's eyes as the youngest turtle looked down at the blue scarf at his feet.

With soft sigh and a shake of his head, the three of them leapt off the roof and fled the docks, leaving no trace and making no sound as they disappeared into the city, the sun finally setting behind them, taking the last rays of light before plunging their world into the darkness once more.

All the while, as they made their exit, they were being carefully watched from the shadows by the soft yet calculating amber eyes of Tiger Claw. Once they were out of his sight, the old tiger lowered his head and shook it gravely. All this time, after watching Leonardo's improvement, both physically and emotionally, Tiger Claw had hoped that after interacting with his distant younger siblings, their bond would've strengthened. He'd hoped that with a little more time, that his cub would have finally decided to seek out the answers to the questions that haunted him night and day…

But now, it seemed that everything, even the happiness of his own son, had crumbled around them all in an instant.

And at this rate, Tiger Claw was rapidly losing hope that it could ever be repaired…

It was after several more minutes of leaping over the rooftops of the city, making sure that they weren't being followed by any more Kraang or Foot Soldiers, that Donatello finally allowed them to stop on the roof of an old factory to catch their breaths. The outer wounds they'd received were only minor, and whatever bleeding or swelling had already ceased…but it was the wounds that twisted and throbbed inside that were the most draining.

Walking to the edge of the rooftop, Donnie crossed his legs and sat down heavily, staring vacantly out into the distance as he watched the glittering lights of the city streets beyond dance before his eyes. Normally, he would've found the sight of the grand urban jungle they lived in to be beautiful, even though they'd seen it over a hundred times since they'd first journey to the surface. However, tonight, there was nothing beautiful about it. There was nothing beautiful about anything…

"Donnie."

Upon hearing Michelangelo's tired yet sympathetic voice hesitantly call his name from behind, Donnie's only reaction was to slide his dim brown eyes over to him only briefly, watching as his baby brother stood there rubbing his sore arm shyly as he stared back. Soon, Donnie turned back to staring out into the distance as he uncrossed his legs and brought one knee up, letting his forearm rest atop his knee-pad.

He heard Mikey sigh, before the orange clad turtle walked over and sat beside Donnie, letting his legs dangle carelessly over the edge as he leaned against his shoulder. "Donnie," he repeated, baby blue eyes peeking up at his older brother. "It's…it's not that bad. I mean, after all, you blew up the Kraang ship. That's good, right?"

Of course Donnie knew that Mikey was only trying to cheer him up, trying to shed some light on the darkness gathering over their heads like a looming storm cloud, despite his own sadness. However, Donnie couldn't help but sigh, shaking his head forlornly. "…but I also blew our chance to get Leo and Karai on our side," he said. He didn't look down, but he could feel his brother's pain as he nestled himself closer, taking his hand and letting their fingers intertwine. Donnie gave Mikey's hand a gentle squeeze in wordless gratitude.

"Look, guys," they heard Raph say as he approached them, standing on Donnie's other side as he folded his arms over his chest. "Karai is Shredder's daughter, his blood. She was never gonna be on our side. And Leo…Leo is bound by his loyalty and honor to protect her, and her father, no matter what. We…I should've seen that, before I convinced you to do what we did back there."

Raph then sighed, plopping down beside Donnie and resting his elbows on his knees as he frowned sadly, his face written with guilt. "Sorry, guys. This was all my fault," he said. "We lost Leo again because of me."

He soon found Donnie's arm come around his shoulders, tugging him closer to his side as Donnie held him. The purple clad turtle shook his head. "No, Raph, it wasn't your fault. It was all of us," he sighed. "We all fell into that trap. We just believed what we wanted to…"

Mikey wrapped both his arms around Donnie's shoulders, his bleak blue eyes following his older brother's gaze into the distance. "…I've been there before," he whispered. With that, the three brothers fell silent once more, taking slight comfort in each other's presence and reassurance as they city below them continued to flow like the currents of a river, smooth and absolute, and filled with life.

If only their lives were like the river. Now it had become a whirlpool of uncertainty, sadness and guilt. And there was no telling what the next day would have in store for them…

The moment the three of them finally emerged from the ocean, dripping wet from head to toe and gasping for air as they dragged Shredder back onto dry land, Tiger Claw was instantly by their side, his son's scarf held tightly in his left hand.

Shredder, for the most part, seemed unharmed; the only thing prominent was the dent on his chest plate where the Kraang ship had hit him. Leo and Karai, whilst they were gasping and their faces were rather pale after struggling to hold their breaths for so long, were still in one piece.

Tiger Claw let out a relieved sigh, extending a paw out to Leonardo to help him to his feet whilst Karai stayed by her father's side. When Leo started coughing, which soon turned into a fit as he swayed unsteadily on his feet, the tiger grasped his shoulder and placed his other hand over his plastron to keep him upright. "Foolish pair of cubs," he muttered as Leo's coughing fit began to subside. "You could have drowned. But you both did very well."

After clearing his throat, Shredder looked up at them and nodded. "I-Indeed. Well done," he said, turning to both the young ninjas, before focusing his gaze on Karai, who had her hands on both his shoulders to steady him. "Karai, I've found something for you."

Then, even though he hadn't seen it on his person, or anywhere near him at first, Shredder suddenly pulled out something large, slimy, and a very familiar shade of pink from behind him, and held it up by the tentacles for all to see.

Tiger Claw's eyes widened as he stared at what Shredder had in his grasp. He felt Leonardo's body tense beneath his paws, unconsciously shuffling closer to him as they stared at the motionless creature. Shredder, however, seemed unfazed by the creature or by their sudden anxiousness as he regarded his prize with a narrowed, satisfied gaze.

"You always wanted a pet."

Its eyes snapping open, the Kraang reared its head and screeched.

A/N: ...

Well frick. Way to go, fellas. But on the bright side, no more annoying Kraang ship. But the bad news is...well, now Shredder has a Kraang of his own. I wonder what will happen...XD. I hope you all enjoyed that, it was REALLY hard to write.

Next Time: When Karai goes on her own little vendetta, Leo is torn, April is totally done for, and the other turtles are too deep in their own hot water to help her...