Felicia looked around scared as Kayla, the driver and Jason the disguised catering boy escorted her down a long corridor. They had pulled up to a large building on the outskirts of the city near the docks, dragging her out of the car holding her arms tight as they took her into the building. The hallways were covered in dark red and black marble with Japanese art along the walls. Felicia's heels clacked against the black marble flooring echoing around her, almost mocking her at the emptiness of it. She was alone in this, completely. Two men in uniform opened a set of large oak double doors allowing them all to enter.
A desk with a blood red leather chair behind it sat in the middle of the room. The chair was turned towards the city harbor so whomever was sitting in it was not bother to see who entered the room. Felicia's heart rammed in her chest as Kayla and Jason let go of her arms leaving her hands tied in front of her and mouth still duck taped closed.
"I hope you brought me something good JP." A woman's voice asked from the chair.
"Yes mistress." Jason answered as the chair slowly turned.
A beautiful Japanese woman sat, her small frame shrunken by the enormous chair and an almost pixy like face. Her ebony, silk hair was chopped short to her shoulders with a brilliant red peeking out from underneath. She wore a black suit, tight fitted to show off her feminine lines with a red blouse underneath, unbuttoned to her modest cleavage.
"Who is this?" She asked pointing towards Felicia. "She looks scared to death." Getting from her chair and walking over to Felicia giving her a once over. "Are you alright?" She asked with a kind smile as Felicia felt her heart beat start to lessen. Maybe this wasn't Karai she's heard all about after all. Maybe this has nothing to do with the guys? Felicia shook her head no and the woman's smile widened. "Good." She said, her once kind eyes darkening. Felicia's heart leaped to her throat, once again beating in double time.
"She's dating one of them." Kayla spoke up as Karai's eyes shot over to the outspoken girl.
"Which one? This isn't Willow." She scoffed as Kayla nodded.
"No ma'am this is Felicia. She's dating the red one."
"Oh, Raphael... You like a bad boy do you?" Karai asked, smiling at Felicia. "I was slightly interested myself at one point with Raphael." She shrugged, walking back to her desk and perching her small body on the edge, still facing Felicia. "But, Leonardo and I just shared a certain...Connection." She shrugged. "I am not certain if you've heard of me. I am Karai." She said bowing her head slightly. "It is courteous when someone bows to do it back." She spat at Felicia. Jason walked up behind her, bending Felicia forward in a bow and bringing her back up. "That's better." She smiled as Felicia's hands shook.
"So, what do we do with her now Mistress?" Kayla asked as Karai mused Felicia's body over slowly, pushing herself from the desk and circling the scared girl like a lion with his prey.
"They'll be coming for her." She said almost to herself. "Knowing Leonardo he's already formed a plan to try and infiltrate my home and place of business. But, what of the other girls?" She sighed looking at Felicia. Reaching up quickly she ripped the tape from Felicia's mouth, making her cry out in pain. Karai's smile made her stomach twist in anger and sickness as she reached her hands up to her mouth feeling the raw skin of her lips.
"Who else is involved with them." She demanded as Felicia shrunk back from her tone.
"I-I d-d-don't..."
"Oh good lord... You're a little nymph of a thing and you're with Raphael? How does he even deal with you?" She sighed, turning away from Felicia as she felt tears start to stream quickly down her face, stinging her lips.
"Th-they're not together. We-we all broke it o-off and..."
"Stop it with that chattering!" She yelled. "I am well aware no one broke anything off with anyone. Leonardo and Willow are married. You are with Raphael. Who are with the others!"
"N-no b-body... They never m-met..." Felicia's head snapped to the left with a harsh backhanded smack to her face. Her breath caught in her throat from the quick action as she turned back and looked at the seething woman in front of her. At first glance you would assume her hits would seem small and unnoticeable but Felicia's face burned and throbbed with the after effect of Karai's hit.
"Lie to me again girl and I will make sure you can never again." Karai said, her face inches from Felicia's. "Tell me who." Felicia shook her head as Karai sighed, stepping back. "Loyalty will do little for you when you are dead girl! Now tell me who!"
"K-k-kill me then." Felicia stammered, her whole body shuttering at the thought. "I-I-I'm not saying or t-telling you anything." Taking a deep breath and holding her head high, Felicia tried to calm her shaking hands and make herself look even remotely intimidating to this woman who was smaller than she was.
"So easily you give up your life for these freaks?" Karai hissed, stepping close to her again.
"So easily you accuse them of things they have never done?" She asked back after another deep breath. Karai stepped back, shocked from her response and quickly turning back to anger. Her eyes glared, her body moving in one swift motion as she grabbed Felicia's upper arm, dragging her back from where she came down the hallway.
"I will show you the things they have done little girl." Karai growled as Felicia's steps were clumbsy and quick as she tried to keep pace in her heels.
They reached a room where two uniformed men in black suits and red ties stood outside of. Without saying a word they opened the doors for Karai and she tossed Felicia inside like a rag doll. Stumbling in her shoes, Felicia slammed hard against the marble floor tasting copper in her mouth from biting her cheek as he head bounced against the floor.
"This, this is what they have done." She said pointing towards a large picture of a man and a small girl at his side. Felicia looked around the room. A large statue of armor stood, with a shiny metal helmet before the large picture. "This is, was my father who those freaks murdered in cold blood. Without honor, without dignity. They came to our home and killed him as he slept. Then tried the same with me, leaving me with this." She said, pushing her hair back from her shoulder and pulling down her jacket. A large pink colored scar was shown that lead down underneath her jacket. "Leonardo and his brother's are to blame for this."
Felicia looked around her at the room that was a shrine to this man, her father and assuming to be Oroku Saki. The Shredder. She didn't hear a lot about him and the turtles past but, she had heard enough to know that Karai is lying. There is no way the guys would have murdered anyone, including an enemy in cold blood, while he slept. Leonardo wouldn't have allowed it.
"You're lying." Felicia said slowly before she could stop herself. Karai knelt down in front of her, forcing her to make eye contact. Felicia struggled against her grip to avail and finally gave up, tasting more blood pool in her mouth from the gash on the inside.
"Am I?" She asked as Felicia kept eye contact with the evil woman she's been warned about for months.
"Yes." She said as Karai moved away quickly letting Felicia's weight fall back to the floor. She caught herself with her still duck taped hands from slamming back down against the marble.
"They've obviously brain washed you." Karai sighed sadly as Felicia couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. "That is funny to you?"
"They haven't brain washed anyone. You're a sociopath and a pathological liar." Felicia she, looking up at the woman from the floor. Before Felicia could blink she felt something hard hit the side of her face, being thrown back, looking straight up at Karai's seething face. Felicia's tried to steady herself, but felt a wave of dizziness take over her. Her face stung and throbbed as she reached up her hands to feel warmth gush out onto her finger tips. The cut along her cheek had to be several inches long left there by Karai's boot and a harsh kick to Felicia's face.
"You're going to learn little girl. To her feet!" Karai yelled as the two men at the door hurried over to Felicia bringing her up quickly onto her shaky feet. Everything was hazy for a moment, a tunnel of black coming in and out of her vision as she finally could focus on Karai in front of her pacing like a caged animal.
Lunging at Felicia with a feral cry she grabbed the girl's arms and slammed her back hard against the wall that Felicia stood a foot or two in front of. The uniformed men let her arms go as Karai took them, turning so they could watch with slight amusement as Karai held Felicia to the wall. Felicia kicked her feet as they hovered over the floor, in shock that this little woman could lift her this easily. Karai's arms flexed in tight muscles, not even shaking from the weight. Lifting her body back and slamming it hard again, this time Felicia's head hitting the marble with a loud crack that ringed through the room.
Karai let her drop, walking away from Felicia and turning quickly as she kicked her foot out, connecting with Felicia's other cheek. Felicia fell backwards once more, bringing her hands up to her face to cover and cower away from this woman. Karai walked over, kicking the girl in the stomach, once then again as Felicia curled from the pain, coughing blood the pooled in her mouth all over the dark marble.
Karai smiled as she walked away from Felicia, nodding her head to the two men who went over to the beaten girl, pulling her onto her feet. She couldn't stand and barely could lift her head as the men carried her in front of Karai.
"You are with them so you are against me. Once they're here I will make you watch as I break down each and every one of them including that wretched girl Willow. You will learn what they have done to me." Karai hissed in Felicia's bloodied and swollen face. She couldn't respond, she could barely stay awake long enough to listen to what she had to say. "Take her away." was the last thing Felicia heard before everything went black.
"So, Leo just left?" Maggie asked as Willow made her way back into the reception area with Riley, Betty and April. "Along with the others?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "But, we're not done here."
"Mah, what can I tell you? Something came up. He and his brother's had to leave." She shrugged, trying to keep her voice as calm as she could manage. If April wasn't behind her right now, rubbing soothing circles against her back she may have flipped on her poor mother.
She had to think about her newly wedded husband, her brother's and best friends and her life time best friend who had been captures by this crazed woman. Who knew what Felicia was going through right now? That woman was a psychopath.
"Where are my sons?" Splinter asked, stepping up as quickly as he could manage with Paul next to him.
"They're preoccupied Sensei." April said with a grimace as Splinter nodded his head motioning towards the hallway where the girls just exited. April took the old man's arm and lead him back to the hallway. "Your serum hasn't worn off yet? Donnie said that..."
"Mine lasts a full eight hours my dear. I did not partake in it as much as my sons have been. This is only my second time. Now, what happened?"
"Karai." April sighed as Splinter nodded.
"They're at the Dojo then?" He asked, as April nodded. "I need to see them before they leave." He said, walking towards the exit as April bit her lip looking back towards the reception area where she was suppose to be, watching over Betty, Willow and Riley. "Stay my child. I can manage around this city." He said with a smile. "You need to watch them. Willow is stubborn like my Leonardo. She will want to go after them herself if she hasn't heard anything. You need to keep her safe and level headed. Please." He said as she nodded, kissing his cheek and hurrying back into the reception space.
People were still dancing and having a wonderful time to the songs Felicia left playing on the stereo system she set up. Drinks were being served, cake was being cleaned up and people were even starting to leave. April walked up to Willow as an older couple kissed her on the cheek and handed her an envelope.
"You tell that beautiful husband of yours to be careful." The older woman said as Willow faked out a chuckle and nodded her head.
"Oh I will." She said as the couple walked away from her. "I need to get out of this fuckin' dress. I can't stand it anymore." She hissed over at April who nodded.
"Let's go up to the room and get you changed." April said as Izzy came over with Zack.
"Where's the guys? Raph still owes me a dance." Izzy chuckled as she looked at everyone's faces. "Uh, baby could you be a dear and get me another glass of wine? Please?" She asked turning to Zack with a kiss as he nodded.
"I'll be right back." He said leaving the girls.
"What happened?" Izzy hissed as Willow sighed.
"Felicia." Riley said, swallowing hard, trying to get the words out.
"Felicia has been captured." April sighed as Izzy gasped loudly, having some people at tables around them turn and look. Willow glared at her friend, grabbing her by the arm and walking out towards the hall.
"So, they all just left?" Izzy asked as Willow let her arm go.
"Yes."
"What about the wedd..."
"If you finish that sentence I swear to God I will smack you." Willow said, pointing a finger at Izzy as she pressed her lips together tightly holding her up her hands in defense.
"OK... But, are the guys OK?" She asked as Willow sighed with a shrug.
"I don't know. They all left to go to the Dojo to grab their gear and weapons..." Willow could feel herself started to breath heavier than she had been. "My honeymoon is going to be spent wondering if my husband is dead..." She said, feeling tears start to stream down her beautiful done up face. "M-m-my best friend is in the hands of a psychopath bitch." She hissed, crying openly now as Riley, Betty and April made their way down the hall to where she and Izzy stood.
"They'll be fine Willow." April said, putting a arm around her friend, bringing her into her for a hug.
"This is serious huh?" Izzy asked as Riley felt tears start in her own eyes, nodding her head. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Yes. Stay home, lock your doors and have a wonderful night with Zachary. I don't need anyone else getting caught up in this bullshit." Willow said, looking over at her friend. She opened her arms as Izzy stepped between them giving her friend a hug.
"He'll be fine Will. He's Leo, he's amazing and cautious. He wouldn't do anything stupid." Izzy reassured her as Willow nodded. "Call me later?" She asked as Willow nodded again, both of them kissing each others cheeks before Izzy pulled away and went back to the reception to find Zachary.
"We're gettin' too old for this shit." Raphael said as he tied his belt around his shell, slipping his sais in their place at his sides. The guys all got ready from the backroom of the half done Dojo. The room was small and filled with tools and weapons and padding that was leaned up around all the walls.
Halfway to the Dojo is when they could feel the serum start to wear off. Moving quickly to an alleyway, they all changed back to their natural forms using the shadows of the setting sun to cover themselves. Casey kept to the streets, using the keys Leo had given him to unlock the back alleyway door of the Dojo.
"No kidding." Donnie said, wrapping fresh tape around the middle of his bo staff.
"Maybe if you would have just listened to what she had to say, none of this would have happened." Leonardo said from his chair, running a smooth water stone against the blade of his katana.
"You really wanna start wit' me right now?" Raph asked, walking over to Leo who looked up at him.
"Enough!" Splinter said as he entered the room, from the entrance. "Leonardo, Raphael is well aware of his poor decisions. Is it your job to point them out for him?" Splinter asked as Leonardo sighed, looking over at his brother who wiped down one of his sais.
"No Sensei. But, if he..."
"No! Together you will bring Miss Felicia back and together you will work as a team. No fighting through this as you did when you were younger. You are men now, brothers always." Leo nodded, standing to his feet, and putting his newly sharpened katana in his scabbard.
"I'm sorry." He said as Raphael rolled his eyes and walked back, tossing a roll of tape to Michelangelo who ran out before re-wrapping his other nunchaku.
"Whatever. We need to hurry up." He said leaning against the door frame as Casey swung his golf bag over his shoulder filled with hockey sticks and clubs.
"It's nearly sunset." Casey said, looking out the front Dojo window towards the streets as street lights started to slowly come on.
"Lets go." Leonardo said, as Mikey got to his feet.
"Be careful my sons. She is not a well woman." Splinter sighed as they all nodded and made their way quickly to the back door. Splinter reached out, grabbing onto Leonardo's arm before he left. "Leonardo, you are to end this any way you can. You and your brother's do not deserve to tracked down by these people any longer. End it, for your brother's. For your new family." He said as Leonardo nodded.
"Yes Sensei."
Willow paced back and forth in front of the window of her and Leonardo's large Bridal Suite in a pair of yoga pants and tank top. She fought her way out of her dress the whole ride up in the elevator with Riley to help her. She couldn't even look at it now without thinking of her husband and best friend out there possibly hurt or even worse. She had no way of knowing. The curtains were pulled back from the window and the city skyline ahead of her, waiting and searching for any familiar shadow.
Riley was behind her in a chair, her thumb nail locked between her teeth as she looked out towards the city as well, along with Betty who looked over Willow's shoulder each time she passed in front of her from her chair she sat on. They both changed out of their dresses as well wearing the pair of tight black shorts they had on underneath them and Riley wearing a tank top with Betty wearing an old band t-shirt that was two sizes too big.
"You're going to make yourselves crazy." April sighed, pouring them all a big glass of wine. She changed as well, wearing something similar to Willow.
"I don't want any." Riley said waving it off as Betty took the glass, putting it down on the table beside her. Willow looked at the golden colored liquid before meeting her friend's eyes.
"Well, I'm having one." April sighed, putting Willow's glass down on the windowsill.
"Aren't you worried about Casey?" Betty asked as April chuckled.
"I'm minuets away from running out that door if Donnie or he doesn't call me soon." April said right before her phone started to buzz against the glass table she was sitting at. "See, right on time." She smiled, picking up the phone. "O'Neil."
"April, hey." Donnie said from the other line as Betty shot up to the familiar voice. She took the phone quickly from April as the red head tried to snatch it back.
"Donnie! Baby are you OK? Is everything alright? How's Leo?" She asked quickly as Donnie chuckled on the other end.
"I'm good, everyone is fine... We're just outside Karai's building. Can I please talk to April?" He asked as Betty sighed handing the phone back to April. "April? We're just outside. Can you go to Betty and my room and get my laptop?" He asked and she was already walking out the door, grabbing Betty's key. She went next door to their room, walking back to Willow with the laptop opened against her arm. "You need to use the program, code encryption and type in this address. It'll turn off the power to the whole block but, at least we'll get inside unseen." He said as he told April the address and she entered it into the program Donnie had created.
Betty watched from over April's shoulder as she did everything he asked. She had a million questions running through her mind as April's fingers typed furiously over the keyboard. She smiled to herself as she noticed that his screen saver was the picture of them both on the Statue of Liberty. Sighing to herself, she went back to her chair, taking a long pull of her glass of wine.
"OK, got it Don. Lights should be going out... Now." April said as she pressed enter.
The boys looked ahead of them as all the lights and generators around the harbor went out. The night was taken over in silence. All they could hear was the sounds of the water slapping against the wooden dock and the chime of a buoy off in the distance.
"Thanks April." Don whispered.
"You all need to enter from the east. I pulled up the blue prints of the address from online and..."
"How'd you manage that?" Donnie asked surprised as April just chuckled on the other end.
"I did learn from the best Don." She said as he smirked.
"True. So, the east?"
"Yes. There will be two corridors you need to take the one on the left. It'll lead you to a flight of stairs. Felicia should be on level three. From what it looks like here, that would be the basement. It also says 'unfinished' which I am sure means finished and turned into a dungeon." April sighed as Donnie nodded.
"So, left, stairs, three?" He asked, knowing he got it right. He did have an eidetic memory.
"Correct."
"Call you as soon as we get her." He said, clapping his phone shut and looking over at his brother's.
"Ready?" Mikey asked as Raph nodded, his focus solely on the building ahead.
"Stay together. No splitting up to find someone and teach them a lesson, are we clear?" Leonardo ask, turning to his hot headed brother. Raphael glared over at him with a nod. "Good. Quickly on three." He said as Donnie counted first, then Mikey. "Three." Leo said, getting to his feet and sprinting as fast as he could to the building's back entrance.
Pressing his shell against the brick wall he didn't have to wait long before before his brother's and Casey were lined up beside him. He lifted his hand for them to wait, reaching out towards the door knob and twisting the handle.
It didn't budge as he twisted. Looking back at Donnie, the brainy brother nodded and came forward, kneeling in front of the large metal door.
He placed a small mechanism on the door, pressing the side buttons first then the middle and turned his shell towards the door, tucking his head as the bomb beeped three times and the door was blown into the building. It was a contained explosion, only making noise as they door landed on the floor clacking against the concrete.
Leonardo entered the building, then Raphael, then Donnie, then Mikey and Casey. Leonardo and Raphael on one side of the wall, their shells pressed against it as Mikey Don and Casey took the other side.
They all started down the hallway before Leonardo lifted his hand, motioning them to all stop. Following orders and watching Leo as he crouched down to the floor the others followed, listening as three Foot came around the corner.
"The door got blown off..." One said, as he kicked at the mangled metal door.
"You think they're here?" The other asked, looking out towards the opened doorway. The guys all slowly stood their faces just coming into view from the moonlight seeping in from the doorway.
They all rushed forward at once, dropping the three unexpected Foot Ninja easily.
"They're just kids." Raphael sighed in disgust, lifting one of the kid's masks from his face. He had to be at most fifteen years old.
"Her recruiting has gotten sloppy." Donnie said, as they moved the boys off to the side and out of the way.
"She's not the same Karai we're used to." Leo said, pulling a mask off another Foot. It was a girl, with soft teenage features. He sighed, shaking his head and putting the girl over in the corner with the others. "She's deranged."
"When wasn't she deranged?" Donnie asked, as they all started to make their way up the long hallway.
"She used to be able to understand honor. But, now with her father's death I think she's focus on revenge and nothing else."
"That doesn't sound familiar." Mikey sighed.
Felicia woke up with a groan. Her eyes burned and swollen from all the crying she had done as she tried to open them to see where she was. Her head throbbing in her ears as she moved it to look around the room. She turned onto her side, pressing her sore face against the cool floor letting out a slow breath.
How could she have possibly trusted someone she didn't know? How could she have done that in front of Raphael, at her best friend's wedding? She didn't even bother to watch her cut the cake with Leo? Before the wedding she had planned a series of photos she wanted to take as they fed each other the cake. This wasn't like her. None of this was like her. She just wanted to get back at Raph. She wanted to make him feel jealous and for what? To get more pissed at her? To make him not want to listen to her at all? He was already hurting and she knew that so, why was she trying to make it worse for both of them? All the decisions she made were ridiculously stupid.
Now she was captured by some crazy Japanese woman on a war path with her ex-boyfriend and her best friend's husband and her other friend's boyfriends. Who she hoped were coming to save her, but... Did they even notice she was gone yet? She had no idea. She didn't even know how long she had been kept here with his woman. Did she really even deserve it after she behaved today?
She felt tears easily fall from her eyes, feeling her head throb harder as she cried softly into the wood she laid against.
Furrowing her brow she looked down where her cheek was resting. She could smell low tied and the stench of things rotting away around her. Lifting her head up, and resting her chin against the damp wood she looked ahead of and then around her. She was being held in a wooden crate had to be at least ten feet long and five feet wide without a top. Trying to push herself up she felt the wood give underneath her. Some of it black and weak with age, giving off that rotted smell. She looked up at the large warehouse like ceiling trying to take a breath of fresh air and just breathed in the black mold stench that surrounded her.
Pressing her hands that were still tied into the wood she was able to slowly get to her feet. She could just see over the ledge of the crate in her heels as her feet protested as she stood. Her toes were raw and bleeding and she could feel her heels were cut up as well. She stood for as long as she needed, turning slowly to take inventory as to where she might be. She could hear the faintest noise of a buoy off in the distance so, she knew she was at least where she was brought. They didn't ship her off to Japan, hopefully. Sliding her back against the side of the crate and sitting back down as slowly as she could she kicked off the shoes, letting her feet decompress.
She looked down at her dress, once beautiful and now torn and ratty at the bottom. The dark pink satin stained with blood and whatever she was dragged through as they carried her when she blacked out. Her legs and arms were covered in dirt and grime from rolling around in this crate. She let her body slide fully to the bottom of the crate, laying down to press her throbbing cheek back against the cool floor. Maybe she would pass out again before they came and checked on her. Maybe no one would come and check on her. Maybe she was to rot away in this warehouse like everything else inside of it.
Curling in a ball, tucking her knees to her chest she sobbed as quietly as she could, repeating over and over again in her head how sorry she was for everything. Hoping if she never got to see Willow again she'd at least forgive her for ruining her wedding. Hoping that Raphael could move on and fall in love with someone better than her, someone that could be better for him.
"The corridor should be straight ahead." Donnie said, looking down at his phone's GPS that he created. Their images he linked up with their phones blinked on his small screen as they moved down the long hallway. Reaching the end of the hall where it split into two, they all stopped looking to Donnie for directions. "The left." He said, nodding in the direction as Leonardo moved first. They then reached a door the read stairs and opened Leonardo opened it slowly. His hand on the handle and his other reached behind him for his katana.
Looking down one way then the other they all started down the stairs. Donnie counted as they reached level one, two, then three. Leo went first again, opening the door to that level and noticing a large storage like room.
"This should be it?" Donnie whispered, even that echoed through the space.
"This was way too easy." Leo sighed, looking around the large room with high ceilings.
The room was completely encased in concrete. The smell of low tied lingered in the cement and old wood of the shipping crates that lined the walls. The Foot symbol was stamped on all of them, dating back to the early nineties.
"Why would she keep all these?" Mikey asked, looking at one a little closer.
"They could be from Japan, Saki's things he had sent for when he was still alive?" Donnie shrugged as Leonardo and Raph both walked forward, their eyes searching quickly over the area as they walked.
"No Foot or guards..." Raph said softly to his brother. "Smells like a trap."
"Something isn't right." Leo agreed as they two walked ahead, hands at ready on their weapons.
Felicia's head popped up as she heard voices murmuring around the crate she was kept in. Trying to get to her feet as quickly as she could to see over the edge. Her shoes now off making her several inches shorter than she had been, she couldn't see anything.
"Hello?" She called out, her voice horse from crying. The voices stopped, immediately.
"Felicia?" She heard his voice ask from close by and she felt her heart leap in her throat and tears rush in her eyes.
"Raph?! Oh my God. In here!" She cried as he hushed her. He and Leo walked over to the crate where her voice was coming from. Leo gave his brother a hand up and Raphael easily leaped over the edge, standing in front of her. She cried, running at him and pressing her body to his. She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around him but, couldn't. He pulled back from her, looking her over quickly.
The gash on her cheek was swollen and dried blood was caked over her cheek. Her other was already badly bruised, leaving her with a forming black eye. Her lips were a dark pink, raw from the tape and chapped from her licking them self consciously over and over, her eyes rimmed with red and swollen from crying for hours. Her dress was torn and stained but still, she never looked more beautiful to him as she tried to cling to his body.
He reached down with a sai, slicing the tape easily from between her wrists and starting to slowly unwrap it from her skin. She hissed a little as it pulled and he then did it quickly, like a band-aid.
"Sorry." He said softly as she shook her head, sniffing before looking up at him. His eyes wrapped in crimson and the same dark amber that looked at her every day. Now, they just seemed different. It was like she was seeing him for the first time all over again and she immediately loved him. She couldn't feel any other way for him, ever. He was it.
She reached her arms up around his shoulders and pressed her lips tightly to his mouth. Wrapping his arms tightly around her back and lifting her feet from the floor he tucked his arm under her knees picking her up in a cradle.
"Don't ever leave me again." She whispered softly, pressing her forehead against his as he nodded. "I can't explain to you how sorry I am..."
"Later." He said, cutting her off as she nodded. "Leo!" He called, picking her up easily over his head and letting her drop over the ledge of the crate. She let out a little squeal, only to be caught in another pair of large green arms.
"I've got you." Leo said with a smile. "You OK?" He asked as Raphael jumped out of the crate, holding his arms out for her. Leo passed her back as she clung her arms back around Raph's shoulders.
"I'm better now." She said, pressing her head against his shoulder.
"Good, we need to leave before we get some company." Leo said, nodding to his brother's to follow from where they came from.
"She's looking for you." Felicia said, her voice jotting up and down as Raphael ran with her in his arms.
"We know Felicia." Raph said as she shook her head.
"No, she knows that you were going to come for me. They used me as bait." She sighed, trying with everything in her to keep her eyes open.
"Rest. We'll be fine." Raph said, as they got to the door that lead to the stairs. Donatello holding it open with his bo staff as everyone started to exited the warehouse, heading for the upper level.
"Do you really have to be leave so soon?" They heard from above as the female voice echoed through the room. "I was hoping for a little reunion before you left." Karai said, leaping down from one of the metal beams landing right before the turtles. Foot Ninja came out from behind and inside crates all around the room, surrounding the turtles in the large space. "Perhaps give you your wedding present?" She said with a smile, walking up to Leonardo. He quickly unsheathed his katana and pointed it straight at her.
"You have us exactly where you want us Karai, now what?" He asked as she chuckled darkly, circling around the turtles as the ninja around them stay where they are, unmoving from their defensive stances.
"No Leonardo, where I want you and that wretched father of yours is dead, in the ground never to be seen or heard from again." She spat, passing behind Michelangelo as he followed her carefully, hands twitching to grasp the handle of his nunchakua.
"There is only one way that will ever come true Karai." Leonardo said, his arm still held out steadily as she circled.
"And what way is that?" She asked, stopping before him.
"You know that you don't have to do this Karai. There are other ways." Leo said, trying to compromise as she laughed louder.
"There are no other ways! You took my only family from me and now I will take yours! One by one I will rip you all down. Take them." She said holding up her hand as the turtles turned quickly towards the Foot that came at them.
Easily knocking the first few down, several more came in waves at the brothers. Raphael put Felicia down in the middle of him, his brother's and Casey to keep her from getting taken again. She was dizzy and unstable on her own feet as she tried to dodge out of the way of punches and kicks.
Another wave of Ninja came, knocking Leonardo back as he tumbled forward, catching himself on a wall and flipping backwards. Jumping up into a kick he was able to protect Michelangelo from a blade that was headed towards him, kicking the Ninja twice and turning to another with a punch.
The brother's and Casey all backed up to one another, Felicia in the middle as she looked around at all the Ninja circling them still.
"We didn't even make a dent." Mikey said in between heavy breaths.
"Do you like my new recruits?" Karai asked from the stairwell, leaning her small frame against the metal banister. "They've been training for years in Japan, orders of my father. A parting gift he left to me." She smiled, walking down the stairs slowly. She held up her hand as the Ninja started for the turtles again having them all stop in their place. "I have a wedding present for you Leonardo, would you like to see it?" She asked with a smirk as everyone turned their heads to a commotion in the back of the warehouse.
"Let me go!" Willow screeched as she kicked and fought against the two larger Foot trying to hold her still. They had come in through the hotel window and door as the girls talked amongst themselves, waiting to hear anything from Donatello. Willow could have sworn she saw something move outside the large window she looked out of for a moment before the glass broke and she was thrown back by a kick to her stomach. She was grabbed quickly along with her hung up wedding dress as April hurried Riley and Betty out the door. April knocked one Foot Ninja to the floor, trying to get to Willow but, she was already taken out of the window and quickly down the fire escape.
Willow struggled against the two Ninja that had to hold her as she stood in front Karai and the turtles. They both twisted her arms making her hiss in pain and having her body fall to her knees before Karai.
"She has a lot of fight in her Leonardo. No wonder you two found a fondness for each other." Karai smirked as Willow glared at the woman. "I am disappointed that I did not get an invitation to the Wedding, Willow." She said with a pout, leaning down towards Willow's face. Smiling, Willow gathered as much saliva as she could in her mouth, spitting in the evil woman's face. Karai turned her head, almost in shock by the action and moved her hand quickly having the hard smack echo through the warehouse.
Willow turned back towards Karai with another glare, not being phased by the smack by the adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Let me go." She seethed as Karai wiped the spit from her face with the hand that left the red mark against Willow's cheek.
"In a body bag my dear." She said, patting Willow's head as she jerked away from the demeaning gesture.
"What do you want from us Karai?" Leonardo asked as Willow looked up at her husband. Their eyes met for a moment and he was in full leader mode but, she was able to see a flicker of sorrow and almost fright in that glance.
"We've been through this song and dance before Leonardo have we not? What do I want from you, what you want from me? Neither one of us ever get what we really, truly want. The other dead." She said, starting to walk around the brother in blue, sliding her fingers along his shell. She stopped in front of him, his glaring eyes never once wavering from her. "So, why don't we just finally get what we want?" She asked as he shook his head.
"I'm not going to kill you Karai."
"Really? Even with your wife on her knees? Is that a common place for her?" She asked with a smirk as Willow tried to get to her feet to attack the smaller woman but was held tightly in place. Leonardo turned his glare at his wife, shaking his head once to keep her where she was.
"If you want to kill me, then kill me. Leave them out of it." Leo said nodding towards Felicia and Willow. Looking up at her proud strong husband and she felt tears start to prickle in her eyes at his words. This couldn't possible be the last time she was to see him and him her. Scared and weak on her knees on dingy concrete in her wedding dress.
"No." She said softly as Leonardo kept his glare on Karai.
"Oh but, they have a big part in this as well Leonardo. You killed my father years ago and now once I am done with you, I plan on going to them and then finding where that April O'Neil scurried off to." She said, turning towards Willow with a sickening smile.
"Your father was sick Karai. He was hooked on vengeance towards something he could never resolve. He put himself in that place where we had to do what we did." Donnie said from behind Leonardo, trying to reason with this crazed woman. "Do not follow in his foot steps. You can change this, make all of this better."
"Do not patronize me Donatello." Karai hissed, turning towards the nerdy brother. "My father had no other options! His death is a promise that I will finish what he started." She said as Leonardo shook his head.
"You cannot finish this Karai. He, even in death is burying you in his hole of revenge that you do not need to follow through with. We're here now, we can stop this now." Donnie said, stepping towards the woman as she eyed him for a moment.
"I cannot stop it Donatello. It's already done..." She sighed, looking over towards Leonardo, then Willow. "Kill them." She said, walking past the group of turtles and Willow who screamed out as the Foot circled in on them.
"Where are we going April!" Betty hissed as she, Riley and April made their way through the city sewers.
"To the guy's place."
"They live in the sewers?" Betty asked in disgust as Riley sighed.
"It's a lot better when you get there." She said. "Donnie never told you that?" She asked as Betty chuckled lightly, shaking the grim off of her hand as she ran it along the surrounding brick wall for balance.
"I think he may have mentioned something..." She sighed, wiping whatever it was on her hands off on her jeans.
"This is it." April said, holding out her cell phone with her flashlight app as they all came to a large alcove that looked to be cemented over.
"This is a dead end." Riley said, looking down another dank, dark corridor. "Are you sure you have the coordinates right?" She asked as April smirked over her shoulder at the two worried girls.
"I've been down here a time or two girls." She said lifting her hand up to a metal pipe and pulling down on it. The brick wall before them slid open as April walked ahead.
"Whoa..." Betty said as April flicked on the lights to the liar, illuminating it in fluorescent lights and arcade game sounds. "This is incredible."
"Yeah, it's pretty amazing." Riley said with a sigh, walking down the hallway towards her favorite turtles room. Betty followed as Riley opened the door and poked her head inside. "It's so different without them here." She sighed, feeling tears start to well in her eyes. "They need to be OK." She said turning towards Betty who nodded, putting her arms around her friend's waist and her head on Riley's chest.
"They will be. They have to be." Betty shrugged.
April headed into Donnie's lap, stopping as she noticed Master Splinter sitting in one of Donnie's old computer chairs, watching a large screen before him.
"Hello Master." April said with a bow as he smiled towards the young girl he's come to love as a daughter. "Are they doing OK?" She asked, pulling up a chair next to him and taking a look at the screen.
It had Donnie's GPS signal blinking in red, letting them both know where he was. They were still at the warehouse that April had sent them too, on the lower level.
"I am not certain. I am just hoping for that red dot to start moving towards home." Splinter said with a long breath, letting his hand slide down his beard over and over again.
"Me too Master." April sighed, putting her hand over his paw.
Willow ran back behind a wooden crate, Felicia's hand tightly in hers as they both squatted down out of the way. Willow looked toward the guys quickly, darting back behind the crate before she was seen.
"What do we do?" Felicia asked, her hands shaking. Willow grabbed them tightly in her own, feeling the coldness of them as her friend shivered.
"I'm not sure." Willow sighed looking around the small space they were in. "Are all these crates empty?" She asked, standing up slowly in her bare feet and trying to look over the edge of the crate they hid behind. Sighing she sat back down next to her friend. Her once beautiful white dress a dirt covered mess. "Nothing in there." Getting onto her hands and knees she crawled over towards the other crate in front of them, peeking around the corner quickly and getting to her feet. "Jackpot!" She said happily, hopping up and grabbing large, smooth wooden weapon with metal balls placed along the top. Willow placed her hands on it like a bat giving it a swig to feel the weight of it in her hands.
"W-what the hell is that thing?" Felicia asked, looking up at her best friend.
"Something to get the job done." Willow said, looking around the edge of the crate. "Stay here."
"Where are you going?!" Felicia cried, reaching out and grabbing a fist full of Willow's skirt. "The guys are gonna be mad if you go out there and get in the way." She said quickly as Willow leaned down and grabbed her friend's hand, giving it a kiss.
"I love you, and I love them. I am not just going to sit and watch them fight alone." She said as Felicia shook her head frantically.
"You're going to get yourself killed Willow. Please don't leave me alone." She said feeling new tears bubble in her eyes. Willow watched as warm tears streamed down her friend's face. Nodding her head, she put the weapon down, keeping it close by her side and sat. Peering around the edge of the crate once more she kept an eye on Leonardo as she fought his way against two Foot at once.
Turning with a kick, then using the blunt of his sword with a punch the Foot in front him flew back a couple feet. Running in towards the middle of the circle with his brother's he jumped up, using Michelangelo's shell as momentum and landed in front of Karai as she watched from the corner.
"This is the last time I let you walk away." He said in a growl as she smirked, pulling out a katana blade from the lone scabbard at her back.
"Then please, come at me Leonardo." She said, taking a stance and waving him towards her. With a growl and a yell they both crashed into each other, their blades catching and faces inches from the other as she tried to fight off his strength.
"You're older now Karai, weaker. Don't make me do this." He said as she growled and pushed him off of her leaping back into a back flip as her feet connected with his chin, snapping his head back. He caught himself, shaking off the pain as she raced down the large warehouse. "I'm going after Karai!" He yelled over his shoulder to his brother's as they fought off the diminishing Foot.
"Yeah you go ahead Leo..." Casey said through a grunt, swinging a bat at a Foot's head, and punching another. "We'll be just hang out here and wait for ya!" He said, spinning as he swung the bat again.
"Was that sarcasm?" Donnie asked, almost in a chuckle as he spun his bo in front of him, swinging it behind him as it connected with another Foot Ninja's face.
"No..." Casey said with a shake of his head as Raphael chuckled darkly, twisting his sais against his large forearms and using the blunt of the metal to connect with a Foot Ninja's stomach then head.
Willow watched as Karai raced past her followed by her husband. She got to her feet quickly, grabbing the large wooden weapon at her feet and looking towards a very weak Felicia, on the verge of unconsciousness. Looking over at the remaining brother's and the dwindling Foot she quickly followed after Leonardo, picking up the skirt of her dress and sprinting as he bare feet slapped against the damp concrete.
Karai slid to a stop as she came to the back of the warehouse. Her hands slamming hard against the concrete wall as she turned towards Leonardo holding his katana out before him, walking slowly towards her and the dead end.
"I don't have to do this Karai." He said slowly as her eyes quickly darted around the room towards her escape.
"You need to do it Leonardo. I want you to live with this. Kill my father then me, leave nothing of the Saki name." She spat at him as he stopped where he stood.
"The Saki name meant something years ago in Japan but here, it means nothing but revenge and pain. You know that Karai, you've seen it for yourself. You even told me of it when you were younger..."
"Younger and foolish!" She said, backing herself against the wall as Leonardo walked closer.
"You can end it and make a better name for yourself, for your father." He said, trying to reason with her as she glared at him.
"The name he made is the name I keep." She said as Leonardo sighed, putting his katana back in its hold on his shell.
"You have no where to go, no one to help you. Is this really the way you want to die?" Leonardo asked as she took a deep breath, finally meeting his eyes.
"Are you giving me a choice?"
"Yes. I am. That's what we've been trying to do." Leo said with a long breath as Karai smirked.
"You're as foolish as you were as a teenager." She said shaking her head. "You think me weak because I am a woman Leonardo? Let your guard down so easily for a cornered prey?" She asked stepping away from the wall as Foot Ninja came out from around the back of wooden crates. "I always have someone to help me." She smiled as Leonardo started to back up quickly pulling both his katana from his shell. Karai did the same, pointing it at him as she ran towards him again, Foot Ninja following behind her.
He caught her sword with his and pushed her back as he kicked at a Foot that came for him next. Swinging his katana behind him he turned towards another Foot that circled him, sending them back with a harsh kick into the side of a wooden crate.
Willow watched as the man's body was sent flying through the air, slamming hard into the crate next to her. Her eyes widened and blood started to seep out of them man's mouth. Looking back towards her husband she glared at Karai who watched from above, walking along the edge of a crate as Leonardo fought off more Ninja.
"Karai!" Willow shouted, catching the woman's attention and that of her husbands. Leonardo turned again, kicking his leg out and punching forward at two Foot. With a back flip and high kick he made his way over to his wife. Her dress was torn and blackening at the bottom. Her hair was matted with sweat and her makeup was gone from her face. She held a large tetsubo in her hands with a tight grasp, picking it up easily and placing it on her shoulder. She looked feral and angry, and beautiful. She couldn't possible be more beautiful.
"What are you doing?" He hissed at her as Karai and the remaining Foot Ninja walked towards them.
"There are three of them and two of us." Willow shrugged. "How hard can it be?" She asked as Leonardo glared over at her. Grasping the tetsubo tight in both of her hands Willow took a fighting stance that Leonardo had taught her years before. Looking over at his wife he smirked noticing her footing.
A Foot went after Willow as Karai and another Foot went after Leonardo. Leaping back, Leo slashed his katana as the Foot, cutting his uniform from his chest and nicking the skin. Leaning down in pain Karai growled, stepping over the injured Foot and going after Leonardo. Their katana clashing and clanking against one another as she went at him again and again. Leonardo caught ever swing easily. She was losing focus. She was letting anger cloud her judgment.
Catching her wrist in his large hand Leonardo brought her body hard into his plastron, twisting her twist as she dropped her katana.
"Stop this Karai before I do." He said as she fought against his grip.
"I'll die first." She hissed, pulling out a knife from a strap on her boot and stabbing Leonardo in the side. The softened shell of his side let the blade enter easily having Karai twist her blade in all the way to the hilt, watching as Leonardo's eyes widened in pain. He fell back onto his shell, his breathing starting to become labored as blood seeped out from his body and onto the floor around him. Willow watched as she swung the large wooden weapon towards the Foot Ninja, connecting the metal balls with the side of his face.
Leonardo grasped at the wound, blood seeping quickly from between his green fingers. Willow glared at the woman before her, wiping his blood from her knife onto her black pants before sliding it easily back into place on her boot.
"Your dark knight is no more." She smiled darkly as Leonardo tried to get back to his feet. Willow growled, picking her weapon up over her shoulder and going after the smaller woman. She easily moved out of Willow's way, knowing where ever swing was going to land.
"Leo!" Donnie cried out as he and his brother's ran from their ending battle. Donnie slid on his knees over to his brother, dropping his weapon and putting pressure on the wound.
"Help Willow." Leo said hoarsely, looking up at Michelangelo and Raphael.
"Where's Felicia?" Raph asked, looking around quickly as Casey took off back to where they came from.
Mikey swung his nunchaku at Karai, as she dodge quickly out of the way. Willow breathed heavily as she tried to pick up the heavier weapon in her hands to swing at the Ninja Pixie again. Noticing her slowing Karai spun her body quickly, kicking Willow across the face and sending her back some feet. Shaking off the hit Willow tried to get back to her feet, tripping over her large skirt and falling back onto the cold concrete. She felt the warmth of blood on her tongue from her bottom lip and used the weapon to steady herself on her feet. Raphael went after Karai next, catching her katana in the curve of his sai.
"I have no qualms with killin' ya." He said, twisting his sai and pushing her away from his, kicking her in the stomach. She fell back, rolling out of the way as Raph stabbed his sai down to where her head once was, leaving a hole in the concrete floor. Twisting her blade in her hand she went at Raphael again as he did the same. Their weapons locking together as he easily pushed her small body off him. She kicked out, her foot connecting with the side of his face which he easily shrugged off, going at her again.
"You OK babe?" Mikey asked as Willow breathed heavily from the floor, her body being held up by her heavily growing weapon.
"I'm good. She's too quick." Willow sighed shaking her head. "I couldn't..." She felt tears started to swell in her eyes as she looked over at Leonardo, bleeding in his brother's hands.
Getting to her feet she walked over to her husband, kneeling down next to him. Her skirt soaking up his blood like a sponge. Taking a Ninja star from Leonardo's strap she sliced off a large strip of her skirt, having Donnie tear off the rest. Wrapping the fabric around Leonardo's shell, Donnie applied more pressure to the wound.
"We need to get him back to the lair. He's loosing too much blood." Donnie said as Willow looked up at Raphael and Karai still fighting, circling each other. Willow got to her feet, grabbing her weapon and letting the metal scrap along the concrete floor. Picking it up at the last second before she sung at Karai, letting the wood slam hard against the side of her head.
Karai fell back against the concrete, looking up at Willow as she walked over to the confused woman, looking down at her. Putting the tetsubo down hard on Karai's stomach Raphael walked up behind Willow watching as she pressed harder and harder into Karai's body.
"You ruined my wedding." Willow seethed as she pressed harder against Karai's stomach. "You kidnapped my best friend and just sliced opened my newly wedded husband and tried to kill my family. For. The. Last. Time." She said, picking up the weapon and bringing it down towards Karai.
Raphael grasped the tip of the tetsubo as she brought it back over her shoulder, stopping Willow from hurting the woman further.
"You're not going to kill her." He said as Willow felt tears steam down her face.
"She deserves to die!" Willow said tugging on the weapon as Raphael shook his head, grabbing it from Willow's grasp and tossing it across the warehouse floor.
"Not by you." He said as she nodded, looking back towards his husband and Casey as he trotted back with Felicia in his arms. "Go, he needs you and you don't need to see this." Raph said as Willow nodded, going over to Donnie to help and get Leonardo to his feet.
"Please end this Raphael." Karai said, blood dripping from her mouth as Raph sighed, twisting his sai in his hand as it pointed out towards Karai's throat.
"You did this to yourself." He said as she nodded, reaching out towards her katana and grasping the handle.
"I am armed, you are not to do this without honor." She said as he sighed, dropping his weight to his knees as the tip of his sai went into her throat. The life from her eyes slowly went out as Raphael turned away. He always hated that part, watching as they slowly went. Slipping his now bloody sai from his long time enemies neck he got to his feet and followed after his brother's.
Slipping Leonardo's arm under his shoulder, taking the weight off of Willow as she tried to help Donnie walk to the battle shell Raphael looked over at his older brother. His green completion turning gray in color.
"You look like shit dude." Raph said as Leonardo tried to chuckle, wincing in pain as it shot into his side. "Sorry."
"Did she... Is it over?" Leonardo asked as Raphael sighed, nodding his head.
"You shouldn't of had to do that." Leonardo said as they made their way outside, dawn slowly started to reach the harbor.
"Neither should you." He said as him and Mikey lifted Leonardo up in the back of the battle shell, Donnie, pulling Leonardo back into a seat. Casey helped Felicia into the back, buckling her in as Willow sat next to her, putting her best friend's head on her shoulder as she easily fell back to sleep. "I'll drive." Raph said, as Mikey got into the passenger seat.
"This feels weird man...Like we're forgetting something." Mikey said softly over at Raphael as he started to engine.
"It's because it's over." Raph sighed turning down the alleyway and heading for the street entrance of the lair.