The training was rigorous and tiring as they tried to keep in time with each other.
Once they were done, all five of them collapsed, panting.
"Okay…I can't move…" Don stated.
"Who WANTS ta move?" Raph replied.
"Wake me for breakfast…" Mikey whined slightly.
"Note to self…get Mikey some new deodorant…" Leo stated.
"I need…Gatorade…" Cat panted out, practically crawling towards the kitchen.
"Hey! That's MY Gatorade!" Mikey whined.
"…Try to get in my way, bro…"
No one moved in her way, and she grabbed the fridge.
"Well…she needs the electrolytes…" Don reasoned.
"Training has concluded for tonight. It will resume in the morning." Splinter ordered, heading into his room.
Cat grabbed the bottle that was bigger than her head and started chugging it down.
Sprawled on the floor, chugging down Gatorade, she only gave a thumbs-down when Raph asked if she wanted to play a video game.
"Wait-Wait-Wait. Obviously, you've forgotten one VERY important rule about video games…I always play!"
Cat lifted her head slightly, still chugging Gatorade as she saw Mikey stare at his red and purple-banded brothers as they played his game.
"Yeah, Mikey. And that's the problem. It's OUR turn." Raph replied, leaning as he tried to look past the orange-banded turtle.
"We'll call you when there's an opening." Don added jokingly.
"Yeah, say in 'bout ten years. Now move yer shell."
Cat sat up as Yuki cuddled into her side, purring.
Still drinking, she heard the sound of the game.
'Well, maybe energy are good…for me…Mikey doesn't need them…'
"It's no big deal, Mikey. Relax." Leo advised.
"But how's a turtle supposed to rest and relax without something to do?"
"Let Raph and Don have their game. You and I can hit the rooftops."
Leo turned to the kitchen.
"You want to come, Cat?"
Seeing Yuki using her stomach as a pillow, Cat sighed.
"…Maybe moving would be a good idea…"
--
The old construction site was always a fun place to run around in, but Cat learned quickly that the many beams and such could help with her flying.
Flying through tight spaces and around obstacles helped her learn control, especially with such a wide wingspan.
The moonlight shone off her scales in rainbows, and she dove through a couple beams.
Her tail seemed to cut the very air, and she smirked as she dove straight down.
She pulled up, flying by her surprised youngest brother.
"Hey! Watch where you're flying!"
"Watch where you're running!" Cat yelled playfully back.
She landed on a rooftop, waiting for her brothers to join her.
"You almost hit me with that thing!" Mikey whined.
"That's my WING, thank you…"
Leo rolled his eyes, but the two saw the amusement in his eyes.
"You two haven't changed that much since we were little…"
Cat sighed, folding her wings.
"Yeah. I was part dragon when I was younger."
"You sure ACTED like it…"
SMACK!!
"OW!!"
Turning her eyes to the heavens, as if for guidance, Cat caught sight of a shadow.
"Well, would you look at that…"
Mikey and Leo joined her, seeing the figure on the tall rooftop across the street from them, cape billowing.
"Whoa! Cape…mask…dark brooding presence…gotta be a superhero!" Mikey stated.
"Or some whacko! Come on!" Leo ordered.
He ran forward, and Cat followed, winding her tail around her thigh so she wouldn't accidentally cut one of her brothers.
Jumping down from the roof and using poles and pipes to slow her descent, Cat hit the ground feet first.
Seeing the dark figure swing by on a strange rope, she looked down the street and saw what he was following.
"He's going after that truck…" She stated as her brothers joined her.
"And doing it with style, I might add!" Mikey stated.
"Remind you of anyone? A dark avenger on a quest for justice?"
The two older turtles shared a glance.
"No." They answered as one before running after the truck and the dark figure.
The dark figure landed on a car with a silence that surprised the winged kunoichi, and she jumped into an alley as he dodged some bullets.
"SURE he doesn't remind you of anyone?" Mikey asked.
"No."
"Concealed identity, casting his heroic shadow over the city he has sworn to protect, relentless in his dangerous pursuit of evil villains?"
"…Nope. Doesn't ring any bells." Cat answered again.
"The Turtle Titan! I thought it was so obvious…"
Cat rolled her eyes, using one hand to rub her temples.
SMACK!!
"OW!!"
Trying to follow the mysterious hero, they landed in an alley, a short wood wall behind them.
"NOW where'd he go?" Mikey asked.
Cat's wings unfolded, scales rattling.
'What's coming?'
The roar of an engine sent all her senses on red alert.
The truck turned into the alley, and sped toward the three turtles.
Bullets were fired, and Cat turned her shell to the onslaught, shielding her brothers with her wings.
Bullets whined off her scales, and she tightened her hold as she ducked her head.
"Kitty…" Mikey stated worriedly.
Her wings may be bullet-proof so far, but her shell and flesh sure weren't.
"Keep your head down." She ordered, the roar of the truck's engine nearly deafening in her ears.
The wind was nearly knocked out of her when an arm slammed into her side, pulling her feet straight off the ground.
Tightening her wings, she saw the truck break straight through the wall and keep speeding before turning onto the road on the other side.
Cat was dropped back safely on her feet, and freed her brothers from the protecting warmth of her wings before folding them elegantly behind her back.
"You saved our lives…" She stated.
The figure fell to his knees, seeming in pain.
Scales rattling, Cat took a tentative step forward.
"Are you alright?" Mikey asked.
"Yes…the body armor deflected the shots…"
"Why'd you risk your life for us?" Leo asked.
"It's not your fight…"
"And that truck?"
"I need to know…where it's going…"
"Is it that important?" Cat questioned.
"Right now, following that truck means everything to me…"
Sounding pained, he jumped over them and headed for the alley mouth.
"You really oughtta call in some back-up!" Mikey called after him.
"I can't. This one's personal."
He swung away into the dark, and they ran out to find him gone.
"Okay maybe, just MAYBE, this guy is KINDA cool…" Leo admitted.
Cat's tail smacked the ground with a dull ring of metal.
"…Well, if we're gonna follow him, we'd better move our shells…"
--
Seeing him punch a couple guards off on the rooftop, Cat jumped down and landed on a guard as her brothers followed her example.
Machine guns were pointed at them, and Cat put her hands up as a sign of peace.
"It's okay. It's just us." Leo assured.
"Not that I don't appreciate the assist, but…"
He threw the machine guns down.
"What are you three doing here?"
"Caterina, Michelangelo and me figured you'd come here." Leo replied as him and Cat stepped out of the thicker shadows.
"Hey, roaming the city at night, I'm SURE you've heard of ANOTHER nightly superhero."
Cat smacked her forehead, embarrassed already.
"Mikey, don't…"
"He's really good! Great, actually! Goes by the name of Turtle Titan!"
Cat sighed.
"…I don't know him anymore…He's not my brother…"
As he went to the glass again, Leo went to Mikey to demand he take off the ridiculous costume.
She rolled her eyes, looking through the glass.
"Can you handle this problem or not?"
"Hun…" She growled, tail lashed out at the air.
Her brothers came to join her.
"I'm not going to tolerate any more delays. You'd better get it together, Ruffington."
"Don't get your biceps in a bunch. The other shipments will be arriving soon."
"You have until dawn to finish loading our barge. Do NOT disappoint us."
Hun got into the car behind him and drove off.
Cat felt her teeth sharpen slightly.
'Yeah, you'd BETTER run!'
"If Hun's involved…" Mikey started.
"That means the Shredder is, too." Leo finished.
"The Shredder?"
"Oroku Saki, the supposed 'savior' of New York." Cat answered the dark hero.
"Yeah, and who's the dweeb in the vest?" Mikey questioned.
"…His name's Ruffington…and he and I go way back…"
Cat perked, wings twitching from their folded position against her shell.
Her rattling scales sang off her shell only loud enough for her to hear.
"Back when I used to be a New York City detective…Burying me in the department was bad enough…Ruffington had to destroy my life, my reputation…and my honor. I intend to get it all back."
"Count us in." Leo assured.
"And Mikey…"
"What, Kitty?"
"…Take off the cape…"
"Awww…"
After doing so, he followed them inside and onto the rafters of the warehouse.
Being the sneaky ninja they were, they easily knocked out the only kid who thought he'd seen something.
Their hero friend opened a crate, pulling out…
"What the heck is this thing?"
"A Triceraton Cannon?" Leo asked in disbelief.
"Looks a bit modified, though. Probably that Ruffington guy." Cat noted.
"And he's selling these things on the street? How difficult is it to operate?"
"Easy! just-!"
Mikey accidentally pressed a button before he could explain, and the cannon blasted at the wall before them.
Cat smacked her forehead soundly.
"…As you can see, even an idiot can use it…But even aliens haven't made anything idiot-proof…"
Cat glared at her orange-banded brother, who smiled sheepishly back.
"Or Mikey-proof…"
The blast seemed to disintegrate the very wall, revealing all the rooms the wall had been concealing.
The surprised men soon started shooting, and Cat jumped to the side, using a wing to shield Mikey.
"Don't touch alien technology EVER again!" She ordered.
Hiding behind some crates, Cat grabbed a few shuriken.
"I still can't believe you so TOTALLY blew our cover like that!"
"Sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"Remind me never to bring you on a stealth mission again!"
Throwing the shuriken, the metal projectiles lodged themselves into the mouth of some of the guns.
The cannon was fired a second time, stopping the gunfire as everyone ran to safety on stable ground.
Cat heard footsteps, and turned to see a couple punks sneaking up behind Nobody.
"Watch out!"
A stray bullet hit the cannon before Cat's tail slashed up a gun and her blades blocked the butt of another.
The Triceraton cannon exploded, though Nobody tossed it away just in time.
Looking around, she saw him missing.
Heading outside, her brothers close behind, she looked around.
"Where is he?"
"No, but here's a new wrinkle." Mikey noted.
The two men before them touched fists, sparks flying.
"So, this is Touch and Go…" Leo stated.
"Yeah. Aren't they even uglier in person?"
"Aw, Michelangelo! It is good to see you again! I've so missed your taste and subtle wit."
Cat growled, senses pricking.
"You two, stay back…"
Cat's wings unfurled to their full length, scales rattling as she crouched down, claws biting into the ground and tail swinging warily as fangs were bared in a silent threat.
"Well, it seems the mademoiselle would like a demonstration, Mr. Touch."
"I believe so, Mr. Go."
Mr. Touch went to the racks holding robots that were behind the pair, and her muscles tensed.
Punching one, it flew through the air.
Cat lifted up her arms to guard her face, and the rowboat splintered.
The force of it pushed her back, her shell nearly touching the wall now.
Before she could even think of lowering her arms, another slammed into her, her shell ringing as it smacked into the concrete barrier.
The splinters around her feet grew in number as more wooden boats smacked into her.
One hit her so hard her head smacked into the wall, and she was buried by the remains.
Mikey feared the worst.
"KITTY!!"
Nothing moved, and Leo felt dread.
'She can't be…she's been through so much worse…'
Before either turtle could move to try and dig their sister out, Mr. Touch and Mr. Go attacked.
"And to think our boss thought the female would be our true problem!"
Mikey was kicked to the floor.
"So, Mr. Turtle Man, where's your sharp tongue now?"
Something shook, and it caught everyone attention.
Splinters flew as something erupted, and a familiar figure stood, shaking wood and debris from their shoulders and wings…
"Kitty!!"
"You're okay!"
Cat lifted her eyes, and her brothers saw the smoldering violet flash red.
"Cat…" Leo warned warily.
The white-banded turtle stepped away from the pile of remains, tail swaying with her hips easily.
"I've always thought I've had a lot of patience…"
Her chakra sparked between her fingers and electricity danced across her skin.
"But I've had enough with you two…"
Mr. Go tried to outpace her, but Cat used a single arm to block his strikes before bringing a powerful fist up and making him fly through the air.
Mr. Touch tried to punch her from behind, and Cat ducked, grabbing his wrist and throwing him over her shoulder.
With a suppressed growl, she picked him up by his shirt front.
"Don't mess with my family…"
A chakra-filled punch sent him flying and smacking into a pile of crates.
"…I think it's time we recharge our battery, Mr. Go…"
"Just my thoughts, Mr. Touch…"
Cat did some hand signs.
"Shadow Clone jutsu!"
Making another clone, both jumped in and kept the two separated.
"Leo! Mikey!"
The two turtles jumped in.
"Hey, guys! Your dedication to teamwork is REAL inspiration! In fact, we've been working on a little teamwork of our own!" Mikey stated as Cat rolled out of the way.
"Ready, Leo?"
"I've got it, Mikey."
"Shuko! Left fist strike!"
They both did the move, striking hard.
"Front snap kick!"
It hit with great accuracy.
"Upper rising block!"
They blocked a strike.
"Double kick counter! Again!"
The two were struck into the river, and Cat walked up, wings folding.
"Great job, guys."
Cat looked up, seeing a helicopter come in for a not-so-safe landing.
"Get down!"
Cat pushed them behind some crates, shielding all three turtles with her wings.
The explosion shook her shell, and she looked up at the flames.
"Nobody?!"
Finding him, Cat was glad he was okay, and saw the sun beginning to rise.
"We'd better head home." Leo stated.
They hid in the sewers until Ruffington was 'escorted' away, and the three turtles headed home.
Heading in through the front door, they saw Don and Raph heading to bed.
"I'll join you…I'm beat…" Cat agreed, pulling her wings and tail away.
They all met in the middle of the lair on the way to their rooms, when Splinter's door opened.
He came out with a yawn, and seemed surprised to see them up.
"Oh, good. You are up. Now that you are rested, let us resume our work out."
Silence…
Then the four boys collapsed…
Cat felt her shoulders droop.
"…Where the shell is the Gatorade…"
