It took me forever it seemed to stop crying. Ralph kept watch while Mikey just held me, letting me get it out. Once I pulled away with a final sniff, wiping my nose that still ached on my sleeve, both turned their attention to me fully.

"You ok?" Mikey asked, pushing me away from him at arms length to get a good look at me. One of his brows raised and he brought a finger to my still somewhat bruised nose. "What happened there?"

"Karai." I growled out, some of it in anger at the memory of our little spat and part of it because wiping my nose hurt.

"Bitch." Raph's eyes went flat. Didn't really disagree with him on that one. Mickey let out a soft sigh.

I just buried my head into Mikey's chest, the tears welling up again. "I just want Leo." My voice was almost a whisper. I couldn't manage anything louder.

"I know." Mikey murmured, his arms wrapping around me again. "We'll find him."

"And what makes you think I will allow her near him." We all spun at the sound of the new voice. Kara was walking towards us, and she wasn't alone. She had a large contingent of her soldiers with her, a very dusty and still covered in debris Rocksteady and a sauce dripping Bebop. And none of them looked real happy. "He is mine!" She hissed. "Was always destined to be mine! She ruined him!"

"Sheesh..." Mikey mutters. "Someone got some kind of disillusioned stalker thing going on over there. Ralph snorted his agreement.

"I don't know how you found her," Karai's eyes narrowed "but she will not leave here. Alive anyway."

At that point Raph cracked his also dusty knuckles, which caused some of that dust to drift off his hands and down to the ground. "I've done about had enough of you."

She raised the corner of her lip in a mocking smirk. But her eyes held no humor. "Will you risk her trying to fight your way out? Look around you. My clan surrounds us. I only sent a fraction of my forces to aid Leonardo in the final strike to reunite my clan. And she is weak, and pitiful, from her weeks of confinement. Would you three dare risk her to try and break free? Hmm?"

The three mutants gave each other uneasy glances. I just glared at Karai from the safety of Mikey's arms.

"Either way it goes," Raph growled out lowly "you already made it clear what you plan to do to her."

The grin that came to Karai's face told him that he had hit his observation head on.

"Blame your brother. He should have never of destroyed my life. Now, I will destroy his and we will be back on even footing."

Bitch was crazy. I glanced at Raph and Mikey incredulously.

"Now, should I reduce his family down to one brother as well? Give her to me, or your family will be cut in half, as evident by your corpses on the ground."

And there it was. I should have known something like this would happen. She's been using me to get to Leo, and now she was using their brotherly bond against each other. It was a fucking stalemate all the way around. I pushed out of Mikey's arms, pausing only to address Raph's tell tale growl. He was about to lose it completely. "Raph-" right as I began to try and calm him before walking over, something hit me. Something that made tears come to my eyes again. A feeling I had been longing for so much. And it was rapidly getting closer. And it was so strong that I had no idea how I missed it... "it will be ok." I smiled at the red masked turtle even as I smiled. He looked at me very confused a moment, more than likely wondering why my emotions seemed to be all over the damn place, but I gripped his hand and squeezed it lightly. Then I looked deep into his amber eyes. "Trust me..."

He raised his eyes from me to Karai, growled again and then finally let me go on with a curt nod.

There was no hiding the fact I was weary as I once more found myself in the custody of my brutish body guards. Rocksteady had a firm grip on my arm as his own death stare traveled across the clearing to lock onto Raph. Raph just snarled back at him. So much hatred filled the air that it made everything tense.

"Now, you may go." Kara dismissively waved her hand at my family, and in doing so she missed something I caught onto while she turned to me. Aloplex was talking rapidly, but quietly. Her words were also not aimed towards anyone there. Which made me guess that perhaps there was a hidden headset somewhere in her pretty white fur. And I swallowed my anxiety when I remembered that there was till one brother, besides Leo, not present. My eyes immediately began to scan our surroundings, but of course I didn't see anything. Yet.

I couldn't ponder it much though. Kara began to move away and Rocksteady pulled me along. I gave one, forlorn look over my shoulder at my friends, not really wanting to be separated from them again. Then, because i'm just a pure pigheaded snot at times, I dropped. I went completely deadweight in Rocksteady's grip. My goal was accomplished when he blinked and looked down at me. "What are you doing?"

"Protesting." I told him simply.

"Why?"

"Because I want my family, and you are taking me away from them again.

"Mistress' orders." Bebop rumbled as he took hold of my other arm.

"I know." I replied simply, if a bit sad. Then I pulled out something so deep, even these two blockheads couldn't miss stepping into it. "But how would you feel if she split you guys up like she did us?"

That, hit home. Both of them were looking very uncomfortable now. "She's the boss." Rocksteady shrugged.

"Because you let her be."

The two of them exchanged looks over my head. And I hope it was for the reason I wanted. Both to try and gain some kind of time, and, honestly...i kind of grew to like my jailers. I had seen enough of their interactions to notice they had fun with life, they just made some...well...Bebop and Rocksteadyish choices. I found myself beginning to wonder if they didn't deserve better than being the brute muscle for Karai. For the Foot clan in general really. I mean, don't get me wrong, they are criminals. But before they had always been free spirits. Could do what they pleased, even if it landed them in jail. Now they were pretty much stuck with the Foot Clan, and got the shitty end of everything. And hell, they were honestly likable...in a bumbling bad guy kind of way.

"Honestly," I continued "think about it. She left you stuck watching me for weeks on end without a single moment to ask how you were doing. You guys could have just ignored me the entire time, but you let me play cards with you. And we had fun watching TV, right? You knew you weren't supposed to, but you at least tried to make my stay easier. Maybe it's because you really don't like the way she runs things and are looking for something more than just a boss in a big ninja clan."

I couldn't help but notice a few of the foot soldiers eaves dropping. The tried to hide it, but they were sucking real bad at it. Somewhere behind us, whispers even started. I was beginning get a very, very uneasy feeling. As if there was something much deeper going on and I was poking at the edges of it. And I had no idea if this was good or bad.

After a few more steps, the two mutants just stopped...and dropped me. I was now lying completely on the ground looking up at them. Their expressions unreadable. And, so was Karai. She stood over me with her katana in her hand and her intention clear in her eyes.

"Now, it is time to restore my honor and Leonardo's."

I tried to scramble away, but the two mutants stepped on my arms to hold me in place as she brought that sword up. Ready to swing.

I'll admit it, I was scared. I had been so close. And now I was here alone again, and at her mercy.

Never alone, Dear one.

I froze, my eyes growing wide right as I felt a strong pull from my right. A mental one that preceded to explode out of nowhere. All I could tell was that Bebop went flying backwards and Rocksteady was knocked to the side. My arms were free...

And Karai was still staring stupidly at the intrusion.

Of course, I would do as any normal person would do at that. Fucking screamed like a banshee and tackled her ass.

I didn't even pause to see who exactly jumped in. By that point it didn't matter to me. I was free, Leo was here and I wasn't going to let this bitch come in-between us again.

Ok, yes, I admit I threw like..what, four years? of training out the window. I knew I couldn't beat her in a fair fight. I was also past the point of even wanting to fight fair. Now, she already showed me that her street brawling skills sucked. Like back in the cell, we ended up rolling around in the dirt first. I punched her in the eye while she jabbed her knee into my stomach. You know, typical you done pissed Vicky off routine. Honestly...wasn't really getting me anywhere, but it felt good to smash that superior smile in. Numerous times.

Eventually though, even my blind rage had to see reason. I wasn't going to win this by gnawing on her arm while I pull her hair. We did break from each other, but ooooh you could definitely see the hatred. We were both filthy, hair a mess and full of leaves and grass, bleeding from more than a few spots and her nose matched mine now. But I had to stop and get my breath. She didn't get the pent up treatment like I did and no matter how much I tried to stay fit, it was noticeable that I wasn't in best form.

"You are pathetic!" She snapped at me, snatching a katana from one of her ninja. who had been fighting. I blinked and looked around briefly and was all confused. When did this clusterfuck happen?

There were a shit ton of..foxes? And there was Raph, beating on Rocksteady again while Donnie and Mikey were circling. And..there...my eyes began to water... there, smashing Bebop's head into a tree trunk...was Leo...

Why the fuck was he wearing Foot gear?

My eyes snapped back to Karai. I had feared this, but to actually see it...

I think everyone stopped to stare once they heard the insane shriek come out of my mouth. Wasn't sure though. Was to busy picking up a large stick and trying to beat her head down into her shoulders with it.

Think is with sticks is though, they suck against swords and I found myself looking stupidly at what was left in my hand, about two inches up from said hand was left.

Well, shit...

How come this works in the cartoons but not in real life?

"Mistress!" A call came from the side, and we both looked. My heart dropped to my feet when I noticed it was more Foot, with an older male leading them. "The challenge must be fought on even terms!" He called, and I noticed Leo had stopped completely and watched. His eyes narrowed. Kara was grinning as her forces now swelled.

"No, Michi. With superior numbers, I control-"

"Nothing." the old fart cut her off. Huh?

Why was Leo smiling?

I was so confused. And then the old guy tossed something, and it landed at my feet.

And I stared, and stared, looked back at him, then down, and stared.

I probably would have stared myself to death, if a screaming and enraged Karai didn't clue me in to that becoming a reality. I dove in a forward roll, and when my feet came back under me, there was a blue and red asp holding her katana at bay, and the other one was already twirling in my hand as I stood and turned to face her and it slapped her katana out wide.

She stepped back, anger clear to see now at this betrayal.

I was tired, breathing hard and just as angry.

Leo was now heading over, but Everyone else just...stopped. And watched as Karai charged again. I had everything to lose. My lover, my family. I would never see them again if I let her get the upper hand. From somewhere, I found the determination and energy to fend her off. Each swing of hers was met with an asp, and even when she drew her tango, somehow I managed to hold it together still. My eyes were locked onto hers as our weapons danced. We moved around each other, dodged, weaved, parried like a pair hell bent on winning. Which we were. I just wanted to win my right to go back home. She, was fighting for something else.

I really did miss my braid though. A few times my hair's flow around me threw me off because I just wasn't used to fighting with it loose. Even with that distraction, it really wasn't a distraction. Neither were the murmurs I could hear around us from the circle that had formed. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Leo wanting to step in, but for someone reason he let Michi hold him back. Though he did watch with no small amount of worry.

I don't know really how long this went on. I was so focused on just, well, making her eat a Vicky fist sandwich that I didn't pay attention. Heck, it was all I could do to keep up with her. Then, it happened. My typical damn luck. I stepped on some loose stones and they rolled under my foot and I slipped. Barely able to catch myself, I was off balance with the next swing I blocked, and I toppled over. There it was, she was standing right over me with a look of triumph and her sword raised to cut me wide open.

I unashamedly admit...I panicked. And kicked my foot out. Which hit her right between the legs.

I bet her howl cleared all the bats out of any nearby caves...

Huh, that works on women too...

My foot swung out again and knocked her feet out from under her and I was ontop of her again in a flash. My anger now completely taking over as I punched her in the face. Over and over. I just couldn't make myself stop. weeks of pent up rage, worry, frustration... All of it was coming out and there was no stopping it.

"Vicky!" Firmly snapped out as a hand caught my next swing. A voice I knew very well said in a tone that implied he tried to reach me a few times. I stopped, my hands shaking as I looked up. For a moment not comprehending that Karai was unconscious under me.

"It's over." Leo's tone was gentle now and he readjusted his grip from my wrist to my hand so he could pull me to my feet. After he did I suddenly found myself in his arms in a tight hug. "It's over." He murmured into my ear.

I had already forgotten about her, clinging to him for dear life as I cried. Letting the last of my rage wash out in those tears. "Leo..."

"I'm here." He soothed. "I'm right here."

There was silence in the clearing as we just held each other. With him mostly holding me up because I was shaking so hard. Our peace was broken when the old man led the Foot closer, with Leo eying them all carefully.

Michi just stopped, lowered himself to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground. "Mistress. What do you wish done with her?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Your opponent." He clarified. "What do you wish done with her?"

"Why are you asking me?"

The old man smiled faintly. "Because, you have bested her. You now lead the Clan."

My wide eyes met Leo's, who looked just as stunned back at me.

Mikey, was laughing uproariously. "Congratulations Vic! You just took over the entire Foot Clan!"

That was the last straw on my fragile nerves.

I fainted.