A.N: Today is a great day for animation. Clone Wars, Glitch Techs, Owl House… I hope with get more Rise of TMNT to add to this fun. What a time to be alive!

I don't own TMNT

(Translation)


CHAPTER 25

A couple of human-turned-Kraang creatures lumbered by the empty streets, not noticing as a large snake passed by them by keeping low and out of sight. They only looked when something passed over them, the brightness of the moon casting a large shadow. They went back to walking in their zombie-like gate when they saw nothing.

Karai easily made it past a few blocks before she found her path obstructed by a giant Kraang patrol. She tried to backtrack but when she turned around and made a corner into an alley, Fillien was there. "Karai, Karai relax, you just got spooked."

The snake girl's eyes darted back and forth, looking for any danger. When they finally focused on Fillien, she relaxed. Karai was grateful her memories with Fillien were working but she had gotten too nervous around Mikey. What if she had accidentally lashed out and hurt him?

Fillien looked around and said, "There's too much noise out here. And with Steranko out looking for you, we need to find a place to lay low until he moves on." The two girls found a warehouse not far from where they left the turtles. As Karai rested in a coil on top of some crates, Fillien kept watch on the third floor. She looked out a window to the streets to see if she could catch the turtles.

Sure enough, after a little while, she saw for familiar figures approach the warehouse. Fillien glided down to the bottom floor where Karai was, saying, "They're on their way."

Head jerking up, Karai looked fearfully in several directions before finding a tarp hidden in the shadows along the left wall of the giant room. She quickly jumped off the crate and ducked under the tarp. Fillien sighed and rolled her eyes. She cared for Karai deeply but this was getting a bit tiresome.

Fillien trudged on over to the tarp and crawled under. She found herself facing Karai who was laying stomach to the ground, chin also touching the cement floor as well. Even as a snake, the sadness in Karai's face was all there. "Karai, don't give up yet. They can help."

"I… could hurt—"

"But you didn't. I saw you smile when you saw Leo."

At that moment they heard the doors open and then someone yell, "Karai!"

Fillien wanted to move out of the tarp but Karai brought a snake-head hand and brought it down on the cat's head to keep her from making any sudden movements. She has a hard time recognizing the voice change but that was Leo all right. But Karai just didn't want to be found. Not yet. She thought she was ready earlier, but everything suddenly was moving too fast. It felt as if the tarp was compressing around her as Leo and all the turtles called out her. Searching all around the warehouse.

She felt her snake-head hand move and she looked to see Fillien using her paw to remove it gently. But instead of moving it away, she put the hand down on the ground and put hers on top. The snakehead turned into a regular hand. Karai looked at the reaction in surprise. She didn't even have to think it for it to happen? Fillien gave a small smile and whispered, "You've got this."

Suddenly the sound of the turtles calling out was cut short. Followed by metal footsteps and a familiar electronic noise. Karai and Fillien were on high alert and they pulled the tarp off to see Donnie up against ten Kraang. Even though they saw Raph come down from the second level to stand behind the group of droids, those two still wouldn't be able to fight them all. A deep instinct to protect them took over Karai and she charged.

Fillien stepped back surprised before saying. "Ok, head first, then." Fillien charged right beside her.

Karai would bite into the heads of some Kraang and tail whip others. Fillien used her claws to slice and dismember or just use her body to knock out some with force. They took out every single one. Once they were done, they were back to back, facing the turtles.

Fillien relaxed but Karai hadn't. She only stared at Donnie as the turtle laughed nervously and said, "Ugh, thanks?"

The instinct to protect had slipped away in the middle of the fight. All she was thinking now was that this turtle was probably her next meal. She hissed at him, making Fillien turn to stand next to her and say, "Karai, relax…"

Mikey jumped down from the second floor and landed next to Donnie. He raised his hand sup carefully and said, "Karai, it's me. Mikey. Your brother."

"Karai, remember us," Leo insisted from his spot on the second floor behind him. The girls turned around to see him jump down next to Raph. "We're your friends," he said standing up. "Remember who you are."

Donnie concluded allowed, "She's becoming more snake like by the hour. She doesn't understand, Leo."

As Karai's snake heads for hands reached out and hissed in Donnie's face, Fillien stepped forward so her wing could go between Karai and Donnie. Fillien then began to say, "Not true. She can still understand, she's just worried at the moment."

Leo looked at Fillien skeptically as he asked, "Worried? What do you mean at the moment?"

Fillien explained, "It's her emotions. When she's afraid or angry, her mind starts to loose bits and pieces. It's getting worse but she has some restraint left. She just needs to calm down in order to get some understanding again."

Leo suddenly became determined. He stepped forward towards Karai to get her attention back to him. "You're changing Karai. We want to help you." Karai turned around and hissed towards Leo, but the turtle made no retreat back. Instead, he stayed still and looked into Karai's eyes.

Karai stopped hissing and looked into his eyes. Patience…no fear. Calm… this turtle was calm. Not afraid… of her. The turtle… Leonardo, her brother. It was him! Karai blinked. How could she forget him so easily? He was here. He was here. "Leo…." She hissed. He only gave a smile in return.

This act gave her what she needed to remember where she was and who else was here. She looked around. The other turtles… other brothers. Her family. They were here and wanted to help because they weren't afraid. Feeling relaxed. Karai looked at herself. She was in her snake form. How could they help her if she was being a threat to them? No, no. She couldn't think like that right now. She just had to relax. Karai morphed herself into her human form, falling to her knees.

Fillien was there by her side to catch her, letting the snake girl rest against the cat girl's left leg and shoulder as her hands clung on to the scruff of the cat's neck. "See, nothing to it," Fillien said. She noticed the gaping jaws of the four brothers. "Oh right…. you guys had no idea that was a thing."

"But how!?" Donnie almost yelled. "Shapeshifting between human and snake is impossible… unless something was wrong with the mutagen she fell into."

"That was my theory, too, but I don't know for sure."

Leo smiled seeing Karai was doing better. Her eyes were closed but her body wasn't rigid. She felt safe. "How did you know that would work?" Leo asked.

"Well, it wasn't easy. In the first couple of months we had to help her learn how to be a snake. Then we thought—"

"Months?" Leo cut in. Then it dawned on him as his widened before narrowing and pointing at Fillien accusingly. "Karai knows my number, you don't. Has she been with you since you called my T-phone for Donnie?"

Fillien's ears lowered to the side in shame but she answered, "I mean we just found each other after being separated… for a second time. But we've been together since before the invasion."

Leo threw his arms up before his hands rested on his head, exasperated. "I can't believe this," Leo almost yelled, angrily.

Fillien threw a wing over Karai as if to shield her from any load noise as she hissed, "Keep it down, would you? Last thing you want to do is tick her off." Then Fillien added slyly, "Or confuse her with the sudden drop in your voice there. What happened? Did you hit puberty again?"

Leo rolled his eyes, quickly explaining how he faired in his last fight with Shredder. Fillien instantly regreted the comment she made but Leo didn't seem to think anything of it. "But that's not the point here," He said, "You knew where Karai was even then and yet you didn't come and tell us?"

"She didn't want to be found. We needed time to find a way to keep her snake form from just going haywire and avoid hurting you on accident. We had to leave New York City to do it."

"And go to Africa?"

"That was for something different which I'll explain later. But it helped."

"To what extent?" Leo asked, this time almost mockingly.

A deep growl rose and Fillien's throat and said, "We were close to not coming back but be thankful we did because we did it for you. She wants to be reunited with you guys. We got back to New York thinking she had all her memories and mutation at bay. She has both but there but…" Fillien started to explain in detail how Karai's PTSD causes her to unwillingly transform into a vicious snake. "She can easily be both human and snake if she feels confident enough and remembers good moments. I kept telling her being around you guys would probably work. She was just worried that… it wouldn't."

Fillien felt movement below her wing. So she let her wing around Karai drop to reveal that the Kunoichi had her eyes open now. The green serpent eyes darting back and forth. When they looked up to Leo, she began to wonder. Fillien was right. She could really control her emotions around the turtles. It would give them a chance to help her. "Help me…" she said, her forked tongue popping out for a second. "Please…"

"Come back with us Karai," Leo insisted as he kneeled down and reached out to her.

She recoiled back more into Fillien's fur, hugging the cat girl tight. "No…" she began. She wanted them to help her but it wouldn't be safe for Splinter if she went back with them. "Too…. dangerous…." There had to be another way.

The turtles looked at each other. What could they do to help her if their options were limited? But before they could even start to think, a familiar gruff voice was heard from above. "I knew I smelled turtles."

Fillien and Karai had no time to react as Xever and Bradford jumped down from above all of a sudden. The fishman landing right next to Fillien and Bradford right next to Karai. Xever motioned to the turtles as he said, "Looks like they made our job easier."

Xever… Bradford… they were here. To avoid any stress from the memories they would brig, Karai looked at Fillien. The cat girl slowly standing up and wings becoming stiff. Ready for battle. Feeling the determination radiate off the cat. She then looked to Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey. They had already pulled out their weapons. Karai closed her eyes and concentrated. Now wasn't the time to let her emotions get to her. Her enemies were here and they were going to hurt the turtles. Not…. Happening.

She was in her snake form in an instant, jumping over Fillien and going after Xever with a swipe of her snake hands. Fillien ducked under Karai and then jumped towards Bradford with claws extended. Xever and Bradford narrowly avoided the attacks, the two Foot mutants stepping back before standing face to face with the girls. But it didn't seem they wanted to fight because instead, they held out something in their hands.

Xever used a large staff with an electric clamp at the end to reach out and grab Karai around the neck. Karai had never seen such a weapon, not reacting in time to get away. Xever pressed a button and electric shock went through the snake girl's body. Fillien heard her friend's hiss-like screech and looked back to see Karai fall to the ground, passed out. "NO!" Fillien yelled.

Getting distracted made it easier for Bradford to pull out his own electric clamp and have it catch Fillien by the neck. As soon as she felt like an idiot getting caught so easily, Fillien felt the electric shock throughout her body before she blacked out.


A.N: Yay, a reunion… ruined… No one can catch a break one this show good lord XD. And yes, I did poke fun on Leo's voice change. Anyway, my uncle came on a surprise visit form Mexico so I gotta get going. See you all next week. I'm KikaKatTIOI, peace out!