Meanwhile, in the Oasis

Donnie held his breath as his pressed the palm of his hand against Mikey's mouth, his whole body rigid in his effort to keep motionless.

He really hoped that the hangings would hide them both from Karai.

On the other hand, he was thrilled that their days of investigations were finally paying off.

It had been Donnie's decision to begin with Karai. Unlike their father Yoshi, their uncle Saki, Splinter and Bishop, she hadn't been an eyewitness to Leo's most recent actions in the oasis; however, she was way more accessible than any of the adults, especially as Bishop had left, Splinter was nowhere to be found, Saki was scary and Yoshi dismissed all their questions.

Neither Donnie nor Mikey had ever been very close to their cousin. It wasn't that they had any reason to dislike her; they just had different interests.

Until now. Now they had a very common and very important interest, aka Leo.

So they had begun spying on her, as discreetly as they could - but in the unrest that followed Leo's disappearance and Raphael's departure, adults weren't watching them as closely as they used to.

And very little people thought that two eight-year-old boys could have a serious agenda.

It hadn't been easy to discover this room, which Mikey had immediately named Karai's Secret Lair, but they had managed.

What they hadn't managed, though, was to explore it in Karai's absence. They hadn't even spent five minutes in the room - a wonderful place if you asked Donnie, so much reading material! - when they had heard footsteps climbing up, and barely managed to hide.

For now, Karai didn't seem to have noticed that she had guests. She went to a shelf, took a scroll and sat on the cushions to read it.

All of this without the slightest hesitation. Donnie would have loved to get his hands on that scroll.

Mikey squirmed next to him. He didn't like to be forced to stay motionless. Donnie loosened his grip on his twin so Mikey could move a little easier - praying that Karai wouldn't notice the slight undulation of her hangings.

How long was it going to last? They had been convinced that she had lessons to attend to.

Or maybe she did the same thing as Donnie and Mikey sometimes: she was skipping her lessons.

It wasn't good. What if she stayed here for an hour or so? Mikey would never hide that long behind hangings.

And honestly, neither would Donnie.

Mikey must have nurtured the same feelings, because he gave Donnie a panicked glance.

Donnie smiled reassuringly at him, but his twin wasn't so easily fooled.

They both waited for minutes that felt like hours.

Karai didn't give any indication that she was going to leave. In fact, she had taken a pencil and was writing on her scroll.

It was a good thing that she was so focused, because Mikey was fidgeting more and more.

Donnie knew it was only a matter of time before she noticed their presence, though. Hangings or no hangings.

When Mikey accidentally kicked the wall and Karai raised her head in suspicion and surprise at the noise, Donnie decided it was time to change the plan. He took Mikey by the hand and rushed past Karai towards the entrance of the room, taking her scroll while he was at it.

The precious seconds that Karai's astonishment gave them were all they needed to get out.

Angel was on her way to the Hamato house when she glimpsed Donatello and Michelangelo running away like they had awakened the fury of the desert spirits.

Instead of spirits, though, a teenage girl that Angel identified as their cousin Karai rushed after them.

Angel lifted an eyebrow. She had intended to pay a visit to Raphael's mother, like she regularly did these days - it was good to talk about Raphael with someone who didn't think he was a crazy and dangerous offender - but this situation seemed quite interesting.

The three figures were already disappearing in the gardens. Angel didn't hesitate more and ran after them.

She was in top shape and caught up with them just in time to see Karai grab Donatello's shirt and try to pry something from his fingers.

"Catch!" Donatello shouted to Michelangelo, before throwing something at his twin.

Karai muttered a string of words Angel wouldn't have dared to say in front of children and tightened her hold on Donatello.

"Donnie, this is not a game. Give it back to me!"

"No," the boy answered stubbornly.

Karai huffed. The expression on her face was just exasperated enough that Angel feared she might be too rough on the child, so she stepped in.

"Hello. Is something the matter?"

Karai watched her like her day couldn't get any worse.

Angel stood firm under her furious glare. She didn't know the girl very well. Although Karai's father was a very powerful firebender, Karai herself hadn't inherited that gift and she wasn't one of Angel's classmates.

Angel wasn't sure what to say next. Luckily, Donatello spared her the trouble.

"Hi, Angel," he said sheepishly. "You've come to see Mom?"

"Yes." Angel tilted her head. "I saw you run away, and I was wondering if you needed any help?"

Donatello, who was still firmly held by Karai, shook his head. "No thanks. We're fine."

Karai must have finally noticed Angel's insistent gaze, because she released the boy.

"They've stolen something of mine."

Her clipped words left no doubt about the fact she wasn't happy to explain herself to a stranger.

"I see," said Angel, who wasn't seeing at all.

"It's not stealing, it's just borrowing!" a little voice said from behind a tree, and Angel saw Michelangelo's sweet little face poking out.

"Mikey, come back here immediately!" Karai threatened, although she didn't run after him.

"Mikey, don't!" Donatello shouted right before he ran away again.

Karai made an exasperated noise before sprinting to Michelangelo.

"Donnie, catch!" the kid shouted.

Angel was too intrigued by now to step back. Besides, this was a nice distraction from the moody thoughts that were her companions these days.

She jumped forwards and caught the thing thrown by Michelangelo. It was a… scroll?

"No!" Donatello shouted.

"Thanks," Karai said, extending her hand so Angel could give it back to her.

Angel didn't.

Instead, she watched the dismay written all over Donatello's face.

"Why is it so important to you to have that scroll?" she said softly, kneeling to be at his level.

Donatello glanced at Karai. "We hope it'll help us find answers," he whispered to Angel.

Karai frowned.

"Answers about what?" Angel said, still softly.

"Answers about Leo's disappearance! She knows something!" Donatello accused.

Angel bit her lip. She was about to tell the child that he was wrong, no one knew what had happened to his brother - or whether he would ever be found again, although she wasn't going to mention that to Leonardo's little brother - when a shadow passed over Karai's face.

"You do?" she whispered.

"Of course not," Karai said dryly.

"She does!" Donatello insisted. "And Raph does, too! They have a secret."

Mikey had joined his twin and was nodding vigorously.

"And even if I did, it wouldn't be my secret to tell." Karai crossed her arms.

Angel looked at each of them in turn. If Raphael's cousin knew something… Angel had to admit she wanted to know, too.

She decided to find out for sure. She delicately unrolled the scroll…

… And Karai jumped down her throat.

The two girls rolled on the ground, Angel fighting to glimpse words on the scroll she still had in her hands…

Leo - Tang Shen - Well - Water

… But it was hard to do when her opponent was so fierce. To Angel's surprise and offense, she soon found herself pinned to the ground.

Karai tore up her scroll from Angel's hand before reducing it to pieces. Then she stood up and took a step backwards, dusting her clothes with dignity.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," she said.

Tears filled up in Donatello and Michelangelo's eyes, and Angel felt her blood boil.

"If you know something, you have to tell Leo's parents!" she shouted. "Have you seen his mom lately? She's desperate for news!"

"I don't know why he vanished!" Karai yelled back. "I'm trying to find out, which is hard when these two," she pointed at the children, "spy on me and steal from me!"

"They're worried." Angel picked herself up. "Can you blame them?"

Karai's gaze softened for a second. "I'm just saying, they're not helping."

"We could," Donatello said, wiping his eyes. "Nobody suspects us. We could go where you can't."

"Sorry, Donnie, it's not happening."

This time, no doubt was possible: her voice had gone soft.

"Then we'll make your life impossible!" Donatello clenched his fists. "We'll tell everyone that you skip your lessons and where your hideout is and…"

"… and I won't be able to investigate anymore, and what will you have gained?" The edge in Karai's voice was back.

Donatello watched his feet, dejected. Angel felt so sorry for him that she pulled him in a hug.

"You're very courageous," she whispered in his ear. "Your brothers would be proud of you."

"You think so?" Donatello sniffled.

"Of course."

Donatello gave her a small smile. "What was on the scroll? Did you manage to read something?" he asked, his teary eyes hopeful.

Behind Donatello, Angel saw Karai stop dead in her tracks to listen.

"Only words, and they had no particular meaning." Angel shook her head. "I'm sorry, Donnie."

"I've tried to read it too," Michelangelo said in a small voice. "While I was hiding behind the tree."

He had been silent for the whole argument, and he was now shifting uneasily, Donnie's hand in his.

Angel focused her attention on him.

"You did?"

Michelangelo nodded seriously. "Angel?"

"Yes?"

"What's waterbending?"

Angel's eyes widened. Last time she had heard that word, she was climbing a mountain for her initiation as a firebender.

"Oh, it's an old legend. Why?"

"I've never heard that word before," Donatello said pensively. "Like firebending but for water. Does it even exist?"

"It was on the scroll," Michelangelo said. "Karai wrote it in 'Reasons why Leo left'. It was Reason Number One: Because He's a Waterbender?, with a question mark. I didn't see the others."

A strangled sound left Karai's mouth.

Angel watched her in astonishment, unable to find her words.

"I think we need to talk," Karai finally said, her voice blank.

Karai tried to hide her concern as she sat down on the cushions of her secret little room and invited Donatello, Michelangelo and Angel to do the same.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She had been taking notes to help her think, and intended to destroy that scroll afterwards - how could she have imagined that Leonardo's brothers would steal it from her very hands? In her not-so-secret-after-all hideout?

She couldn't believe that she had let these two kids surprise her.

And now they knew Leonardo's secret, along with this Angel Karai had never talked to before. She only knew she was Raphael's friend.

This day was a complete disaster. For the first time since Leonardo's disappearance, she rejoiced that he wasn't there to witness it.

"First, you must promise that you'll never breathe a word of this to anyone," she said, her voice as firm as she could make it. "It's for Leo's own good."

"Promise," Donatello and Michelangelo said dutifully.

"I promise." Angel brought her knees close to her chin. "If it's really in Leo's interest."

Karai nodded. She had no idea how trustworthy any of these three were, but she had very little choice.

She was at their mercy.

"Then let me tell you a story, the story of a boy who wanted to become a firebender..."