CHAPTER 13

REI:

I stared at him in horror. "{Get up,}" he ordered.

Michaelangelo drew my shirt over my chest as he rose slowly between me and my brother. I slipped it over my head as quickly as I could, ignoring the sand that flew everywhere. "{Back off,}" Michaelangelo warned as he stood to his feet. "{Just leave her alone.}"

He'd barely managed to get his balance when Yukio shoved him aside. I gasped as his hand lashed out at me. I hid my face instinctively, and he grabbed my hair, jerking my head up. "{Just what do you think you're doing?}" he screamed at me. I felt tears sting my eyes from the pain and grabbed his wrist with both hands.

Mike was back on his feet and approaching quickly. Yukio saw him and turned to swing at him. Mike caught the blow on his forearm, blocking his face. "{I'm warning you, Yukio,}" he threatened. "{If you hurt her, you will regret it.}"

Yukio glared at him, fire in his eyes. "{I will kill you,}" he snarled.

I gasped, terrified. In a flash, I'd pulled my pajama pants around my waist. "Iie!" I cried, grabbing Yukio's arm. "Yukio, iie!"

He pushed me back and I fell into the sand. There was no doubt in my mind that my brother was serious, and that scared me. I hadn't seen Michaelangelo fight, but he said he'd forgotten everything. I only hoped he would remember enough to keep him safe until I could get help.

I scrambled to my feet, running before I was even standing, and took off down the beach.

RAPHAEL:

"Have I told you how much we appreciate this, Jess?"

She turned to look at me through the dark sunglasses and smiled. "No. But I don't expect gratitude from you."

I grinned back and lay down on my side next to her, burying my fingers in the warm sand. "I still can't believe your parents own this. What the hell are you doin' in New York?"

"Well, I went there to go to school," she explained. I ran my hand over the front of her body, tracing the edges of the bikini top. "And then I... will you stop that?" she finished in a laugh.

I smiled and pulled my hand back. "Sorry," I lied. "Go on."

"And then John and I were going to get married," she continued. I raked my eyes over her, drinking in every detail. She was normally never this exposed in public, and that kind of excited me. I guess being on a private beach loosened her up. "And shortly after we broke up I ran into you in the..." She paused. "You know, it's really hard to talk to you when you're undressing me with your eyes."

I grinned.

"Raphael!" I turned to face the other direction and shielded my eyes from the sun. I saw Rei running toward us. "Raphael! I...!"

I sat up. Something was wrong. I was aware of that immediately. "What're you doin'?" I asked, shielding my eyes from the sun. "I thought you were still in bed, how'd you get out here?"

She collapsed onto her hands and knees, her whole body heaving as she gasped air. Jess and I exchanged glances and I stood up. "What's the matter?" I questioned, kneeling down next to her.

Her breathing was labored and she cringed, holding her side. "Mike!" she gasped.

I immediately tensed. "What about Mike?"

"Yukio! Back...!"

Fear flooded through me. "Where?" I demanded.

She sat up, coughing and clutching her stomach with one arm, the other pointing behind her. "Beach! A mile!"

I broke into an instantaneous run, kicking up sand behind me. "Stay with her!" I yelled back at Jess. I didn't hear or see a response.

It was the fastest mile I ever did in my entire life. I sprinted the entire way, the sand burning my feet, until I saw them. I heard them, too, and I immediately knew what had happened. "Hey!" I yelled. Yukio turned. "{What the hell is going on here?}"

Michaelangelo was on his hands and knees, dripping blood into the sand. Anger surged through my veins as I glared at Yukio. I reached for my weapons, but I didn't have them. I'd left them on the beach, back at the house. It didn't matter. I'd still kick his ass.

MICHAELANGELO:

I spit blood into the sand and drew my eyes up to the two of them. They were speaking in rapid Japanese, but I couldn't understand them over the ringing in my ears. For a moment, I considered just collapsing right here. Raph could handle himself. I knew he could. But I couldn't lay down. If I did, I wouldn't get back up. And it was a long way back to the house.

I sat up, coughing as I wiped blood from my chin. There was a cry, and Yukio and Raphael were locked in battle. For a moment, I watched them. But my eyes were tired, and I couldn't follow the speed of their movements. My wrist hurt, and I figured it was probably sprained. One thing I did remember from my training was how to move with my attacker to lessen injury. Had I not remembered that, it would probably be torn to shreds. Or broken. Once again, I wanted to collapse.

My stomach twisted in knots. I felt like I was going to be sick. I crawled to the water's edge and washed the blood from my hands, wiping it from my lips. They were fighting. I was realizing that I wasn't as close to death as I thought I was. The icy cold water helped to wake me up. I remembered Rei, and cringed. I hoped she was okay, back at the house and safe. And I hoped Raphael "accidently" killed Yukio. Wouldn't that be sad?

I heard the fighting stop, and turned. To my surprise, Raphael was on his back, staring up at his opponent in surprise. They said nothing. Yukio turned and glared at me, then took off running back toward the house. Raphael raised himself onto his elbows and reached for his communicator. "Leo?"

I assume Leonardo answered. "Yukio is coming back to the house. Keep him away from Rei. I'll deal with him when I get there."

I could faintly hear Leo's voice as he responded. "I'll explain later. Just trust me on this one, okay?"

He closed the device and pulled himself to his feet. "You alright?" he asked me. I could still see the fire in his eyes.

I nodded. "What happened?" I stammered. "How did he...?"

"Come on," he interrupted, pulling me up. "We gotta get back before he gets to your girlfriend."

I hesitated. "Raph, I..."

"Don't," he interrupted, turning to face me. I fell silent. "Just don't talk. Let's go."

LEONARDO:

Raphael was home before Yukio was. And Michaelangelo was with him. "Jesus, Mike, what happened!"

He lowered his head and literally ran up the stairs. "I'm fine!"

"Where's Splinter?" Raphael demanded.

I stared at him, gaping. "He... He went for a walk," I stammered. "What the hell happened?"

He growled and turned away. "What about Yukio?"

"Explain," I ordered sternly. "And keep it simple."

He spun to face me. "Mike was screwing Rei on the beach and Yukio beat the crap out of him," he answered. "That simple enough for you?"

I felt shock course through me. "What?"

"And moreover, I have a serious feeling that Yukio is involved with the foot clan." Again, I was surprised. I was still trying to get over the thought of Mike and Rei. "He just took me down and there's two sensei that could've taught him that move. Take your pick, Leo. Splinter or Shredder."

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Okay, maybe a little less simple," I stammered. "What happened?"

He shot me a look that warned of the sarcasm to come. "What, Leo, you want me to act it out for you? He was fucking Rei and Yukio saw them."

"How do you know that?" I demanded. I highly doubted Michaelangelo would tell him something like that, even if it were true. "Did you see them?"

"I didn't have to, Leo. Jesus, are you blind? They've been screwing like rabbits for the past two days. If you'd open your eyes and get your head out of the fucking astro plane, you would've seen that."

I opened my mouth to protest, but no sound came out. "And don't give me that crap about not making an accusation like that without proof. For one, it's not an accusation. There's nothing wrong with it so don't you even try to lecture me that there is. And for another thing, you give me one other reason why Yukio would be standing on a beach, screaming at my brother and yours about how he's just a goddamn freak of nature that needs to keep its hands off Rei."

His voice echoed in pain and anger. The indignation was evident, and perhaps righteous. I looked away, trying to sort through the emotions he had stirred in me. I didn't have as much time as I would've hoped before Yukio walked into the room. The tension skyrocketed, as if it hadn't already been high enough. But he paid no attention to Raphael. Instead, he turned his anger toward me.

"{You need to control your freak brother!}" he yelled, pointing at me. I was taken aback. "{And tell him to keep his goddamn hands off my sister before he ends up killing her!}"

"Kissama!" Raph yelled at him.

"Woah, woah, {just wait a minute,}" I tried to intervene, well aware of the fact that Raphael was already reaching for his weapons. I breathed deep, putting my own feelings on the matter aside. God, where was Splinter? "{I don't know what you're talking about, Yukio. But I can assure you that Michaelangelo would never put your sister in danger.}"

"{Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about, huh?}" he shot, advancing toward me. "{If he doesn't give my sister fucking salmonella she'll probably end up with a goddamn mutant child!}"

Donatello walked into the house, caught the last few words of that sentence, and turned around and walked right back out. In a way, I was relieved that he wasn't making this into an even bigger argument. But part of me really wanted Donny here. Mostly because I knew he would back me up, even if Raph wouldn't. Not that I had any stand to make right now. What I really wanted... was Splinter.

"{Yukio, just calm down,}" I advised.

"{I will not calm down until you get your goddamn brother under control. Put a fucking leash on him for Christ sake!}"

Instantly, my blood boiled. I almost didn't stop Raph when he lunged toward Yukio. It took a lot to tick me off. But Yukio was pushing all the right buttons.

I locked my arm around Raphael's and jerked him back forcefully. He spun to me. "What the fuck is your problem, Leo!" he yelled. "Are you not hearing this?"

"You," I pointed at him. "Shut up. Anata," I turned my attention to Yukio. "{Settle down. Mike and Rei are both adults and if they want to...}"

"{They are not adults,}" he interrupted, a very un-Japanese gesture. "{Rei is a child. She acts like a child, she thinks like a child. Just like your freak brother.}"

"{I hear you say 'freak' one more time and I'm gonna fucking take your head off,}" Raphael threatened.

"{Just try it,}" Yukio shot back.

I felt like I could scream. "{Will you two please shut up!}" I yelled. I glared at Raph, since it seemed that he was instigating most of this. "Raphael, I don't even have time to deal with what he's saying because I'm too damn busy trying to get you under control. Now stop it!"

"Well gee, Leo, why don't you just put a fucking leash on me?" he snapped.

I opened my mouth to reply, but realized I had absolutely nothing to say. "{I am taking my sister and we are leaving,}" Yukio informed.

I glared at him. "{Believe me, Yukio, after this incident, I would love to see you go. But frankly, you have no place to go.}"

"{I will find a place.}"

"{Will you all just stop it!}"

I spun and saw Rei standing in the doorway. I hadn't even heard her come in. "{I am not going anywhere!}" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. I wondered how much of the conversation she'd heard. "{I don't understand why everyone is so damn upset about something that is nobody's business but mine and Michaelangelo's!}"

She darted up the stairs, sobbing. "Rei!" Yukio called after her. "{Rei, get down here!}"

He started toward the steps, but Raph stepped in front of the opening, weapons crossed defensively in front of him. "Uh uh," he smiled. I knew that smile. It was a direct threat, and a preparation for a fight. I prayed he would control his own blood-lust. Even I couldn't hold him back when he got that look in his eye. I knew better than to try.

"{Step aside,}" Yukio threatened.

"{Uh, yeah, right,}" Raph answered sarcastically. "{Did you want me to do that before or after I end your pitiful life?}" They glared at each other. I didn't get involved. I knew it was pointless, and I wasn't totally sure I wanted to anyway.

"{Back off, jackass,}" Raphael threatened. "{You know how much it'd break my heart if I had to kill you.}"

"{You cannot kill me,}" Yukio smirked.

Raphael's eyes blazed in anger. "{Look, asshole, I don't care who you are or where you learned whatever the hell it is you learned. I may be a mutant, but I'm still Hamato Yoshi's student. First generation. Trained by the man himself, in a manner of speaking, not his students.}" He flicked his wrists, twirling the sais. Yukio did not move. "{Wanna try me?}" Raph asked in a low growl. "{For real this time. Let's go. Fight to the death. You game?}"

For just an instant, Yukio's eyes flickered. Raphael was right, and we all knew it. And that realization produced the tiniest hint of fear somewhere deep inside of Yukio. It was not much; his intense gaze only wavered for a fraction of a second. But it was long enough to alert Raphael that he was dealing with someone he would surely rip in two in a real battle.

"{Stand down,}" Raphael ordered. His voice commanded respect.

I watched him, shocked and fascinated. I had never seen him act this way before. Sure, I had seen him mad. But it wasn't really anger he was displaying right now. Not just anger, anyway. For the first time in my life, I realized just how fierce his love for his brother was. He wasn't being angry; he was being protective. Weapons drawn and teeth bared, he stood ready to defend his best friend, to the death.

And Yukio stood down.

KEN'ICHI:

"{Is that the house?}" Kin asked.

I nodded slowly. "Hai."

"{It is a large house,}" he observed. "{Perhaps we had best wait until night and look around, so that we can know the floorplan before entering.}"

The two green figures sitting on the porch nearly had my undivided attention. I noted their weapons, and their mannerisms, and knew that they were an even greater threat to us than Yukio was. "{Who are they?}" Kin questioned.

"{The one on the right is called Raphael. The one on the left is Leonardo. They must leave before we can act.}"

"{There is still one of them inside, with the girl.}"

"{He is no threat. He has become Shiro Ninja.}" (AN: "Shiro Ninja" literally means "white ninja". It's a term used to describe a ninja who's lost his powers/abilities.)

I studied the house. "{If he makes an appearance, we will take him as well,}" I sighed. "{But I want no bloodshed.}"

"Hai," the dark figure next to me agreed. "{There will be no need.}"