The next day in the Turtle lair, Rita was busy making a detailed map of the laboratory, and Donny was making the explosives with Leo's help.

The others were in the dojo training with Master Splinter for future battles. Pidgina watched on curiously as she sipped her afternoon tea.

Shelly watched as Leo and Raph sparred. "I will never be able to like, do that."

"Oh sure ya can Shell; it gets sorta easy after you learn it." said Mikey. "Don't worry, I'll work with you on that."

Shelly smiled.

They all sparred and practiced for the rest of the day.

Later on that day, it began raining. Everyone set up pots or buckets under each leak that sprang.

"I like, hate it when it rains." said Shelly, after setting down one of the last buckets.

Ashton listened intently to the sound of the rain. "I love it." she said quietly, as she walked towards the lair exit in an almost trance-like state.

"What the . . ."

"Don't worry about it. She always gets like this whenever she hasn't been around rain for a while." said Raph.

"Must be a rainforest thing." said Mikey.

Ashton walked out of the lair, and exited the sewers. She stood in the middle of the park nearby, in the rain, basking in the sound and feel of it. She spread out her arms and closed her eyes as she faced the sky. She stood there for the longest time, enjoying the feeling of the rain.

A sudden sense of not being alone came over her. Ashton opened her eyes and found herself face to face, up close with Schiam.

"Aaah!!" she screamed as she jumped backwards.

Schiam smirked as he stepped out into the dimming light of a street lamp. "Hello again."

"Where did you come from?!" exclaimed an angry Ashton. "Couldn't you see I was enjoying the rain?!"

Schiam looked up for a moment. "It is rather nice." Then he turned back to Ashton. "But I rather deal with you right now." he said, arching his back in that certain way he always did before he struck.

Ashton extended her nails. "I thought you'd had enough by now snake boy."

"Oh never that." he chuckled, then charged at her.

Ashton spun out of the way as Schiam came at her, and scratched him across the chest as he passed by.

Schiam stopped on the opposite side of Ashton, and then touched his chest gingerly, looking at the blood that began dripping from his wounds. He looked up at Ashton.

Ashton smirked, the rain washing the blood stains from her nails. She extended the nails from her toes in preparation for Schiam's next attack.

"Seems like I have to take my fighting to the next level." he said.

"Only the next level? Come on, gimme your very best." said Ashton, briefly pushing wet hair away from her face.

Schiam looked at her with an amused look on his face. Then he suddenly jetted behind a tree, and disappeared.

"Oh come on now, don't be chicken." said Ashton. "Bring it on!"

"If you insist." said Schiam.

Ashton didn't know where he was until he knocked right into her. She quickly balanced herself, and turned to face Schiam.

Schiam was on the opposite side of where Ashton was looking, and he brought his arm up, and wrapped it around Ashton's neck.

Ashton gasped as Schiam's strong arm began choking her. She could no longer talk, and very little oxygen was left. She tried to reach up and dig her nails into his arm, but Schiam used his other arm to hold Ashton's down.

"And you thought you could take it." grinned Schiam.

Ashton's eyes narrowed; she was determined not to lose. In one quick maneuver, Ashton flipped upwards, her nails helping her feet get a grip on the low, wet branch of a tree nearby. Then she twisted her body quickly without twisting her neck too. The rapid movement caught Schiam off guard and he let Ashton go.

Still holding onto the branch, Ashton flipped over and kicked Schiam in the face.

Schiam fell over, slipping on the wet grass. He quickly righted himself, and as brief, distant lightning flashed, he saw Ashton disappear up into a tree.

Schiam ran up into the tree, and the tree shook violently for a moment, before both fell out.

Ashton began running, with Schiam close behind.

"Get back here!" exclaimed Schiam.

As they ran, Ashton stopped in her tracks, turned around, and as Schiam came at her, delivered a punch to his sore chest so strong, that he flew backwards, and into a muddy puddle on the sidewalk.

Ashton smirked a little, then ran off back to the lair.

Schiam sat up from where he was knocked down, and looked off to where Ashton ran. His chest was very sore, his pants were soaking wet, and even though he could easily go after her, he decided to wait.

"Don't worry kid, I'll get you." said Schiam darkly. He then stood up, and walked off in another direction.

Back at the lair, Ashton walked in soaking wet and breathing hard.

"Sheesh, is the rain that exciting?" asked a puzzled Cori.

Ashton smiled with a slight laugh. "You have no idea."