XI
All the turtles looked at the girl, shocked. "What did you just say?" Leonardo asked, dumb-founded.
"I said: Leonardo, I challenge you to a duel." Sasha repeated the bow as well.
Leonardo blinked and then looked over to his sensei, asking him with his facial expression what he should do.
"She has presented you with a challenge, Leonardo. It would be dishonorable for you to refuse," Splinter said in a lecturing tone.
"But she...but I...I would...What if I hurt her, Master Splinter?" Leonardo stuttered.
"Then so be it. If you hurt her, then she will only have herself to blame. However, do not use your real katanas. Use the wooden practice katanas in the closet in my room."
Leonardo blinked a few times and then bowed to his sensei. "Yes Master Splinter." He then turned to Sasha and bowed again. "Sasha, I accept your challenge." He then hurried out of the room and soon returned carrying two wooden swords that he used to replace his metal ones.
Sasha walked to one end of the dojo and Leonardo walked to the other. They then turned and bowed to each other.
"Ai!" Splinter barked, and the duel began.
Leonardo wasted no time. As soon as the signal was given, he sprinted across the dojo at Sasha, getting ready to attack. Sasha stood like a deer caught in the headlights, watching as the large turtle came bearing down on her. What was she doing? He was bigger than her, stronger than her, and he actually remembered how to fight.
When he was only ten feet away from her though, things began to change. Out of seemingly instinct, Sasha ducked and rolled out of the way, dodging a punch in the nick of time.
From the sidelines, Raph gave a low whistle. "She's fast..."
Sasha sprung up from her roll. Leonardo had allowed the momentum from his punch to carry him around, and he was now facing her, sizing her up. He had not expected her to be able to move with such speed, nor had he expected her to be able to perform tumbling dodges. She stood in a defensive position, staring at him, waiting for his next move. He could see her nervousness and the fear in her eyes. She knew that this was an uneven match, and she was expecting him to triumph quickly. Leonardo had nothing to worry about. He even felt a little sorry for her simply because the match was so one sided. He took a deep breath and got into a defensive position. The least he could do was give the girl a chance by letting her attack him.
Sasha raised an eyebrow as Leo went into defensive mode instead of offense. Of course, he knew that this was an unfair fight, and wanted to let her try to get at least one hit in. But she knew something else about him as well: he didn't want to hurt her. He had stated his worry about hurting her to Splinter. But what Leo didn't know was that Sasha's conscience held no inhibition to keep her from harming her opponent. She actually found herself on the verge of apathy when it came to him being harmed.
Accepting Leo's invitation to attack, Sasha bolted forward with a speed that surprised even her. When she reached Leo, she jumped up to send a kick to his head. But he moved almost as fast as she did and caught her foot before it connected. He threw her to the mat-covered floor.
Sasha hit the ground with a painful thump. She quickly rolled away from Leonardo and then sprang to her feet again, finding herself backed into a corner with no way out. Suddenly, a realization surfaced in her consciousness: she could jump higher than any human—ten feet high or more. She glanced up at the ceiling of the room, and saw that it was covered in a series of wide, thick pipes that could easily hold her weight. She looked back to Leo in time to see him pulling out his Katanas. She grinned and flicked her eyebrows at him.
Leo narrowed his eyes. She was planning something. He made a move to begin to charge at her, but as soon as his body shifted, Sasha crouched low and then made a vaulting leap toward the ceiling. For a moment, Leonardo could not fathom what she was hoping to accomplish, but when he saw her easily jump high enough to grab onto the pipes, and then pull herself up into the shadows near the ceiling and out of view, he drew in a deep breath. Her jumping skill was amazing. He didn't know of anyone who could jump that high. He peered up into the maze of pipes over his head. The light from the hanging lights did not reach far into the pipes, and Leo could see no sign of Sasha.
"Dude, where'd she go?" Michelangelo asked, scanning the pipes above his head as well.
Donatello exchanged a quick glance with Raphael. "Well, I'm pretty sure she's staying put. We'd hear her feet on the pipes if she wasn't."
Leonardo was staring intently up at the ceiling. Where could she have gone?
He was facing his brothers, looking up at the pipes above their heads. More silently than a breath of wind, Sasha lowered herself down from the pipes behind him, hanging upside down by her tail. The three brothers kept straight faces, even though it was difficult.
Sasha grinned at them and put a finger to her lips. She then tapped lightly on the top of Leo's head. "Knock, knock."
Leo spun around to see Sasha let go of the pipe with her tail and then fall to the floor, landing on her hands. She kicked him deftly in the chest with both feet, sending the eldest turtle flying back into Donatello. It all happened in the blink of an eye. She stood there on her hands for a time, watching as the two turtles got up, commenting on how strong she was. She looked over to Splinter, a look of both shock and amusement on her face. "Maybe there's something to your warrior theory after all," she said with a laugh.
But Splinter was beginning to see much more in Sasha than just a girl who was trained to be a warrior. He was starting to see a person whose main reason of existence was to fight. The way she executed her movements was exact, with a certain amount of indifference and cold calculation. And the fact that she was doing so well and enjoying the duel this much without her full memory made him almost shudder. How would she behave once she had her entire memory back?
Once Leonardo was on his feet and had regained his balance, Sasha flipped up to a standing position. She had a new confidence that everyone could see. She still had very little knowledge of fighting, but she was still keeping up with Leonardo.
Leo suddenly rushed her, raising his swords, ready to attack with them. Sasha got ready to duck under the blades. Unfortunately, Leo was expecting this. As she was ducking, he squatted and gave her a light, yet effective, kick to the chest. Losing her balance, Sasha fell back and landed prone on the mat, the wind knocked out of her. Leo stood and hurried over, placing one foot on her abdomen and placing a sword blade to the side of her throat.
"You are defeated," he informed her.
She looked up at him with eyes that were as cold and gray as steel. "That's what you think."
Sasha's tail suddenly wrapped around Leonardo's ankle, causing him to look down. With him distracted, Sasha grabbed the wooden sword's blade with both hands, and then rolled her body, using her tail to pull Leo's foot out from underneath him and wrenching the sword out of his hand.
"That's not fair!" Raph cried. "He had her beat!"
Splinter did not respond.
Leo landed hard on his backside, but got up quickly. He turned his eyes to Sasha, and took in an incredible sight: Sasha was holding the wooden katana by the hilt, and she was looking down at it as if it were a magic wand.
"I know this," she breathed, a smile spreading across her face. "I know how to use this."
She looked up sharply at Leo. She raised the wooden sword out in a fencing stance and smirked at him. He wasn't the only master of a sword in the room. After a moment, Sasha's body swung into motion. She charged at Leonardo, slicing the weapon through the air at him, attacking so quickly and strongly that it was all he could do to defend himself. Then with one swift, fluid motion, Sasha disarmed Leo of the second katana and caught it in her free hand. At the same moment, Leonardo found his shell hit the wall behind him. Sasha executed two swift movements with the sword in her right hand: One pretending to slice through his neck, the other across his torso. "You may have defeated me," she said, her voice full of cold, hard indifference. "But I killed you."
"That's enough!" Splinter ordered.
Sasha pulled away from Leonardo, dropping the sword in her left hand. She bowed to him, and he returned the bow, a shocked look on his face. She then turned to face the others, her eyes changing quickly from steel gray to their usual piercing blue .
"You are trained well in the art of fighting with Katana blades," Splinter commented, watching her as she examined the sword still in her right hand.
She shook her head. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right about them. May I see a real one?"
Leonardo nodded and handed her one of his metal katanas. She moved away from the others and made a few practice slices through the air before turning back to them, shaking her head. "No, that doesn't feel right either. It's not balanced right. And the blade's not shaped right—it should be curved..." She examined the hilt. "And this part is usually longer, with the hand guards wider. But I remember fighting with a sword this size. I'm actually really good at it."
"Who do you fight with the sword?" Donatello asked.
"I don't remember."
"Do you remember who trained you?"
"No."
Sasha sighed and returned the katana to Leonardo. "Good fight," she said. "You're the most challenge I've had in a long time."
"Do you remember any previous challenges?" Leo asked.
She shrugged. "I don't remember any of my other challenges, but I know they weren't that great."
Everyone was silent for a moment. The turtles and Splinter now revered their new friend in a different light. She was a force to be reckoned with, even without all her memories.
The silence made Michelangelo uneasy. "I don't know about all you guys," he said after a moment. "But I'm about ready for some breakfast. Who's with me?"
All the turtles looked at the girl, shocked. "What did you just say?" Leonardo asked, dumb-founded.
"I said: Leonardo, I challenge you to a duel." Sasha repeated the bow as well.
Leonardo blinked and then looked over to his sensei, asking him with his facial expression what he should do.
"She has presented you with a challenge, Leonardo. It would be dishonorable for you to refuse," Splinter said in a lecturing tone.
"But she...but I...I would...What if I hurt her, Master Splinter?" Leonardo stuttered.
"Then so be it. If you hurt her, then she will only have herself to blame. However, do not use your real katanas. Use the wooden practice katanas in the closet in my room."
Leonardo blinked a few times and then bowed to his sensei. "Yes Master Splinter." He then turned to Sasha and bowed again. "Sasha, I accept your challenge." He then hurried out of the room and soon returned carrying two wooden swords that he used to replace his metal ones.
Sasha walked to one end of the dojo and Leonardo walked to the other. They then turned and bowed to each other.
"Ai!" Splinter barked, and the duel began.
Leonardo wasted no time. As soon as the signal was given, he sprinted across the dojo at Sasha, getting ready to attack. Sasha stood like a deer caught in the headlights, watching as the large turtle came bearing down on her. What was she doing? He was bigger than her, stronger than her, and he actually remembered how to fight.
When he was only ten feet away from her though, things began to change. Out of seemingly instinct, Sasha ducked and rolled out of the way, dodging a punch in the nick of time.
From the sidelines, Raph gave a low whistle. "She's fast..."
Sasha sprung up from her roll. Leonardo had allowed the momentum from his punch to carry him around, and he was now facing her, sizing her up. He had not expected her to be able to move with such speed, nor had he expected her to be able to perform tumbling dodges. She stood in a defensive position, staring at him, waiting for his next move. He could see her nervousness and the fear in her eyes. She knew that this was an uneven match, and she was expecting him to triumph quickly. Leonardo had nothing to worry about. He even felt a little sorry for her simply because the match was so one sided. He took a deep breath and got into a defensive position. The least he could do was give the girl a chance by letting her attack him.
Sasha raised an eyebrow as Leo went into defensive mode instead of offense. Of course, he knew that this was an unfair fight, and wanted to let her try to get at least one hit in. But she knew something else about him as well: he didn't want to hurt her. He had stated his worry about hurting her to Splinter. But what Leo didn't know was that Sasha's conscience held no inhibition to keep her from harming her opponent. She actually found herself on the verge of apathy when it came to him being harmed.
Accepting Leo's invitation to attack, Sasha bolted forward with a speed that surprised even her. When she reached Leo, she jumped up to send a kick to his head. But he moved almost as fast as she did and caught her foot before it connected. He threw her to the mat-covered floor.
Sasha hit the ground with a painful thump. She quickly rolled away from Leonardo and then sprang to her feet again, finding herself backed into a corner with no way out. Suddenly, a realization surfaced in her consciousness: she could jump higher than any human—ten feet high or more. She glanced up at the ceiling of the room, and saw that it was covered in a series of wide, thick pipes that could easily hold her weight. She looked back to Leo in time to see him pulling out his Katanas. She grinned and flicked her eyebrows at him.
Leo narrowed his eyes. She was planning something. He made a move to begin to charge at her, but as soon as his body shifted, Sasha crouched low and then made a vaulting leap toward the ceiling. For a moment, Leonardo could not fathom what she was hoping to accomplish, but when he saw her easily jump high enough to grab onto the pipes, and then pull herself up into the shadows near the ceiling and out of view, he drew in a deep breath. Her jumping skill was amazing. He didn't know of anyone who could jump that high. He peered up into the maze of pipes over his head. The light from the hanging lights did not reach far into the pipes, and Leo could see no sign of Sasha.
"Dude, where'd she go?" Michelangelo asked, scanning the pipes above his head as well.
Donatello exchanged a quick glance with Raphael. "Well, I'm pretty sure she's staying put. We'd hear her feet on the pipes if she wasn't."
Leonardo was staring intently up at the ceiling. Where could she have gone?
He was facing his brothers, looking up at the pipes above their heads. More silently than a breath of wind, Sasha lowered herself down from the pipes behind him, hanging upside down by her tail. The three brothers kept straight faces, even though it was difficult.
Sasha grinned at them and put a finger to her lips. She then tapped lightly on the top of Leo's head. "Knock, knock."
Leo spun around to see Sasha let go of the pipe with her tail and then fall to the floor, landing on her hands. She kicked him deftly in the chest with both feet, sending the eldest turtle flying back into Donatello. It all happened in the blink of an eye. She stood there on her hands for a time, watching as the two turtles got up, commenting on how strong she was. She looked over to Splinter, a look of both shock and amusement on her face. "Maybe there's something to your warrior theory after all," she said with a laugh.
But Splinter was beginning to see much more in Sasha than just a girl who was trained to be a warrior. He was starting to see a person whose main reason of existence was to fight. The way she executed her movements was exact, with a certain amount of indifference and cold calculation. And the fact that she was doing so well and enjoying the duel this much without her full memory made him almost shudder. How would she behave once she had her entire memory back?
Once Leonardo was on his feet and had regained his balance, Sasha flipped up to a standing position. She had a new confidence that everyone could see. She still had very little knowledge of fighting, but she was still keeping up with Leonardo.
Leo suddenly rushed her, raising his swords, ready to attack with them. Sasha got ready to duck under the blades. Unfortunately, Leo was expecting this. As she was ducking, he squatted and gave her a light, yet effective, kick to the chest. Losing her balance, Sasha fell back and landed prone on the mat, the wind knocked out of her. Leo stood and hurried over, placing one foot on her abdomen and placing a sword blade to the side of her throat.
"You are defeated," he informed her.
She looked up at him with eyes that were as cold and gray as steel. "That's what you think."
Sasha's tail suddenly wrapped around Leonardo's ankle, causing him to look down. With him distracted, Sasha grabbed the wooden sword's blade with both hands, and then rolled her body, using her tail to pull Leo's foot out from underneath him and wrenching the sword out of his hand.
"That's not fair!" Raph cried. "He had her beat!"
Splinter did not respond.
Leo landed hard on his backside, but got up quickly. He turned his eyes to Sasha, and took in an incredible sight: Sasha was holding the wooden katana by the hilt, and she was looking down at it as if it were a magic wand.
"I know this," she breathed, a smile spreading across her face. "I know how to use this."
She looked up sharply at Leo. She raised the wooden sword out in a fencing stance and smirked at him. He wasn't the only master of a sword in the room. After a moment, Sasha's body swung into motion. She charged at Leonardo, slicing the weapon through the air at him, attacking so quickly and strongly that it was all he could do to defend himself. Then with one swift, fluid motion, Sasha disarmed Leo of the second katana and caught it in her free hand. At the same moment, Leonardo found his shell hit the wall behind him. Sasha executed two swift movements with the sword in her right hand: One pretending to slice through his neck, the other across his torso. "You may have defeated me," she said, her voice full of cold, hard indifference. "But I killed you."
"That's enough!" Splinter ordered.
Sasha pulled away from Leonardo, dropping the sword in her left hand. She bowed to him, and he returned the bow, a shocked look on his face. She then turned to face the others, her eyes changing quickly from steel gray to their usual piercing blue .
"You are trained well in the art of fighting with Katana blades," Splinter commented, watching her as she examined the sword still in her right hand.
She shook her head. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right about them. May I see a real one?"
Leonardo nodded and handed her one of his metal katanas. She moved away from the others and made a few practice slices through the air before turning back to them, shaking her head. "No, that doesn't feel right either. It's not balanced right. And the blade's not shaped right—it should be curved..." She examined the hilt. "And this part is usually longer, with the hand guards wider. But I remember fighting with a sword this size. I'm actually really good at it."
"Who do you fight with the sword?" Donatello asked.
"I don't remember."
"Do you remember who trained you?"
"No."
Sasha sighed and returned the katana to Leonardo. "Good fight," she said. "You're the most challenge I've had in a long time."
"Do you remember any previous challenges?" Leo asked.
She shrugged. "I don't remember any of my other challenges, but I know they weren't that great."
Everyone was silent for a moment. The turtles and Splinter now revered their new friend in a different light. She was a force to be reckoned with, even without all her memories.
The silence made Michelangelo uneasy. "I don't know about all you guys," he said after a moment. "But I'm about ready for some breakfast. Who's with me?"