Chapter Twenty-Four: Challenge

Delaney sat on her bed with a large shirt over some short shorts used for sleep. She was messaging a part of her foot that was now cramping up thanks to her shoes. Callista had returned from the dance with Raphael not far behind her a half hour ago. She grabbed her jacket gave her a small understanding smile and left with Raphael to get some coffee or go a motorcycle ride around town. She heard Eros walk by the room, but she didn't go into her room because of Amity. Eros stopped outside her open door and told Delaney that she was going to try and watch some movies with Donatello out in the living room. Once they left Leonardo looked in on her and didn't have to say one thing.

"Leo…" Delaney started, "To tell you the truth, you may be the best thing for her right now. Let her know your not going anywhere."

He nodded and looked toward the other door, "Thank you."

Delaney gave him a small smile and watched him escape from view. Soon enough she heard the tale tell sound of a door opening and closing. There were a few hushed voices from the other room. They were talking which was good. She needed to tell somebody. Delaney had to wait a good month until she got to. At least Amity has that comfort when she needed it the most.

"Hey," Michelangelo poked his head in her doorway. He took off his tie and orange tinted jacket earlier and walked into the room, "You want some company?"

"Why not?" she smiled and made room for him to sit on the bed with her.

"How's she doing?" he asked sitting next to her and putting an arm around her.

"She just lost her parents… but to tell you something… she's a strong one. I remember what it felt like first being told. She was very controlled. And she opened up which is important. I locked it away at first… and doing that nearly destroyed me."

"What are you talking about?" he looked concerned.

"When I was out on the streets, I seriously thought of just giving up. Let them find me and kill me…" she looked down and leaned toward him, "Then I wondered who would take care of my friends. Who would make sure they were safe? Like I did such a great job, huh?"

He took a deep breath, "It's not your fault."

"I know. It's his," she looked at him, "All this time I was blaming myself and I never had to."

"No, you didn't," he hugged her.

"Can we talk about something else?" she partially laughed, trying to lighten up the situation.

"We could, but Splinter said he saw something on the report that no one understood. He wanted you to look at it. You want me to stay here or go with you?"

"I won't be long, you can stay here. I'll need something to get my mind off things when I get back."

"Okay," he watched her leave the room. He went to the side of the room to find her formal dress and rubbed the material, "I know exactly what she could use right now."

After about fifteen minutes Delaney came back into the room closing the door behind her and leaning the back of her head on the door. Splinter had given her the message left on one of the bodies. No one understood it. Not the police, not the administration, not the public. No one… but her. She understood it perfectly. It was designed that way. To make sure that she knew what to do. Where to go. And who to tell.

"You okay?" Michelangelo asked from sitting on her bed.

"Not exactly," she murmured and walked over to him. She laid on the bed and put her head on his lap, "Please pet me. Tell me things will fall back to normalcy eventually. I'll believe it whole heartedly if you say it."

He looked down at her and started to pet her hair like he had the other night, "What's wrong?"

"He wants us to fight him," she took a breath and closed her eyes.

"Who?"

"Yukio… the note was for me. It was coded so no one understood except for me. He used a type of coding system that we all used. He has challenged you and your brothers to a fight, and he wants me to come. He specifically asked for me to fight too. He wants it over, all at once."

"When?"

"He's giving us a month. Then he wants us on the east piers a few dozen feet behind the factory. A final fight. Us against the clan."

"You going?"

"If I don't he said that he would keep on killing. More family… more friends… I won't let him."

"Okay," he sighed.

She looked up at him surprised, "You aren't going to argue with me?"

"Nope, that almost made me lose you last time, remember?" he smiled, "But you know how much training you'll have to do before you can even think about beating him? And how protective I am going to be of you?"

"A lot," she nodded, "Splinter told me to ask you something."

"What was that?"

"If you could teach me some moves on a weapon. I won't be able to defend against a katana by myself."

"We'll start tomorrow," he nodded.

"Good. Now can we talk about something else?" she pleaded to him from his lap.

"You know my personal saying," he leaned back and took out the old Monopoly box from behind him and set it on the floor, "A little game of Monopoly gets your mind off of anything."

"Excellent!" she got up from his leg and went down to the floor to set up the game.

"You're the strangest girl I have ever known."

"Yeah, that may be," she started to unfold the board and get the money out, "But you love me for it."

"Right on," he sat down next to her and picked up the cannon piece, "I get to go first."

"What happened to ladies first?" Delaney grabbed the dice and tried to keep them away from Michelangelo.

"Hey, give those back."

"No way, it's my turn!" she smiled and laughed as he tried to pin her in such a way that he could get to the dice.

"Hey," he finally pinned her arms over her head and stared down into her eyes, "I want to tell you something."

"Could you have done it without pinning me?"

"Probably, but that would take the fun out of it," he made a cheesy smile and took a deep breath, "I love you."

"I know that," she gave him her trademark smart- ass look.

"No, I mean," he got off of her and gave her enough room to get up, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've never said that or felt that before… about anyone."

"Neither have I," she sat on her legs and leaned toward him. She turned his head toward her, she looked deep into his eyes and gently smiled, "In this world there is only one that I live to see each day. I'm glad that's it's you."

"That's from the poem I wrote you."

"Yup. And it works both ways," she kissed him gently on the edge of his beak, "I know what you are trying to say, and I feel the same. I always will."

"Good, then you won't mind me taking the first turn," he stole the dice from her and rolled, "Yea! Doubles!"

"And then there was that brief glittering moment of serious talk, then back to the board game," she chuckled to herself, "All right, let's see what your chance card has to say."

Delaney could feel the sweat dripping down her back as she tried to kick the hell out of one of the extra kicking bags. She has been there ever since practice ended an hour ago with the boys and Splinter. Ever since her wound had healed over about a day or two after the dance she has been building her strength. Her hair was beginning to plaster to her face and the sports shirt that she found was nowhere close to being even relatively dry. She rubbed her eyes clear as she did an around about kick into the bag and then a hit to the back of the bag with her right elbow. She took a deep breath and relaxed her muscles a bit. Out of nowhere she ducked and saw someone's leg hit the bag over her head.

"You're reflexes are impeccable," Callista said as she lowered her leg. Delaney got up from her crouching position and wiped her face with a small towel near by.

"What are you doing out of bed at nine in the morning?" she smiled.

"Thought you may need a training buddy," she held up her own sweat towel and took off her jacket to reveal a wife beater and some old PE shorts. She went over to the other punching bag and started to stretch, "And we may be having another one join us."

"Really who?" Delaney rotated her wrists a few times to take out any kinks.

"Me," Amity walked into the room with a water bottle in one hand and a sweat towel over her shoulder.

"What is Eros going to join in the fun as well?" Delaney asked.

"She's the only one who has decided to sleep in," Amity nodded and sat down in front of the two punching bags and began to do floor stretches, "I want to know how to fight."

"Excuse me?" Callista looked from around her bag, "This coming from the girl who once preached, 'We can solve anything by reason'? Am I hearing right?"

"Amity, you aren't seriously considering fighting Yukio, are you?" Delaney asked.

"No, he's too strong. I know I wouldn't be able to defeat him," Amity shook her head, "But Leonardo has been teaching me some katana and fighting techniques since you woke up from you injury. He said that if he could convince Splinter, I might be able to learn more."

"Never thought I would see the day," Callista began to punch into her bag and then start to use her softer kicks to get started.

"Okay then… you want to help," Delaney nodded.

Amity nodded back.

"Show me what you got," Delaney came out from the punching back and stood next to Amity.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely," she got into a starting position, "Bring it on, girl."

"So we all know how this is going to play out?" Leonardo looked at the group in the den. Everybody nodded their heads and looked at each other.

"Mikey and I will be out in the open. The bait, if you will, and lure them out of hiding. Granted they will not all come out until they see all of you," Delaney said to the group.

"Donnie and I will plant the devices around the factory and make sure to enable them," Eros chimed in, "Then Donnie will join with Raphael and Callista as I make it back to the Battle Shell to over look the situation and keep in touch over the head set. Waiting for the go ahead for the big bang."

"Callista and I will be in the shadows waiting for the time where we get into the action," Raphael spun his sais and quickly put them back into his belt.

"And Amity and I will be reason, as usual," Leonardo took a deep breath, "If anything else, we can try to reason with them before the fighting starts. Even if we can't do that, we'll give Donatello and Eros some time to set the devices."

"All right," Michelangelo stood up, "Let's get this party started."

As they left the lair Splinter said good luck to them all, but stopped Delaney before she got too far.

"Delaney, here," he handed her an object in a cloth and gave a slight bow, "I believe that you have deserved them."

She looked at the cloth and unwrapped a pair of nunchakus, "Oh my… Master Splinter, I am no where ready to actually-"

"You are ready. Maybe not completely skilled, but you are ready… daughter."

Delaney looked at him with tearful eyes and gave him a hug, "Thank you. I will never forget you. You are a true father."

They both looked at each other and she walked out the door and out of the lair. The sewer lid closed and Splinter was left alone in the lair. The echoing of the girl's voices rang around the empty halls and his son's laughter died down from his memories. It seemed to him as if the night was not going to end well. Something horrible awaited his sons and new 'daughters' at the end of the night. Something that may destroy them all. Both physically and emotionally.

Michelangelo and Delaney walked down the pier connected to the factory. It was close to midnight and there was no doubt that Yukio was going to show. Michelangelo seemed alert the whole time, keeping all his senses open to anything or any one that may be lurking by or behind any of the nearby crates. He knew that if things went too far south Raphael and Leonardo weren't too far away. Donatello and Eros were already setting up the 'fireworks' at the factory. There was no way that this clan was going to start any more problems after they were done with it.

As they walked down the pier Delaney looked over and saw Michelangelo playing with her ring on the chain around his neck. Silly as it seemed he has always believed it was a good luck charm and he wasn't going to lose the luck now. She smiled at his show of confidence in the small trinket. She quickly tugged on her bracelet and tied it to make sure it didn't fly off. It has been known to do so in practice some times. She didn't want that to happen again.

"Hey Mikey?"

"Yeah babe?"

"For what it's worth… I'm glad that this happened in a way."

"Why is that?"

"Other wise, I never would have met you. Then I would have never understood what love really felt like."

"Well isn't that touching?" Both Michelangelo and Delaney snapped their heads forward to find Yukio and a few ninjas at his sides. He looked as if he had just gotten off duty from the department, which was probable knowing his position, "Where is the rest of the group?"

"Here," Leonardo walked up with Amity at his side and shortly after Raphael made his appearance with Callista not that far behind.

"I thought there were four of you guys in costume, where is the fourth?"

"A little late, but I'm here," Donatello sneered at Yukio as he made his way into the circle spinning his bo-staff, "You don't need to worry about me. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Where's Eros, Delaney? She decide to stay home and pray for you all?" one of the ninjas said from Yukio's side.

"Kari?" Delaney squinted her eyes at the ninja and noticed that there was a ponytail of red hair falling from behind the mask.

"That's Takari. Yeah, it's me."

"But why… you're mom…"

"My mom was the one that was suppose to kill you that night in the hospital room. You only saw her as Detective Glanson… you're pathetic. Don't you see? She was the one who was to make sure that you wouldn't have a chance to survive the night."

"Until Yukio stopped her," Delaney nodded, "You didn't know about the deal."

"No," she looked at Yukio, "but now that it is revoked, I guess I can do what my mother didn't."

"You always did have the eye for him, didn't you, Red?" Callista popped and cracked her knuckles, "Couldn't stand that Delaney was getting all the attention?"

"Shut up, Calli!"

Callista growled at the nickname. She hated that one even more than the ever-popular 'Cal'.

"Okay, we have shown ourselves, why don't you show your whole group," Amity said from the middle of the group. She was fingering the katana strapped to her back and looking straight at Yukio and Kari.

The two main ninjas nodded and a few more dozen ninjas came from the shadows. Delaney and Michelangelo looked over the situation.

"What, that makes about six to each one of us?" he asked.

"Just about, yeah," she nodded slowly guiding her hand to behind her back where she tucked her new nunchakus.

"Actually Delaney, we have a score to settle," Yukio called out to her, "Both Takari and I."

"What's the deal Chief?" she asked eyeing them both.

"If I had my way I would be able to fight and defeat Michelangelo and then let you come into the organization without harm."

"Good thing you aren't in control then, huh?"

"But since my father has ordered your death… Takari had an idea. I get Michelangelo… she gets to fight you."

"Sounds like a plan," Delaney nodded, "What about the others?"

"They get the rest of the clan."

"More for me," Raphael grinned.

"Let's get this over with!" Yukio roared and drew out his katana in his hand, "Clan! Attack!"

"I hope you had enough time to secure the fireworks, Don," Leonardo said as he and Amity unsheathed their katanas.

"Didn't take that long at all with Eros's help," he smiled, spun his bo staff and watched the on coming hoard of ninjas, "I just hope no one innocent is in that building."

"Not from what we saw before," Amity said and slammed her elbow into the gut of the first ninja coming at her.

"Be careful, Mikey," Delaney warned as he began to walk toward Yukio, "You need to keep your promise to me. Come back."

"Same to you, babe," he winked at her, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

"I think you should be the one worried for, Delaney," Takari smirked at her and got out a pair of sais from some holders on her hips, "You'll be dead by the time the night is over."

"It isn't nice to tell lies, Kari," Delaney smirked back and looked at her opponent up and down.

'God, I hope she hasn't gotten any stronger,' Delaney took a deep breath, 'I have a feeling I'll need every advantage.'