AN: Sorry for throwing the whole "kari" thing into the mix. I thought that I had put her in one of the previous chapters, but I guess I forgot to do it. She is the daughter of Detective Glenson, the detective that told Delaney about her father's death. Takari was in and out of the station with Delaney and the girls every once in a while, but was never one of the group. She understood Yukio's feelings for Delaney, and hated her for it. Sorry for the confusion.

I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. And just to tell you, I won't update until the day after. Sorry all. But I am seriously thinking that after this chapter I may just upload the last two or three chapters up in the same time. I don't know yet.... shrugs Love you all!

Chapter Twenty- Five: Final Conflict

"Are you ready for this?"

"More than you will ever know," Delaney grabbed her nunchakus out from the spot on her back and wrapped one around a sai and threw it to the side.

"You have learned some of the art. Impressive in the short amount of time, especially considering your wound."

"Don't be silly," Delaney jumped and landed a kick into Kari's stomach, "I've only practiced nunchakus the past month. I've been tutored in Ninjitsu for the past two."

"Well, you've always been a fast learner," Takari jumped from her position on the pier and tried to do a round about kick to Delaney's midsection. She tried to dodge it by doing a back flip, but was too slow. The kick connected to her left side throwing her into the wall to her right. Takari began to laugh at her as she slowly sauntered up to Delaney's somewhat limp form, "You have no idea how good that felt?"

"I have an idea," Delaney grumbled and got up, pushing off the ground and getting back on her feet, "So tell me, just how long have you trained?"

"About two years. You have no chance," she sneered and began another back kick toward Delaney. Instead of connecting again, Delaney caught her leg in her hands and flipped Takari in a tight circle and to the ground.

"That's strange, it's looking pretty good from where I'm standing," Delaney smiled and took a step back as her opponent got back up and began to shove her one sai toward Delaney's old wound in her side. Again, Delaney blocked with her nunchaku and was able to toss the sai to the side.

"I don't need weapons to defeat you," she smiled wickedly. She quickly turned and was able to kick the nunchakus from Delaney's grasp and she watched them slide into the concealment of the boxes and crates, "But I'm not so sure about you."

"Remember Kari, I just learned how to use those," Delaney turned from where her weapons slid and gave Takari and warning glare, "I'm much better hand to hand."

"That makes two of us."

The two girls began to stare each other down and asses each other's abilities.

"Howlong have you known about Yukio's feelings?" Delaney smirked.

"Don't even start, Delaney..."

"Why not, you're fighting for him, aren't you?"

"Enough talk!" she ran forward and did a high kick towards Delaney's face, but didn't make contact as Delaney put up her arms in defense over her face. Although before she knew it Takari came back with an upward punch to her lower jaw, throwing her back, almostsending over the side of the pier.

Delaney looked down at the dark water below her and saw a few drops of blood soak into the water. Her reflection finally began to become visible and she saw her lip had busted open and she was all ready receiving a bruise. That didn't surprise her. Although, it was strange what did. She looked at her semi-beaten reflection and saw nothing wrong. She didn't hate herself anymore. And she learned that she could fight all of this. She could fight back. And fight back hard.

As she heard Takari come up behind her she felt energy like never before enter her gut and she rolled just in time to evade Takari's heel landing to where the back of her head was. She quickly got back into standing position and looked at her opponent, who was still shocked at how fast Delaney had become.

"Hey, Kari," Delaney called from behind her. She turned to see Delaney's closed fist hit her square in the nose and flew back and off the pier, "I might not be as skilled in Ninjitsuas you are, but I can still beat your ass with common street fighting. Thank you, Dad."

She kissed her fist and looked over the edge to see Takari laying face up in the water with a small river of blood flowing from her nose. She would eventually end up on shore. The water around the pier was pretty shallow anyway. There wasn't any concern that she would drown. Delaney wiped her mouth clear of blood, even though it was near impossible to keep the blood from flowing, and looked back at the rest of the group to see on their progress.

In the far corner she saw Raphael doing his signature kick, knocking three ninjas down with one swipe. At his far right Callista kicked one of the ninjas who was holding a katana in the groin and then elbowed him in the back once he doubled over, knocking him out. She smiled at her handy work and then back fisted another ninja trying to catch her from the rear. He fell back and was knocked unconscious. Amity and Leonardo were working side by side with a katana each. A particularly big ninja came toward Amity and tried to chop her in the right side. She ducked and came back up with a powerful kick to the chin, knocking the guy back. She always was flexible that way. Donatello was busy with four guys of his own, which eventually wound down to two after some work with his bo staff.

In all this, where was Michelangelo and Yukio?

Finally at the end of the pier she spotted them. It looked as if he was doing okay, but the three ninjas sneaking up on him from behind wasn't going to do him any good. She raced toward him and screamed out as she hit the first ninja from behind and made him fly into some more crates. The other two ninjas came after her and went to her two opposite sides to make sure she couldn't kick them both at the same time. She looked at them both and jumped into the air doing a split kick, knocking them both off their feet.

"Thank goodness I got that move down a few days ago," she smiled and then was hit from behind. She quickly turned around and started to engage other in the fight.

Yukio glanced over at Delaney and then back at Michelangelo, "She's good. Where did she learn to fight Ninjitsu? You teach her?"

Michelangelo jumped back from his strike and came back with a hit to the stomach, "Only a little. She learned most of it from my master."

"I'll be sure to thank him before I kill him," Yukio stood up and came at the turtle with his katana. Michelangelo turned away from the lunge and kicked Yukio in the back sending him back to the ground.

"Not nice to threaten, dude," he waved his finger as if he was scolding a child.

"It was a promise," Yukio turned around and swept his feet along the floor, catching Michelangelo off balance and sent him to the wooden planks of the pier. He quickly got up and stood over the turtle with the katana to his throat. He poked the edge of the blade at the ring around Michelangelo's neck and smiled, "As soon as I dispose of you both, I'm taking the trinket as a prize."

"I wouldn't count on it," Michelangelo growled.

"Why? It looks like I've won."

"Wrong again, Chief," Delaney said from behind him, quickly grabbing his gun from his police uniform and holding it to his head, "Dead wrong."

"Come on Delaney, you aren't going to shot me," he chuckled.

"Guess again," she pushed it tighter to his head, "Let him up."

"Do you even know how to use that thing?"

"My dad only took me to the local shooting rang twice, but even with that little practice I'm a pretty good shot and could make a good sized hole in your head from this range. Now, let him up."

Yukio dropped his katana and kicked it to the side, "There."

Michelangelo rolled away from the guy and stood up beside Delaney. She still had the gun to his head and a grimace on her face. He looked at her and noticed her pressure on the trigger.

"Uh, Delaney… shouldn't you put the gun down now, hun?"

"Not before I do something first," she growled and looked at the back of Yukio's head, "You said you cared for me. Why?"

"Because I did… and still do."

"Don't tempt me to pull this trigger. Tell me why?"

"Delaney, put the gun down," Michelangelo coxed her.

"Shut up Mikey," she spat, but immediately regretted it. She gave him a sorry look and then focused back on Yukio, "You have killed my family, targeted my friends, and ruined my life. Why do you say that you care? I didn't know monsters had a heart."

"Surprisingly your father had one," he said.

She clicked the gun back, "My father was a good man!"

"And he still wouldn't let you choose your fate! He shielded you from your true calling. You could have become such a skilled assassin, and yet he never let you see the glory of a kill."

"Because he did care," she let the tears flow from her eyes, "He tried to protect me."

"Some good he did. Look at your situation now," he paused and took a breath, "You're living with a bunch of freaks, on the run with not a penny to your name. You can't show your face in public, and you are now ordered to be put to death. Some help and protection he was."

"He tried, and that was all he had to do," she looked down the barrel of the gun, "He really cared. He loved me. So did my mom. And you sat there to watch him die in his own office. Slowly bleeding out onto the hardwood floor from the bullet you put through his skull."

"And you want to do the same to me, is that it? Well then go ahead, do it," he challenged, "You'll get your revenge and earn your father's honor."

She breathed harder as she went over her position.

"Delaney…" Michelangelo whispered, but she seemed to ignore him.

"I can shoot you through the head and see the irony in that is the same way my father passed. I can know for fact that you will not hurt any more people when I see your blood flow over the wooden planks of the pier and into the water. And I can rest knowing that you have paid the ultimate price…" she took a deep shuddering breath and heard her voice crack as she swallowed back her tears, "But I won't. Because I'm stronger than that. I don't kill just to earn honor. You don't deserve death. It's too good for you. And as far as my revenge goes, I'll be happy to know that your ass is in jail for 25 to life or on death row."

"You're so weak and ignorant. You can't even do the simplest killing. Can't even pull the trigger."

Delaney pulled the gun to the left and shot into his left hand, taking a few of the fingers with it. He let a scream escape his lungs and crumbled to the floor in agony holding his left hand by the wrist.

"Prove that I can shoot?" she lowered the gun and tossed it in the water, "You can't hurt me anymore."

"That's only because you never fought me. If you ever did, you would see my true fury! You are a coward!"

"If I fought you, I wouldn't have stopped until you were dead!" she screamed at him with her feet firmly planted, "I wouldn't allow myself to do that. My father and mother deserved real justice. Not more death."

Michelangelo walked behind her and put a hand on each shoulder and buried his beck in her ponytail, "I'm proud of you."

"Me too," she said softly and looked on as Yukio tried desperately to wrap up his destroyed hand.

"So you failed me again?" a dark, deep voice said from above the group. All three turned to see Taro Watanabe looking down on his son and the two who defeated him, "Never were good for anything, were you?"

"Father, please. I can still defeat them," Yukio pleaded with his father.

"The loss of your left hand is bad enough," Watanabe took out a six-shooter pistol and aimed it at his son, "I warned you. And you couldn't even kill a girl."

"Father! No-"

A shot rang from the pistol and hit Yukio in the forehead. Delaney and Michelangelo watched as the lifeless body dropped down from its knees and laid still. She slowly shook her head. He didn't deserve death. He deserved imprisonment. All of what she worked toward to get him sent to jail… to defeat this and know that he wouldn't hurt anyone behind bars… gone.

"Why?" she whispered and then looked up at Watanabe, "Why?!"

"Because he was slow. He didn't do what he was told. And he was a spoiled brat," he clicked back his shooter and aimed it at her and Michelangelo, "Now your turn."

"I don't think so," she shook her head, "Hey Donnie, where's the remote?"

From her peripheral vision she saw that Donatello was running toward them with the rest of the group not far behind. Most of them were bruised and cut, but nothing too serious. He held up a small remote with a single button and slowly handed it to Delaney.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It is a remote to detonate a few dozen boxes of explosives strategically placed around your factory," Delaney looked at him and noticed the change in his facial expression, "If I were you, I wouldn't be the one threatening."

"I can kill you right now and stop you from pushing that button."

"You kill me, then who will stop someone from my family pushing it?"

"Family?"

"Yeah, Family," Callista smirked and showed off her new shiner.

"Enough of this!" he pulled the trigger, but didn't count on Delaney'srelfexes. She ducked to the side and the bullethit the wood pier at the side of Delaney's feet.

"Bad choice, dude," she shook her head and handed the remote to Amity, "Would you like the honors?"

"Love to," Amity smiled and pressed the button. They all turned to see a huge flash of light and sound explode from the factory. The windows began to explode from the inside out and glass flew into the water. The whole building began to crumble upon itself.

"No!" Watanabe yelled and screamed at them, "NO!"

Before he could raise his gun again Michelangelo jumped up to his level and kicked the gun out of his hands. He quickly got the guy to the ground and pinned him so he could be tied up.

"Good job, Mikey," Donatello complimented and began to do a quick tie job on the man.

"Guys!" Eros ran from the far end of the pier where the battle shell was parked, "I saw the whole thing on camera. You guys were great. But… we really need to go."

"Why?"

Soon sirens were heard not too far away and the lights from the cars began to show on the alleyways walls. Delaney began to shake her head and turned to face the guys, "Oh no. You guys got to get-"

As soon as a blink of an eye, the guys were gone. All four turtles disappeared without a sound. As if they were never there.

"Mikey?" Delaney asked quietly and began to look around frantically, "Michelangelo!"

"Where did they go?" Callista looked around her and the surrounding area.

Delaney looked around as well, but only found a small note on the wooden pier. She heard the other girls calling out for their guys as the sirens grew louder. She opened up the note and shook her head with understanding. They weren't coming back.

"Delaney," Eros said coming up to her, "They aren't here."

"I know," Delaney stood up and brushed off her clothes, "Let's talk to the officers. Tell them what we know."

"They will never believe you!" Watanabe called from his position on the ground.

"I think with the paper work that we salvaged from your building before it went up will be proof enough," Amity held up a folder that she retrieved from their first mission before they left the lair.

The police cars drove up and looked around the pier to find the unconscious ninjas and four girls, beaten and bleeding. An older looking officer came up to the group of girls and saw Mr. Watanabe on the ground, tied up.

"What is going on here?"

"Everything you need to know is in here," Delaney handed him the folder, "And I will be glad to tell a jury anything and everything about this experience."

"My God, Delaney," the officer smiled. It was one of the officers from her father's old department. He was an old friend of the family and a best friend to her father. He put a heavy hand on her shoulder and looked over at her friends as well, "You all made it."

"Yeah," she nodded, "I have to tell you. There are moles in the department pertaining to this clan. I think their names will be in that folder you're now holding."

"Okay… we'll look into it immediately. Let's get you girls some medical attention," he whistled over an ambulance and got some immediate medical attention on the girls, "What happened?"

"A final conflict," Delaney responded sitting on the end of the ambulance bumper, staring at the dead body of Yukio Watanabe being zipped up in a plastic bag. The officer slowly nodded and walked back toward his car, where some of the fellow officers were being read their rights, including Detective Glanson. Soon enough Callista came over to Delaney's side with white gauze over one eye, an arm in a sling and a noticeable limp to her walk.

"Well, it's over. No more running."

"Yeah… No more running…" Delaney held the note in her hand and looked down at it. The rest of her friends came over to see what she had in her hand. It was only three lines and six letters long.

Remember you,

Remember me,

Remember us.

"They aren't coming back, are they?" Eros asked quietly.

"Does it look like it?" Callista said harshly and threw a piece of medical equipment onto the pier, "They left."

"But… that's because the cops showed up and they couldn't be seen… they… they will come back… for us. Right Delaney? Right?"

"I think we should get back to the family we have left," Delaney said with a blank face and wrapped the blanket tightly around herself, "They'll be wanting to know that we are still alive."

The girls looked at their leader as she stepped toward the edge of the pier and looked out on the cityscape. A single salty tear flowed down her cheek. The wind gently picked up and carried the speck of water from her cheek landed among some of the crates. Delaney followed the teardrop and found her pair of nunchakus in the splintered crates. She picked up the weapons and shoved them into the back of her pants. She promised herself that was the only tear she was to shed for him.

The room was quiet without them… without her. With all the furniture and clothes and trinkets and pictures… it was still so empty.

Michelangelo walked around the room where Delaney and Callista spent the last few months. The lights were out and he carried a small candle in one hand. He gently ran his fingers over the objects left in the room. He found Delaney's old sketchbook at the end of the desk. He quickly scanned through it to the last page where there was a picture of him, looking forlorn. It must have been through the time they had their fight. He then noticed that there was another picture on the back of that one. He turned it over and noticed she kept drawing on the back of her old pictures once she ran out of space. There were dozens of pictures of her and him. He even laughed a little at the picture she drew of them in chibi form in a wedding ceremony. Soon the chuckles became sobs and he closed the book.

He laid down on her old bed and held the book close to his plastron. She was gone and he never got to say goodbye. Donatello told them all that the girls would never have a normal life under the sewers. They needed to be back up top. They all knew it was true. They all knew it was coming. She was going to live a normal life. She was going to become a detective like she has always wanted.

But knowing it didn't help the pain…

She would do all that… and he wouldn't be there.

He will be alone, on the rooftops… watching from a distance.

It hurt.

That night, Michelangelo cried himself to sleep, clutching the sketchbook close, smelling her scent on the pillow and mourning the loss of the only love he ever has and will ever know.

A/N: I know, I know... don't worry it doesn't end here. I will have the next chapter out very soon.... too bad I am on a tight schedule, or I would let you guys hang for a while.... I'm just evil that way.