Disclaimer: I don't own turtles, rats, reporters, etc. Brianna is mine though. So are Dana, Thomas, and all of the government/military people.

Ch.10 - Failure

"You know considering our past dealings with the foot, this is most likely some kind of set-up," Donnie pointed out as they reached the old warehouse. His brothers nodded in agreement. Brianna had been kidnapped the night before so it had been about 24 hours since the last time they saw her. Not only was the warehouse dark, but it appeared to be empty. Raph, being the impulsive turtle that he is, decided to make their presence known by shouting to them, "HEY! FOOT! COME OUT, COME OUT EVERYWHERE YOU ARE!"

As if on cue, hundreds of foot members started coming out of the shadows. Mikey nudged his loud mouth brother and said, "Nice going." Soon Brianna stepped out in her black leather outfit with the shredder right behind her. The wind was nicely blowing her straight golden blonde hair, which was about to the middle of her back, around her shoulders and arms. Though her hair didn't tangle the least bit. However the turtles were not aware that the shredder was still alive. But they would soon find out.

"Who's the old guy in the wheelchair?" Mikey asked.

"What guy?" Raph asked.

"I think he means the guy behind Brianna," Donnie guessed.

"I dunno. Leo, who do you think he is?" Raph said.

"Not sure. There's something familiar about him. He's definitely in some kind of high position with the foot," Leo replied.

"DAMN! What happened to the picture!" Captain Carter shouted when the image of the turtles suddenly stopped. The men at the big screen console were busily pushing all kinds of buttons, trying to get the image back. It was no use though. They couldn't bring back the picture.

"I'm sorry, sir, it appears to be disconnected somehow," One of the men at the console replied.

"Disconnected! Disconnected how!" Capt. Carter yelled furiously.

"By those demon turtles apparently," was the response from Dana. This is crazy talk! Turtles do not have the intelligence to disconnect a sophisticated government-issued camera! Yet, how else could we have lost the picture? Intelligent turtles? Is that what I'm saying? This is insane! Carter had learned from the attack on the turtles the night before, that they were very strong and skilled in the martial arts. Now that he couldn't keep an eye on them to observe, it had become necessary to capture them. Thinking back to what Dana had said regarding Subject 23X and one of the turtles, if he ever hoped to capture them all, he had better find Subject 23X or a turtle fast! Using his cell phone, he called Lt. Nitwite, the officer who had been in charge of tracking Subject 23X to the sewers, "Lt. Nitwite, this is Capt. Carter, come in please,"

"Lt. Nitwite reading you loud and clear, sir,"

"Have you tracked Subject 23X since she left the sewers?"

"Yes, we have just tracked her to an old warehouse, sir,"

"What's Subject 23X doing there?"

"It looks like some kind of stand off between a ninja clan called the foot and those demon turtles of yours, sir,"

"Hmm. This sounds interesting. What is Subject 23X specifically doing?"

"Right now she's just standing at the foot's front with some guy in a wheelchair behind her, sir,"

"Here are your orders Lt., as soon as you get the chance, re-capture Subject 23X at all costs! I want those turtles and Subject 23X is the way to get them! If you fail, you're dead! And I'll personally make sure that your body will be burned beyond recognition! Is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear, sir,"

The stand off between the foot and the turtles continued. An eerie silence filled the air as both clans just glared at each other, not moving. At last, Shredder moved forward and spoke, "So we meet again. But this time, I SHALL destroy you!"

"Huh? Meet again? We've never met buddy!" Mikey replied in confusion. This guy did look familiar as Leo had said earlier, but he still couldn't remember where he had seen this guy before.

"Wait. Shredder?" Leo asked as he slowly started to recognize the tell-tale signs that this man was indeed Shredder.

"Of course! It all makes sense now!" Donnie exclaimed.

"No it doesn't! The Shredder's dead!" Raph said.

"Wrong turtle! I am ALIVE! That pier merely caused my paralysis, for which I blame you for,"

"That was you Shred-Head! You caused the pier to fall down on top of you after you drank that vial of ooze!" Raph retorted.

"And it was because of you that I drank that ooze! This has done nothing but to speed up my aging process!"

"Doesn't matter whose to blame for your demise, you're going down," Leo said as he drew his katanas.

"Just a minute. I know you want to know what I brought your girlfriend here for, don't you?"

"Let her go!" Leo yelled. Nobody noticed Shredder pressing a control on a little black box on his wheelchair as he commanded Brianna, "I order you to kill the turtles, starting with the blue one!" Brianna quickly walked over to Leo. All of the turtles had been taken by surprise by her obedience at Shredder's command. What had happened to her? She wouldn't really kill Leo would she?

"Sir, this is Lt. Nitwite reporting," Lt. Nitwite spoke into his cell phone.

"Capt. Carter here, what is it Lt.?"

"Subject 23X has just been ordered to kill the turtles by the leader of the foot. She appears to be under his control somehow. She's really doing a number on one of the turtles,"

"I want those turtles dead or alive. Subject 23X I must have back alive. Keep an eye out. Don't allow her to die,"

"Yes, sir,"

Man, she looks so beautiful in that outfit! But why is she wearing such a thing? And why does it appear that she is under Shredder's control? I can not kill her but I can not let her kill me either. Leonardo thought while Brianna had walked over to him.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"I am doing as my master commanded," She replied and then kicked him in the head with her right foot. He landed back on his rear and looked up at her in shock. So it's true. She really is under his control. But how? I must find a way to break the control. He did not have much time to think for she put her foot on his plastron, pinning him to the ground. But not for long, Leo grabbed onto her and threw her back, using the momentum to pick himself up. Brianna was now the one on her rear but did a backwards somersault and was now on her feet. They circled each other for a bit until she rushed at him with full speed. He ducked just in time and her own force and speed sent her flying over him. Thinking quickly she kicked at his knees from behind sending him to land on his face. She then jumped onto his back as he got up and proceeded to try to strangle him with her hands.

For a moment it looked pretty hopeless for Leonardo. Brianna was a lot stronger than he was and had a death grip on his neck. How do I expect to keep her from killing me? I'm nowhere near as strong as she is. If I don't do something soon, I'm going to lose this battle. Ok so if my brawns don't seem to be working in this situation, I should use my brains, right?

Leonardo's brothers just stared as Brianna choked the life out of him. They couldn't very well get involved as it was Leo's fight. But how do you know when to let someone fight their own battles and when to get involved to help them?

Shredder laughed while he witnessed this event. Could it be true? Was his dream to finally be rid of the turtles going to come true this time?

Pulling out his cell phone, Lt. Nitwite called for Capt. Carter to give him an update on the situation.

"Report Lt.," Capt. Carter said.

"It looks as though Subject 23X will have killed that creature in blue any minute now, sir,"

"Excellent. Be sure to back the creature's body. Our scientists will have to dissect it to learn exactly what it is that we're dealing with. Let me know as soon as it's dead,"

"Yes, Sir,"

Suddenly, Leo ducked his head into his shell. Causing Brianna to lose her death grip and her balance, for she slid right off of him. His brothers let out a sigh of relief and Shredder seemed very disappointed.

Popping out of his shell, Leo tried to reason with Brianna,

"Please, Brianna, you don't want to do this,"

"I must obey my orders," She replied and disappeared. She reappeared a second later right in front of him and kicked him in his plastron. Leo fell on his rear again. Brianna teleported once more and reappeared right on top of him, reclaiming her death grip on him. I mustn't give up. I can't give up. Leo thought as she once again began to strangle him.

"Brianna, listen to me!" He said while struggling for air. She said nothing so he spoke again.

"You must listen to me! This isn't like you! You are NOT a killer! Ok? Despite what you and others may think, I do not believe that you are a killer,"

"Not a killer?... No... Yes..." She stuttered. Her grip became a bit looser but still held firm.

"Fight it. You have to fight it. Do you really want to kill me?" Leo choked out.

"Noo... But... I... must... kill... you..."

"No. You don't have to kill me. Fight it. Ok? Fight it,"

"Fight it. I must... fight it.."

"Yes that's right, fight it,"

"III..." She had started to say and then begin shaking. Tears began to fall down her cheeks. She did not want to kill him, but she had to. How could she live with herself if she did kill him? Yet how much longer could she try to fight the inevitable? Summoning up all of her strength, she yelled, "I CANNOT KILL HIM!" She released her grip and collapsed onto the ground, drained of all her energy.

"Looks like your brilliant plan failed again," Raph said.

"Argh. That's what you think, turtle! FOOT, ATTACK! KILL THEM!" Shredder yelled, angry that his plans to have Brianna get rid of the turtles, backfired in his face. Within minutes the foot soldiers were down as they were no match for the turtles.

Uh-oh. Capt. Carter is not going to like this. I've gotta do something fast if I want to live to see tomorrow! Lt. Nitwite thought as he came up with a plan to save Subject 23X. He climbed back into his car and turned on the siren.

Suddenly a siren was heard. Fearing for their safety, the turtles fled into the shadows and left the foot where they were instead of going after Shredder. Only some of the foot who were conscious fled the scene. Speaking to one of his elite foot members, Shredder commanded him to kill Brianna for her failure.

"Yes, Master Shredder," The solider replied and unsheathed his sword. He walked over to her, raised it, and was about to finish her, when he was interrupted by Lt. Nitwite and his men.

"STOP!" Lt. Nitwite yelled.

"What is the meaning of this?" Shredder asked.

"United States Government," Lt. Nitwite replied as he flashed his badge.

"What do you want?" Shredder asked again.

"That girl belongs to us," He answered.

"She's caused me enough trouble. Go ahead take her,"

"How were you able to get her to almost obey your command?"

"Very easy. I had a microchip attached to the back of her neck. Using this control box it sends electrical impulses to her brain through that microchip,"

"How does 10,000 sound for that control box?"

"I don't know. For what I've suffered because of her, I think I am going to need a bit more than that,"

"15,000"

"15,000 for the control box only. You're gonna have to cough up more if you want the girl too,"

"You just said that we could take her. Plus she belongs to us,"

"Fine then. No deal," Shredder said. He commanded his men to pick Brianna up and to follow him, as he started to wheel away.

"Wait!" Lt. Nitwite yelled as he rushed over to Shredder.

"Yes?"

"Okay, Okay. We'll pay you for girl too,"

"Good. Don't waste my time,"

"15,000 for the control box and 20,000 for the girl. I believe 35,000 is quite a fair price,"

"Very well, hand over the money and you may have this measly control box and the girl," Lt. Nitwite wrote out a check for 35,000 and handed it to Shredder. Shredder looked it over and nodded. He tossed the control box to Lt. Nitwite which he caught. Lt. Nitwite's men picked up Brianna and put her in the car. After he climbed into the driver's seat, Lt. Nitwite called his boss on the cell phone.

"Is the job finished?" Capt. Carter asked.

"Yes, sir. She was unable to kill the creature and they have unfortunately escaped. But we have re-captured the girl and something else that I believe you will find very interesting,"

Lt. Nitwite said as he drove the car back to the base with Brianna slumped over in the backseat, in between Lt. Nitwite's two men.