The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Six - The Past Awakens

Warning: Torture scenes ahead.

Kirra:

I didn't concern myself with our enemies until later that afternoon when I, and several of the Foot Soldiers showed up to watch Leonardo receive his lesson from my father.

My father had prepared the largest training room we had to be partially filled with benches and raised platforms to hold more seats, so that as many of the Foot as possible could watch the display.

In the middle of the room was a large circular cage with a door in one side, obviously the lesson was going to be taking place in there, and I wondered how long it had taken the Foot to arrange the room to father's orders.

I found myself a seat picking a wonderful spot where I could watch everything that transpired, there was another Foot soldier sitting there but a glare from me was all it took for him to find a new spot.

From where I sat I could see Leonardo being escorted into the dojo itself through one of the two doors, one on either side of the room. He was bound up in chains and looked very much like he had all ready been through hell and back again, but he showed no sign of fear or pain.

The Foot who were guiding him, lashed him with thick metal chains as they drove him into the cage itself then forced him against the bars securing him there to await my father.

Leonardo spat out some blood and the Foot cheered in a wild frenzy, enjoying the sight and the great turtle leader chained and at our mercy.

I scowled, not seeing the sense of this at all.

I knew father wanted to 'lesson' Leonardo but I could not understand why father would have him weaken before the two of them had a chance to go at it one-on-one in a true match of skills, as I had done with Raphael.

Perhaps father didn't want to fight him just yet, but father had to know the longer that Leonardo was tortured and beaten the less strength and reserves he would have for a fair match.

Then again, father had always been far more interested in torturing then he was in fighting, a quick painless death wasn't worthwhile unless one happened to be in a hurry. For father it was far more interesting and enjoyable to see how much pain and suffering you could put a person through before they died.

Now that Leonardo was restrained father came near the cage instead of entering he made a slight gesture of one hand at that simple command another, much smaller group of soldiers lead the boy towards the cage.

Little Ryu was struggling and kicking up a fight as he tried to break free of the soldiers before he was forced into the cage with his father.

The boy glowered at the Foot then turned to see his dad, battered bloodied and weak in chains and gasped " Dad?" he choked out.

" Be careful Aiden" Leo warned him.

Then my father entered and the cage was securely locked behind him. The game was about to begin.

Ryu turned and I could see his small hands clench into tight fists at his side in a sudden rage the boy charged at my father. Of course his anger and quick actions were nothing to my father he gave a powerful kick that caught the youth in his plastron knocking him backwards.

Determined the boy shook his head and went after my father again. In his anger, he didn't stand a chance, not that he would have under the best of conditions and temperaments. My father was an incredible fighter, I knew that for a fact, he could not be a Foot leader if he did not possess some hard fighting skills.

Leonardo knew what was coming, how could he not?

So he began to struggle trying to break free so he could protect his son from harm, but the Foot well versed in escape techniques had seen to it that there was little chance of escaping. Leonardo might be able to break free but it would take far too much time. Leonardo clearly recognized that fact and in the interim gave advice to his head strong son.

" Aiden keep away from him. Calm down use avoidance techniques." He ordered.

Ryu didn't seem to hear his father's words the boy seemed determined to beat my father no matter what it took. It was clear to me though that father was getting bored of playing with the child.

As Ryu came in this time more carefully father but still a look of hatred on his face, father grabbed hold of an arm and tossed the boy with ease over using a great deal of pressure as he did so.

There was the sound of bone breaking and the Foot cheered loudly around the room. The boy stunned tried to move his now useless right arm, fear emanating quickly from him and that was followed by pain.

Ryu backed up cradling his arm against his plastron his eyes wide as he fought to keep back tears, swallowing noisily in the sudden silence of the room.

He was impatient, though he had shown remarkable skill for a child of his age, but he had moved too fast not stopping to consider his opponent, or heed his father's words. Only now that he was hurt and in pain did he realize he was out of his depth.

This then was Leonardo's lesson that he could not protect those he loved and cared for. He was in essence useless. The boy also had a lesson that his dad could not save him from those who wished to do him harm.

Father seeing that Ryu had given up turned to the struggling turtle leader, gesturing for the boy to be removed.

" What do you think?" He asked Leonardo calmly, " Such spirit and such fire in one so young I admire that. He might make a worthy foot soldier you know" father's tone was cold and harsh.

I grinned, slyly at my father's words, how devastating would it be to Leonardo if my father determined to follow through and do just that?

Of course the turtle leader would never live to see his son become one of us, but he would die knowing in his heart that his son would be a Foot, a member of the clan that he opposed.

Leonardo did not rise to father's bait.

" Then again I have no use of such freaks as yourself" Father decided.

" What of your daughter then?" Leonardo asked arching an eye ridge.

Father laughed, " You like her?" He inquired. " Now she is the exception. A fine kunoichi and worth all I have put into her." Father turned glancing my way.

I bowed slightly to him unable to keep a smile of gratitude from my face. He did appreciate me in his own way, and I knew that.

" She is very loyal to me!" He concluded.

Father wasn't a loving man, it was true, but he did let me know that he was grateful for my services and loyalty to him. In spite of my young age I had been immersed so fully into the ninja way of life, that father knew I could give him the sort of service few other Foot soldiers could offer. He also knew that I hadn't reached my peak yet for I would only improve with time.

I was grateful to him for giving me my life and my training that I would do any thing for him and his happiness was my only desire. I wanted to please him in every way, so my service and loyalty was really nothing as far as I was concerned. Father knew it too.

My father strode to the bars of the cage and a soldier handed him a thick heavy metal chain, father caressed it. I inhaled deeply knowing what was about to come, as I was sure almost everyone else in the room knew what was about to happen.

He took the chain and lashed it out at the turtle leader hitting him hard, Leonardo gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, probably dipping into a meditative skills as he tried to not cry out.

The sound of the metal chain hitting his body was a terrible sound I winced and shut my eyes.

Then I swore I saw an image of a small female turtle child in a darkened room only a small faint light flickered weakly over her and she seemed terrified to go beyond the borders where light met darkness. She raised her head and there was a look of terror in her eyes, large wounds on her arms and legs. Her body thin looking as if she hadn't eaten for some time.

" Karena. Daddy help me" she yelled, " Daddy where are you please come help me. You hafta to find me daddy," she pleaded as she bowed her head starting to cry her body trembling.

I opened my eyes, half expecting to see that dark room and that poor child only to see the throngs of Foot and hear the deafening cheering. I scowled confused and suddenly feeling on the verge of panic.

Where in the world had that come from? What was it even about?

I felt suddenly very ill but I knew if I left early father might hear about it and he wouldn't like it.

I fought the emotions down using ninja skill to calm my sudden nausea, blocking things off as I focused my concentration on other things. Soon the feeling passed.

Father meanwhile had achieved what he wanted a scream of pain from the leader was given and the turtle slumped in his chains giving a wearied groan.

Not bad really but I had expected the turtle leader to last longer, but when I glanced at the clock I noticed father had been at it for almost twenty minutes when I was sure it had been less then ten, of course Leonardo's body also attested to the torture he had suffered.

Father nodded as he went over " You will learn you can not defeat me. As my name implies I get what I want." He hissed.

The turtle leader raised his head " Yet you will have no honour when you get it" he announced in a quiet tone, which said clearly that while we had beaten his body we had not touched his mind.

He seemed to have quite a thing for honour as if he was the only one who even knew what it meant.

I wondered if father would now continue the lesson for the leader's nerve alone, however he didn't seem interested. It seemed father was pleased with what he had achieved.

Many of the Foot then bustled out on their way to the cafeteria for an early dinner. The thought of food churned my stomach.

I instead returned to my quarters where I could have privacy and meditate for a while in hopes of forgetting that strange image that had popped up out of nowhere. I wanted to forget that image shove it away and never think of it again.

But there was something about the very vividness of it, that made me break out in goose bumps and fill chilled all over.

That turtle child who was she? Did I know her? Why did that image only come now, and where had it come from in the first place?

I trembled and shook a bit as my mind raced with these questions. I didn't want to think about it though, yet I couldn't seem to turn it off now that it had started.

Life all of a sudden seemed far more complicated then it had before. Perhaps it was only all the high emotions that were keeping me on edge and anxious but I couldn't get over the feeling that something terrible was brewing. That my head was caught in a noose, which was slowly closing about me.

…

I dreamed of the little girl turtle, she was still in the dark room whimpering and crying, her thin arms wrapped around her knees. Clinging tight to the bit of light above her terrified of the shadows around and about her.

" Daddy?" She whimpered forlornly, " Karena?"

They hadn't come yet, and the child seemed to know that they were never coming for her. Though how I knew what she was feeling I couldn't say but in the dream we shared an empathic bound.

" Your daddy is gone." A cold sinister voice came from the shadows.

The child screamed in wild panic.

" I am your father Kirra, you must learn I am the only one to protect you from all of your fears. I'll look after you Kirra and be your father." That voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere within the shadows, it was recognizable to me but sounded slightly unfamiliar as if it was disguised somehow. " You will be a powerful kunoichi for me Kirra."

The girl in her wild fear was sobbing uncontrollable and she yelled into the shadows " Stop calling me That! I nots Kirra I daddy's kunoichi."

" It seems Kirra you need another lesson to teach you proper respect."

The words caused the child to cry harder curling into a frightened ball, trying her best to tuck vulnerable places into her shell.

I woke suddenly with my heart pounding and tears on my pillow.

That girl was me?

No it couldn't be, there was just no possible way. Unless this was some memory from the lab I had been in.

I wiped at my eyes. Crying was a sure sign of weakness and such emotions did nothing for you. Tears got you no where.

I shuddered under my blankets wondering about the strange image and equally disturbing dream and trying to figure out what it all meant.

I just couldn't fit it into the context of my life. It made no real sense to me, unless somehow I was starting to feel some form of empathy for the turtles.

I almost scoffed and laughed out right at that thought. They were my enemies why would I feel any thing for them?

I considered talking to father about these sudden images or what ever they were but he might take it as a sign of weakness in me. He despised weakness of any sort.

Besides he might think that I would plan to betray him if I told him about it and father didn't appreciate those who betrayed him.

I knew I was far too keyed up to sleep any more at the moment, and I was in no mood to meditate it was only a bit after one in the morning.

I felt a sudden urge to check on the prisoners as if to verify that they were still there. I kicked off my blankets and strapped on my equipment, which I always kept close at hand, even when I slept, before I headed to the hold area.

As I entered I could hear Leonardo, even before I saw him, as I could hear the chains and shackles that bound him rattling a well as him yelling.

" Leave her ALONE!"

I hurried around the corner to see all the guards occupied in the female cell the door wide open, the children were firmly tied down and the woman was likewise secured though her legs had not been tied together, the guards had cut off her top leaving shredded bits around the cell floor.

I glowered father had not authorized this, he couldn't have because he'd want to watch Leo's torment for one thing, for another he would not want the males unguarded while the Foot enjoyed their bit of fun with the woman.

" What is the meaning of this?" I barked at them.

Their intentions had been very clear, there was no way they could deny that they had planned on raping her, but the males could have broken free and cost us all dearly.

The Foot soldiers had discarded their masks, so it was easy to see them pale visibly as they turned to see me. Their excitement and anticipation dropping considerably with my sudden appearance by the cell.

" Uh Kirra" one soldier stammered before lapsing into silence and staring at his feet.

I arched an eye ridge " What is a matter can't you boys get a hooker?" I hissed, " there has to be one in the city that will take your coin."

I knew these three soldiers to be untrustworthy and wondered how they managed to pull guard duty in the first place, unless they had traded favours for the opportunity.

I pulled my sais from my belt " Come on out of the cell Now! Don't make me come in after you because if I have to come in there, I'll make you all eunuchs." I informed them

They shuffled out of the cell and looked at me nervously knowing the trouble they were in now. I glanced over to Leonardo to ensure he had not broken free in any way as of yet.

He looked at me, his chest heaving but he obviously was quite willing to maintain his captive state for now, as he was no longer struggling in his chains. It seemed he would permit it simply because I had spared his pretty little wife.

I nodded pleased that we had a slight agreement. I would rid him and his wife of this scum and he would remain our captive. Ever body could be happy, except the guards.

" Don't any of you boys try anything funny either" I warned them just in case.

I could see that Raphael was tense as if he wanted a fight, nothing new I supposed. Don looked away from my gaze while Leonardo met my eyes I sneered slightly at him and ignored the way Mike seemed to watch my every move.

I turned my attention to the Foot soldiers and poked one of them " Since you destroyed her top you can leave yours for her to wear." I ordered.

He removed the shirt and tossed it back into the cell.

I went to the intercom near the prison entrance and pushed in father's code " Master Sekora, the guards on duty were attempting to rape the female. I have reason to believe they were not assigned o the task of guarding the prisoners."

" Their names Kirra." Father snapped.

I gave him the names of the three soldiers and waited though not for long for his reply.

" Get them to report to me immediately Kirra and keep guard until next watch."

" Of course" I agreed though I hated guard duty, glorified babysitting was a waste of my skills.

I clicked off the intercom " You heard him boys. You best hurry he isn't very happy." I gave the three soldiers a tight hard smirk as they left, handing me the keys to the cells.

If they didn't report to father in a certain amount of time he would go after them, of course that would only make it worse for them.

I shrugged indifferently, my father wasn't that hard to please. Those soldiers really had only themselves to blame no matter what discipline father handed out to them.

I returned to the cell, releasing the woman and her children totally from the shackles, they were no real threat to us so there was no need for them to be chained in any way in the cell.

The boy winced as I released his broken arm from the shackle trying not to cry from the pain he was in, though I could feel how much it was hurting him. I admired his courage.

" Karena are you and the twins all right?" Leonardo called out to them his voice full of concern.

" We're fine Leo" Karena replied shakily, " We are all right now" she choked out as she tried not to cry.

I don't know who she was trying to reassure more, him the children or her self.

Karena, her name was Karena after all!

The turtle child called for Karena as well, perhaps it was only my mind paying tricks on me. Surely the name Karena was not a common name. I knew the mind was capable of twisting things around I had learned about it during some of my training.

Still it seemed far too much of a coincidence to me and made me shudder inwardly.

I shook my head and left the cell as the children cuddled up to their mother asking her if she was all right.

Karena had pulled on the discarded foot shirt almost immediately, and the black top made her look far more pale then she was naturally as she placed an arm around each of her children bowing her head slightly.

Leonardo had said that they were twins, funny the girl looked younger then Ryu had seemed to be.

I relaxed knowing I had five hours ahead of me. It was going be a long night. Hopefully the turtles wouldn't cause too much problems.

Out of boredom I plucked a sai from my belt and started to toy with it. It was a bad habit really, one I had acquired over the years some where along the line simply for something to do.

I balanced the sai tip on one finger, flicked my wrist sending the sai spinning up in the air and caught it by the grip as it descended, then another quick move of the wrist and I sent the sai spinning harmlessly over the back of my hand to rest once again where it belonged.

I had never seen any one else perform these stunts with the sai and yet I had never had my doubts that it could be done. I could feel two sets of eyes burning into me as I performed these tricks.

I raised my head to glare first at Michaelangelo and then at Raphael.

Mike smiled a little " You do that pretty good Rama, for a kid who has too many fingers." He remarked simply.

I jerked my hand back, sucking in a bit of breath through my lips. How could he have known?

When I was a child in Japan I had often dreamed that I had far too many fingers to ever be capable of handling the sai with any precision. In my dreams the sai was the one weapon I could never master, no matter how I tried.

These dreams made no sense to me as I had five fingers on each hand the same amount found on the teachers, and Masters of our Ryu as well as those of every pupil that went there. If all of them with five fingers on each hand could master the sai then I should also be able to.

The dream though persisted even after I had managed to learn the sai techniques. It was so funny in my dreams to see my hand with the extra two or three fingers on each hand. Sometimes on rare occasions I would still have that dream.

I looked at their hands and noticed that all the male turtles only had three fingers on each hand. A fact I must have known and yet they were so adept with their three fingers, such skilled warriors that it had been easy to overlook.

Mike arched an eye ridge at me " Raph likes to do that kind of stuff with his sais too" he informed me in an amiable way.

I glared at him " Shut up before I cut your tongue out." I hissed at him.

He nodded slightly and looked away though he didn't seem all that worried about my threat.

I growled under my breath knowing I would be glad when all of this was over.

TBC

Lenni: It will take time to make Rama/Kirra the daughter Mike once knew but as you can see, she might have made that all important first step by remembering a bit of the past. Yet she still has a long road ahead of her. Mike might not mind being saved, however I don't know if he'd want to leave Rama behind. A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: Too true and I hope you were able to handle torture's grim ugly face in this chapter. As you can see Yukio is no winner and his reputation is well earned, you will learn more about that as the story progresses. Mike is trying his best to get Rama to recall who she really is. If Raph gets a chance to finish her well you have to keep reading.

Next chapter isn't so hard still angsty though. A gratitude for your insight.