The Enemy

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

Chapter Twenty Three - Your Call...

Michaelangelo:

Leo came back from his most recent torture session with one eye swollen shut and numerous cuts and slashes over his body. I watched as he was pushed past me to his designated spot.

" You okay Leo?"

" I'll live for now" came his simple reply.

I knew he was hurting and in pain, but I also knew what he meant, for all of us would live for now, live at the whims of Yukio, who enjoyed seeing us tortured enough to cause pain but not allow us freedom from that pain or torture. He could keep this going for an indefinite period of time.

It was wearing us all down, we all had that definite dejected, beaten air about us and I think we all privately hoped that he would soon tire of playing with us, and just finish the job.

After all our existence at this moment really wasn't a great deal to speak of.

My mouth and wrist still pained me quite a bit from where the sa tjat koen had been used on me.

Gods, I wanted out of this place.

Suddenly as if my thoughts had been enough to call her here, Rama entered the prison as the elite guards left, she had changed dramatically even in the last twenty four hours or so. I could feel a great deal of inner turmoil and conflict going on in her mind.

I thought we looked bad, Rama looked like she had been pushed to the edge and was teetering uneasily waiting for that one little push to send her falling down into the brink. Days ago she had been confident, poised, now she had a defeated frightened look to her. She had the air of one who was doomed and knew it.

She moved stiffly woodenly going about her business but it was clear in so many ways that she was in constant fight or flight mode and it was wearing on her, not only that the high energy and stress she was under meant anything could set her off.

In short she was a walking time bomb.

I heard Don whisper, " Watch yourself now Mike."

My heart ached for her, just seeing her like this, seeing what Yukio had done to her. He was torturing her even though she had given him all he had wanted. He tortured us physically and mentally but he enjoyed messing totally with Rama's mind.

She was quite literally in the same boat we were and I realized then that Don had to of been right about something else, that Yukio would kill her in the end too. I wished Leo would look at her and realize that she wasn't just another Foot soldier, for Yukio wasn't driving his other clan members to this point.

I felt like yelling at Rama and also wanted to take her into my arms and comfort her all at the same time.

Didn't she know what Yukio was doing to her? Didn't she care that he was killing her?

Oh Rama,my daughter you have to try to break free before it is too late for you. He is killing you bit by bit, piece by piece and you can't let him do it anymore, I pleaded in desperation, but I did so silently, Start living again Rama break free.

I wanted to scream these words at her but I knew it would gain me nothing other then a bit of torture, she didn't want to hear me for she was devoted to her Master.

She said nothing to any of us just went about her task of releasing me from the shackles, placing restraints on me and forcing me roughly from the cell.

She was so well trained I doubted she would get sloppy about such things. I heard Raph mentally telling me that if she gave me a chance to use it. I didn't respond to his silent message.

She brought me to the same practice room where she had used me for target practice before, considering her mental state I really had no idea what to expect from her this time. I knew I was in a dangerous position where any thing I said or did might cause Rama to attack me.

She stood there a few feet from me her face hard and bitter, but her eyes were full of pain and torment, I sensed how mentally confused she was but she made no move just stood her ground waiting for some thing.

" Rama?" I asked cautiously keeping my voice low.

She flinched as I spoke, then a cold sneer etched across her face.

" What the hell do you want from me? It's too late to be what I once was. That life and time is gone now. I have to obey him don't you know that?" she demanded sharply.

" Rama I am fully aware of what Yukio is capable of, we have seen it enough times and connected him to other things. We know what he does to those who betray and defy him" I admitted, " I am sure that you have a much better understanding of what he can do in those situations, you have lived with it for a very long time. You have grown very strong to have made it this far with him" I assured her, then I couldn't help but ask her, the words tumbling from my mouth " Don't you wonder though what he will do to you in the end? You have to try and break free from him Rama."

" You mean break you free" she scoffed as she corrected me.

" Personally, I would love it if you took us with you" I grinned giving her my best friendly you can't turn me down smile, " But I know it might be too much to ask of you at this time." I confessed. " It is just I would like to see you make a choice of your own. Decide for yourself what you want. I know it isn't easy trying to make a decision when the only choices you have had to make in life is do this or get hurt for it."

She shifted and gave me a strange look.

" Yes I admit I want out of here, I want my family out of here. Most of all I want you out of here Rama, but that is something that only you should decide on."

" What do you know about it?" She hissed at me as she started to pace in an agitated fashion.

I watched her warily knowing that she could truly attack at any given second now. I didn't know if I was helping her relax or egging her on to it.

Though I was doing my absolute best to not call Yukio down because I knew how protective she was of him. Besides right now she was listening to me, and I rather hoped that the fact she hadn't hurt me as of yet meant I might get away with out being injured. I highly doubted the last bit but hope does spring eternal in us optimistic types.

Still I knew how quickly she could attack, so I knew things could change, literally in a heartbeat or less.

" Just looking at you tells me Rama. My ninja senses tell me that you aren't all together enough for a decision of this magnitude. You are going have to get it together before you make a choice." I insisted.

" I can't. I've tried, I can't!" She yelled at me.

I took a step back expecting the worst, she really was off the wall and could fly off the handle. Oh I had no doubt that she could kill me in an instant if she decided to. Then again I had been known to talk my self out of all sort of trouble before this, I just had to turn on a little charm.

" You can Rama you are a ninja and a damned good one from everything that I have seen. I bet you could even put Leo to the test in the ninja department." I assured her speaking in a calm reassuring way while at the same time speaking honestly as I could, I wanted her to know I was being sincere, " As a ninja that training can help you now. At times a ninja must live in the now. You are going have to rely on that and do what you have to do." I declared pointing out the facts but doing my best to keep my voice as soothing as possible, " Fall apart later when there is time to do so, but right now when important decisions must be made and certain tasks must be accomplished you must focus only on that training and let nothing else distract you."

She jerked her head back looking at me uneasily and then her face seemed to soften ever so slightly " If I do help you, I'm not saying that I will, what can you offer me?"

" I can't offer you a lot Rama after all Leo is the jonin of our clan. I can't even promise you that helping us would gain you a place in our family or clan because that is Leo's decision not mine to make" I admitted, " I can tell you that you won't have to worry about being alone because I will help you and I will fight for you. I'd protect you from the Foot or even from my own family" I vowed, meaning it, after all I had promised myself that if it came between choosing Rama or my family I would choose her. " I love you Rama I always have and always will." I smiled a little, " If you help us you know better then any of us what Yukio might try to do to you."

I saw her shake slightly and swallow hard at my words.

" I will watch your back and help you wherever however I can. I just want you to make that decision Rama."

" What if I decide to kill you and obey him?" She asked with a smirk on her face.

" If that is what you decide and want then all right, so be it. I just don't want anyone telling you what you should do or ought to do. It seems Yukio and I both have a stake in pulling at your heartstrings. Maybe you don't feel that I have much say in the matter, but in my heart and mind I feel that I do." I shrugged, " I can't help it just the way I am. I know what you have to be facing with all of this Rama, and I don't want to make things more difficult for you then they already are. This is something you need to do for you, and no body else has the right to decide for you." I declared meaning it.

I knew I was repeating myself in many ways but I also knew that it might take a bit of repetition for Rama to realize that she didn't have to obey Yukio as blindly as she had thus far, that she could think and act for herself.

That had to be a very frightening thought in and of itself.

She sighed and bowed her head, her shoulders slumping in defeat all the forced bravado dissipating from her " You are all to be killed come morning. I am suppose to execute you." She confessed in a whisper.

" All the more reason to rely on your own training, you need it now Rama."

She raised her head " I know you are my real father. I went back to your home and found the pictures. I saw Baka" she sniffed a bit, " I know that you loved me once."

I took a cautious step towards her " I still do love you Rama and I hate seeing you hurt like this."

She rewarded me with the barest flicker of a smile before it faded " I have learned that father has a son. I wasn't aware that he had any children of his own. He lied to me about so much. I don't feel I can trust father but I have to obey him he is my Master…he…"

" Rama I know you want to pay a debt to him but you also have a debt to yourself that you must pay. You have served Yukio well for many years now it is time for you to decide what it is that you alone want" I insisted, " This is yours to make. I know it is hard but you can do it Rama. You have to do this."

She gave me a sad forlorn lost look, " I'm not sure. I don't know what I should do. I wish it didn't have to come to this…I…" she faltered and I saw a single tear fall from her eye and trail down over her cheek. She ducked her head down and gave in to her tears and sobs.

I felt for her and without stopping to think I moved towards her taking her into my arms. I felt her body tense as if she expected the worst and she struggled, but only for a moment before she threw her arms about me, bowed her head onto my shoulder and gave in to her deep wracking cries.

I held her in my arm stroking her braid crooning to her, telling her how much I loved her and missed her, how sorry I was that she had been taken and we hadn't found her, that I had always wanted to give her the best, wanted her to have a good life. I didn't know what else I said, I don't think it really mattered.

Suddenly I realized I was holding my estranged daughter in my arms, holding her for the first time since she had disappeared as a seven year old child and I think I then added a few tears of my own to hers.

TBC

Reinbeauchaser: Well grand total of chapters for this story is thirty one so you actually have a little less then ten. The reason one a week is with all my other stories on the go and the time to rewrite as I have no chapters written ahead means one a week works, and no story is neglected for too long. However exciting parts are coming here and I might neglect Legacy and concentrate on finishing this one off first, as the Enemy has shorter chapters anyways. A gratitude for your insight.

Lunar Ninja: Holy cheese is that Swiss cheese or is that baptized or Christened cheese? Hmmm, cheeeese! Well there are thirty one chapters in this story including the epilogue. So you can do the math and that might distract you from pulling the fingernails with rusty tongs. Course you can read the last part of my comments to Reinbeauchaser and see my other idea. A gratitude for your insight.