A/N: Kendo lesson #2. An apology if you already know this stuff, if not it kinda explains some of what Tausha is yelling at times. In Kendo there are three types strikes allowed, each to a different area of the body. When attempting a strike you yell the Japanese name for it. These strikes are;
Head – Men
Midriff – Do
Wrist – Kotei
In case you are wondering, I did a little kendo years ago. Stopped when I fell pregnant with my first kiddo, didn't think being whacked in the guts (armour or no!) on a regular basis would be a very good idea. Anyway, I am running on a lousy memory for some of these little 'factoids' so if you have any corrections/updates please feel free to message me! However, I am aware that I am that I am taking a lot of artistic licence with her fighting style; in Kendo you don't have a scabbard to thump people with! Mind you, you don't have a live blade either. I figure battling on rooftops is a bit different to a nice cosy dojo, you'd use whatever you could get your hands on! That's my excuse an' I'm stickin' with it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT, or any related characters (much to their relief, I'm sure!) If there is anything else in this story you recognise from somewhere else, then I don't own that either.

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Tausha leant against the corroded metal leg of the water tower, hidden in the deeper shadow thrown by the structure. The clock, set atop a nearby office building, ticked closer to one am. She'd been waiting almost an hour now. Despite her seemingly relaxed posture, the muscles in her neck twinged with tension as she cast her gaze about the surrounding roof tops again. She was adamant she wasn't about to get caught unawares tonight. Ambush had become their way of greeting each other, and she hadn't gained the advantage in that little competition for far too long.

He'd never been this late before though, and now she was starting to worry. So far their Friday night excursions had gone undetected. What if he'd been spotted, or caught on his way here? She knew he and his brothers had been involved in quite a few scuffles with the Purple Dragons and other gangs over the past month, the heat and vengeance fuelling the hostility. Had he been injured, or…? She lurched off her resting spot, pacing the area under the tower in an attempt to escape her thoughts.

Although the beginning of autumn had marginally decreased the temperatures in the city, the air tonight was still oppressive. Instead of bringing relief the dark roiling mass of clouds that had gathered during the afternoon served to block in the heat, adding to Tausha's unease. The hair on the back of her neck stood in a warning that someone was close by. Returning to her hiding spot she peered around, hoping it was her friend and not another member of her gang. The thought of what would happen if her rendezvous were discovered sent a chill down her spine. She knew it was a huge risk, for both of them. But in a way that increased the excitement and joy this little piece of freedom she had gleaned brought her.

Nothing stirred. Even the usual pigeon flock had decided to roost elsewhere tonight. With a sigh, not sure if she were relieved or disappointed, she glanced at the clock again; ten past one. With a shake of her head she decided he wasn't coming. Cautiously she moved out of the shadow, making for the fire escape. Suddenly she convulsed sideways with a shriek as something with far too many legs landed squarely on her shoulder. The creature fell to the ground and seemed impervious to her stomping until she realised it was a rubber centipede.

Glaring round she caught sight of the culprit. He was failing dismally at hiding his mirth behind a sling-shot, stumbling out from behind an air-conditioning duct on the next rooftop.
"You little snot!" she growled as she scooped up the toy, determined to shove it where no arthropod had gone before. The evil look on her face as she drew her blade and vaulted the gap between the two buildings was enough to force Raph to laugh out loud before he found himself blocking a furious volley of blows.

Tausha unleashed her shock and frustration, only able to articulate in bestial roars and grunts for a good few minutes until she calmed enough to command the use of language again. Even then almost every word was struck home with another blow.
"How dare you! First you make me wait and worry sick. Then you pull this crap!" She flung the centipede at his face, using the distraction to land a solid hit to his gut with her scabbard. His plastron absorbed most of the impact, but it was still enough to make him grunt in surprise. Tausha danced backwards, acting as though she was shifting to a better position to attack again whilst in reality giving him a chance to recover.

Raph looked at her in amazement.
"You were worried about me?" he asked uncertainly. Tausha attacked again with a shout.
"DO!" leading with her ninja-to this time in a stroke towards his waist. Raph managed to lock the blade between his sai, pushing it back fairly easily until she dropped her saya to add the strength of a second arm to her thrust. Over the enmeshed metal between them he raised a curious eye ridge.
"Well?"
"NO! Where the hell have you been anyway?" she glowered. Raph shrugged as best he could.
"Movie night." He explained casually, trying hard not to grin. Tausha increased the pressure on her blade.
"Movie night? Till one in the morning?"
"Yup. Akira's a great film, friggin' long though! My damn brother wouldn't let me leave til it finished." The memory brought a scowl to his face for a moment. With a slither their weapons parted as she stood back, aloof.
"Well, don't let it happen again, alright?"
"Heh! I'll try, OK?" Not wanting to admit the return of his lopsided grin had melted the last of her resolve to do him serious bodily harm she turned away until she could bring her own smile of relief under control.

Facing off again she grabbed up her scabbard and eased into a ready stance, her attempt at a serious look not quite reaching her eyes. It wasn't long before the smile won through again as they continued to skirmish across the rooftops. She loved this. The terrain and her rival pushed her to the limit of her skills, more so than any conventional sparring or even competition she'd experienced before. However, despite the inevitable nicks and bruises, they'd built a trust where each knew the other wouldn't hurt them seriously.

Several rooftops later a light drizzle started to fall. Despite the now treacherous footing the cool shower failed to impede their combat, instead revitalising their hot and fatigued bodies. Tausha found herself admiring the way the rivulets of water running down his limbs highlighted the glide of his muscles under his dark skin. One end of Raphs' sodden bandana clung to his plastron, emphasising the curvature of his powerful chest, the fresh scent of the rain making her feel light-headed.

The dance of their battle slowed a little as they both started to favour close quarter techniques. Dodging a thrust of her blade by his side Raph caught the weapon behind its tsuba within the wing of his sai, a quick jerk sending the ninja-to skittering across the roof. With a flick of his weapons he blocked the follow-through strike she made with her scabbard, capturing each end within a sai. With a shove he drove the saya toward her midriff, forcing her to step back. The brick wall of a plant room blocking her retreat, she found herself trapped. The sudden closeness of his face to hers made her fight to catch her breath, more so than the light pressure of the scabbard under her ribs. His velvet brown eyes glinted with a spark that drove the chill from her damp body.

A sudden flash of lightning, followed almost immediately by a growl of thunder so close it reverberated through the building, heralded a massive downpour. Raph leapt out to rescue her blade from the elements before following her round the side of the plant room, looking for sanctuary.

Ten minutes later found them still dejectedly huddled with their backs hard against the shallow doorway of the locked plant room. The storm showed no signs of abating. The frequent thunder claps and driving rain on the tin roof above making all but shouted conversation impossible. An irrational worry started to niggle at Raph; what if she didn't want to meet again after such a cold, wet, dismal experience? He had to think of some way to salvage the night. He started slightly as she failed to stifle a sneeze; it was also obvious they needed a better spot to shelter. An idea dawned.

"Do you know how to skate?" Raph bellowed above the din. Looking at him as if she were a little concerned for his sanity she slowly shook her head. With a wicked grin Raph grabbed her wrist and all but dragged her out into the storm. He let go to leap down the fire escape, pausing at the bottom to ensure she'd make it down safely. As soon as she landed in the alley beside him he raced off again, confident in Tausha's ability to keep pace. She almost skidded past when he stopped abruptly to wrench open a manhole cover and immediately disappeared into the darkness below.

Stunned Tausha stood motionless for a moment in the deluge, considering her options. Deciding it might actually be more comfortable in the storm water drains than in her current position she cautiously descended the slippery ladder into the gloom.

As she reached the bottom Raph nudged her out the way in order to scoot back up to replace the cover.
"Gees, take your time why don't ya?" he scolded as he leapt back down, the clamour of the storm shut out by the thick metal. Sidestepping out of the swift stream of water running through the tunnel she fixed him with a dirty look.
"Well this isn't exactly what I expected." she drawled sarcastically. Raph shrugged a little defensively.
"Hey, what can I say? When ya hang with me it's first class all the way!" Relieved to see her smile as she shook her head resignedly he grabbed her hand and led her off through the labyrinth.

Tausha soon lost her bearings as Raph piloted them through the warren of tunnels. He stopped briefly for a moment to grab a black skate-board tucked above a large overhead pipe, next to another access ladder, before they were off again. Raph had mentioned the tunnels he and his family used to travel around the city, but she was amazed by the amount and complexity of the infrastructure hidden under the streets.

They travelled mainly in silence, Tausha concentrating on keeping her boots out of the chill water, and dodging the cascades that added to the flow. To begin with she tried to keep track of the twists and turns they made, here ducking through a subsidiary so low they had to crouch, next dashing through a tunnel so large the ceiling was lost amid the gloom and ever-present pipe work. Soon, however, if it hadn't been for the fact she never recognised passing the same point again she was almost convinced they were heading in circles, so gave up trying to figure out even what direction they were headed.

Finally Raph lead her into a relatively dry passageway. Shoving on a rusted metal door set in the wall he ushered her into a dark room. He flicked on the banks of overhead fluorescent lights to illuminate what seemed to be a disused chemical storage area. The walls were lined with concrete 'pigeon holes', some still containing old drums, canisters and bottles. The centre of the huge square room was dominated by a bunded area containing four concrete stands for large cylindrical tanks. Three were vacant, the last still holding its corroded vessel. Metal beams were arched over the top of the structure, bolted to the ground on either side, securing the tank in place. Of the three vacant stands the bolt holes and cracks on the two closest to the door had been patched to create smooth arcs.

Stepping over the low wall surrounding the tanks Raph motioned for her to follow.
"So what d'ya reckon? Pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah, what is this place?" Raph shrugged.
"Dunno really. Don thinks this stuff was used for maintenance. You know, killing off vermin and sanitisin' the water. Seems the cure was worse than the problem 'cos most of the containers we've found in here had cyanide and other pretty nasty stuff in 'em. Don't worry" he assured her as she gave him a worried glance "there wasn't that much left here when we found this place, and we've cleaned up what was left. You got nothin' ta worry about." "Okaay…, so what now, huh?"
"Now I show ya what this place is really good for!"

Leaping on his board Raph sped over to the nearest stand, jumping neatly onto the bottom of the curve, his impetus driving him half way up the slope. Enjoying the opportunity to show off he spent the next few minutes performing various tricks and flips, dismounting with a somersault where he caught his board in mid air to tuck it under his arm as he landed with an elaborate bow to Tausha's applause.
"Wow! That was cool!" she enthused, walking towards him.
"You want me to teach ya how to do it then?"
"Oh, I don't think so. Last time I tried standing on one of those I ended up losing most of the skin off my elbow!"
"Heh, really? Well bet you didn't have a master like me for a teacher then, did ya?" She failed at giving him a reproachful glance, her grin spoiling the expression.
"No, I guess not."

It wasn't too long before Tausha managed to balance on the board, Raph half supporting her with his hands on her hips, using his hold to push her gently over the smooth concrete. A lot of giggling from both, and a slightly bruised rump for Tausha later she was cautiously skimming about on her own, though braking was still a bit of a challenge. She had just completed a very clumsy and halting turn at the far end of the enclosure and was starting to head back when Raphs' shell cell sounded.

"Hey Leo! What's up?" he asked, a little concerned as to why his brother would be calling him in the middle of the night.
"You're late for breakfast, that's 'what's up'. Where the shell are you?" Leo's tone didn't invite a glib response. Before Raph could answer Tausha collided lightly with his back. Wrapping her hands round his shoulders to steady herself, her face angling past his shoulder, Raph could see the colour drain from her face as she asked,
"Breakfast? What time is it?"
"What the…? You're with Tausha? What the bloody hell is going on Raph?" Ignoring Leos' demanding glower and Raphs' growl in response she grabbed the phone.
"What's the time, please?" a desperate appeal. Shocked by the fear in her eyes Leo capitulated.
"It's just gone five thirty, why?" Ignoring him again as she dropped her hand holding the phone to her side, her shoulders slumped she addressed Raph in a quiet, unsteady tone.
"Oh shit. I'm gonna be late."

Her distress shoving his anger at his brother's queries out of his mind Raph grabbed her wrist and liberated his phone as he started to lead her quickly from the room.
"Listen Leo, gotta get her back. I'll be home before six thirty, just start without me alright?"
"This isn't about practice, Raph. Don't you…!" Leo's protest was cut short as Raph hung up, turning the phone off before he shoved it back in his pouch. As quick as he could he guided Tausha back to the ladder next to where his skate board had previously been stashed.

Exiting first to push back the heavy cover and check the coast was clear Raph reached back to give her a hand to clamber out of the man hole. Despite not seeing it in the daylight before Tausha quickly recognised the alley that ran along side the building that was their meeting point. The pale sky, still streaked with tattered remnants of cloud, threw a clear light into the passage. Moving in the darkness that still clung in the lee of the high walls they moved stealthily towards the mouth of the alley.

At the point just before their cover vanished where the alley emptied onto the street, already starting to stir with early morning traffic, Tausha stopped Raph with a light hand on his arm. Stepping past him, half into the light her eyes urged him to stay hidden.
"You gonna be alright? I'll come with, if ya want." She gave him a sad smile.
"No, I'll be fine. You'd better head home." She looked away for a moment, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she met his again. Before he could react she pressed a brief kiss to his cheek.
"Thank you" she whispered. Then she was gone.