Disclaimer: I own a sarcastic sense of humor, big feet, a black Lab, some various articles of clothing, and some of the greatest CDs ever. But I don't own the TMNT. If I did, you'd see my name rolling along the TV screen with the credits, as opposed to the names of Eastman and Laird.

And in case anyone noticed, yes, I did change the category for this story. (Hey, that rhymed! XD) I think it fits a little better. I did think this would be more of an action story when I started it, but it took a little turn along the way, so I'm just tweaking the categories a bit.

Enormous thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 11. This list of love includes such illustrious names as Pi90katana, mac, Sewer Slider, Tewi, greshunkai, Digmon Girl, Janajyo, BubblyShell22, JediMasterKalta-74 and bionicle-girl. You guys seriously rock hardcore, just so you know.

Once again I extend an enormous amount of thanks and apologies to everyone who's stuck with this story. I don't know why but for some reason my plot bunnies have contracted dementia, while I've contracted writer's block. The result was this: I was completely stuck on my current story, but I kept getting new story ideas like a rash. And while that's not a bad thing (the new story ideas part), it threw me off on this story. So I would skip parts; I'd write part of the story, then skip forward, then go back, and I'd be left with gaps in the story that were really awkward to write. But my writer's block finally broke Sunday night, so I'm back in business.

And again, I'm really sorry about my lack of consistency with this. It really makes me feel bad that my updating schedule has fallen apart, and that I've yet again made you guys wait almost a month for the next chapter. . I still remember the good ole days when I could manage the once a week update schedule…sigh. But now with the end of the school year fast approaching and my school demanding that I finish everything up for graduation, free time is getting scarcer. On top of that, I messed up my chapter count AGAIN. I was positive that I could fit the rest of this story into one more chapter, but I once again ended up with a 35 page long chapter that wasn't even finished. So I chopped it again, even though I would have preferred to keep it as one. That's part of the reason this took so long; I was so sure I could make it into one chapter that I didn't really look at this sucker until I hit page 35. . But at least there's an upside to this: since I wrote so much, the rest of the story is basically done, so unless I get mauled by a bear or something, I should have the conclusion out quickly. Plus there's only 21 days of school left, so then I'll have all the time in the world to write. Yay! \ o /

And so, without any further ado (or adon't XD lol), here's Chapter 12 "Bleeding Heart".

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Raph's trip back to the Lair was decidedly shorter than his trip leaving it; a strange urgency pressed on him, like someone was whispering in his ear: get home quickly; run faster; you need to be with your family…you need to warn them.

The last thought bothered him. Warn them about what?

Much to Raph's discomfort, an answer rose from the depths of his mind almost instantly:

Warn them about her.

Raph grit his teeth and sped up. He never got premonitions like this; it was always Leo or Splinter who seemed to be more in tune with that sort of thing. The only other time he could remember this kind of anxiousness was when they were waiting in April's apartment years ago, right before Leo came crashing through the window.

The turtle growled. The memories of that time, quickly recalled after Leo had been shot, were far from welcome. He shook them off, angry at himself for his fear and forcing the fears back into their corner; it's OVER. Leo survived that time an' he survived this time, too. Dammit, just let it GO. Raph had never told anyone how much that awful attack on his brother had bothered him, though he suspected that everyone already knew; he had never exactly been good at hiding his anger in such situations.

Raph finally reached the Lair, typed in the door's access code, and entered. He looked around, then sighed gratefully; everything was just as he'd left it. Leo was still on the couch, his attention focused on the tablet of paper before him; Mikey was drifting around the kitchen, on the prowl for a late night snack; and Don…was glaring at him from his lab, Iganna's purse in hand.

Shell, Raph winced. Busted. He had purposefully not mentioned that he was going to check out Iganna for exactly this reason: his family would have been against it, especially since he went alone. He winced as Don beckoned to him, and prepared to face the music. Don waited until Raph was in the lab before he began to lay into him.

"So, did you have a nice time at Iganna's?" The purple-clad turtle asked, his insincerely friendly tone contrasting with the glare on his face.

Raph sighed and folded his arms. Great. Like it ain't bad enough I always got Leo on my case, now Don's startin' up too. "Yeah, yeah, I shoulda told ya I was goin'; no, I shouldn't've gone alone; an' yeah, I'm a reckless hothead. Anythin' else ya want ta add?"

Don maintained his glare for another minute before it melted into an exasperated sigh and a slight grin. "No, I suppose that pretty much covers it, other than adding that you're hopeless." He shook his head. "I honestly don't know how Leo puts up with you when you're like this."

"It's 'cause he lives ta ride my shell."

Don leveled a serious look at his brother. "You know it's not like that, Raph. Leo worries about you; he worries about all of us. He knows he can't stop you from living your life, and he's not trying to; he's just trying to make sure you can keep living it."

Raph met his brother's look with a stubborn one. He kept up the contact for a few seconds before the emotion in his brother's eyes broke his resolve. He sighed and looked to the side. "Yeah, maybe. How's he doin', anyways?"

"Alright, I think. You leaving for a run right after I told him he was couch-bound for the next two weeks didn't help, though."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. But I had a feelin' I needed ta check this chick out."

Don studied his brother. He knew that it was rare for any of them other than Leo or Master Splinter to get these kinds of "feelings", so he also knew it was important to pay attention to them when they came around. "Did you find out anything?"

"Yer damn right I did." Raph quickly related what he'd discovered, watching his brother's face as he spoke.

"Holy shell…" Don whispered. "This just keeps getting weirder. So now we know she's hurt people before Leo, but not how. And we know whatever she's doing is probably something unique or perhaps even mystical in nature, but not what it is. What on earth did she do?" The turtle got lost in thoughts for several minutes before one snapped him back to reality. "Have you told Mikey or Leo or Sensei about this yet?"

"Not yet."

"Well, there's no time like the present, and there's no point in making you retell it to everyone. I'll go get Master Splinter and meet you guys at the couch."

Raph nodded and headed out of the lab. "You got it."

The family was soon gathered, and Raph shared his story for the second time. Splinter's and Leo's faces both reflected disapproval when Raph told about breaking into Iganna's place, but that grievance was quickly forgotten as Raph revealed what he had discovered.

Mikey was the first to break the eerie silence. "Did I mention this lady's creepy?"

"Yeah, Mikey, a couple times," Leo said. His face was grim. "We need more information. We need to know what's up with her. We need-"

"You need to rest, Leonardo," Splinter said. He had been meditating in his room and had just now learned of the condition of Leo's knee. "This is a serious injury, and refusing to allow it the time it needs to heal could cause further and possibly permanent detriment."

Leo sighed. I hate being laid up, he grumbled to himself. "Yes, Master Splinter."

"Master Splinter?" Don asked carefully. "Were you able to figure out anything else while you were meditating?"

The old master sighed and shook his head. "No, my son; my attempts are still blocked. However, I continue to sense her presence around Leonardo." Splinter looked to his oldest son. "Leonardo, have you been meditating of late?"

"No, Sensei; I've kind of been focused more on my physical training. I'm sorry."

Splinter accepted the apology with a nod. "Always remember, my son, a ninja must train both the body and the mind to reach his full potential."

"Yes, Master Splinter."

"Would you please begin to meditate now, Leonardo?"

All four turtles were confused. Leo glanced at his brothers, then back at his teacher. "Now, Sensei? But why?"

"Because I believe that it is the only way for us to discover more about Miss Triolini. I cannot find anything, but since you hold some kind of connection with her, you may be able to find answers through your meditation."

"Oh. Alright." Leo folded his left leg up onto the couch, leaving his injured right leg extended in front of him, and rested his hands on his thighs. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly. He quickly sank into a deep state of meditation.

Splinter assumed a meditative position himself, then addressed his other sons. "Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, I wish for you to remain alert and watch your brother. I will be going into meditation as well in order to connect with Leonardo."

"Don't worry, Sensei, we'll watch him," Mikey assured.

(A/N: Just so it's clear, from now on, when all the text is in italics, they are in the astral/spiritual plane. Then when it goes back to all normal text, and there are italics, those are thoughts. I just wanted to clear that up. ;;)

Splinter opened his eyes to look upon what might seem unusual to others: the astral plane. And yet the old master had visited this realm so many times that it was almost as familiar to him as its physical counterpart. Countless illuminated doors dotted the plane, each one representing someone's path to the spiritual plane. He looked around and quickly spotted his son. Leo's astral self was a mirror image of his physical side, but unlike the physical realm, this plane revealed his inner strength. Leo's appearance on this plane radiated light, reflecting the strength of his character, will, and spirit. And yet…Splinter narrowed his eyes. Lurking around the edges of his son's glow was the dark shadow he had come to associate with the new woman that had come into their lives. He approached his son.

"How do you feel, Leonardo?"

"I feel fine, Master Splinter, other than a weird feeling I keep getting."

Splinter focused on Leo sharply. "What kind of feeling?"

Leo rubbed the back of his head, his discomfort obvious. "I feel like someone's watching me, and like something's about to happen."

"I see. Stay on your guard, Leonardo." At Leo's nod, Splinter moved on. "Now then, let us begin. You feel Miss Triolini's presence surrounding your own, do you not?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"Good. Focus on it; seek to have part of your astral self vibrate in tune with hers; if we can establish such a connection, we may be able to discover what she intends."

"I'll try."

Leo closed his eyes to help him concentrate. He carefully tested the shadow of Iganna's aura that lingered around his own, and memorized the feel of it. Searching around him, he caught sight of a thick thread attached to his astral self; its appearance was hazy, but still visible nonetheless. It carried the feel of Iganna. So this is her connection to me, Leo thought. He then sent out his senses, spreading his awareness out from his body on the physical plane as he sought to follow the thread. His consciousness flowed past his brothers, highlighting their spirits as well as Splinter's. It continued around their home, filling the Lair, and then began to flood into the surrounding sewers. As soon as the boundary of his awareness passed the door of the Lair, the thread came to an abrupt end, and an alien vibration struck his senses and sent him reeling.

Splinter saw his son's eyes fly open as the turtle staggered. "Leonardo! What happened?"

"Master Splinter, it's Iganna, she's here! She's outside the Lair! She-" Leo broke off, grabbing his head in his hands. "Ahhh! Master Splinter, she's-she's in my mind! She's trying to—get the combination for the door to the Lair!"

"Leonardo, you must fight her! You have just as much of a hold in this plane as she does. I will help you-"

No sooner had Splinter uttered those words than a force blew into him, knocking him out of the astral plane and back into his body…

Raph, Don and Mikey had been watching their brother and master for the past couple of minutes, when Leo had unexpectedly grabbed his head. They were all shocked to then see Splinter suddenly rock backwards as though someone had struck him.

"Master Splinter!" Don rushed to his side. "What happened!"

"That woman is attacking us! She is outside the Lair! Ready yourselves!"

While the three younger turtles tried to process this information, Splinter rushed to Leo's side.

"Leonardo, concentrate on my voice. You must come out of yourself."

Leo's body was shaking as he answered, managing to speak from the astral plane. "Master Splinter, I can't…she's-"

Blood suddenly began to leak out of Leo's nose, and he cried out again. He then spoke again, his tone telling of a struggle. "Five—s-seven—two—no! You can't make me—!" His brothers watched helplessly as Leo's body bucked, then subsided as he was overcome. "Five, seven, two…eight."

Upon speaking the last number, Leo's eyes flew open and he gasped. Mikey ran to him, offering a damp washcloth to clear his face off with. Leo shook as he wiped the blood of his face, then struggled to his feet.

"She's here. We have to get ready…"

"Leo!" Don was at his side in an instant, pushing him gently back down onto the couch. "We're ready, we'll be fine. What the shell happened in there?"

Leo was breathing heavily, anger clearly written in the lines on his face. "Master Splinter and I tried to find her through meditation to see what she had planned, but she caught me by surprise. She got the code to the door."

"What, ya mean she's right outside!" Raph asked, hands on his sai.

"No. 'She' is right inside," a voice said smoothly.

Five heads whipped around to face the entry of the Lair. The door was open, and Iganna was framed in the doorway.

Raph snarled, his weapons leaping to his hands. "You. Get tha shell out of our home."

"Why should I?" Iganna asked, a calm look on her face. "You intruded into my home and even went through my belongings. I am merely returning the favor. And besides, your brother invited me," she remarked, gesturing casually towards Leo.

Leo's face was filled with anger as he gained his feet with the help of his crutches. "I never invited you here! You invaded my mind and forced me to give you the code to our home."

"But my presence here is because of you nonetheless, is it not?"

Raph glanced at his brother. He could easily see the guilt creeping onto Leo's features, could see his brother blaming himself. He sighed; he would never understand why Leo was always so quick to think that everything that went wrong was somehow his fault. "Leo, don't blame yerself. She messed with yer mind." He glared at Iganna. "Get outta our home, ya witch."

The name seemed to cause something in her to snap. "You are hardly in the position to be making demands," she hissed, all pretenses falling away. "I could have all five of you freaks strapped down in labs by tomorrow if I wanted to."

"It looks like yer nuts and stupid. Yer outnumbered five ta one, lady," Raph pointed out, smirking, before his face darkened dangerously. "An' I don't take threats against my family very well."

"Then do something about it."

Raph grinned darkly at the challenge. "With pleasure."

"Wait, Raph." Don stopped his brother with a hand across his plastron. Once he was sure his brother would stay put, the brainy turtle turned to Iganna. "How did you get here? No one should be able to find the Lair."

"Like I told you, it's because of your brother," Iganna said, pointing at Leo. "My connection with him led me right to this little freak convention."

Don studied the woman, a confused look on his face. "What happened to you?"

"You mean, what changed about me?" Iganna asked.

"Yes. Before you were so…"

"'Nice'?" She sneered, disdain dripping off of the word. "Kind, polite, friendly?"

"Yes. Why the sudden change?"

Iganna snorted. "And I thought you were supposed to be the smart turtle. There was no change, just the dropping of an act. One that you freaks fell for so easily." She looked around at them. "Although you aren't the only ones."

"What do you mean?" Mikey asked.

"People are gullible. First impressions mean a lot, and people rarely see beyond them. No one ever suspects such a compassionate, polite young woman to be anything other than what she seems. And I use that to get what I want."

"You mean you use it to hurt people," Don said. His face was a study in dislike.

"What?"

"You trick people and hurt them. Like you did in Torli, and in Maine."

Iganna's eyes were angry and frightened. "How…how do you know about that?"

Don shrugged, his stance casual. "It's nothing an in-depth computer search couldn't turn up. Just like the rest of your past: Iganna Triolini, born in Torli, Italy in 1984. Your mother was a doctor, your father left when you were eighteen. Then your mother died a month later. Then all those people in your town died, all of who were somehow connected to you. You moved to Maine, where you were suspiciously close to more deaths, and then came here, to New York…looking for your father, am I right?"

All the room's occupants stared at the turtle in disbelief. Even Don's family was shocked; his deductions about Iganna's motive for coming to New York hadn't occurred to them, but they made perfect sense. And judging by Iganna's pale face, it was correct.

"How did you…you couldn't have known about that." The woman's face tightened, her voice shaking as she spoke. "You read my father's letter…but how…?"

"Did I know that's why you came to this state? Speculation. Though most of it fit together on its own; your mother died and you were all alone at eighteen with no family. It'd only make sense for you to look for the only parent you had left, even if you were upset with them. Though I have a sinking feeling you didn't come here for a family reunion." Don focused his gaze on her eyes, his voice suddenly changing in cadence and pitch; all of a sudden, the turtle sounded like he was chanting. "You came for answers. You came for your past. You came because of your mother. Isn't that right?"

Fear and a strange vulnerability crept onto Iganna's face. "Yes…"

Don continued speaking, his voice rising and falling, lilting and hypnotic. "He left because he was frightened. He left because he had no choice. He left because of you."

"No…" She shook her head, Don's words consuming her mind. "Not because of me…"

Splinter watched his son with careful eyes, pride and appreciation rising from their depths. It took a great deal of skill to perform the feat Donatello was: his son was snaring this woman's mind with the power of his own, a form of hypnosis. His son's quick mind was piecing together the information they had gathered from Iganna's past, and his empathetic nature was attaching emotions; and from the look of things, his enchantment was working. Iganna's entire frame spoke of uncertainty, the accurateness of Don's words striking her to the core. The dark parts of this woman's past must be more painful than they appear for Donatello's words to affect her so, Splinter thought. Don was catching her off guard, taking advantage of her surprise to keep her defenses down. Gone was the arrogant confidence she had been radiating; now she seemed completely oblivious to anything but Don, her eyes locked on his as he continued to speak.

"It broke your mother's heart…she lost her husband, her love. He would have stayed had it not been for you. It hurt her so much…"

"Mama," Iganna whimpered. "I'm sorry…"

"He didn't want to leave, but you pushed him away. He left because of you, Iganna. What did you do?"

His words seemed to unhinge her. Her control crumbled and she stared at something no one else could see, lost in her memories.

"It wasn't my fault. He shouldn't have left us…left me and Mama. I never asked for this …" Her face was etched with pain, anger, and remembrance. "He was supposed to love me."

Leo, Raph and Mikey were stunned. None of them had ever done, let alone seen or heard of what Don was now doing, and yet he was succeeding at drawing out Iganna's memories. They hardly dared to breathe for fear of breaking the spell.

Don, for his part, was nearly as surprised; he couldn't believe what he was doing, let alone that it was possible to create and maintain such a connection. He wasn't sure how he started doing this, but it felt almost natural. He listed the facts that he knew and as he watched Iganna's reactions, he began to piece together more of it; in a way, he was trying to solve the mystery of Iganna's past out loud for himself. The words were pouring out of him, the feelings all making sense as he tried to recreate Iganna's past.

"It hurt, didn't it?" Don continued. "Your father's absence, finding him gone. It was fine for one day; after all, you were mad at him anyways. But then each day passed, and he never came back. Your mother never blamed you, but you knew it was your fault."

"No! It …" she broke off, staring at the floor as anger slowly took control of her features. "They all thought it was my fault, too. But he shouldn't have left. It made me so angry…he shouldn't have left!"

Iganna's anger snapped the control that Don had on her, sending them both reeling. Her eyes lost the dazed look and cleared instantly. She glared at him, rage and fear on her face. "Stay out of my mind, you freak! My past is none of your concern!"

Don stood his ground, Mikey and Raph standing behind him providing silent support. "Yes, it is. You came after my family; that makes it my concern."

The woman's face still spoke of anger and pain. "Family. Why is family thought to be so important? Why should your family be whole while mine is broken?" Her eyes narrowed. "Now that I think of it, it shouldn't be. It's not fair. Maybe I should make your father leave, too…in a more permanent fashion."

"Try it and die." Raph's words were a rumble of anger in his chest.

"You seriously think you can stop me? The old rat is likely no challenge, nor will the rest of you be. And then there's dear Leonardo…we all know he's useless with that dislocated knee…"

"What?" Leo's voice was disbelieving. "How did you know I dislocated my knee?"

Iganna ignored his question. "It hurt, didn't it? Probably still does. It happened around nine o'clock tonight, right?"

"How did you know about that?" Leo asked.

Iganna's only answer was a mocking smile.

Raph's eyes narrowed. "I knew you were th'one causin' all of this. Leo's dream, his leg…all of this is yer fault."

"Congratulations, Raphael, you figured it out. But you still don't know how, do you?" She drew a dagger from a hidden sheath at her back. "Well then, I'll be happy to show you!"

She leapt forward, the dagger pulled back and ready. Raph moved almost in a blur, darting forward to meet her. Before she could blink, he was behind her, restraining her with a sai to her throat, and locking her arms against her sides with his other arm.

He lowered his mouth to her ear, his deadly growl almost too quiet for Iganna to make out the words. "I warned you 'bout threatenin' my family."

"Too bad you can't do anything about it." With those words, Iganna threw her head back, cracking her skull into Raph's face.

"Gah!" Raph shoved the woman away from him, blinking rapidly to try and clear his furiously watering eyes. He swiped in front of him with his sai to keep Iganna at a distance. As soon as he could see again, his gaze burned into the woman in front of him. "Yer gonna pay fer that." He lunged at her for the second time, teeth bared. By the time he reached her, a second dagger was waiting in her other hand and a mocking smile was on her lips. The two fighters clashed, sparks flying off of their weapons. Raph was surprised: she was actually a fairly decent opponent. However, her fighting style was quite different from a ninja's; it had the feel of someone who was only used to quick skirmishes with a handful of unskilled enemies. After a minute, Raph felt his scowl melting into a confident smirk; he could easily take her. She was good for a human, for someone whose life wasn't based on fighting, but she wasn't even close to the caliber he and his brothers had reached. A lifetime of training, combined with years of fighting against large groups and highly skilled individuals had honed their skills to great levels; but this woman felt like she only had a few years of experience, and that just against a handful of adversaries. She was no match in a one-on-one fight with someone like Raph or his brothers, nor was she up to a fight against heavy odds. 'Till you've tangled with thirty Foot and kicked their shells, ya ain't nothin' special, Raph thought.

He decided a little payback was in order, especially after what this woman had done to his family. I may not know what tha shell she's doin', but that don't mean she don't deserve ta get whipped. He began to increase the amount of skill he used, striking faster and harder. He teased her, with a small slice on her arm, a strike from the butt end of his sai, knocking her off-balance with a punch or kick. However, despite being severely outclassed, she kept the same mocking smile. Raph's temper flared at the sight of it. What the shell is she grinnin' about? She's gettin' her butt handed to her. Enough of this, it's time ta finish her off an' get her the shell outta our home. Attacking from the front, Raph drove both his sai towards her face, forcing her to block, and once her efforts left her abdomen unprotected he pivoted on one foot and drove a powerful side kick into her stomach. She flew across the room with a satisfying grunt, and Raph sheathed his sai in his belt.

"Ya can't say I didn't warn ya," he drawled, smirking.

Iganna sat where she had landed, her face turned to the floor, hair hanging in her face. The turtles could hear her panting heavily, trying to regain her breath after the fight. But then the oddest thing happened…her labored breathing turned into laughter.

"Um, Raph?" Mikey piped up. "I think you kicked her a little too hard, bro. It sounds like you knocked something loose."

Iganna finally looked up, her face red and flushed, the smug smile still firmly in place. "You all are such fools. You have absolutely no idea who you're dealing with."

Raph's face was still dark with suspicion, but he wore a similar smirk too. "Yeah, well, whoever we're "dealin' with", ya ain't much of a threat in a fight." That stopped Iganna's laughter. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at Raph. "What, did I hit a nerve? Hate ta break it to ya, babe, but it's tha truth." His tone was mocking. "Shell, Leo prob'ly coulda taken ya, no problem."

Don raised an eye ridge at his brother. "And how exactly did you expect Leo to fight? He's got a dislocated knee. What was he supposed to do, whack her with his crutches?"

"Hey, those things really do hurt," Mikey protested. "Raph hit me with those when he sprained his ankle last year and I had a bruise for two weeks!"

"My sons." Splinter's voice cut through the odd conversation, a reprimand and a warning clear in his tone. As soon as the four fell silent, he turned back to Iganna, his face dark with anger. "You are not welcome in our home."

Iganna scoffed. "Trust me; I have no desire to linger in your…"home"." She looked around the Lair, distaste clearly written on her face. "I'm just here to check on my property."

"What the shell d'you mean, yer "property"?" Raph asked. "We ain't go nothin' of yers."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Raphael. You do have something of mine." Iganna pointed at Leo. "Him."

"Leo? Damn, ya really are nuts, ain'tcha? You don't own Leo."

"Guess again, freak. He is mine. His fate is up to me; I decide whether he lives or dies."

Raph narrowed his eyes. "Ya know, yer really startin' ta piss me off, lady. I ain't gonna tell ya again. Get out."

"You still don't believe me?" Iganna chuckled as she got to her feet. "That's fine. I suppose I'll just have to prove it to you." She palmed a dagger as she slowly approached Leo.

"Back off." Raph stepped in front of Leo, Mikey and Don falling in behind him. When she continued towards them, Raph snarled and drew his sai. "I said back off!"

Iganna only smiled as she kept walking up to the turtles. All four of them tensed, unsure of what to expect. Then, just as she was in front of Raph, she swiped at him with her dagger.

Raph blocked the attack with hardly a thought and countered with his own. It wasn't a heavy attack, just enough to brush her back, and Raph fully expected her to be able to block. However, he didn't expect what she actually did. Iganna stepped forward to meet the attack, and Raph's sai scored a slice in her left arm.

"Are you nuts!" Raph's outburst voiced what they were all thinking.

Iganna, however, ignored him. She lifted the hem of her sleeve, inspecting the cut, then smiled. "This will do nicely." Glancing up at her shocked audience, she continued. "You want to see what it is that I do, so I'll show you." With that, Iganna reached her right hand up and covered the cut on her arm.

"Ah!" Leo immediately mirrored Iganna's movement, grabbing his left arm as well.

"Leo!" Don snatched Leo's hand, pulling it away from his arm to reveal his blood-covered bicep. And on his arm was an injury exactly identical to Iganna's. Don turned to her. "What the shell…?"

Iganna smirked at him, lifting her hand to reveal the smooth, unmarred skin on her arm. "What do I do? I retaliate. Any injury I sustain, any harm that comes to me, I can turn on to someone else."

"But how?" Don demanded, his face a study in disbelief and confusion. "That's not scientifically possible."

"That's rich, coming from a giant, sentient, mutated freak," Iganna retorted. "As for how I do it, all it takes is a touch of my hand."

"A touch of…" A look of dawning realization crossed Don's face. "That's why you shook Leo's hand in the alley that night…

"Exactly. I needed someone in case I got shot again. Although, thanks to Leonardo getting in the way, I didn't need him."

"The bullet that hit Leo wasn't meant for him…" Don mused slowly. "They were shooting at you?"

"Yes. I had been asking questions they didn't like. I almost wish they had missed him; that way I could have given him the wound I had. But since he got shot, I didn't want to waste a perfectly good tool by giving him too many wounds and killing him."

"My brother is not a tool!" Mikey shouted.

"Guess again, freak," Iganna sneered. Anyone I make a connection with is little more than my safety net. And that includes your brother."

"So that's how you did it." Don's eyes narrowed. "All those deaths that no one could explain…you used those people…you killed them."

"I protected myself! They attacked me. It was their fault, not mine."

"Yeah, sure," Raph scoffed. "An' I'm the Tooth Fairy. Ya think if ya keep tellin' yerself that it'll be true someday?"

Iganna glared at him, but Don interrupted before she could say anything. "What happened in your hometown? I find it hard to believe that people you had grown up with would attack you."

"They didn't; at least, not physically. I attacked them."

"Thought so," Raph grumbled under his breath.

Don silenced his brother with a glare. "What happened?"

Iganna slowly looked down at her hands, her fingers moving restlessly as she began to talk. "My mother was a doctor, and she ran a small practice in our town; nothing big, she mostly did house calls for colds and small injuries. She was a wonderful person; kind, caring, always willing to lend others a hand. Everyone loved her." Her face darkened. "At least, they loved her until they found out about her."

"Found out what?" Mikey asked carefully.

"My mother had the same powers that I do, and she used hers in her medical work to help heal people. Our right hands can give things, such as injuries, and our left hands can take things from others, be it wounds or energy. She would only use her powers if someone was very sick or badly wounded, and would take part of their injuries to help them. She was very careful and tried to make me be careful too. But all her caution lost to her heart. One day a boy in our town got in a bad accident and was in critical shape. My mother immediately attended to him, but discovered that she'd have to take some of his injuries in order to save his life; so she did. But the boy's aunt ran into the room then and saw what my mother did. She didn't even think about the sacrifice my mother was making, she just grabbed the boy and took off, screaming that my mother was a witch. Everything fell apart after that. Most of the town ostracized us, talking about my mother and spreading rumors. Only a few people still stuck with my mother. I don't think that even half the town believed what the boy's aunt was saying, but they still shunned us, even after all she had done for them! She had tended them when they were sick, healed them when they were hurt, even saved their lives at the risk of her own! And they turned their backs on her." Iganna paused, visibly trying to collect herself. Her hands were shaking, clenched into fists so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"Is that when you left home?" Don asked softly.

Iganna shook her head. "No. I left about a month later. My mother lived for helping people, and now that no one wanted her help she was devastated. That, combined with the injuries she had taken from the boy in the accident, sent her health into a decline. I got so angry then. I knew that boy, knew that he had recovered and was fine, thanks to my mother. But now she was confined to bed because of him, and he had never even thanked her. So I went after him and picked a fight. Almost everything I got from him I gave right back, but not all of it; I tried to be careful like my mother had taught me. That was what made my father leave. I got into a lot of fights when I was younger, and I often used my powers so that my opponents got the worst of the fight every time. My father always yelled at me for this, telling me to either use my powers like my mother or not at all." Iganna's eyes narrowed. "I yelled right back. I told him that they were my powers and that I would use them as I wished. My mother tried to make me listen as well, and I'd try to obey her, but I felt too cooped up in that small town; sooner or later, I'd be out picking another fight. But when I went after that boy, so soon after what had happened to my mother, it was the last straw for my father."

"That's when he wrote that letter," Don interjected, continuing to piece together the mystery of Iganna's past. "That's when he left."

Iganna nodded and continued, anger written in every line of her face. "He said that I was out of control and that he couldn't bear to watch me hurt people any longer. I screamed back at him, saying that if he cared so much about people getting hurt, why didn't he stop the people in town from being mean to his wife? He said that was "different", said that we "couldn't expect people to accept us so easily". I was so angry with him. We had never had a wonderful relationship, but things weren't terrible between us. But I was sick of him then. My next and last words to him were "I suppose I shouldn't expect others to accept me when my own father won't". The next day he was gone, and that was it. Mama fell apart after that. I tried to be there for her and help her, but I could only do so much; and apparently I couldn't fill my father's place in her heart. I came home from the field one day, and she was gone. Dead. I knew I should have been devastated, and part of me was, but mainly I was just so angry. My mother was everything to me and now she was gone, just because she wanted to help people. And the people she had helped didn't even care. The funeral rolled around, and I naively expected everyone who had mistreated us to show up, finally ashamed of what they had done." Her face was dark as thunder. "Ten people came to her funeral. Ten, that's it! I lost it after that. My mother had lived and died to help the people in our town, and they just turned their backs on her. I went after them then, everyone who had betrayed my mother, and I made them pay for it."

"You killed all those people?" Leo had been silent until now, but he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Just because they didn't accept you? All you did was make things worse. You didn't even try to change their perception of you."

Iganna barely glanced at him. "You wouldn't understand-"

"We wouldn't understand!" Raph asked, outraged. "Get over yerself! Look at us; we're more different from humans than you could ever be. If ya had kept yer powers a secret an' didn't go around killin' people, you could live yer entire life without anyone knowing about ya. We ain't got that choice. Even after we've saved people's lives, they've still been afraid of us, but ya don't see us goin' around killin' 'em."

Don put a restraining hand on his brother's arm. "Raph-"

"No!" Raph jerked his arm out of his brother's grasp. "She's tryin' ta justify the crap she's been pullin', an' I ain't havin' none of it!" He turned back to Iganna. "Yer lookin' fer an excuse when the truth is you ain't got no good reason fer what yer doin'."

"You can't talk to me like that!"

"Watch me."

"Raphael." Splinter stepped forward, placing a hand on Raph's arm, which had been inching towards his sai. Raph tensed, and the old rat tightened his grip. "That is enough." He captured Raph's eyes with his own, sending calmness and reassurance through his gaze. Fifteen years of living together had given all five mutants the ability to read each other on a nearly psychic level, and Splinter used that now to restrain his son. Splinter's eyes flickered quickly to Leo, then back to Raph, giving his son a clear warning: control your anger, my son; this woman is still a threat to your brother.

Raph glanced over at Leo, then sighed. He relaxed his muscles and Splinter released his wrist. Raph folded his arms over his chest, still glaring at Iganna, and his posture sent a clear response back to his teacher: a'right, Sensei, but I don't like it.

The wry look in Splinter's eyes spoke volumes. None of us do. But remain patient; we will fix this. Once he was sure that Raph had his temper back under control, he turned to face Iganna. "Please continue."

Iganna had not missed the exchange. Her eyes were narrowed as she glanced between Splinter and the turtles, but she nodded and resumed her tale.

"After that I followed in my father's footsteps; I packed my bags, left for America, and never looked back. I came to Maine first and searched for news about my father, but I came up empty every time. One of the people I…questioned belonged to a gang. They decided that they didn't like my method of investigation and came after me."

A light clicked on in Don's eyes as everything fell into place. "That's the other group of deaths that the police couldn't explain," the brainy turtle finished. "The ones they called "suicide murders". That was you. You went to them looking for information, got into a fight, and hurt one of their gang members. And then the gang came after you, and you returned every injury you got."

"Yes. After that I had to leave again; the episode had caused too much publicity, so I came to New York. I've been here ever since, but I still haven't found anything about my father."

Raph was gritting his teeth. He had always slightly resented the people of New York for their lack of gratitude as he and his brothers tried to keep them safe and clean up the city. But despite that, he was still protective of the city and its inhabitants; people that caused trouble in his town invariably pissed him off. Buncha ingrates or not, this is our town an' they're our people. Anyone that comes in here pickin' fights answers to us; namely me. "An' ya've still been goin' at it the same way," Raph sneered, watching intently as Iganna moved for her daggers; if she wanted to start another fight, he'd be happy to oblige.

"Why not just use the library?" Don interjected. He gave a quiet sigh of relief when Iganna turned towards him, moving her attention from Raph; he too had seen Iganna going for her weapons, and Don knew that the best thing to do now was keep Iganna calm. They didn't know what else she could or would do, which meant Leo was still in danger. "They have newspaper articles there, as well as residency and obituary records; it would have been easy for you to check and see where your father was."

"Because newspapers and reports can lie," Iganna replied. "The article that covered the deaths in my town claimed that there was an attack by a gang from another town. It's better to get information from people who have really seen what happened."

"But people can lie too." Mikey's voice was low, a hint of anger vibrating through it. "I mean after all, you lied, didn't you?"

Iganna glared at the orange-banded turtle. "Yes, people can lie too; but they are easily convinced to tell the truth when their lives are at stake."

"So ya torture information outta people that might not even know anything?" Raph shook his head in disgust. "Yer just a nice person all around, ain'tcha?"

"Don't you dare presume that you understand my life! You have no idea what I've been through, and you have no right to judge me!"

"That's right; jus' keep playin' the damsel in distress! I know what yer life is like, lady, 'cause I've been livin' one like it fer years. An' seein' as how you an' yer boatload o'problems came intrudin' inta our home an' messed with my brother, I got every right ta judge ya."

The woman's face turned dark and angry as she unsheathed one of her daggers. "You know, Leonardo, I don't think your family loves you very much. They seem quite willing to get you killed." In the next instant, she whipped the dagger toward her side, slicing a deep, long gash into the skin there, and a strangled cry forced its way past her lips. The turtles and Master Splinter were frozen in shock, and before anyone could move, she placed her right hand over her side.

A choked yell ripped its way out of Leo's throat as a gash tore its way into being on his side. His crutches clattered to the floor as he grabbed his side, hunching over and shaking from the pain. Without the extra support his right knee buckled, sending Leo to the floor. Only Mikey's quick reflexes kept Leo from landing on his bad knee.

Iganna's face was impassive. "I told you to keep your mouths shut."

"Leo! Leo, are you alright!" Mikey's tone was desperate as he struggled to support his older brother.

"'Course he ain't alright, shell-fer-brains!" Raph snapped, grabbing Leo's other side and helping him to the floor. As soon as his brother was situated, Raph snatched his sai from his belt, pointing them at Iganna. "And in a couple seconds, this broad ain't gonna be alright either!"

"Raphael." Splinter's soft voice commanded his son's attention, halting him just before he lunged for Iganna. The ninja master's words were just loud enough for Raph to hear. "Distract her, but do not harm her; remember that any injury you deal her will be transferred to Leonardo. Keep her busy for as long as you can; I must sever the connection she has with your brother."

"You got it, Master Splintah." Raph darted forward and circled around Iganna, staying just out of reach, making her angry while Splinter backed away slowly and began to meditate, seeking the astral plane. I can't attack her, 'cause then she'll just end up usin' that ta hurt Leo. "Distract her"? Dunno how well that'll work, but it's worth a shot. Raph began to lunge at Iganna, but he projected his moves faintly and pulled his hits slightly so that she just barely escaped each time.

Don and Mikey worked quickly to take care of Leo. "Mikey, run to the bathroom for me," Don ordered, his tone brisk as he applied pressure to Leo's side. "Get my medical kit, and grab a bottle of morphine out of the cabinet."

"You got it, bro. Just hang in there, Leo." Mikey squeezed his brother's hand then darted off to the bathroom.

The brainy turtle continued talking to Leo, falling easily into what his brothers called "doctor mode". "This cut is going to need stitches, Leo; you up for it?"

"I'll manage." The blue-clad turtle was pale, blood loss and pain leeching the color from his face. "How bad is it?"

Don lifted his hands quickly to peer at the wound, then resumed his efforts. "It's not great, but you've had worse."

"I've got your stuff, Donnie." Mikey skidded to a halt beside his brothers, shoving the requested items at Don. "And I brought some towels."

"Good thinking, Mikey," Don approved. "Give Leo a couple of the morphine pills and then I'm going to need you to help me stitch him up." Don's calm, businesslike manner soothed his younger brother's nerves, and the ordeal was soon finished. Don remained by Leo's side while Mikey stood guard over them, nunchuku in hand and eyes focused as he watched Raph and Iganna fight.

Raph's plan had worked for a while; Iganna became out of breath, slowing down a little. But when Raph continued to just barely miss her, she seemed to guess what was going on.

"It won't work, you know," she said, her tone as casual as if they were discussing the weather. "It's useless to try to tire me out like this. As long as I have your brother, I've got as much energy as I need."

Raph growled and glanced over his shoulder at Leo. His brother was propped against the couch, his skin dotted with bruises and cuts, and Raph winced to think that he had caused them, even if it was unintentional. Leo's hand was over the dagger wound in his side, applying pressure; it was still bleeding, even after Don had bandaged it. He was pale and pain had etched hard lines into his face, but he managed a weak grin when he saw Raph watching him. The red-banded turtle turned back to Iganna. "You leave him outta this. Fight yer battles on yer own fer once."

"Fight on my own?" Iganna's face took on a thoughtful look, then reclaimed its sneer. "No, I don't think I will." With that, she clapped her left hand over her heart, and a weak choking noise from behind him whipped Raph around again. Leo had stiffened, then sagged back against the couch. Raph thought he could almost see the energy bleeding out of his brother like water from a torn bag. Iganna removed her hand, a heady flush in her cheeks, and Leo fell to the side.

"Leo!" Don grabbed his older brother, propping him up into a sitting position.

The injured turtle's eyes were shut tightly as he panted heavily, struggling to keep himself upright with shaky arms. "Shell…that wasn't fun…" Blood began to once more stain the bandages on his side in the absence of pressure on the wound.

Don quickly replaced Leo's hands with his own before glancing up. "Raph, finish this! Now! I don't know how much more of this Leo can take!"

"He ain't gonna have ta take any more of it," Raph snarled. He turned and ran straight at Iganna. It's time fer a change of tactics, he thought. Master Splintah's way ain't cuttin' it, so we're gonna do this my way. Raph sheathed his sai as he neared his target. Iganna had hesitated in her surprise, not expecting a direct attack, and Raph made the most of the opportunity:

He hauled off and punched Iganna right in the face.

To his extreme satisfaction, she dropped like a brick with a muffled yell; and Raph wasn't far behind. He landed on her back in a mock body slam, quickly trapping her legs with his own and pinning her arms to the floor by her wrists. She struggled and swore through a bloody nose, but Raph far outweighed her.

Don blinked, surprised. "Well, that works. Unorthodox, perhaps, but effective."

"Yeah, well, ya wanted results, ya got 'em," Raph grunted. "And besides, I-ow! Dammit!" While he was talking, Iganna had worked a leg free and kicked him in the rear. "Mikey, get yer ass over here an' sit on her legs, would ya?"

"Sure." Mikey quickly joined his brother and plopped down on the captive woman's legs.

"Ow! How much do you freaks weigh!" Iganna demanded.

"Not too much," Raph answered. "'Cept fer Mikey; too much pizza and too many dumb cartoon shows will do that. Now shut up or I'll have 'im sit on yer head."

"I swear I'll see all of you dead," the woman snarled. "You will pay for this. I'll…I'll…no! Get away from there, he's mine!" Her voice changed suddenly as she began talking to an audience no one could see. She growled and suddenly went limp, her eyes staring straight ahead blankly.

The turtles were shocked. "What happened?" Mikey asked.

"I think Master Splintah found her," Raph replied.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

(Remember, text in all italics means that they're in/on the astral plane! )

Splinter knelt calmly by Leo's spirit door. He had made his way to the astral plane and found his son's entrance to this plane. Each person had a door, a spiritual entrance to the astral plane. People who were close to one another, or whose fates were intertwined, had doors that were by each other. As soon as Splinter emerged from his, he had found his sons', and he knew that Iganna's must be nearby. Since then he had been guarding Leo's doorway as he prepared himself to detach Leo from Iganna's hold. Splinter kept his senses alert; he expected Iganna to discover his presence soon. As he thought, she passed through her portal moments later, eyes wild as she sought for him. As soon as she saw him, her eyes narrowed.

"You. Get away from there, he's mine!"

"You are sorely mistaken, Miss Triolini. Leonardo is not an object to be owned, he is his own person. But were either of us to have a claim on him, it would not be you." Splinter stood slowly. "He is my son, and I am duty-bound to protect him. I am here to destroy your hold on him."

"You're forgetting, rat," Iganna snapped, "that I hold his fate quite literally in my hands. You just had to go and pick this fight; big mistake. I was quite content to just keep Leonardo in reserve in case I needed him, but you and those interfering freaks are ruining everything. I'm warning you now, it will be better for all of you if you just stay out of my way."

Splinter's eyes narrowed at the threat. "You presume much; my sons rescue you, save your life, and in return you attack my eldest. And now, you admit to your crimes and do not expect retribution? You have done too much to go unpunished."

"You aren't fit to judge me, rodent!"

"And why not? I too have a family; I am a father, and I know better than you how much family can mean. I too know the desire to protect those close to you, but never have I struck at one who has not struck first, either at me or my sons. You cannot say the same."

"I'm through talking to dumb animals," Iganna spat. She pulled out the astral forms of her daggers. "I'll get you out of my business one way or another." She leapt at him, only to miss; Splinter calmly dodged to the side, moving fast enough to be only a blur. Iganna repeated the attack, with the same results. She continued to lunge at him but he avoided her assault every time. Her eyes soon began to take on a frightened look as Splinter began to go on the offensive; she could tell she was outclassed. In a desperate move, she lunged at him with both daggers, and he quickly brought his walking stick up to block the blades. The metal sank into the wood, and the two opponents struggled over their weapons. Splinter looked up and held Iganna's gaze.

"I would apologize, Miss Triolini, but you have brought this upon yourself." With that, Splinter quickly reached into his robe with one hand and pulled out a short tanto blade. He swiped it at Iganna, leaving the air singing from the weapon's passage. A scream rang through the astral plane as the tanto found its target.

In the next instant, Iganna found herself with no hands.

"You cut off my hands!" She shrieked, her eyes wild as she stared at her arms, which now ended at the wrist. "How could you do that!"

"Because you raised those hands against my son," Splinter replied. He calmly returned his blade to its sheath. His face was composed, his eyes holding no sign of remorse as he watched Iganna stare at the wrists that no longer had hands. "For one who gives neither pity nor mercy, you are very quick to expect both from others."

"You-!" Iganna's voice strangled in her throat. Her eyes widened further as the space around her began to waver. The air bent and shivered, and two new hands, identical to the ones she had just lost, formed on her wrists. "H-how…?"

"Though you may indeed be experienced in matters of the astral plane, you still have much to learn," Splinter said. "Your "body" on this plane is both real and unreal; what happens here both can and cannot affect your physical body on the living plane. You know this; that is how you maintained your connection to Leonardo. For most beings, their presence on this plane is a manifest form of their spirit. But since you possessed unnatural abilities, those abilities made up the outer part of your astral self. As such, now that those abilities are removed, your astral self is now composed only of your spirit."

"What do you mean, I "possessed" unnatural abilities?"

Splinter eyed her coolly. "Can you not sense it? Your powers are no more. Your hands were the focal point of your powers; when I removed them, only the mystical part of your spirit died. Had I removed the hands of your astral self, you indeed would have died, both here and in the physical plane. But since I attacked your mystical side, I killed it instead of you."

"Why didn't you just kill me?" Iganna asked, her voice a riot of emotions. "That would have been better! I'm useless now!"

The rat's eyes narrowed in anger. "Though you do not deserve it, I showed you mercy. One would think that you would appreciate it more," he responded as his tail lashed. "As for why, I did not kill you because I did not have to. Watch and you will see why I have acted as I have." As they both looked on, the hands that Splinter had cut off slowly faded out of sight, and as they did so, the shadow of Iganna's influence disappeared from around Leo's astral doorway. Splinter turned back to Iganna. "Your hold is now broken. You are no longer a threat to my son's life, nor do you have any power here." With that, the old master jumped into the air and planted a powerful kick to Iganna's abdomen, sending her flying through her astral doorway and back to her body. Turning around, he then walked through his own portal, returning to the physical plane in a flash.

(Meanwhile, back in the Lair…)

Four very quiet turtles were sitting in a semicircle on the floor about five feet from Iganna. She and Master Splinter had been silent and still for the past ten minutes, so Raph and Mikey had abandoned their job of restraining the woman and had joined their brothers. Right now the four of them were using the time to try and comprehend what had happened. Don was attending Leo, while Mikey glanced nervously between his sensei and the woman on the floor. Raph was punching his fist into his hand, bored out of his mind. He sighed and glanced to his left.

"Hey, Leo, how ya doin'?"

"I'm fine, Raph," Leo replied. He was still breathing heavily and his eyes were tired, but Don had managed to slow and stop the bleeding in his side. "Is Master Splinter back yet?"

"Yes, Leonardo, I am." All four turtles turned to see Splinter rising from his spot on the floor. "And Miss Triolini should be joining us soon as well."

No sooner had Splinter uttered those words than Iganna's eyes snapped open, the woman scrambling to her feet. She swayed slightly, then found her balance and turned to glare at Splinter.

"You ruined everything! He was mine, everything was going perfectly, and you ruined it!"

"Get over it, lady," Raph growled. "Ya lost, now beat it."

Iganna snarled at him. "If I go, I'm taking your secret with me. If I can't use you to find my father, I'll sell your secret and your location to someone who can find him."

"That would be a waste." Everyone turned to Don, who slowly stood from Leo's side. Reaching into his wrist guard, he pulled out a folded square of paper, which he tossed at Iganna's feet.

The woman looked at the paper suspiciously before glancing back up. "What is it?"

"An obituary. For a Mr. Mario Triolini."

"No!" Iganna's shriek nearly echoed through the Lair. She scrambled for the paper, almost tearing it open, and began to shake as she read the contents.

Don continued. "Mr. Mario Triolini died seven months ago on August 8th in a car accident in Manhattan. You've been searching for someone you'll never find."

The paper crumpled under the force of Iganna's grip. "No…this can't be…" She slowly lifted her head as the obituary fluttered to the floor. "All of this is your fault…" she whispered, glaring hatefully at the five mutants. "As soon as you came into my life, everything fell apart. All because of you…" Iganna's gaze shifted to Leo and her eyes were filled with hate and madness. "I'll kill you!" She pulled her daggers out and lunged for Leo, weapons in front of her as she closed the distance.

Fortunately for Leo, Raph was there in an instant, blocking Iganna's path.

Unfortunately for Iganna, so was the business end of Raph's sai.

Iganna jerked to a halt and shuddered. Her eyes opened wide as she looked down at the weapon protruding from her ribcage, and her daggers fell from her hands. Raising a shaky hand, she grabbed hilt and pulled, dropping the bloody sai to the ground. A strangled cry came from her throat as she staggered backwards to lean against one of the pillars, cradling her chest. Tears formed in her eyes when the wound didn't vanish. She looked at the five silent figures standing before her, then focused her gaze on Raph. "It looks like…we're not so different. We'll both…kill for…our families," she said, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"Guess again," Raph snarled. "I'll kill an' die fer my family any day, any time, but I ain't nothin' like you. I don't kill people fer no reason, an' I haven't destroyed anyone's family."

"I didn't-"

"Like shell you didn't!" Mikey shouted. Everyone was surprised by the easygoing turtle's outburst. "What about all those people in your hometown? In Maine? And here in New York? Don't you think they had families? 'Cuz they prob'ly did! But no, you were too obsessed about your own to care that you were wrecking someone else's!"

"You couldn't understand!" Iganna rasped. "You've never…lost anyone…in your family!"

"We almost have." Don's voice was level, but an undercurrent of anger could be felt vibrating from his words. "We almost lost Leo before. He may not have died, but that doesn't mean we don't know what that pain feels like. No matter how much you miss your family, that doesn't give you the right to destroy someone else's. Killing someone else's mother won't bring yours back."

"It…I…I didn't…I didn't realize…" A look of horror and regret began to settle on her features as she slowly slid down to the floor. "I was just…so angry…I had no one. I wanted…someone else to feel my pain, too. My mother…her left hand helped people, but hurt me and Papa…so I only used my right hand. I was so tired of pain…I figured it was time to give it instead…it ought to be someone else's turn to suffer…but it didn't help. I couldn't…give my pain away. Why…couldn't I see that? I'm so sorry…"

"Yeah, well it's a little late fer "sorry", ain't it?" Raph drawled.

A fit of coughing racked Iganna's body, blood flying from her mouth with each cough. She stared quietly at the crimson fluid coating her hands. "Yes, I suppose so…" she murmured. She lifted her face to them. "For what it's worth…I am sorry. At least…I didn't break…your family, too…don't ever let each other go…ever…"

"We won't," Don told her firmly. "But if it comes to an end, we won't hold onto ghosts, either."

"That's good…" Another coughing fit hit her, pain clearly seen in her face. Her arms dropped to her sides, and her gaze shifted somewhere beyond the turtles and Splinter. "Mama…?" she whispered, a small smile lighting up her face. "Mama, is that you?" Her eyes fluttered shut. "Mama, Papa…I'm coming…I—" She broke off suddenly, her words dissolving into a scream.

The five mutants were frozen to their spots, unable to believe their eyes. As they watched, countless wounds were sprouting like a rash across Iganna's body; bruises, cuts, and gashes covering nearly every inch of her skin. There was hardly any part of her body that wasn't injured.

Mikey's eyes were nearly leaving their sockets. "Master Splinter, what's going on!"

"I do not know, my son; but I believe that Fate is finally exacting justice."

Blood was pouring out of the dozens of wounds that covered Iganna, forming a large pool around her. Then suddenly, the crimson liquid began to swirl around her body, moving faster and faster until half of it surged up over her body. The blood coalesced into the shape of a hand, while the rest of it continued to swirl and flow underneath Iganna. The hand then began to press down on Iganna, who somehow started to sink into the shallow pool of her own blood and straight through the floor of the Lair. Her eyes were the last part of her to disappear, and though they flashed with terror, acceptance covered them slowly. As her head disappeared beneath the surface, Leo suddenly cried out.

"Guys, help!"

His brothers turned their gazes to him in a heartbeat, their eyes widening at what they saw. Leo was slowly being dragged across the floor, inching closer and closer to the same bloody pool that had swallowed Iganna.

"Leo!" Mikey and Don lunged for their brother, each grabbing an arm and digging their heels into the floor. Raph grabbed Leo from behind, straining as he tried to counter the force from the pool of blood. Master Splinter darted in front of his sons, placing himself firmly between them and the whirlpool.

"Away with you," he said firmly, staring hard at the swirling vortex. "You have claimed all whom you need. My son has no connection with that woman, and he is not yours to take. His life is his own; he is tainted by no blood that needs avenged."

The blood slowed in its motion, seeming to consider Splinter's words, then sped up again. Raph, Don and Mikey all fell backwards as the pull on Leo suddenly vanished. The pool of bled gathered speed until it was no more than a blur, then began to collapse on itself. In no more than a heartbeat, all traces of blood were gone from the Lair; the only proof of the encounter was the memories.

"Looks like "sorry" didn't cut it," Raph snorted, glaring at the last place Iganna had been. "Good riddance." He turned around as he heard a tired sigh, and saw Leo standing up; he was practically hanging from Don's grasp, but he was on his feet nonetheless. "Oh, so now ya finally get off yer shell," Raph drawled, a joking smirk on his face. "Figures. You leave us ta do all the work while you just sit there an' watch."

"What's the matter, Raph?" Leo asked tiredly, a weary grin growing to match his brother's. "Did you miss me? Couldn't handle it by yourself?"

"'Course I didn't miss ya. I just didn't want yer busted-up butt in the way. 'Sides, yer much more fun ta be around when yer asleep."

"Naturally. Well, then I shall do my best to please you." Leo swept an awkward bow and turned to Don. "Our dear brother wishes for my "busted-up butt" to get to bed. And honestly, so do I. Haul away, Don."

"Since when did I get put in charge of carcass removal?" Don groused jokingly.

"It's not "carcass removal"," Leo retorted, a fake insulted look on his face. "It's "body relocation". I'm not a carcass until I start smelling funny and stop moving."

"Well, then consider yourself a carcass, bro," Mikey piped up cheerily as he joined Don in helping Leo up the stairs. "'Cause from where I'm standing, you're no bed of roses."

"An' ya ain't movin' much either," Raph pointed out.

"Just as soon as I can move by myself, you shall all pay for your insubordination," Leo growled.

"My sons." The four turtles turned to look at Splinter. "I am proud of you all. This was no easy encounter to endure, and I hope that this woman has taught you something. I hope too that her memory will not haunt you." The brothers bowed their heads at their sensei's words. "I do wonder, however, if it is possible for you to speak respectfully to each other," Splinter commented mildly, a rueful look in his eyes as he watched the foursome on the stairs.

They all looked at each other and shrugged. "It might be, Sensei," Mikey said. "But I don't think we'd want to try it. I mean, who knows if your or Leo's heart would be able to take the shock?"

Splinter narrowed his eyes. "My heart is perfectly fine, Michelangelo. I wonder, however, if the same can be said for your flipping skills."

Mikey gulped. "I'd love to reassure you 'bout that, Sensei, really, but Leo here needs some help. And you know how much I love helping my brothers!"

"Oh no, Mikey," Leo protested, smirking. "I would never want to come between you and perfecting your Ninjitsu skills. Besides, I'm sure Raph could help me out."

The youngest turtle glared at Leo and lowered his voice so only his brothers could hear him. "Bro, unless you want me spiking your food while you play "Mr. Gimpy Turtle", I'd shut up. That is, unless you want me to tell Sensei what happened to all his sake."

Leo's smirk disappeared and his face paled slightly. "Sounds fair." He looked over his shoulder at Splinter, pasting a sincere look on his face. "If it's alright, Master Splinter, maybe Mikey should come with us. It'd be a good chance for him to practice his medical skills."

Splinter's expression clearly said that he didn't buy a word of Leo's story, but he let it pass. "Very well, Leonardo. I shall be up shortly with some tea." The turtles relaxed once he passed into the kitchen.

"My, my, the great Leonardo lying to Master Splinter." Mikey shook his head in mock disapproval. "How low you have fallen."

"An important rule for ninja is self-preservation, Mikey," Leo responded.

"Real smooth there, Fearless," Raph said, supporting Leo from the other side. "Splinter didn't suspect a thing."

"Can it, Raph."

"What, you don't think he'd want ta know 'bout the drinkin' party we had? You know, the one ya didn't stop an' actually joined in on?"

"I don't know, Raph," Leo retorted, glaring at his brother. "Do you think he'd want to know about your magazine collection?"

This time, it was Raph's turn to pale. His eyes widened, then narrowed as he looked away. "Damn. Alright fine, my trap's sealed if yers is. Deal?"

"Deal," Leo agreed. "But you'll have to shake my hand for me. I don't feel like moving it right now."

Don sighed. "This is why we never get along. Sixteen years of trying to get each other in trouble."

"C'mon, Don," Mikey said, trailing his brothers. "Life's no fun without a little brotherly love…" As his brothers glanced at him askance, he grinned and continued.

"And blackmail."

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A/N: Alright, who saw THAT coming? Hands? XD Seriously, I would love it if you guys would let me know if you figured out what was up with Iganna. Hopefully all the truth-spilling about her and her past made up for the lateness of this chapter, at least a little bit. And this is the longest one yet: 29 pages! . It's crazy. I really hope that this chapter came out well, because I worked really hard on it. I'm pretty proud of it, and I hope that you guys will like it. I'm proud of the title too; when I thought this would be the last chapter, I was like "Hey, Revelations is the last book of the Bible, and this is my last chapter! Oh ho ho, I'm so witty!" XD Then I screwed stuff up, and it's the second-to-last chapter ( . ), but I kept the name anyways because it's fitting. That and I've got a really good idea for the final chapter name that will work well for it, so all is happiness and light. :b

Now for some commentating. As for the ending, I hope it didn't seem rushed to anyone. I know it sounds like everyone was all "Hey, the psycho killer lady's dead. Yay. So what's for dinner?" But I didn't try to make it come across that way. I figure that Iganna isn't like Karai or the Shredder; there's no harsh past or difficult emotions attached to her, so there's mostly just relief that she's gone. There will be some reckoning and questions about her and her actions in the next chapter, so please don't think that the guys are just blowing off her death like it's nothing. I think that after something like this, it's often easier to set aside feelings about such a situation until everyone is more emotionally ready to handle them. You laugh or you cry, and I think the guys have learned by now that's it's better to laugh.

Anyhow, it's late, and I've got school tomorrow, so I'm gonna throw this up here and go to bed. I really hope this chapter met with everyone's satisfaction, and keep in mind, there's still one more chapter to come! And I promise it WILL be the LAST one this time, even if it's 50 pages long. So hopefully Chapter 13 won't be unlucky. And just a random note, if you guys get me to 100 reviews for this story I will love you all forever. I can't believe how many reviews and hits I've gotten already, and 100 reviews would be like the frosting on my cake of literary joy. XD Sorry. It's late, and sleep-deprivation makes me weird. So I'm gone, and thanks a bunch! As always, let me know of any mistakes, take care and please review:D