Chapter Eight: Little Brother

{Raph}

"Guys! Donnie, Leo!"

I barge into Leo's room, ramming the door with my shoulder and ignoring the dull ache that moves through my upper torso. The words push up my throat before I even have the breath to send them.

"Leo, it's Mikey!" I shout. He sits up and scrambles off the bed with wide eyes full of fear and anticipation.

"What?" he urges. That familiar 'older brother/leader/responsible for everything' tone takes hold of his voice. "What's wrong?"

"He's waking up!" I almost smack my face into the door frame as I whirl around and run back into the hall. I leap over the living room couch and make my way for the kitchen. "Donnie! Come on!"

He pokes his head out, confused. "What're you—"

"He's waking up!" I yell, ecstatic. "Mikey's waking up!"

Donnie jumps after me, and all three of us run to the lab. My heart is pounding right out of my chest and I feel so full I want to cry.

I push through the door and stumble to the table, where my little brother is blinking and struggling to sit up.

"Whoa, whoa!" Donnie calls, making his way over. "Don't move there, bro—your injuries are still fragile!"

Mikey groans and continues to blink rapidly as he comes to. Donnie reaches his side and gently pushes Mikey back down, his auburn eyes frantically examining the bandaged wounds.

"Dudes," Mikey says, hoarse. "I had the weirdest dream about sea zombies." He pauses and his brow wrinkles in a dazed attempt at remembrance. "They were on fire for some reason."

I laugh and shove Donnie aside to hug Mikey as hard as I can. His yelp is muffled as I pull him to my chest, and Donnie grabs my shoulder.

"Raph, be careful! He's still healing—"

"I'm so glad you're okay!" I blurt, my eyes stinging. I clamp them shut to block off the tears and continue to hold my little brother. "I thought we lost you, Mikey!"

It all comes rushing back, so I hug him tighter, forcing the memories down with reality. He's alive, he's alive, and he's awake and we're all okay now—

"Mmphhh!" He starts to struggle and I realize he probably can't breathe. I let go and jump back.

"Sorry! Sorry, I didn't—I was just—I mean—"

"We missed you, bro," Leo says warmly, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "You had us scared to death."

Mikey looks up at us and smiles, but he looks confused. "What for?"

"You were attacked," Donnie explains. "It was some sort of robot. I suspect the Foot Clan, given the design and the insignia on the back of the neck. But you've been cut and burned pretty bad, so try not to move —"

"That was real?!" Mikey exclaims with wide eyes. "Dude! I thought that thing was gonna kill me and eat my soul!"

Donnie stops, stumped, and Leo smacks his palm to his face and grumbles.

"For the fiftieth time, Mikey, dementors aren't real."

"And that's physically impossible," Donnie comments. "The relative concept of the soul is rather debatable, but taking it into consideration, the physical and spiritual states are separate—"

I shove Donnie aside and cut him off. "Can it, Don, before you put him back to sleep."

Donnie shoots me a look, but Leo nudges him aside before he can say anything else.

"Do you remember anything, Mikey?" he asks. "Like why you were out at the docks?"

Mikey frowns and thinks it over, but the seconds tick by and his expression becomes more confused and frustrated.

"No…I mean, yeah, but—I didn't mean to go out that far. I was just mad…" He hesitates, brow knit and eyes clenched shut as he tries to pull back the memories. "I think I was in a warehouse when I found the dement—"

"—Robot," Donnie corrects.

Mikey gives him his infamous 'yeah-whatever' look at the interruption and continues.

"—and I dropped my T-phone. I don't really remember much besides the fire and the water…" He sighs, looking disappointed in himself. I put my hand on his head and give him a reassuring smile.

"Hey, it's alright, bro," I say. "You've been through a lot. We're all just glad you're okay."

Mikey grins and tries to sit up again, but Donnie stops him.

"You need to lie still there, Mikey," he instructs. And then, pausing, he rubs his chin. "Wait…hang on. Let me check something…"

He reaches out and starts to unwrap Mikey's bandaged hand, and I look away, remembering the burnt flesh. I don't need to see any of that ever again.

But Donnie gasps. "Leo—Leo, look!" My older brother pushes me aside and I scowl at him, but the expression quickly fades as Leo, too, inhales sharply. Gross burnt skin or not, I can't stand not knowing, so I shove myself between the two dorks and stare down at Mikey's exposed wound. My eyes widen.

"It…it looks so much better," Leo breathes.

"Better?" I scoff. "It doesn't even look like he was burned in the first place!" I turn to Donnie and jab my finger at him. "What'd you do, Brainiac?"

Donnie still looks lost for words. He stumbles over his next sentence, dumb-founded. "I-I knew it'd work, but not this well…and certainly not this fast! This is just incredible!"

We all stand there gawking and Mikey shifts awkwardly. "Um, guys? Could you, like, stop touching me now?"

"Mikey, you don't understand," Donnie says rapidly as he reaches for Mikey's other hand. "You were hurt. We thought you were going to die. I just applied the solution a few hours ago, and entire new layers of skin have already grown! The redness, the blisters—all of it's gone!"

"That's a good thing, right?" Mikey asks nervously.

"It's an amazing thing," Leo blurts.

"Sweet!" Mikey chirps, grinning non-existent ear to non-existent ear. "So…does that mean I can move now?"

"No!" Donnie snaps. Mikey flinches back and resumes his still position on the table. "Don't move, don't touch the bandages, and don't scratch. Understand?"

Mikey nods, but Donnie's eyes narrow.

"I mean it, Mikey. The medicine may have worked better than I anticipated, but this is still fresh skin. It's delicate and impressionable and any sort of movement or irritation could rip it up. So keep still. And don't scratch."

Mikey whines. "But what if it itches real bad?"

"Then you'll just have to deal with it."

"But—"

"Listen to him, Mikey" I growl. "Do as he says, and you'll get better."

His big blue eyes waver and he pouts. "Fine. But what the heck am I supposed to do while I wait to get better? You guys can't seriously expect me to just lie here and do nothing!"

We all glance at one another. "Uh, yeah," I mutter. "That's exactly what we expect you to do."

"Aw!" he groans. "I'm gonna die of boredom, dudes!"

"Better than infection," Donnie asserts. "Now, lie still. Don't move. Stay. There."

Mikey leans his head back against the table and pouts.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

"Good. I'm going to go pull another sample of the solution from the freezer. I'll be right back."

He heads out the door and leaves us three in the lab. Mikey sighs heavily and tries to cross his arms, but I stop him.

"Uh-uh," I point. "No moving."

His face scrunches in childlike frustration. "This is stupid!"

"Well, you shouldn't have run off on your own," Leo scolds.

"Yeah," I add. "And you shouldn't have gotten into a fight with a robot."

"Or dropped your phone—"

"Or set yourself on fire—"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Mikey shouts, his eyes narrowing. "Geez! Cut a guy some slack, will you? It's not like I meant for any of that to happen."

"Well, yeah," I shrug. "But you should've expected it. I mean, what else happens when you go off on your own?"

He scowls. "So I almost die, and this is how I'm greeted when I finally wake up? How nice."

I smile and lean against the table. "We were gonna treat you better. You know, chocolates, balloons, those stupid little stuffed animals and flowers and all that—but as it turns out, Donnie's practically healed you…so I guess there's no need for any of it."

"What?" His baby blue eyes waver in disbelief. "I don't get any of it?"

I shake my head and make an exaggeratedly sad face. "Nope."

"But why?"

"Well, I already ate the chocolates, and Spike ate the balloon. And I think I saw Leo sleeping with the teddy bear earlier—"

"Raph!" Leo growls. "Mikey, he's just being an idiot. We didn't get you anything."

And then I smile because Mikey's face drops further. Leo realizes that what he just said sounded pretty bad, and he starts stuttering.

"I mean, we didn't have time—you know, training and stuff—plus we didn't know when you were gonna wake up and—"

Donnie comes back into the room with a vial of some glowing green goopy stuff I assume is the medicine, and he pauses at Mikey's comically sad face and Leo's flustered state.

"What happened?" he asks, but there's an inflection in his voice that hints to him really not wanting to know.

"Nothing," Leo says quickly. "So, um, are you going to apply more of the medicine or is there some sort of waiting period between doses or what?"

Donnie stands there, his gaze flickering between all three of us before he sighs and shakes off whatever questions he had. "I thought I'd try applying the solution with the higher percentage of mutagen, seeing as how that's most likely the product responsible for his remarkable recovery, but it has to thaw out first, so I can't do it for another few hours."

Mikey blinks. "Does that mean I'll be able to get up soon?"

Donnie shrugs. "I don't know, Mikey. You'll just have to be patient and wait."

Mikey's face slumps in disappointment, and I repress a smirk. It's funny how animated his expressions are compared to the stiff, mummy-wrapped state of his body.

"Dang it. I hate both of those things."

"In the meantime," Donnie carries on with a grin, "I'm sure Leo and Raph will have no problem entertaining you."

Leo and I stare at our purple-banded brother. "Excuse me?" I retort. "What makes you think I'm gonna sit in here all day?"

"Yeah, and what're you going to be so busy with?" Leo inquires, crossing his arms.

Donnie simply smiles and lifts Mikey's exposed hand to swipe it with a small, sterile cotton pad. "I have to examine these newly formed skin cells to see how the solution effects the growth of—"

"Blah, blah, science, blah!" I growl. "We get it! But what the heck are we supposed to do with him? He can't even move! You expect us to just stand here and watch him and—"

"You will do whatever is necessary to aid your brother's recovery."

Sensei's voice makes us all jump.

"Ah!" Leo yelps. He stands straight and clears his throat. "Sensei, hi!"

"I see Michelangelo has awakened," he says, ignoring Leo and walking up to the table. Mikey smiles brightly.

"Sensei!" But then he frowns. "I'd hug you, but Donnie says I'm not allowed to move."

Master Splinter chuckles in relief and puts his hand on Mikey's shoulder. "That is alright, my son. I am simply relieved to see you have awakened so soon. It seems your brother has succeeded in creating a medicine, hm?"

Donnie nods. "Yes, Sensei, and it's working much quicker than I expected! At this rate, he should be back to normal within a week or so."

Splinter smiles warmly. "Good work, my son." He turns his attention to Leo and I, and all the warmth of him is gone; I'm guessing he knows about all the fighting Leo and I have been doing recently. We both look at our feet to avoid his gaze as he instructs the both of us. "You will watch over Michelangelo and help him feel better."

I groan in protest. "But Sensei—"

"Unless you have something better to do than to be there for your brother," Splinter presses. I drop the rest of my sentence and sigh.

"No, Sensei."

He straightens. "Good. Make sure he is comfortable." He gives Mikey a lasting look of affection and assurance. "I will be in my room if anyone needs me."

We all watch him leave the laboratory, and as soon as the door shuts, I let my burning gaze shoot towards Mikey. He smiles sheepishly and shrugs.

"Dude, you should see your face right now. You look so mad!" He laughs nervously and I scowl at him.

"If you weren't hurt, I'd punch you," I growl.

Leo grabs my shoulder disapprovingly. "Raph, knock it off. Sensei's right. We should stay here with Mikey and make him comfortable."

"Yeah, Raph," Mikey beams. "Entertain me!"

I grit my teeth. "Alright, fine. Whatever." I cross my arms in suppressed hostility, but the sight of his huge, stupid grin makes me soften, and I shake my head. "What'd you want to do, bro?"

"Well, since I can't move," he grumbles, passing an accusing glare towards Donnie, "I guess we'll just have to watch all one-hundred and nine episodes of Super Robo Mecha Force Five!"

Leo laughs like he'd expect nothing less from Mikey, and I smack my forehead, because for some odd reason, I was expecting less from Mikey.

"Oh, good," I mutter, "'Cause I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with the next forty-five and a half hours of my life."

~T~

{Donnie}

With Leo, Raph, and Mikey holed up in the lab—I know, weird—I'm left to myself in the kitchen, analyzing some of Mikey's new skin cells beneath the microscope. It's quiet, save for Mikey's periodic squeals of excitement and Raph's occasional outbursts of how a character could possibly be that stupid. I smile to myself as I listen. As much as I enjoy these moments of peace, I know I couldn't go a single day without hearing the commotion of my family.

I turn the one of the dials on the scope, shifting the focus. It seems that the solution is working just as expected, if not better. The new cells are exactly like the old cells, which clears away the suspicions I had earlier about the possibilities of the mutagen altering Mikey's DNA. It's all going better than I planned…which is saying something for me, because half the stuff I do usually ends up exploding.

I continue to fiddle with the knobs, mainly because I'm lost in other thoughts, but partly because I like watching the cells move in and out of focus. I pause for a moment, resting my forehead against the contraption. I'd need to test the medicine on Raph and Leo, as well as myself, but if it works the way it does with Mikey for the rest of us, injuries would be far less of an issue in the future. I scoff to myself and smile. And they said collecting all those canisters of mutagen was a waste of time.

A soft knock at the doorway of the kitchen startles me. I sit up in my seat and turn to see April standing at the entrance, a faint smile on her face. One look at her and my heart instantly begins to react to her presence, and every intellectual thought I had before has now turned to mush.

"I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?" she asks. I shake my head a little too fast.

"No! No, of course not." I clear my throat. "Um, so what brings you here?"

She steps into the kitchen, her eyes searching over the microscope and the notes I've placed on the table.

"Leo told me what happened with Mikey."

I hesitate as a million thoughts shoot through my brain in a split second. Leo told her? When? Were they texting? Why didn't I think of that? I could've texted her—I should've texted her! I was up all night in the lab, so busy trying to figure out how we could pull off this whole transformation thing, I didn't even think about it! Now she's going to think that I'm cutting her off from all of us or that I don't care enough to keep her updated or let her know when one of her friends is hurt or—

"I tried to get here sooner," she continues, jerking me from my mental spasm. She absent-mindedly picks up a sheet of paper and glances over the equations and scribble that probably make no sense to her. "But things have been hard…you know, with my dad."

I nod sympathetically. Mr. O' Neil hasn't been adjusting too well after his ordeal with the Kraang a while back. I haven't heard April say much about it, but we certainly don't see her as often, and there are some days where I can see it in her eyes, where she'll look stressed and tired. And I'm sure school's not helping with any of that.

"It's alright," I say. "He just woke up about an hour ago—"

Idiot, she already knows that; that's why Leo texted her—that's why she's here.

"—and I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."

"I'm sure." She sits down on the table beside me. "So what is all of this?"

I blink at her decision to stay and chat and it takes my brain a moment to get the gears turning again.

"Oh, I constructed a medical solution using the mutagen and various other components to speed up the recovery process of Mikey's epidermis," I explain simply.

She looks at me and giggles. "Oh, is that all?"

"What?" I ask, trying not to sound flustered.

She laughs. "You just make it sound like it's nothing. Like, 'Oh, you know, I just created this insanely complex medicine in my spare time to heal my brother fifty times faster. And tomorrow, I think I'll find the cure for cancer.'"

My brow furrows. "I wasn't meaning to sound arrogant—I was simply answering your previous question—"

"Donnie, it's okay," she says lightly. "I was just joking."

"Oh." I rub the back of my neck. "I knew that."

She chuckles and pushes off of the table. "Well, I'm going to go see Mikey. Casey's already back there with the guys. You should join us whenever you're finished."

The sound of her beautiful voice suddenly becomes cruel when Casey's name is mentioned. I feel myself tense a little, but I hide it from her and brush it off.

"Yeah, alright," I answer nonchalant. Just play it cool… It's not like she ever comes here without him anyway. I should've guessed today would be no different.

"Cool." She heads out the door and once again, I'm left in the quiet of the kitchen. But now the silence is simply the absence of April, and it doesn't do a thing to calm me down. I sigh and push the microscope aside, crossing my arms over the table and laying my head down. The barrage of questions and doubts begin to flood my mind, taking full advantage of the opportunity of my weakened state.

I wonder how she'll treat me when I'm human. I wonder if anything will change, or if our relationship will become more tense. I wonder briefly if this is the right thing to do. Is my desperation getting the best of me?

I growl and shove down the troubling thoughts. I want this too much to simply push it aside. Now that I'm sure the procedure is plausible, I can't resist the urge to try it, if only to see that I can accomplish such a feat. It's the frailty of genius, as they say. My curiosity, my confidence, my intellect—as much as I love them and rely on them, they often lead me down the wrong paths.

But despite all of this, I know I'm going to do it. I have to try it, just to prove that I can. Just to put these doubts to rest. Just to know…to see for myself…what this new life would be like.

~T~

{Mikey}

The door to the lab opens, and I have to stretch my neck to see who it is. I light up when I catch the familiar sight of bright orange hair and shout happily.

"April!"

She smiles at me and makes her way over to where I'm lying on the table. Raph and Leo rolled in the TV from the living room, brought in the couch, and even made popcorn. Since I can't move my hands and Raph refuses to feed me, I have to turn my head and grab the popcorn pieces from the bowl with my tongue. But that's okay, 'cause I've totally got it down to an art.

"April, look, look!" I show her my popcorn-covered tongue and she winces with a forced chuckle. "See? It sticks!" I gulp down the buttery deliciousness and grin in content.

"That's…nice, Mikey," she replies. She smiles down at me for a moment, her eyes running quickly over my bandages. I can spot the small wrinkle of worry between her eyebrows, so I just give her the biggest smile I can do without my face ripping in half, and she laughs light-heartedly. Her concerns put to rest, she takes her attention off of me for a second and glances at Leo and Raph, who, despite their complaining, have become entranced by the anime, and hardly notice her.

"Hey guys," she says. They don't respond, and I laugh when she has to repeat herself three more times in order to get their attention.

"April!" Leo exclaims apologetically, scrambling off the couch. "Sorry! We were just, uh—I mean, it's nice of you to get here so soon!" He nudges Raph, but he just nods in acknowledgment to her presence and pops a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

"Nice to see you too, Raph," April says, rolling her eyes. She pauses and looks around. "Wait, where's Casey?"

"Over here, Red," he calls from the back of the lab. I told him not to go back there. If I can't play around with all of Donnie's colorful, labeled vials and bottles, then Casey definitely can't. But he didn't exactly listen, and Raph and Leo are way too caught up in the second season to do anything but stare at the screen. Oh, well.

"What're you doing?" April inquires. "Um, did Donnie say you could touch that? Or that?"

"Nope!" I chime. "I told you, bro, Donnie's gonna kill you if he finds you back there."

"I'm just looking. Sheesh!" Casey gripes. I can hear the clinking of glass and I roll my eyes with a sigh. At least I won't be the one getting yelled at for touching stuff. For once.

April watches Casey for another moment with a slight frown on her face, but it fades as she turns her attention back to me.

"So, how're you doing?" she asks softly. I shrug.

"Good, I guess." The recollection of my brothers' reactions to me waking up still make me uneasy. Honestly, I feel fine…just a little sore. But the way they looked at me when I woke up was like I came back from the dead. I don't remember anything past the heat of the fire and the chill of the ocean, but I don't mind that. There's no point in remembering pain, and if I was as bad off as my brothers described, I don't want to remember.

"But my legs are itching really bad." I suppress the urge to scratch my shin with my other calf and groan. "Donnie says I can't move. And I think everyone's forgetting that I've had to pee for forever!"

April closes her eyes and makes that 'I didn't need to know that' face. But it's cool; I like that face.

"Well maybe if you'd stop drinking so much, you wouldn't have that problem," Raph growls.

"Well Donnie said to keep hydrated!" I retort.

"Then Donnie can carry you to the bathroom!"

"And I don't think five sodas count as hydration," Leo pipes.

I let out an exaggerated groan. "Well I either go there or I go here, and I'm leaning towards the ladder—"

"Latter," Leo corrects.

"And if you do anything along those lines," Raph snarls, "I'll knock you into next week."

I scowl and thump my head back against the table, defeated and extremely uncomfortable. I glance up desperately at April. "Hey, um, do you think you could—"

"No," she deadpans. "Don't even bother asking."

My expression drops into a pout I know she can't resist, and she exhales.

"I'll go get Donnie."

~T~

{Leo}

Donnie and I are waiting outside the bathroom for Mikey. I can hear the blasts and sounds of glorious robot action booming from the laboratory, and I sigh, frowning to myself. I told Raph to pause it…

"I'll need help reapplying the medicine after this," Donnie says, drawing me from my trance. "It's almost done thawing out."

I nod absently. "Yeah, sure." I close my eyes for a moment, listening to another awesome-sounding explosion go off. I knock on the bathroom door impatiently. "Mikey? You almost done?"

I hear the sink start up, and Donnie yelps and shoves me away from the door.

"Mikey! Don't get your hands wet!"

"What?" he questions. "I thought I was supposed to wash my hands after!"

"You'll irritate the skin!" Donnie urges, tugging on the door handle. "Just—don't!"

"Well what am I supposed to do? You're the one always yelling at me for personal hygiene—"

"I have an antibacterial spray, alright? Just get out here!"

I smile and shake my head at Mikey's muffled protests. He opens the door with the kind of looks that says he's just done with all this injury nonsense, but Donnie ignores the glare and ushers him back into the lab. He gets back onto the table obediently, but I can tell by his facial expression that he can't—or won't—take much more of this. Donnie comes over with a small spray bottle, gently removes the rest of Mikey's wrappings, and squirts the cleansing solution over the areas.

"There," he sighs. "Now stay here. I'm going to go get the medicine and some new dressings. Leo?" He glances at me, raising an eye ridge as a gesture to follow him. I nod, and we both walk out of the lab and towards the kitchen.

"What'd you need me for?" I ask as he shuts the door, slightly irritated that I'm missing so much of the show.

He doesn't answer me for a minute while he extracts the green vial from the centrifuge on the counter.

"I need you to ask Karai about something," he says lowly. I tense up at her name.

"What for?"

"That robot belongs to the Foot Clan. It had the design and the insignia on the back of the neck. I suspect it was a prototype, or maybe a defective product left behind in one of the warehouses. Whatever the case, it's clearly part of Shredder's agenda."

I step back. "Why would he want robots? And where would he even get the tech to make them? Robotics and ninjutsu don't exactly fall into the same category."

He shrugs. "I don't know. I suspect he got the materials, or at least the design, from the Kraang. Maybe they were working together or something before we took the Technodrome down."

"Or maybe he stole the information," I mutter. Donnie nods in consideration.

"That's more likely."

I sigh and rub my forehead. "So what do you want me to ask her?"

"Well, obviously about the robots. See what she'll tell you and find out where they're making them or what they're for. Any information will be helpful."

I raise a brow. "Yeah, and what if she doesn't give me reliable information?"

He smirks and crosses his arms. "I thought you said you trusted her?"

That stumps me. My nostrils flare and my eyes narrow in his direction, but his grin only widens to prove his point. He gives the vial a swirl and walks past me, briefly placing his free hand on my shoulder.

"Just give it a try, Leo. And who knows? Maybe this will show us whether or not she's everything you think she is."

…

The rest of the day dragged on. Donnie and Casey bickered, April tried, to no avail, to calm the two, and Raph and Mikey argued over the dynamics of the show as the season came to an end. After my session with Donnie in the kitchen, I was unable to focus on the anime. My thoughts were on her, and on the rest of my family, and on all the stupid things I'm about to get myself into. It was impossible to concentrate on anything beyond the rush of my mind.

But eventually, the day did come to an end. Mikey fell asleep with fresh bandages and a stomach full of hot pizza Casey and April picked up. Raph passed out on the couch beside our little brother, and Donnie walked April and Casey out to the surface. He was supposed to go to sleep after, as Master Splinter instructed, but we both knew he wasn't going to do that. I slipped out from my room a few hours after the rest of them fell asleep, passing by the lab on my way out to receive a reassuring glance from Donnie as he continued working on his project in the quiet, dimly lit room. He smiled at me and I nodded, and that was the extent of our interaction. I would go out, get the information from Karai and bring it back to him, and then we could figure out a plan from there.

Geared up and ready to face another night of emotional turmoil and confusion, I head to the surface, with Donnie's last words echoing in my mind.

~T~

{Karai}

I head to my hiding place, my thoughts a broiling mess of emotions. I'm supposed to be patrolling with some of the clan members, but I can't focus enough, and I'm constantly worried that we'll run into Leo and his brothers. Leo's smart enough to know when to play the game, but I don't know if I can handle seeing him right now. I just might kill him.

I push my way through the clutter of scraps and trash heaps and move through the alleyway. My vision is narrowed and my mind is set on the simple silence of my secret room.

Through the door, down the stairs. Darkness, darkness, darkness. It's comforting, as if the shadows and silence are reaching out to embrace me, to shield me from the outside world. I can feel the layers slowly peel from my flesh with every step into the black, and I want nothing more than to lock myself away for the next few hours and breathe.

I finally reach the bottom. My hand instinctively moves for the small light switch, but when the bulb illuminates the room, my heart stops.

He's stretched out casually on the couch by the wall, his eyes on me expectantly. My breath is stuck in my chest and I don't know whether I should reach for my sword or turn and run.

"Good, you showed up," he says, straightening in his seat. He offers a faint smile, but it brings me no comfort. I'm too weak for this. Too raw, too exposed. The shockwaves of my actions the previous night are still coursing through me, and I know I'm in no condition to play it off through my usual cold composure.

"What're you doing here?" I question, feeling defensive and unable to hide it from my voice.

He arches a brow. "I thought you said the whole rooftop thing was getting old?"

I clench my jaw and don't respond. He watches me, legitimately put off by my behavior. His confidence wavers enough for me to notice and he stands to his feet.

"Is something wrong?" he asks softly. My teeth grind together and my fists curl at my sides. Why does he get to me? He's not even trying!

But I know that's what does it. He's genuine, sincere. He's not good at lying; he just stumbles over himself like a dork. Transparency is my weakness, but it's his strength. In a world of lies and greed and selfishness, truth is a weapon. A threat.

"Get out," I growl. I'm not playing this game; not right now. He pauses, searching me, and I can feel his eyes peeling back the layers. My anxieties flood my system. "Now!"

A plethora of emotions cross his expression in a millisecond. I can hardly pick one from the other, but I can see his thoughts whirring behind his eyes as he tries to decipher the situation. And not a moment later, something shifts in his stance, as if he's made a decision. It's slight, barely noticeable, but his eyes harden and the way he looks at me changes.

"I came here to ask you something, Karai."

"Well I don't care," I bite. "Just because I brought you down here once doesn't mean you can come hang out whenever you want. Now leave."

He doesn't budge. "Not until you give me some answers."

My lip curls over my teeth and I reach for my sword as a warning. "Leo—"

But he moves fast. Too fast. In a split second, he reaches me and rips the sword from my hand, throwing it across the room, and pins me against the wall. The air is torn from my lungs and my aching body throbs beneath the pressure. I can feel the cold steel of his katana against my throat.

"I can play the game too, Karai," he growls. "If this is how you want the conversation to go, then fine. I can speak your language."

I grunt and try to twist out from his grip, but with his weight pressing into me, it's practically impossible. I wince, my body tensing in frustration.

"What do you want?" I snarl. I'm seething beneath his touch and I can feel my rage bubbling up the back of my throat like venom.

"You had Mikey's T-phone the night after he was attacked," he recounts. "But you wouldn't tell me how or where you got it."

I twist my wrists in a useless attempt to break the hold he has me in. "And?"

"We have the robot that attacked him. Donnie thinks it's a prototype or some sort of screw-up, but it definitely has the Foot Clan symbol printed on the back of its neck. Which means it belongs to Shredder."

My eyes narrow. "But that doesn't mean I have anything to do with it."

He pushes me into the wall and I grimace at the discomfort the pressure is putting on my shoulder.

"You're his daughter."

"Yeah," I grunt, "well that means very little to him in terms of communication."

He holds me there for a moment, like he doesn't believe me.

"You don't know anything?" he presses.

I grit my teeth. "No."

"But you were out at the docks. You found his phone."

I don't say anything. He snarls at my lack of participation and yanks me from my place against the wall, flipping me onto my stomach and forcing me down with his foot into my back. The ground is cold and hard and my chest is aching under his weight. I hiss at the dull pain, but I suppress any other reaction, shoving down the shock, and even the fear. We are matched in skill by blade, but when it comes to sheer physical strength, his exceeds mine by far—but he usually doesn't utilize the advantage. He must be pretty upset to confront me in such a fashion. It's generally the other way around.

"Don't lie to me, Karai."

He's out of my line of sight and I'm becoming more vexed by the second. Frustration and the reminder of my weakness boils and bubbles in my gut, and my entire body clenches against it. This is absolutely humiliating, and if he thinks he can get away with it without proper retaliation, he's in for a surprise.

"Karai," he hounds. "Tell me what you were doing out by the docks!"

But I bite my tongue and smirk to myself. I can hear the frustration building in his voice; it seeps off of his being in tangible waves. I use it to my advantage when he tightens his grip on my arms and jerks me back. I cry out, faking pain, and he instantly releases me and jumps back, his voice dripping with apologies.

"Sorry!" he yelps. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean—"

I'm on my feet in one fluid movement, delivering a brutal kick to the center of his plastron and sending him into the wall behind us. He hits it with a grunt, and I've got him pinned with the katana I tore from his grip. His eyes are wide, locked onto mine in bewilderment, his breath shallow and quick.

"I've heard rumors," I whisper, my lips curling up into a rather cold smile. "But I haven't seen anything. I went to the warehouse because I wanted to see what my father was doing for myself." I don't tell him that I took the phone because I thought it was his, and I didn't want my father finding it. "But then I heard you and your brothers out on the docks, so I left." I press the sharp edge of his katana against his exposed throat with enough force to draw a thin line of blood. "Satisfied?"

He winces, straining his neck to avoid further injury from his blade.

I hold him there for a moment, relishing the exasperated defeat swirling in his narrowed eyes. I meet his scowl with a grin and shove him against the wall, using the momentum to push myself away. I drop his sword at his feet and turn on my heels.

"Now get out."

I keep my back to him, but I can picture him well enough in my mind to know that he's still standing there, tensed, incredulous, and unsure of what to do next. His mask of ferocity and authority has faded quicker than I expected, though I'm surprised it appeared in the first place. He must be on edge.

"I'm trying to prove them wrong," he says suddenly. I stop, but I don't turn to meet his gaze as he continues.

"No one believes that you're anything other than a lying, two-faced snake."

The words almost hurt coming from his mouth.

"I'm trying to… I want them to see you the way I do."

I scoff, cloaking the pain with the bitter humor of it all. "What if the way you see me is wrong?"

"I know it's not."

The sound of his voice is so certain, so steadfast—it makes me sick. I'm reminded of the fact that I've exposed myself to him; that I can never hide behind my shroud of deception the same way again.

I exhale, releasing the breath from my heavy chest. "I don't want you here, Leo. Leave me alone."

Part of me wishes I was facing him so I could see him wince at my words, see the hurt in his eyes. The other part's glad that I'm not.

He changes the subject in hopes that I'll let him stay. "So you don't know anything about the robots. Alright. But can you at least take me there and show me?"

I think it over, and after a moment, a cold smile creeps upon my lips. "Fine," I say, making sure to sound like he's won me over. "I'll show you. Come on."

He glances at me warily, especially when I pick up my sword, but I sheathe it and gesture for the stairs.

"Ladies first," I quip. He loosens up at the joke and slides his own weapons into their sheaths on the back of his shell as he steps over to the staircase.

"If you insist," he retorts. I chuckle and turn out the light before following him up the stairs. He pushes open the rusty door and we reach the alleyway. The dark of the night covers the city, drowning it within the shadows. Leo walks down the narrow passage with me at his heels, and neither of us say a word until we've exited the filthy backstreets. We pass through the winding roads between the towering buildings for another ten minutes. I glance at the street signs. The Foot soldiers aren't far from here…

I let myself stop behind him, and only a fraction of me protests the notion. I shove that part down and bury it beneath the heaving mass of emotions I see no other way to fend off.

He pauses at my sudden absence and glances back at me. "Karai?"

I smile, eyes flashing deviously.

"I'll give you a ten-second head start."

And then I break a smoke bomb across my thigh and fling it in his direction. The stinging fumes pollute the air surrounding him and he chokes, his hands instinctively clutching his throat. I wrench my sword from its sheath, and that's all the convincing he needs to stumble forth and break into a run.

My smile widens, my fingers clasping the hilt of my blade excitedly as I watch him go pell-mell through the street.

The game has begun.