A/N: I'M BACK Y'ALL! I had a GREAT time in America with all my cousins aunts and uncles! But it's good to be back, and I'm here once more on No Love Is Greater with a brand new chapter, filled with action and feels!

Also, I may be writing a drabble based off what happens behind the scenes of one of these...uh...scenes? Did that make any sense? No? I thought not DX

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 33

"There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them"

― Winston S. Churchill

Standing up and taking a step back to admire his work, Donatello nodded to himself in satisfaction, planting his hands on his hips as he watched the blinking red light of the radar dish he'd installed. He had to admit, these little babies were probably one of his best inventions to date – they actually worked, for one, and they hadn't blown up in his face the first time around, which was an awesome bonus. With these new radar beacons he and his team had set up on the rooftops all around town, there was no way the Kraang ship could evade their detection this time, invisible or not.

He smiled to himself. "Oh, Donatello, I do love your mind," he chuckled aloud. Oh, if only April had been here to see this. Alas, she was back at the lair in the dojo. She'd decided to show up for a last-minute training session with Splinter after Chess Club, which Donnie had found surprising. He'd thought she would've gone home after her club, unless they'd finished early or something…

Or maybe, instead of going to her club, she'd gone out to meet a certain someone. In secret. Again.

Donnie's smile faltered, slowly morphing into a frown. He knew that April could defend herself pretty well, despite the few months she'd been training to be a kunoichi. And Leonardo had sworn that he'd never harm her regardless of Donnie's threats…but still, it worried him to know that she was meeting with one of their supposed enemies. And worse still, it hurt that she wasn't telling any of them about it. He couldn't understand why…

He nearly jumped out of his shell when his T-Phone started ringing and vibrating in his belt.

Once he'd calmed his beating heart, he took it out to find Raphael's contact picture. He smirked. It was an odd one, he had to admit; it was a picture that Donnie had snapped of Raph whilst he'd been fast asleep on the couch, just after Michelangelo had finished drawing butterflies and My Little Pony cutie marks on his face. The aftermath had been that both he and Mikey had been chased around the lair for twenty minutes straight before getting pummelled by their red clad older brother, but it'd been so worth it. With a fond shake of his head at the memory, he answered the phone.

"Yo, Don, just finished installing this last beacon," Raph said. "Mikey called me and said that he's finished, too."

"Good job, Raph," Donnie replied. "I'm done up here, too. That should be the last of them. See you guys back at the lair."

With that, he ended the call.

He didn't need to look behind him to know he wasn't alone.

In an instant, his Bo staff was out of its sheath and brought up to block the downward swing of Leonardo's katana blade.

Of course it's him. Why did I expect anyone else?

He grunted with effort as he fought to shove the older turtle away from him, having no time to be surprised that the sword hadn't snapped his Bo in half as he assumed a defensive stance. In kind, Leo held his katana before him, readying himself should Donnie come at him.

Instead, Donnie just sighed. "This is getting old, Leonardo," he droned.

Tugging his scarf down from his face so that it hung loosely around his neck again, Leo offered him a ghost of a smile that would've been genuine, if not for the glint in his eye that told Donnie otherwise. "I was just testing your reaction time. You're improving," he said with a hint of jesting. "Did the 'Maze of Doom' hone your senses?"

Not particularly in the mood for jokes, Donnie rolled his eyes skyward. "Thank you, but seriously, if you want to talk, do me a favor next time and just say so rather than attack me out of the blue," he said, leaning on his Bo staff. "And you can tell your girlfriend back there that she can stop hiding behind that air vent."

The smirk Leo had worn was soon wiped clean off his face, turned upside down into a deep, almost embarrassed scowl.

Behind the aforementioned air vent, Donnie heard a chuckle, before Karai emerged from her hiding spot and sauntered over to the pair of turtles, taking her place beside Leo. "You were right, Leo. He's smarter than he looks," she simpered, resting her elbow atop Leo's right shoulder as she sent Donnie a smirk. In response, Donnie glared daggers into her. He still didn't like the little witch after the 'Justin' incident, and he was finding it increasingly easier to hate her the more he saw of her.

Seriously, what did Leo even see in someone like her?

The blue clad turtle shook his head exasperatedly. "First of all, she's not my girlfriend," he said sharply. "Second of all…we came to tell you that we want to help you fight the Kraang."

At first, Donnie had been smirking at Leo's denial of his supposed romantic relationship with his crazy partner (plus he could see why Mikey and Raph did it now; it was kinda fun). But now, his mahogany eyes were wide with disbelief, darting from his distant brother to the girl beside him.

Had he heard that right? Did Leo say that they wanted to help them fight? Leo had finally admitted that? Out loud?

"…Really?" he asked, sheathing his Bo staff just as Leonardo sheathed his weapon.

Folding his arms, Leo nodded once, his expression unreadable, but his eyes a torrent of emotions too frantic for Donnie to properly decipher. "Yes," he affirmed.

"Shocking, right?" Karai said, ignoring the look she received from Leo.

However, the surprise soon wore off as Donnie regarded them flatly. "No, wait, of course not," he chuckled humorlessly. "You don't want to help us, you want to make us think you're helping us and then trap us when we least expect it, am I right?"

Leo appeared genuinely confused by this as he raised a brow. Karai, on the other hand, looked annoyed as she came off Leo and planted her left hand on her hip. It was only then that Donnie noticed that her right hand was wrapped up in a thick layer of bandages. A part of him wondered how on earth such a self-proclaimed skilled kunoichi as herself had managed to break her hand like that, but Leo quickly diverted his thoughts elsewhere when he asked, "Why on earth would you think that? I thought I told you I don't go down that route."

Donnie scoffed. "I'll give you a few good reasons why," Donnie said, holding up his hands as he listed his reasons. "We're enemies, you want to destroy us, your girlfriend is crazy, you're loyal to Shredder…should I keep going?"

Dismissing the thought that Leo's younger brother could out-sass a diva, Karai sighed as she took a step closer to him, wishing that the kid wasn't so damn tall as she looked up at him. "Look, if the Kraang win, we don't have a planet anymore," she pressed. "That makes our little fight seem pretty pointless, doesn't it?"

Folding his arms, Donnie remained undeterred, and was secretly taking a smug satisfaction out of her slight unease due to his height compared to her. Being tall and somewhat lanky had its advantages. "True, though in all honesty this whole war between us and the Foot was pointless from the get-go," he muttered. "But I highly doubt Shredder would agree with your reasoning."

"Shredder is stubborn and short-sighted," Karai grumbled, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "He drives us crazy."

"His stupid vendetta is going to take us all down at this rate," Leo spat, moving past Karai and standing before his younger brother. Unlike Karai, he was unperturbed by their drastic difference in height. "He might not be able to see that, but I know you do. You have more sense and overall brains than anyone else, Donatello. And I know you know you can trust me. We made that clear after the 'Maze'."

Karai nodded at Leo, and then turned back to Donnie. "What do you say? Work together for now?" she asked him, holding her left hand out for him to shake.

At this, Donnie's disinterest began to fade, his expression becoming thoughtful as he stared down at Karai's outstretched hand. He couldn't deny that what Leo had said was partly right; ever since the 'Maze', Donnie had decided that he could trust him fully. That night, he'd known that he'd had no other reason to doubt his older brother, despite the fact that they were on opposite sides, and despite the fact that Leo's memories of what had separated them so long ago were hazy, confused, and had caused him to believe they'd abandoned him out of hatred.

If Donnie could trust Leo with his life back then, couldn't he do the same now, with their whole world hanging in the balance?

He could trust Leonardo. He knew he could. But he couldn't trust Karai.

Unlike Leo, who loathed being in the Foot Clan and had made it clear that he wanted Shredder dead with a passion that burned hotter than a furnace, Karai fully and willingly embraced her role as one of his servants. Well, so he'd thought, until now. But even so, as the leader of his team, trusting her was a risk he couldn't take. In the end, she would undoubtedly turn on them all…

Narrowing his eyes, he looked back up at the pair awaiting his answer.

"Sorry."

He took several steps backwards and jumped off the roof, disappearing into the alley below and leaving Leo and Karai staring after him. The offer had been very tempting, he had to admit. An alliance would've helped them a great deal, especially against a threat as great as the Kraang. But he couldn't agree to their terms. Not yet, that is.

He would have to bring this up with Splinter and the others first before making any rash decisions. They were a team, after all.

Dropping her hand back to her side, Karai scowled as they watched Donatello vanish into the night without a sound. Beside her, Leo turned to her and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised," he said.

Karai rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay, whatever," she sighed with a dismissive wave of her good hand. "Perhaps we should've gone with brute force instead?"

"That would've been one the stupidest things you've ever done," Leo snapped. "He might not look it, but Donnie's strong. He nearly took my head off with his staff once. Besides, brute force isn't always the answer to everything, Karai, despite what Shredder tells you."

Karai didn't reply immediately, idly picking at the wrappings on her right hand instead.

With a soft sigh, Leo reached out and clasped her shoulder, diverting her attention back to him as she pinned him with expectant, inquisitive golden eyes. "At least we know one thing is for certain; Donatello still trusts me. And as far as I can tell, so do Raphael and Michelangelo," he said. "The only thing they have a problem with is trusting in you. And no offense, but they have every reason not to. If you want this alliance to work, then you'll have to gain their trust, too."

Leo could see the wheels turning as she lowered her gaze to the concrete, her brows furrowing as she seemed to consider his reasoning. That was a good sign; it was rare that she actually listened to his advice, or anyone's for that matter.

"I know that," Karai muttered after a moment with a resigned sigh. "But that's easier said than done. How am I supposed to convince three stubborn, very protective and very paranoid ninja turtles, who are just as stubborn and paranoid as their older brother, to trust me?"

Releasing her shoulder so he could fold his arms again, Leo hummed thoughtfully. He'd forgotten just how hard-headed his younger brothers could be. Even Mikey, despite his happy-go-lucky outlook on everything around him, knew better than to trust someone under the command of Shredder. Raph hated Karai with a passion, especially after the incident with that hideous creature in the Kraang lab. And Donnie…well, he'd made it clear that he didn't like or trust her either.

Leo knew he couldn't convince them to work together with mere words alone. He needed to show them that they could confide in her. But the question was how?

Leo sighed, shaking his head again. Perhaps this whole alliance wasn't going to work out after all. Besides, it would be too much of a risk; Shredder would undoubtedly find out about it sooner or later, and then both their hides would be his. "Look, Karai," he began, scrubbing a hand tiredly over his face. "I think maybe we should –"

"Wait!" Karai announced suddenly, making Leo jump with surprise as she gripped his shoulder. There was a strange spark in her amber eyes that Leo didn't quite know how to feel about as she turned to him, a grin spreading across her red lips. "I think I have an idea. I figure if we can't ask them to trust us, we'll just show them."

Eyes wide and bewildered, Leo nodded at her slowly, blue orbs darting to the side with slight discomfort. "Yes…that's what I was thinking, too," he said warily, inwardly contemplating over whether or not the two of them had become close enough to read each other's minds, which would've been both terrifying and catastrophic. Shaking those preposterous thoughts away, he looked back at her. "Do you have any idea how?"

In the next instant, Leo felt his innards twist with anxiety as Karai's smile morphed into a smirk, one that spoke of mischief, and a diabolical plot that would surely result in their untimely deaths should it be carried out.

Leo gulped. He wished he'd never agreed to this plan in the first place.

Later that same night, Donatello had gathered his brothers and his Sensei into the dojo for a quick meeting, where Donnie told them everything that had happened between him, Leonardo, and the deceptive kunoichi Karai on the rooftop. Behind them as they knelt before their Sensei, April was half focused on practicing her katas, and half listening to the conversation between the turtles and their master.

Predictably, the idea of Leo suddenly deciding to fight alongside them, no matter how briefly, had elated Mikey, his freckled smile wide and his baby blue eyes sparkling with hope. Even Splinter had been intrigued by this unexpected development. However, the moment Donnie mentioned Karai being involved, Raph had instantly been against it.

And just as predictably, Donnie had been quick to retort.

"Look, guys, I know we shouldn't trust Karai, or Leonardo, despite everything that's happened between us in the past," he began. From the corner of her eye, April noticed him rubbing his temples, as if he were irritated or tired. "But still…I'm getting this sense that they really are fed up with Shredder. I mean, c'mon, Leo's probably been waiting for the chance to leave the Foot Clan since the day he'd joined. As for Karai…who knows? Maybe she's feeling the same?"

That's a good point, April mused inwardly as she moved through her katas, her brow furrowed in thought. Leo did tell me that he hated the Foot Clan and what they do…but they're all he had to hang onto. He couldn't leave the clan, or Tiger Claw, just like that, could he? I wonder what changed his mind...

"That's probably what they want us to think," Raph interrupted sardonically. "For Leo, maybe he's genuine. But Karai, not a chance. Remember the last time we decided to trust her? We almost got eaten by a giant octo-jelly bug thing!"

That's also a good point, April shrugged to herself. She'd never met this Karai girl face to face before, and Leo had yet to mention her whenever they'd talked. But from what she'd heard from her boys, that kunoichi was clearly bad news. A part of April hoped she never met her.

"I know that, Raph, but…" Donnie began, but soon sighed with an exasperated roll of his eyes before he looked up to Splinter, almost pleadingly. "Sensei, do you think there's any chance they're for real?" he asked.

Splinter hummed for a moment, contemplating. From the other side of the room, though the old rats' eyes were closed as he stroked his beard, and his expression was thoughtful, April could almost feel his longing flowing off him in waves. Behind his stern demeanor, there was a twinge of hope. Hope that Raph was wrong, and that Leonardo was genuine. It could very well be a sign that his lost eldest child desired to return to him, learn the whole truth of what had happened twelve years ago, and finally make their family whole again.

However, the feelings were gone again in the next instant, replaced once more by the wise, composed Sensei they all knew and loved. A part of April felt almost saddened by this, for she knew he'd forced himself to push such hopes away…

"It is possible," Splinter mused, folding his hands behind his back. "Loyalties have been known to shift. For Leonardo, I am still very much uncertain of his true motives. His feelings and thoughts have been corrupted since the very beginning, and perhaps he himself is still unsure of what he should do. But the kunoichi, on the other hand, is trained to use deception to her advantage."

"No kidding," muttered Raph under his breath.

Donnie pointedly ignored him. "So, since they're working together, there's a chance they either will or won't betray us?" he asked.

"Correct. You must trust your instincts," Splinter nodded, turning back towards his room as he cast a knowing glance over his shoulder at his sons. "But, beware the trap of believing something to be true simply because you wish it to be so."

The turtles shared a glance, and April knew exactly what they were thinking. It was all too easy for them to fall into that trap, because at the end of the day, Leo was their brother. The brother they wanted so badly to reconnect with, regardless of the dangers. They undeniably wanted to believe he was ready to leave the Foot Clan, and wanted to fight side by side with them instead of against them. However, if Karai was involved, there was no telling what could happen. And April was unsure if they could handle being betrayed again…especially poor Mikey.

"So, I should trust my instincts…unless said instincts are wrong," Donnie clarified, sounding very uncertain, as his father walked away.

Pausing to look over his shoulder once more, Splinter nodded. "Correct," he said. Without another word, he slipped back into his room, leaving his three sons staring after him in perplexity. To be honest, even though she'd been half listening, April was just as confused, so much so that she was forced to pause her exercises and think it over for herself. How could Donnie trust his instincts and not trust them at the same time? Was that even possible?

Jeez, Splinter gave the weirdest advice sometimes.

"…uuhh…thanks, Sensei?" Donnie shrugged, shaking his head as he furrowed his brows.

Mikey blinked. "Whooooaaa…you know it's good advice when you're still confused afterwards," he breathed in awe.

April stifled a giggle. She couldn't quite argue with Mikey's logic.

"Guys, seriously," Raph interjected again firmly, "an alliance with Karai? No way! Why are we even talking about this?"

Turning to Raph, Mikey's smile dwindled somewhat. "But what about Leo?" he asked. "Didn't we pretty much say that we can trust him already?"

The look in Mikey's eyes seemed to undo something in Raph as he folded his arms, scowling down at the carpeted floor with narrowed green eyes. "…I still don't know," he said, his voice losing its hardened edge. "He once said that there are people in the Foot that he had some kind of relationship with. If she's one of them, he'll likely go along with everything she says to keep them from breaking apart. Heck, because of that, she's probably got him wrapped around her little finger. We…we can't take the chance, Mikey."

At that, Mikey began to wilt like a withered flower, his downcast eyes lowering to the mats as he sighed. "Yeah, I guess not," he said glumly, idly tracing the patterns on the floor with his finger.

More than anything, April wanted to hug him close to her, shelter him with her warmth in her arms as her chest throbbed painfully. However, now was not the time or place for that. Instead, she crossed over and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. A moment passed before Mikey's larger hand came up to cover hers, and he sent her a grateful smile that could've melted her heart.

For what seemed like the umpteenth time that night, Donnie sighed. "It's too bad we can't trust her," he said. "It would be nice to have a kunoichi on our side."

At that, something sharp, hot and foreign clicked inside April as she bristled, her eyes darting from Mikey to Donnie in a millisecond. "Um, hello? What about me?" she snapped, releasing Mikey's shoulder and planting her hands on her hips as she pinned the purple clad turtle with a questioning look.

Donnie blinked. "No, I mean a real kunoichi," he said, clearly without thinking.

April's eyes widened, her mouth agape.

Wait, what? So I'm not a real kunoichi to you just because I'm a beginner?! That's not fair!

Donnie instantly realized his mistake, his mahogany eyes widening to saucers with horror. "I-I-I mean, not that you're not a real one!" he stammered. "I-It's just that Karai's better. I-I-I m-mean not better, just, more experienced! Is it – is it hot in here?" he laughed nervously, scratching the side of his neck with a trembling finger.

April narrowed her eyes, her lips thinned into an irritated line.

Seriously?! Well, I mean, yeah, I guess that's true, but…ouch.

Masking the sudden burst of intense hurt and jealousy about a girl she'd never even met, April shook her head dismissively. "It's okay, I get it. She's your mortal enemy, but hey, she's purdy!" she quipped with a deep frown. A part of her knew that her feelings were a little unreasonable; she'd barely started her training as a female ninja, and Karai probably had years of experience behind her, being in the higher ranks alongside Leonardo. But still, the way Donnie had blatantly dismissed her skills entirely, despite how hard she'd worked to get to where she was now, in favour of one of the minions of their greatest enemy of all people…it really sucked. Even if he hadn't been thinking straight, it still hurt to think that maybe…they didn't really believe in her…

"No she's not," Donnie countered, still trying his best to make amends. "You're way prettier! Wai – N-not that I think you're pretty – I mean, you're not ugly – I-it's just that I mmmph!"

Salvation arrived in the form of a red masked green eyed turtle as Raph stood up, grabbed Donnie and dragged him away, slapping his hand over Donnie's running mouth and muffling his protests as he made his way to the exit of the dojo. His expression flat as a board, he didn't look back once. "Don't fight it," he told Donnie. "You'll thank me later."

Once they'd disappeared through the door, April looked down at Mikey, still sitting on the floor. Only then did she allow the hurt to show on her face as she frowned sadly. "Do…do you think I'm a real kunoichi, Mikey?" she asked softly, rubbing her forearm as she cast her gaze to the side, suddenly ashamed of herself.

Seconds later, however, she found herself swept right off her feet by the strength of Mikey's arms wrapping around her in a tight, unbreakable embrace. Looking straight up, Mikey batted his eyes at her, grinning wider than a Cheshire Cat. "You kidding me? Of course I do! We all do!" he cried. "Girl, you've only been training with us for a few months, and already you're doing awesome! Splinter thinks so, Donnie thinks so, even Raph thinks so, but don't tell him I said that. Trust me, when you reach your full potential, you'll be one of the greatest, awesomest, most badass kunoichi's out there!"

Unable to speak for a moment, April blinked down at the youngest turtle, before a smile of her own broke out across her features. "…Really?" she asked. "You think so?"

Mikey winked at her. "Really really."

A giggle bubbled from her throat before she could stop it, and she threw her arms around Mikey's neck to return the embrace. Who could ever find a doubt in their heart in the face of such warm love and sincerity?

Now, thanks to Michelangelo's profound belief in her, April was determined to prove that she could become the kunoichi that he and his family believed she could be. That way, should she ever come face to face with Karai, she'd be ready for whatever punches she threw at her.

She'd be ready. She'd be strong. And she'd have the best brothers ever cheering her on every step of the way.

"Thanks, Mikey," April whispered against his shoulder.

Mikey's beam only grew brighter. "No problemo, sis."

Now, Leonardo had been a passenger in many vehicles before. He remembered several occasions when he'd ridden in the back of a van during a mission back in Tokyo, and even though it'd been awkward and uncomfortable for him being cooped up in such a small space at first, he'd soon grown used to it. Hell, he'd flown on Tiger Claw's back hundreds of times, soaring dangerously high into the air, and he loved it.

However, he'd never been on a motorbike before. Those odd contraptions, for some reason, had never sat well with the blue clad turtle. They never seemed stable enough to ride on, and Leo feared that if he ever sat on one or tried to drive one, he'd fall or crash in an instant.

Now, he was on one, zooming through the empty streets of New York City, his mask and scarf tails whipping furiously behind him. And he absolutely hated it.

And worse still, it was being driven by Karai.

His arms wrapped fiercely around her waist and his face pressed firmly against her armored back, Leo held onto his human sister with everything he had as she sped through the streets without pause, wincing and crying out every time they turned a sharp corner. This was fast, too fast, for Leo to handle without feeling sick to his stomach. And the bike, whilst fully functional, and crafted by skilled members of the Foot Clan, was far too small, too unstable, too accident prone for his liking. And the fact that Karai, the most reckless person he'd ever known besides himself, was driving it with a near manic grin on her face, made it ten times worse.

He wished they could've had Tiger Claw fly them instead. At least then, he'd be assured in knowing that his father wouldn't dare to let them fall. And it would've been fun.

"K-K-Karai?! M-Maybe you sh-sh-should slow down a little?!" Leo cried over the roar of the bike engine. "W-We might hit someone!"

Karai threw her head back and laughed. "Oh relax, Leo!" she cackled, clearly enjoying herself at Leo's expense. "Besides, this way, we'll find the Kraang ship quicker! Then we can prove to the guys that we can be trusted! Isn't that what you wanted?"

"What I want is to freaking live!" Leo screeched back, almost certain he was crushing the girl's ribs with how hard he was squeezing her. He heard Karai laugh again, and vowed to get his revenge on her the first chance he got as their speed increased. Looking for the Kraang ship themselves and spying on them, or at least attempting to disable the ship as much as possible had been part of her insane plan, yes. But Leo was pretty darn sure that riding the bike had not. It was just an opportunity for Karai to have an excuse to ride the stupid thing again. She loved the Foot Clan bikes.

When he'd said that he had to show the other turtles that they could trust her, he hadn't meant taking on the Kraang ship by themselves. As if the bike thing hadn't been suicidal enough! And her plan to actually find the ship – driving around the city until they spotted it – was just as ridiculous. He often wondered what on earth she would do without him to knock some sense into her –

"WAAAUGH!" Leo screamed in terror as Karai suddenly skidded to a halt, the tires screeching loudly against the concrete before finally coming to a stop. Just as he lifted his face from her back and opened his mouth to shout at her, he was silenced when Karai brought up her hand and pointed to a rooftop a few blocks away.

It was the Kraang ship, floating in the air and out in the open for all to see. And from what Leo could tell, it looked as though it had cornered something in a dead end, and was getting ready to open fire.

It appeared that the Kraang had found the other turtles again.

Leo blinked, staring at the ship with wide eyes. In front, Karai turned to look over her shoulder and smirked at him. "I'm sorry, what were you saying earlier? About my idea being totally stupid and not making any sense?" she asked, her tone as snide as her smile.

Pouting sourly, Leo turned away. "Whatever," he grumbled. "Still, we need to find a way to get up there and take the Kraang by surprise. And since you're oh so mighty and clever, I ask you, how are we supposed to do that?" he droned, raising a skeptical brow at her.

However, much to his surprise, Karai's smile never faltered as she turned back to the road, twisting the accelerator readily. "Oh, I have an idea alright," she said, peddling the bike back a few feet. "Hold onto your butt, three-toes!"

Without further waning, the bike lurched forwards, making Leo yelp again and cling back onto Karai for dear life as she drove straight for the nearest building. Squeezing his eyes shut, Leo couldn't fight the scream of terror that clawed its way from his throat as the bike began to drive up the wall horizontally, not stopping once until it bumped onto the rooftop.

Leo was no scientist, but he was pretty sure that Karai had just defied the laws of physics.

Whilst Karai let out an excited whoop at her success, Leo dared not open his eyes as the bike tore across the rooftop like a bullet, getting closer and closer to the Kraang ship. The Kraang inside were too busy firing at the turtles' strange vehicle – a graffitied subway car with giant, thick tyres – to notice them approaching.

"Okay Leo, this is it!" Karai announced, making Leo open one curious eye to look up at her. "When I give the signal, we jump onto the ship and give it everything we've got!"

Both of the turtle's eyes were wide open now as he gawked at the back of Karai's head as if she'd grown another. "What?! Are you crazy?!" he screamed.

"Just do it!" Karai shouted back, already preparing herself for her dismount. "Trust me, we're gonna make it!"

Still shaking from head to toe, Leo finally nodded, deeming that he really had no other choice. Taking a deep breath, he reluctantly unwound his arms from around Karai's waist and angled himself on the back of the bike, readying himself for a leap of faith. He was absolutely sure they were going to die, and he had no one to blame but himself and Karai for their foolery. Well, mostly Karai.

The bike was reaching the edge of the rooftop now, their target getting closer and closer. Leo's muscles tensed, his eyes turning white as he narrowed them determinedly.

Come on, Leonardo, snap out of it. This is nothing compared to what you've done in the past. Now is not the time to be afraid. You can do this, Leo! You can do this!

Washing away the doubts and fears from his mind, he focused on their objective, waiting for Karai to give the signal.

This was it.

"JUMP!"

With a chorus of hollers, the turtle and the kunoichi leapt off the bike just as it flew over the edge of the roof and plummeted down into the alleyway below. They remained airborne for a breathless moment, before landing atop the Kraang ship, still in one piece.

Letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Leo silently thanked whatever god was listening in that moment, before he and Karai drew their blades and brought them down hard upon the shining metal surface of the ship. Leo's blade was keener than Karai's, so whist his katana pierced straight through the metal, Karai's left only a scratch. He made a mental note to make fun of her for that later.

However, whatever victory they'd had in mind was short-lived. Though they'd managed to draw their attention away from the other turtles, the Kraang inside the ship had undoubtedly decided that their new stowaways were bothering them, and the aircraft suddenly turned, floating off into the city with them still hacking away at the outside.

Crying out in fear, Leo and Karai held on for dear life as ship flew, steering dangerously from left to right as if it were trying to throw them off. Scooting over as much as he was able to without slipping off, Leo threw an arm over Karai, holding her close to his side and stabbing his katana into the metal to keep them steady, though his arm already trembled from the effort as he held onto the hilt of his sword. No matter what, Leo knew he couldn't let go as he ground his teeth together, holding Karai a little closer.

A fall from this height would surely result in broken bones, a cracked shell, or even death. And neither of them were fond of such outcomes.

"This is so not fun!" Karai screeched, gasping and clutching onto Leo's arm as the ship tilted and grinded itself against the side of a warehouse. That move had effectively loosened the katana embedded into the metal, making the pair slide further down the side of the ship, and their situation only worsened as the ship barrel rolled in mid-air. Their stomachs flipped, but they fought the urge to hurl up their last meal.

"Listen, Karai," Leo said through gritted teeth over the whine of the flying ship. "In case we die, there's something important I have to tell you."

"Yeah? What is it?" Karai asked.

"I hate you. I hate you so much."

Karai blinked hard, before she smirked. "I hate you too, goody-three-toes."

Finally, the katana slipped free from the metal. Screaming, Leo and Karai sailed straight off the side and tumbled helplessly through the air, the ground rushing up to meet them…

"BOOYAKASHA!"

Flying through the air, a long black bike hurtled straight for them, catching them mid-air as they landed on the lap of the driver. The bike tilted downwards as gravity pulled it back to earth, bouncing unsteadily on solid ground before driving smoothly down the road, without a scratch.

It took a moment for them to catch their breaths again, their hearts pounding like a brass band against their rib-cages, before they looked up to find their driver and savior was…

Their jaws dropped. "Michelangelo?" they chorused.

Beaming wide, the orange clad turtle in question nodded proudly at them. "Yeah boi, that's me! Awesome save by yours truly, thank you very much!" he snickered. "What you did back there was totally crazy, for realz! You guys okay?"

With Leo sat across Mikey on his left and Karai on his right, the two older teens shared a stunned glance. Had Mikey actually chased after them, rescued them from an admittedly gruesome death, all the while riding on a cool-looking motorbike? Well, considering everything else his younger brother has ever done, Leo couldn't say he was that surprised at the pure ludicrousness of it…though he had to admit, he was very impressed.

"Uh…y-yeah, we're okay," Leo nodded shakily, gripping Mikey's shoulder for balance. "Uh…thanks for the save."

"No worries, dude. That's how I roll!" Mikey crowed, and then turned to look at Karai.

Startled when the hyperactive turtles' attention suddenly shifted to her, Karai blinked hard, looking from him to Leonardo. "…I'm, not really good about saying 'thank you'," she confessed awkwardly, earning a fond smile from Leo as she turned her head away from the turtles.

Mikey only blinked, as if trying to understand. "Oh, really? Anything else?" he asked, just as a sudden flash of purple light followed by a laser beam grazed the very edge of the bike, making them duck their heads down to avoid the blast before looking over their shoulders. Soon enough, they found the Kraang ship flying not far behind in hot pursuit…again.

Turning back to Mikey, Karai shrugged. "No. That was it," she said.

At that, Mikey seemed satisfied as he nodded. "Okie dokie then," he said. "Now, let's get these flying pink blobs off our tails. Y'all better huddle up, 'cus it's about to get real tight under here."

With that, Mikey pressed a button on one of the handles, and before they knew what was happening, a black dome had encased them, plunging them into darkness even as the bike drove on without a hitch. Leo tensed, his hand tightening on Mikey's shoulder reflexively at the sudden darkness, combined with the fact that he wasn't entirely sure the younger turtle could even see where he was going.

Karai, on the other hand, was almost fascinated. "Whoa. What kind of bike is this?" she asked.

Mikey's grin seemed to glow brighter than his sparkling blue eyes in the dark as he turned to her. "It's called the Stealth Bike," he explained eagerly. "Donnie made it so we can blend in with the dark, even on the road. It's kinda Raph's thing, but I've always wanted to ride it myself! Pretty wicked, right?"

Whistling as she looked around, though there wasn't much to really look at, Karai nodded. "Y'know, it kind of is," she agreed.

Leo couldn't help but raise a brow at her, though he wasn't sure she could see him give her an incredulous look. Depending on who you were and how you went about it, it was hard to genuinely impress Karai…and yet, here she was, genuinely impressed, by Michelangelo of all people.

And oddly enough, months ago, something similar had happened to him, when he'd agreed to meet Mikey in Central Park that one time. They'd actually played together, just as they'd done as children, when only days beforehand, he'd been set on killing him and the others.

What was it about Mikey that seemed to flip the fabric of the universe?

Turning a sharp corner, Mikey parked the bike in the far corner of a dark alleyway, shutting off the engine just as the Kraang ship appeared overhead, casting the beam of light down upon the streets as it searched for them. Under the hood of the bike, the three teenagers held their breaths as they unconsciously drew closer together, praying that their vehicle was enough to elude the Kraang…

Sure enough, the ship turned and floated off into the distance, before disappearing from their sight entirely. Only when they were certain they had left did Mikey drop the hood, scanning the skies one last time just be safe, before he exchanged glances with Leo and Karai. After heaving a sigh of relief as he sat back against the bike, he smiled. "Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh?" he said.

All his previous anxiety suddenly falling away in the face of Michelangelo's smile and assurance of safety, a breathless chuckle escaped Leo as he shook his head bewilderingly. "I don't know how you manged to do it…but you did it," he sighed. Then, a ghost of a smile claimed his lips. "Thanks, Mikey. We…we really owe you one."

Mikey's smile dropped for a moment, his eyes wide and unblinking as he stared at Leo. Then it returned ten times wider as he gasped, before throwing his arms around Leo's neck, trapping the older turtle in a fierce yet loving embrace. "Dude, you're so welcome! You don't even owe me anything, I'm just so glad you're okay! You're welcome you're welcome you're welcome!" he cried, nuzzling his cheek against Leo's even as the blue clad terrapin protested, attempting to free himself from Mikey's crushing grip.

"Okay, okay, alright, let go now, I can't breathe," he choked out, but the other turtle seemed to have taken no heed, and only tightened his hold instead.

From the side-lines – or the other side of Mikey's lap – Karai watched the exchange in silence, her amber eyes marginally widened and calculating as she stared at Michelangelo. It had only been a mere 'thank you', nothing he probably hadn't received before from anyone else before…and yet, it had meant the whole world to him coming from Leonardo. And the way he held Leo close, the way he snuggled himself against him like a child in spite of the older turtle's protests…and the traces of tears she noticed starting in the corner of his eye…

He reminded her of how she and Leo had been towards each other after they'd first met all those years ago.

"Huh," Karai muttered to herself faintly, going unheard by the turtles as Mikey finally released Leo, much to his liberation as he drew in a deep, much needed breath.

They really did love Leonardo, didn't they?

Minutes later, the Stealth Bike was driving smoothly along the tracks of an abandoned railway station within the sewers, with Michelangelo, Leonardo and Karai all huddled under the dome once more. They rode in an awkward silence, none of them brave or willing enough to start up a conversation, not even Mikey, who'd been the loudest of the three before they'd left the surface only moments earlier.

Drumming his fingers atop his padded knee, Leo finally decided that he'd had enough of the silence as he turned back to Mikey, who had his once vibrant blue eyes focused solely on the tracks ahead. "So, Michelangelo," he began slowly. "Where are you taking us?"

"To see the guys," Mikey answered without missing a beat, sounding oddly serious and nonchalant at the same time. "They said they'd park the Shellraiser nearby when they hid underground."

"Why are you taking us to see them?" Karai asked, raising a brow at him. "Donatello must've told you that you can't trust us, plus we're your enemies, if you hadn't noticed. For all you know, we could try to kill you all the second we –"

"You said you wanted to help us, right? Well, he's your chance to talk to all of us at the same time," Mikey said simply, shrugging one shoulder. "Besides, if you wanted to kill us, you wouldn't have saved us from the Kraang back there, right?"

Leo and Karai shared a look, raising their brows. They had to admit, behind that goofy exterior, the kid was pretty sharp when he was focused.

"Well, okay then. Do they know you're bringing us with you?" Leo asked.

"No," Mikey replied.

"What? And you're still gonna do it anyways?"

"Yes."

"Do we have a say in any of this?"

"No."

Leo frowned, growing slightly irritated. "Are you going to answer any of my questions without saying 'yes' or 'no'?" he droned.

"That depends. Are you gonna ask a question that doesn't have a totally obvious answer?" Mikey grinned cheekily.

Eyes narrowing, Karai scowled. Combined with the fact that she was cramped in this small space, and that she was stuck sitting on the lap of a freckled turtle that wouldn't shut up, she was growing increasingly agitated. "Leo, can I strangle him?" she asked.

His head whipping around to face her, Leo pinned her with a sharp glare. "No!" he snapped.

The girl sighed, ignoring how his tone had sounded both chiding and almost protective. "C'mon, really?" she whined.

"Yes!" the blue eyed turtle pressed firmly. It was only seconds after looking over at Mikey, who was wearing a very smug grin on his face, that he realized what he'd just done.

His eyes widened. "Wait – wait a minute!"

Throwing his head back, Mikey laughed loudly. Narrowing his eyes at his youngest brother, Leo growled lowly, clenching his shaking fist tightly as he shot daggers at the little brat that had managed to play him like a fiddle. The sudden urge to comply with Karai's earlier wishes to strangle him was slowly becoming tempting, before Mikey's laughter abruptly stopped.

"Oh, we're here now, dudes!" he announced, slowing the bike down as they approached what Mikey had called the Shellraiser.

"Thank god," muttered Karai under her breath as the bike slid underneath the larger vehicle.

Turning off the engine, Mikey shifted from underneath Leo and Karai so that he could push the hatch up. A bright light flooded into the dark space, nearly blinding them all with its sudden gleam. "We're back!" Mikey sang happily to the only two occupants sitting inside the Shellraiser.

Sitting at the driver's seat, Raphael turned around, and his eyes instantly widened to saucers with his jaw hanging agape at the sight of Leonardo and Karai climbing out of the hatch. "You brought them inside?!" he barked. "Dude! They'll see all our gear!"

Moving aside to let Mikey climb out after them and shut the hatch, Leo and Karai took a look at their new, and rather impressive surroundings. However, as their eyes roamed from the map and computer station, where Donatello was sat gawking at them, to the weapons station and then to the front of the van, Karai raised a brow at a rather peculiar object just above the automatic doors.

"Yeah, 'cus if Shredder finds out you have an Ice Cream lamp, it is over," she snorted, turning to grin at Raph. In response, Raph grumbled, turning away from the kunoichi with murder in his eyes. Leo fought the urge to snicker at the banter between them, but couldn't restrain a slight smile as he nudged the girl beside him playfully with his elbow.

"C'mon, guys, they just risked their own butts to save ours," Mikey said, gesturing the two newcomers with a wave of his hand before turning to Donnie, who didn't look impressed in the slightest. "Donnie, don't you think we should hear them out? I mean, they've earned a little trust now, right?" he pleaded, big blue eyes wide and hopeful.

Brown eyes narrowing, Donatello looked from Karai to Leo, who patiently awaited his answer. Part of him was tempted – so very tempted – to say no and send them on their way again. They had no business being inside his car anyways. However, though he would never say so out loud, Mikey did have a point. What they'd done back there, whilst it had been stupid and reckless without a doubt, it had saved them from the wrath of the Kraang ship.

They'd gone to great lengths just to prove that they – that she – really could be trusted…and despite the voice inside his head telling him not to, Donnie bought it. For now.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, he relented. "Alright," he said. "Let's hear what they have to say."

In the front, they heard Raph sigh. "You're the boss," he said, reluctantly, as he parked the Shellraiser and shut off the engine. Once they were settled, the three turtles turned their full attention to Leo and Karai, waiting with varying degrees of interest to hear what they had to say.

Folding her arms, Karai began. "You guys need our help. You really think you can shoot down an alien warship with garbage?"

"Compressed garbage," Donnie was quick to correct, folding his arms.

"And manhole covers," Mikey added.

"Our point," Leo said with a roll of his eyes at their naivety, "is whilst we admire your resourcefulness, to take down a ship like that, you need a real weapon."

From the front of the van, Raph scoffed. "Oh yeah? Like what?" he asked skeptically, clearly still not on board with any of this, and rightly so.

Before answering, Karai turned to Leo. They'd discussed this scenario earlier, before she'd dragged him by the scarf and planted his shell on the back of a death bike and drove off into the night in search for the ship. And though a part of Leo was still on the edge on such a plan, especially since their chances of getting caught by Shredder had amplified treacherously, it was their only option.

When Leo nodded in silent agreement, Karai turned back to the red clad turtle. "What if we got you a shoulder-fired missile launcher?" she proposed.

Raph blinked once at her, stunned. "…I'm starting to like you," he said.

Planting his hands on his hips, Leo raised a brow at Raph, though it went unnoticed. When it came to hitting things and blowing stuff up, it seemed that his brother's mind could be easily changed.

Standing up from his chair, Donnie walked over to the pair, his arms still folded over his chest as he regarded them skeptically. "Where are you two gonna get a shoulder-fired missile launcher?" he probed. He knew better than anyone that such weapons were hard to come by, unless you wanted to get yourself arrested or worse.

"From Shredder, of course," Karai shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing.

At that, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as the three turtles stared at them, a short silence hanging over their heads. Finally, the silence was broken as Mikey held up a finger. "Uh, we're talking about the same Shredder, right? Big dude, lots of blades…really hates us?" he asked.

"Yeah, something tells me he's not gonna wanna share his toys with us," Raph said, eyeing the pair of newcomers pointedly as if to say 'are you freaking serious?'

"He won't know about it," said Leo. "He's buying a big shipment of weapons at the docks tomorrow night. It sounds crazy, but it won't be hard to get passed him or the other soldiers whilst he's busy negotiating with the arms dealer."

Karai nodded at Leo with a smile. "He's right. All we have to do is sneak in and help ourselves," she concluded.

Still looking uncertain, though it was clear a part of him was still very curious and tempted to agree, Raph bit his lip, turning to Donnie and Mikey. "Anyone else smell a trap?"

"Sorry," Mikey said, holding up a hand before shyly pressing his fingers together as he blushed. "That was me."

Even though Mikey couldn't see him, Donnie made a disgusted face as he rolled his eyes.

Ignoring the awkward confession from the youngest turtle – who they currently found it very hard to believe had been the one to save their lives over an hour ago – Leo sighed. "Why would we trap you? You know I wouldn't do that sort of thing, for one, and two, you're the only ones aside from us who know what the Kraang are up to," he said.

"True," Donnie replied, then pointed a thumb at Karai. "But she doesn't have the best track record."

Leo narrowed his eyes at Donnie, fighting the urge to growl as he shuffled closer to Karai, almost protectively, though he never once tore his eyes away from his taller younger brother. After everything they'd done to try and prove themselves, to prove Karai, to be trustworthy, they still didn't trust them. Leo knew he couldn't exactly blame them for it, for at the end of the day, they were under the command of the Shredder. They were on opposing sides, fighting for reasons that were mostly unknown to the other. However, it irked Leo to know that they couldn't bring themselves to band together in the face of such calamity.

And it irked him more to know that they couldn't trust the girl he'd seen as his sister, a sibling that had been there for him in their absence…

"Fine," he said firmly, casting a glance at Karai before looking back of at the young leader. "We'll get you the missile launcher ourselves."

At that, all eyes widened once more as the three turtles exchanged startled glances. Beside him, Karai gave him a smile of silent approval, which he returned with a subtle nod of his head just as Donnie turned to them again.

"You…you guys are really willing to steal from Shredder?" he asked, regarding them with thought and mild disbelief. Though again, Leo couldn't blame him. This plan did sound a little crazy.

Regardless of that, however, Leo nodded once. "These things have to be stopped, Donatello. If Shredder isn't gonna do anything about it, then we will, with your help or without it."

For what felt like the longest time, Donnie said nothing as his calculating eyes shifted from Karai to his older brother. They were so determined to put a stop to the Kraang that they were ready to steal from their leader, a man not known for acts of mercy. They were well aware of the consequences if they were ever caught, and yet to them, it seemed like it didn't even matter. Donnie couldn't help but admire their bravery and profound resolve, but he did have an issue with their downright recklessness.

Perhaps he could give them a chance. But first things first, he had to remember that just because he was the leader, it didn't mean his team members couldn't have their say on the matter before he made the final decision.

Donnie looked over to Mikey first. Predictably, the youngest turtle nodded his head once, without a word. He should've known Mikey would be the one to eagerly agree, for the chance to work with Leonardo.

Then Donnie turned to look at Raph, who'd been watching the exchange with mild interest until now. The red clad turtle looked from Donnie, then to Karai, and then finally to Leo. He then brought his hands up as if to say 'I don't give a damn', and then turned away from them.

A very faint smirk grew across Donnie's lips. If that was Raph's way of saying he was on board, he'd take it.

"Alright," Donnie said at last. "Here's the deal. You two get us the missile launcher, and we'll team up. Whatever happens after that…well, we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best, I suppose."

Finally, Leo allowed his sternness to melt away as he smiled up at Donnie, seemingly pleased and very relieved that they'd finally reached an agreement. Beside him, Karai was smiling as well, if only faintly.

At first, Donnie was a little surprised by their reactions. He hadn't seen Leo smile like that since the 'Maze', and he'd never seen Karai smile so genuinely for as long as they'd known her. It almost threw him for a loop. But soon, he returned their smiles with a lopsided one of his own as he reached out a hand for Leo to shake, and then did the same for Karai.

They'd made their decision. They'd put their trust in each other. Now all they had to do was wait, and then see what happened next.

A/N: This was a long and HARD one to write, I'm not kidding, but it was worth it XD I hope you guys liked it, and more are on the way!

Next time: Leo and Karai are met with an unexpected change of plans, and the other turtles are faced with a tough decision...