Here's part 5, guys! Enjoy!

Abducted Pt. 5

Ara

"What was THAT?!" Baxter gestured wildly to the camcorder behind him.

Ara nodded. "I know. I did my best, but they'll probably come anyway."

"That's not what I meant!" Baxter threw his hands in the air and paced up and down the room. "Shredder's gonna KILL me!" He took a step towards Ara, clenching his fists. "And I mean that literally!"

"Aw, calm down." Dogpound crossed the room from where he had been watching the scene unfold in the corner. "It's like the turtle said: they're going to come anyway. Those guys are so predictable. They care about honor and self-sacrifice and all those other signs of weakness. If you hadn't given me that teleportation toy of yours, I guarantee they'd follow my tracks and be here already." He jerked a thumb at Ara. "You shoulda seen this one come at me this morning. They're all STUPID." He crammed his face right up against Ara's, his putrid breath making her gag as he growled the next words. "Courageous, but STUPID."

Ara glared at him. "I think we define that word differently."

Dogpound studied her for a moment, then let out a deep, growling chuckle. "Maybe so. Why don't we go see how Master Shredder defines it?" He swung his arm out, slicing her bonds.

Ara blinked down at the scraps of rope and chain on the floor. "You really have to stop doing that. It's... wasteful." Ignoring her comment, Dogpound roughly led Ara down several hallways and up several stairwells before he finally pushed her into a dim room lit only by torches along the walls. At the end of the room was a large bulk, but it was shrouded in shadow, and Ara couldn't make out what it was.

"Step forward." The deep voice came from the center of the darkness. Ara cautiously advanced, straining her eyes to try to make out the shape in the darkness. A human form rose from the shadow and stepped out into the light. Shredder. "Well, if it isn't Asato Ara," he growled.

Ara blinked. "How did you..."

"Know your name?" Shredder finished, an amused spark flashing in his good eye. "The foot ninja's interrogation only confirmed my suspicions. It wasn't hard to figure out with all of the headlines... 'Orphan Ara Asato Gone Missing' and such. He raised an eyebrow. "You've changed quite a bit. When my spies noticed another ninja, this one female, among the turtles, you think I couldn't put two and two together?"

Ara shook her head, confused. There were so many gaps in his story. Questions buzzed in her head like angry bees. Two and two together? He sounded like he had known who she was even before she disappeared. Lots of people went missing in New York. Why would he single her out as the one who had been mutated into a turtle?

The Shredder must have seen the confused expression on her face, because he sighed in annoyance. "I have MUCH better things to do with my time than spell things out for ignorant teenagers, but I suppose I owe you this explanation." Ara could tell by the change in his tone that he was smirking. "Not that I mind giving it. Long ago, I was good friends with two men. One was your despicable newfound sensei, Hamato Yoshi. The other was named Asato Nao... your father."

A hushed gasp escaped Ara. "You... you knew my father?"

"Knew him? I didn't just know him. The three of us were the best of friends, inseparable. But then things changed. There was a woman named Tang Shen. We loved each other, but Yoshi could not accept it. Using trickery and betrayal, he stole Tang Shen from me."

Ara shook her head. "No. That's a lie. Tang Shen loved Splinter, not you."

"SILENCE!" Shredder roared. His hands clenched, the long, sword-like claws of his armor shooting out. "She loved ME!"

Regaining his composure, Shredder went on. "I sought revenge and went after Yoshi. Though I failed to destroy him that day, I managed to tear his family from him forever. When my aquantinces learned what I had done, they sought me out, bent on justice. Hunted, I turned to the only friend I thought I had left in the world: your father, Nao. I told him my story, but instead of helping me, he turned me in and comforted Yoshi instead. I, on the other hand, was thrown into the deepest dungeon. I soon escaped, but I would not let such a betrayal go unanswered. I searched the world over looking for Nao and finally managed to locate him. He had moved to New York, where he was happily married, the proud father of a beautiful baby girl. Of course, I couldn't let such perfect happiness go unchecked. I'll spare you the details, but what I will say is this: Your mother died three days later in the hospital, and your father barely managed to pull through himself. I highly doubt he would have if he had if he hadn't had such a strong will to live because of you."

Tears of rage and disbelief collected in Ara's eyes. She had always thought that her mother had died during childbirth. Was it possible that her father had lied to her in an attempt to protect her from the truth? Before she could properly wrap her mind around this new, sickening information, Shredder continued. "Years went by, and you grew in both skill and years. You were his pride and joy, Ara. That's something you deserve to know. I searched worldwide for Yoshi, but failed to find him. I always locate the people I search for, but it was as if he had completely dropped from the face of the earth. I took him for dead and turned back to the other stain on my honor: The Asato family."

Ara found that she couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Shredder's eyes pierced her like a hawk, watching her every emotion. He's enjoying this.

"I sent Nao a letter informing him that if he didn't show up at my designated address within three day's time, he'd be short one daughter. He came, of course, and this time I made sure he didn't make it to the hospital. However..."

Ara was vaguely aware that Shredder was still talking, but the words flowed over her in a jumbled wave, meaningless. She couldn't think right; she couldn't see straight. Her emotions tore into her, clawing at her insides like a caged tiger. The newfound realization hammered in her numb, shocked mind over and over again until she finally understood. He killed my dad. He killed my dad! HE KILLED MY DAD! Ara leapt up at Shredder with only one thought in mind: She had to hurt him as much as she could.

Ara didn't even see the blow until it struck home. It sent her sprawling back across the room, skidding to a stop at Bradford's feet. Choking back sobs, Ara lifted her hand to brush away the blood trickling from her nose.

"I wouldn't try that again if you value your life. Dismissed." Shredder's words rang across the room, echoing in her ears.

Dogpound jerked her to her feet, a smug smirk plastered on his face. "You heard him." He pushed her towards the door. "Get a move on." Ara's trained eye just saw a human form disappear out the door as she turned around, but she was too grieved to even wonder at who it was. Miserable and defeated, she let Dogpound lead her back to the storage room without protest, not even caring when he "accidentally" bumped the light switch off on his way out.