i do not own Ninja Turtles

Suddenly I was aware that the sound of battle had died away, and as I realised it so did Tzu. He peered around the bin as the vigilante who had been fighting the Purple Dragons put away his weapon and moved to come closer.

Tzu let me lean against the bin before stepping out, letting his cobra-like fangs slid forward, determined to make the man back off to defend me.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the man said, taking the bag of weapons from around his shoulders. He spoke softly, gently, almost like a snake charmer. But Tzu wasn't buying it. The man threw his bag at his feet. "I'm not armed anymore."

From where I reclined, I peered around the bin to see Tzu glance at the bag, then he seemed to do a double-take, bending down to examine the weapons. He glanced up at the man sharply.

"Let me see your face," he said, and it was an order. The man lifted up what I saw was a hockey match. He had a head of black hair framing a pair of blue-black eyes that seemed to burn with some unknown passion. He was well built and muscular, and looked tough.

"Is that you, Casey?" Tzu asked. The man frowned, and then amazed recognition passed across his face.

"Liam Marks, is that you? What happened to you?"

Then Tzu and the stranger were embracing, and Tzu was beaming as I had never seen before. Tzu turned to me.

"Takara, this is Casey Jones, the vigilante I used to work with against the Purple Dragons. We can trust him. Casey, this is my friend Takara."

I remembered Tzu mentioning a Casey when the Dragons had first appeared, but I hadn't expected to meet him so quickly. It was also weird to hear Tzu's real name used –I was so used to calling him Tzu I had forgotten he had his full memory.

"I see there's a lot explaining to be done," Casey said, crouching in front of me. "But it hasn't escaped my attention that your friend's hurt, Liam. Where are you staying, and how did you tangle with those Dragons?"

"We were staying on the second floor of the store where the Dragons were holding the goods," Tzu said. "I thought it would be safer to get out of the building until they were gone. I failed to catch one of the lines, and Takara came after me. I think you can work out the rest for yourself."

"So it looks to me that you could do with a new hiding place," Casey said. "I think I can offer you such a place."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mobile phone. Before he could even begin to dial, Tzu had knocked it out of his hand and grabbed him, pushing him back against the wall.

"Liam, what are you doing?" he asked, and I heard a tremor in his voice that had not been there before. "You need somewhere safe, and I have friends who can tend to Takara."

"Casey, we can't trust anyone else. I knew you for years. You taught me how to fight, and I trust you with my life. But no one else can know about us."

"You've changed, Liam," Casey said, pulling loose. "Well, I'll get you to somewhere safe; I know somewhere your friend can recover without fear of discovery. Come on, help me lift her."

I felt Tzu –it was hard to think of him by any other name than the one I had spoken for years –and Casey lift me between them and carry me slowly down the alley. I was placed in the back of something, and I sensed Tzu sit beside me. A few moments later, there was a vibration and we were off.

*

Tzu sat still, one hand resting on Takara's shoulder, letting her know he was right next to her. She was quiet now, wrapped under a thick warm blanket as he was. She moaned in pain, her wing wrapped in makeshift bandages to prevent her from moving it.

He could have died in that fall if Takara hadn't come down for him, but she had paid a heavy price. Thank goodness Casey had been around to lure the Purple Dragons away from them both after Takara had been hurt.

She was so important to him. If anything happened to her, he wasn't sure he would be able to go on as well as he was now. She was intelligent, and sharp. If she hadn't seen that proximity alarm or taken off that tracker in the sewers, they would have been caught before even making it to the surface. Now she had hurt herself in an attempt to protect him, it was his turn to return the favour.

*

In the cab, Casey sat in silence as he drove around the roads, thinking hard. He had received word from Raphael that they were looking for two mutated kids. But he would never have expected one of those kids to be Liam, one of his best protégées.

The Marks family had blamed him in part for their son's disappearance, saying he had turned their son into a rebel in a dangerous city. But those words had been spoken in grief, and Casey had promised to try and find their son. He had never expected him to turn up a mutated boy, one of the pair hunted by an unknown enemy, scared and on the run.

And then there was the girl, Takara. The bond between the two was strong, he could sense it. Liam stood guard over her, and now he sat beside her in the trailer. There was a definite team spirit between them. But she was hurt, and needed help. And he would not betray Tzu's trust in him. But he had to let his friends know he would be out of town for some time.

He pressed the speed-dial on the phone, calling April. She picked up on the second ring.

"What have you got, Casey?" she asked. He hated lying to her, but at least it was easier over the phone.

"Nothing," he said. "It's all quiet downtown. Look, I won't be able to help for a few nights, OK? Some family business has popped up. I will be back as soon as I can." He hung up before April could express her disappointment.

He knew the perfect spot to go to allow the girl to recover; right out in the countryside, away from the noise and bustle of the city. At least she would be able to fly once her wing was mended; he would also have the chance to convince at least Takara to trust his friends on his word.

*

It seemed that they had been driving for hours. Tzu was getting cold, and he fretted over what effect the cold would have on the injured Takara. He wrapped her up tightly and settled down to sleep for a while.

At last, he felt someone shaking him awake. When he opened his eyes, he saw the bright morning sky streaming into the trailer in which they had been riding. Casey was kneeling next to him, shaking him into consciousness. As soon as he saw he was awake, Casey turned to Takara. Without turning to consult Tzu, Casey had picked Takara into his arms and was leaving the trailer.

Tzu hurried after him, and saw a farmhouse only a few feet away. It looked abandoned, and it was definitely a good place for Takara to recover. Casey laid her on a bed in the upper storey before turning his attention to the damaged wing.