Chapter 9

The group kept on running, their breath coming in short, fast gasps. Three blocks down they turned left, and ran for another five blocks until they found the Battle-Shell in a narrow alleyway. Pieh Chi didn't ask questions, she just followed, clambering into the back of the van before leaning against the wall on the floor. She was helplessly exhausted, both mentally and physically, and her body took just a few moments to fall into blissfully isolated darkness.

Meanwhile, April welcomed her friends:

"Guys! Finally, I was starting to get worried."

"We're fine April, we just took a bit of a beating, nothing unusual." Mikey replied, sitting down gratefully on the cool floor.

"Oh really? Then why are there five of you currently sat in the back?" In the rear-view mirror, the guys saw her raised eyebrows and gesture towards the added extra to their company with her head before she returned her eyes to the road.

"Actually, she's kind of sleeping," Mikey pointed out, leaning himself towards the girl turtle's blank face, not comprehending the idea of personal space. Donatello pulled his brother away by the shoulder to check their 'guest's' vitals. Mikey sat down next to Casey instead.

"Donny, is she alright?" Leo asked, sitting opposite the female turtle as his brother clambered towards her. She was pale, but breathing steadily.

"She will be fine, Leonardo," Splinter assured, kneeling next to her. "She has used up a lot of her energy in discovering her new power."

"Yeah, but she's still hurt. Donny, can you patch her up?"

"Only temporarily. I'll have to replace them once we get back to the lair. But what about you?" Donny asked, eyeing up his brother's wounds. The one on his arm looked particularly nasty, although he had suffered much worse.

"I'll be fine, she's in more need."

"Wait," Raphael suddenly cut in. "The lair? You're joking right? She works for the Shredder!"

"He tried to kill her dude," Mikey argued, looking worryingly at their new friend's condition. "And she tried to repay the favour."

Leonardo heard the awe in his brother's voice, but also saw the trickle of fear in his face. In all their faces, actually; somehow, this turtle which they didn't even know existed had managed to make fire stream out of her very hands, which remained un-burnt. And the fact that Master Splinter had to calm her down in order for her to stop trying to grill their mortal enemy (and now apparently hers) suggested she had a lack of control. Perhaps an anger and temper that could only be matched by Raphael. But staring at her now, it was hard to believe that this pale, weak, unconscious turtle had managed such a feat and such…malice. A question played on all four brother's minds: What exactly were they dealing with here? A magician? A mystic-ninja? Raphael probably thought she was some kind of she-demon employed by their enemy, whilst Mikey seemed entertained by the fact she was a 'witch'. To Donny, she was just his patient while he patched her up. But after that? Leo looked at his father's face and found it full of nothing but concern for the female turtle. Sudden realisation made him speak.

"Master Splinter, she's the object you were meant to find, isn't she?"

"Yes Leonardo," Master Splinter sighed, placing a paw on Pieh Chi's forehead as Donny wrapped up her wounds. "I was a friend of her father's. The Shredder murdered him and upon discovering Mei Pieh Chi, kidnapped her, believing her to be useful in destroying us. But he did not realise she had been taught in the shinobi arts, and as far as I could tell, she was going to use tonight to exact revenge."

"That's why she tried to barbeque him?" Mikey asked.

"Yes Michelangelo. But I stopped her."

"Why?" Donny wondered, leaning back after inspecting his handiwork on Pieh Chi. He then began to help Leo.

"Because she is not a killer. She has never been able to wield a flame before, and it was vastly draining her energy, fuelled by her hatred for the Shredder. If she had succeeded, she would have greatly regretted it, as it would have stained her honour as a shinobi and shadowed her for the rest of her life."

"And the Shredder isn't exactly fussed about a little bit of fire, is he? Remember the first night we ever fought him?" Leo added, wincing as Donny tightened the bandage on his upper arm.

"Wow, she's like a full blown wizard!" Mikey caught Donny's frown. "Oh, sorry. Witch!"

"She's a shaman Mikey," Leo chided.

"Yes, and a powerful one, now that she is able to master all four elements." Splinter remarked.

"Well she don't look so powerful now." Raph finally muttered. He had held his tongue long enough listening to this ridiculous conversation. He couldn't believe his brothers would be stupid enough to trust this chick, especially not Master Splinter. Leonardo gritted his teeth slightly, in pain at Donny wrapping a bandage on his lower calf and in frustration at his brother's negativity.

"Enough Raph. She tried to destroy the Shredder and perhaps even saved our lives. She's coming with us."

"She saved your life Leo. And I still don't buy it."

"Raphael. She is injured and when she wakes she will be weak. She's has never taken a beating such as this. Besides, she's family," Splinter stared at his son, who didn't relent. The old rat arched his brows instead. "And I made a promise to her father that if anything happened to him, I would look after her. We are all she has left. We are her safety now."

A hush fell on the Battle-Shell as they turned down one last street and came into the abandoned warehouse above the lair. April, having heard the conversation and seen the condition of the new turtle was careful to be slow in turning down the last few streets before swinging into the warehouse. The doors were thrown open and Mikey jumped out, stretching.

"Ahh, home sweet home!"

"Mikey, a little help here?"

Mikey turned to see Donny and Leo trying to get the girl turtle out of the van, unsuccessfully due to Leo's injured arm. He took his brother's place, grabbing her legs whilst Donny lifted her shoulders. They were gentle so as not to hurt her any further or to wake her. Raphael kept well away, walking with Casey and April as Master Splinter summoned the elevator. All eight of them clambered inside, stepping into the threshold of the lair a few moments later. Don and Mikey carried the girl turtle to the couch, where she promptly woke up. Mikey jumped back and screamed as her eyes snapped open.

"W-w-what, where am I?" She shot up, seething as pain stabbed through her left arm and right shoulder. She went to touch her collar bone when she felt a bandage in the way.

"You've been hurt." The purple masked turtle stepped forward and crouched down to her eye level. "I've bound your wounds but not very well. They'll need cleaning and new bandages right away."

Pieh Chi frowned, confusion and distrust coursing through her. She then saw the rat.

"Please Mei Pieh Chi, we want to help you." He smiled, and Donatello offered his arm in encouragement. She took it tentatively, eager to get away from the other turtles and two humans staring at her. She raised herself shakily to her feet and allowed herself to be led to a metal table, surrounded by machines and electric devices. She sat upon it.

"Now, I'm gonna have to take these bindings off and clean your wounds with an anti-septic solution, which may hurt." The purple-masked turtle looked at Pieh Chi directly in the eyes, asking for her consent to continue. She nodded, and he began, gently peeling the now red cloth from her skin. It had become slightly stuck due to the blood, but she didn't wince. She had already made herself look weak by passing out in front of them. But the pain she felt when a cloth dampened with the mixture he mentioned made her seethe and pull away, her eyes screwing up from the stinging that erupted in her left arm. The turtle tightened his grip, pushing harder on the wound whilst looking at her apologetically. The pain receded and she relaxed again as he moved on to her collar bone. Everyone was still staring at her.

"She don't talk much," The red-masked one remarked.

"Raphael, one does not need to speak if one has nothing to say," Master Splinter commented.

"Well I got plenty of questions to ask-"

"And you can, but not now."

Raphael crossed his arms on his chest, a stony glare filling his face. Pieh Chi looked over at the others and noticed the blue masked one's arm.

"You are hurt," she stated, earning a surprised look in return.

"Oh, erm, it's nothing. Just a scratch."

"I saw what they did to you. I told your sensei the Shredder's plan to try and help. He was to repeat a strategy he used before."

"Really? What one?" Leo asked, slightly confused.

"The one where he-"

"Leonardo, these questions can come later." Master Splinter suddenly interjected. As much as he appreciated Mei Pieh Chi's help, if she was to reveal the Shredder's plan to destroy their leader he was sure his son would question his own skill and strength again due to the fact their enemy nearly succeeded. "Right now I believe we should all introduce ourselves to our guest."

"Oh right, of course Master Splinter. Erm, I'm Leonardo. Or just Leo, whatever you prefer."

"I'm Mikey" Michelangelo grinned. "And the guy who's fixing you up is the one and only Donatello!"

"Or just Donny," Donny offered, tying the second bandage tight. He frowned at the slash-mark on her plastron. "Do you want me to fix up those too?"

Pieh Chi looked at the wounds on her chest, left to dry naturally in the air and would surely scar. The ones she received the night her father was killed. The night she failed him...

"No, they are a reminder of the duty and honour I must uphold in my master's memory."

Everyone was silent for a moment, unsure how to react. Donny, satisfied with his work, moved over to Leo who was leaning against the computer desk to address the cuts on his arm and leg before Mikey started introductions again.

"And old grumpy guts in the corner, that's Raphael." Mikey earned a death stare from his brother.

April elbowed Casey in the arm. "Ow! Oh, erm, I'm Casey Jones." He winced, rubbing his forearm.

"And I'm April." April smiled. Pieh Chi smiled at them all in return.

"It's an honour to meet you all. My name is Mei Pieh Chi." She bowed her head and clambered off the medical table she'd been sat on. "Thank you Donatello."

"Oh, erm, it's fine. It's the least I could do. We just wanna thank-you for saving our brother's life." He gestured towards Leonardo, who bowed towards Pieh Chi while Donny packed away his medical kit. She was taken aback a little before the group made their way to the couch.

"He also saved my life. Well, you all did I suppose. An act I shall never forget," Pieh Chi smiled before asking one of her many burning questions. " But I must ask you, Master Splinter, you said you knew my father. Please, I would like to know as much as I can about what transpired between you."

Master Splinter sighed, seeing the longing behind Pieh Chi's eyes. He took a seat next to her, as his sons sat around the pair, Raphael leaning against a pillar slightly out of the group.

"I think it is best if I start at the beginning..."

And so Master Splinter explained everything. From meeting Chung I in the realm of dreams to their promise to each other to not reveal their children to each other until the time was right. He even explained how they had given one another training tips and observed their students.

"...and so I know that tonight was the first time you ever wielded fire. You have now mastered all four elements. Chung I would be proud." He smiled, and so did Pieh Chi, although it was tinged with sadness. Selfish curiosity then took over the old rat. "But there is a question I must ask of you Mei Pieh Chi: do you know why the Shredder murdered your father?"

Pieh Chi's smile faded and she looked to the floor. "He tried to cultivate him as an ally. He wanted him to use his Shinobi magic to support and help him to vanquish his enemies. The Shredder didn't know of my own skill or even my existence, and came to realise that I knew nothing of your family either." Pieh Chi suddenly raised her head to Splinter, fierce pride burning in her eyes. "Chung I refused him, and died with honour although not in an honourable way."

There was a moment of silence while the group contemplated her words and her loss. Raphael looked down at the floor; the girl was convincing, he'd give her that.

"So you're a shaman?" Donny asked eagerly, never having experienced true magic.

"In training. I still have much to learn, but using my scrolls-" She froze. "My scrolls! They are still in my room at the Foot's headquarters!"

"Don't worry Pieh Chi, we'll get them back." Leo assured, smiling at the hope that filled her face at his suggestion. It was a little contagious.

"But how?"

"Easy," Mikey stated. "We've broken in plenty of times. We just don't like the place."

"Michelangelo, this no mild thing. You cannot be over confident," Splinter chided. Raphael, on the other hand, snapped.

"Well, if she's such a great magician then why does she even need them?"

Raphael's cold tone cut through the atmosphere like a shard of metal.

"Raphael-"

"No Master Splinter," the group froze at Raph's disrespect. "You can say all you like, and she can be as nice as she wants, but at the end of the day, she still worked for Shredder. How do we know this wasn't part of the plan? What if she has some kind of tracker on her and any minute now the Foot are gonna come crashing through the lair?"

Leo, his patience waning, stood up. "Raph-"

"Don't Bother Leo. You may all trust her, but I don't buy it. This has all conveniently just been one big secret that we are supposed to automatically accept. Heck, we didn't even meet her master. How do we know this hasn't just been one big ruse that even Master Splinter has fallen for? This could be exactly what she wants."

"You think I wanted this?" Pieh Chi suddenly exploded, practically leaping off the couch and making the others jump. Raphael raised his eyes but never moved, even when she stepped up just a few centimetres from his face. "You think I wanted to see my master battered and killed?"

"Then why else would you stay with Shredder?"

"To survive, Raphael." The use of his name made him involuntarily flinch. "To make sure that my master's sacrifice was not in vain."

"Well, if you were planning on getting revenge, it didn't work. Your fancy fire didn't even tickle the Shredder. If you're so powerful, then why do you need us?"

"FINE! I will get the scrolls myself, and make my way back to China. At least then I'll be far enough away to not disturb you." And before anyone could stop her, Pieh Chi ran out of the lair, making her way to the elevator. She jammed one of two buttons and rushed out of the doors as soon as they opened out into the warehouse. She found a small steel door to the left of the large vehicle entrance, closed off now by a large metal grate that Casey had pulled down from the top of the entrance frame using its rope handle. She tentatively opened the door, and once she was sure she there was no one around, she began running, keeping to the shadows, while rage and misery coursed through her.