Chapter 5

"Good morning." A voice said from the door to the training room. "You're up awfully early this morning." Lara dropped her aim on the deer.

"Oh, hi Mikey." She answered. "Yea, I'm practicing so I can go with you guys next time." Mikey nodded as if he knew all too well.

"I remember when I was young," he started. "The others thought I wasn't good enough to fight. So they made me do all these dumb training mumbo jumbo, until they decided I was good enough." He sighed. "It took them two years to decide that." Lara dropped her aim and turned around.

"Two years?" she marveled. "Wow. That really is a long time." Mikey shrugged as if it had no more importance on him.

"Do you want me to show you a better way to hold the bow? It will improve your aim a lot." Lara smiled.

"Sure." She answered. "Thanks a lot."

"I understand how you want to go so bad. I might as well help you reach your goals since there's nothing else to do around here today."

…

"Have you shot any hearts yet?" a voice said from the doorway to the training room. Lara calmly released her bowstring, letting yet another arrow fly into the deer's body for the thousandth time that week.

"Not yet." Lara answered, obviously discouraged. Leo put an understanding hand on her shoulder.

"Just keep trying." He said. "Practice makes perfect. You'll get it soon." Lara shrugged his hand off and turned around to look him in the eye. She was angry now.

"That's what you've been saying for days." She said angrily. "And it hasn't happened yet." Leo backed up slightly.

"Okay, okay. There's no need to bite my head off."

"Well? What am I supposed to do?" Lara yelled in his face. "You've been saying I'll be able to go for weeks now! And I am not any closer to going than I was when you gave me the bow and arrows!" She threw them down in disgust. "This was a stupid, stupid idea anyway. I should've known you never wanted me anyway. Maybe Raph was right. I don't belong here after all." Leo opened his mouth to argue, but Lara cut him off. "Don't try to argue with me. I can do anything. And I will prove that I can fight," she paused. "By defeating Karai alone."

"No!" Leo said blocking the exit of the training room. "That's too dangerous! You absolutely cannot go after her alone. You'll die."

"No, I won't. And I can prove it." She took off to the surface before Leo could react, but Leo gathered his brothers, and took off in pursuit after Lara.