After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms. Around midnight, Ari quietly made her way to her closet. She pulled out a pair of black pants and a black tank top. After changing her clothes, she grabbed the set of sais and slipped in her belt one on each hip. Then she grabbed her katanas and placed them criss cross on her back. Finally, she grabbed a dark green bandana eye mask. Tying it on the back her head, she glanced over herself in the mirror. The added weapons felt slightly off and extra weight on her back she would have to use to. But all in all, she was pleased with her appearance. The guys wouldn't know it's her; now a suitable name. "What should I call myself, certainly can't use Ari or Phoenix." She caught sight of the shadows in her room. "Nightshadow; perfect." Pleased with herself, she gently opened her door. Glancing around the living room; she found it empty. With no lights coming from the rooms, she knew the others were sleeping. The only one she would to worry is Raphael. She knew he had a habit of going topside at night. She slipped along the shadows and quietly out the door. Making her down the sewer, she couldn't help but to think what is going to be like, being topside again after month in the sewers. Pushing the manhole cover aside, she peeked around for any movement. Finding none, she quickly made her way to the shadows of a nearby alley. Climbing up the fire escape, she made her way to the roof. Taking a deep breath, she found the city air rather refreshing. She felt like she was starting to suffocate in the lair. Ari perked her ears to the air to hear unusual sounds in the night. Jumping from roof to roof, she peeked over ledges to spy anything unusual in the night. Landing quietly on another rooftop, she spied a figure crouched over the ledge. Ari immediately recognized Raphael's figure in the dark. "Shell, can't let him see me." She slipped behind the storage shed on the roof; keeping a careful eye on him. She heard several voices from the alley below.

"Come on boys hurry up before one of those turtle freaks shows up." A strong male voice said. "We're trying here boss but these crates are heavy." One responded. "No excuses hurry up!" Raphael grinned as he watched the exchange. He knew this was big shipment of illegal arms. Waiting for the right moment to strike, he jumped from the roof to the shadows below. He knocked out a couple goon watch guards. Slipping towards the back of the truck, Raphael lunged towards the Purple Dragons. Nightshadow quickly moved to the edge of roof to keep an eye on the battle. She had vowed that she would do everything in her power to keep Raphael and the others from being harmed. Sliding down the fire escape, she kept to the shadows as she watched the battle. She couldn't help but to smile as Raph laid into the Dragons. Raphael failed to notice one Purple Dragon sneak up behind up with a lead pipe. Sprinting into action, Nightshadow knocked the guy to the ground, sword at his throat. Raphael twirled around when he heard the thud of a body hitting the ground. "Uh, thanks." He said to the newcomer. She slipped to his side; her sais spinning. "So how about we get rid of the rest of these Purple Dragons?" "Sure, nice weapons." The duo charged at the remaining Purple Dragons. Raphael punched several out while Nightshadow jumped in the air; letting two Dragons crash into each other. Nightshadow kicked several more to the ground, each landing with a thud. "Sweet moves ya got there." Raph said, turning towards the newcomer. "What's your name?"

"Nightshadow and you?"

"Raphael or just Raph for short." Raphael took a good look at the newcomer. She was dressed all in black minus the green eye mask. He noticed that she carried both katanas on her back and sais at her hips. "She looks like a combo of me and Leo with her weapons." He thought. "Nice meeting ya but I gotta go." With that; Nightshadow threw a smoke bomb and disappeared. Raphael stood confused for a brief moment. He certainly did not recognize nor hear of Nightshadow before. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her. She did help him against the Purple Dragons but that does necessarily mean she is an ally. Heading back, he decided that in the morning, he would talk to the others.

Meanwhile, Ari had escaped back to the rooftops; trying to make it back to the lair before Raphael. She slipped quietly thru front doors looking around to see if he was already home. Satisfied he was not, she returned to her room, changed and hopped into bed. Raphael returned to the lair only minutes after Ari. Heading straight to his room, he flopped in his hammock still puzzled about the newcomer and how she seemed somewhat familiar. Raphael fell into a fitful sleep.

Raphael found himself standing on a rooftop with Leo. They had just split off from Nightshadow. She went north for patrol and they went south for patrol. Each had gone about three rooftops when the sudden boom of gunfire erupted from the allies below. Raph and Leo stopped and turned towards the resonating booms. "Let's go." Leo said. Leonardo and Raphael ran towards the area where they heard shots from. "Nightshadow went in that direction, we have to make sure she is alright." Suddenly, Raph's shell cell went off. Raph stopped for a moment to answer. Leo stopped hearing it go off as well. "If that's Mikey or Donnie, tell them we haven't killed each other yet or if it's Ari, tell her we're alright." Michelangelo and Donatello had stayed behind in the lair and Leonardo assumed the Ari was in her room. Raphael stared at the screen. It was neither of their brothers nor Ari calling; but Nightshadow. Panic began to flood him, why was Nightshadow calling him just moments after hearing gunfire in her direction. "It's Nightshadow, Leo." Leonardo's face paled. He knew it couldn't be good if she was already calling them. Raphael flipped opened his shell cell.

"Raph, please; I need help." Nightshadow weakly said, grimacing in pain from her wound. Raph could hear she was struggling just to keep herself awake. "Where are you?" His voice cracked trying to sound calm. "I'm in the alley off 5th avenue, please, it hurts so bad." She pleaded with him to hurry. "I'm on my way with Leo, just keep talking to k?" If Raphael had learned anything from Donnie when it came to the injured; it was that to keep them awake as long as possible. Moving the phone aside just enough, "Leo, let's go, she's hurt. Are you still with me Nightshadow?" "Yes, wait Leo's with you; no no; don't bring him. He'll find out." Her voice barely above a whisper. She couldn't risk Leonardo finding out her secret. "Too late Nightshadow, your secret's coming out." Raph couldn't believe Ari was going to try to be stubborn at a time like this. He had only found out by accident that Nightshadow and his sister, Ari are the same person. "I want you to keep talking anything. I don't care what you say. Leo I'm going to keep her on the phone." Leo nodded and they both took off in her direction. "I'm still here Raph." "K; we're almost to ya." Leo and Raph stopped right above the alley she was hiding in. "We're coming down now." With that, he flipped his shell cell shut. They quickly jumped down the fire escapes towards the dumpster. There they found Nightshadow leaning against the wall; clutching her stomach. Raphael leaned down while Leonardo stood watch. "Let me see your wound. I know it hurts but you have to sit up a bit for me, k." Nightshadow slowly straightened and Raph gasped. Her entire stomach was covered in blood; originating from the right side. "What happened?"

"I've been shot." The words rung thru Raphael's mind and he froze. Remembering the first time he found Ari, she had been shot but nowhere near this bad. "Leo call Donnie, its bad." Leo bent down and Raph moved aside a bit. He quickly pressed a hand towel on her wound. "I know this hurts but I have to try to slow the bleeding. I'm gonna call my brother for help. Raph help me lay her down. Raphael placed his hands behind her shoulders and gently eased her down to pavement. "Here Raph, keep pressure on the wound so I can call Donnie." Leo and Raph switched as Leo pulled out his shell cell.

Donnie grumbled as his shell cell went off. "This had better be good. Donatello here."

"Donnie, it's Leo we need help. Nightshadow's been shot; grab Mikey and Ari, she can hopefully heal her." He shouted. Raphael internally grimaced; he knew Donatello would not find Ari in her room. Donatello jumped up in doctor mode. "Alright I'm coming, tell me where she's been shot while I grab the others." "She's been shot on the right side of her stomach and bleeding heavily." Donatello grabbed his medical bag and ran to his siblings rooms. First was Mikey's."Mikey, let's go Nightshadow's been shot. Michelangelo grumbled awake. "Wait what?" He ran after Donnie as he went to Ari's room next; not expecting to find it empty. He threw open the door but was shocked to find the bed empty. "Uh, Leo, Ari's not here and she's not anywhere else in the lair." Donatello eyes went wide with realization. "You don't think she's…" Leonardo eyes widened when Donnie said Ari was not in the lair. Where else could be she be? Looking down at Nightshadow, he then realized that laying in front of him; was none other than his sister. It made sense now; her style of fighting had been adapted to be more like his. She wielded the same weapons as him and Raphael. How else would she have learned those moves and have those weapons? The same realization hit Mikey and Donatello. All this time his sister had been fighting beside them. How could he have missed all the subtle signs? "Let's go Mikey, she needs our help. We're on our way Leo, keep her awake." With that Donnie hung up and he and Mikey headed to the Battle Shell. Leonardo focused his attention on his fallen sister. Ari had been struggling to breathe as her blood filled her lungs. Several times he had to gently lift her head to allow her to cough it up. "I'm sorry Leo; I should have said something sooner but I couldn't sit around any longer." She weakly said to her oldest brother. "Shh its ok we understand. Just hang in there a little longer; Donnie and Mikey are on their way." Leo gently stroked Ari's hair. Leo's heart sunk, he was trying so hard to keep calm. Here is his sister dying in front of him and there is nothing he can do. Raphael glanced up his brother. He noticed the stricken look on his face. Raphael tried to keep his tears from falling but with staggered breath Ari took, he felt them falling. "Just keep awake sis; they'll be here soon." Leo said as he watched Ari struggle to stay awake. Pain rolled in waves as it racked her body. She struggled with each labored breath and could feel herself slipping away. She fought off the blackness threatening to consume her. No, she was not going down like this. Ari refused to death consume her so easily. She could faintly hear Leo and Raph talking to her but their voices sounded so far away. She had already had survived one attack, surely she could one gunshot wound. Ari felt as if an elephant was sitting on her chest as she found it increasingly to breathe. A sheen of sweat coated Ari's skin. "Leonardo, Raphael, please forgive me. I love you guys; tell Donatello, Michelangelo and Master Splinter the same please." With that; Ari felt herself slowly drift into blissful unconsciousness. "Ari, nooo!" Leo screamed as Ari went limp in his arms. Raphael stared at her chest only to realize she had stopped breathing. Raphael reacted immediately pushing his older brother off to the side. He quickly started compressions. "Help me Leo; we are not going to lose her like this." Raphael commanded. Leo took over chest compressions and Raphael started mouth to mouth. For several minutes, they continued CPR until they heard the roar of the Battle Shell's engine. Don and Mike jumped out to the horrific scene before them. There lay Nightshadow lifeless between Raphael and Leonardo; both covered in her blood. The two turtles were covered in sweat and breathing heavily from their efforts. Donatello rushed forward; pushing between his brothers. He checked for a pulse but found none. Ari's body temperature had already started dropping. Donnie hung his head in defeat. They were too late. She was gone. Raphael just stared at his sister's lifeless body.