Chapter 3

Keith confidently walked through the alleys. Away from Leonardo. Away from his so called 'friend'. Back home to the Shredder's tower. It was the only home he'd ever known. And he'd never betray the Foot. Never. No matter how much he despised them. Especially the Elite Guard. The leader in particular. He growled, remembering the guy's smile. He'd have to let him know just how much frustration he endured by just having to be a spy in the turtles' lair. And he'd give it to him good.

"I'll show them alright," he growled.

Stepping up to the front door of the tower, he punched in the access code numbers and watched the door slide silently open.

He strode in and entered the large area. Looked just like a regular reception room to the untrained eye. But he knew this was not the case. Cameras lurked everywhere. Some visible. Some not. But Keith ignored them as he was trained to do. Entering the stairwell, he climbed three flights and came out walking down the different corridors until he came to the elevator. It swooshed open as soon as he approached it.

A Foot ninja exited, nodded his greeting, and passed Keith without a word.

Keith entered the elevator and stood silently next to the other ninja that still stood there. He nodded and got one back.

The elevator doors closed and it quickly ascended upwards.

"Were you successful?" the ninja asked Keith.

"Yes."

The ninja smiled, then let it turn into an amused smirk. "Then we will be leaving soon."

Keith nodded. "Yes. I've come to pick up a few things, gather the army, and will lead them to their lair." He paused. "Will you be joining us?"

"Oh yes." The ninja chuckled. "I wouldn't miss this for anything."

"Too bad some of the other ninjas have to toy around with Leonardo while we get to have our fun."

The ninja smirked. "Their loss."

The elevator stopped and swooshed open.

52nd floor.

Keith exited the elevator without another word and walked down the hallways. Turning down a third, he pulled a small card out of his back pants pocket. He slid it into the slot on the door and entered the room. His room.

It had been a long time since he'd been in here.

Too long.

He opened the drawer of his dresser and slipped out his Foot uniform, shrugged it on, and turned to the wall behind him where his sword lay on two hooks. Oh how he had missed this one. It was his cherished blade.

Keith gingerly plucked it from the wall and stood there, just staring at it like it was a long lost friend. And it was. It had never abandoned him. Never angered him, provoked him, initiated the punishments when he had failed. It only did as he commanded it to. Went left when he pointed it left. Right when he aimed right. Yes, he had missed this treasure very much.

A knock at his door rudely interrupted him.

Keith growled and muttered under his breath, laying his sword on his bed. He stomped over to the door and flung it open. "What!"

No one was there.

Keith wasn't impressed. "I know you're there! Show yourself!"

A foot tech appeared in front of him out of thin air. "No need to be rude."

"Spend a year with the turtles and their friends and you'll know how I feel. So don't tell me about rude!" Keith thundered.

The foot tech shrank back a step and glared at Keith. "The master wishes to speak with you. Now."

Keith folded his arms. "Fine. I'll be up in a minute." He re-entered his room and slammed the door in the ninja's face.

"He does not like to be kept waiting!"

Keith rolled his eyes, slipping his beloved sword onto his back and grabbed some of the odd little gadgets he had no care of trying to find out how they worked. "I know that very well Devlin!"

With a final look around the room, he strode to the door and yanked it open. Devlin was no where in sight. But that didn't mean much. The guy was a Foot tech for crying out loud. He could be standing just two feet away. And that angered Keith even more. He grunted and headed for the elevator for his meeting with Saki.

---

Leo flung his right fist out in front of him, connecting with a ninja's jaw with a sickening thud. The bone crunched under his fist. He pulled his arm away and blocked two ninja's swords with the only katana he had left. The other lay on the ground five feet behind the ninjas in front of him. He didn't have time for this. He had to get to his family. Without his cell he couldn't warn them.

"Has it sunk in yet Leonardo?" one Elite asked. He slashed his sword in a quick left thrust. "Do you feel it?"

Leo blocked it and kicked three Foot soldiers away. "What are you talking about?" he growled, knowing full well they hadn't tried to drug him. Yet. He couldn't rule that out. If they didn't now, what about later?

"Hopelessness."

Another Elite swung his leg, swiping Leo off his feet.

Leo rolled to get out of the way of the incoming blades and caught the first Elite's weapon with his katana again as he made it to his feet.

"Even if you get away from us, you won't get home in time to save them," the Elite said lowly into Leo's ear. "You trusted Keith."

"If I remember right," another one said. "You were the first to trust him."

"Even when the others didn't," a third chuckled darkly. "Wouldn't."

"Yet you ignored them," the fourth spoke harshly. "And they were right."

Leo growled lowly and swung his leg out, knocking two of the Elite into the alley wall with a loud smack. He spun to the other two and jumped out of the way of their blades, diving forward for his other katana. Snatching it up, he whirled around and swiped the swords away from the ninjas in front of them.

The five Foot soldiers looked shocked. Their faces scowled as they quickly recovered and threw punches to the blue turtle.

Leo sidestepped out of their reach and jumped up, kicking off the alley wall and coming down behind them, his leg sweeping out under the ninjas, letting them fall, their heads banging against the ground.

He quickly looked around. The soldiers were down. Two Elite unconscious. And two Elite missing.

Leo gritted his teeth. He'd have to worry about them later. He had to get home.

Now!

He resheathed his swords and took off in a sprint.