"Alright, man, you got me up here and for what?" Casey asked, his voice was muffled through his hockey mask.

It was the next night. I wished I could have done this the night before, but there is no way you can get this lump of a friend up past midnight and before the sun.

"To rescue someone," I replied, still not willing to give my dirty secret away.

"Who? Angel ain't got herself into any trouble again, has she?" Angel was a girl about, maybe younger, my age. Casey promised her grandma he would look out for her.

"No, you don't know 'em."

"Hmph, well I wouldn't be doing this if you weren't my friend," Casey was not happy," Who's got this friend of yours anyway?"

"…Shredder," I answered reluctantly. I looked down Casey's apartment building to the street below. Everyone who knew Shredder is afraid of him, even I am, his is a scary guy. He's kind of psycho too if you ask me.

"Raphy boy, why didn't you get your bros to help? I know he ain't got them!" Definitely

not happy.

I sighed heavily running a hand down my face. Was this really a good choice? "They can't know."

"I understand why! This is stupid, man!"

"Look, we're not going to fight anyone if it's possible not to, just find her and get out!"

"We still could-Wait! Did you say her? Are you talking about April? She ain't hurt is she?!" Casey looked read to kill. April's actually his girl friend, and she was the first person my brothers and I met.

"No! I said you didn't know them!" I groaned. I had to tell him, "You mind a story?"

Casey just shook his head. So I told him my whole story with Cally all the way up to the bakery incident the night before. "That's why I feel guilty for it, and why we have to get her back," I finished. Casey had taken off his hockey mask and was looking at me with a stupid smile.

It disturbed me a bit. I frowned, "What?"

Casey just laughed, "You didn't tell me we were rescuing your girlfriend!"

I scowled, "She isn't my girlfriend!"

"Well, you like her, didn't you?" He grinned. I was already sick of this.

I glared at him, "Did! As in the past! As in not now!"

"Alright, alright," Casey held up his hands, but was still smiling. "Don't have to get all worked up."

"If I weren't in need of help," I snarled, "I would kill you now."

"I could kill you first!" Casey argued, glaring back at me. Yah, we don't get along too well from time to time.

"So," I stretched, "are we doing this or not?"

"Yeah," Casey smirked, "for your girlfriend."

I slapped him across the face.

Casey was still holding his left cheek when we crept up on top of The Foot's HQ. Shredder lead leads The Foot.

A shrine sits at the top of the building. The Foot symbol is above the door. Strangely enough, no one was to be seen. No Foot ninjas or Purple Dragons, just no one.

"Something's not right," I hissed.

"You got that right, Raphy," Casey flinched as he stretched his jaw, rubbing his cheek that I slapped. "I think you broke something." He wasn't even looking at the Foot building.

I resisted the temptation to slap the other side of his face. He might need at least one hand free if we ran into trouble. "Not your freakin face!" I snarled, grabbing his head and twisting it towards the building. "That!"

"Raph! There's no one there!" Casey pointed to the building then looked at me.

I lost five years of my life right there just trying not to slap that imbecile. He's only acting this stupid if he wasn't sleeping enough, I reminded myself harshly.

"That also makes it easier for us," I whispered.

"Do you think their waiting for us?" Casey whispered.

"If they were waiting for us they would have an army right before us, they don't mess around," I hissed back.

"True. So what's the plan?" Casey inquired.

My face burned. No wonder I was no leader. I had no plan.

"Well?"

"Shaddup I making this up as I go."

"Brilliant."

"Got anything better, big brain?"

Silence.

"That's what I though," I snapped. "Come one." I slipped through the shadows and pressed myself to the outer wall next to the door.

Casey's no form of graceful, so I had to motion him over when I was sure it was safe. He ran over like a football player. As I said, no grace, or stealth, just…I'm not really sure other than the occasional blonde roots and anger issues. Hey, friends insult each other, right?

"What now?" Casey hissed, sweeping some of his hair out of his eyes.

"Don't you listen to anything I say? Ever?" I snarled in whisper.

"I listen to you better than most people, but…no," From his tone he was clearly trying to irk me.

Before I could say anything or do anything to him (I wasn't sure which I was going to do to him), the wooden door swung open. I couldn't hear the footsteps padding across the wooden porch of the shrine as I closed my eyes, feeling like a five year old playing at "I can't see you so you can't see me", but I knew they were there.

I gave up as I felt eye piercing me like daggers. Please don't be Shredder or Hun! I pleaded silently. Shredder would just kill us right here. Hun wasn't as scary, but he would definitely call for back up and one of them would definitely be Shredder. I opened my eyes. It was Karia. I frowned, even though she had promised that neither me nor the rest of my family would be killed, she wasn't exactly my favorite person. Especially now.

Karia was smiling, but it wasn't a warm welcome I can tell you that. In fact, it looked like she was silently laughing at me!

"I know why you are here," the mocking smile grew. "You and your little friend. "Karia shot a glance at Casey who stood next to me.

"Hey! Who you callin' little?" Casey demanded, but didn't budge.

I simply raised an eyebrow ridge, waiting, agitated.

Karia smirked, prideful, like someone who had proven their point. "You're here for you girlfriend." She placed her hands behind her back, obviously waiting for either confession of denial.

"Okay first of all," I frowned, "she is not my girlfriend for the last time!"

Karia's smile only grew, and I was sure Casey was trying not to laugh.

I clenched my fists by my side, one of my small goals were no fights…yet. "Second, why is this so funny?!" I demanded, entirely irked.

"Because, Raphael," Karia replied calmly, "Every effort is pointless." She was still smiling. I think she knew every muscle in me wanted to get rid of her cocky smile.

"What do you mean by that?" I snarled. "Exactly."

"We put up no fight for her, because we know we have no need to," Karia explained.

"That makes no sense!" Casey spat.

"Perhaps not to an imbecile," Karia shot back.

I put up an arm to block Casey from trying to kill Karia. "We both want to, but lets get this straight first," I hissed.

"Unexpectedly wise decision, Raphael," Karia kept calm still, sarcastically marveling.

"Saying?" I pricked an eyebrow ridge. She was really asking for it.

Karia shrugged, "I only expected you to be the first to plunge into an unneeded battle."

"Are you saying I don't have the power to rescue Cally?" I growled.

"No, I did not say that," Karia was still in her cocky calmness. "I'm saying perhaps Cally does not want to be rescued."

"Shell, I know she wants and needs to be rescued," I hissed gripping the handle of one of my sais.

"Let me finish before you make the choice, Raphael," was Karia's only reaction to the threat. "Whether she wants to be rescued or not, I assure you she does not want to be rescued by you."

My hand dropped and guilt began to bubble in my stomach.

Karia continued, "Cally blames you, Raphael. She hates you more than anyone. There's no turning back." She walked over to the door and placed her hand around the handle. "Even if you are lucky enough to see her again, it will never, ever be the same," Karia opened the door and walked in, letting it shut noisily behind her.

I did nothing. Guilt filled my stomach, playing at it. I felt weak.

"Raph?" Casey inquired softly.

"Leave me alone," I snarled, shifting away from him. "Karia's right. She's dead right," I ran off, weak at the legs and jumped to the building beside the Foot's.

I heard Casey calling after me, but I didn't reply. I kept going till I could no longer hear him, and even then I kept going. I only stopped when my stomach threatened me; but it didn't help, I wretched into an alleyway below.

I felt like a murdered. And I might as well be. It was my fault Cally was with Shredder, and might as well be dead; and that her parents were dead. Wiping my mouth of foul taste I thought miserably, What will become of Cally now?