Breaking Point

Humans are the most fragile beings on the planet. That is a fact. We have no claws or fangs. Not poison nor fur. Our senses are as weak as they come and, over all, we are pretty damn stupid. It's a miracle we have evolved this far at all. Even our bodies work against us. A human can, on average use only ten, maybe twenty, percent of his or her full muscle-strength.

To become an adequate ninja, or even a good fighter in general, you have to overcome the barrier human nature has placed upon you. You must not give in to fear or anger. You must withstand the pain of using up to fifty percent of your full muscle capacity, for any more and your brain shuts down from pain. Most importantly of all – if all else fails, you must be able to stop before you go to far.

Both of them pushed away at the exact same time, the exact same breathless words on their lips.

"Stop! I cannot…!"

They looked at each other, both a bit surprised that the other had reacted the same way. Just as they tried to stutter out an apology, they heard the front door slam open and Mikey's cheerful voice.

"I'M HOME! You guys here?!"

Leo smiled an uneasy smile and stood up again, shouting down at his brother.

"Yeah! We're upstairs!"

"Is the bathroom up there free?!"

The other boy was making his way up the stairs and Leo didn't need to shout his answer.

"I just got out. Did you land in something smelly again?"

Mikey poked his big grin through the door.

"Nope, just sticky!"

Leo sighed affectionately as the mud covered boy made his to the shower. He then turned to Karai who had fished up the towel and was drying the ends of her ebon, still-damp hair.

"Are you staying for dinner?"

"Do you promise not to jump me again?"

Leo blushed like a turnip who had been caught dancing inappropriately with a potato and turned away, scratching his nose. She shouldn't tease him, but he had startled her quite a bit. Her guard had become lax around him. It was utterly ridiculous.

"Sorry… I have no idea what came over me."

"It is all right. I did mot mind particularly if I must be perfectly frank.. Only…"

It was a bit awkward to put into words. Karai knew perfectly well that normal teenagers did this every day, that it was normal to do this with your boyfriend, but she had not been raised a normal girl. She could only hope that he would understand that it was not because of him. She had been raised with the iron rule of always doing the honorable thing, and, sadly, that did not include throwing herself at a boy in that manner, no matter how warm her body got when he smiled at her.

"I know. I understand. I'm sorry. That was not an honorable thing to do. I apologize."

He sat down on the floor in front of her, placing his hands lightly on her knees. Karai flinched away automatically when his fingertips brushed against the pressure points and main arteries in her legs, but she forced herself to be still.

"Don't worry. I'll do this right. I won't rush it like that again."

She smiled and leaned forward slightly, towel around her neck.

"How noble of you. It truly must be hard upon those raging hormones."

He grunted quietly at her continuous teasing, but then he smiled and took her hands.

"I'll manage. It's not like I intend to ever let you go."

"Now, that is a bit possessive. Do you not agree?"

Light as a butterfly, he placed a kiss on her hands.

"When faced with someone as perfect as you, one can't help but to be a little bit possessive."

"What the hell are you two doing?"

They turned to Raphael who was leaning against the doorframe, an overdone mask of fake shock on his face. Leo smiled brightly and said with an equally overdone mask of delight.

"Oh, I'm just declaring my undying love to my girlfriend. Care to watch, dearest brother?"

"Yeah, sure. Let me just get a bucket to puke in first. Geez."

With a roll of his eyes, Raph left, pushing the door shut as he did. Leo turned back to Karai, the smile on his face more sincere.

"So. Should I tell dad that we'll have a guest tonight?"

"That would be nice."

Part of Karai kept telling the rest of her that she couldn't go on like this. The few moments she spent with Leonardo and his warm, kind family made the time she had to spend in her own home seem so cold and lonely. The man in a black suit outside the door was a reminder of that. At least they had finished the meal before he knocked on the door, informing them that Mr. Saki was requesting that his daughter come home immediately.

"Are you sure? We have room if you want to stay."

"Iie arigatou. I will return home. I have practice early tomorrow. We will see each other on Monday."

He smiled and placed one of his soft kisses on her cheek before letting her go down the stairs and get in the car. She smiled at him and closed the black-tinted door.

"You have become very relaxed around him, haven't you?"

She gasped and turned to the person sitting on the seat across from her. All the warmth and comfort she had just felt ran of her like cold water as she met the eyes of her father. The feeling of security in the Hamato house had made her lower her guard so much she had not even noticed his presence.

"Now then, on the way home I wish to tell you a story. It's the story of a gullible man and a love-sick fool. Pay attention now, because this concerns you and that boy of yours."

She could feel a dagger of ice twisting its way through her heart as he began to tell her. Still, he was at the part where the story still had a shard of humanity.

When the car came to a halt in the garage beneath the skyscraper in the heart of Manhattan, Karai violently heaved the door open and threw up every scrap of nourishment in her body. She held herself up against one of the other cars as she tried to organize her thoughts, but one loud voice in her head kept screaming.

He is mad! You thought he was a criminal but he is thoroughly evil. How could he? How could he do something so horrible?

Karai staggered to her feet, spitting and wiping the filth from her face. Her entire body ached and jerked, shaking with fear. The only thing that kept her from crying was her brutal yet effective training. She refused to let her body take command for a second longer. She had mastered herself years ago. She was stronger than this! She pushed herself up and turned to face the man stepping out of the black car. He looked rather amused at her and grabbed her chin, not hard, but enough to make his point.

"You will obey me. You will do as you are told and nothing else. You owe me everything you are. Without me you would be dead; rotting away in a ditch in Japan. I brought you here, raised you with everything you wanted and more. I made you. You will obey!"

She looked down, feeling the truth in his words. She owed him her existence. Still, part of her refused. The iron core of her being, the warrior in her, would not accept defeat. Not even to him. Her father gripped her jaw more firmly and shook her rudely.

"If you ever disobey me, I will erase that accursed family."

Oroku Saki released his only child's chin as the chill of his words pierced her consciousness. He would remove them permanently. Not just Leonardo, his brothers and their father, but anyone who would protest or perhaps even start trying to figure out who was responsible. She bit the inside of her cheeks until they bled as the faces of the people she had met rushed through her mind. Sidney and Susie. April and Casey. Coral. He would make sure no one ever found out what had happened to them.

The iron core gave in. The price was too high. She nodded.

"Good girl. Now, go change. I want to introduce you to some business associates of mine. Don't bother with anything fancy, I'm going to have you run an errand later."

With that, he left her alone. She didn't cry. Even if she had been the kind of girl to cry, she couldn't have anyway. It felt as if everything inside of her had frozen rock-solid.

Raph's voice made Leo stop in the door. His brother was in his room, talking loudly on the phone. Something about his tone made Leo worried.

"No! No, just stay put! Don't go out, just wai… Wait for me! I'll be right over! Do you have anything to prote… Ok that'll do. Don't do anything until I get there."

He rushed out the door but stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed Leo across the hall. Leo crossed his arms over his chest in that way that always made Raphael want to disagree, no matter what Leo said.

"Where are you going?"

Silence. A worried streak found its way over Raph's face and he spilled despite Leo's crossed arms.

"A bunch of Purple Dragons are sneaking around Coral's. Her parents are out and the police won't come unless they actually DO something. I won't leave her alone with an aluminum bat as her only protection."

"She's fierce enough with that bat. You're not going out, especially not without asking Splinter."

Raph cracked his knuckles in a very Hunnish way and growled at him.

"I'm not asking permission! She's my friend and I'm not going to let her get hurt! Don't you care at all?!"

"Who's getting hurt?"

"Are you two STILL arguing about the pickles?"

Leo ignored the other two poking their heads out in the hallway.

"You're not going! Of course I care but I won't have you running around hunting Purple Dragons in the middle of the night!"

"I'll stay at Corals, and I'm not hunting! You know how bad those guys are! She's scared, damn it! I'm going!"

Don and Mikey had picked up enough.

"Leo! We can't just leave her alone!"

"Are they hanging around the restaurant? Did she call the cops?"

"They won't come! I'm going, no matter what pretty-boy says!"

Raph tried to force his way past Leo but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to knock his brother's lights out but forgot all about it when Leo pointed at the others and issued his next order.

"You two, bed! Now! We'll be back soon."

"No fair!"

"Leo, you can't go alone!"

"Look you three, make up your minds! I'm leaving now, with you or alone, I don't care!"

Leo held his shoulder in a firm grip and the plan of a fist in his brothers face reappeared in Raph's brain. Once again it was forgotten when Leo smiled.

"Wait. Let's at least bring some gifts to the party."

Raph's turn to smile.

Splinters eyes popped open. The room was dark and the house was quiet. Too quiet. He could not hear Mikey's snoring or Raph tossing about in his sleep, nor could he hear Don's mumbling or even Leo sneaking around, practicing moving around in the dark. He was alone. It scared him more than anything.

He got up, not bothering with the lights, grabbed his robe and made his way up the stairs and prayed that his sons where just sleeping unusually quietly that night. He had just as much luck with that as he had with them behaving at dinner. Mikey's room was empty. Worrying. Leo's room was just as deserted. Unnerving but at least he was looking after his brothers. Raphael's room was abandoned as well. Must be something big. Just to complete the circle, he looked in Donnie's room. Empty.

At least they are together.

That was the only positive thought in Splinter's mind as he hurried downstairs. He did not know where they were or why they had left or even when, but they were together. It was better then nothing. Be that as it may, he worried for his sons. He almost ran out to the dojo, praying silently that he was wrong, that they had just gone out for a game, maybe a dare, just to bend the rules and stretch their wings.

His prayer was not heard. Hitting the light switch with his cane he instantly noticed the empty places on the weapons racks. They had taken their favorites. How predictable.

Turning the lights off again, he wandered back to the house. As he sat down in front of the small shrine in the living room, he tried to think positive.

They are together, and they are armed.

But somehow, the thought gnawed at him. His sons had gone to battle.

There is no telling if they will return.

"Splinter is gonna kill us for sure."

"Should have thought of that earlier."

"Shut up!"

"You didn't have to come…"

Mikey shrugged his shoulders up to his ears, peeking outside through the gap in Coral's curtain.

"Are they still there?"

"Yup…"

Leo moved so he could see for himself. The group outside had grown by at least five, maybe six people. The fact that they had been covering in the back alley for almost an hour made the teenagers even more certain that they where targeting the restaurant.

"Looks like they're waiting for someone."

"Let's hope whoever they're waiting for doesn't show so we can go home."

"Yeah, sorry Mike. I don't think it'll be that easy. Where did Coral go by the way?"

Don nodded out the door.

"She and Raph went to check the front. We don't want to get stabbed in the back now do we…"

"We should have stayed at home."

"You were the one who said you wanted to come."

Mikey shrugged again and played with the chain of his nunchaku. He had taken his oldest pair. They were worn and dark from years of practice, but he always liked the feel of the wood under his hands. They were so familiar to him, like an extension of his hands. He knew exactly how they would move and turn and hit. They where older then he was, and he would probably give them to his grandchildren. At least, if he lived to have any.

"If this is what it's like when you're waiting for a fight, then I'm never going to join the army. The suspense will kill me faster then any of the thugs out there…"

"I keep saying that you didn't have to come."

"Yeah, right. Remember the time Coral took the blame for me, ya know, the time with the blueberry pie?"

"You're comparing this to pie?"

"The only thing that beats pie is pizza."

Leo sighed but couldn't help but smiling. Mikey was right. Coral was a friend. She would have done the same for them, just like Casey and April and everyone else they knew. It was hard to feel alone in this neighborhood. There were friends here, and the Purple Dragons outside were about to find out what a bad idea it was to mess with anyone on this block. Here, you had backup.

"Have they moved?"

"Nope. Did you see anyone out front?"

Coral shook her head as she entered with their brother and sat down on her bed, twisting her hands around her black bat with gold print on it. Casey had given it to her after she had complained about her wooden one breaking when she had missed the guy and hit a wall. She had beaten up people with it before, but that had been small groups; three to four people tops. The group outside must be up to fifteen people by now.

"I want you to promise me something Coral."

"Hum? What?"

She looked at Leo as he turned away from the window and placed a hand on his swords. The weight over his back was alien but at the same time comforting. It was like having a friend strapped to your back.

"Stay behind us at all times and don't run ahead. I want you by the door, not a step out in the alley."

"No fair! It's my home!"

"And with all due respect, you don't stand a snowball's chance in hell against these guys. You know that. It's why you called."

She grunted but nodded at him, her pride keeping her from admitting defeat but her logic forcing her to submit. It was good enough for Leo. It had become so much easier to handle Coral the moment he realized that her brain worked almost like Raph's, only not so competitively. He turned back to the window.

"Anything?"

Mikey stared out into the dark, narrowing his eyes as he tried to see what was going on.

"I think they… They're moving! They are coming out into the alley. Straight for the door."

Just as he said this, a scraping noise came from downstairs, metal against metal.

"That's our cue!"

Leo made his way down the stairs, followed by the others.

Whoever was outside was tinkering with the lock. Leo motioned to the others to be quiet and took a deep breath. The lock clicked and the doorknob turned. Just as a crack let in a thin beam of light from the street, Leo kicked the door out as hard as he could.

"Stay inside, Coral!"

He jumped out on the pile of surprised gangsters that were still trying to figure out where the ground went. He was followed by his brothers and none of them wasted any time, proceeding to take down the Dragons still standing. Coral placed herself on the concrete step outside her door. Just a second later one of the guys Leo had knocked over got to his feet. Still a bit dizzy from his little tumble, he threw himself at the least dangerous-looking figure he could see, not noticing the sports equipment that was making it's way for his temple.

Mikey saw the guy fall, smiling as he threw his own opponent in the large dumpster by the wall. Coral would make sure no Purple Dragon sat foot in the house. Suddenly a huge shadow landed on him, and it was only thanks to Splinter's hard training that Mikey managed to avoid the same fate as the guy Coral knocked out. Ducking and turning, he managed to hit the massive sack of meat over the shoulder before he jumped away, not too eager to get within reach of those enormous fists.

"Hun?!"

"The one and only, half-pint! This is not a lucky day for you!"

"Tell me about it. I knew I should have stayed home!"

Hun swung the pipe in his hands straight down, missing the quick little ninja by a mere inch. A sudden roar shook them both.

"HUN! TOUCH HIM AND I'LL KILL YOU!"

The giant growled before he replied, already moving for Mikey again.

"I'll get to you in a second, Raphael! I'll just roughen up you're little brother here first!"

"Hey! I'm not a sack of potatoes! Leave me out of your love-quarrels!"

Mikey ducked for the pipe as Hun swung it for his face again. He jumped, stamped off of the dumpster behind him and kicked the blond in the chest. Just to be sure of success, he swung the nunchaku at his head as well. It hit square over the cheekbone and Hun twirled around like a prima ballerina before he slammed into the opposite wall, his eyes rolling in his head like marbles. Mikey landed on the ground again, moving to attack once more. Mikey looked swiftly over his shoulder when Corals scream pierced the crisp air, but Don was already there to rescue her, knocking her aggravator away.

"You're not paying ATTENTION!"

Mikey ducked even before he had turned his eyes back to Hun. Big mistake, because Hun was not aiming high anymore.

His legs were swept away and he hit the ground. Not, that is, that he thought much about any of that. His mind was set on repeating that cracking sound from when the piece of iron had hit his leg. Fact was, he couldn't feel his foot anymore, but the rest hurt so much he almost fainted. His scream made everyone freeze for a second before the purple Dragons continued to press against the friends. Hun stood over him, smirking, his white teeth standing out against the dark.

"Nighty night…!"

The row of teeth where suddenly replaced by a fist, and Hun tumbled away from the boy and slammed bodily into a brick wall. Another shadow stood over Mikey, but this one was focusing on the other, larger hunk of meaty flesh. The voice was so cold and calm that it took Mikey several seconds to recognize his brother.

"I warned you, Hun. You crossed the line this time."

Then Raphael was upon him, beating Hun's face beyond recognition with his fists, zai completely forgotten.

Don slid down in the dirt by his fallen brother, tossing another Dragon aside as he did.

"Are you okay, bro?"

"Leg. Hurts. Please Don… Help."

Donatello looked his brother over, his eyes stopping about a hand's length from the knee. There was no mistaking the fracture, not at that angle.

"Your leg is broken Mike. Stay still or it will get worse."

Don placed himself in front of his brother, staff in hand. Luckily, most of the others in the alley were in worse shape then Mikey.

Leo heard his brother's shouts but he could barely find a second to look over. His opponent had popped out of nowhere, and the guy was fast. He was hooded and had a mask, much like the ones ninja wore, and he was armed with two knives, one small and one as long as Leo's forearm. Leo could barely keep up with the swift movements and he was already grazed over the cheek and arm. The wounds where small but the edges were sharp and blood was already making his grip slippery. Damn this guy! It was like he knew what Leo was doing before Leo did!

Suddenly, he noticed Coral swing her bat in the air behind his opponent, and a can came flying straight for the hooded guy's head. It hit hard and made the guy lose balance for a second. That was all the opening Leo asked for. He swung his swords, one from above and one from the side, making the masked one cross his vambraced arms to hold off the sharp edges. With his arms locked, Leo pushed the other back.

Then came the movement that lit a warning in Leo's head. The masked one placed a foot between Leonardo's and then slid his head in under his arms, tackling Leonardo square in the chest. The blades broke apart and the hooded figure spun on his heel to kick him in the head. Leo knew that move!

"Raph!! Stop it or you'll kill him!"

Don abandoned his staff in order to pull his brother away from Hun's now very limp body. Raphael, on the other hand, was not happy to let him go as long as the tall blond was still breathing. The two of them tumbled backwards, wrestling for power. Raph ended up on top and with an almost demonic roar he drew back his fisted hand to give Don the same beating as he had Hun.

"RAPH! STOP!"

The sound of his youngest brother's scream halted him, the fog in his head clearing in an instant. The one beneath him was not a threat. It was his brother. Brother. Mikey! He was hurt! And Don! He almost hit Don! What was wrong with him?

"AAH!"

The three snapped back to reality and turned to the two fighters left at the edge of street.

Leo had told himself that he was mistaken. There was no way. Every time he pushed his opponent those motions came back. Those familiar ones. The ones he had seen before. He had to make sure, but the hooded one was too good. Leonardo couldn't get close enough. Leo was just about desperate enough to prove himself wrong that he took a chance. He took a firmer grip and brought both his blades down on the long knife, locked it, and slammed his body against the masked ones' chest. Then, he let go of one of his swords, grabbed the mask, and pulled.

His opponent ducked, twisted around and jammed the smaller knife into Leo's back, just over the shoulder blade. He screamed. The now unmasked fighter dropped both weapons, ducked, and almost rolled out under the streetlight, mask left behind in Leo's grip.

He dropped to one knee, pulling the blade from out of his back. He was almost too afraid to look as the person under the dim light stood and turned to him.

All the Purple Dragons were out, taken down by the brothers or their friend. The only one left standing was the slimmest one; the one that now shook out the short dark hair and focused on the oldest Hamato with pale jade eyes.

"No…"

Coral stared at her friend. What was going on here?

"Karai?"

The ice-princess looked them over. The three brothers on the ground in the back of the alley, her friend in the door to her home, Leo on his knee in front of her. Karai could feel two needles of ice in her neck. Time to act. This was her only chance to save them. If she messed up, they would be six feet in the dirt by tomorrow.

"I am revealed. Pity. I so enjoyed playing with you."

She forced her voice to remain steady. She did her best to relax her body, trying to seem disappointed.

"What? Karai, what are you talking about?! What are you doing?"

She set her eyes on Leonardo. It was hard. Under his gaze all she wanted to do was throw herself at his feet, beg for his forgiveness, explain everything. If nothing else then to remove the despair that was slowly leaking into his eyes. Please, don't look at me like that. Please, don't look so hurt. No, this had to hurt. This was the only way she could think of. She forced out a disgusted smile.

"You honestly think I would spend time with the likes of you because I enjoyed it? Do not patronize yourself. This was a game, and now it has ended. Pity, like I said, you where so much fun to manipulate."

The sound of police-sirens broke through the night, but Leonardo didn't even blink.

She had played with them? All the things she had said, all the time she had spent with them, with him, it was all just lies?

He was still doubting. She needed a killing blow. Coral would be harder, her head being much thicker. But Leonardo was the one she had to cut her ties with right now, while he was watching.

"Here I was hoping I could have used you and your pathetic brothers to overthrow my father. I will have to wait a couple more years before I can take his throne. Such a shame."

With just that one last look at him as his eyes widened, fully grasping what she was saying, Karai turned away, darted across the street and disappearing into a dark alley. The police rounded the corner the next second, lights flashing over the walls.

One block down, a black jaguar silently turned and drove away. The driver glancing nervously into the review mirror but did his best not to seem panicked. His boss would have his head if he made a mistake. He liked his head, especially where it was. He sneaked a peek at said boss in the backseat. That damned man had been smiling the whole time while watching Miss Karai go up against her friends. Now, as they drove away to pick her up, he was actually laughing quietly. It had to be the most frightening sound the poor driver had ever heard. He was not being paid enough for this. Too bad he knew that if he complained, he would be fitted with brand new concrete boots and taken for a swim in the Hudson river.

Better just stick to driving the car.

[I spooked you didnt I?! 8D my beta almost killed me before I told her nothing was gonna happend! XP ok! so now i broke stuff...I'll fix it, just give me *counts on fingers* about four chapters...this one is becoming loger then I predicted! .` Cookies for all reviewers! I'll get on the next chapter (its alrady six pages long so itll be up soon) as soon as i have time to breathe!]