Swelling with vengeful satisfaction, Karai extended her hand toward Kobayashi. "Footbots! Attack!"

"Karai, wait!" shouted Kobayashi, holding up her hands. "I won't fight you! Let's just talk!" The words hard hardly finished leaving her mouth before she was pinned to the ground.

"Tie her up! Disarm her!" Karai folded her arms while she watched the Footbots bind her enemy.

Kobayashi simply closed her eyes while the 'bots took away her sai and small stash of shuriken. "Listen to me, Karai, please. I don't know what the Shredder told you, but you have to hear my side of the story!"

Rage flared up inside of Karai. "I know your side of the story. You want revenge on the Shredder because he killed your precious husband." She walked over to Kobayashi's side. "But your husband deserved it for helping Splinter kill my mother. I don't have to listen to you at all."

"I came here trusting you. I kept trusting you even when I knew this was the perfect place for an ambush. I'm asking you to trust me."

"Why should I?"

Tears ran down Kobayashi's face. "Because I loved your mother. She was my best friend!"

The words echoed off the cement surroundings; they echoed inside of Karai's head. Question after question filled her mind. Shredder had said that Mei was innocent—it was why he hadn't given the order to kill her. "You're lying. If you were my mother's friend, then why are you Splinter's ally?"

"It's complicated. You should know by now that all of this is more complicated than the story you know. Adults don't always tell children everything."

Karai bristled. "I'm not a child."

"No. You're a beautiful young woman. You look just like Tang Shen. The first time I saw you, I thought I was looking at her as a teenager. I will tell you everything, Karai. But you have to trust me."

"Footbots. Leave us alone. Go back to your lookouts." The 'bots filed out from beneath the bridge. When they were finally alone, Karai looked down at Kobayashi. Her face was agonizingly familiar; images from the dreams flashed through Karai's mind. Shaking her head and focusing on her vengeance, Karai sat down on the ground next to her captive. "Tell me, then."

"Everyone has their own version of events. I can only tell you mine. I am allied with Splinter because he is my brother-in-law."

The answer caught Karai off guard. "No. No, that's not possible."

"How do you know? Did the Shredder tell you that Splinter was unmarried?"

The nagging questions—questions she couldn't know or identify-the swirling doubts whispered noisily in Karai's subconscious. "No," she said, realizing it. How much had her father withheld from her? "So, Splinter was married to your sister? Where is she, then?"

"She died in a fire. It was tragic." Kobayashi emitted a small sob. "A cross-beam fell on her."

Pity swam in Karai's stomach—she tried to stifle it, but she could not.

Kobayashi seemed to have steadied herself. "That is why Splinter is my ally. And you're right—Shredder is my enemy because he killed my husband. But you are not my enemy, Karai. I watched you when you were a baby."

"I knew it," Karai whispered. "I knew that I knew you from somewhere."

"Your mother and I used to switch off children for the day, so we could have a day to ourselves every now and then. She would take the boys for me, and I would take you for her."

Boys. There were boys in her dream, laughing, giggling—

"I hate Shredder for what he did. But I loved you then, Karai. I still love you. You're all that I have left of your mother—my best friend."

"I don't understand. Why would your husband and brother-in-law kill your best friend?"

Kobayashi was silent.

"I asked you a question!"

"I used to light patchouli incense and sing to you when you couldn't sleep," Kobayashi said, her voice shaky. "Do you remember the song? It was my family's traditional lullaby."

"You're not answering me!"

But then, Kobayashi started to sing. The tune was exactly the one she could never remember upon waking; Karai was shocked to find that she knew the words. While she listened, Kobayashi's face seemed to grow more and more familiar. When she had finished singing, Kobayashi smiled weakly. "Do you trust me, Karai?"

As if someone else was doing it, Karai nodded.

"Shredder did not tell you the truth. Kenshin and Hamato Yoshi did not kill your mother. Kenshin died before your mother did. But your mother and my sister died on the same night. They died in the same fire."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Shredder told you my personal name. Did he tell you my full name?"

"Why does that matter?"

"My name," whispered Kobayashi, "is Kobayashi Tang Mei."

The world spun. Karai suddenly realized why Kobayashi's face was so familiar. Kobayashi's eyes were the same—exactly the same—as Tang Shen's. Her heart pounding, Karai whipped out the picture of her mother that she always carried with her. She held it up for comparison.

They weren't twins; Tang Shen didn't have freckles. But they were obviously sisters.

"No. No, Father would have told me that Splinter was my uncle. He would have told me that I had two aunts," Karai sputtered.

"You don't," Kobayashi replied. "Just one."

Then that made—Splinter—

"Lies!" screamed Karai. "Footbots, take her away."

"Don't do this," Kobayashi begged. "You're my niece, Miwa! Please, I love you! You have to believe me!"

Squeezing her eyes shut and blocking out Kobayashi's cries, Karai turned away. The woman was lying. Lying. Lying.

So what if she looked like Tang Shen? That didn't necessarily make them sisters. Maybe it was coincidence. Or plastic surgery. This was just a trick. It was all a trick.

Her father would never lie to her. He loved her too much for him to lie to her.

Didn't he?

Karai sat down on her bed. Her mind was spinning so fast that it ached. She didn't want to think about anything that had just happened. Her father had been so pleased when she brought back that filthy liar Kobayashi, but he didn't have any time to answer any of Karai's questions. He had said that he was going to see if he could find out Hamato Yoshi's location from their new prisoner.

Once again, Karai had been pushed aside by her father on account of Hamato Yoshi. Did he care more about destroying Splinter than he loved his own daughter?

Better to have someone to hate than no one to love.

She had gone to the dojo to work off her frustration, hoping that she could somehow sweat away the nagging doubts in her mind. A shower did nothing to refresh her, either. Even dressing in her favorite soft casual wear had not helped, so she just sat on the bed and stared at the floor for a while.

She reached over to her bedside table to light some incense, hoping it would clear her head. She grabbed her favorite scent, "Inner Peace," and lit the small cone; comforting aromas smoldered into the air. This had been her favorite smell for as long as she could remember.

The smell wrapped around her like a balm. Inhaling deeply, she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes.

The minute she closed her eyes, Kobayashi's song seemed to fill her ears.

I used to light patchouli incense and sing to you.

With a start, Karai sat bolt upright. She scrambled for the package of incense and looked closely at the box.

"Inner Peace is a comforting blend of patchouli oils and..."

Karai's hands started shaking. She didn't care if Shredder was interrogating Kobayashi; she had to find out the truth now.

She ran to the central hall. "Father!"

But the hall was vacant. She headed for the dungeons, but she was stopped by Xever.

"And just where do you think you are going, Karai?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Seeing Xever startled her. She hadn't seen him in a few days; she had almost forgotten that he was no longer a mutant. The proof that mutants could be un-mutated was standing right in front of her.

She shook her head. That didn't mean that Donatello was actually in danger. The turtles were just being clever and deceitful for once.

"Are you all right?" Xever asked.

"I'm fine!" snapped Karai. "I want to talk to my father, and I want to talk to him now, you freak!"

Xever gave her a smug grin. "Maybe you missed this, but I am not a 'freak' anymore."

"You don't have to be a mutant to be a freak, Xever."

The grin faded; it was replaced by bitterness. "He's busy speaking with our guest. You'll have to wait."

"It's already been over two hours since I got back!" Karai said. "I want to talk to my father, and if you don't let me, I swear I'll—"

"Karai!" Shredder's voice came from behind. "Get out of that ridiculous outfit and gear up."

Karai jumped. "Father!" She wheeled around and bowed to him. "I thought you were—I have to ask you some questions."

"Your questions will have to wait. Baxter Stockman was able to use Kobayashi's phone to trace Hamato Yoshi's location. We are going to infiltrate his home and bring him and his disciples back to me."

"But, Father!"

"Get ready, now!"

Head spinning with anger as well as confusion, Karai hurried to change back into her gear.

Someone to hate. Hate was all that she had.

Maybe it was all she ever would have.