Me: Okays so this takes care of the editing (so far) for this story. I've updated my writing style a bit, although this story will probably still change a LOT from now. Please fasten your seatbelt, and keep your hands, arms, legs, and any other body parts, including those not actually attached to your body (i.e., shrunken heads, disconnected arms from your latest battle with your enemies, etc.) inside the vehicle at all times, and prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for a super crazy thrill ride!
"'Ey Leo." The man said with a thick Brooklyn accent, running a hand through his hair.
"Hey, Andrew." Leo smiled. Andrew gave a little laugh, standing up straight.
"When you first came up, I thought 'why da heck is dis guy wearin' a trench coat in da middle a summa?' Bu' den I said 'oh dat mus' be mah buddy Leo!'" He explained. Leo chuckled. "So 'ow's short stuff doin'?"
"You mean Kris?" Leo asked. Andrew gave a nod in reply. "He's doing great. He performed the 'Raging Dragon' kata perfectly today." Leo's voice was full of pride.
"Idn't dat da kata ya mentioned was da really difficult one?" Andrew tilted his head questioningly. Leo gave a proud nod. Andrew released a low, impressed whistle. "Woah. And da kid's wha, seven?"
"Eight, about to be nine." Leo corrected.
"So you was 24 when 'e was born?"
"23."
"Yeah. Hehe."
"So...about the party supplies?"
"Wha' 'bou' dum?"
"Do you have them?" Leo asked. Despite all of his many years of ninja training, he missed the suspicious smirk on Andrew's face.
"Yea. Folla' me. An' why don' ya take dat coat off? It's scorchin' out 'ere." And it'll be easier to disarm ya dat way. Andrew finished to himself. Leo obliged to Andrew's wishes, agreeing in terms of the temperature, unbuttoning the coat and draping it over his sweat drenched arm. Then he followed Andrew into the alley.
Bad idea. Never follow anyone into an alley, even if they are your friend.
Andrew's Ford pickup was parked, a tire almost carefully positioned over the manhole cover, and the back door open. For some strange reason, possibly stress, distraction, or pure luck on Andrew's part, Leo didn't notice his companion's suspicious expression. Andrew stuck his head into the back of the truck and pulled out a delicate looking, shiny, and sharp tanto, juxtaposed to his stocky and well-built frame. Leo still didn't notice. But pretty soon, his ninja senses started to kick in.
"Andrew...do you get a strange feeling something's about to go wrong?" Leo asked.
"Yea...real strange. I almos' got da feelin' it's gonna happen...now." As he spoke the final word, Leo was immediately surrounded by a posse of Foot soldiers. He reached for his katanas, but Andrew quickly plucked them from their sheathes and tossed them aside. Leo looked at him in surprise, and Andrew's smirk grew bigger. Leo gasped sharply in surprise and stumbled backward into the waiting arms of the Foot, who restrained him immediately.
"Andrew, what's your deal?" Leo asked, desperately searching the man's face for the friend he had known so well since age eighteen-or rather, the friend he thought he had known so well since age eighteen-as he struggled to free himself from the Foot.
"I'm my deal freak." He sneered. "I was neva ya friend. I was jus' tryin' ta get on ya good side, earn ya trust! And it worked! And better than Farlon's weak approach!" Suddenly Leo was plunged into a pool of memories...
-flashback-
"Nah Luke. It's no biggie."
"You sure Leo?"
"Look. It's no big deal."
"If you say so...but you won't be for long." Suddenly, a smirk curled onto Luke Farlon's face. Leo's eyes narrowed as he saw it, and he drew his twin blades.
"Luke, what's going on?" Leo demanded. Luke let out an evil chuckle that sent shivers racing down Leo's spine. In an instant in which Luke snapped his fingers, Leo was surrounded by the Foot clan. Leo easily defeated the ninjas with his katanas and turned to Luke who's eyes widened. The dark haired eighteen-year-old threw a smoke bomb and disappeared behind a shield of thick gray smoke.
-end flashback-
"Luke?" Leo asked quietly. A tall, lean, black cloaked foot soldier pushed forward, but toward Andrew not Leo, and spitting curses the entire way.
"My approach was the same one you just used!" He said, getting up in Andrew's face.
"Luke?!" Leo asked, shocked at the soldier's voice. The soldier turned quickly toward the captive, and the black mask and red headband loomed closer. Upon coming to stand in front of Leo, the soldier pulled off his mask, revealing the dark hair and green eyes of Luke Farlon. Leo's ex-friend.
"How's life freak? It's been awhile. Say...thirteen years?" He laughed. "It took a good long time for Muscles to finally get a hold of you. You know, I can't wait to rip that shell off your back and cut you to pieces and-" Andrew whacked the back of Luke's head.
"Just shut ya mouth." he sneered. Luke turned back to Andrew and growled.
"Tell me to shut my mouth again you-"
"ENOUGH!" Rahzar pushed through the crowd.
"Wow Rahzar. Sixteen years and you haven't changed a bit." Leo said mockingly.
"Thirty years of age under your shell, and you've only gotten even more of a smart mouth!" Rahzar growled. He then clapped Andrew congratulatingly on the shoulder. "Good job, Wilson."
"Thank you Rahzar, dat means so much coming from you." Andrew's voice was filled with a sickeningly sincere gratitude. He snapped his fingers. Leo winced as his arm was wrenched out of place and the soldiers holding him dropped him in front of Rahzar. Leo glared at the skeletal mutant, then shifted his cold gaze to rest on Andrew.
"You said you were my friend." Leo hissed. " I trusted you."
"I know." Andrew smiled dangerously. "We all make mistakes, yers was just turned out to be a deadly one. But as you'll learn," He backhanded Leo across the face, freeing a yelp of pain and leaving a tingly, stinging red mark behind. Andrew's voice deepened so much that Leo couldn't hear any traces of his accent as he finished his sentence.
"That's the price paid for trust."
Me: That cliff hanger though. Well, I'll update soon enough. Tata!