After the Game

"Game's finally over," Don's voice chimes up, followed by chatters of agreement.

I pull back for air semi quickly, not wanting to end this moment. "You're not a bad kisser," I compliment, smiling and looking into Raph's emerald green eyes.

"You're not bad, either," he replies, kissing my cheek. "Want to go to the surface?"

"Patrol time," Leo calls, gathering his other brothers. "Raph, Faith, come on!"

"We're coming," I call, getting up and stretching, "just hold your horses." I turn into a horse and whinny, swishing my tail from side to side. "I'll give you a ride if you want." Raphael hops onto my back and the others follow, allowing me to trot and turn into a black Pegasus, flying out to the rooftops before letting my hooves run on the rooftop and my wings fold, my legs slowing to a stop and letting the turtle warriors off before turning into a human once again.

"We're going in teams," the leader says, looking to us in turn.

"Don's on my team," Mikey calls, running over to the purple masked turtle.

"Raph and Faith, you're a team," Don says, hearing Leo say that back in the lair.

"And I'm going solo," Leo adds, going north, Mikey and Donnie going west.

"I guess we go east," I say, looking to the emerald-eyed warrior to my right. "Let's go."

While we're walking, I hold a shruiken in my hand, ready to hurl it if I need to. "What drew you to being close to me," the turtle asks, looking to me. "Why not one of the others?"

I stop and look to him, my eyes holding shock. "You understand me better than any of the others and you know what I'm going through with my temper. Ever since we met, I felt like I could trust you from the start."

Raph's hand reaches out and grabs mine, but not soon enough. A shot enters his arm and he lets go of my hand, clutching his left arm.

"Raph," I say breathlessly, taking the shot out of his arm, "what gives?" My hand rests on his arm where the shot was, healing him. "Come out and show yourself!"

A mutant tiger with a stub of a tail comes out, holding a gun and a jet pack on his back. "Are you Faith?"

"Who wants to know," I ask, standing in front of Raph protectively, "and why should I tell you my name?"

Snarls are directed at me and the tiger aims his gun at me. "Master Shredder sent me to get you." His teeth are bared and his eyes narrowed.

"You're not going to get me now or ever, Tiger Idiot!" I turn into a dragon and gently put Raph on my back before flying off.

The tiger activates his jet pack and flies after me, shooting at me and trying to ground me. "You're not getting away that easily, girl!"

I dodge most of the attacks but one hits me: a rope that twirls around me and closes my wings, making me fall to the rooftop. "Are you too weak to try dragging me down without using a weapon, Tiger Claw?"

Tiger Claw growls and lands beside me at a distance, a knife or sword in his hand with the 5-foot blade pointed at me. "I could kill you on the spot, but I think Shredder would like that honor for himself."

I narrow my eyes at him and blow some fire his way before roaring, letting the three turtle brothers know I'm in danger and in need of assistance. "You're never going to get me to go with you, you stupid tiger."

Not long afterwards, the other turtles land in front of me and Donnie works on freeing me. "Don't hurt them," Leo snaps with his katanas in hand.

"Take Raph home," Don whispers in my ear, "and take care of him. We'll be there when we can, OK? Don't look back, Faith."

I nod and stand, my tail wrapped gingerly around Raph's body and my wings flapping, lifting both of us into the air.