Drip.
A drop of blood mixed with machinery oil rolled from the tip of Splinter's katana and splashed to the floor.
His ear twitched ever so slightly at the sound.
The world had stopped, caught between heartbeats.
The Ronin stood about forty feet away from him. Their eyes locked across the distance.
This was the man who had killed hundreds of Splinter's clansmen, who had been there the night that Splinter's world burned down around him, who had watched and waited while Splinter's family was destroyed, and thought it justice.
And now, he sought to destroy everything Splinter had regained.
First Raphael. Then Michelangelo. Then Mei. All unconscious – possibly severely injured.
Miwa lay bleeding on the floor.
Drip.
Blood and oil crashed to the floor like a gong.
Somewhere, Splinter's higher consciousness was telling him that revenge satisfied nothing, that murder was a great impurity, and that any life taken must be unavoidable, in pure self-defense, not cold blood.
Splinter tightened his grip.
Damn self-defense. Damn philosophy and morality.
His sword was thirsty. It cried and pleaded for blood, to bite into flesh and sinew, to sever and destroy.
It demanded the Ronin's life.
"Sensei," Leonardo's hushed, tense voice dragged the world back into motion. "He's fast, but if we both take him…"
"Stay with Miwa," Splinter said.
"But Sensei…"
"Stay!"
"Yes, Hamato Yoshi," Ronin said, raising his katana. "Come fight me alone. Come fight the divine wind. Come and let me drown you in blood as my ancient foes drowned in Hakata Bay."
"You are no Kono Michiari, Oroku Daiki. He loved honor and nation. You love only yourself."
"What does a Hamato know of honor? I have never known a better fitting form for a Hamato than a rat."
Splinter closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, focusing all of mental energy into his sword, into his limbs. He shut out the sounds of the Ronin's taunting.
He opened his eyes as a tiny sound reached his hearing.
Drip.
With that, he charged down the hall, throwing a fistful of shuriken at his foe to distract him. The Ronin raised his sword and deflected all three of them – faster than anything Splinter had ever seen – and turned his blade back to Splinter.
They collided.
Strike for strike, parry for parry, they fought. Ronin slowly drove Splinter back toward Miwa and Leonardo. A high spinning kick knocked Splinter's sword from his grasp – while he was still off balance, the Ronin slashed his sword across Splinter's belly.
But Splinter stepped back in time. The sword only sheared through the fabric and barely scored Splinter's flesh. Splinter fought back, blocking the Ronin's strikes at the wrists.
Then it was Splinter's turn to kick.
He landed the blow right on the Ronin's breastbone, sending him flying back at least thirty feet. Ronin lay dazed on the floor for a moment. Splinter retrieved his lost katana and stole a glance at Miwa and Leonardo. Miwa was pale – too pale – and Leonardo applied pressure to her wound.
Splinter turned back to his enemy. The whole world was red, as red as the blood that was on Leonardo's hands.
His sword screamed to rend the Ronin into pieces, and Splinter ceased to be.
Vengeance was all that there was.
Splinter charged again, ready to strike the Ronin dead where he stood. He was nearly on top of him when the Ronin flipped up from the ground and slammed a fist over each of Splinter's ears.
Pain and ringing filled Splinter's head. The world spun and he staggered backward, unable to react as the Ronin retrieved his own katana. Splinter saw the Ronin coming for him. Splinter tried to respond, but his temporarily damaged sense of balance sent him careening to the floor instead.
He heard a shout just over the sound of the ringing in his ears, and Leonardo rushed into view, driving the Ronin back.
Splinter shook his head to clear it and unevenly climbed back up to his feet. He ran to Leonardo's aid –
Too late.
The Ronin kicked Leonardo in the head and Leonardo slumped to the floor.
"Stop!" the Ronin shouted, poising his katana over Leonardo's throat. "A blow to the head like that can kill a man. Perhaps it can kill a turtle, as well. But if you advance one more step toward me, I shall remove all doubt."
Panting, Splinter stopped dead in his tracks.
Ronin laughed. "Of course, give me one reason why I should not anyway."
"No!"
A blade whizzed through the air.
She had pulled the sizeable throwing dagger from her own chest and threw it at the Ronin. The Ronin ducked and raised his sword to deflect it.
At the last second, Leonardo roused and buried one of his small knives into deep the Ronin's foot.
The Ronin stumbled backwards.
Splinter's katana sang.
He charged the Ronin one last time and sank his katana deep into the Ronin's chest. The tip emerged from Ronin's back in a spray of blood.
The Ronin gasped and choked. "But – the gods…they…sent me…"
"Then know you have failed in your purpose." Splinter said each word as if he were driving another blade into the Ronin. "Die in the hell you have created for yourself."
Splinter ripped his katana up and out of the Ronin's chest, severing every crucial artery as he did.
Oroku Daiki slumped to the floor, gushing red.
Splinter spat on his dead body.
Blood rolled off of Splinter's katana like a satisfied purr.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Splinter's full awareness of the world around him came back to him slowly as the bloodlust faded away. The first thing he realized was the look of awe and terror on Leonardo's face.
Then he realized what he had done.
He had killed in cold blood.
Shakily, he wiped his katana clean, further staining his robe with the Ronin's blood.
Certainly, there was no question that the Ronin had to die. He would continue to be a threat to Splinter's family as long as he lived. But Splinter had not fought from a stance of self-defense, or of justice for crimes.
It had been vengeance. Cold blood. Murder.
He had never been able – not even after all that Shredder had done – to feel that much blind rage and hatred. But Shredder was protected by childhood memories and what had once been a pure brotherly love. The Ronin had none of that. Both men unquestionably deserved death, yet Splinter had found no mercy in his heart for the Ronin – only vengeance.
Splinter sheathed his katana. "Make no mistake, Leonardo. Hell is what we make for ourselves." He looked at his wide-eyed son. "Be cautious, lest you fall into the same pit as your enemies."
Lest you become a murderer, too.
Leonardo nodded, swallowing as he did.
Splinter turned to see Miwa standing twenty or so feet away, wobbling on her feet, clutching at the bloody wound on her chest. By not removing the blade, some of the blood flow had been stayed. Now that it was gone…
"Miwa…" Splinter ran to her side and supported her. "Karai."
A weak smile played across Miwa's pale lips. "I…don't mind it…when you call me Miwa. Not…anymore." She closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest.
"Uggghh," Michelangelo's voice came from down the hall. "You get the number of that bus that hit me? Whoa…that bus is wrecked."
"Don't make jokes about it, Mikey," Leonardo said harshly. He went over to Mei. "Obasan. Obasan, wake up."
Mei mumbled softly in response.
Raphael groaned as he pushed himself up from the floor. "My…head…splitting…"
Everyone jumped as Leonardo's t-phone rang. Leonardo tapped the screen. "April, are you okay?" His brow shot up. "You guys, about a dozen Kraang vans just pulled up and two helicopters landed on the roof. We need to blow this popsicle stand."
"I…still need…the computers aren't wiped," Mei pushed herself up slowly.
"We don't have time," Leo said. "Just blow it up – literally. Do you think you can cross the circuits somehow?"
"I…maybe…"
"Sensei, you and the others get Karai to the Shellraiser. I'll stay here with Aunt Mei and we'll follow as soon as we can."
Splinter was torn between going with Miwa and staying with Mei. "Mei…"
"Go, Yoshi," Mei said.
"The fastest way will be to rappel down the side of the building," Leonardo said. "You run less risk of encountering the Kraang."
"Leonardo," Splinter said. "If it becomes too dangerous, leave whether the mission is completed or not. At this point, all that matters is our safety. Hai?"
Leonardo bowed. "Hai, Sensei."
Splinter gently carried Miwa over to the window. Raphael and Michelangelo tied a piece of rope around both Splinter's and Miwa's waists and set them up with a grappling hook, then helped them out of the window. Then they followed suit.
The whole way down, Miwa's bleeding continued. Splinter could feel blood from her wound soaking into his robe and fur. He fought down panic and mentally prepped himself for the first aid steps. They had plenty of things for first aid in the Shellraiser, but the sooner they could get her back to the lair and properly dress the wound, the better.
Once on the ground, they hurried to the Shellraiser. It was surrounded by the carnage of Kraang droids and Footbots.
Casey waited outside, his mask flipped up. "There you are. April! They're here!"
April opened the door for them. Her appearance was disheveled and she seemed to have a few minor injuries, but other than that, she seemed to be all right. Splinter sighed in relief. He did not know if he would be able to worry about losing two daughters in a single night.
"Oh, my gosh," April said. "She's so badly hurt."
"Yes. Get the first aid kit." Splinter stretched Miwa out on the floor of the Shellraiser. She was shivering now. He took several pads of gauze and put them over the wound, applying as much pressure as he could. "Is there a blanket? We need to keep her warm"
"Yeah, Donnie keeps one stashed behind that panel next to his station," Raphael said. He went to retrieve it, then stretched it out over her.
"Th – thanks," Miwa said.
"Don't you dare die, sister," Raphael said, his voice a mixture of anger and compassion. He turned to Splinter. "What do we do now?"
"Until we get more equipment, this is all we can do," Splinter said.
Raphael clenched his fists. "Leo and Aunt Mei better hurry up…"
A massive explosion went off. Clouds of purple smoke emerged from the eighth floor of the building. Splinter's heart nearly stopped.
Breathlessly, they waited. Surely Leonardo and Mei were almost to the Shellraiser.
They waited.
Two minutes passed like centuries.
Three.
Four.
"They didn't make it," April whispered.
Five.
Six.
Splinter closed his eyes and fought back tears. "We have to get Miwa back to the lair. Her injuries…"
"Casey, get inside," Raphael said. He clambered into the driver's seat as Casey came inside. The door shut. Raphael pulled the Shellraiser into motion, driving like a maniac.
Splinter drew a deep breath, silently repeating his mantra.
Acknowledge; let flow.