A/N: Hi everyone, thanks again for continuing to read this fic. This chapter went in a different direction than when I first started. Just a quick reminder that italics are spoken in Japanese.

-Awareness Bringer- thank you for bringing it to my attention. I went back and edited it.


They were supposed to be ninjas. Creatures of shadows and silence. It was something that Leo told himself over and over again. Of course, they were also teenagers. Which is why they were doing this 'exercise'. A blend of a game and reflex training. A way to make training fun and to keep his brothers from complaining. It was supposed to be mostly silent. But with Mikey, these training exercises rarely were. At least the new moon above left the rooftop in the shadows. Even if the youngest's shouts were echoing through the air, the shadows would help hide them a little.

"Are you're blind or something, ani?" Mikey teased as the projectile missed him. It landed with a pop and splash behind the orange-masked turtle. "You can't hit the Battle Nexus champion," he bragged. He held his arms out wide, creating a larger target. The orange-masked turtle stuck out his tongue.

"Just stand still, otouto, and you'll see how blind I am," Raph growled. He pointed one finger at his younger brother. Leo could see Raph tightening his hold on the red water balloon in his other hand. He was going to pop it if he wasn't careful. Mikey just smirked at the hot-head.

A squawk sounded from Mikey as a purple balloon popped on the edge of his shell. The cold water splashed over him. "You were saying, Mikey?" Don asked innocently, tossing his other purple balloon in his hand. A smirk on his olive green beak.

"Y tú, bro," Mikey gasped betrayed with a fake choking noise. Slamming his sea green hand to his plastron, the dramatic turtle staggered. Don rolled his eyes at the show.

Cold water splashed on Leo's head. "Ya paying attention, Fearless?" Raph asked, a grin obvious in his voice. Leo blinked, startled for a second. The chilled water slid into his shell. Shivering, the leader turned to his cocky brother.

With a renewed focus, Leo retaliated. He threw his blue balloon at the red-masked turtle. The hothead stabbed it with his sai, sending cold water across his plastron. Leo rolled his eyes. Raph grinned as if he won, shaking his sais to lose the blue plastic.

The next five minutes were spent dodging colorful balloons with the occasional fist thrown in. The turtles were absolutely soaked a half hour later. Leo laughed as Raph gave up on hitting Mikey with a balloon and attacked with a water gun that one of the brothers had hidden. Shrieks and chuckles added to the chaos. The orange-masked turtle ran from the red masked one, hiding behind Don. Don looked exasperated as Mikey used him as a meat shield. Leo watched with amusement. With his sea green hands tight on Don's shoulders, the youngest brother yanked Don to and fro as Raph tried to side step. "Come on Mikey, stop being a chicken," Raph complained.

"I am turtling actually," Mikey responded. Don groaned as Raph frowned. With a pull of a trigger, Raph sprayed both brothers. Leo watched as Don sputtered in indignation.

A sudden chill went down Leo's spine. If he had hair it would be standing up. He straightened his posture as his instincts warned of danger. Something was watching them. The laughter died as the younger brothers tensed as well. Looking at him, their game stopped instantly. Raph shoved the water gun into his belt.

A thud of shell meeting shell signaled that they were getting into a defensive position. "What is it, Fearless?" Raph asked, his voice tense. His hands hovered over his sais. Amber eyes glared into the darkness. Third eyelid closing to hide the warm color. Peering toward the neighboring shadowed rooftops for any danger, the turtles looked for whatever set off their senses. Leo could hear Mikey's nunchucks spin behind him.

"I don't know," Leo answered. Dark eyes looked at the neighboring rooftops. In the new moon, the only light was the streetlights several floors down.

"Is it another Yokai?" Mikey asked nervously, "I really didn't like the last one." Leo could hear his nunchucks start to whirl faster.

"I put the amulet in an iron box. I even put that salt ring around it like you suggested, Mikey. Nothing else should have escaped, I think," Don said, his tone unsure. " Although, I have no clue what to do with the energy it gives off. Did the Ancient One teach you anything about that, Leo?"

Leonardo shook his head, "Yokai never came up. Nor did any other mystical energy." A twang of an arrow being released sent the leader into action. The air whistled loudly toward the brothers. The shine of an arrowhead caught the leader's eye. With a swing of a katana, the wooden arrow clattered to the floor. Leo kept his swords in an x formation. The brothers moved to face the direction where the attack came from. A shadow darted away, barely visible on the next rooftop.

"Think we should go after 'em?" Raph asked. He looked to the leader as he shifted his weight to the balls of his feet. A snarl on his beak.

"It could be a ploy to draw us into an ambush," Don answered. Leo nodded in agreement. The last thing he wanted to do is to put his brothers in danger.

"Did you bring your night vision goggles, Don?" Leo asked. The purple-masked hummed as he opened his beak to answer.

"Uh, not to interrupt this discussion, but we just got mail, bros," Mikey said, his blue eyes on the ground as the rest kept looking out. Leo spared a look down to see that the arrow in fact did have a piece of parchment wrapped around it. It was tied with twine. Mikey lowered himself to reach out to the letter. The brothers shifted to cover the vulnerable turtle.

"Wait, you don't know if it is coated in some sort of agent," Donatello said. "Antrax, some sort of poison." Don spared a glance down as well, only to sigh as he saw the arrow in his younger brother's hand.

"Oops," Mikey said as he unwrapped the paper. He shut his eyes waiting for something. "It feels like paper." With a shrug from Don, the youngest continued his investigation. Seconds of silence followed as the orange-masked turtle read. "It's for you, Leo." Leo sheathed his swords as Raph took the position closest to where the shot came from.

Leo took the parchment from Mikey. Stepping back, the three younger brothers guarded him. He saw the foot symbol at the top left corner of the paper. An icy feeling filled his stomach followed by the fire of anger. He told Karai not to bother them. Of course, that was before they stole the Heart of Tengu for Bishop and took the amulet from the Elite. "It's from Karai," Leo said to his curious brothers. He could feel their eyes stealing glances at him.

"What does Little-Miss-Psycho want?" Raph asked with a growl.

"Let's move out of range," the leader ordered. The four slowly padded into the shadows of the roof. They hopped to the next rooftop. One kept look-out behind them. Finally they stopped at a water tower that served as a bolthole. After a quick inspection, the four crouched underneath the water tower, between its metal legs. The blue-masked leader unrolled the parchment when he felt safe. Leo cleared his throat to read the neat script. "Leonardo, as a representative of the Hamato Clan, forward this message to your jōnin."

"Hamato Clan? " Mikey asked, "Cool. Do we need matching symbols? It should be a turtle shell. Who is our jōnin?"

"Master Splinter, I assume," Donatello answered, "He is our father and would probably be considered our Clan Head." Mikey nodded along while Raph sighed impatiently.

"Can I keep reading?" Leo asked. The brothers nodded. "Our clans have been at odds for years. To prevent further bloodshed, I propose a meeting between our clans to come to a truce. If you agree, you all must meet my Elite and myself at the old TCRI building tomorrow night at midnight. I look forward to putting an end to this needless war." Leonardo rolled the parchment, nearly crushing it in his grasp. He shoved it into his belt.

"It's a trap," Raph said, shoving his sais into his belt. He crossed his arms across his plastron.

"The probability is very high," Don said with a sigh, "but it would be nice not to worry about Foot ninja every time we leave the Lair." The olive green turtle had a deep frown as he looked off into the far distance.

"Yeah, I don't know about you guys, but I finally got my room the way I like it," Mikey said, "I don't wanna move again." Although said in a joking manner, all four brothers looked downward. None of them wanted to move again.

"Let's get back home. We'll talk with Master Splinter," Leonardo said. "Watch our six, Raph." The turtle in the blue mask took off at a run. His eyes looked to the nearby rooftops. They were empty for the moment. Footsteps followed him, though all banter was absent from their owners. They were all thinking the same thing. Get home quickly without being followed.

Leo lifted the manhole cover they came from. He kept his eyes up at the fire escapes around them. Mikey did a flip into the dark depths while Don hopped down without any flair. Raph gave Leo a nod as he entered the manhole. Following after, Leo slid the cover into place with a skid and a thud. Leo led the brothers back toward their home. The four walked in silence as they made their way to the Lair.

Mikey was the first in the door. He didn't announce his entrance. After each of them being reprimanded for waking Lita previous nights, the brothers learned not to make a dramatic entrance so late at night. The four filed in quietly. They waited, knowing that Splinter would have heard the Lair door. The tapping of a walking stick warned of his approach.

"You're back early, my sons," Splinter greeted as he walked slowly to stop in front of the turtles. "Is everything alright?" His brown eyes looked over his sons with worry. "Are you injured?" His gaze was picking them apart, looking for any wounds.

"Yes, Father, everything is okay. We are unharmed," Leo responded first. Splinter kept looking over them. He walked around the four quickly. He stopped in front of his sons. The rat nodded as he also reached the same assessment.

"We just got mail," Mikey blurted out, "It's for you." A smack was loud as Raph smacked his younger brother across the back of his head. Mikey rubbed his head with a frown.

"Raphael, we don't hit outside the dojo," Splinter reminded. Raph apologized, lowering his head. Mikey smirked and his older brother promised a follow up with a fist hitting his open palm. Splinter ignored the pantomine to focus on Leo. "Come, sit down and we can discuss this 'mail' you speak of."

The old rat led them to the kitchen where they could all sit comfortably. Leo handed his father the parchment. Silence permeated the air as Splinter read the paper. The tension was thick in the room. Mikey started to drum on the table. Don kept his hands clasped on the table to keep from fidgeting. A frown crossed Splinter's muzzle, whiskers twitching. "It would be foolish to believe Karai offers peace," Splinter said as he rolled up the parchment. He set it down far from him.

"That's what I was sayin'," Raph said, "I trust her as far as I can throw her." The four waited for Leo to vouch for her. To say how she is an honorable warrior, but no such defense came. It wouldn't have been the first time this topic was brought up. But this was the first since the destruction of their last home.

"I agree with Raph. Karai is no friend of ours," Don spoke up. His brown eyes were distant as if remembering something. His gaze turned sad as he looked at Leo and Raph. Leo remained silent. His brow furrowed as he clenched his fists.

"But it would be equally foolish not to attempt to broker peace," Splinter said, clasping his paws together. His tail whipped behind him. His whiskers twitched with restrained distaste. "While we may be able to defend ourselves, there is one among us who would be vulnerable," the rat switched to Japanese. Splinter's eyes looked in the direction of Lita's room.

The four brothers frowned at the thought. "Even Karai isn't that evil. Lita is just a kid," Mikey said with an unsure chuckle, "Right?" Silence answered him. His blue eyes looked at each of them for reassurance. Leo looked away from the youngest as Raph scoffed. Don wrinkled his beak, gritting his teeth together.

"I don't know, Mikey. She did destroy our home," Don said at last. He drummed his fingers on the table. "But she didn't hurt April or Casey. Maybe we have that going for us." His tone was just as unsure.

"Yeah 'cause the law would actually look for the person who hurt April or Casey," Raph said bitterly, "I think we tell her where she can shove her truce." He got to his feet quickly, sending his chair clattering to the floor.

"Raphael," Splinter warned, raising an eyebrow. The reprimand stopped there though. Brown aged eyes looked weary at the hot-headed turtle. The old rat looked ancient as he grabbed the parchment once more.

"Master Splinter, whatever you decide we would follow," Leo said as he looked over at his brothers. Don and Mikey nodded quickly in agreement. Raph crossed his arms, but lowered his head as an agreement.

"This is an opportunity to eliminate one of our enemies. We should not let it pass us by," Splinter said with resolve. Uneasy looks crossed each turtle's face though Raph looked a little more upset. "But we will not be unprepared. We will enter expecting a trap."

"I'll be sure to pack some flashbangs and smoke bombs," Don said as he stood from the table. The purple-masked turtle walked away to his lab. The three turtles remained unsure of what to do.

"We will need one of our allies to watch Lita during this meeting. Karai must not learn of her existence," Splinter said, " And our weapons must be in optimal working conditions."

"I'll call April and Casey. I'm sure they'll babysit," Mikey offered, his voice not quite its usual chipper tone.

"Shouldn't we call Leatherhead? Lita is more comfortable with him than with ..." Leo trailed off. The others didn't need the last word; it was obvious how wary the girl was of the humans. They saw it multiple times already.

"It would be beneficial for her to move past this fear," Splinter said. The turtles nodded as the three got up. They bowed to their father before preparing themselves for the unknown.


April hefted the large bag on her shoulder. She bit her bottom lip nervously as she stood in front of the Lair's entrance. Casey was silent, shockingly, at her side. Drops of water plopped onto the sewer floor as they stood unmovingly. "This is a bad idea," Casey said with a huff, running his hand through his dark locks. He crossed his arms across his broad chest.

"Which idea? The guys meeting up with the Foot or us watching Lita?" April asked. It was a joke, a slight one. It was a desperate attempt to lighten the mood.

A thoughtful look crossed the man's face. "Both. This is obviously a trap. I don't think Shredder Jr. decided to follow the straight and narrow, ya know. I just don't want the guys to get hurt."

"I don't either," she whispered, "But if there is a chance to stop this fighting, maybe they should take it." April bit her lip again nervously. She could still remember the woman dropping the 'sewer sweet sewer' sign on her desk. The finality of the sound of the metal clattering. The reeling feeling she felt at the thought of the mutants she called a second family dead. The nausea that threatened to have her lose her lunch. The smug look on the Japanese woman's face as she left her threat. With a shake of her head to rattle those negative thoughts away, she brushed on a false confident smile. The last thing the turtles needed was for her to frighten the small turtle she was going to watch. "If they guys are half prepared as we are, the Foot will be the ones running," she said, hefting the bag on her shoulder. Its heavy weight was a little grounding.

"Heh, I'd like to be there to crack some skulls too," Casey said. April put a hand on his bicep in agreement. Delaying no longer, April opened the Lair.

The entrance opened to partial darkness. Casey stepped forward, fists raised. Did the Foot strike already? Were they too late? April followed after Casey. He kept an arm out to keep her behind him. She rolled her eyes, but was touched at his protectiveness. Faint light shone from candles around the Lair. Shadows danced along the wall. "Hey guys, didja forget the power bill?" Casey joked as he walked through the darkened home.

A solid tap of a wooden walking stick to their right had both humans jump in shock. April gasped in shock, nearly bolting to the door. Both humans reeled to face the ninja master. "Geez, Master Splinter. A little warning next time. Yer gonna give me a heart attack one day," Casey said with a hand on his chest. April's heart was also threatening to beat out of her chest.

The short shadow's rounded ears drooped back apologetically. "My apologies. Lita is training at the moment. My hope is that she will sleep soon," Splinter explained.

"Stealth training?" April asked with a smile. The ninja master hummed as he flipped the lightswitch. April blinked at the sudden intrusion of light. The entrance light flickered on to reveal the rat. A tanto was at his belt, shiny and sharp. It was a little strange to see the normally peaceful rat carrying a blade. It made April's stomach flutter nervously.

"Yes, I tasked her with retrieving my sons' masks. A variation of capture the flag," Splinter explained as he led the group to the living room. Light barely filtered into the room. April could hear faint shuffling inside, but couldn't see who made the noise. The trio stopped at the doorway.

"Nice try, Lita," Raph's gruff voice said, invisible in the dark room. A thud followed the statement.

"Ow," a soft girl's voice called out. There was a couple of grunts and another thud, much heavier than the first. April couldn't see what was happening in the darkness.

"What's the deal, Raph? Master Splinter said not to hurt her," Leo's stern voice said.

"Get off my shell, Leo. I didn't even touch her," Raph growled.

A familiar sigh passed Splinter's muzzle. April gave him a sympathetic look. With a click, the lights turned on. Leo had Raph pinned on the ground on his plastron. One thing was distinctly missing from both ninja. Hurried footsteps stopped in front of Splinter and the humans. Dangling from a white scaled hand was four strips of fabric. A small smile was on the white scaled face as pink eyes looked up with pride.

Both brothers watched in shock as their blue and red mask hung in the small turtle's grasp. Raph pushed Leo off of him roughly. Splinter smiled proudly. "Well done, my daughter," the teacher said, "Though perhaps next time, Donatello would participate more fully." He took the four strips of fabric. April wondered how the small girl was able to remove the masks of the turtles. Besides the obvious tussle that she caused between the oldest brothers, Mikey was competitive and Donny wasn't easily fooled.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive," April said, "You must be very stealthy." The compliment drew the girl's attention. Pink eyes widened to their furthest point. She turned to run away. The two older turtles who were retrieving their masks became a hasty wall. Raph was glaring at Leo as he tied his own on.

"Well this is off to a great start," Casey said with a huff as Lita tried to pass the oldest brothers. April gave the small turtle a soft look. Leo had a hand on her shoulder, keeping her close to his side.

"She didn't scream at your face, so I think that is better than most kids," Mikey's voice said as he entered. Splinter handed his son his orange mask. Don was at Mikey's heels, eyes in his bag. They rolled as the brainy turtle put the chocolate bars back into the bag. As he finally looked up, Splinter handed the purple mask to him.

" . Very funny," Casey said, rolling his eyes. Don and Mikey stood away from the group, choosing to stay at the doorway.

April looked at the smaller turtle who was being nudged from behind her protective wall of shells and scales. Her white heels dug into the floor as she struggled to stay away from the humans. "Com'on we don't have time for this, Lita," Raph growled, hand pushing her shell.

A soft chirp sound came from deep in the girl's throat. It caused the red-masked turtle to pause his pushing. A soft look crossed his face. April knew that there had to be something to put the girl more at ease. April looked into her bag for her secret weapon. "I have a gift for you, Lita," she said softly as she pulled out a white box. It has a little pink bow on it.

April squatted down to be more at her level. "Bribery? I didn't know you had it in you," Don's voice teased from behind the humans. April ignored it to keep eye contact with the albino turtle. Pink eyes darted to each of the other mutants. They gave her a small nod with Mikey offering a thumbs-up.

The girl relaxed minutely. A small step toward the humans caused the older mutants to relax a little. She took another and reached out with shaking hands. Fingers loosely wrapped around the box. April let go and the turtle pulled it closer to her. She backpedaled quickly. She sat cross-legged on the floor, giving the humans one more look. With bated breath, April watched the turtle open the box.

Lita tilted her head which almost made the woman squeal at the adorable image. A pink piece of fabric was pulled out of the box. Two holes were cut out of the fabric. Lita's fingers ran over the material delicately. "I hope I wasn't too presumptuous," April said, looking at Master Splinter.

"A mask?" Lita asked, looking up at the woman with hope. April nodded with a smile. Lita looked at Splinter, pink eyes bright, so full of hope. A smile was on her beak as she held up the fabric to the rat. If there was one thing that was true about the rat mutant, he was a master of concealing his emotions. April couldn't read the look on his face. Was he upset at her? Did she overstep his family's tradition? Did she insult him?

"I see. Perhaps we should hold a ceremony welcoming you officially to the clan. Next month," Splinter suggested as he picked the mask from pale fingers. He brushed the side of the albino turtle's face gently.

"That sounds like a party to me," Mikey piped up from his position by the doorway.

"Everything sounds like a party to you," Leo responded as he walked to stand beside his brothers. April could see that his dark gaze focused on the pink mask in Splinter's paws. She felt less confident in her gift.

"There's more in the box," April said, trying to move on. The girl looked back to the box to pull out a gray cloak. With a quick wiggle, she shed the oversize red hoodie she wore and pulled the cloak over her head. The deep hood slipped over her face covering her beak. With a giggle, April crouched to fix the hood. Wide pink eyes met her green ones as the woman straightened the hood. The woman could feel the small mutant shake. "There we go. Now we can see your pretty face," April said gently. Tension filled the room as the mismatched family held its breath. April softly brushed her fingers against the scaly face. It was a texture that she was quite used to even if Lita was noticeably cooler than the others. The albino shut her eyes tightly. Just before the woman moved, Lita opened her eyes. She leaned into the touch for a moment before remembering who was touching her. April pulled her hand away, giving the girl space.

"We must be going. Thank you for your assistance, Miss O'Neil and Mister Jones," Splinter said. He padded quietly to the small turtle. "Lita, be on your best behavior for our friends," he said. With one arm, he pulled the girl into a warm hug. She nuzzled into his side as he placed a kiss at the top of her head.

"Y-you'll be b-back soon, right?" Lita asked.

"That is our intention," Splinter answered, stepping away to allow his sons to say their goodbyes. April watched as each of the older turtles said their goodbyes to the young turtle.

Raph stepped forward first. Raph ruffled the top of the gray hood. "Night, Lita. We'll be back before ya know it. Give Case a hard time for me." The red-masked turtle walked away as Leo stepped forward.

Leo pulled her against his plastron whispering assurances. April couldn't hear whatever he whispered, but it was enough for the girl to relax more. And given that Lita looked at her made April think that it was about her. The two separated as Don knelt to her level, letting her wrap her arms around his neck. Don held her tight before they both let go.

"Come here, Imouto," Mikey called as he ran to her. Mikey lifted her into a swinging hug that had his older brothers rolling their eyes. Lita giggled as her legs swung through the air.

"Be safe, Aniki," Lita said as she was set down.

The brothers gathered once again at the living room entrance. April followed the brothers and their father as they walked to the entrance of the Lair. With some last minute overlapping and slightly confusing instructions, the five mutants left. The door shut with a final sounding thud. April walked back to the living room to see Casey and Lita having a strange staring contest. "Well, whatcha want to do first, kid?" Casey asked as he plopped himself on the couch. "Ape's brought some games and some movies."

April looked at the albino turtle who wrapped her arms around her plastron tightly. She was looking at the door, a distant look in her eyes. "I brought Mulan. I think you will like it," April said as she reached into her bag to pull out the DVD. "Why don't you take a seat?" April asked.

Robotically, Lita walked to Splinter's recliner. She curled up in the seat to appear as small as possible. Casey's blue eyes looked pitifully at the bundled up turtle. Blue eyes met green and April forced a thin smile on her face. "Hey don't worry, Lita, those knuckleheads will be back soon," Casey reassured.


Leonardo tried to find his center. To calm himself, to appear in control. He could feel the buzzing energy off his brothers. With Raph's barely contained rage to his right, the leader could feel his own patience waning thin. Hope that perhaps Karai was telling the truth mixed with rage-filled memories of the ruined Lair. The feeling of loss and fear when he couldn't find his brothers.

Mikey shifted his weight impatiently, but his hands weren't near his nunchucks and he kept his beak shut. Leo met the youngest's eyes, third eyelid blocking the normally blue eyes. Mikey didn't shoot him a bright smile back. The leader looked to his last brother. Don outwardly looked calm, but Leo could see his eyes scan the dark recesses of the walled off crater. His brow between his eyes was furrowed. The government had yet to fix the remains of the TCRI building, leaving the crater unfilled. The wooden walls surrounding the plot kept the entire area in near darkness.

The eldest looked to his father who finished tying the pink mask on the hilt of the tanto he carried. It fluttered slightly before hanging limp. With his muzzle in the air, Splinter lowered his ears, "Greetings, Karai." Brown eyes narrowed as they focused. His voice was loud enough to carry to the wall, but not booming. His deep brown eyes flinted to the eastern wall. The four turtles rearranged themselves quickly. Splinter was in the front with the turtles standing just behind him. Leo was sure to stay at his father's right side. The brothers didn't unsheathe their weapons yet. The leader could see their fingers twitch in anticipation.

Out of the shadows, Karai stepped forward. Her footsteps were louder than necessary. Each heel hit the ground with force and authority. The sound echoed. With her metal helmet under her arm, her disgusted frown was clear on her face. "I did not believe you beasts would appear," she commented, her nose wrinkled. "But it appears you have some honor." Whirls of smoke revealed Shredder's Elite. They held their weapons loosely at their sides. Foot ninja joined the group, jumping from the walls. A quick count showed they were outnumbered at least three to one. Leonardo squared his stance. Leaf green fingers twitched in anticipation. He could see Raph lean on his sais. Don shifted his duffle so he could access it.

"Your message stated that you wished for peace. There is no need for this show of force," Splinter said though he leaned on his tanto. His ears folded backwards as his tail whipped behind him.

"Perhaps, but you have proven yourselves untrustworthy," Karai stated. Her green eyes drifted to Leo. He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from speaking.

"Yer one ta talk," Raph said with a growl. Silver glint in the minimal light as the turtle pointed his weapon at the woman. Clatter crossed the distance as the Foot ninja drew their weapons.

"I am not the one who broke our truce by trespassing and theft," Karai responded coolly. She looked down her nose at the turtle. Raph growled, tightening his grip.

Splinter held out his hand to block the bristling turtle. "We have each played a part in this conflict. However, that isn't the purpose of this meeting. We have agreed to move beyond the past and look to the future," Splinter soothed. Raph didn't relax even with his father's words.

Disgust crossed the woman's features as she looked at the rat. "Correct. I, Oroku Karai, reach out to you, Splinter. I offer peace." She bowed, far too shallow to be polite in Leo's opinion.

Splinter lowered himself into a respective bow. "I accept and on behalf of my clan offer the same."

"Great, now that's over. Let's blow this popsicle stand," Mikey said with nunchucks clicking together as he pointed to the wall. Even with the light-hearted comment, the youngest brother kept his eyes on the Foot ninja.

Karai narrowed her gaze at the interruption. Don hissed under his breath for the youngest to be quiet. The purple-masked turtle moved to step in front of Mikey. Karai turned her green eyes back to Splinter. "As a show of good will, I will like the amulet you stole from me," the woman stated.

Leo narrowed his eyes as a frown crossed his beak. He looked at Don. The purple-masked turtle was studying the artifact. If anyone knew about the dangers of it, it would be him. By the narrowed gaze and white knuckles, Leo assumed that Don didn't like the offer. "Very well," Splinter responded. His sons looked at him disbelievingly. They kept silent though. Mikey and Raph pressed their beaks tightly to keep from shouting. "We do not have said artifact on our persons," Splinter explained.

Karai smiled, red lips turning up in a manner that sent a shiver down Leo's spine. Instincts told him to be on edge, to sink into his shell. It was like a predator had caught up with him. Leo pushed the feeling away to narrow his eyes at the woman. "Perhaps we should rearrange a way for me to retrieve it?"

"Like we'll let ya get anywhere close to our home," Raph snarled. He took a step forward. Leo reached out. His fingers brushed the cool shell of his younger brother.

"Unlike you beast. I have honor. To show I have no ill will, I have something you may find interesting" Karai said with amusement. "Bring our guest," Karai ordered the Elite at her side. They disappeared in a puff of smoke to reappear seconds later. One of them held a shape in front of him in a kneeling position while the other three surrounded the newcomer. Leo tried to look between the four ninja. There was a shape there, shorter than the humans. Karai nodded to the Elite. The three humans blocking the view, moved aside.

The shadow was hunched over. Their back was a curve with their hands behind it. They lifted their head that was covered with a black bag. That was the only material covering them, but in the dim light it was difficult to see much more. A growl from Raph caused Leo to hold his hand out to still the hothead. Red lips upturned into a smirk as Karai looked over the mutant family. A gloved hand grasped the top of the bag and the Foot leader removed it with a flourish. Instead of a human's fleshy face, a shamrock green scaled face was exposed. Time seemed to freeze as the mutants looked at another mutant turtle. Leo could hear faint gasps. "Is this trade acceptable?" Karai asked, her voice smug.

The turtles looked to their father. His whiskers twitched as his ears pinned themselves to his skull. "It will take a week for us to retrieve the amulet. It was sold from Miss O'Neil's shop," Splinter said with a dip of his head. A very convincing lie, Leo thought. He would have believed his father.

Karai frowned slightly, "That is unfortunate." In a swift motion, the armored woman pressed the claws on her gauntlets against the turtle's throat. Splinter's paw reached for the pink mask on the handle of his tanto.

"Stop," Splinter said, authority in his tone. Karai lowered her claws just slightly. "There is no need for blood to be spilt tonight. You can retrieve your artifact and the mutant can come with us."

Karai looked thoughtful for a moment. "And why should I trust such a dishonorable clan? You have already broken one agreement."

"I got yer honor right here," was the only warning the red-masked turtle gave before shurikens flew toward the Shredder. With a quick twirl, the woman moved out of the way and away from the mutant. Karai charged back toward the bound turtle, claws slashing downward. The tension broke as Splinter closed the distance, blocking Karai's attack on the bound mutant turtle with his tanto.

Leo following his father's lead, blocked one of the Elite's attacks. "Karai, it doesn't have to be like this," he pleaded. The mutant rat and human were at a standstill; their blades locked together. Sounds of combat sounded around them. Leo dodged a kick from another Elite.

Splinter twisted his tanto, causing the woman to stumble slightly. A kick barely missed the mutant rat's side. Leo sighed to himself. This peace talk was a disaster.


Splinter whipped his tail behind him,striking an Elite that was trying to reach the bound mutant. He felt nothing but air as the man jumped over the attack. As he landed, Rapheal rushed him. Splinter watched his son drive the human away from the prisoner. Rapheal wrestled the man away. Trusting his son to keep that Elite away, the rat focused on Karai.

The woman paced slowly, prowling around. Splinter kept his tanto pointed at the woman. His paws slid across the ground to shift and keep her in front of him. Splinter struck first, waiting for her to take a step. Caught off guard, the woman stopped the blade with her bladed gauntlet. With her other hand, she swung her claws toward his side. Splinter pushed off her arm, letting the blade slide through the air harmlessly between them. She snarled at the missed attack.

Splinter stepped backwards to stand closer to the mutant. "I am going to release you. Run to the far wall and away from combat," Splinter whispered. With the barest of glances, he cut through the ropes binding the mutant. The turtle got to her feet, rubbing her wrists.

Splinter charged Karai whose claws met his tanto with sparks. The second set of claws followed after. The rat turned to dodge the attack. The tips of the metal claws sliced through the red material of his robe. Gray fur fluttered to the ground. A hiss passed Splinter's muzzle as the stinging pain that followed. It bloomed across his hip as warmth slipped down his side.

Shifting his weight away from his left hip, Splinter jumped to the right. The woman turned to face the rat. She reached behind her back for her chained weapon. As quick as possible, Splinter dove forward as the chain clacked behind him. His blade slid across the woman's legs as he passed by her. He could hear and feel his blade hit the metal shin guards.

She shouted in pain, falling to her knees as Splinter rolled. He stood up, spinning around as Karai staggered on her feet. Splinter changed his grip into a reverse one. The injuries he gave were shallow, barely bleeding above the metal armor.

The woman looked away from the mutant rat. Splinter followed her gaze to see the previously bound turtle struggling to cross the battlefield. His sons were each focused on their own battles. Leonardo was fighting two Elite. Rapheal was locking his sais with the ax of another. Donatello was dodging attacks from the final Elite. "Michelangelo," Splinter called his youngest son who was standing by a pile of Foot ninja.


This was the last thing Mikey wanted. He was hoping that this peace talk would go peacefully. He was hoping that he would have been at home by now playing games. But here he was now listening to the sounds of battle around him. He ducked under a sword slice. A swift kick to the black-clad ninja's side gave him some space. The man grunted as he stumbled. His nunchucks twirled in his hand as he deflected another blow from a Foot ninja to his right.

Mikey swept the feet out from under the Foot ninja. The ninja's head collided with the concrete. Holding both handles of his weapon, the orange-masked turtle rammed his weapon into the ninja's head. The man became limp.

Mikey grabbed a fist coming toward his face. He kicked his opponent's knee inward. The ninja fell to the ground. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention as another ninja ran toward him with a sword held above his head. Panicking, the turtle used the downed ninja as a platform. Vaulting over the incoming ninja, he could hear the tell-tale sound of metal meeting flesh. He landed, turning to face the two Foot ninjas. The one with the sword had released it, letting it clatter to the ground.

Desperate, the swordsman pressed his hands against his comrade's wound. "Hey dude, you can get your bud out of here and get some help," Mikey offered, lowering his weapons. The ninja looked at the turtle, his face unreadable behind his mask. With a bow, the ninja pulled his comrade over his shoulder and ran away.

"Michelangelo," Splinter's voice broke through the din of battle. Mikey turned to the call quickly, nunchucks spinning. His eyes quickly found Splinter facing Karai. Between father and son was an unarmed mutant turtle trying to run.

"I got it, Master Splinter," Mikey shouted. He weaved past Leo, giving a helpful kick to an Elite's back.

"Thanks, Mike," Leo said breathlessly. The blue-masked turtle spun and sliced the stumbling man down to the ground.

"No prob, bro," Mikey responded as he continued to run toward the other mutant turtle. Mikey ran past Raph, giving his brother a quick glance. The red-masked turtle had grabbed a Foot ninja, tackling him to the ground as the Elite he was fighting swung his ax. Mikey reached into his belt for shurikens. He threw four of them toward the Elite. The man spun his weapon blocking each one, but it gave Raph a chance to get back to his feet. Mikey turned back to face the other mutant turtle. He skidded to a stop in front of the turtle.

"Hey, my name's Mikey. I'm gonna get you out of here," the orange-masked turtle said with what he hoped was his bright smile. He panted to catch his breath. He held out his hand to the other.

The turtle sniffed looking at the outstretched hand. "Are you going to get us out of here or were you wanting to chat?" Her tone was deadpan.

"Well, chatting would be nice, but we got to go. Follow me, dudette," Mikey called. Spinning on his heel, the ninja turtle jogged. The other turtle followed at his heels. A Foot ninja ran toward the pair, his staff held like a bat. Wood struck Mikey's palm as he stopped the weapon. The blow stung sharply. Mikey dropped to his shell, pulling the enemy ninja up and over. He kicked the human's soft belly, sending him tumbling across the floor.

Mikey smirked at the female turtle expecting some sort of reaction. She looked unimpressed. Mikey got back to his feet quickly. The pair started running again. She remained silent behind him.

Another pair of footsteps grew louder toward them. Mikey saw movement in the corner of his eyes. He lifted his nunchucks, ready to defend himself. "Mikey," Don called out as the youngest turned to face his older brother who started to run beside him.

"Hey Don, this is the new girl," Mikey said, pointing to the female turtle who was behind them.

"Oh, hi," Don greeted, giving her a wave. Mikey could hear her huff behind him. The now trio was nearly to the wall. Mikey spared a glance back to check on the female turtle. He had expected her to be winded. Lita was really weak when they had saved her, but the female turtle looked only slightly tired.

"Now what is your plan?" the female turtle asked, noticing Mikey looking at her. As the trio stopped at the wall, she crossed her arms. Mikey looked at the tall wall. His family could easily jump to the top, but the new turtle probably couldn't.

"We give you a lift and you grab the top of the wall," Mikey explained.

"Once we are out of here, we wait for the others in the Battle Shell," Don continued. Mikey held out his hands to Don. Olive green hands grabbed his own sea green ones, making a platform.

"Just don't drop me," the female turtle warned.

"We won't," Don reassured a sheepish smile on his beak. The female turtle took a deep breath she looked back where they ran from. Mikey looked as well. He could see Foot ninja piled on the ground while the hat silhouettes of the Elite were nowhere to be seen. Instead the two rounded shadows of their brothers and the smaller shadow of their father was running their direction.

"What are ya waiting for?" Raph growled as he stopped next to the others. Though his sais were at his belt, he kept his hands close to his weapons.

"Nothing," the female turtle answered curtly. She stepped onto the turtles' clasped hands. To Mikey's surprise, she held her balance nearly perfectly. With a nod from Don, the two younger brothers lifted their arms. The female turtle reached toward the top of the wall. Her shamrock green fingers barely missed the edge by a foot. "I can't reach it. Toss me," she ordered.

"Be careful," Leo's voice cut in, "I'll get to the top and pull you up." He crouched, readying himself to jump to the top of the wall.

The female turtle huffed. "I can do it," she insisted, tone a little sharp. Mikey looked at Don who just shrugged. They lowered their arms slightly before swinging them upward. The mutants held their breath as the shamrock turtle flew upward, catching the top of the wall under her armpits.

Leo quickly was on the wall next to her. He reached down to help her. She waved the leader off as she pulled herself to sit on the wall. "That was well done," Splinter complimented, looking up at the pair above. The rest of the family jumped to the wall before dropping to the other side.

Once again, the female turtle blew off any help as she also dropped beside them without a stumble. Don and Raph had dropped their hands when they realized that they didn't need to help her. Mikey frowned at the odd feeling in his stomach; something wasn't right.

"What should we call you?" Splinter asked as the mutant family started their trek to the Battle Shell. He was limping slightly.

"We can come up with a name if you don't have one," Mikey offered with a strained smile.

"I have a name. It's Jennika," she answered bluntly, walking faster to distance herself from Mikey. "That's Jennika, not Jenny." The orange-masked turtle looked at Raph wondering if he thought that that was odd. "What happened to Karai?" she asked as she matched Splinter's stride to walk beside him.

"She retreated with minor injuries," Splinter answered. Her shoulders seemed to relax a little. Mikey raised a brow.

"Don't worry, she will not harm you again," Leo added, "I will not allow it." Jennika smiled. Mikey thought it was a little sharp, that it didn't quite reach her eyes.

He elbowed Raph who turned on him with a scowl. The red-masked turtle's amber eyes calmed, scanning over Mikey's face. "What's wrong, Mike?" he asked quietly.

Mikey shrugged,"Don't you think this is a little weird?" He waved his hand toward Jennika who walked close to Splinter. He made sure his voice was quiet.

"What? Are ya upset because this one doesn't have her hands all over you?" Raph asked with a growl.

"Are you still jealous of Venus and me?" Mikey teased. Raph smacked him over the head. "And no. I don't know, my gut doesn't trust her," the orange-masked turtle reiterated. Raph hummed, narrowing his eyes as well.


April tried not to stare at the small albino turtle. Stubbornly, the girl watched the movie even as her head grew heavy. Klunk, the cat, was sitting next to her. Lita ran her hand over the cat's back slowly. The red-head looked to the screen to watch the movie as well. She was enjoying the movie. Sometime during the movie, she leaned on Casey's muscled arm. He moved it to wrap his arm around her shoulders. A gentle shake to her shoulders drew her attention minutes later. "Looks like she finally clocked out," Casey said with a stifled chuckle. She looked at the small mutant. Her head was tilted in an awkward angle. Klunk was nearly crushed under her curled body.

"Poor thing. She looks exhausted," April said sadly. "The guys say she doesn't sleep well at night." Casey rubbed her arm comfortingly. His own blue eyes looked past the red head, sadly at the sleeping turtle.

"No kiddin'. Look at what Bishop did to Leatherhead. She's just a kid," Casey said, his blue eyes becoming stormy. He got to his feet suddenly, jolting her upright. "Gah, I got something for him when I see 'im." The man swung his fists in the air. Shushing him gently, April urged him back to the couch. It made her heart grow fond to see how protective he was. But now his enthusiasm could wake Lita.

Sure enough, her head shot up. Klunk jumped down, upset that he was woken up. Pink eyes darted quickly as her hands clenched and unclenched. April could see her breath was rapid, her plastron heaving. Their eyes met and Lita slouched. Half-hidden disappointment was on her face. "Hey there, did you want to sleep on the couch or we can take you to your room?" April asked. All she received as an answer was a shake of a head. Lita looked so worn and tired.

"A-a-are they h-h-home yet?" Lita asked.

"Not yet, sweetie. I am sure they will be back soon," April said. She walked slowly to the girl. Kneeling in front of the albino, April gave her a smile. She was sure to keep her hands where Lita could see them. "Are you scared that they got hurt?"

Lita nodded quickly as she blinked rapidly. Her eyes looked watery, but tears didn't fall. "Ha, those guys are going to put the hurt on all those Foot creeps," Casey said. "I just wished I was there too to bust some skulls."

"Casey," April hissed. The point was to keep Lita from the violence.

"What? It's true. I bet Lita here can beat up some Foot goons too," Casey continued. April gave the man a warning look. What was he thinking? The little girl fighting? "How about ya show me and April what you got, Lita? Raph said you were pretty good."

Lita looked up at the man. "H-he did?" she asked with a small smile. "Raph said I was good?"

"He sure did, girlie," Casey answered, joining April to kneel in front of the little turtle. "So how about showing us what ya can do?"

Lita nodded her head. The humans gave her space to get off the couch. "W-w-we need to go to the d-d-dojo. Father doesn't like n-ninjitsu outside the d-d-dojo." She walked away from the couple, heading to the mentioned room.

April looked at Casey questioningly. "Trust me, Ape," he whispered. April straightened and stood up to her full height. Casey gave her a smile as the couple followed the girl. Lita opened the door and gave the room a bow.

"Y-y-you have to bow f-f-first. Leo s-says it p-p-pays respects to the t-t-teaching," Lita explained. She took a step in and turned to watch the humans. She wrapped her arms around her plastron, looking uncertain. April bowed quickly while Casey was a little unsteady doing so.

"Okay, Lita. What do you got for us?" Casey asked. The turtle was silent for a moment. She just stood still, playing with the edge of her cloak. She opened her beak before shutting it quickly. "Did ya pick a weapon yet?" he prodded, trying to start a conversation. April shuddered at the thought of the little turtle using one of the weapons that lined the walls. Their shining blades seemed even more ominous than normal.

Lita startled a little, shifting her weight uncomfortably. She shook her head. "N-n-no. Father said I was not r-r-ready," she answered. She frowned a little, her pink eyes looking at the weapons as well. Her shoulders slumped a little.

"Hey, no prob. Splinter doesn't want me to touch them either," Casey said. He shrugged his shoulders.

"That's because last time you nearly took off your own foot," April teased. Casey poked her side in retaliation.

Lita giggled, covering her face with her hands. The humans looked at her. "T-that was the w-w-wrong Foot." Casey shook his head while April snorted.

"Ha-ha. You're so funny," the man said sarcastically, "Why don't you show me how it is done?"

Lita nodded, "I k-k-know five katas." April watched as she widened her stance. She punched the air. The movements were not as smooth as the older turtles or Splinter, but there was a little fluidity there. She stood at parade rest for a moment before moving again. This set of movement included kicks. April nearly cooed at the look on her face. It was so serious for such a rounded face. Lita started a third kata.

April felt a soft elbow at her side. She looked at Casey. "Wow, I don't think even Mikey can kick that high," Casey complimented. Lita smiled at the words. The turtle continued to do another kata. "She looks less scared now," Casey whispered to April.

April watched as Lita looked more relaxed as she continued to move. "Casey Jones, when did you learn to work with kids?"

Casey shrugged," I had a lot of younger cousins. And I volunteer at the youth center sometimes."

"What do you do at the center?" April asked. She focused on the man next to her.

"Mostly teach the kids hockey and other sports. Work on some homework as long as it isn't math," Casey answered, looking away from Lita to look at April. "If you like, maybe you can join me. The kids could use someone who can do Chemistry and Algebra."

"I would love to," April responded. " Then afterwards we can stop by that Italian place nearby."

"Sounds like a date," Casey said with a broad grin.

"A-a-are you going to k-k-kiss?" a voice interrupted the moment. Both humans were startled at the intrusion. April could feel her face start to warm. She turned her attention back to Lita who had stopped her katas to watch the humans. She tilted her head. Casey sputtered next to her. He scratched at his face awkwardly.

"Come here you little gremlin," Casey shouted, reaching out to grab the turtle. April saw it before the man. Lita's eyes grew wide and not quite so focused. Her small hands were in tiny fists as Casey towered over her. April heard a grunt from her boyfriend as he backed away.

Lita stumbled backward, falling to the ground. The albino curled as small as she could. April ran to Casey's side as he rubbed his sternum. "Wow, Lita. That was a good punch," he said breathlessly. April looked at the little turtle who was staring blankly past them. Her shoulders shook as her hands clasped together.

"You need to apologize," April whispered to Casey elbowing him. "No quick movements." Casey focused on the girl.

He took slow steps toward the girl, kneeling when they were close but still out of reach of each other. "Hey, Lita. I didn't mean to scare ya," Casey said quietly.

Pink eyes came back to focus on Casey. She looked down at the ground between them. "I'm s-s-sorry. I'm not supposed to b-b-be scared of you," Lita whispered. "Y-y-you're good p-people."

Casey's shoulders slumped a little. April padded slowly to the pair and squatted next to Casey. "It is okay that you are scared of us. You have been through a lot and you have been hurt."

"But we won't hurt ya. Promise. Raph would bust my skull if I did," Casey added. Lita nodded her head slowly, the corners of her beak upturned just barely.

"Let's get you to bed," April suggested as she held out her hand to the small turtle. Slowly, Lita reached out and gently put her hand in April's. The woman stood up and helped the albino up as well. "There you go. You're okay," April soothed. April ran her other hand across her shell, using her nails to scratch the scutes. Lita loosened up a little, starting to lean a little closer to April. Casey led the way back to the living room.

Lita was slowly becoming heavier against April as they made their way back to the living room. Just as April was about to worry that she would have to carry the small turtle, a loud voice broke through the quiet.

"Imouto, you will never guess who we got," Mikey's loud voice echoed. Like she was given a shot of adrenaline, Lita perked up.

"Aniki," she called out, running to the voice. Mikey appeared in the doorway just as Lita ran toward it. Mikey lifted her up and spun her around. "Who did you find?" she asked as she was set down on the ground. She stood on the tips of her toes, trying to look around Mikey. The older turtle held her in place.

April watched as Raph entered the room. Lita tried to look past the red-masked turtle. Raph chuckled ," I thought yer supposed to be asleep." He ruffled her hood causing it to fall into her face before entering the room to give Casey a fistbump. Don walked in next, giving April and Casey a small smile and walked to stand beside April.

"Lita didn't give you too much trouble, did she?" Don asked her.

April shook her head, "she was a little angel." Leo entered the room next. The leader gave April and Casey a firm nod. Walking into the room, Leo took his place next to the brothers. The leaf green turtle had a satisfied look on his face. April waited to see what could cause that look.

A small gasp escaped Lita's beak, "J28." A shamrock green turtle entered the room, looking down at Lita.

"H13," the female turtle breathed, so soft April barely heard it. "I thought you were dead."

Lita shook her head, a smile on her beak. She wrapped her pale arms around the taller turtle. Lita looked up at the female turtle. "My name is Lita now," she introduced herself. "W-what's your name?"

"Jennika," she answered. Jennika looked around the room, eyes scanning everything. They stopped on April. The turtle rose a brow, her arms curling around Lita's white shell protectively.

Sensing the tension, the albino turtle poked Jennika's side. "T-they're friends. They aren't l-like the d-doctors," Lita said. "April gave me this c-cool cape." Jennika narrowed her eyes at the humans, but softened the look that she gave Lita. The protective arm loosened a little.

"That cape does look cool," she stated. The steady tapping of a walking stick announced Splinter's entrance. Jennika moved aside to allow the rat to enter the room. April could see how the ninja master favored one side.

"Let's get your leg patched up, Father," Don said, stepping forward to help Splinter away.

"Of course, but first I would like to thank Miss O'Neil and Mister Jones for watching after Lita for us," Splinter said as his son started to lead him away.

"Ah, it was nothin' Master Splinter. We had a great time," Casey said, "Lita here totally kicked my butt in the dojo." Splinter looked at the man's grin and smiled back.

Lita looked confused, "No, I didn't. I p-punched like Raph taught me, but I d-didn't win the fight."

April laughed lightly, not noticing how Jennika's hands tightened on Lita's arms. She didn't notice how Mikey frowned at the new turtle. "I knew you had it in ya," Raph boasted with a laugh elbowing Casey.

"You must show me your technique later, Lita. But first I must have my injury tended to. I expect all of you to be sleeping before I return," Splinter ordered. His brown eyes focused mostly on Lita. Don herded his father away from the group toward the infirmary.

"I am going to look around," Jennika said bluntly. She gently nudged Lita away from her, causing the young turtle to frown a little. The shamrock green turtle turned away from the group.

Mikey moved so quickly that April thought he was going to attack the new turtle. Feeling the same, Jennika flinched. "It's really late. I say we just have a big sleep over here in the living room," Mikey said blocking her from exiting the room. Tension filled the room as Jennika crossed her arms. Movement at the corner of her eyes, drew April's attention to Raph. The red-masked turtle leaned on his sais.

"Oh, c-c-can we m-make a pillow fort?" Lita asked.

"Ya bet, Jenny here can help ya," Raph said, relaxing a little.

"My name is Jennika," the female turtle said tensely. Raph gave her a toothy grin. She stomped to the ninja.

"I'll grab the blankets," Mikey shouted, breaking the tension. He gave his older brother a look. It irritated April to no end that the turtles seemed to be able to speak to each other without speaking. Whatever the message was, Raph understood. Mikey ran off to collect the blanket.

Leo sighed, but already was pulling the cushions off the couch. Lita was pulling Jennika toward the couch. Seeing that the turtles were busy, April prepared to leave.

"I will see you guys later," she called out to the group of turtles.

Leo looked up from the construction project to give her a grateful smile. "Be safe. And thank you again for watching Lita." Raph waved the humans off, but kept his eyes on Jennika. His amber eyes narrowed in what April thought was suspicion.

Leaving the room, she nearly collided with Mikey. The orange-masked turtle expertly danced around the humans. "Watch where yer going Mikester," Casey complained.

"Heh," Mikey chuckled. His face became thoughtful. "Hey you guys, what do you think of Jennika?" he asked.

April shrugged," We just met her, Mikey. She seems fine."

"Yeah, a little quick tempered, but you have Raph, so that's not new," Casey added with a laugh.

Nodding the turtle looked lost in thought. "Is everything okay, Mikey?" April asked.

Smiling brightly, he answered, "Sure, it must all be in my head." His smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Well something's got to be up there," Casey quipped back. April rolled her eyes as they shoved each other. Mikey balanced the blankets expertly as he caused the man to stumble. His normally bright blue eyes were distant. April frowned whatever Mikey was thinking about, she hoped that it was truly just in his head. But the youngest brother had an uncanny ability to sense things and that made her stomach flip nervously.