Season 3- Episode 9- The Chase- Part 2
Casey panted as he stood in front of Tigerclaw, his hockey stick clutched in his sweaty and shaking hands.
Casey Jones wasn't usually a coward, but the lack of his strength and escape routes started to make him scared. Well, that, and the giant tiger that wanted to beat him up.
"Give up, human. Give me your hideout's location, and I shall consider letting you walk away with all of your limbs attached to your body." Tigerclaw said with a hungry smirk. Casey frowned, feeling like the tiger would prefer it if he refuses and then he will get to beat him into a pulp.
"I am not afraid of you." Casey growled, mastering all of the courage that he had left as he squeezed his hockey stick harder.
"Oh? Really? I'm pretty sure that you were just hiding behind that car not long ago." Tigerclaw said sassily, signaling with his head in the direction of the car that he spoke of. Or at least, what was left of it. Denting the car and breaking the windows when the tiger landed on it just added to Casey's fear.
Casey took a few steps back in order to gain some distance, only for the mutant to take the same amount of steps forward, not allowing Casey to gain the distance that he had wished for.
Tigerclaw smirked, and then suddenly ran forward, toward Casey.
Casey screeched in surprise and terror as the tiger advanced in his direction. He looked in horror as the tiger stopped two steps away from him and brought his paw up, ready to strike Casey across his face with his claw.
Tigerclaw stopped in his tracks as he suddenly heard an enraged yell. He looked in its direction, only to yelp when he got punched in the face by its source.
"R-Raph!" Casey exclaimed in relief, as a smile stretched across his face.
"How did you even get into this situation, Casey?!" Raph yelled at Casey in anger, running to his side and getting into a fighting stance with his weapons pulled out.
"Hey! Don't blame me! I didn't plan it or anything!" Casey said, slouching his shoulders as he pouted in frustration.
Tigerclaw smirked as he saw that Raphael had entered the scene.
"Ah, one of the turtles. Just what I needed." He said with a confident tone as he rubbed his cheek where Raph had punched him.
"Two!" Mikey corrected, as he landed behind him with his nunchucks pulled out.
"I see. So you came to aid your weakling." Tigerclaw said with an antagonizing smile and a taunting voice.
"Hey! I'm not weak!" Casey exclaimed in anger as he brought his hockey stick closer to his body.
"Not now, Casey." Raph said, rolling his eyes and turning to Tigerclaw.
"Hey! Casey is not weak!" He added, growling as he stared daggers at the mutant.
"What? But you just said-" Casey said in confusion until he was cut off by Raph.
"Yeah. Only I am allowed to get angry in a fight." Raph replied in unseriousness, rolling his eyes.
"Hmm guys? Giant tiger that wants to eat us. Remember?" Mikey said, as Tigerclaw pulled out his guns again.
"Well, then. Let's continue our battle." Tigerclaw said with a devious smile.
—-
Leo stood on one of the rooftops, trying to look for April, who he fears might be in danger, like Casey. His eyes settled on one of the rooftops nearby, noticing two figures on it.
His eyes widened as he felt a gasp escape his lips in realization of who those two figures were.
He ran and jumped until he arrived on the rooftop where he saw the figures.
"April!" He exclaimed in worry as he pulled out his katanas.
April ran in Leo's direction as he pulled out his weapons, waving her arms as she said: "Leo! It's fine! Don't worry!" in an attempt to calm down his anxiety. She put her hands on his shoulders in order to stop his advance.
Leo's eyes widened in surprise as his shoulders slightly slacked. "It… Is?" He asked in confusion, as he looked at the second person that was with April.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Leonardo." Karai said with a tired sigh, as she put her arms up in submission, showing that she did not pull out her weapon.
"Then… What is going on? What about Tigerclaw?" Leo asked in suspicion, not putting down his weapons just yet.
"Tigerclaw?" April asked in confusion, lifting one of her eyebrows as she looked at Karai in need of explanation.
"Yeah… This is why I am here. To tell you of Shredder's plan." She confessed, looking at the floor anxiously with guilt lacing her tone.
"W-what?" Leo gasped, caught off guard by Karai's words.
"The Foot knows of Donatello." Karai said simply, with a grave expression. April and Leo flinched as they looked at each other, their suspicions being confirmed by Karai's words.
Karai studied their expressions carefully, understanding the meaning of their reactions. "It seems… That you know about him as well." She said behind gritted teeth.
Leo once again looked at April. Nodding at each other, they decided that they should give Karai a chance. Try and trust her.
Leo sighed sadly as he nodded at Karai, and April added "We just found out not that long ago."
Karai nodded in understanding.
'So they didn't know at first…' She thought to herself.
"Tigerclaw was sent after your second friend, while I was supposed to go after April. The plan is to get your hideout's location out of you." Karai confessed with a frown as she put her hands on her hips in seriousness.
"Casey?" April asked in worry, as her shoulders tensed.
"Oh… Well, Raph and Mikey went to help Casey, so it's fine." Leo said, to quell April's anxiety.
Karai nodded in response, taking a deep breath as she continued. "I think… That I believe what you told me in the past." She said, looking at Leo.
"What?" He asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"About Yoshi being my father, Leonardo." She said, keeping her answers as simple as possible because of her awkwardness.
Silence took over the group as Karai and Leo stared at each other.
"...What?" Leo exclaimed in shock as his jaw basically hit the floor.
"That's what she told me as well, Leo." April said as she squeezed his shoulder and looked into his eyes.
"But- Why? Why now? Out of the blue?" Leo questioned Karai in urgency, trying to get the answers that he needed in order to understand the situation.
"It's not 'out of the blue'. I just considered what you told me and I started to understand… That there is something truly rotten in father-" She stopped as she corrected herself. "The Shredder. I have noticed that he always kept to himself, and he always wanted to take everything away from Yoshi. It starts to make sense… All he cares about is revenge. It makes me think… That I might not even be his. He doesn't care about me enough. Perhaps he took me away from Yoshi just to hurt him." She said with a broken and quiet voice as her shoulders slouched and she looked at Leo in desperation. "The Shredder is evil, and I want to join you and protect Donatello on the way. So that he wouldn't have to live the life that I have lived, as a foot soldier and the child of the Shredder." She frowned in sadness as she crossed her arms, looking at April and Leo while expecting an answer.
Leo and April looked at Karai, and then at each other in silence.
"I… Believe her. She seems sincere." April whispered to Leo, as he looked at Karai again.
His face was emotionless for a few seconds as he was stuck in thought. That is, until he declared:
"That's… Amazing!"Leo said, as a huge grin spread across his face. He inserted his swords back to where they were as he walked in excitement towards Karai.
"Let's get to the lair and tell the others! Sensei will be so happy to know that his daughter wants to come back." He said as he grabbed her hand, making her flinch in surprise, and started to walk with her back to the lair, with April in tow. April sent Karai a reassuring smile, as Karai hesitantly returned it.
"It's going to be fine. Don't worry." Leo said as he smiled at Karai, noticing her hesitation.
"Yeah… Thanks." She said softly, smiling back at him.
—-
"Guys!" Raph yelled in panic, running into the lair with Casey on his back as Mikey followed suit.
"Raphael!" Splinter exclaimed in surprise, as Donnie watched with wide eyes and mouth agape at Casey's battered and unconscious form on Raph's back.
"What happened?" Splinter asked in worry as he helped Raph lower Casey from his back.
"It's TigerClaw! We came just on time, but Casey got knocked unconscious when we battled him." Raph said, with his hands clenched into shaking fists. He gritted his teeth as Donnie walked over slowly.
"Raph… we will help him. Don't worry." Donnie said in a quiet tone, squeezing Raph's shoulder in order to calm him down.
"Yeah! You can chill, bro." Mikey added as he hugged Raph from behind, causing him to yelp.
Splinter settled Casey in the living room as he spoke. "Raphael, you can calm your mind. I have it handled." Splinter said with a gentle voice, smiling at Raph and reassuring him.
"…Okay." Raph said after sighing deeply.
"Donatello, prepare Raphael a cup of tea." Splinter requested of his son as he completely turned his attention to Casey.
"Sensei, there is no need-!" Raph said, putting his hands up in reassurance.
"No, it's fine, Raphie. I'll drink some as well." Donnie said as he left for the kitchen.
Mikey and Raph froze in place and looked at each other questionaly.
"Bro… He called you 'Raphie'." Mikey whispered to Raph.
"Yeah… So basically he is in a bad mood. Right?" Raph whispered back suspiciously as they both walked in the direction of the kitchen.
"Yep." Mikey summed as they entered the kitchen.
Donnie handed cups of tea to Mikey and Raph, as he held one of his own.
"Okay, Don. Tell me. What's wrong?" Raph asked, getting to the point as usual.
Donnie flinched as he replied: "Nothing is wrong. I'm fine." He said, and then sipped from his cup while looking at the floor.
Mikey and Raph looked at each other again, Mikey shrugged as Raph sighed.
"Is it about Casey?" Raph asked as he put his cup down. "I think I am the one that needs to be worried, then. It's not like you were there in order to feel guilty." Raph said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.
"Unless you are simply worried for him?" Mikey added as he walked and stood beside Donnie, laying his weight on the counter.
"I feel worried… and guilty." Donnie said, frowning and looking away in embarrassment.
"What? You feel guilty? For what?" Mikey asked in curiosity and confusion.
"Because it really is my fault. It's probably because of me that Tigerclaw went after him, and April is probably in danger as well, and I can't even leave the lair…" Donnie said as he started breathing heavily.
"What? No… Donnie…" Raph whispered in sadness, as Mikey frowned and looked at the floor with the same sadness that Raph was feeling.
"But D, you know why you can't leave the lair… And it's not like you told Tigerclaw to attack Casey! It's not your fault, bro." Mikey said with his 'puppy eyes', only to then put his cup down and jump at Donnie and hug him. Donnie yelped as he put his cup down on the counter so that he wouldn't spill it by mistake. Raph walked to his side and rubbed his shoulder.
"You heard him, bro. It's fine. We don't blame you." Raph said with a gentle smile.
Donnie looked at the scene with surprise, mainly shocked that Raph was actually gentle. Apparently he had it in him.
"Okay…" Donnie said with a tired sigh.
"Okay?" Raph asked again in suspicion, lifting his brow while making sure that Donnie wasn't lying.
"Okay, okay." Donnie sighed as he rolled his eyes.
"You promise?" Mikey giggled as Donnie let out a frustrated groan.
"Yes! Get off me." Donnie growled with annoyance as he tried to push Mikey off him.
"Good luck getting out of this one." Raph said with a chuckle, as he took his cup of tea and left the kitchen.
"No! Raph, get him off! Don't leave me!" Donnie exclaimed at the empty kitchen entrance as he tried shaking Mikey off.
"Good luck, bro. I can hug for hours." Mikey said with a devilish smirk.
"RAPH!" Donnie hopelessly called, slowly succumbing to his fate as he was left standing in the kitchen with Mikey basically attached to him.
—-
Donnie and Mikey stayed in the kitchen and kept drinking their tea while talking about random things in general. They both simply wanted to relax, and they really needed it, too. 'I don't get many opportunities to forget about reality and relax, lately.' Donnie thought to himself as he smiled warmly at one of Mikey's jokes. He grabbed his cup of tea to take another sip, but he stopped right when the cup had touched his lips as he heard yelling from outside of the kitchen. Donnie and Mikey looked at each other with a raised brow in confusion at the commotion. Mikey shrugged at Donnie, signaling that he has no idea what is going on. Donnie sighed as they both rose from their chairs. Donnie took his cup with him as they both left the kitchen and went to the living room.
Before they even entered, they could already hear the enraged yelling of Raph.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Raph basically bellowed.
Donnie and Mikey flinched, as they hesitantly entered.
"Your little brother is literally terrified lately of what the enemy might do. You thought that it would be a good idea to lead the enemy to the lair? When Donnie is struggling and the enemy wants to capture us most?!" Raph growled protectively.
"Raphael…" Splinter said with a straight face, his voice hinting at Raph to stop losing his temper.
"No, Sensei! She is probably here because the Shredder has another evil plan!" He added as he stared daggers at…
Donnie gasped in terror, as he brought his hands to his quivering lips, causing the glass of tea in his hands to fall and break, the tea spilling over the floor. The whole room looked at the direction of the sound when the glass shattered, flinching when they noticed that Donnie and Mikey had entered the area.
Mikey's eyes widened as his jaw went slack. He slowly and hesitantly looked at Donnie in worry, and then back at the person that Leo and April had brought with them.
"Guys…" April said anxiously, slightly worried about their reactions.
"Now, Donnie, before you freak out…" Leo said cautiously, as he held his hands up and slowly walked towards Donnie with an awkward smile.
Donnie slowly removed his hands from his lips, as he took a deep breath to calm down.
"Leo?" Donnie asked in a gentle voice that held a lot of emotions behind it as he closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists.
"...Yeah?" Leo replied hesitantly.
"Why... Is Karai…" Donnie started saying quietly, as he then yelled in Leo's face. "In our secret lair?!"
Leo's eyes widened as he flinched, stepping back while rubbing his neck awkwardly.
"You would think that a secret lair is supposed to be a secret." Raph commented with frustration, as Leo stared daggers at him.
—-
The moment Karai saw Donnie, she couldn't take her eyes off of him, letting out a gasp in surprise.
'This is my brother… My actual brother…' She thought to herself in shock, as she looked at him.
Karai had seen Donnie before, obviously. However, all of this time she saw him as a rival. But this is the first time that she saw him, or faced him, as a brother.
She bit her lower lip as she clenched her fists in hidden rage while the brothers bickered, not noticing her reaction as Splinter tried to calm them down.
'This is the life that I could have had, with my brother. The life that I have missed…' She thought to herself bitterly, feeling hatred bubble up in her guts.
She looked at Splinter, who was busy trying to calm Raph down.
'Because of you.'
And this is it! What did you think? What do you think is going to happen in the future of the story? Support is appreciated!