Cleo's POV:
Another patrol night, just like any other. I don't know why, but all this patrolling was really starting to get to me. Now, I know that we were the only ones who knew about the Kraang and the only ones who could stop whatever they were doing, but couldn't they take a break for once? Was that really too much to ask? "Nothing happening at TCRI," said Leo, who was looking at the building via telescope. "Yet," Donnie added. "Leo, nothing's happened for, like, a week," I said as I walked up for him. "And we've been out here for 4 hours. Do you think anything is gonna happen?" "This game is awesome!" I heard Mikey say. "The combat is so realistic!" 

I turned around and saw Mikey sitting on the roof, his legs crossed, and he appeared to be playing a game on his phone. "You want me to make it more realistic?" Raph said, glaring down at his brother. He had been irritated about patrol too, so he was obviously in a bad mood. "Guys, stop messing around," Leo ordered them. "According to the Kraang's storage device that I decrypted," Donnie said, looking down at his phone. "Some kind of scouting ship is coming through the Kraang portal tonight." "So, we all have to stay alert," Leo said, emphasizing his words as he looked directly at Mikey, who still had his back turned to all of us, still playing his game.

"Uh, Mikey?" I spoke. "I know, I know," he said, not looking at me. "Leo's the boss, blah blah blah, stay alert, blah blah blah." "Yeah, you never know what could sneak up on you." I froze. I hadn't said those words, but they were definitely coming from a girl. We all looked up at the water tower in front of us and saw a figure standing up on it. It was Karai. She leapt off the water tower and landed in front of us. "Oh no, not her again!" 

"Seriously?" I spoke. "Don't you have anything else better to do?" Karai smirked at me. "Nice to see you too, Cleo." I glared at her. From beside me, Leo snorted. "Cute, Karai. But I'm not in the mood." Karai narrowed her eyes as her smirk turned to Leo. A second later she pulled out her tanto and lunged at him just as he pulled out his own katanas. He blocked her attack and shoved her aside, stepping back in the process. "We don't have time for this," Leo looked back at us. "Guys!"

At once we took out our weapons and ran at Karai, Mikey letting out a loud, "Booyakasha!" Donnie swung his staff down, but Karai leapt up and avoided it, leaping off of his shell and landing back behind us. "Booyakasha?" Karai snorted. "What does that even mean?" "I dunno, but it's fun to yell!" said Mikey. He swung out his kusarigama chain at Karai, who avoided it and swung around and stepped down on the chain, the force causing Mikey to fly forward. Karai kicked him away and he fell on the ground. Leo lunged at her with his katanas, and she blocked him. "You really know how to make a girl feel welcome," she said, shoving him back. "I can see why Cleo sticks around." Leo glared at her. Karai raised her tanto and pointed it at Donnie.

"I heard the scrawny one mention the Kraang. What's goin' on?" "None of your business!" said Leo. "And I'm not scrawny," Donnie retorted. "I'm svelte!" Raph ran past us and started swinging his sais at Karai, who ducked and blocked every blow. "Oh, come on, let me in on the fun," she said, sounding annoyed. "Fun?" I asked. "You honestly think this is fun?" "Well, it's bound to be better than the stuff I do every other day." "Look, we're a little busy trying to stop the beginning of an alien invasion here," Raph said, his temper rising. "So, do us a favor and get lost!" Suddenly, Karai's smirk disappeared as her face fell. 

"An alien invasion?!" she asked, and for the first time since I had met her, she looked concerned. "Are you serious?" But we had no time to answer, for at that moment thunder from the clouds rumbled loudly and lightening flashed. It was enough to make us look out towards the TCRI building. As I looked, I saw at the top of the building, what looked like metal doors opened up, and a large, silvery shape appeared. It was difficult to tell from this distance, but if I had to guess that was the scouting ship Donnie was talking about earlier. "This can't be good," Leo said shortly. I glared at Karai, who looked back at me when I rhetorically asked, "Does that answer your question?" "Um, guys? I think I need to change my shell," Mikey muttered.

(-)

(Theme song)

♫ Teenage Mutant Ninja Team ♫
♫ Teenage Mutant Ninja Team ♫
♫ Teenage Mutant Ninja Team ​​​​​​♫
♫ Heroes in the shadows ♫
♫ Ninja power! ♫

♫ Here we go! It's the lean, skilled, ninja team ♫
♫ On the scene, cool teens doing ninja things ♫
♫ So extreme, out the sewers like laser beams ♫
♫ Get rocked with the pizza kings and queen ♫
♫ Can't stop these dudes and dudette ♫
♫ The secret of the ooze made the chosen few ♫
♫ Emerge from the shadows to make their move ♫
♫ The good guys win, and the bad guys lose ♫

♫ Leonardo's the leader in blue, ♫
♫ Does anything it takes to get his ninjas through ♫
♫ Donatello is a fellow, has a way with machines ♫
♫ Raphael has the most attitude on the team ♫
♫ Cleopatra, she's a special girl, ♫
♫ Does anything to protect everyone she loves ♫
♫ Michelangelo, he's one of a kind, ♫
♫ And you know just where to find him when it's party time ♫
♫ Master Splinter taught them every single skill they need ♫
♫ To be one lean, mean, skilled incredible team ♫

♫ Teenage Mutant Ninja Team ♫
♫ Teenage Mutant Ninja Team​​​​​​​ ♫
♫ Teenage Mutant Ninja Team ♫
♫ Heroes in the shadows ♫
♫ Ninja power! ♫

(-)

Cleo's POV:
The scouting ship, one on an aimless course, suddenly changed directions and started heading straight for us. I stared up at it as I started backing away a bit, and so did everyone else. "I hope you have a plan for fighting that thing," said Karai. "Pfft! Of course, I do," said Leo. "Step one... RUN!" Without waiting for another say-so, I turned on my heel and started running across the rooftop, the others following behind me. There was a loud exploding sound as the ship fired at us. We all leapt off the roof and landed on the next one, and the ship fired again. I leapt of the ledge of the next roof and landed on the fire escape, the others doing so as well. We wasted no time in climbing down the ladders and landing in the alley. 

We all ran forward down the alley and rounded the corner, losing the ship for a moment. "What the heck was that?" Karai gasped. "I don't know," Leo panted. "But, off the top of my head, I'd say they use it for flying and shooting at things." "Like at our shells!" Mikey screamed. My feet skidded on the road as we ran into the street and Donnie yelled. We all turned in unison and ran into an alley. I noticed that Karai stayed back and suddenly disappeared, but I didn't pay attention to her. The boys disappeared behind a car, and I followed them. I nearly passed up the car when something grabbed me and pulled me down in front of the car. It was Leo.

"Shh..." He and I both pressed our backs against the car, and as I looked over, I saw the others leaning against the side of the car that was up against the wall. I looked up as I heard the sound of the ship passing over us, keeping my lips shut and not moving. "You think it knows where we are?" Mikey whispered. "Yeah, maybe," said Leo. As soon as he spoke the car was suddenly lifted up into the air. We all looked up, and saw the ship hovering above us, the car in its grasp.

We all screamed before leaping out of the way as the ship dropped the car right onto where we were sitting. "Man, we gotta get underground!" Donnie said urgently. "I'll draw their fire!" Leo said as he sprang to his feet and ran towards the ship, katanas in his hands. "Over here, cyclops!" As Leo distracted the ship, we all ran to the nearest manhole cover. Raph quickly grabbed it and yanked it away, and Mikey leapt up and fell through it, so did Donnie. "Leo, c'mon!" Raph yelled. I looked up to see Leo running back towards us, and so was the ship. 

I quickly jumped down first and I landed in the sewer next to Donnie and Mikey. A second later Raph landed beside us, and then Leo. We all looked up at the closed manhole cover, and we could hear the ship gliding over where we stood. I held very still, worried that if I moved an inch, they would somehow detect it. "Over here," I heard Raph hiss. I looked over to see him peering out of a sidewalk grate.

We all walked over to join him and looked through the grate. The ship was still hovering in the alley, apparently looking for us. A second later the ship flickered, and then suddenly became invisible. "Oh boy," I groaned. "Oh, great," Raph said shortly. "'Cause it wasn't scary enough when we could see it." In the distance the sound of police sirens could be heard, the subtle sound of a helicopter was mixed in with it. "We better get outta here," said Leo. We all turned and started running through the sewer tunnels.

(-)

"That Kraang ship is incredibly dangerous!" "Gee, what gave that away?" I said sarcastically as I walked over to Leo. "The part where it shot at us or the part where it turned invisible?" Leo rolled his eyes. "We've gotta figure out what its doin' here." "Or," Raph piped up as he twirled his sais in his hands. "We could just skip to the part where we destroy it." He stopped spinning his sais and spun around, stabbing them into the dummy. This cause the dummy to fall back onto the ground. Mikey kneeled down and picked the dummy up. "You're pretty tough when they can't hitcha back," he said, frowning up at his brother. Raph glared and raised his fist, and Mikey yelled as he held the dummy up as a shield. Raph lowered his hand and smirked at his little brother before looking back at the rest of us.

"So, what are we waiting for?" he said, punching a fist into his hand. "Let's load up the Shellraiser and challenge that thing to a rematch!" "First, we need a way to find a ship that's invisible," Leo said smartly. "I know!" Raph said, sounding clearly annoyed. "How 'bout we shoot into the air until we hit it!" I raised my eyebrow. "Really? That's your best idea?" "Yes." "That... doesn't sound too smart," Leo said, looking oddly at his brother. "Yeah, Raph," Mikey said, smirking. "Not too smart, buddy." Raph whipped around and raised his fist, and Mikey screamed and held the dummy up in defense once more.

"Actually," said Donnie as he walked up to them. "Raph's got something there." "Yeah, Leo," said Mikey, and he used the dummy's hand to point at Raph. "Raph's got somethin' there." Leo glared quietly at his little brother. "But, instead of shooting objects, we'll shoot waves of electromagnetic radiation," said Donnie. "Meaning...?" I said slowly. "In other words, radar," Donnie reached behind him and pulled out something that looked like a small satellite.

"I've built some radar beacons we can set up around town. If the ship gets near us, I'll get an alarm on my T-Phone." "Good work, Donnie," said Leo. "Come on, guys. Let's split up and place those beacons." Both he and Donnie started to walk away. Raph suddenly raised his fist and knocked the dummy out of Mikey's hands at last. Raph walked away with a smirk on his face, and Mikey glared at him before kneeling down and sitting the dummy up. "You'll get him next time, buddy," he said kindly, patting the dummy's chest. "Mikey!" Leo snapped. "Loosen your kneepads, Leo!"

(-)

"You almost done, Leo?" "Almost got it." I stood on top of the large vent as Leo continued to attach a beacon to it. We had all split up; Raph went with Mikey, I stayed with Leo, and Donnie had gone off by himself. "There," said Leo as he finished setting the little thing up. I bent over comically and looked at the little satellite thing. "Looks good to me." Leo took out his T-Phone and presses a button. "Tri-beca beacon installed." "That's the last of 'em," said Donnie's voice. "Raph and Mikey are finished, too." "See you back at the lair." I glanced up behind Leo, and gasped. "Leo, watch out!" Before he could do anything, I yanked out one of my kamas and lunged out in front of him, blocking the tanto blade that nearly collided with his head. I looked over the blades to see the smug face of Karai. "You make sneaking up on people difficult," she said. "That's cool. I like a challenge."

I grunted as I shoved her away, quickly pulling out my other kama before charging at her. I raised both blades and swung them at her side, but she blocked it with her tanto. I spun around and aimed at her other side, and she blocked that too. She leapt up over me and I turned to see her run at Leo. He took out his katanas and blocked her oncoming blow. "This is getting old, Karai," he said, sounding stern. I looked up at Karai's face and was surprised to see that her smirk had been replaced with a grin. "I wanna help you fight the Kraang."

I blinked. "What?" "You heard me," Karai brought her tanto down and placed it back in its holster. "I wanna help you." "Really?" said Leo, surprised. I slowly put away my kamas, wondering whether or not she had gone crazy. Leo looked at her, stunned for a moment, then his face fell as he put away his katanas. "No, of course not," he said, and he raised his fingers as he marked off, "We're enemies, you wanna destroy us, you're loyal to Shredder... should I keep going?"

"He's gotcha there," I said, folding my arms as walked over to stand next to Leo. "Look, if the Kraang win, we don't have a planet anymore," Karai said as she walked up to us. "That makes our little fight seem pretty pointless, doesn't it?" "I doubt Shredder would agree," said Leo. "Yeah, what does he gotta say about this?" I asked. "He won't even think about it," Karai said, and for the first time she looked angry. "Shredder is stubborn and shortsighted, he drives me crazy! His stupid vendetta is gonna take us all down! He might not be able to see that, but I know you guys do." I glanced up at her, looked into her eyes, and froze. 

There was something there that I could believe I was seeing, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to see it. "She's telling the truth..." Karai grinned again, and then raised her hand towards Leo. "What do you say? Work together for now?" I glanced down at her hand and then over at Leo. He looked at her hand for a moment, then shook his head. "Sorry sister, but we're not-" "Hold it, Leo," I said. Leo looked over at me, looking confused. I looked over at Karai, who was looking at me with curiosity. "Give us a sec?" She nodded. I put a hand on Leo's shoulder and pulled him a little way away from Karai. 

"Cleo, what is it?" Leo whispered. "Call me crazy, Leo. But I think she's telling the truth." "What?" "I know, it sounds weird, but I think she's being for real now." "Really, Cleo?" he said. "After everything she's done, you wanna trust her?" I glared at him. "Says the guy who was so keen on trusting her before in the first place!" Leo blinked and stared at me before glancing at the ground.

"Look, Leo, I don't know if I trust her either, but I think she really wants to help this time," I said seriously. "Besides, you can't honestly tell me you don't think she's telling the truth." Leo looked up at me for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "You're right." He turned and walked back over to Karai, and I followed him. "Well?" she asked. Leo and I looked at each other, then at Karai. "We'll... think about it," he said. Karai smirked. "Fair enough," she said. "I'll be seeing you two around, then." And then she turned and ran across the rooftop, leapt over the edge, and out of sight.

(-)

"Are you guys nuts?!" It was the next day, and we were all sitting in the dojo. Leo and I had gotten the others, father and April together and told them about what happened, and what we had told Karai. "We didn't say that we would do anything yet, Raph," I told him. "We just told her we would think about it." "Why would you even think about it?" Raph snapped. "I know we shouldn't trust Karai," said Leo. "But, still! We just got the sense that she really is fed up with Shredder." "Really fed up, judging by the way she was acting," I added.

"That's probably just what she wants you to think," Raph said. "I know! But, eh..." Leo shook his head and looked up at father. "Sensei, is there any chance that she's for real?" "It is possible. Loyalties have been known to shift. But the kunoichi is trained to use deception to her advantage," he looked over at me. "Isn't that right, Cleopatra?" "Yes, father," I said. "But, speaking from a kunoichi's point of view, I think she was being pretty serious." "Nevertheless, you cannot be sure what she will do."

"So, she either will or won't betray us?" Leo asked. "Correct. You must trust your instincts," Father turned and headed towards his room. "But beware the trap of believing something to be true simply because you wish it to be so." "So, I should trust my instincts... unless my instincts are wrong?" Leo asked, sounding more confused. "Correct." Leo stared after him for a moment, then sighed. "Thanks, Sensei..." "Wow," Mikey breathed. "You know it's good advice when you're still confused afterwards!"

"It's not that confusing," I said. "Guys, seriously. An alliance with Karai?" said Raph. "No way! Why are we even talking about this?" "We told her we would think on it, Raph," I told him. "And now we have." "It's too bad we can't trust her," said Donnie. "It would be nice to have another kunoichi on our side." "Um, hello! What about me?" We all looked around to see April standing over us, hands on her hips. I bit my bottom lip as I looked over at Donnie, who looked suddenly nervous.

"No, I mean a real kunoichi," he said, and then he stuttered. "I-I mean, not that you're not a real one, just that Karai's... better? I-I mean-mean, not- not better, just- more experienced, eh... Is it hot in here?" I snorted. "Nope, just you, dude." "It's okay, I get it," April said sarcastically. "She's your mortal enemy, but hey! She's purtty!" "No, she's not! You're way prettier! I-I mean-!" I cleared my throat and nudged Raph's shoulder to get his attention.

He looked over at me and I nodded over at Donnie. He nodded. At the same time, me and him stood up, walked over to Donnie and we each grabbed and arm, Raph covering Donnie's mouth. Donnie's voice was muffled as he stared at us in confusion. "Don't fight it," said Raph. "You'll thank us later." "We're doing you a favor, bro," I told him. Donnie sighed and hung his head in embarrassment.

(-)

"Guys, I think I've got something," said Donnie as he looked own at his now beeping phone. "Doesn't match any authorized flight patterns... It's gotta be the Kraang ship!" "Or Santa!" Mikey said excitedly. I looked back at him. "Mikey, it's the middle of spring." Mikey gasped. "He's early!" "Oh, geez..." Raph groaned. Leo turned the wheel, and the Shellraiser rounded the corner before suddenly coming to a stop. There, right in front of us, was the Kraang ship. "No, it's the Kraang ship," Mikey groaned. "Ugh, that's a bummer." The ship hovered in front of us for a moment before it suddenly shot a giant laser at us. "Move it, Leo!" Raph shouted. Leo slammed his foot on the gas and the van went flying backwards, avoiding 3 more lasers. 

"Guys, hang onto your shells!" Leo yelled. "Cleo, hang onto something!" I reached up and held onto the safety bars with all my might, trying to stay on my feet. The van twisted and turned as Leo sped up to avoid the shots the ship was firing at us. "I think I've figured out its mission," Donnie screamed. "US!" "Mikey, we need an escape route!" demanded Leo. "Take the alley on the right!" The Shellraiser suddenly turned sharply to the right and drove down an alley way. Then, it skidded to a halt. "It's a dead end!" "Mikey, what happened?!" I asked. Mikey looked closely at the map then said, "Don't take the alley on the right!"

There was a loud bang as the Shellraiser was hit by some kind of force that nearly knocked it over. The ship had found us and was now firing everything it had into our van. The bangs got stronger and louder, and the emergency lights started beeping. "Any ideas, guys?" Leo yelled back. "Just one!" Raph growled. He got up out of his seat and ran to the back by Mikey, who whimpered and ducked and covered his head. Raph raised his fists and started punching and smacking Mikey's shell. "Ow, ow, ow!"

I looked up at one of the TV screens and from the building above I could see something else coming near us, and it was coming fast. As it got closer, I could see that it was a motorcycle, and someone was on it. Suddenly, the figure leapt off the bike and onto the Kraang ship. A second later the ship stopped hitting the Shellraiser and started floating away, the figure still on it. "That was Karai!" Leo shouted. "What?!" I yelled. 

Leo suddenly put the van out of park, swerved it around and started speeding off after the ship that still had Karai on it. "What's the plan?" I asked as I walked up to him. "We've gotta go back and help her," he said firmly. Raph ran up to the front next to me and snapped, "She can take care of herself. Let's put some distance between that thing and us!" "No!" "But the Shellraiser can't take another onslaught right now!" Donnie said seriously. "Then I'll do it myself!" Leo unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of his seat. "Drive!" 

The whole van swerved for a moment before Raph quickly got in the seat and grabbed the wheel. Leo ran past me and opened the hatch that led to the Stealth Bike. "I'll meet you back underground." "Hey!" Raph shouted. "The Stealth Bike's my thing!" "Now your thing is sucking it up," Leo snapped before leaping down the hatch and closing the door. "Hey, that's my thing!" Donnie protested. "When have you ever said that dude?" I asked. I looked up at one of the screens and watched as the Stealth Bike shot out from the Shellraiser and sped towards the Kraang ship. Now all we could do is head back under and wait for Leo to come back.

(-)

We were probably waiting on the subway tracks for about an hour before any sign of Leo came up. Raph was just sitting with his arms folded in the driver's seat, Donnie sat staring at his computer, and Mikey had actually fallen asleep. I was simply playing an app game when something finally happened. "There he is!" Donnie said, pointing at a screen. Before I could do more than sit up the hatch to the Stealth Bike opened, and Leo poked his head out. "We're back," he announced as he got back into the van. "'We'?" I asked. Leo glanced around, rubbing the back of his neck. A second later, Karai suddenly appeared through the hatch as well. "You brought her inside?!" Raph yelled incredulously. "Dude! She'll see all our gear!" 

Karai straightened up and looked around the van curiously. "Yeah. Cause if Shredder finds out you have an ice cream lamp, it is over!" she said mockingly, smirking at Raph, who refused to look at her. "Alright, I can understand helping her," I said as I walked over next to Leo. "But why bring her in here?" "Karai just risked her life to save us," he said. "She's earned a little trust. Let's hear her out." "You're the boss," Raph groaned irritably as he pushed down the throttle and the Shellraiser powered down. I looked at Leo for a moment, then at Karai. She was standing there, arms folded, not looking at any of us. I sighed as I put my hands in my pockets. "Alright," I said. "So, what exactly is your plan?"

Karai looked up at me, then at the others. "You guys need my help. You really think you can shoot down an alien ship with garbage?" "Compressed garbage," Donnie corrected irritably. "And manhole covers," added Mikey. Karai rolled her eyes slightly. "My point is, to take out a ship like that you need a real weapon." "Oh, yeah?" Raph looked around at her. "Like what?" Karai narrowed her eyes slightly. "What if I got you a shoulder fired missile launcher?"

Raph stared at her for a moment before looking at Leo and saying, "I'm startin' to like her." "Big surprise," I said shortly. "Where are you gonna get a shoulder fired missile launcher?" Donnie asked. "Shredder, of course." I raised my eyebrows. "Say what?" "You heard me," she said. "Uh, we're talking about the same Shredder, right?" Mikey asked. "Big dude, lots of blades, really hates us?" "Yeah, something tells me he's not gonna wanna share his toys with us," said Raph.

"He won't know about it," Karai said simply. "He's buying a big shipment of weapons at the docks tomorrow night. All we need to do is sneak in and help ourselves." I glanced down as I thought it over. "Sounds simple enough..." "A little too simple," Raph glowered. "Anyone else smell a trap?" "Sorry, that was me..." Mikey muttered, looking embarrassed. "Why would I trap you?" Karai said angrily. "You're the only ones who know what the Kraang are up to." "True," said Donnie. "But you don't really have the best track record."

"After what you've done, you can't blame them for being suspicious," I said. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Well, what about you, warrior princess?" I glared at her slightly at the name-calling, but I thought about what she said. Yes, I believed that she really wanted to help, but was I really willing to get that close to Shredder? I looked around at the others, and they were all staring at me intently. "Here's how this works," I said. "Either all of us go, or none of us go. And seeing as how none of them are keen on going, I guess I won't be going either."

Karai stared at me for a moment before turning away. "Fine! I'll get you the missile launcher myself!" I didn't expect that. Heck, judging by the looks on the guy's faces, none of us did. Even Raph looked surprised. "You're really willing to steal from Shredder?" Leo asked, amazed. "Look, these things have to be stopped. If Shredder's not gonna do something about it, then I will, with your help or without it!" Karai and Leo shared an intense gaze before he looked around at the others.

Mikey and Donnie both nodded, and Raph raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. Leo then looked over at me, as though asking me my opinion. I looked over at Karai, who was looking at me patiently. I thought about everything that she had said, everything that she was willing to do, and then, I don't know why, I found myself grinning at her. She grinned back. I looked over at Leo and gave a firm nod. "Alright, here's the deal," Leo said as he stepped towards Karai. "You get us the missile launcher, and we'll team up." Karai smirked approvingly at Leo, who offered her a small smile. Then, at the same time, they both raised their hands and shook them.

(-)

Everything was set. Tonight, was the night that Karai was going sneak the missile launcher away from Shredder and back to us. Everything had already been planned out. Karai would get the launcher and would arrive at the location Leo decided on. Then, after that we would go off and find the Kraang ship and destroy it. "Stoked!" Mikey squealed excitedly as he and Raph played on the pinball machine. "I can't believe we're gettin' a missile launcher! What should we blow up first?" "Uh... the Kraang ship?" Raph said.

"Oh, right," said Mikey. "What should we blow up second?" "I'm sure we'll find some use for it later, Mikey," I said as I walked up to him and leaned my elbow on his shoulder. "But, right now we need to get it and destroy the Kraang Ship." "If Karai can pull it off," Leo said firmly. I turned and looked at him. Leo had been acting strict and tense all day, and it had only gotten worse as the night progressed. He was currently practicing on the dummy, punching and kicking it a little more forcefully than usual. "You cool, Leo?" I asked. "I'm fine," he said shortly as he gave the dummy another hard kick.

"Are you worried about your girlfriend?" Donnie jeered teasingly. "I see why you guys do that now, it's kinda fun." I chuckled as Leo glared at his younger brother, but he could not hide the fact that his cheeks had gone slightly pink. "It isn't gonna be easy," he said seriously. "Shredder's gonna be there, too." "C'mon, Leo," I said. "If there's one person who can figure out how to get past Shredder, it's Karai." "Hey... Leo's right!" Raph suddenly turned away from the machine and walked over towards Leo. "For once, we know where Shredder's gonna be ahead of time! Which means... we could set a trap for him!" 

"What?" Leo shook his head. "Look, we already made a deal with Karai, we can't just go behind her back. This is about that Kraang ship; they wanna take us out!" "So does Shredder," Raph added. "This may be our only chance to take him by surprise, are we really gonna pass that up?" I rolled my eyes. Of all the times Raph could come up with another rash and unthinkable idea, he had to do it now. I looked over at Leo, expecting him to be shaking head and saying 'no'. What I saw instead was him staring at the floor, clearly in thought. "Oh, no..." I groaned. "Leo, you're not seriously considering this, are you?"

Leo looked up at me. "Well... it's an idea..." "An idea?" I shook my head. "No. We made a deal with Karai; we can't go back on it. We have to focus on the Kraang." "We do this, and we can get Shredder out of the way for good," Raph said firmly. "Okay!" I whipped around and glared at Raph. "Here's how it is; on one hand, you've got the Shredder, who wants to destroy us. On the other, you've got the Kraang, who want to destroy us, and take over the world!" I placed my hands on my hips. "Tell me, which one is worse?!" Raph narrowed his eyes at me before walking up towards our brother. "Leo, c'mon. If Karai had an opportunity like this to go after Splinter, she'd take it. Why shouldn't we?" Leo looked at his brother, then over at me, then looked off into space, thinking it over. "Please Leo, don't..." "Alright, guys. Let's take down the Shredder."

I blinked as I stared at Leo in surprise. I couldn't believe it. Leo, the one who wanted so badly for Karai to be on our side, was now going to stab her in the back. Was he really gonna do this? "Well, if we're doing this then we might wanna go now," said Donnie. "She said that Shredder was gonna be at the docks around now, we need to get there before he leaves." "Alright, let's go!" Raph said enthusiastically as he ran around Leo and towards the exit.

"Aw, man," Mikey whined. "So much for getting a missile launcher." "Let's move it, guys," said Leo. "C'mon, Cleo." Leo went towards the exit as well, and Mikey and Donnie followed him. I, however, didn't move. I stood there and watched as the guys all went closer and closer to the exit. Leo must have noticed because he stopped walking and looked behind him at me. "Cleo, we're leaving." He turned around and started walking again. 

I glared at the back of his head and took a deep breath. "No." Leo stopped again, and this time so did the other three. They were already at the turnstiles and had paused in going over them to stare at me. Leo turned around to look at me, and he stared at me in confusion. "What?" "You heard me," I said, folding my arms. "You guys wanna go break our deal? Fine, I can't stop you. But I won't be a part of it." I turned around, marched over to the pit, and sat down on the edge. For a moment there was silence, a tense and slightly awkward one. Was Leo going to say something? What would he do? What was I doing? Yes, Leo's my leader. Yes, I'm a part of this team. But... this wasn't just something that was wrong, it was going against my moral code. 

I never broke a promise, and I never went back on a deal, and I wasn't going to start now. There was silence for a solid minute before I heard movement behind me. I turned my head slightly and looked back. Raph was standing next to Leo, a hand on his shoulder. He gave a stiff nod, then Leo sighed. "Let's go." I heard footsteps as the others finally continued walking. A moment later I heard the door of the Shellraiser slam shut, and the engine came to life. I heard the sound of it driving off on the rusty subway tracks, and then it was gone. My arms, which had been folded tight the whole time, finally loosened as I let out a low sigh. "What am I doin'?"

(-)

I looked down at my dimly lit phone. The time read 9:47. The boys have been gone for 3 hours and there still hasn't been any word back. Though, I doubt they would call me after the way I acted. I don't know what came over me. Heck, I haven't even moved since the boys left. I sighed as I leaned over and buried my face in my hands. My palms pressed against my eyes and little stars appeared. What was I supposed to do now? This had never happened before. I've never disobeyed an order, and the boys have never gone out to the surface without me.

"Cleopatra, where are your brothers?" I raised my head, my vision blurry for a second, and I turned my head around. Father was standing there, looking slightly confused. "They're probably down at the docks by now," I said as I turned back around. "Really? I was under the impression that they were to wait for Karai." "They were. But... they had a change of plans," I paused. "They decided to go after Shredder instead, father." There was a moment of silence. I heard footsteps as father walked closer towards me. "And you did not accompany them?" I shook my head. "Why is that?"

I look down at my gloves nervously as I bit my bottom lip. I had been sitting here for about 3 hours and I hadn't even thought about how father was going to react to this. "Because... Because..." I sighed and hung my head. "I don't know." I heard more shuffling, and when I looked over, I saw father sitting down next to me. He looked down at me seriously. "Cleopatra, we both know that that is not the true answer," he said simply. I blinked up at him, then folded my arms across my knees as I looked off into space.

"We made a deal with Karai, father," I said after a few moments. "We made a deal with her. Don't get me wrong, she's not my favorite person in the world, but..." I stopped again. Father didn't say anything but waited for me to continue. "Father, if I went back on a deal with anyone, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. And the fact that the boys did it without any problems is..." I sighed. "I just don't know. Father, if I had gone out with them, I'd be going against all I believed in- I'd be going against myself, and I couldn't... couldn't bear that..."

I sighed as I rested my chin in my hand. This had gotten so complicated. God why did the boys have to go back on their word?! Why?! "I understand, my daughter," Father said softly. "There are some things we simply cannot do in this world. Some are more sever, others are simpler, but they all weigh the same in our hearts. It is how we deal with them that show how deeply we care about what is right and what is wrong." I sat there for a moment, then looked up at him. "Father, do you... do you think I made the right choice?"

Father sighed as he put a hand on my back. "I am afraid the only one who can answer that is you, Cleopatra." I nodded. "I figured you'd say that." "But whatever answer you come to, know this; there will be some days when you will have to put your ideals aside and look at what is best for you and the ones who work with you, especially if it involves your enemy. You must tread carefully, my daughter. You cannot afford any errors." I nodded. "Yes, father."

Suddenly, from behind me I heard the sound of a distant engine, and the thudding of wheels against metal. I sat up and turned around. Father did as well. "I believe your brothers have returned." He was right. Within a few minutes, the noises got louder and louder until finally, the Shellraiser appeared by the exit. It skidded to a halt by the turnstiles and then powered down. The van dinged as the doors opened, and the boys started shuffling out.

I knew instantly that something was wrong. If they had succeeded in what they went out to do, they'd be leaping and cheering. And yet, they shuffled slowly through the turnstiles, their heads hung in obvious shame. Leo was the first to come through. As he did, he glanced up, saw me and father, and then stopped in his tracks. The others came up next to him and stopped too. I glared at them slightly before turning around and folding my arms. I could feel their eyes on me, but I refused to look at them. Out the corner of my eye I saw father stand up and then begin to walk towards the turtles.

"Welcome back, my sons," he said stiffly. "Did everything go as planned?" I heard the boys muttering underneath their breaths, but I couldn't hear them. "Well, Sensei..." Leo started. "It... um..." "Oh wait, I forgot," Father said, his voice now stern. "You came up with a rash and dangerous new plan and decided to go on that instead. How did that go?" I turned my head slightly so that I could glance back behind me. I could see father standing in front of the boys, and Leo standing before him, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Uh, about that..." he began again. "You see... we just, um..." "Look, did you take out the Shredder or not?!" I snapped as I turned completely around. Leo and the others all looked at me, surprised. Leo was the first to recover. He sighed, hung his head, and shook it. I glared at them for a moment before I stood up and walked over to them, my arms still folded. Leo looked up at me, then looked away. "You were right," he said. "We shouldn't have gone out." "No kidding'," I said.

"At least we destroyed the Kraang ship," Donnie said lowly. "What?" "It showed up at the docks when we were fighting Shredder," Leo explained. "I was able to get the missile launcher and destroy it. It exploded and then fell in the ocean." "And we nearly got blown up along with it," Raph growled. "Thanks to Karai." "After the stunt you guys pulled, what did you expect her to do?" I asked irritably. "You've got every right to be mad, Cleo," said Donnie. "We shouldn't have done it, but..."

"Cleo," Mikey muttered, looking up at me. "You're not that mad, are you?" I felt my tenseness falter slightly as I looked at him, then at the others. They all looked so sad and sorry about what had happened, I knew they regretted it. No, I wasn't that mad at them, but I was still mad. "You know I could never stay mad at you guys," I said. "But... what you did tonight was stupid! And you almost got killed for it!" 

"Cleopatra is right," Father said firmly. "I am highly disappointed in you all. What you did tonight was foolish and disorderly." "We're sorry, Sensei," Leo said lowly. "Really." The other three nodded. Despite the fact that I knew how sorry they were, I was still pretty angry. I didn't know how angry-I've never been this mad at any of the guys-and I didn't want to end up doing or saying something I'd regret later.

"Father," I said. "If it's okay, I'd like go out for a bit. I'd like to be alone." Father looked down at me, then at the boys. Then nodded. "Very well. But be careful, Cleopatra." I bowed to him. "I will, father." I turned from him and started to walk around the others. Then Leo ran up and grabbed my arm. "Cleo, wait," he said. "Don't go by yourself. It's dangerous." I reached over and took his hand off my arm. "Leo. Just don't." Before Leo could do more than stare at me, I turned leapt over the turnstile.

(-)

I've been out for about 30 minutes now, and I've just been walking around the block with my hands in my pockets the entire time. I wasn't sure what to do, I just needed some time alone. Just me, my thoughts, and some of my music.

♫ You're the light, you're the night ♫
♫ You're the color of my blood ♫
♫ You're the cure, you're the pain ♫
♫ You're the only thing I wanna touch... ♫

♫ Never knew that it could mean so much... ♫
♫ So much... ♫

My hoodie was blocking my prevail vision, but I could tell that no one was out tonight. It was late, most places were closed, and it was a school night.

♫ You're the fear, I don't care ♫
♫ 'Cause I've never been so high ♫
♫ Follow me, to the dark ♫
♫ Let me take you past our satellites... ♫

♫ You can see the world you brought to life... ♫
♫ To life... ♫

I turned the corner and walked into an alley. I sighed, and kicked an empty soda can out of my way.

♫ So love me like you do, ♫
♫ Lo-lo-love me like you do... ♫
♫ Love me like you do, ♫
♫ Lo-lo-love me like you do... ♫

♫ Touch me like you do, ♫
♫ To-to-touch me like you do... ♫
♫ What are you waiting for... ♫

Suddenly, I thought I saw something move and I froze. I yanked out one of my ear buds and looked around. I couldn't see anything, but I was sure I saw something. Leaving the one earbud out, I slowly turned around and continued walking.

♫ I'll let you set the pace... ♫
♫ 'Cause I'm not thinking straight... ♫
♫ My head's spinning around, ♫
♫ I can't see clear no more... ♫

♫ What are you waiting for... ♫

Then, I heard something move behind. I stopped walking for half a second before continuing on, not looking behind me. Slowly, I paused my music and stuff my headphones into my jacket pocket. For a second, there was nothing. Then, I heard it again. And again. And again. Whoever or whatever it was, it was getting closer and closer. Then, when it moved once more, I stopped. I let out an angry noise then whipped around as I yanked my hoodie off my head. "I am not in the mood, so just come on out!" I stood there, waiting for someone or something to jump out from behind a dumpster or something. Was it the Foot? The Kraang? "You're more observant than I thought." Karai... 

Then, from up in the fire escape, a figure leapt down and landed on the ground in front of me. The figure straightened up, and I recognized them immediately. It was Karai. I took a few steps back and snatched my tessen out. "Look, Karai, I'm really not in the mood for this," I said angrily. "So, if you wanna fight, fine. Let's just get it over with." "Really? I come out and you think I wanna start a fight?" she asked incredulously, though it seemed slightly mocking. "You saying you don't wanna fight?" "Maybe, maybe not." I scoffed. "Yeah, right! After the stunt my brothers pulled tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to kill me out of spite!" "Hmm... Hadn't thought about that actually," Karai said curiously, folding her arms as she leaned against the wall. "That's definitely an idea though. Mind if I use it?"

I stared at her for a second before I quickly opened my tessen, ready for a fight. "Oh relax, warrior princess! It was joke!" she snapped as she straightened up off the wall. "I didn't come to fight you." "Oh yeah?" I asked, not convinced in the slightest. "Why are you here then?" Karai didn't answer immediately. Then she unfolded her arms and took a few steps toward me. "I came to talk." Now that surprised me. In fact, I was so shocked I nearly got out of my battle stance. Karai wanted to talk with me?

"You wanna talk?" I asked, confused. "Yes." I looked at her for a moment, then glared as I said, "How do I know this isn't some kinda trick?" "You're supposed to be the turtles' personal lie detector, you tell me," she said irritably. She did have point there. Not moving from my stance, I looked up into her eye, but I was surprised once more. For the second time since I had met her, Karai was being completely honest. "Seriously? Again? That's gotta be some kind of record for her." Karai stared back at me, eyes narrow, but completely truthful. I stood there for about 5 more seconds before I finally straightened up.

"You just wanna talk?" Karai nodded. We continued to stand there, staring at each other for a few moments. Then, I let out a soft sigh, and I closed my tessen and put it in its holster. "Alright, fine," I said. "But not here. Alleys aren't safe to hang around in at night." Karai rolled her eyes. "Well, where would you suggest we go?" I turned my head and looked all around the alley. Then, my eyes fell on the fire escape. I walked over to it and leapt up as I grabbed the metal bars.

As I climbed up a bit, I stopped and turned to look down at Karai. "If you really wanna talk, and if it's really that important... then follow me." I turned my head away and continued climbing up. Karai didn't respond, but I did hear the clashing of metal as she leapt up and started climbing, too. I reached the ledge and grabbed it, pulling myself up and over it. A second later Karai did the same thing, landing right beside me.

"Alright," I said, folding my arms. "You wanna talk? Talk." Karai narrowed her eyes at me before folding her arms and turning away. "Why?" I blinked. "Why what?" "Why weren't you there?" she asked. "At the docks?" "The docks...?" "The turtles were all there," Karai walked forward, not looking at me. "They went back on their word, and they went after the Shredder. They stabbed me in the back, and they didn't even blink an eye!" I stared at her, hardly able to believe it.

Karai didn't just sound betrayed... she sounded hurt. "But you..." Karai turned to look at me. "You didn't... you weren't even there. You probably didn't even leave your lair, did you?" I shook my head. "Why?" I raised my eyebrow. "I take it you're not disappointed that at least one of us kept our bargain?" "Of course not, but I'm confused," Karai said irritably as she unfolded her arms. "Your brothers went after the Shredder, but you didn't. He's your enemy too, yet you stayed behind... Why?"

I stared at her, one eyebrow raised, completely dumbfounded. Of all the things I expected her to say, this was not one of them. I shook my head. "Karai," I said. "Of all things, do you really-?" "Cleo," she cut me off. "I need to know... please." I stared at her, still surprised, but not dumfounded. "She really wants to know, doesn't she?" I sighed as I walked back to the edge of the roof and gently sat down. "I already know what you're gonna say, but I guess I'll still tell ya," I said. "I didn't go with the guys because... I didn't agree with what they were doing. They were going back on their word, and I didn't want any part in it." Karai's eyes widened slightly. 

"What?" "We made a deal with you, and I was gonna stick by it, even if the others weren't," I looked up at her seriously. "Look, I don't know about you, but I take my deals and my promises very seriously. If I went back on our deal, it wouldn't just be bad to you, I'd be going against myself, too." Karia slowly unfolded her arms as she stared at me. "You didn't go because... because it went against your moral code?" I suddenly felt hot around the ears as I rolled my eyes and turned my head away. "Go ahead, say it," I said harshly. "It's a stupid and ridiculous reason, and if I had any sense, I would've just gone off with them."

Maybe I was being a little too harsh but didn't pay any mind. Heck, this whole evening had brought out a side of me that I didn't even know I had. I was angry at my brothers who I normally adored, I ran out of my home which was always a place of comfort for times like this, and now I was conversing peacefully with my enemy who I should be fighting with right now. "No." I blinked and looked up at Karai. "Huh?" "It's not a stupid reason," Karai walked over to stand next to me. "In fact, of all the reasons that I had thought of, yours is probably better."

I stared. "You... don't think it's ridiculous?" Karai shook her head, and to my surprised she sat down next to me "No," she said. "In fact, I think your reason is quite admirable. A bit foolish, but admirable." "Oh..." I glanced down. "Well... thanks." There was a tense and awkward pause as we sat there in silence. "Geez, now what?" "Erm... for what it's worth," I said. "I did try to stop them from doing it. I tried to keep them from going, but they wouldn't listen to me."

Karai looked at me for a second, then shrugged. "I guess I don't really blame them," she said. "I'd probably do the same thing." "Figured you'd say that." There was silence again, but somehow this seemed less tense than the last. It definitely felt less uncomfortable. Curiously, I looked over at her, and at the same time she looked over at me. Her mouth twitched, and I swore I thought I saw her smile. Not grin, not smirk, but smile. And I smiled back. "You know..." she said. "Technically, the deal isn't completely broken."

"How so?" I asked. "Well... you didn't go back on our deal, so when you think about it, it's still on between you and me at least." I raised my eyebrow. I wasn't so much confused as I was curious. "I'm listenin'..." "Well, seeing as how you kept your word, I think it's only right that we keep the deal going, just between you and me." "How so?" "If, by any chance, we stumble on the Kraang-like, at a secret base or lab or whatever- then we would... go take care of it."

I sat there, thinking it over. It seemed pretty shady, but at the same time it didn't sound like a bad idea. "And I'm guessing no one will know about this?" "Of course not." I narrowed my eyes. "How do I know you won't end up trapping me instead?" Karai glared at me slightly. "Just because the deal between your brothers and me is off, doesn't mean I've stopped wanting to fight the Kraang. I want them gone just as much as you do, and I'm willing to do so by any means."

She did have a point. Enemies or not, our fight with the Foot clan was nothing if we couldn't even save the world from the Kraang invasion. Besides, there might be some smaller jobs out there that the guys might not want to do that perhaps Karai and I could handle it. Supposing I take up this offer, that is. "So," Karai turned to face me completely and raised her hand up to me. "What do you say, warrior princess? Work together, at least for now?"

I looked at Karai then stared down at her hand. I still wasn't sure if I trusted her, but she had come all this way and, despite what my brothers did, despite the fact that we were still on opposite sides, she chose not to fight me. She's definitely earned some of my trust. I raised my hand slightly towards hers, then paused. "Just to be clear," I said. "None of this matters if we have to fight each other when we're not the Kraang." Karai nodded. "Yeah. We're still enemies, right?" "Right." "So, if we see each other when we're not dealing with the Kraang, I will have to fight you." "I know."

Karai and I shared an intense gaze for a few moments. It was like each of us were trying to make the other understand. But I already understood; Karai was still my enemy, and as soon as the Kraang are defeated, that's all she'll ever be. But, for now... I took a deep breath and let out a low sigh. Then I gave a soft, "Okay," before reaching up, grasping her hand, and shaking it.