Forbidden

Chapter 2 - Flirtatious Fights

Karai had sparked my interest from the moment I had laid eyes on her. She wasn't your typical villain, but little did I know the secret she hid behind her impressive skill.

For the next few weeks I keep a close eye out for Karai, but not once do I come across her again. Raph, Donnie and Mikey just brush me off as being paranoid, but I have this burning feeling that I will see her again soon.

It's been about a month since I saw Karai. There has been Foot activity in different sectors of New York, so we decided to split up. Raph is with me, and Donnie with Mikey (much to his dismay).

Raph grits his teeth as we watch the Foot below us. "Why do we always watch before attacking?" He growls at me.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Because it gives us some time to figure out a plan and decide what they're doing."

"But we could be down there smashing heads in!" He whines. "If I were leader--"

"Well you're not." I cut him off. "I'm leader, and it's my call."

The difficult thing about Raph is that he doesn't back down. Him and I clash often, especially over leadership and formulating plans. He believes that he should have been chosen as leader; and in spite of the fact he wasn't, tries to evade my orders in any way he can, resulting in our arguments.

Raph rolls his eyes and watches below. From my judgement, they seem to be planning to break into somewhere. "Okay," I whisper. "We get them in three, two..."

I'm interrupted by Raph's Tarzan-like shouting as he leaps to the ground below. I roll my eyes and follow him, kicking off the battle.

"Must you always do that?" I ask, roundhouse kicking a soldier.

"What can I say, I like a grand entrance." He replies sarcastically. I roll my eyes and continue on with the fight.

After a while the whole army is cleared and Raph and I are left standing around. "They barely put up a fight." I say, admiring our handy work.

"Or maybe we're just that good." Raph replies, smirking.

"They were saving the finale for me." I hear a familiar voice from behind me. I turn around and see Karai, Katana pointed at my throat. "Hiya Shelly." She mocks.

Raph whips out his Sais, but I stop him. "Raph, a little privacy please?"

He rolls his eyes and wanders off, before turning around at Karai. "If I come back and he's dead, you're next." He says.

Karai cocks an eyebrow as Raph disappears around a corner. She then lowers her Katana and slides it back into its pouch behind her back.

"Long time no see, huh Shelly?" She giggles to herself.

I can feel my cheeks glow hot. "Could you stop calling me that?" I say. "It's Leo."

She looks me up and down. "Leo." I nod. "Interesting name for a turtle."

"It's after Leonardo Da Vinci." I reply, as she starts to circle me.

"And all this time I thought it was Leonardo DiCaprio." She jokes. "I still like Shelly better."

"What's your deal, Karai?" I interrupt. She stops circling me and plants one hand on her hip. "First you try to kill me, then you disappear for a month."

"Can't a girl have a break when she wants?" She mocks again.

"I'm serious." I reply. "I can't figure out what you want." She smirks. "You could have killed me that night, but you didn't. Why?"

"It's more fun to play with your prey." She says, starting to circle me again.

"Is that what I am to you? Prey?" I ask.

She stops and lifts my chin with her finger. "Oh, no kitten." She mocks in a childish voice. "You're much more to me than that."

I bat her hand away. "Enough! What do you want?!"

She pauses for a moment. "Shredder wants you, your brothers and your master DEAD." She replies, emphasising the 'dead' part. "That's all he ever talks about: Kill Splinter, Revenge, Vendetta, yada yada yada."

I raise one eyebrow. "You don't sound impressed."

She pulls her katana from its pouch. "No, no I'm just saying," she holds her katana in a fighting stance. "He needs a vacation or something."

I pull out my own Katana. "Crime doesn't take a break." I say.

"Exactly." She replies. Suddenly she charges at me, and our swords clash with an ear-splitting shing! As we battle for control and ultimately dominance, a fiendish smile spreads across her face. Eventually I throw her off, and she slides across the ground. She picks herself up and dusts herself off. "I'm beginning to like you, Shelly." She teases, sliding her katana back into its pouch.

I hold my Katana at the ready, in case she strikes unexpectedly. "Why do you do that?" I ask.

"What?" She replies.

"You fight me, then you give up. It's not even a battle."

She chuckles. "I'm testing you out." She says. "I try before I make them die. That's what Shredder taught me."

"What link do you have to him?" I ask, suddenly putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"What makes you think that?" She asks, planting one hand on her hip.

"You knew about his plot to kill us, you're in charge of the Foot, you sound like you know Shredder personally... What's the link?"

She starts to back away. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me." I reply.

She sighs. "He's my father."

My heart suddenly skips a beat, as everything made sense. What I didn't understand however, was why I was still interested about her.

"You're Shredder's daughter?" I echo. She nods. "But... But you can't be...?"

"I'm sorry, Leo." She says, as she disappears into the shadows.

I'm left completely stunned. Everything makes sense, but at the same time so much is left in the dark.

As I walk home, a million questions zoom through my mind. I can't concentrate, I can't think.

At least not about Karai.