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Chapter 4 - Kiss and Tell

I found Karai intriguing, fascinating and attractive. She was unlike any other girl I had ever met before, and that's what made her so dangerous...

It's been a couple of days since I spoke to April. Karai still hasn't left my mind for one second, and in my defence neither has April's taunting words about me having a crush on Karai.

It's about 7:45pm, and I'm out for a stroll... by myself. When I say stroll, I mean vigorously jumping from rooftop to rooftop trying to clear my head.

I can't help but wonder when I'm going to see her again. She's so mysterious... I can't help but be curious.

I suddenly stop to catch my breath, resting in the middle of a large building roof, head between my legs. All I can focus on is the sound of my heavy breathing, the darkness and the faint sound of the New York traffic.

Why can't I shake her out of my head? Every time I close my eyes, she's there. She's like one of those oversized posters you see plastered around every corner of every building on every street. I can't escape her!

I'm suddenly tapped on the shoulder by a surprisingly cold finger. I lift my head to have my eyes meet with Karai's; a devilish smirk painted across her face.

"Aw, did I interrupt baby's nap time?" She taunts.

"Hello to you too, Karai." I reply sarcastically, starting to stand.

"What're you doing out here on this fine, fine New York night?" She asks.

I turn to face her. "Funny you should ask that, I was just trying to figure out how to get you away from me."

She shrugs. "Moving away couldn't hurt." I give her a sheepish look, and she holds her hands up in defeat. "It's a suggestion."

I look her in the eyes. "I can't figure you out, Karai." I say. "You're the enemy, but you don't want to kill me."

"Ever heard the expression 'don't play with your food'?" She replies. I raise an eyebrow. She reaches behind her for her sword. "I was never really one to follow the rules," she says, twirling her weapon around like a baton. "So think of yourself not so much as food..." She stops twirling her sword, and rests it over her shoulder. "...but more like my prey."

She starts to circle me. I prepare to draw my own Katana Blades. "You confuse me." I say, my eyes following her as she walks. "I can't work out if you're playing with me, or if you genuinely have a good heart."

She stops and a smirk crosses her face, which makes my heart go aflutter. "Does this answer your question?" I look at her in confusion, before jumping out of the way as he makes a swing for me with her katana.

"Whoa!" I say in shock, grabbing my own weapons. "Easy! Easy!"

She makes another swing for me. "It pains me to do this, Leo." She says between attacks. "I don't want to hurt you."

I make a cross with my Katana's, blocking a swing for my head. "Then why are you fighting me?"

She struggles for a moment, before throwing her sword down. "Shredder's orders." She says, panting. "If I fail, I answer to him." She sits down on the rooftop, chin resting on her palms. I slide my Katana's back into their pouches on my back, and cautiously sit next to her. "You have no idea what it's like to have a psycho for a father." She says, her head turning to look at me.

"Why don't you just run away?" I say.

She chuckles. "He'd find me within a week." She replies. "I could hide in the deepest jungles of Africa, and he would still find me."

I'm suddenly very confused. "How?"

She chuckles again. "He's like a homicidal maniac crossed with Wolverine. He can make anyone do his bidding, and that includes any decent tracker." She purses her lips together and then looks at the ground. "Believe me, it's better if I just stay in New York and keep a low profile."

I didn't understand. How could a girl who is a highly trained assassin, who has the ability to slit throats in under a second, who has grown up being taught of nothing but hate, have so much sadness and tenderness inside her heart?

I turn to face her directly. "You know what I think, Karai?" She turns her head, and for the first time ever, I see tears forming in her eyes. Then it hits me: she's not just upset, she's scared. "I think you're a much better person than you think." She stays silent, but I can see her mouth crack a small smile. "I mean, for a start you're a very well trained fighter... You're strikingly beautiful..." It's now that I notice a change in her eyes, as her head lifts from the palms of her hands.

"You think I'm beautiful?" She echoes.

I suddenly feel a blush invade my cheeks, and my eyes dart in all different directions as I try to avoid eye contact. Karai's face softens, and I notice her smile broaden. Her face inches closer to mine, and I suddenly feel like the whole world is slowly grinding to a halt.

My heart is now thumping out my chest as Karai's lips are inches away from mine. She suddenly stops and takes a subtle breath out. "You sure you want to do this?" She asks. I take a leap of faith as I swallow the last ounce of pride I have left. I nod gingerly, and Karai's face gently collides with mine.

Her lips are incredibly soft, like nothing I'd ever experienced before. This kiss was like the eternity I'd been missing my entire life, like the one thing you never had but never knew you needed. It was magical, as I feel fireworks bursting throughout my body. The brisk wind blows through her hair, and I catch a whiff of her scent. Sweet and woody - Cherry Blossoms.

She smells like Cherry Blossoms.

The kiss deepens as her hands make their way around my neck, and mine find their way around her hips. Next thing I know, our lips are in sync and moving. I can feel the danger breathing on the back of my neck, but for some reason I don't even care. Karai is all I want right now, all that I need. I suddenly feel like if I'm not with her, my entire world will collapse. I feel like I'll stop breathing, and every bit of life will be sucked right out of me. I'm falling deeper and deeper into this dark pit of danger, and yet I have no desire to haul myself out.

Because I've finally found the missing piece of the jigsaw I've been searching for my entire life.