「ABSENCE」 TMNT 2012

33; The Threat

    "I'll join you in a minute," Lucas told Karai.

    She nodded, her fingers slipping from his. "I'll be here."

    He flashed her a grin and walked away, leaving her to herself. With traces of a smile on her lips, she turned to the entryway of the balcony. Jeff pushed off the frame and walked towards her, smirk never leaving his face.

    "So Karai has a boyfriend," he teased.

    Her eyes narrowed and she squared her shoulders. "Don't forget what I can do to your face," she threatened.

    He held his hands up defensively. "Sorry, sorry." He looked over his shoulder at the party room, commenting, "nice looking guy, that Mason kid."

    "He's older than you."

Twenty-year-old Jeff frowned. "Guess I can't call him a kid then."

"Yeah," Karai agreed. "He's your superior, just like me. So go away and leave me alone." She shooed him off and spun around, resting her elbows on the railing. Her chin sat on the back of her hands as she stared out at the city, trying to ignore Jeff.

He stood beside her, mimicking her pose. The two of them had grown up together under Shredder's wing. But because of the competitive atmosphere, they'd never gotten along well. Even as adults, they always argued, struggling for dominance even though they both knew who was Shredder's favorite.

    Jeff. Ever since he was a small child, picked up off the streets as a lonely orphan, Oroku Saki had always favored the attractive, energetic blond. He learned martial arts quickly, and had a strong personality. The man added a certain . . . level of spice to Saki's collection of henchmen. Sure, Jeff was reckless. Sure he didn't even obey Shredder's orders half the time. But he was skilled and knew what he was doing. Karai had never seen him slip up once. Not once in all her life. And it had always made her jealous.

    But after years of suffocating under someone else's shadow, Karai was finally discovering a life outside of the headquarters. A life apart from dangerous missions and carrying out her master's dirty work. She would always have a craving for heart-stopping, life-threatening adventure. But something about the life of civilians was more appealing to her at this point in her life.

    That's why she wanted Jeff to go away. He was here to keep an eye one her. To make sure her suspicious actions of late, though she'd hid her newfound joy very well, did not entail disloyalty to their master.

    Unfortunately for the strong-willed kunoiche, it did. She just wouldn't know it for another thirty-seven minutes.

"It's time," Jeff informed her.

She slammed her hands down on the rail and turned to look up at him. "Already? He told me midnight!"

    Jeff nodded. "And that was the original plan. He moved it up."

    "Why?"

    "He has his reasons."

    "What reasons? Has the plan been threatened? Compromised?"

    Jeff didn't reply for a moment. One eyebrow slowly lifted. His stormy eyes hid a cloud of words Karai couldn't read, and it infuriated her.

    "Answer me!" She demanded. "He tells you everything, doesn't he? Why should you keep it from me when not only are we under the same hierarchy, but we're supposed to meet at the exact same place for the exact same purpose?"

    A match had been struck. The fire blazed in her eyes, illuminating the darkness inside them. Jeff could see it clearly. He had always seen it. So had Shredder. The moment she had come back from her first introduction with Lucas was the moment they knew she could no longer be trusted. Light had touched darkness, and darkness was weakening.

As a child, Karai was always promising. Passionate, calm, with a mysterious aura of silent wisdom, she was the student who could kill you with an inconspicuous stare. The one who could cut you deep where it hurt the most, whether by verbal or physical contact, and watch you sink to the ground in agony without so much as a blink. She could be your friend one day, your enemy the next. But everyone knew, deep down, that she was always your enemy. She just happened to be the one who was good at concealing that fact.

    The match had always sat there, waiting to be lit; waiting for the opportunity to spread and catch forests ablaze in seconds.

    Oroku Saki noticed right away, the fire in the little girl. He knew the day would come when she would rebel. She was smarter than he ever dared to give her credit for, and for that, she would look over her shoulder at him in disgust. But to give her the position – the attention – she deserved, could prove catastrophic.

For a moment – no, less than a moment, as moments are often too long, Jeff felt a bitter twinge of guilt. A short, gray taste of sympathy. And a shiver.

Oh, yes. The big, intimidating, alway-s-in-control Jeff, shivered, suddenly much smaller than the woman before him who, in actuality, only made it an inch past his torso in height.

And Karai saw it.

    Jeff composed himself without his outward demeanor changing in the slightest. Had he recognized the fear in himself? Of course he had. It's impossible not to notice fear in one who is always fearless. Would he take that fear as a warning? Of course not.

With one arm supporting his weight on the balcony railing, he crossed his ankles. "In a way, yes. The plan has been compromised," he said, addressing her earlier question. It wasn't a dishonest answer. He just left out the part about Karai being the actual threat.

Normally, they left it at that and didn't question the Shredder's orders. But Karai was feeling bold this night, and pushed for more information.

"And what would the problem be?"

Jeff shrugged as an attempt to casualize the conversation. "If this is going to work, certain people can't be within the city before everything begins."

    Contrary to what you're probably thinking, he was actually referring to past enemies the Shredder would prefer to have stay away until a later time, not Karai. But this was simply a calm excuse.

    Jeff continued, "he wants to get this thing up before they arrive."

    The truth? Shredder wanted Karai's help before she had more time to change her mind about working with him any longer. Little did he know he had acted too late.

    Lucas returned, breaking up the tense conversation and hard glares. He flashed Jeff a charming smile and stuck out his hand. "Well, hello! My name's Lucas, and you are?"

    "Jeff." Jeff also flashed a grin and shook the man's hand. "You must be Karma's boyfriend."

    Lucas glanced down at Karai, searching for her approval. She nodded. "Yes, that's right," he confirmed. "Has she talked much about me?"

    "Oh, not much. She's pretty quiet at home," explained Jeff. He looked at Karai and winked, though the very act frightened him for some reason, as if doing so would make her snap and she would tear him to pieces in an instant. It wasn't a hard thing to envision, since she'd just broken his nose earlier that afternoon.

    Lucas laughed. "That doesn't surprise me. Are you a relative?"

    "Her brother."

    In a clear sign to Jeff that she was done with his presence, Karai slipped her arm into Lucas' and stepped closer to him. "Should we go back inside?" She suggested.

    "Of course." Jeff could see the way the man's face brightened when Karai got close to him. It was painted in his eyes like black on white. "You're welcome to come, too," Lucas invited Jeff.

    Jeff shook his head and stuffed his hands deep inside his pants pockets and declined politely. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll stay out here a bit longer."

    "Nice to meet you."

    A nod. Another smile exchange. Then Karai and Lucas headed inside, with Lucas mentioning how excited he was to introduce her to his parents.

    Jeff watched their backs until they had disappeared in the mixture of other party guests. Above, the roof waited for him, where the nightmares of a whole city would break loose, and the climax would unfold.