A figure falls within the lumbering shadows that are cast across the streets like a blanket. Silence announces itself with a dull ringing. Not even the slightest creak or far off voice disrupts the moment that seems to be frozen in time.
The figure follows the rough walls, pressing against the cold concrete like a life line. If anyone saw him, he would be head-deep in trouble. No one is around in this abandoned section of town, but random pedestrians are not the cold-hearted foes he is worried about.
Minutes of endless shadows come to a halt and the clad is forced to continue high above the ground. It's a faulty decision, surfacing from the shadows' protective covering; the shadow is the ninja's weapon; a shield. But he is left with no other choice. It must be done in order to move on.
The vulnerability settles on him as he reaches the bare rooftop. Like being stripped of clothing in an open space. Moonlight pours on his large figure. His conscious screams danger, this isn't a wise pick. But no other ideas make voice, so he blocks out the fearful ranting in his mind with forced determination and continues forward.
The rooftops were normally soothing and nostalgic to the clad, but tonight it brings unwanted exposure. He flies across the long stretches of roof, pursuing an invisible enemy. He knows what awaits him and every time he thinks about the abysmal situation, his stomach clenches. Hatred and grief bubble in his chest and burn like acid. Speculation of what will really happen eats at him as it has done all night. He'd spent a long night starring at his blank ceiling, within the confinement of his room, filing through the pros and cons and right and wrongs of the situation. Doubt settled in his mind. He knew that this was a remedy for disaster, for a trap. And the logical thing would have been to ignore the message, and if things advanced into more dangerous affairs, he would call on the help of his brothers and they would fight the enemies' attack together. But the wise thing to do would be to follow instructions, right?
No. This wasn't wisdom or fearlessness. It was fear. Fear of what could be done to his brothers ate away at him, stripping him of any reason. He already lost his father, he couldn't loose anyone else.
Suddenly, something catches his foot and he looses his balance. Toppling forward, he lands on one knee before flipping gracefully upright, avoiding a mouth-full of gravel. With incomprehensible speed, his fingers grip the firm handles of katanas and reflexively pull them from their sheaths.
Wide eyes alert, he scans his surrounding, turning in one quick circle. There. Opposite the rooftop stands a silhouette: Karai.
Fabric flaps in the finicky breeze behind her. He always thought that cape was a stupid decision. But her arrogant stance declares she thinks otherwise, the material making an obnoxious slapping kind of sound.
"Leonardo." She shouts, her voice is sharp and hoarse. "I'm glad you came."
Although her back faces the moon, casting a black shadow across her face, he envisions a devilish smile creeping across her imprudent features.
"What do you want?" Determination and dread duel for a place in his stomach. He suspects the answer, but won't accept the threat without a fight.
"I think you know."
Without thinking, Leonardo spins around, slashing air behind him. Something catches his blade, another blade. It only takes a second for his vision to recognize Karai's apprentice wielding the weapon. He reinforces the blow with his second katana, but she deflects the attack. Pulling his weapons back, he kicks, aiming for the stomach, when a cloud of black smoke erupts, leaving nothing but thin air behind.
Agitated, Leo turns to find standing next to Karai is the thin-framed, masked-apprentice, her own single katana winking in her hand. A wisp of black smoke rides after the breeze just above her head before vanishing.
"Honestly I think we could make more progress if you'd quit showing off and just give up." Karai starts forward, no hint of trepidation in her footsteps.
Leonardo makes no reply. He knows this is a trap, she knows he knows this is a trap, and any kind of banter seems rather redundant to him.
"I know your boyish pride thinks otherwise, but I'd rather skip to the part where you come with us."
"I think you keep forgetting I'm not a boy anymore." He says, a swell of pride rising in him. To be newly-nineteen is something to be proud of, is it not?
"You never were a boy at all." She's close enough now that he can see her mischievous grin.
"What do you want?" He asks irritably.
"I don't need to explain myself."
This. "I know what you want, but why?"
"I need you. I'm not necessarily in the right to talk about want." She eyes him up and down, a suggestive smirk dripping deceit.
"Karai."
"You're no fun, Leo," she sighs. Taking on a more serious mood, she continues, "I want what I've always wanted. For your little girl scouts to quit."
Suddenly, the air is devoid of any humor. It's cold and hostile, thick with tension.
"So," Leo's fist squeeze the katana's handles, "nothing new then."
"This time I have something that might persuade you. Evangeline!" Karai's shout was short and precise, shattering the silence that fills the cracks of New York City's sleepy counterpart.
Another puff of smoke explodes and the apprentice is next to her master.
"You must go through a lot of smoke bombs." Leo says.
"Who said anything about smoke bombs?" Karai holds her palm out. The apprentice slides a small device into it. It's square and metal, covered in buttons and a rectangle-shaped screen at the top. It looks vaguely familiar. Where has he seen--
Leo freezes.
"This," she holds it up, the moonlight painting it's features in a milky light, "is my gambit."
No. It couldn't be.
As if reading his mind, Karai states, "Yes. This is the real thing."
"H-how did you get this?"
"I believe that's my business."
"I'm suspicious. And not telling me anything won't help."
She rolls her eyes, "The government isn't the only one with 'people'. We know how to break into high security systems just as well as they do."
Leo almost laughs. Then what was her excuse for the so many failed attempts her 'people' put into breaking through Donnie's perimeter system? They couldn't break their way into a secured cabinet full of peanut butter if their lives depended on it.
"It's real, Leo."
He shakes his head. Something doesn't add up. "If that's so, then why isn't . . . he here?"
Her body goes rigid. Slowly, her lips turn white from pressing them together too hard. "My intentions . . . are no longer in that spectrum."
He knows exactly what she means. Power. Power has consumed her, and she doesn't want to give it up. Not now.
Licking his lips, he contemplates this. There are too many holes in this plot. Why would Karai hand over a device this powerful? If the device is the real thing, that is. But if it is, he could just go back. Now, even. But there is no telling if it is legit. There is also the possibility that it doesn't even work properly. And, again, if it was authentic and did work flawlessly, what would compel her to do something almost... selfless.
"Why?" His eyes drill into hers, "What's in it for you?"
A poisonous smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. "For you, and your brothers, to," she thinks for a moment, "retire."
What? "Retire."
"Yeah. I want you to lay down your weapons and stay out of my clan's business."
This time he laughs out loud. "You want us to stop what we're doing. Just like that."
"It's a simple request considering what you'll get in return."
"Give up?" He slides his katanas in their sheaths and takes a few steps back, holding down the laughter that bubbles in his throat. Hysterical laughter perhaps but still laughter. "You know how crazy you sound right now? You want my brothers and I to quit. Just quit. So you can get away with whatever devious plans you intend on this city, I assume? You really think I'm just gonna give in--"
Her features scrunch in anger. "Do you really want to continue the rest of your life without your father!"
Her words are full of spite, her entire body trembling with anger.
For Leo, all laughter vanishes. His stomach twists at the sight of Karai's tight features; Her pupils are small and her lips are taught.
Everything ceases to move and sound is not longer relevant in the world of physics as seconds pass by. Leo has an answer. And suddenly every part of him thinks staying hidden for the rest of his years is worth hearing his father's voice again. How difficult would it be to say yes, that he agrees, take the device, prevent his father's death and return home? He can feel the words of acceptance forming on his tongue. Everything could go back to the way it was. Before the fight. Before despair clung to the walls of his sewer-home like leeches feasting on a fatted calf. Before Mikey relinquished his joking. Before Donnie buried himself in days and nights of electronic investment. Before Raph started beating the walls of his room every night before bed. It would be the easiest thing to just . . .quit. Policemen and other law enforcers can take care of Karai's schemes, right? That's what they're here for.
But No. No, no, no. That's just the point. The realization of what Karai is trying to convince him to do slowly sets in. It must mean she is hiding something more than just the general petty crimes of her clan. If she is so desperate to just ask--ask him to quit, something is exceedingly wrong.
"No." Leo meets her eyes doubtlessly, "I'm not interested."
Her cropped hair bobs as she jerks back in suprise. "Excuse me?"
"I said, no. I don't think quitting is the right thing to do right now."
"Leo. Think about this--"
"I did. And my final answer is no. If I have to repeat myself, you might wanna get your comprehension levels checked out." He turns away from her, starting for the ledge of the tall building.
"Leonardo! If you walk away from me you'll never see your father again."
His heart squeezes. His throat contracts. "That's the way it's suppose to be. Not everyone can bring back someone they love."
An endless darkness swallows the ground below. Jumping wouldn't be the stupidest thing he's ever done. There's probably nothing down there anyways. He'd jump and would land safely. More or less.
"Stop. Leo."
"Good-bye, Karai."
He bends his knees, prepared to take on the darkness below. It's not the first time he's battled a suffocating shadow. He'll live.
Then, as if the laws of motion cease to exist, he's paralyzed. A bone-deep coldness pours over his entire body, engulfing and draining any warmth from his stature. His heart pounds expeditiously until--just as quickly as it accelerated--it stops.
Then everything turns black.
________
Karai holds the device between her paralytic fingers. What did she just do?
He's gone. There's no evidence of a giant, green turtle that stood there just moments before, about to jump off a ledge. A wisp of white smoke vaporizes into nothingness. Nothing's there. No one's there.
The device clanks to the ground as she stumbles backward in horror. She just zapped him. Sent him back. Gone.
What if he never returns?
But wasn't that the idea?" A small voice says.
Blinking, she pushes the upset feelings down. That was the point, obviously. And if he wouldn't do it himself, then she would have to do it for him. Which is exactly what she did.
Diligently, she picks up the metal electronic. It's a gelid thing, like a lot of things are.
"Evangeline," she whispers hoarsely.
"Master," Never misses a beat, that one.
"Take this back to the compound. Make sure we have surveillance on this device at all times."
"Hai."
She doesn't need to turn around or hear the quiet poof of a detonating cloud to know that her apprentice is gone. And with the first licks of sunlight rising in the horizon, Karai knows she must vanish herself. But from what just took place, she doesn't doubt time for herself wouldn't be a bad thing. You'd think it wouldn't matter if she removed someone from existence of not.
A vicious sob racks her body. To heck with it; Leo is gone. And she'll have to live with making that choice from now on.
| A/N |
Alright! Some of ya'll might notice this Prologue is a little different than is was awhile back. That's because I just did three hours worth of editing haha!
And oh my goshness (!!!) I totally forgot about the scene where Leo looks back on how his brothers have changed and RAPH OMG I ALMOST CRIED! Totally caught me off guard LOL!
If you enjoyed this chapter, please comment and vote! And if you have any suggestions or thoughts PLEASE SHARE! I'm a lonely sponge over here people!