Happy New Year! Hope you are all healthy and happy in 2008!

TMNT are the property of Mirage. Certain Foot and Dr. Baker are mine. That and a dollar fifty will buy you a Diet Coke.

Calthrops

It had not taken Splinter long to find the blind spot of the security cameras. He had merely to sit in meditation position in the back of the cell, close to the center of the wall, and not move. In no time, his two "favorite" guards were there, checking to see if he were still a prisoner.

"Trouble?" he politely inquired, as the guards frantically shined a flashlight into the dark and dimly lit cell, training the beam on the bemused rat.

"Mind your tongue, freak!" the larger of the two threatened, more for show than for anything else. Then he turned to his partner, addressing him (foolishly) in Japanese. "See? No need to panic- even though you HAVE lost those damn keys again!"

"He needs watching!" the other insisted. "I am certain he has my keys! And he is clever enough to find a blind spot-"

"Fool! He's an animal! He may be able to fight, but he is hardly intelligent enough to have avoided capture! Otherwise he would never have shown himself above ground where he must have known we were waiting." And he spat more or less in Splinter's direction.

The Rat never flicked so much as a whisker during their exchange.

"We should search him anyway!" the smaller guard insisted, and snatching the larger's keys, he proceeded to unlock the cell, drawing his blade and keeping it ready. "You! Stand up! Strip!"

Splinter bit back a remark about needing the proper music, and complied meekly with the not-so-gentle searching of the guard.

The keys were nowhere to be found in that entire cell or on the Rat.

"See? You are a fool! How you manage to remain in the Mistress's good graces I've no idea!" sneered the first. Without another word he left the cell, locking it and stalking quickly away from this worthless prisoner.

Splinter retrieved the keys once again. He had managed to hide them on the smaller guard, then relieve him of them just as easily. Shaking his head, he returned to meditation.

He would give his sons time to act; then he was, in the words of the ancient master, "busting out of this joint".

He hated the cold. He hated New York.

But soon he would be returning to Japan! The Mistress had approved his request to go back to Tokyo and resume his work there. He could not wait!

But until then, he had to patrol the outside of this "library", keeping an eye out for the kame.

Japan had no such oddities as talking nezumi and kame ninja. He longed for the traditional battles between the Foot and the Yakuza. He smiled at the memory of one such encounter; he personally had eliminated four of the best the mob boss had to offer, and all before any alarm could be sounded. He had earned the respect of his leader, and even the great Oroku Saki had given him a "well done".

And though he was loyal to the daughter, he had hated every minute of his time in this "city".

He hated New York.

In the shadows, he caught sight of one of the others, and moved to join him. From the size, he guessed it was Hattori; the man had certainly grown fat! Too much of this Western food, no doubt, he disdainfully sniffed. Why the Mistress allowed him to show himself when he was obviously-

He barely had time to register the fact that "Hattori" seemed to be aiming a fukiya at him when the dart caught him in the neck.

The futoi "Foot" soldier caught him even as the paralysis took hold of him. No sound could escape him, he was helpless as he was dragged into the dark shadows and concealed behind some crates.

"Don't worry- you won't freeze to death," came the rough whisper from the black-clad warrior. "The drug'll wear off before then. And when you do, congratulate me. You're the sixth guy I've taken out, and no alarm yet! It's a new record for me."

And then Raphael went about his business of taking out the fringe guard.

Three more fell to his fukiya; three more were hidden away. As he drew closer to his target of the delivery entrance, he tucked the blowgun away and pulled from behind him the kusarigama that he had strapped to his back. This entrance was guarded by four more Foot. Nothing stood between the shadows of his hiding place and the target. He was going to have to go carefully here. The darts would not have done him any good at this distance, but he was itching for a real fight.

Carefully getting into position, he waited until one of the guards was almost on him- then the chain snaked out, catching the Foot around the throat. With a powerful yank, the ninja was pulled off-balance and towards the turtle in black, even as the curved blade descended.

The man had no chance to make a sound.

"One down, three to go," Raph allowed himself a chuckle, even as he boldly took the guard's place and made his way in the open towards the delivery bay.

He was almost to his target when the guard closest to the opening realized that this was not one of their members. The chain snaked out quickly; the weighted end caught him square in the face, before any alarm could be sounded. There was the muffled thunk of metal against bone, and the guard dropped without a sound.

The other two jumped Raph, and for a few brief moments there was nothing but hand to hand to hand combat. Little puffs of steam where hot blood landed on the freezing ground rose up like mini smoking volcanoes. Sword against chain; sword against scythe; weapon against flesh.

Raph threw both of his attackers from him, then gripping the chain end swung the kusarigama in a deadly circle around him before launching a flying kick at the closer of the two, landing on his feet as he finished off the guard. The scythe back in his hand, he spun and blocked the descending swing of the other guard's sword. The guard had been so eager to finish off this intruder that he had left himself wide-open; the chain, already wrapped around Raph's other hand, made the life-ending punch to the face that much more powerful.

Quickly he moved to his target, ignoring the taste of blood in his mouth and the stings of various cuts that were now making themselves known. The delivery truck parked just inside was perfect. He attached his package on the fuel tank, set the timer, and headed out as silently as he had come. The sounds from the distance alerted him to the fact that more Foot were on their way.

Well, then, the more that were there when it went off, the better!

"It's set," he muttered into a com link, and within two minutes he was joined by Leatherhead.

"They are on the roof even now," came the answer to the unasked question. Raph nodded grimly, thinking how he was cutting it fine- he had to get there as well, and it wasn't going to be easy. And to tell the truth, he was not looking forward to using this new toy of Don's.

"Honeycutt will cut the perimeter alarms in another two minutes," the crocodile informed him, even as he helped Raph out of the fake Foot outfit and into a special harness. "You must ascend as quickly as possible. By my calculations, the cable should get you almost to the helipad. From there you will have to trust to Donatello's being able to drop you a rope.

"This had better work, or else I'm gonna kick all yer sorry tails," Raph grumbled. The crocodile merely smiled, even as he took aim with what looked like a sawed-off shotgun.

Three beeps sounded from his com link; Leatherhead depressed a button. There was a hollow popping sound, and a thin black something ascended like a flying snake straight up until it reached its full length, attaching the end into the fine stonework of the building. Raph tested the cable. Then he waited as Leatherhead snapped the recoil device to the front of the harness.

"Good luck, my friend."

"You too, L.H."

With the press of another button, the Turtle was lifted off the ground quickly. He kept his front to the building, climbing spikes at the ready. He knew that he'd have to detach before he got to the very end of this cable- and he was not looking forward to that moment...

Five minutes later he saw the grinning face of Don peering over the edge. The turtle helped his brother up and over the ledge of the helipad. The wind was really blowing up here; no danger of anyone flying in tonight.

"See? I told you it'd work," the brainy turtle gloated. "Did you destroy it so the boy genius can't steal the idea?"

"You have ta ask?"

They took up their positions near their entrance of choice and waited.

Near the side entrance, two Foot were on alert- they knew it was only a matter of time before the Kame would make an attempt to free their Master.

Well-hidden, they were still seen by a third person.

Shuirken suddenly sliced through the cold air, nicking each of the Foot just enough to catch their attention and draw blood.

The taller of the two gave a silent signal, and ten more suddenly appeared from the surrounding area, following the first as he charged in the direction the shuirken had come from.

Their night vision was good- but not good enough. They had gone barely ten feet into the dark alleyway when their footwear was cruelly pierced by numerous tetsu-bishi. Involuntary cries of pain escaped even the most well-trained, and they desperately tried to pull the damaging calthrops from their heavily bleeding feet.

Then the smoke pellets exploded among them, causing much confusion. When the first impact of something heavy swung against the forearm of the leader, shattering the bone with such force that the man, falling onto more of the tetsu-bishi, barely noticed the stabbings he was in such pain! His scream of agony added to the noises of the fight; curses, grunts, gasps, moaning accompanied the whooshing and thudding sounds of expertly wielded nunchuka versus the blades of crippled and half-blinded Foot soldiers.

Then it was over.

Mike, eyes shielded from the blinding smoke by special night goggles and his own feet well-protected against the crippling tetsu-bishi, emerged from the thinning smoke and boldly made his way to the back door, where he set the charges as Don had directed.

"Let's hope Raphie-boy got his own charges set," he murmured. Timing was everything, and Mike didn't want a Leo-Lecture about why the explosions didn't go off at the exact same moments.

"How many times must I repeat myself?" he could imagine that tone of voice Leo got when playing the put-upon leader whose plan did not come off exactly 100 the way he'd intended. Arming the timer, he immediately faded into the dark again, silently counting down and amusing himself further with an exasperated older brother pontificating on how "99.9 isn't good enough! Why can't you get that through your heads?"

Leo had made such short work of his own guards that he began to suspect it was a trap; that Karai knew he was there, and was drawing him in.

They would have little time. Once the charges went off, the city would become aware. They had to strike as quickly as possible and free Splinter. This would not be as it was when they had taken out Shredder's original place. There would be no helpful Guardians to join the battle. And the police and fire departments were much quicker at investigating such explosions than they used to be...

Leo pushed it from his mind as he took up his position directly in front of the library. Karai, he was sure, would investigate herself. He was counting on it.

Once the doors went, he would head directly to her office if needs be. He had to draw her out and away.

He had to fight her!

"Honor demands that I revenge my father!" He heard her voice in his head as clearly as if she were standing in front of him. Once again the scene replayed itself, unbidden by him: she had prevented him from going to Splinter's aid- he had saved her from falling to her death- she had taken his sword and driven it into his shoulder-

He forced the frustration and anger down, buried it deep down, and focused on the front entrance. Soon it would be go-time.

The explosions rocked the lower floor with such precision that tears came to Don's eyes.

"I am so good," he preened as they entered Karai's chambers and located her private elevator.

"Get over yourself," came the brotherly advice as they waited for Professor Honeycutt to override all the security involving the elevator.

In Karai's office, the woman and her lieutenant were quick to act. Grabbing the sword of her father, she led the way out to the main floor- where the smoke and dust and debris blocked her view of the front entrance.

She hissed an order, while security scrambled to join her; powerful flashlights illuminated the billowing clouds- and soon a familiar shape appeared dark in the glare of the lights.

"Anyone home?" came the hated sound of her enemy's voice.

"Leonardo. You are such a fool. Attack!"

Quickly they vanished into the ever-growing cloud of smoke. Karai watched as brief flashes of light escaped, wild and uncontrolled like lightning.

Sound was all that indicated a battle was taking place.

"Mistress!" came a shouted voice from behind her. A soldier appeared, knelt. "The delivery bay is under attack! We have already lost many men!"

"Mistress! panted another bringer of bad news. "The side entrance has been breached by more of these ninja! A large group has invaded and taken control of the-"

More explosions went off deep in the building. More shouting, more running feet as the bulk of Karai's soldiers were roused from their sleeping quarters and hurried into the defense of the clan stronghold.

"There are at least a dozen fighters in the delivery bay!" a third voice announced, gasping for breath as he approached and collapsed, the blood from strange wounds staining the floor and Karai's booted feet. "They have a monster with them..."

"Fools! They have no such army!"

The sound of the fight before her suddenly ceased. Karai stood, trying to pierce this strange smoke with her sharp eyes. Nothing stirred before her, though the sounds of other battles filtered into the room, echoing around and around the huge chamber that was the main public room.

She gripped her sword, all the while staring- willing the smoke to part.

As if by her command, a swirl of air from the opened door revealed Leonardo. The floor was littered with the dead and dying. She could almost hear the blood drip from his katana, while his own piercing eyes locked with hers. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight- he was terrible to behold, a warrior of great skill- he stood in the smoke, the blood of his conquest painting him with the awful truth of his victory.

His breathing was heavy, but not strained. And his eyes never wavered from hers.

She drew up her sword, got into battle stance. Her own breathing seemed to sync itself with the Turtle's. He held his own stance, his eyes still locked with hers- even as the smoke once again swallowed him up.

"No!" she cried out, and before her second-in-command could act, she charged into the cloud to reclaim her father's honor.

Once the elevator doors opened onto the floor where training took place. Many startled ninja, in various stages of dress, blinked in shock as they realized that the Kame were in the Mistress's private conveyance.

"Oops! Wrong floor!" Honeycutt apologized, and the doors snapped shut just as five Foot soldiers charged them.

Inside the elevator, they could hear the sound of bodies slamming into the doors as they restarted their descent.

"My apologies," the professor said again. "But I believe that the infamous Doctor Chaplin is attempting to regain control of the systems."

The next time the doors opened, they were in the basement- facing about a dozen waiting Foot.

"Yee-ha!" Raph cried, and was among them before they could blink.

Don, keeping the professor behind him, whipped his hanbo from behind him- he had decided against his favorite weapon on this trip- and he'd been wanting to get in some practical work with this. He shook out the twin chains that were concealed at each end, and began his own attack. Such was the speed with which he spun the three-foot bo that even the Professor could not clearly see the blows landing from the chains- though he could register the blood flying in graceful arcs away from the weapon. Indeed, it appeared that as Donatello twirled the weapon that blood was issuing from it, like a powerful lawn sprinkler.

And the two turtles pushed the decreasing crowd of Foot backwards down the narrow hall until there was no one before them-

Except Splinter.

"About time," the rat said, carefully relocking his prison and depositing the keys on the unconscious form of the guard to whom they belonged.

"You're welcome," Raph smiled, as they made their way to the parking garage. The plan was to exit that way and down the closest manhole, drawing off any pursuers.

Though the battle had been so swift and bloody, there were few willing to follow them. Though they fought in the garage with many more ninja, they found that there was little desire by their enemies to lure them into the sewers. Too many recalled what had happened to the others who had tried such an attack.

After fifteen minutes, Donatello and the Professor confirmed that no one was following them.

In another fifteen, they met up with Leatherhead and Michelangelo, who grabbed his father in a bear hug and swung him around once before the Rat commanded that he be put down.

"Yes, I am glad to see you all," Splinter replied to his youngest's question. "And yes, I am all right. But I cannot say the same for the unfortunate Dr. Baker."

"Mike, you can take those off now," Don said, pointing to the specially reinforced "tabi boots" that he had prepared for his brother.

"Actually, I like them!" the turtle grinned, holding up one foot. "I think I'll start wearing them all the time! Only they need something to make them more attractive. Black is such a somber color."

"Where is Leonardo?"

Raph exchanged looks with Mike. The others looked uneasy.

"You don't suppose he stayed behind," he voiced. "You know, unfinished business..."

"After the damn lecture we got about get in and get out?" Mike huffed. "He'd better not be there still!"

"Yeah, but he also claimed the right to draw off and distract Karai," Don said. The group without discussion began to travel in the general direction back towards the Foot's headquarters.

"Hey!" a voice reached them before they got far. "Where are you going? I said head straight back to the Lair, and we'd meet up on the way!"

Leo, behind them, looked as if he were to deliver yet another lecture on following orders, but Splinter cut him off.

"Let us return home quickly," he said, taking the lead. "We must plan how to rescue Doctor Baker."

Raph fell behind until he was shoulder to shoulder with Fearless Leader.

"So? Did you fight her?" he asked in a low whisper, eyeing the blood-coated Leonardo.

He watched a muscle in Leo's jaw twitch. Leo's eyes briefly closed, then opened as he took a deep breath, letting it go slowly.

"No. I almost did. But no." A pause, and a humorless smile formed on his lips. "You should have heard the things she called me when she realized I wasn't standing there waiting for her, though."

"That bad, eh?"

"Raph, she used words I've never heard you use before."

The rats made their way into Karai's place; the scent of blood briefly activated their hunger and distracted them from their goal. But the Foot were quick to drive them away from the dead and wounded. There were too many for the rats at the moment.

But he had been there; his scent was mingled there in the mix of blood, sweat, smoke, and fear. He had been there.

The scent was heaviest in this underground area, where many other smells struggled to overpower his scent. They followed it as far as they could, until the trail vanished at street-level.

Yet they could feel him calling; calling them to follow.

And they did.