TMNT are not mine. Please enjoy this story even though they are not mine.

Considerations

Karai sat at her desk long after Hun departed, staring at the photograph he had provided her with and thinking again about what he had said.

"I was contacted by a third party- who wanted me and my gang to find this guy. Apparently Bishop's people had not been able to find him. No one knew where he was, but my 'client' was certain of two things: that he hadn't left New York, and that he was hiding among the homeless. Some sort of guilt-trip, apparently."

Karai once again studied the picture, frowning. There was much that Hun had not told her; but then, to be fair, she had not told Hun all that she knew, either. For example, he had no idea that the being known as "Oroku Saki" was not dead, though to Karai's way of thinking he was as good as- banishment to some frozen, deserted wasteland- one of several thousand circling some unknown planet so far away from her that she could never hope to rescue him.

Instead, she had listened, intrigued at Hun's having come to her in the first place.

"No. There are various stories; injured, ill, well but in hiding, business as usual- and dead. The most reliable of the rumors is that the Turtles finished him off- they were seen in the facility before it was destroyed."

The Turtles. Yes, she had known back then of several of the things Hun was talking about. Leonardo had foolishly contacted her, trying to find out why Hun would be so interested in one of Bishop's former laboratories.

Her people had only seen two of the turtles in recent months; evidently part of the rumors regarding Bishop must be true. Two of the Turtles were either dead or so badly damaged they could not surface. This had caused her some frustration- she wanted revenge on the entire clan, not just two of them.

Pressing a button on her desk, she awaited the arrival of one of her most trusted aides, and frowned in thought. Hun had left out much, including who this mysterious client of his was- though he had suspected it might have been Bishop himself, working through a go-between.

"After all, I haven't heard a word since Bishop's 'disappearance'. Funny, him coming to me- if it was him."

Yes. Very funny.

"Mistress Karai?"

The tall, bald assistant stood before her, bowing respectfully then standing at attention. Even indoors he wore dark glasses as if wearing a mask. His outfit was in keeping with his "outward appearance" of someone's personal secretary; simple yet stylish business suit. In other words, dressed for the "legitimate world".

Personally trained by Karai, he was a deadly fighter, and she trusted him with her life.

She handed him the photo.

"Have several dozen copies of this made," she ordered simply. "When they are ready, call a meeting of the ground operatives. I have a special mission for them."

"Hai, Mistress!"

She had agreed to help Hun. He had been pleased even though inside he knew she was not to be trusted.

She smiled, rising from her desk and leaving her office. Hun was right; she was NOT to be trusted.

"I'll be in the laboratories with Dr. Chaplin," she informed her assistant on her way out.

"Do you think we've shaken him?" Raph, uncharacteristically nervous, slightly panting, searched the surrounding area with his eyes, afraid of what he might see. The sky was cloud-covered again; no moon was out to help spot anyone after them.

It was late, but not too late. Yet the current cold snap still had the streets pretty much deserted around this time of night. No one out but the homeless who had no place to go- and Leo and Raph- and their pursuer.

"I think so," Leo said hopefully, also scanning the area- only he was using one of Don's high-tech goggles- so far, no body heat registered anywhere near them. No Foot Tech could hide from these babies- the Slayer had not been able to be undetected for long either. There was NO way that their pursuer could mask his presence from these things! There just was NO WAY!

Leo breathed out a sigh of relief.

"That diversion you created worked," Leo congratulated his brother. "We've lost him."

"The question is, can we move from here without his picking up our trail?" Raph mused, still feeling as if he were being watched.

"This is great," Leo sighed, frustrated. "Our first real night out, and we're already on the run. How did this happen?"

It had been a few days since their first official return to topside. When they had had to go to April's with Splinter, it had been bad enough- but then he had insisted on accompanying them to Casey's- and to the park- and on patrol-

"I wonder if he's gonna follow us to the bathroom if we gotta pee," Raph had whispered that first day out- but before Leo could respond, Splinter had made them go home with a "that is enough for today, my sons. We do not wish to overdo it!"

Before Raph could answer his brother properly, a noise below attracted them; a sweet, familiar, long-missed sound- the sound of battle!

With identical grins, the two pulled their weapons- the feel of them was so electrifying! It was as if they, too, felt that they were truly back in action, not just practicing in the dojo!

Leo and Raph stealthily moved to the edge of the roof where the sound seemed to be the loudest, and peered over the side.

One- two- no, FOUR! FOUR familiar enemy were below- holding an apparently homeless man!

"Foot! All right! This is gonna be sooooooo sweet!" Raph growled in a whisper, the old light coming into his eyes, the old feeling of impending action coursing through his action-deprived body!

"Why are they bothering that homeless man?" Leo wondered, getting into a better position to see.

Three of the ninja were holding the man still, while the fourth appeared to be comparing his face to a picture. Then he must have decided the man was not who they were looking for, because he roughly shoved the picture into the cowering man's face, demanding to know if he had seen him before.

"N-n-n-n-no!" the guy barely croaked out, too afraid to struggle, but shaking so violently that the three holding him were having a difficult time. "I swear! Never seen him before in my life!"

The leader stared at this pathetic creature, so cowardly, so worthless- it would be a mercy to end his miserable existence- and he said so in Japanese to his colleagues.

"No! Mistress Karai said no killing!" one of the other four warned him in a sharp voice, as the first had pulled his tanto and prepared to plunge it into the man.

As one, without a sound or a word or a discussion, Leo and Raph jumped down, taking out two of the Foot before the leader could act.

"Run!" Leo needlessly shouted to the homeless guy- suddenly freed of two pairs of hands, eyes taking in that long deadly knife in the hands of the guy in front of him, he had in his panic managed to swing the remaining assailant who was holding his right arm into the leader, knocking both off balance and freeing himself. Without a backward look he was gone, swallowed up by the night.

"All right!" Raph was laughing, blood dripping from his sai, as he faced the two remaining Foot. "Did you miss us? 'Cause we sure have missed you!"

"We have a truce," the leader said, pulling his katana from it's sheathe across his back and going on guard, his remaining soldier ready with his kusarigama . "Mistress Karai-"

"Broke her word when you attacked my brothers," Leo finished. "I know that the truce is over- I'm not the fool 'Mistress Karai' seems to think I am."

Without warning the kusarigama came snaking towards Leo, wrapping around his right wrist so suddenly he'd no time to blink. With an even quicker yank, the turtle was pulled off-balance- and met with a swift kick to the plastron, sending him into a wall.

Raph, with a cry, was on the leader in a flash- and just as quickly pinned to the ground, blocking a downward swing of the leader's katana.

The struggle reminded him of Don's pinning him in the dojo- he angrily struggled to keep the steady pressure of the attacker's blade from reaching him- with a sudden kick, he managed to roll to the side, regain his feet- only to be knocked to his plastron by yet another Foot soldier.

It registered on Raph that there were three more ninja in the alley- he had not heard anyone call for backup, but apparently it had arrived.

Leo, recovered, was struggling to take on two attackers at once. He had managed to disarm the one with the kusarigama, but before he could move in for the kill, two more Foot had jumped him from above, nearly disarming him! It had been only through sheer will that he'd held onto his precious katana, and now he was feeling the effects of his first real battle- in the back of his mind he cursed himself for wishing that he could mix it up with the Foot at once- then he had no time for thought. This was not going to end prettily.

The fight continued, and both turtles dealt out a lot of injuries- but they were slowly being forced back into the dead end part of this particular alley. They had no way to get out- and two more Foot came into view, raising the total to seven (not counting the two they had initially dispatched).

Panting, bleeding, struggling- Leo and Raph saved their breath for fighting. Each, however, was almost smiling ruefully, as they both could just hear Splinter in their thoughts...

So? You are ready to return to the surface, are you? Leo imagined, blocking yet another attack by two of the Foot, both armed with katana.

If you get killed, do not come crying to me! Raph nearly laughed as he thought of what Sensei would say if he could see them. Then he was fighting to untangle himself from the business end of yet another kusarigama.

"I suppose that you will not thank me for this," they both heard Splinter's voice this time- and before they knew it, their father had leaped down from above, placing himself between his sons and their attackers. Before the Foot could react, Splinter was upon them like a brown, furry flash of lightning, walking stick and the skill of a Master vs. seven well-trained but startled Foot ninja.

Before Raph and Leo could come to their master's aid, the seven were dealt with- now nine bodies lay in the alley.

Neither Leo nor Raph could fully grasp what had happened. The action had been so quick, so deadly, that their minds had not been able to immediately process it all.

Sirens sounded in the distance, growing closer; curtains in various windows were moving as nervous eyes peered into the dark below, trying to get a view of what had been going on. Splinter turned to the two Turtles, motioning to them to follow quickly. A brief run up the alley, a hasty drop into an open manhole, a quickly replaced lid, and Splinter faced his two sons at the bottom of the ladder. The dark was interrupted at intervals by the weak lighting system installed for the workers' convenience- but they could make out the look on Splinter's face as he gazed at them, hands on hips.

"How long were you watching us?" Leo finally asked.

"From the moment Raphael asked you 'Do you think we've shaken him?'," Splinter replied.

Both Turtles sagged.

"Home," he said, turning and leading the way. "And once we are there, we will discuss the punishment for breaking your parole."