Chapter 3



"W-what-" Kaori stammered, trying to regain her wits.

"Calm down," Leo said, holding his hands out to show her he meant no harm. "I already said I wasn't going to hurt you."

Kaori stared at him, dumbfounded, her mouth agape. What kneeled in front of her had to be a large turtle wearing a leather belt and a few other accessories, but most disturbing was the fact that he was talking to her. Could this be the one she had talked to earlier, the one called Leo? Seeing him made her suddenly wish she hadn't taken the blind fold off.

He pushed himself to his feet and offered her his green, three fingered hand, but all she found herself able to do was stare at it. After a moment he with drew his hand slowly.

"I understand what a shock this must be to you, but now you know why the blind fold was necessary."

"I . . . you . . ." She found the words unwilling to come as she looked him over. Could this be some sort of trick? Yes, that had to be it. Some sort of strange way to get her to talk. She pushed herself up until she was sitting straight, regaining her posture. He purposefully stood between her and the door, deeming it impossible for her to escape in her pitiful state.

"I know what you're trying to do. You mean to . . . scare me into telling you something?" She mocked the idea. "Whatever bizarre plan this is, it's not working . . . besides, I all ready told you I don't have the information you want."

Leo rubbed his hand over his eyes wearily. If she wanted to think he was wearing a costume, that was just fine, probably even to his advantage, but why couldn't she just cooperate? "Look, I don't know how you got out of that chair or where the food came from, but I'm sure by now you must be pretty fatigued. If you can cooperate for a minute, then maybe we'll see what I can do for you."

Kaori watched him suspiciously. "If I tell you what I know, will you let me go?"

He shrugged. "Depends on what ya know."

As the night wore on into day and then into mid-morning, Yataro begin to doubt his clans ability to locate the four ninja which had attack them and kidnaped a leader. Every hour he had a small group of men return to report their findings, which, as of yet, had been nothing of importance. He glanced up at the ornate clock which seemed to stand imperiously in the room, making it's presence known with a deep rumble of a tick. It was ten after seven. Any minute now his men should return.

He had been contemplating the days events with concern. If the search should continue until noon, he would have to call it off. He could not risk any more exposure then he was sure he was getting as it was. The Clan had many enemies who would likely dive at an opportunity which may become present in their weekend state. Perhaps it was one of the same foes which attacked them this morning . . . perhaps they have elaborate plans to crush him. He shook the thought off quickly, for it was not one which he liked to linger for long. Perchance a new enemy was arising? Now would be the time they would prove what threat they could pose.

There was an abrupt knock on the door, breaking Yataro of his concentration. Before he could say otherwise, the guard entered the room.

"Sir, the second group has arrived with urgent information, they request your presence below."

Yataro regarded the man dully and pushed himself to his feet form his position on the floor. He nodded to the guard, who held the door open, as he passed. When he reached the ground floor where the main public hall was located, he was greeted by the excited group of men. He waited a moment to be announced.

"Yataro, Sir!" One of the men yelled out and bowed deeply, the others following suit.

He nodded to them. "What is this urgent news I have been told of?"

"We found a trail, Sir, of blood! We followed it for a short distance before reporting back."

Yataro considered this information a moment. "Was the blood fresh?"

"Hours old, Sir."

He nodded thoughtfully. "This, I believe, could prove to be quite valuable. I shall assist you back, perhaps we will find what we're looking for."

"Or more Sir." The man had collected himself by this time and now stood tall in front of his superior.

"Yes . . . good work to you and your men, I'll see to it that you are rewarded."

"Sir!" The man bowed deeply, and again, the others did the same.

The trail was a hoax. Yataro was sure of this now. A fresh trial of blood would not remain so obvious and easy to fallow for the distance they had traced it. At this point, not only did it seemed a great waste of time, but also a carefully devised plan meticulously laid out just for his clan to find. The question now was who would have conceived this plan and why. Yataro was forever worrying about his relationships with other clans, particularly extensions of the former Foot Clan, which often had disputes over frivolous matters.

Just then the small precession halted and Yataro was bid to the front of the line to greet the obstacle.

"Akimoto Yataro, it has been long since we last spoke." An imposing figure stepped forward from the shadows, accompanied by a band of his own soldiers.

"Since the fall of the Foot. Is it you that made this trail?"

There was a pause. "Yes, you must forgive me for it, but I had to be cautious for my own protection. I needed to contact you."

"For what purpose?" Yataro was wary himself. He never considered himself on good grounds with this man or his clan.

"I believe we are searching for common things, perhaps if we were to combine my knowledge with your persistence, our goal could be met."

"What goal do you speak of?"

"You are looking for a young woman, an important member of your clan, are you not?"

"Perhaps. What concern is to you?" Yataro held his clam disposition, but he remained cautious and somewhat troubled by this mans knowledge.

"My interest lies not in the woman, but rather, in her captors."

Kaori fidgeted in the chair she was now seated in. She felt more then slightly uneasy surrounded by the four members of this bizarre group. After she agreed to tell Leonardo, the one she had first seen, about the Foot Clan, he brought her into what appeared to be a make-shift living room in the sewer. This was, she was convinced, the strangest thing to ever happen to her. After all, it's not everyday one's interrogated by four turtles.

"So Leo, is there a purpose behind all this, or are we just suppose to be staring each other down?" Raphael crossed his arms and sunk deeper into the corner of the sofa.

"We're about to find out what we wanted to know from . . . uh . . ." Leo paused, expecting a name from the girl, who only raised an eyebrow. "the lady here."

"Jane." She said, resting her chin in her hand.

"Right, Jane. So . . . ?"

"Yeah, the Foot Clan, um. . ." She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. She was much more tired then she had thought. "I guess you know they fell apart about three years ago due to the murder of it's leader-"

"Right, The Shredder, get on with it." Raph said, exasperated.

Kaori looked up at him, narrowing her eyes. With every word he spoke, she could feel her bitterness towards him grow. If it weren't for the others, she'd be tempted to challenge and defeat him once again.

"Raph-" Leo cautioned, then turned back to Kaori, "Ignore him."

"Yeah, thanks." She said dully and continued. "So after The Shredder was killed, the higher ranking members of the clan couldn't come to a decision of who should take over, though it wasn't quite that neat if ya know what I mean. So in the end, they all split up into a bunch of different clans with different rules and such."

All four were watching her expectantly. They were obviously waiting for more, how much did they think she would tell them?

"So the current 'Foot Clan' I think you're talking about is now called the Fist-"

"Heh, so they're naming themselves after body parts? I wonder who's the-"

"Mike, don't finish that." Leo warned.

Mike shrugged innocently. "Elbow! Jeeze Leo, I don't know what you were thinking . . ."

"Anyways . . . Jane?"

Kaori shook her head, they acted like teenagers, not ninja! How old were they suppose to be anyways? "Right, well, the leader of this clan, Tatsu, was once The Shredders right-hand man and an intense trainer of the clan members."

Kaori knew this from experience. When she joined the clan at a young age, bitter over her father and brothers' deaths, Tatsu was sure to let her know where she stood.

"Do you know where the Fists base is located now?" Leo inquired, eager for information.

Kaori shook her head. "It's hard to say, they move around a lot. My clan even has a hard time keeping tabs on them." She was hesitant to say more, she had made a commitment to her clan and an oath to her deceased family, she couldn't betray it now.

"Last I herd, they were based out of an old factory. . . somewhere in the Lower East Side, but like I said, they relocate often."

Leo nodded, his brows knitted with concentration. "What sort of relationship does your clan have with the Fist? Do you know about any plans they may have?"

"Most of what's left of the Foot doesn't get along too well, especially with the Fist, so I wouldn't know anything."

"See? That wasn't too hard, now was it?" Mike said, standing.

Leo studied Kaori's face for a moment longer before standing as well. "That could be useful to us. You're cooperation will be rewarded. Mike, get her something to eat . . . maybe something to sleep on too."

"I thought you said you would let me leave after I told you what I knew." Kaori said, crossing her arms.

"I said we'll see, and we will." He then nodded to Mike who nudged her on the shoulder.

"Come on," He said, nodding towards the kitchen.

She held Leo's gaze for a moment more before standing and following Mike.

Mike searched through the refrigerator for something half way edible. It had been awhile since anyone thought to throw out anything covered with fuzz. He pulled out a box of KFC and opened it. It smelled fine, though he couldn't remember exactly when or where it had come from.

"Chicken?" He pulled the box out and offered it to Kaori, who was seated at the table, watching him closely. "I think it's extra crispy."

She raised an eyebrow suspicously, but said nothing.

Mike shrugged, "Maybe you'd like some more caramel popcorn instead?"

"Why do you want to know about the Fist?"

Mike blinked. She was certainly blunt. "Does it matter?"

"Well after I told you all that, I can't see how it would hurt to tell me what it was for."

Mike pulled out the few pieces of chicken left and put them on a paper plate. "We were enemies of the Foot, seeking vengeance." He put the plate in the microwave and set the timer for three minutes.

"What had they done to you?" She asked as he settled in the chair across from her.

Mike glanced down at table. This girl had been loyal to Shredder and it certainly wouldn't further their cause if she knew they were responsible for his death and the ultimate downfall of the Foot Clan.

"Someone close to us was killed by them." He glanced up at her face which was expressionless. She nodded slowly, but he couldn't her thoughts were impossible to read.

"So how come you joined the clan?"

"Does it matter?" She mocked.

Mike laughed, "No, but it's not like I'm gonna tell anyone. I'm just curious."

She shrugged. Mike could tell she was reluctant to say.

"Come on . . . maybe I could get ya some mashed potatoes to go with this chicken . . . what d'ya say?"

She glanced towards the ground, trying to suppress a smile. "What're your guys' deal? I mean . . . Leo in there's all business, that Raph guy is a total ass you're . . ." She trailed off.

Mike smiled. "Yes? What am I?"

"You're like Mr. Happy-go-lucky."

"Well you seem to know me so well and yet I know so little about you."

"Listen," She rubbed her eyes with her hand, suddenly becoming serious. "The only reason I'm talking to you guys is because I wanna get outa here. You know nothing about me and that's the way it's going to stay. I'm not interested in making friends. If it weren't for those other guys in there, I'd deal with you right now and be out of here. Got it?"

Mike started at her, both surprised and taken aback by her sudden aggression. She held his gaze for a moment before looking away angrily. In the background, the timer on the microwave went off. Mike stood and slowly walked over to it, pulling out the plate.

"I wouldn't be so confidant if I were you." He said, regaining the whimsy in his voice.

"Oh no? And why's that?" Kaori asked dryly, humoring him.

"We were trained our whole lives as ninja-"

"Me too." Kaori smiled sweetly.

"Ah, so we know a little more the ever mysterious Jane . . . if that even is your name."

Kaori shrugged, trying to convey her lack of interest in the conversation.

Mike slid the plate of chicken towards her and sat once more. "So why were you trained in ninjitsu?"

Kaori sighed. He seemed innocent enough, but was he really trustworthy? She looked him over once more. She would have to find out where they got such elaborate costumes.

"My family is from an ancient line of Samurai. I was trained in martial arts by my father, who was trained by his father, who was trained by his father, and so on. How 'bout you?"

Mike shrugged. "Same deal . . . sort of. Had your family always been involved with The Foot?"

"No . . . my father was the first to join when he came here, to America. I guess it was the closest thing he could find to home and the Samurai teachings." Kaori began to pull apart the chicken in front of her, it was still too hot to eat.

"Did the fact that The Foot was a form of organized crime not bother him?" Mike asked incredulity.

Kaori smiled. "Samurai are assassins, it wouldn't be very hard to make the transition."

"Yeah, but they once stood for what was right as well. Was your father able to overlook that so easily?"

"My father was a good and virtuous man." Kaori said with malice, "You can not assume to be able to judge him and his character by his association with The Foot. Not all members of the clan are evil and bad."

"So then what was the clan? Good? You can't tell me that with everything they did, all the people the killed and cheated and all the things they were mixed up in that they were good!"

"I never said they were! The clan wasn't entirely about blood shed and wrong doing anyways! What did you know about it? Nothing! You ninjas never bothered to actually find out why people joined and what the clan did for them. Don't sit there and tell me all I've dedicated myself and my life to is wrong when you know absolutely nothing about it!"

Mike sat back and pursed his lips together. He hadn't realized or even expected she would have such passionate feelings towards The Foot.

"Then tell me." He folded his hand across his chest and gazed up at her calmly.

She looked at him for a moment, mouth agape. "What?" She asked, almost with disbelief.

"Tell me what The Foot meant to you. You're right, I obviously don't the half of it."



Chapter 2

More to Come!

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